2021 rewind

January: Storming of the Capitol and inauguration 

On January 6, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol to stop the lawmakers in finalizing the results of the 2020 presidential elections. This resulted in 5 people dying and many hurt from all the chaos during the event. On January 20th, Biden was inaugurated and became the 46th president of the United States.  

February: Paris Climate Agreement 

In February, United States re-joined the Paris Climate Agreement which is an international agreement helping to limit global warming. Each nation is responsible for setting their own emissions goals to help lower global warming throughout the United States. 

March: Cargo ship stuck in Suez Canal 

On March 26, the cargo ship, Ever Given, turns sideways in the Suez Canal. The ship was stopping billions from trading. Six days later a gust of wind pushed it free, allowing trade to continue.  

April: Officer found guilty for murdering Geroge Floyd 

Police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering Geroge Floyd May 25, 2020. Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years in jail for the murder of Floyd. He showed little reaction when finding out his sentence in prison.  

May: Elon Musk spaceflight 

In May, Elon Musk’s SpaceX was successful in its splashdown of the first operational spaceflight by a private company. Musk says the rocket launch was “a dream come true”. 

June: 12-story building collapsed  

On June 24 in Surfside, Florida, a 12-story condominium collapsed killing 98 residents. The building collapsed due to long-term degradation of concrete on the ground-level parking garage. There were over 100 complexes in the condominium and thankfully more survivors than deaths.  

July: Tokyo summer Olympics 

July brought the 32nd summer Olympics games located in Tokyo. There were dozens of Covid cases linked to the Olympic games. The United States topped the medal count by bringing home 133 medals. 

August: American troops fallback from Afghanistan  

During August, American troops withdrew from Afghanistan after a war that lasted two decades. Over this time, it took the lives of 2,400 U.S. service personnel.  

September: Texas Heartbeat Act 

September saw the Texas Heartbeat Act, which meant no abortions after roughly 6 weeks The supreme court declined to block the law, saying it was a question for lower courts. This got many people upset, talking about it all over social media.  

October: World’s first vaccine against malaria  

Throughout October, the World Health Organization released the news about the world’s first vaccine against malaria. This was a “historic moment” according to Tredos Ghebreyesus, who is a doctor who recommends this vaccine as it would save many lives. 

November: Travis Scott and Drake sued 

On Monday, November 8, Travis Scott and Drake were sued by concert goers because of the Astroworld concert. They were claimed to have incited the crowd, eventually causing the crush. 

December: Tornadoes active in the South and Midwest 

December brought tornadoes ripping through the South and Midwest killing at least 91 people. The tornadoes caused massive destruction and damage to many homes.