The Most Uplifting Photos of 2014

  • Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani girls’-rights and education activist, accepts flowers in Birmingham, England, after being named a Nobel Peace Prize winner (with India’s Kailash Satyarthi) on Oct. 10, 2014.
    Oli Scarff—AFP/Getty Images
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  • NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, crew member of the mission to the International Space Station, ISS, gestures with his daughter, from a bus as they leave from a hotel prior the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, May 28, 2014.
    Dmitry Lovetsky—AP
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  • Holocaust survivor Moshe Roth, 81, a writer and painter born in Nancy, France, relaxes after smoking medical marijuana in the Hadarim Nursing home in Kibbutz Naan, near Rehovot, Israel, April 27, 2014.
    ABIR SULTAN—EPA
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  • Hands hugging trees are pictured as participants take part in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most number of people hugging trees for two minutes in Kathmandu June 5, 2014.
    NAVESH CHITRAKAR—REUTERS
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  • 110-year-old Hector Gaitan kisses his wife Nora Campo inside his home, at an abandoned station of the Nicaraguan Railway Company, the country's defunct railway, located on the outskirts of Managua April 8, 2014.
    OSWALDO RIVAS—REUTERS
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  • Bill and Hillary Clinton cuddle their first grandchild, Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky, at a New York City hospital on Sept. 27, 2014.
    Jon Davidson—Office of President Clinton/Getty Images
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  • A detail from Konrad Lars Hastings Titlow, a picture named after the photograph's son, and taken on June 25, 2014 which won the 2014 Taylor Wessing photography prize.
    David Titlow
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  • A teenage girl from the Santa Marta "favela" slum holds a pair of high heels before the start of a debutante ball organized by the Pacifying Police Unit from her neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug. 29, 2014.
    Silvia Izquierdo—AP
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  • A sun bear takes a nap in one of Free The Bears' hammocks at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center, Sep. 5, 2014.
    Erika Pineros
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  • An activist from the "Right Sector" anti-government protest group presents a bouquet of flowers to his girlfriend in front of fellow activists near the site of previous clashes with riot police in Kiev Feb. 13, 2014.
    REUTERS
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  • Ebola survivor Sontay Massaley, 37, smiles upon her release from the Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Ebola treatment center on Oct. 12, 2014 in Paynesville, Liberia.
    John Moore—Getty Images
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  • Children play on the hills in Kathmandu September 3, 2014.
    NAVESH CHITRAKAR—REUTERS
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  • Iwan Carpenter receives hug from his mum Amanda as he sits on Brookehall Glimpse after competing at the Royal International Horse Show on July 30, 2014 in Hickstead, England.
    Peter Macdiarmid—Getty Images
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  • Gay rights supporters form a giant pink dot at "Speakers' Corner" in Singapore on June 28, 2014.
    ROSLAN RAHMAN—AFP/Getty Images
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  • A Turkish couple share a romantic sunset at the back of a ferry on the Bosphorus, in Istanbul, on October 17, 2014 .
    BULENT KILIC—AFP/Getty Images
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  • Teenage girls from the Cerro-Cora 'favela', or community, dance a ceremonial dance with UPP officers during a debutante ball at Ilha Fiscal castle, organized by the Pacifying Police Unit (UPP) from their community, on Nov. 6, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
    Mario Tama—Getty Images
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  • King Felipe VI of Spain waves to the crowds during the royal procession down the Gran Via on June 19, 2014 in Madrid, Spain. The coronation of King Felipe VI was held in Madrid. His father, the former King Juan Carlos of Spain abdicated on June 2nd after a 39 year reign.
    Getty Images
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  • Matthew McConaughey with his Oscar for best actor in a leading role that he won for his part in "Dallas Buyers Club," backstage during the 86th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, March 2, 2014.
    MONICA ALMEIDA—The New York Times/Redux
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  • The boat at center front, carrying George Clooney and his wife Amal Alamuddin is surrounded by media and security boats as they cruise the Grand Canal after leaving the Aman luxury Hotel in Venice, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014. George Clooney married human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, out of sight of pursuing paparazzi and adoring crowds.
    Luigi Costantini—AP
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  • Gay couple Peter McGraith (left) and David Cabreza kiss outside Islington Town Hall after getting married shortly after midnight in one of the UK's first same-sex weddings on March 29, 2014 in London, England.
    Rob Stothard—Getty Images
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  • North Koreans gather to dance in downtown Pyongyang, July 27, 2014 in North Korea.
