The Photos That Captured 2024
Above, Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 attends an interfaith vigil in October outside Memorial Church to mourn the victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the ongoing war in Gaza. Since he began his presidency two days into 2024, Garber has led a campus polarized by the war. Here, The Crimson looks back at some of the key moments captured by Crimson photojournalists from the past year on Harvard’s campus.
In February, more than 200 protesters marched from Cambridge Common to the home of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) during a pro-Palestine rally, calling on her to oppose U.S. military aid to Israel. This marked the beginning of a series of demonstrations that would unfold across campus and Harvard Square throughout the spring.
On the top floors of the Harvard Art Museums, conservators at the Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies showed The Harvard Crimson how they preserve centuries of artistic heritage. Adrienne M. Gendron, an objects conservation fellow, is pictured treating a Greek amphora, highlighting the efforts of a team tasked with the care of over 250,000 pieces in the museum's collections.
Hundreds of students packed Tercentenary Theatre in Harvard Yard for Yardfest, Harvard’s annual spring concert. R&B singer Tinashe headlined the show, performing hit songs such as “2 On” and “Needs.”
“The reason why it builds up so much hype is because it brings large swaths of campus together,” said Fez S. Zafar ’24, the first marshal for the Class of 2024. “That’s the beauty of Yardfest — you look around and you see every genre of Harvard student represented.”
Harvard affiliates gathered across campus to witness a near-total solar eclipse, the first visible from North America since 2017. The eclipse covered more than 93% of the sun in Cambridge.
Harvard students and alumni joined thousands of runners at the 128th Boston Marathon. Many participants raised funds for more than 160 different charities including Boston Children’s Hospital, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and Project HOPE Boston Inc. Amid cheers and handmade signs, finishers celebrated the end of the iconic 26.2-mile course.
Several dozen pro-Palestine protesters flooded Harvard Yard in April, establishing an encampment to protest the College’s suspension of the Palestine Solidarity Committee and demand that the University divest from its investments and institutional ties to Israel.
Harvard’s 373rd Commencement brought together thousands of graduates, faculty, family, and friends in Tercentenary Theatre. Amid both celebration and protest, the ceremony featured Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa as the principal speaker. In her address, Ressa warned of the power of Big Tech and rising threats to democracy.
“Our world on fire needs you,” Ressa said. “Class of 2024, welcome to the battlefield.”
Pro-Palestine students and faculty walked out during the 373rd Commencement, protesting the University’s decision to withhold degrees from 13 seniors involved in the pro-Palestine encampment. Demonstrators assembled at the “People’s Commencement,” a mock ceremony at Epworth Church where students honored the 13 seniors with symbolic diplomas and speeches celebrating their advocacy.
Three fatal bicycle crashes in Cambridge in 2024 drew grief and anger across the city — and reinvigorated advocacy for expanding Cambridge’s network of bike lanes.
Spencer the dog poses proudly with his custom portrait at the “Summer Pawty” in Harvard Square. The event brought together dozens of dog lovers for a day of costumes, treats, and doggie portraits, celebrating Cambridge’s furry friends with creativity and camaraderie.
An Evening with Champions returned to Harvard’s Bright-Landry Hockey Center this September for its 52nd year. The student-run event, which has raised over $3 million for The Jimmy Fund at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, opened with a vibrant group performance, setting the stage for a night of figure skating featuring national and Olympic champions.
The 59th Head of the Charles Regatta, the largest rowing competition in the world, brought together more than 11,000 competitors and thousands of spectators this October. Along the banks of the Charles River, fans cheered for rowers as they navigated the challenging three-mile course.
The 30th annual Boston Fashion Week also returned this October, celebrating creativity and cultural diversity across more than 20 events. In Boston En Vogue’s Classical Luxury Show, Iria captivated the audience with a Raqs Sharqui performance, her iridescent veil shimmering as she moved gracefully across the stage.
More than 70 pro-Palestine activists staged a silent study-in at Widener Library’s Loker Reading Room in late October, protesting Harvard’s refusal to review its investments for ties to human rights violations. Participants quietly read and studied under signs reading “Free Palestine” and “Harvard Divest from Death,” marking the third such protest in Widener during the fall semester.
The 2024 presidential election saw Donald Trump win a historic return to the White House. At Harvard, hundreds of students packed Sanders Theatre to watch the results unfold, reacting with a mix of excitement and apprehension during the campus-wide election night watch party.
Yale defeated Harvard in the 140th Game, continuing a three-win streak. With the loss, Harvard lost its shot at being the sole champion of the Ivy League, instead settling for a three-way tie with Columbia and Dartmouth.
Anti-abortion protesters marched from Allston’s Planned Parenthood to Boston Common in the Men’s March in November, clashing with counter-protesters — many of whom were dressed as clowns — along the way.