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Dec. 26 (UPI) -- UPI photographers captured many historic and memorable moments from 2018 -- from the Central American caravan of migrants journeying to the U.S. border with Mexico, to West Coast wildfires that leveled neighborhoods, to protests all over the country. The United States also said goodbye to important political figures while dealing with more deadly gun violence and the protests that followed.
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Some of the highlights from the year's images:
Migrant caravan
In October, the migrant caravan started gathering in Honduras consisting of thousands of refugees. As they started walking north through Mexico, President Donald Trump deployed U.S. troops to the border and renewed his call for a border wall. In late November, the caravan reached Tijuana, Mexico near San Diego. There many of asylum seekers rushed the border, prompting confrontations with some border patrol agents.
President George H.W. Bush
President, war hero and lifelong public servant George H.W. Bush died Nov. 30 at age 94. Thousands descended to the U.S. Capitol to pay their respects to Bush as he lay in state in the rotunda. All living presidents attended the funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C., which included an emotional eulogy by his son, former President George W. Bush.
Bush then made his final trip on the first presidential funeral train in almost 50 years.
Sen. John McCain
Vietnam veteran, prisoner of war and longtime Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain died Aug. 25 after a battle with brain cancer. His political career earned him the nickname Maverick, and he was serving his sixth term when he was diagnosed with brain cancer.
The death of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi had repercussions around the world as the Saudi royal family distanced itself from the scandal. U.S. intelligence agents say Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing, but President Donald Trump has said he values the U.S.-Saudi relationship and there's not enough evidence to blame the crown prince.
The nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court took a dramatic turn with revelations from former classmates, who recounted incidents of sexual misconduct. The saga divided the country and after a lot of political wrangling, the Senate voted almost entirely down party lines to confirm.
Camp Fire
In November, the Camp Fire became the deadliest wildfire in California history, burning more than 153,000 acres and killing 86 people in Butte County north of San Francisco. The entire town of Paradise was destroyed. The blaze was 100 percent contained on Nov. 25 and authorities are investigating whether Pacific Gas & Electric could have played a role.
Gun control
On Feb. 14, Nikolas Cruz opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., with a semi-automatic rifle. Seventeen people died in the attack, which led to a host of questions about police response, mental illness and gun control in the United States.
Many MSD students called for comprehensive gun control in a series of rallies in more than 800 cities nationwide, including Washington, D.C., and New York City.
