Londoner takes one billionth Uber trip since company launched, reaps the rewards

It was Martin's lucky day: Hiring an UberX on Christmas Eve, the Londoner became the one billionth traveler to use Uber since the company gave its first ride in 2010. To celebrate, Uber gave Martin a year's worth of free rides and his driver, Ara, has been awarded a vacation to anywhere Uber serves, NBC News reports. Additionally, Uber made a donation to a charity in Martin's neighborhood.

2015 was a major year for Uber, which faced bans in Brazil, France, and the unionization of its drivers in Seattle. The company also expanded globally, such as by adding a fleet of boats in Istanbul.