    Wong Maye-E—AP
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  • Priests sing and dance in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Saturday, April 26, 2014. Pilgrims and faithful are gathering in Rome to attend Sunday's ceremony at the Vatican where Pope Francis will elevate in a solemn ceremony John XXIII and John Paul II to sainthood.
    Emilio Morenatti—AP
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  • A water park on the outskirts of Erbil,Iraq, Sept. 8, 2014. K
    Andrea Bruce—NOOR
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  • Wing Commander Matt Radnall, Officer Commanding 7 Force Protection Wing, carries a carefully folded Union Flag under his arm and back home to the UK as he walks out towards helicopter as the last British boots to leave Camp Bastion, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, Oct. 27, 2014.
    BEN BIRCHALL—PA Photos /Landov
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  • Yellow ribbons line Main Street as the hometown of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl awaits his homecoming on June 1, 2014 in Hailey, Idaho. Sgt. Bergdahl was captured in Afghanistan in 2009 while serving with U.S. Armys 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment in Paktika Province. He was released after a swap for 5 prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay was arranged.
    Scott Olson—Getty Images
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  • The winner of transsexual beauty contest, Yanki Bayramoglu (C) cheers during the contest in Istanbul, Turkey, 21 June 2014. The contest runs for first time in Turkey and it is organized by LGBT Turkey as a part of honour week events.
    SEDAT SUNA—EPA
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  • A member of the Uniao da Ilha samba school performs during its parade at 2014 Brazilian Carnival at Sapucai Sambadrome on March 3, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
    Mario Tama—Getty Images
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  • North Korean leader Kim Jong un (C) plays with children during a visit to the Taesongsan General Hospital in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang May 19, 2014.
    KCNA/REUTERS
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  • A paper heart is viewed on top of a melting mound of snow as temperatures in New York City reach into the mid 40's revealing trash that's been buried for weeks on Feb. 20, 2014 in New York City.
    Spencer Platt—Getty Images
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  • In this photo taken Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014, a dancer performs in the crowd at the Mayak cabaret, the most reputable gay club in Sochi, Russia, host to 2014 Winter Olympics.
    David Goldman—AP
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  • President Barack Obama jokes with Pope Francis at the Vatican, March 27, 2014. Obama met for the first time with the pope Thursday for a discussion that was expected to explore their philosophical common ground and their differences. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
    DOUG MILLS—DOUG MILLS/The New York Times/Re
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  • Miles Scott, a Northern California boy with leukemia, dressed as Batkid, throws the ceremonial first pitch next to Batman before an opening day baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the Arizona Diamondbacks in San Francisco, April 8, 2014.
    Eric Risberg—Pool/AP
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  • French boys play games on a Sunday at Champ de Mars, March 23, 2014
    Lauren Fleishman for TIME
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  • Palestinian youths practice their parkour skills at the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City April 27, 2014.
    MOHAMMED SALEM—REUTERS
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  • Wounded members of the Ukrainian forces, Ukrainian paratroopers Ruslan Yarish (R) and Oleksandr Ponomaryov (L) kiss their brides during their wedding in the central military hospital in Kiev, Ukraine, July 9, 2014.
    MAXIM MARUSENKO—EPA
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  • An 83-year-old Ukrainian man exercises at the Kachalka outdoor gym on the banks of the river Dniper in Kiev, Ukraine, May 29, 2014.
    FILIP SINGER—EPA
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  • A Palestinian man and his daughter are seen amongst wild mustard flowers which grow in the untilled fields across the Gaza Strip, on March 20, 2014, as the official start of spring is marked by the by the Vernal Equinox.
    MOHAMMED ABED—AFP/Getty Images
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  • Former Masters champion Gary Player of South Africa reacts after a putt on the ninth hole during the Par 3 Contest ahead of the 2014 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 9, 2014.
    JIM YOUNG—REUTERS
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  • A woman and a man look at cherry blossoms in full bloom in Tokyo March 31, 2014.
    Toru Hanai—REUTERS
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  • A boy carries a couple of turtles at a river near a check point controlled by pro-Russian demonstrators in central Slovyansk, eastern Ukraine, April 23, 2014.
    Mauricio Lima—The New York Times/Redux
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  • People dive into the Mediterranean Sea on a hot summer's day in Nice, southern France, 21 July 2014.
