From the devastating gun attacks in Paris and Tunisia to the crippling earthquake in Nepal and the unprecedented migrant crisis in Europe, 2015 was a year in which human stories and experiences came to the fore.
People caught up in these events shared their experiences with the BBC throughsocial media, chat apps and email.
Here, we revisit and hear from a number of them.
Mandy Palmucci, 33, from Chicago, US, survived the deadly shootings at La Belle Equipe bar in Paris, where 19 of the 130 killed in the 13 November attacks died.
"I was sitting outside La Belle Equipe with three friends when the attack happened.
"What we experienced was terrible. One of our group was shot in the leg. The rest of us were uninjured.
"I left Paris the day after it happened. I wanted to return for the memorial two week's later but couldn't travel then.
"At the table next to us, about 11 people were killed. I held on to a man who lost everyone.
"They were there for a birthday party [for waitress Houda Saadi, who was among those killed, along with sister Halima}.
"My heart is still broken from these events and I'm trying to get through this grieving process.
"I now count the Fridays. It's hard to distract me from 21:36 Paris time on a Friday, when the attack occurred.
"It's been the only thing I've actually allowed myself to enjoy and now that my bruises are gone, I'm glad there is a visual reminder beyond the internal one I feel every day.
"I still have thoughts related to the attacks every three to four minutes, at least.
"The immediate victims around me are never far from my mind and I have been consumed with knowing how people who were there are doing now.
"The updates in the news have slowed, but I've managed to find out about one man who was sitting to my right, another who was to my left, the lady directly behind me and a group of gentlemen near us.
"The only ones I don't know about, who I can see so clearly in my memories, were the two directly on the other side of us inside of the bar. I don't think I'll ever know.
"I'd prefer to forget about Christmas this year, it's not really on my mind."
Debbie Horsfall, 23, from Huddersfield, UK witnessed the gun attack in Sousse, Tunisia, which killed 38 people in June.
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