2020 brought a plethora of life-changing events, altering the way most people live their everyday lives. The most memorable of these events was the Coronavirus, which will forever have an impact on people worldwide. The first two months of 2021 have been both positive and negative, with events such as the presidential inauguration and a coup at the Capitol building. As the year progresses, many hope for a better outcome.
The beginning of 2020 took the world by surprise. From the wildfires in both Australia and California to the introduction of the highly contagious Coronavirus pandemic, the first three months of the year were treacherous for countries around the world.
In January of last year, the first case of COVID-19 was recorded in the US. By the middle of March, all 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) had recorded cases of the virus. A year later, people are still contracting COVID-19, despite various restrictions that have been put on US citizens. Poor decisions made by powerful government officials concerning the pandemic has led to a consistent surge in cases. As more and more people get vaccinated, scientists and doctors are hopeful for a decline in the amount of cases.
People all around the world have had to say goodbye to multiple famous faces who unfortunately passed away in the past year. Some of these celebrities include Golden Globe winner Chadwick Boseman, supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, who all lost their battles with cancer. Sean Connery, an actor most well-known for his portrayal of James Bond in the popular movie series, passed away in his sleep on October 31 due to a case of pneumonia that resulted in heart failure. These untimely deaths contributed to the tragedy that was the year of 2020.
The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, which started in 2012 after the shooting of Trayvon Martin, gained lots of attention in May after the cruel and untimely death of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man accused of allegedly using counterfeit money. Floyd was suffocated by a police officer who knelt on his neck for over eight minutes. This tragedy angered hundreds of thousands of people, drawing attention to the BLM movement. Peaceful protests were held in honor of those killed at the hands of hate, and continue to go on today.
In November of 2020, political contenders Donald Trump and Joe Biden ran against each other in the presidential election. The election lasted four days, starting on November 3 and ending on November 7, mainly due to a drastic increase in the use of mail-in ballots. After several recounts, Joe Biden was elected to be the 46th President of the United States (POTUS). His Vice President (VP), Kamala Harris, made history as the first woman of color to be elected into office. This transfer of office gave many Americans hope for the future of our country. However, a large group of people disagreed with the election results, feeling as though Trump should have been re-elected into office. On January 6, 2021, less than a week into the new year, a coup primarily consisting of Trump supporters attacked the US Capitol building, resulting in 5 deaths and over 140 injured people. This tragic event left many speechless and fearful of what the upcoming year would bring.
Now, four months into 2021, a majority have adjusted to the changes put in place by the previous year. Every day, thousands of people get the Coronavirus vaccine, which will hopefully decrease the number of cases. The new president has settled into office, and has made multiple beneficial executive orders, such as the pausing of student loans and a stricter mandate on mask-wearing. Slowly but surely, the world has begun to return to the way it used to be before the horrors of 2020.