    SEBASTIEN NOGIER—EPA
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  • Afghan boys take flight on swings at a fair set up in a field near the Sahki Shrine during Nowruz festivities which marks the Afghan New Year in Kabul on March 21, 2014.
    ROBERTO SCHMIDT—AFP/Getty Images
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  • Angelina Jolie, actor and humanitarian, is presented with honorary damehood by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in London on Oct. 10, 2014, for her services to U.K. foreign policy and her campaign to end sexual violence in war zones.
    Anthony Devlin—AFP/Getty Images
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  • A woman dances in front of riot police during a demonstration on Dec. 9, 2014 in the Kadikoy neighborhood of Istanbul against the eviction of a squatted building.
    OZAN KOSE—AFP/Getty Images
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  • People sunbathe and watch boats on an artificial lake as they enjoy the warm weather during a sunny spring day at Madrid's Retiro park April 7, 2014.
    SUSANA VERA—REUTERS
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  • Lukas Michul, a member of the 'dream walker' group jumps from atop the rugged rocks overlooking the azure waters of Navagio beach, one of the Greece's most renowned leisure spots on the popular tourist island of Zakynthos on June 23, 2014.
    LOUISA GOULIAMAKI—AFP/Getty Images
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  • A recovering drug addict wrestles with a punching dummy to unleash pent-up anger during a psychological therapy at the Shiliping compulsory drug rehabilitation centre in Longyou county, Zhejiang province June 19, 2014.
    WILLIAM HONG—REUTERS
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  • A girl sticks out her tongue during snowfalls on a street in Hefei, Anhui province Feb. 13, 2014.
    Jianan Yu—REUTERS
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  • Children play around a man dressed as Batman at the Favela do Metro slum, area just near the Maracana stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Jan. 9, 2014.
    YASUYOSHI CHIBA—AFP/Getty Images
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  • Children play with coloured water during "Huranga" at Dauji temple near the northern Indian city of Mathura March 18, 2014. Huranga is a game played between men and women a day after Holi, the festival of colors.
    ADNAN ABIDI—REUTERS
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  • New York Yankees' Derek Jeter jumps after hitting the game-winning single against the Baltimore Orioles in the ninth inning of a baseball game, Sept. 25, 2014, in New York.
    Julie Jacobson—AP
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  • Chinese tourists take pictures near Tiananmen Square on the 65th National Day on Oct.1, 2014 in Beijing, China.
    Kevin Frayer—Getty Images
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  • Uyghur children play with balloons on the Eid holiday on July 29, 2014 in alleyway in old Kashgar, Xinjiang Province, China.
    Kevin Frayer—Getty Images
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  • Air Force Academy graduates throw their caps into the air as F-16 jets from the Thunderbirds make a flyover, at the completion of the graduation ceremony for the class of 2014, at the U.S. Air Force Academy, in Colorado, May 28, 2014.
    Brennan Linsley—AP
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  • Bastian Schweinsteiger of Germany celebrates with the World Cup trophy after defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final match between Germany and Argentina at Maracana on July 13, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
    Julian Finney—Getty Images
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  • Jeffrey Fowle, who was detained for more than seven months in North Korea, greets his son after arriving at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Fairborn, Ohio October 22, 2014.
    Jim Witmer—Dayton Daily News/MCT/Reuters
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  • Children play in an irrigation canal, the local swimming hole that runs though Aracataca, the hometown of the late Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez, along Colombia's Caribbean coast during the Holy Week holiday on April 18, 2014.
    Ricardo Mazalan—AP
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  • Soldiers who took part in the Patriot mission in Turkey receive a honor medal in Venray, The Netherlands, June 26, 2014.
    ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN—EPA
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  • Children play in a pond on May 23, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. Sydney is experiencing it's hottest May on record, already recording it's hottest week for this time of year in over 150 years.
    Ryan Pierse—Getty Images
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  • Zookeeper Nadezda Radovic kisses a three week old white lion cub at Belgrade Zoo, Serbia, Oct. 17, 2014. The two white lions cubs, an extremely rare subspecies of the African lion were recently born at the Belgrade Zoo.
    Darko Vojinovic—AP
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  • Wearing traditional Belarus costumes girls jump over a bonfire as they celebrate the Ivan Kupala night, an ancient heathen holiday, held in the countryside near the town of Turov, some 260 km southwest of the capital Minsk, on July 6, 2014.
