2020 will forever be known as the year of COVID-19. Lockdowns, masks, and social distancing became the new normal as the world grappled with the unprecedented challenges posed by the virus.
No matter where you were in the world this year, the news of the coronavirus almost seemed to spread faster than the virus itself!
Amidst the lockdowns, people found themselves in unique situations. From panic-buying toilet paper to becoming master bakers overnight, the year was filled with amusing stories of how individuals coped with the new reality.
With limited options for outdoor activities, people turned to binge-watching TV shows like “The Tiger King” on Netflix.
The world collectively indulged in newfound hobbies, like sharing talents on TikTok, bringing some joy during challenging times.
Continue reading to discover the momentous events, headline-making news, iconic music releases, and notable losses that marked the year 2020.
Events
Step into a captivating journey through 2020 and witness the remarkable events that left an indelible mark on our world.
Jan 11
Diego, a 100-year-old tortoise, was retired from a breeding program after fathering 800+ children.
Diego lived at the San Diego Zoo until 1977, when he was sent to the Galápagos to save his species from extinction. Over the following 43 years, Diego almost single-handedly returned the Galápagos giant turtle population to acceptable levels. Diego has since retired to the island of Española, where he was initially found.
Apr 23
President Donald Trump suggested a dangerous theory that injecting disinfectant could cure the Coronavirus.
In his press conference, he said: “And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?”
May 17
A pair of Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan sneakers sold for a record $560,000 at auction.
The pair of autographed Air Jordan 1s were worn by the famous basketballer during his glory days. They sold for almost four times the estimated auction sale price, beating the previous record by over $100,000.
Jun 10
Swedish authorities finally closed a 34-year-old inquiry into the murder of their prime minister.
On February 28, 1986, Swedish Prime Minister Olaf Palme was walking home from the cinema with his family when he was fatally shot in the back. Over the following 34 years, over 10,000 suspects were interviewed. A new team investigated the case in 2017 and concluded that Stig Engström, a now-deceased suspect, was the killer and decided to close the case for good.
Jul 7
Tourists in Kazakhstan beat a seal unconscious on a beach so that children could take pictures with it.
A group of men surrounded a seal that had swum close to shore, attacking it with sticks and boulders. Others gathered around to watch, but no one did or said anything to stop the assault.
Jul 10
Turkish President Recep Erdogan decreed that Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia should be reopened as a mosque.
The Hagia Sophia, originally built in the sixth century as a cathedral and later used as a mosque, has a long and tumultuous history. Until 2020, it had spent the previous 80 years as a museum showcasing its Christian and Islamic past.
Aug 4
2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored at the port of Beirut, Lebanon, exploded.
The blast, ignited by a warehouse fire, resulted in the tragic loss of 218 lives, left 7,000 people injured, and caused over $15 billion in damage. This explosion was one of the most powerful non-nuclear blasts in history.
Sep 4
China’s space agency launched a classified spacecraft into orbit atop a Long March 2F rocket.
Not much is known about the specifics of the launch, but from what experts have gathered, the launch’s payload was most likely a reusable spaceplane. Whatever it was, it reached an altitude of 217 miles (350 km), deposited an unknown object into orbit, and then returned to what is most likely the Taklamakan Desert in China’s northwest.
Sep 25
David Attenborough gained one million followers on Instagram within 4 hours and 45 minutes of his first post.
The famed British naturalist broke the record for the fastest time to reach a million followers on the social media platform. The previous record-holder was Jennifer Aniston, with a time of 5 hours and 16 minutes.
Nov 10
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev established November 10th as Victory Day.
Victory Day celebrates the taking of Nagorno-Karabakh, a region Azerbaijan and Armenia have long disputed. Azerbaijan claimed the territory after a bloody 45-day conflict. A ceasefire was only agreed upon with the assistance of Russian peacekeeping forces.
Dec 2
The United Kingdom became the first country to legalize the use of the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine.
Pfizer announced earlier in November that their vaccine had been proven to be 90% effective, making it the first fully tested and functional vaccine for COVID-19. At first, the vaccine was only approved for emergency use in the UK, with several countries following in their footsteps soon afterward.
Famous Deaths
Here’s a glimpse at a few famous people who bid us farewell in 2020.
1978
2020
Kobe Bryant
American
Basketball Player
1978
2020
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant was an American basketball player born on August 23, 1978. He died on January 26, 2020, at age 41 in Calabasas, California, USA.
