As we venture forth into 2014 and the years beyond, what will we remember about 2013?

No doubt the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, its attendant troubles and perhaps the Obama administration’s Keystone Cops routine will dominate the year in history books (or history apps, I guess). But the political mayhem that has consumed Washington D.C. will likely be forgotten, as often happens with non-election years.

Away from politics, many music fans will remember this as the year that Lou Reed, America’s great rock ‘n’ roll poet, passed away. But in the ever-fracturing world of pop culture, there aren’t many other clear touchstones. Will we remember the Harlem Shake? Will anyone be talking about World War Z or Man of Steel ten years from now? Will Miley Cyrus, or Macklemore have a lasting enough impression that we care to look back at their earliest pop transformations, both of which came to a head this year? Only time will tell.

Whether or not Macklemore parlays his two hit singles into a long, influential pop career, he has solidified his place in Seattle lore this past year. As has Bertha, the massive tunneling machine that began burrowing beneath Seattle this year, only to be stopped by some unforeseen impenetrable object. Will we remember 2014 as the year that our newly elected mayor Ed Murray single-handedly removed the obstructionist boulder—or whatever it is—or will he be forgotten as well, his 2013 election just another example of Seattleites’ hunger for new politicians to grouse about and then throw out. And what of the Boeing Machinists, the championship caliber Seahawks and the $15 minimum wage? Each of these news stories have the potential of reshaping our region and our collective identity. But these are unfinished narratives, their place in the history books uncertain.

What we can be certain of is that a lot happened in 2013. In order to remember it, if just for a fleeting moment, the Seattle Weekly staff has compiled this series of lists, quizzes and essays, our final farewell to the year that was, our Year in Review. MARK BAUMGARTEN

20 Questions About 2013 Were you paying attention this year, or were you too busy twerking? Take our news quiz to find out.

Closings, Openings, Trends, and Tribulations The top 27 Seattle food moments of 2013. By Nicole Sprinkle

The Best Arts and Culture of 2013 What we saw, what we heard, what we loved. By Seattle Weekly Critics

The Best Films of 2013 According to Brian Miller and Robert Horton

The Year in Trash Who needs 10-best lists when there is so much dreck to celebrate? By Mark Rahner

Smells Like 2013 Spirit This year, 1993’s grunge ghosts were righteously raised. By Kelton Sears

Best Seattle Bands of 2013 According to Mark Baumgarten, Gwendolyn Elliott and Kelton Sears

The Almost Year What might have been for the Seahawks, Sounders, and Sonics. By Seth Kolloen

The Geek that Was 7 Memorable Moments of 2013. By Terra Clarke Olsen