    VIKTOR DRACHEV—AFP/Getty Images
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  • A cancer patient poses for a photo during her "Quinceanera" (15th birthday) party among other celebrants at a hotel in Managua Sept. 20, 2014.
    OSWALDO RIVAS—REUTERS
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  • U.S. President Barack Obama gives a hug to Dallas nurse Nina Pham in the Oval Office of the White House Oct. 24, 2014 in Washington, DC. Pham, a nurse who was infected with Ebola from treating patient Thomas Eric Duncan at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas and was first diagnosed on October 12, was declared free of the virus.
    Olivier Douliery—Pool/Getty Images
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  • A ballet perfomance is staged during the Chingay Parade in Singapore, Feb. 7, 2014.
    TOM WHITE—EPA
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  • Dressed in folk costumes young men pour water from their buckets on young women as members of Marghareta Dance Group perform local Easter folk traditions at the Open Air Village Museum in Nyiregyhaza, northeast of Budapest, Hungary, April 21, 2014.
    ATTILA BALAZS—EPA
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  • Kurdish boys play in a field on Oct. 25, 2014, near the Syria border at the southeastern village of Yumurtalik, Sanliurfa province.
    BULENT KILIC—AFP/Getty Images
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  • Nepalese children fly a kite from a hill in the fields surrounding the Khokana village near Kathmandu, Nepal, Sept. 7, 2014.
    NARENDRA SHRESTHA—EPA
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  • A girl plays with the water curtains that have been installed by firemen to bring relief to local people suffering from scorching heat on Piotrowska Street in Lodz, Poland, May 24, 2014.
    Grzegorz Michalowski—EPA
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  • A bride poses for a photographer on an embankment at the Yenisei River in Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, June 27, 2014.
    ILYA NAYMUSHIN—REUTERS
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  • A boy plays with a paper plane at the corridor of the Emporium kindergarten in Koriyama, west of the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Fukushima prefecture Feb. 28, 2014.
    Toru Hanai—REUTERS
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  • A young boy dives in a creek near the Italian city of Portofino on Sept. 8, 2014.
    OLIVIER MORIN—AFP/Getty Images
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  • A Solar halo appears in the sky over Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 5, 2014.
    Chogo/Xinhua Press/Corbis
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  • Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, and her husband Britain's Prince William, watch as their son Prince George looks at an Australian animal called a Bilby, which has been named after the young Prince, during a visit to Sydney's Taronga Zoo April 20, 2014.
    DAVID GRAY—REUTERS
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  • Graffiti marks the stump of a tree felled as part of a plan to remove alien vegetation and reduce fire risks in Cape Town's Table Mountain National Park, January 27, 2014.
    MIKE HUTCHINGS—REUTERS
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  • A couple kisses before a display of illuminated panda lanterns on the banks of the Cheonggyechun stream in central Seoul during the 6th annual lantern festival on Nov. 6, 2014.
    ED JONES—AFP/Getty Images
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  • Xolani Nxumalo (19) holds a young boy as he jumps on a trampoline while children watch in the Alexandra township in Johannesburg, South Africa, June 24, 2014.
    KIM LUDBROOK—EPA
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  • A Syrian refugee boy plays with a ball at a refugee centre in the town of Harmanli, some 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Sofia Jan. 21, 2014.
    STOYAN NENOV—REUTERS
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  • Pope Francis celebrate the wedding of 20 couples in St. Peter on 14 Sept. 14, 2014.
    Realy Easy Star/Alamy
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  • A girl jumps to touch cherry blossoms in full bloom in Fussa, outskirts Tokyo, Japan, April 5, 2014.
    KIMIMASA MAYAMA—EPA
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  • A smiley face is held up by a festival-goer as the sun sets in front of the Other Stage at Worthy Farm in Somerset, during the Glastonbury Festival June 27, 2014.
    Cathal McNaughton—REUTERS
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By Phil Bicker
December 30, 2014 5:40 AM EST

2014 was a heart wrenching year—that brought with it a litany of terror, turbulence and tragedy. But it also provided us with some exuberant, heart-warming and magical images, giving us something to smile about amidst a traumatic news cycle.

Here TIME presents a selection of underreported, intimate and ecstatic images that accentuate the positive—from Malala Yousafzai’s Nobel Peace Prize and Ebola survivors, to singing priests in St Peter’s Square and dancers in the streets of North Korea—that caught the attention of TIME’s photo editors. Without a doubt, these images reveal a brighter side of life.

 

 

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