Year in review: Top news stories that shaped and shook the world in 2020

FROM a global pandemic to several protests against injustices, we have been through a lot this year.

As 2020 draws to a close, here is a look at some of the major stories this year.

Australian bushfire

Twenty-twenty got off to a rocky start in Australia as massive bushfires since December ripped through forests in several states. By March 2020, the fire had burned over 46 million acres, destroyed more than 5,900 buildings and killed at least 34 people.

Not to mention the estimated 60,000 koalas reported by the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) which were either killed or harmed by the bushfire.

Harry and Meghan quit the royal family

On January 8th, fans of the British royal family were shocked by the announcement made by Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle to formally step down as senior members of the British royal family.

The event was coined as “Megxit” by several media outlets, a play on the word “Brexit” that the nation is currently dealing with.

COVID-19

From rare cases of ‘viral pneumonia’ in Wuhan, China back in December 2019, the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed on January 9th the emergence of a novel coronavirus in the region.

In just a matter of months, the outbreak of the virus now known as COVID-19 was characterized as a pandemic as it spreads across the globe, killing millions.

As of Dec 29th, there are 81.2 million COVID-19 cases and 1.77 million deaths.

Kobe Bryant's demise

On January 26th, the world lost one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Kobe Bryant.

The Los Angeles Lakers player died in a helicopter crash in the city of Calabasas, California, along with seven others, including his daughter, Gianna.

Parasite sweeps Oscars

People at home enjoying the Oscars while being on lockdown were thrilled when Parasite, a South Korean film by director Bong Joon Ho took home several awards including the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature Film.

The win made history as the first non-English-language film to have won Best Picture.

The death of George Floyd

George Floyd is an African American man, killed during an arrest after one of the four police officers who arrived on the scene, knelt on Floyd's neck for a horrific 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

His death on May 25th sparked a global protest against police brutality and racial injustice.

Black Lives Matter

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement was the largest movement in the United States with an estimate of 15 to 26 million people joining the protest, aimed at highlighting police brutality and racial and economic injustice faced by the black community.

The protest sparked by the killing of George Floyd, became a global movement, with people not only participating in the protests physically but using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media and raising funds to support the movement.

Thailand pro-democracy protest

A pro-democracy protest led by students started in July calling for a reform of the Thai monarchy and resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha along with his cabinet.

In September’s rally, an estimated 30,000 people joined the demonstration, one of its biggest protests in years.

Beirut explosion

On August 4th, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at a port in the city of Beirut, Lebanon exploded, causing at least 204 deaths and 6,500 injuries.

On top of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and major economic and political crisis, the explosion left the city in shambles, leaving an estimated 300,000 people homeless.

Indian farmers’ protest

The Indian farmers' protest that started in August was about the three farm acts which were passed by the Parliament of India in September 2020.

The protest is currently ongoing with tens and thousands of Indian farmers protesting nationwide, leaving at least 41 farmers dead, hundreds injured.

Chadwick Boseman's death

Famously known for his role T'Challa in the movie, Black Panther, actor Chadwick Boseman died at his home on August 28th after battling with colon cancer.

The 43-year-old had inspired many fans of Marvel series and even notable figures who flooded social media to paid tribute to the talented actor.

Hong Kong's national security law protest

Anti-government protests in Hong Kong started in June 2019 against plans to allow extradition to mainland China.

On July 1st, thousands of people gathered in Hong Kong expressing anger over Beijing's national security law for the city, as it marked 23 years since its handover from British to Chinese rule.

Muslim nations protest France’s Emmanuel Macron

After a middle school teacher, Samuel Paty, was beheaded by a refugee of Chechen ethnicity and three people were killed in a stabbing attack at a church in Nice, France, President Emmanual Macron described Islam as a religion “in crisis” worldwide.

Protests erupted across Muslim nations in Pakistan, Iraq, Turkey, Gaza, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and a ban in French product in some countries such as Kuwait, Qatar, and Jordan.

2020 United States Presidential Election

The 2020 United States presidential election that was held on November 3rd saw the defeat of Republican candidate and president, Donald Trump by Democratic candidate and former vice president Joe Biden.

The election also saw the highest voter turnout since 1900 with Biden receiving more than 81 million votes, the most votes ever cast for a candidate in a U.S. presidential election.

It also made history with the appointment of Kamala Harris as Biden’s running mate, the first woman, the first African-American, and the first Asian-American as vice president.

Death of Diego Maradona

One of the greatest footballers of all time, Diego Maradona died at the age of 60, following a heart attack, on November 25th.

Fans across the globe mourned over the death of the World Cup winner with his homeland, Argentina, declaring three days of national mourning.

Brexit

The United Kingdom (UK) withdrew from the European Union on 31st January 2020 but left many issues still up for negotiations.

After a year of disagreements, the two finally reached a post-Brexit trade deal that would essentially form two separate markets and put an end to free movement, just seven days before the UK exits one of the world’s biggest trading blocs.

Vaccine rollout

Scientists and researchers have been working hard throughout the year to develop a vaccine that would put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A glimmer of hope for the world came on 8th December when Margaret Keenan in the UK became the first person to receive the Pfizer-BionTech vaccine.

Soon after, countries around the world progressively acquire vaccines and begin their inoculation programmes.