There are more people than ever on Earth, but never have we been this connected with each other. Photography plays a large role, with the still image continuing to hold extraordinary power, bypassing borders and languages and cultures, to inform and educate us. Its success is its impact, altering our actions or thoughts merely because it exists. It’s our proof. And technology has kept pace.
Each photograph selected for TIME’s Top 10 photos of 2014, unranked and carefully culled from thousands, takes us into a dramatic scene that provides an important visual record of history.
From celebrity selfies garnering over 3.36 million retweets on twitter to a haunting image of malaysia airlines flight 17 wreckage in ukriane, these images have been chosen for their resonance and relevance in 2014.
