The significance of some years is unquestionable.

1215 brought the signing of the Magna Carta. 1776 saw the U.S.A. declare independence. 1914 and 1918 witnessed the beginning and end of a terrible battle, rife with death and destruction, as did 1939 and 1945.

History books pay attention to such years for good reason. They are periods of great turmoil, injustice and tragedy, as well as accomplishment, celebration and overwhelming joy.

There’s little doubt that 2020 will be studied and remembered in much the same way.

This is the year in review.

COVID-19

The novel coronavirus uprooted the norms of day-to-day life in almost every country on Earth, many of which are still struggling to contain the virus, even as the year draws to a close.

More than 80 million cases have been reported worldwide, causing nearly 2 million deaths.

By far the worst-hit country, the United States, has confirmed just under 20 million cases of COVID-19, signalling a catastrophic public health failure.

At the start of the year, as the virus silently infiltrated the U.S., President Donald Trump minimised the threat, despite privately reflecting on its deadly and contagious nature.

Later in the year, the president held large re-election rallies and attended ‘superspreader’ events, going on to catch the virus himself.

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro followed a similar strategy, calling COVID-19 a “little flu”.

Brazil has the third-highest number of infections.

In the U.K., Prime Minister Boris Johnson initially downplayed the danger of the virus, making a point of shaking hands with “everybody” at a hospital.

Mr Johnson then caught it and needed treatment in the intensive care unit.

After his own experience with COVID-19, the prime minister appeared to take a more serious approach, enacting harsher restrictions.

But his government’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme, designed to boost income for restaurants and other dining venues across the country, was followed by a dramatic rise in new cases.

As well as this, the prime minister steered clear of putting London into the most serious restrictions until December, despite ample evidence of high infection rates. A new, more contagious variant of the virus is now believed to have spread rapidly in the capital.

However, there is cause for hope, as several vaccines have been approved for emergency use in various countries.

Attention now turns to the production, distribution and administration of vaccines, potentially marking the beginning of the end of the pandemic.

Efforts are also underway to ensure that low and middle-income countries are not left without the means to inoculate their populations.

Black Lives Matter

On 25 May, the death of George Floyd sparked widespread unrest in the U.S. and a host of other countries, as protesters demanded action on racial injustice and police reform.

Mr Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes.

Already handcuffed and on the ground, Mr Floyd could be heard pleading with the officer, saying: “I can’t breathe.”

In response to footage shared online, protests were held in all 50 U.S. states, calling for an end to systemic racism and police brutality.

At the forefront of the movement was Black Lives Matter, a racial justice organisation.

Donald Trump, labelling himself as a president of law and order, sought to clamp down on the unrest, as police fired non-lethal rounds and tear gas at protesters.

But acts of force only poured fuel on the fire. The protests went global, as a plethora of countries saw similar demonstrations.

Mr Chauvin was ultimately charged with second-degree manslaughter and second-degree murder, with a bail of at least $1 million.

Joe Biden

Marking the end of one of the most divisive and hotly-contested election cycles in American history, Joseph R Biden Jr was announced as the next president of the United States.

Mr Biden received 306 electoral college votes to Donald Trump’s 232, as well as winning the popular vote by more than 7 million ballots. A total of 270 electoral college votes are needed to win.

The Democratic candidate flipped Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan, paving the way for his victory.

Mr Trump’s four years in office were tumultuous, as the U.S. controversially withdrew from landmark agreements and severed international ties.

Mr Biden made assurances of progressive policies in several areas, including healthcare, police, immigration and economy.

While the president’s core base of support remained relatively steady throughout his term, his approach to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may have been particularly damaging for his re-election campaign, as the U.S. maintains the highest number of infections and deaths worldwide.

Mr Biden was helped by a strong African-American turnout, following Mr Trump’s hard-line and unpopular ‘law and order’ response to Black Lives Matter protests.

The president cited worries of voter fraud in the run-up to 3 November and, following the results, incorrectly claimed that fraud “all over the country” cost him the victory.

Mr Trump’s legal team filed lawsuits in several key states, but have so far lost or withdrawn more than 50, winning only one.

Like in 2016, polling figures released in the build-up to the election were largely inaccurate.

U.S.-Iran relations

Though the two nations have long been on shaky ground, tensions between the U.S. and Iran reached a critical point in 2020.

After a series of rocket attacks between the U.S. and an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq, the U.S. embassy in Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, was surrounded by protesters.

President Trump blamed Iran and, on 3 January, Qasem Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike.

Soleimani, responsible for overseeing Iran’s proxy forces in the Middle East, was considered to be the second most powerful man in Iran.

The assassination tore a hole through any remaining U.S.-Iran diplomacy and fears emerged that a war could take place.

Following the attacks, a plane crash in Iran’s capital, Tehran, was found to be shot down by Iran - the result of human error, according to the Iranian military.

All 176 people on board, including citizens of Canada, Ukraine, the U.K., Sweden, Afghanistan and Germany, were killed.

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Australia bushfires

The 2019-20 bushfire season in Australia was the worst ever recorded.

More than 120,000 square kilometres of land was destroyed - roughly half the size of the U.K.

Thousands of buildings were burned, displacing occupants and killing at least 33 people.

A historically hot and dry year meant the fires were larger and more intense than usual, with climate change pinned as a driving force behind the disaster.

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2021

This year brought immense heartbreak and loss for many people.

Families have been broken, countries ravaged and populations divided. All the while, optimism and hope have dwindled.

It’s unrealistic to expect the next year to be the solution, but it may represent a turning point.

May you and those you care for have a better year in 2021. Thank you for reading and supporting The Locus.