Died On:
Jan 26, 2020 (Age 41)
Died In:
California, USA
1987
2020
Naya Rivera
American
Actress
1987
2020
Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera was an American actress born on January 12, 1987. She died on July 8, 2020, at age 33 in Lake Piru, California, USA.
Died On:
Jul 8, 2020 (Age 33)
Died In:
California, USA
1930
2020
Sean Connery
Scottish
Actor
1930
2020
Sean Connery
Sean Connery was a Scottish actor born on August 25, 1930. He died on October 31, 2020, at age 90 in Lyford Cay, Bahamas.
Died On:
Oct 31, 2020 (Age 90)
Died In:
Lyford Cay, Bahamas
Quotes
Here’s a roundup of the most memorable quotes people said in 2020.
Jan 22
We have [COVID-19] totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China. It’s going to be just fine.
May 21
Marriage is a choice you make every day. It can be hard work, but when two people commit to seeing that work through, the rewards are as sweet as they come.
Michelle Obama
American First Lady
2020 In Music
In 2020, the music scene exploded with a mix of sensational tracks that became the soundtrack of our lives!
From the addictive beats of “Don’t Start Now” by Dua Lipa to the heart-wrenching lyrics of “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi, these songs struck a chord with our emotions and had us singing along with every word.
Here are a few music highlights from 2020 that deserve your attention.
Album of the Year
Billie Eilish’s hauntingly beautiful and alternative album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” swept the Grammy Awards in 2020, mesmerizing audiences with her unique sound.
Song of the Year
Billie Eilish really rocked the music scene in 2020 and also took home the Grammy Award for Song of the Year with her chart-topping hit “Bad Guy.”
Best New Artist
2020 was a good year for Billie Eilish! Her thought-provoking lyrics won her the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2020, solidifying her as a groundbreaking figure in pop music.
Eurovision Song Contest Winner
2020 was supposed to mark the 65th Eurovision Song Contest, however, due to the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was canceled.
The cancellation marked the first and only time in the contest’s 64-year history that it could not proceed. Duncan Laurence’s “Arcade” from 2019 remained the reigning champion until the contest resumed in 2021.
2020 in Numbers
Are you ready for some fascinating number trivia? The Roman numeral form of 2020 is MMXX, and if we convert it to binary, it becomes 11111100100.
Leap Year
The year 2020 was a leap year, featuring an additional day in February. This leap day compensates for the fact that a year is not exactly 365 days long, ensuring our calendars stay in sync with the Earth’s orbit around the sun.
Harshad Number
2020 is a Harshad number, which is a number that can be evenly divided by the sum of its digits. It’s like a special math rule for some numbers.
To explain in more detail, we add up the digits (2 + 0 + 2 + 0), which equals 4. And now we see if 2020 can be divided evenly by 4, which it can! 2020 ÷ 4 = 505. So this makes 2020 a Harshad number.
Abundant Number
Also, 2020 is known as an abundant number. An abundant number is a number where if you add up all the smaller numbers that can divide evenly into it, the total sum is greater than the number itself.
So, when you add up all the smaller numbers that can divide evenly into 2020 (1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 20, 101, 202, 404, 505, 1010), they add up to 2264, which is greater than 2020.
Chinese Zodiac 2020
According to the Chinese zodiac system, 2020 was designated as The Year of the Rat, which takes place once every twelve years.
However, there are also five elements in the Chinese zodiac. These elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Gold (Metal), and Water. This makes 2020 the Year of the Gold Rat, which only comes along once every sixty years.
In the Chinese calendar, the Year of the Rat didn’t begin on January 1st. Instead, it kicked off on January 25th. This is due to the fact that the Chinese calenar is based off the lunar cycle.
People born in the Year of the Rat are resourceful, adaptable, and intelligent. They possess a sharp wit and are excellent problem solvers, making them natural leaders and quick thinkers.
The Years of the Rat gave us remarkable personalities like Dwayne Johnson and Eminem, who have left their mark on the world!
2020 Trivia
Did you know that Zoom’s stocks were one of the fastest-growing stocks in 2020?
Zoom Video Communications LLC’s stock sold for $67 apiece at the beginning of 2020 and finished the year at $337, rising in value by more than 500 percent – much to Microsoft’s envy!
Whether you love it or hate it, Zoom certainly made meetings much easier.
