UPI 2019 Pictures of the Year (73 images)

UPI photographers documented people and events around the world in 2019, from the historic impeachment of President Donald Trump to record-breaking athletic achievements, milestones for entertainers, protests on climate change, space industry advances and more. They captured many light moments, too. Here's a collection of some of the most captivating images of the year.

Nancy Pelosi holds the hand of her granddaughter Bella Kaufmann Pelosi as she jumps in joy after the announcement of Pelosi's return as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives on January 3. She is the first official to return to the position since Sam Rayburn in 1955. She became the nation's first female House speaker when she took the gavel in 2007. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks with Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., as he holds his baby daughter Kathryn Watts Swalwell as the 116th U.S. Congress opens on January 3. Swalwell's daughter was born October 24, 2018. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI

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Actress Sandra Oh appears backstage after winning the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series -- Drama for "Killing Eve" during the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on January 6. Oh was the first actress of Asian descent to win multiple Golden Globes. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI

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Late afternoon sunlight bathes the White House on January 24. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI

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