2020 Events so far: These major world events all happened this year
The country faced one of its most devastating wildfire seasons as the blazes continued from December 2019 into the new year and burned a record 47 million acres, displaced thousands of people, and killed at least 34 people.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shocked both sides of the pond on Jan. 8 when they announced they were stepping down as “senior” royals.
The World Health Organization announced on Jan. 9 that a deadly coronavirus had emerged in Wuhan, China. In a matter of months, the virus has spread across the globe.
The legendary Los Angeles Lakers player was killed along with his daughter, Gianna, and seven others when their helicopter crashed in Calabasas, Calif., on Jan. 26.
Bong Joon Ho’s film took home the most awards, landing Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film on Feb. 9. It marked the first time a non-English-language movie won Best Picture.
The coronavirus pandemic triggered a global recession as numerous countries went into lockdown. The Dow Jones industrial average suffered its worst single-day point drop ever on March 9.
The police-involved killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor this year sparked a wave of peaceful — and sometimes violent — demonstrations and riots across the world to demand an end to police brutality and racial injustice.
The North Korean supreme leader fueled speculation that he was either gravely ill or dead after he missed events commemorating his grandfather Kim Il-sung on April 15. He reemerged 20 days later in photos released by state media at a ribbon-cutting ceremony.The despot, however, faced a new wave of skepticism over his health in August when a South Korean official claimed all of the appearances were faked and he was in a vegetative state.
The former veep clinched the party’s nomination in June despite a crowded primary field. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg were also among the more than two dozen Democratic hopefuls in the race.
Kamala Harris was chosen as Democratic VP candidate
Biden announced Aug. 11 that he selected the California senator as his running mate, making her the first black woman and the first Asian woman on a major party’s presidential ticket.
A massive explosion at a Beirut port, sparked Aug. 4 by the accidental detonation of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, killed at least 190 people and injured thousands of others.
Deadly wildfires erupted from California to Washington state, burning millions of acres and displacing hundreds of thousands of people since mid-August.
The first Americans were vaccinated against the coronavirus on Dec. 14 after the US Food and Drug Administration approved the emergency use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 shot on Dec. 11. The country’s second inoculation, developed by Moderna, was then given FDA approval a week later on Dec. 18 — with states receiving the jab on Dec. 21. The arrival of the two vaccines, which were developed in less than a year, was touted as one of the greatest scientific accomplishments in US history.