From Amazon to Zillow, big successes to surprising failures, it was an extraordinary year for technology and innovation emerging from and impacting Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. That’s our consensus after we independently compiled our own lists of the biggest stories of the year, then compared notes.

Many common themes emerged, including companies looking to reinvent themselves, the sudden failure of several high-profile tech startups, surprising acquisitions, a successful IPO, world-changing innovations, and alarming tech problems that imperiled privacy and put lives at risk. Microsoft continued its resurgence, Amazon survived one of the most tumultuous years in its history, and tech giants reshaped communities across the region and the country.

Of course, that’s just the start. Listen above, or subscribe to GeekWire in your favorite podcast app, and continue reading for the stories on our collective list.

— GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop

Big deals

Failures and flame-outs

Amazon’s eventful year

Tech giants expand

Honorable mention

Thanks for reading and listening! What did we miss? Let us know.

Check GeekWire next week for year-end analysis of areas including startups, space and science, plus the year in pictures.