Santa Shooting, Disappearing Dome, Mourning Mandela and Baby Panda Gets a Name

December started with a special moment for conservationists and zoo goers when the National Zoo's baby panda got its name. 

Rhymes with Wow! Baby Panda Gets a Name

Shortly after, the project to renovate the Capitol dome was awarded to two prominent construction companies in Washington, D.C., kicking off a two-year project that will leave the dome hidden behind a layer of scaffolding.

See It While You Can: Capitol Dome To Disappear

'Critical Work' Needed to Save U.S. Capitol Dome

But probably the biggest moment of the month, maybe even the year, was when Nelson Mandela passed away. DC residents flocked to the nearby Embassy of South Africa to stand before a statue of the first South African president and ponder what his death meant for the world as a whole. 

For Mandela’s Death, Only One Place to Go

And to top off the month and lead us into the new year, one of Santa's helpers had to go to the hospital on Christmas day.  

Santa Claus Shot With Pellet Gun (Really) While Delivering Toys in Washington, DC

Here's to new hope for an endangered animal, a glimpse of the Capitol before two years of scaffolding, remembering a great historical figure and a full recovery for a man who did something selfless in 2014.