(Almost) everything that’s happened in 2021, so far

Oh god, here we go again.

A rioter stealing Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s podium. Taken on January 6th, 2021.

Edited February 22nd at 7:32pm MST.

Let’s be honest, we’d been looking forward to the new year. 2020 wasn’t kind to any of us, and we thought 2021 would be an escape. However, that quickly proved to be wrong, as headline after shocking headline appeared on our screens. As of the latest update to this post, it is only February, but this year is already shaping up to be like 2020. So, what happened in 2021?

January: Cheers to a new year

Rioters outside the United States Capitol building.

January 1st:

• Milwaukee pharmacist is arrested for stealing 57 vials of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
• Florida became the third US state to identify a case of a new COVID variant, which is thought to be around 50% more transmissable.

January 2nd:

• Senate overrides President Donald Trump’s veto of the national defense bill, which had been passed with bipartisan support since 1961.
• The United States surpassed 20 million COVID cases.
• One hundred civilians were killed by militants in two villages in southwest Niger.

January 3rd:

• Nancy Pelosi was reelected for a fourth term as Speaker of the House. She maintains that it will be her last term as Speaker.
• A phone call was leaked in which President Trump pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” votes which would prove he won that state during his reelection bid.

January 4th:

• A UK judge ruled that Julian Assange would not be expedited to the United States, citing mental health concerns. Assange was in prison on 18 federal crimes, such as attempts to obtain classified US, Iranian, and Iraqi documents.
• The UK went on lockdown for a third time in an attempt to stop the spread of the new, more transmissable COVID variant.

January 5th:

• The Georgia runoff elections were held. The elections were between Jon Ossoff (D) and incumbent David Perdue (R), and Rev. Raphael Warnock (D) and incumbent Kelly Loeffler (R).
• Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West were reportedly discussing divorce.
• Ava Louise, a Tiktoker famous for her song Skinny Legend Anthem, claimed Kanye West was having an affair with Jeffree Starr, a popular makeup guru on YouTube; there is no evidence of this, although it has neither been confirmed nor denied.
• Dr. Dre was sent to the hospital after suffering a brain aneurysm.
• Caillou, a popular children’s TV series, was cancelled after 20 years on the air. Many rejoiced.

January 6th:

• The Georgia runoffs were called for Jon Ossoff (D) and Rev. Raphael Warnock (D), which ensured a Democrat majority once Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris was sworn in on January 20th.
• Both the US Senate and the House of Representatives convened to certify the election. Vice President Pence, who oversaw it, said that he wouldn’t overturn the results (which President Trump had attempted to pressure him to do).
• President Trump spoke at a rally in Washington, DC, in which he encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol “cheer on their senators,” who were in the process of certifying the election.
• Shortly after the speech, his supporters marched to the Capitol for a protest. The protest quickly turned violent, with many supporters charging into the capitol with Trump 2020 flags, as well as Blue Lives Matter flags and Confederate flags. Congress was hastily forced into a recess, but returned a few hours later.
• Many senators and representatives called for President Trump to be impeached a second time, or for the 25th Amendment to be invoked.
• President Trump’s Twitter account was suspended for 12 hours following the riots.
• Hong Kong police arrested 53 pro-democracy activists under a new national security law, which made speaking out against the government illegal.

January 7th:

• More senators and representatives called for President Trump’s impeachment.
• Vice President Pence expressed his disapproval at invoking the 25th Amendment.
• Dr. Dre agreed to pay his ex-wife 2 million dollars in a settlement.
• The Earth was revealed to be spinning a few milliseconds faster than previously thought.

January 8th:

• Twitter permanently suspended President Trump from Twitter, citing “glorification of violence.”
• The US House of Representatives convened to discuss their next steps regarding President Trump---including impeachment.
• Alex Trebek’s final episode of Jeopardy aired. He hosted the show for 38 years before succumbing to pancreatic cancer in November 2020.
• Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, became the world’s richest man at a net worth of $195 billion.
• Uganda banned all social media ahead of its presidential election.

January 9th:

• Facebook and Instagram banned President Trump from their respective platforms.
• A Boeing Jet carrying 62 people went missing over the Java Sea in Indonesia; many feared that the plane crashed.
• Madrid, Spain, is hit with their worst snowstorm in 50 years.
• Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Phillip, receive their fist dose of the COVID vaccine.
• Jupiter, Saturn, and Mercury “met” in the night sky for a rare triple conjunction.

