This quiz will reveal if you've been paying attention to 2023 news

It's been another eventful year in the world of news - with heartwarming tales, shocking scandals, and milestone moments aplenty. Do you know what date the Kings Coronation took place? What chocolate bar Cadbury discontinued, or what Ken’s famous line was in the Barbie movie?

The quiz was developed by digital magazine and newspaper app, Readly which also polled 2,000 adults to discover their favourite stories of the year with King Charles’ coronation coming top.

Boris Johnson departing Number 10 came second, and despite losing, England’s Lionesses making the final of the World Cup was also a highlight.

More than 50 years after they split, the release of the ‘last ever’ song by The Beatles, 'Now and Then', was popular. As was coverage of another pop icon, Sir Elton John, thanks to his final UK performance when he headlined Glastonbury. Barbie topping the box office, the rise of AI, and the return of reality TV show Big Brother also went down well with the 2,000 adults polled.

Other notable moments making the top 30 list included Donald Trump’s mugshot, a pill which halves the risk of breast cancer, and Twitter becoming X. But the topic of Prince Harry and Meghan is something 48 per cent no longer want to hear about.

With Love Island, Phillip Schofield, and YouTube personalities also falling into this category for many of those polled.

The King's Coronation tops the list of the best news stories of 2023

An eventful year in news

Chris Couchman, head of content at Readly, said: "It seems that year on year, news is becoming even more shocking and there have been so many highs and lows this year. Yet, it’s nice to be able to recap on the year we’ve had – with Nigel Farage going on I’m A Celebrity to a Parkinson’s patient able to walk 6km without problems after a spinal implant. The diversity of the news in 2023, from the unexpected and shocking to the heartwarming, truly reflects the dynamic nature of the world we live in.”

The study also found 66 per cent of everyone polled consider themselves ‘up to date’ with current news and events. The cost-of-living crisis came out as the biggest talking point of 2023 (52 per cent), followed by the Israel-Hamas war (45 per cent) and AI (24 per cent).

With 74 per cent revealing they ‘couldn’t quite believe’ some of the stories reported in the media during the past 12 months. As such, the deaths of Matthew Perry (29 per cent), Paul O’Grady (23 per cent), and Sinead O’Connor (18 per cent) were the biggest shocks of the year. However, 61 per cent would much rather read about positive events, and although 61 per cent of people think 2023 has been a memorable year, 19 per cent consider other years to be more so, with 2020 coming out on top.

News broadcasts on TV were found to be the place 54 per cent go to get their news and current events information from, whilst 44 per cent get their news from digital magazines and newspapers, 37 per cent tune into the radio and 29 per cent simply rely on word of mouth. The research carried out through OnePoll found sports (32 per cent), politics (25 per cent) and entertainment (24 per cent) were the topics those polled most enjoy reading or hearing about.

It also emerged 17 per cent suspect they’ve read a piece of news this year that was AI generated, with 30 per cent expecting AI to dominate the news agenda even more during the next 12 months than it has done in 2023.

Chris Couchman from Readly, a magazine app with more than 7,600 titles, added: “Looking ahead, we anticipate another year of compelling stories and transformative developments. Here’s to a year that doesn’t pass by too quickly, allowing us all to savour the moments and embrace the exciting possibilities that lie ahead. May 2024 bring us more moments that captivate, challenge, and inspire, ensuring there is always something to look forward to.”

Britain’s favourite news stories of 2023

Coronation of King Charles III
Boris Johnson resigns as MP
Lionesses reach World Cup final
Donald Trump gets his mug shot taken
Pill which halves the risk of breast cancer announced
Phillip Schofield leaves This Morning
Parkinson’s patient able to walk 6km without problems after spinal implant
The rise of AI
The Beatles release their final song, ‘Now and Then’
Sir Elton John headlines Glastonbury
Nigel Farage appears on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!
Holly Willoughby leaves This Morning
Peter Kay first live tour in more than a decade
Barbie tops the Box Office
Prince Harry releases his memoir, Spare
Twitter becomes X
Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff MBE appears in public for the first time since his Top Gear crash
Vinyl outsells CDs for the first time since 1987
England suffer semifinal heartbreak against South Africa in the Rugby World Cup
Dan Wootten is suspended from GB News/Laurence Fox is sacked
Beckham airs on Netflix
Sir Elton John ends touring career with final concert in Stockholm, Sweden
Big Brother returns
Tyson Fury controversially awarded win over Francis Ngannou
Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story airs on Disney+
Adele stops Las Vegas show to tell security to leave fan alone
Married at First Sight airs on Channel 4
Matt Hancock appears on SAS Who Dares Wins
Britney Spears releases memoir, The Woman in Me
Jada Pinkett Smith reveals she and Will Smith separated in 2016