2015 in review

Dec. 18, 2015 10:43 PM

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Billy Joel closed down the Nassau Coliseum, while a horse for the ages captured the first Triple Crown in decades at Belmont Park. Two of the state’s top political leaders, including Long Island’s Dean Skelos, were convicted and lost their seats. And a 91-year-old high school graduate made us proud. 2015 has been a nonstop year. Here’s what we’ll remember.

Long Island's top 10 stories

Former Senate Republican Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son Adam were convicted of bribery, extortion and conspiracy in a decisive verdict. See that and nine more top LI stories of the year.

Anthony Lanzilote

Best and worst in entertainment

Disappointments, debuts, farewells

Our movie, TV, music, theater and book critics on the major moments, big debuts, worst flops and notable farewells of 2015.

AMC

Video Year in Review

See the year in just 4 minutes

From American Pharoah's Triple Crown win to the popemobile in NYC to the closing of the Nassau Coliseum, see the memorable moments and stories Newsday captured on video this year.

Photos for posterity

Top LI pictures of 2015

What's this acrobatic display? A Long Islander practicing his tricking and parkour skills in summer at Robert Moses State Park.

Newsday / Alejandra Villa

Memorable takes

Matt Davies' cartoons of the year

The cartoonist says choosing this collection is a challenge.

Matt Davies

Front and center

Newsday's notable covers of 2015

See a collection of the most notable Newsday covers of the year, chosen by the editors, from January through December.

Home and abroad

Top photos around the U.S. and globe

From the Rocky Fire in California to a Chilean volcano's eruption to a New York fugitive's capture.

AP / Josh Edelson

Top NYC photos

New York City's 2015 highs, and lows

One high: Pope Francis riding the popemobile through Central Park on Sept. 25, 2015.

Howard Schnapp

'MasterChef Junior'

LI kids who found fame in 2015

2015 was a good year to get 15 minutes of fame for these select few local kids, including a young cook.

FOX / Greg Gayne

Long Island

Notable deaths

50 Long Islanders we lost in 2015

From a police officer, to a veteran actor, to a Hall of Fame hockey coach, Newsday remembers some of those whom we lost this year.

News 12; NYPD; Joseph D. Sullivan

Making us proud

Long Islanders who made us proud

From a World Series starter to a Medal of Valor recipient, there were plenty of Long Islanders who did amazing things in 2015.

Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara

In memoriam

LI murder and homicide victims

These people were killed in Nassau and Suffolk counties this year, in chronological order from January through December.

Family; Facebook; Instagram

Sports

New standards

Sports firsts in 2015

The defending champion Golden State Warriors, led by Stephen Curry, set the NBA record for most wins to start a season.

AP / Chris Young

The year in sports

Top sports photos of 2015

There are plenty of good photos taken each year at sporting events. Here are 46 we found particularly enjoyable.

Newsday / J. Conrad Williams Jr.

No one better

2015 sports champions

See which teams won titles during the 2015 calendar year.

Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara

Firsts & phenoms

Women in sports in 2015

A huge year for female athletes, from USWNT to Serena Williams.

Getty Images / Franck Fife

Passing on

2015 notable sports deaths

We said goodbye to athletes, coaches and personalities.

Getty Images / Mike Powell

Food

Moments to savor

Best Long Island dishes and eats

Every so often, you take a bite that makes you want to stop time and savor the moment. Here are the 20 best things we ate on Long Island in 2015.

Newsday / Peter M. Gianotti

Winning meals

Best restaurants for fine dining on LI

It was the year of the tapas bar and the gastropub, super sushi, chef's star turns and a lot of first-class food.

Gordon M. Grant

A gustatory classic

LI's 10 best burgers of 2015

Whether tricked out or naked, the burger is an essential on the dining scene. While we’ve eaten thousands over the years, here are our 10 latest favorites, ranked.

Daniel Brennan

Most notable closings

Biggest Long Island restaurant closures of 2015

This year’s closings run the gamut from Long Island’s oldest Italian restaurant, which called it quits at 96, to a promising Turkish spot that shut after only 6 months.

Destination pies

The Island's best pizza: 10 pies worth the drive

Most Long Islanders have a favorite local pizzeria whose honor they are prepared to defend to the death, Newsday's Erica Marcus has discovered.

Cookbooks galore

The best cookbooks of 2015

Sure, it's the digital age. But there's still nothing like a cookbook. Here are our Top 10 picks for 2015, from 'Scandinavian Baking' to Israeli cooking.

Newsday / Rebecca Cooney

Entertainment

Music

The year's best albums

From Adele's much-hyped '25' to Disclosure's brilliant 'Caracal,' pop music critic Glenn Gamboa rounds up his favorite releases.

Republic Records

Television's top 10

Critic's picks: Best TV shows of 2015

TV critic Verne Gay says 2015 was a very good year indeed, with 'Game of Thrones,' 'Mad Men' and 'The Jinx' among the standouts.

Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara

Best movies

'Inside Out,' 'Amy' and more

Film critic Rafer Guzmann says the awards-season race is wide open. Here's his top 10, with a few honorable mentions.

TNS

Celeb splits

They broke up in 2015

Ben and Jen are done, among other notable couples -- including Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield.

AP / Invision / Evan Agostini

Best books

Coates, Ferrante, Larson and Marra

These are this year's books that really stayed with us -- five in nonfiction and five in fiction.

Hogarth

Celebrity deaths

Stars who died in 2015

Remembering the actors, leaders and icons we bid adieu, from Natalie Cole to Leonard Nimoy.

Photofest / NBC

Newsday documentaries

Leaving Long Island

Islanders' last season at Nassau Coliseum

'The old barn' rocked in its final season. Newsday followed Islanders employees, fans and players throughout the emotional ride.

Belmont's backstretch

Where Triple Crowns are made

The preparation to make him a Triple Crown winner begins on the backstretch and at Belmont Park, where the backstretch is a community unto itself.

Business

The job market

Worst jobs to have in 2015

The worst jobs of 2015 included newspaper reporter, lumberjack and taxi driver, according to CareerCast.com.

Tax breaks

Biggest LI business expansions

LI industrial development agencies approved tax breaks for 17 projects valued at $4 million or more in 2015.

SHoP Architects

It's a mobile world

Apple's best apps of 2015

Periscope, Instagram and HBO NOW are some of the standouts in the top 25. Spark and Zova also made the cut.

Apple

Lifestyle

Long Island

Sports

Food

Entertainment

Newsday documentaries

Business

Lifestyle

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