2020 was a year unlike any other. The World Health Organization reported hundreds of instances of pneumonia in January 2020. On December 31st, 2019, the organisation received word of a cluster of pneumonia patients in Wuhan City. The novel coronavirus was identified as the cause and given the temporary name 2019-nCoV by Chinese officials. By the end of January, Japan, Thailand, and even the United States had confirmed over 10,000 cases and 200 deaths from the new virus. In mid-February 2019, the mystery respiratory condition was given an official name: COVID-19. COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. It went on to propose social isolation, mask-wearing, and other methods to help reduce the virus’s spread.
While the WHO was receiving news of the coronavirus in January 2020, another huge event in the UK – Megxit – was taking place in the entertainment sector. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, announced their decision to retire from full-time royal life on January 8, 2020. Following the news, the couple relocated to California in order to live a more self-sufficient lifestyle.
During this time, the actual Brexit took place. On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom formally exited the European Union. The European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill, which obtained the Queen’s royal assent, was approved by the UK House of Lords. The accord was later ratified by the European Parliament.
Still in the entertainment sector, Parasite, a film from South Korea, made history by winning the Academy Award for Best Picture. Bao Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American filmmaker, depicted Korean society in his film. It demonstrated poverty and inequality by emphasising the vast disparities between the wealthy and the poor.
Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison on March 11th, 2020. Six women’s stories were heard by a jury in New York. Weinstein was found guilty of criminal sexual conduct and rape despite the greatest defence lawyers’ money and position. Chris Evans accidently leaked his own nude, which became one of the most relatable celebrity moments of 2020. To top it off, he took advantage of the occasion to remind people to vote.
Despite the presence of the coronavirus, Disney released the live-action remake of Mulan. The $200 million film grossed more over $300 million worldwide, making it one of Disney’s most expensive live-action remakes. However, it struggled at the box office in China. This is largely due to China’s government delaying the appointment of its prime minister for a year.
In the agricultural world, swarms of desert locusts were destroying hundreds of thousands of acres in East Africa as COVID-19 infection rates climbed. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) cautioned that the unprecedented magnitude of the swarms had the potential to be devastating if pest-control operations were not scaled up. If left unchecked, crop-eating insects might multiply by a factor of 500.
Unprecedented fires swept Australia from September 2019 to March 2020, causing incalculable destruction. Thankfully, they were able to save a large number of animals, which they then released back into the wild. It was California’s turn to cope with flames this summer. The state faced the largest wildfire in recorded history in 2020.
In the realm of sports, Super Bowl LIV took place, and Shakira and J-Lo performed a concert. The duo put on a spectacular to remember during the halftime act. Baby Nut, a monocled legume reborn as a newborn, was born as a result of the incident. We lost far more legends than we could keep track of, unfortunately. Kobe Bryant, John Lewis, and Chadwick Boseman, the legendary Black Panther actor, are among them. Bob Dylan sold his songwriting repertoire of over 600 sons to Universal Music for almost $300 million at the end of the year.
Continue reading to discover more about the events of 2020.
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(Died on January 06, 2020) |
(Died on January 10, 2020) |
(Died on January 12, 2020) |
(Died on January 13, 2020) |
(Died on January 14, 2020) |
(Died on January 15, 2020) |
(Died on January 17, 2020) |
(Died on January 20, 2020) |
(Died on January 21, 2020) |
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(January 31, 2020) |
(Died on February 03, 2020) |
(Died on February 04, 2020) |
(Died on February 12, 2020) |
(Died on February 15, 2020) |
(Died on February 19, 2020) |
(Died on February 20, 2020) |
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(Died on February 25, 2020) |
(Died on February 28, 2020) |
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(Died on February 29, 2020) |
(Died on March 03, 2020) |
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(Died on March 04, 2020) |
(Died on March 08, 2020) |
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(March 11, 2020) |
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(Died on March 15, 2020) |
(Died on March 18, 2020) |
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(Died on March 20, 2020) |
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(Died on April 11, 2020) |
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(May 09, 2020) |
(Died on May 09, 2020) |
(Died on May 17, 2020) |
(Died on May 21, 2020) |
(Died on May 22, 2020) |
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(Died on June 10, 2020) |
(Died on June 11, 2020) |
(Died on June 14, 2020) |
(Died on June 18, 2020) |
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(Died on July 02, 2020) |
(Died on July 03, 2020) |
(Died on July 06, 2020) |
(Died on July 08, 2020) |
(Died on July 10, 2020) |
(Died on July 12, 2020) |
![]() (July 13, 2020) |
(Died on July 13, 2020) |
![]() (July 17, 2020) |
(Died on July 17, 2020) |
(Died on July 20, 2020) |
(Died on July 21, 2020) |
(Died on July 24, 2020) |
(Died on July 25, 2020) |
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(July 30, 2020) |
![]() (August 04, 2020) |
![]() (August 28, 2020) |
![]() (September 18, 2020) |
![]() (Died on October 20, 2020) |
(Died on October 21, 2020) |
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(October 31, 2020) Sean Connery, a Scottish-born actor best known for playing superspy James Bond in a series of films, died at the age of 90. photo source: wikimedia.org |
![]() (November 08, 2020) |
![]() (November 15, 2020) |
![]() (November 25, 2020) |
(Died on December 01, 2020) |
(Died on December 02, 2020) |
(Died on December 05, 2020) |
![]() (December 07, 2020) |
(Died on December 07, 2020) |
(Died on December 10, 2020) |
(Died on December 11, 2020) |
(Died on December 12, 2020) |
(Died on December 14, 2020) |
(Died on December 15, 2020) |
(Died on December 17, 2020) |
(Died on December 18, 2020) |
(Died on December 19, 2020) |
(Died on December 20, 2020) |
(Died on December 22, 2020) |
(Died on December 23, 2020) |
(Died on December 25, 2020) |
(Died on December 26, 2020) |
![]() (December 29, 2020) |
![]() (December 29, 2020) |
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