From the devastation of wildfires and hurricanes to the troubling effects of mass shootings, wars and a divided United States following the inauguration of President Donald Trump, the past 365 has seen quite a lot for such a short period of time. Editors at TIME have been sifting through several photographs throughout the past year, setting aside those that best highlighted the tense times at hand. After choosing 100 of their favorite picks and shaving that down by another 90%, TIME has now revealed their "Top 10 Photos of the Year" just as 2018 starts to roll in.

Documenting these important moments from behind the lens were Ryan M. Kelly, Marcus Yam, Dar Yasin, Felipe Dana, Cristina Mittermeier, Andrew Mills, Kevin Frayer, David Becker, Meredith Kohut and Carolyn Cole. "These pictures were chosen not just for the information they provide and the emotions they evoke, but for their staying power: their ability to not just define the year we leave behind but to inform the one ahead," explained TIME’s Deputy Director of Multimedia, Andrew Katz. If you are up to reliving a little bit of some of the past through quality photography, browse through TIME's top selection of imagery below and read the full story here.

Words: Vanessa Feder