January 10th:

• President Trump was banned from Pinterest, Pornhub, Spotify, and others.
• Parler, a popular alt-right platform, was pulled off of most major app stores.
• A new COVID strain is found in Japan, brought to the country by 4 Brazilian tourists.

January 11th:

• The Acting Department of Homeland Security Chief Chad Wolf announced his resignation, 9 days before Trump was set to leave office.
• The FBI Bulletin reveals more riots like the one that occured on January 6th are being planned for all 50 state capitols and Washington, DC.
• Articles of impeachment were introduced by House Democrats for incitement of insurrection. If passed, this will have been the second time that President Trump has been impeached.
• Michigan banned open-carry in its state capitol.
• The US placed Cuba back on its list of state sponsors of terrorism.
• Parler filed a lawsuit against Amazon, saying that it was banned from its app store for political reasons.

January 12th:

• Something probably happened, but it’s not on this list. Oh well.

January 13th:

• For the second time in his presidency, President Donald Trump was impeached.
• Italian authorities started the biggest prosecution of the Mafia since the 90's.
• Former Governor of Michigan, Rick Snyder, was charged with two counts of willful neglect of duty. This is the result of a new probe into Flint’s water crisis of 2014.
• Jüri Ratas, Estonia’s prime minister, resigned yesterday. This led to a dissolution of the coalition government.
• The EU designated yellow mealworms as safe for human consumption.

January 14th:

• Two new COVID strains were discovered in Ohio.
• Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi announced he’d pull his party, the Italia Viva party, out of the leading coalition government. This essentially triggered a dissolution of the government.
• Airbnb blocked and cancelled all upcoming reservations in Washington, DC, ahead of President-elect Biden’s inauguration.
• Snapchat announced it’d permanently ban President Trump from its platform after January 20th.
• NASA announced that 2020 was tied with 2016 for the warmest year on record.
• President-elect Joe Biden revealed his economic stimulus package. If passed as-is, it would include $1,400 in direct payments to Americans, as well as a nationwide gradual minimum wage increase to $15 an hour.

January 15th:

• The NRA filed for bankruptcy.
• Mark Rutte, the Dutch Prime Minister, as well as his whole cabinet, resigned. This was the result of a child welfare scandal.

January 16th:

• NASA performed a test-fire of its SLS megarocket. This was the final test in a series of green-run tests, to make sure the rocket was ready to launch on its mission to the moon later this year. The test was cut slightly short.
• Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni won a 6th term, after 35 years of rule. His opponent, Bobi Wine, has called the election rigged.
• Dr. Dre returned home from the hospital after suffering an aneurysm.
• Jeff Bezos reclaimed his spot as the richest man on Earth.
• Phil Specter died at 81. He was a music producer know for working with bands such as the Beatles and The Beach Boys.

January 17th:

• Alexei Navalny, Russian opposition leader, returned to Moscow. Upon arrival, he was immediately detained.
• Betty White turned 99.

January 18th:

• A migrant caravan entered Guatemala, hoping to enter the US.
• Kamala Harris resigned in preparation for her role as Vice President.
• US Census director Steven Cunningham resigned.
• The Capitol was briefly evacuated after a small fire broke out nearby.

January 19th:

• Dolly Parton turned 75.
• Lee Jae-yong, leader of Samsung, was sentenced to 30 months in jail after bribing the then South Korean president, Park Geun-hye.
• After comments that its founder, Mike Lindell, made regarding the Capitol insurrection, Bed Bath & Beyond and Kohl’s dropped MyPillow from its shelves.
• Olivia Rodrigo’s debut song, “Drivers License”, debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number one.
• President Trump issued 73 last-minute pardons. Those on his pardon list included Steve Bannon, Former White House Chief Strategist; Kodak Black, a rapper; Lil Wayne; and Kwame Kilpatrick, former Detroit mayor.

January 20th:

• Kamala Harris was sworn in as the 49th Vice President of the United States.
• Shortly afterwards, Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President.
• A gas explosion devastated parts of Madrid. As of Wednesday, 8:32pm local time, 3 people have died. One person has gone missing, and 8 were injured.
• Then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo formally accused China of genocide and crimes against humanity over the “ethnic cleansing” of Uighur Muslims in the country.
• President Biden signed over a dozen executive orders, including orders to stop the construction of the border wall and the Keystone XL pipeline, and to mandate masks on federal lands and public transport.
• The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) closed at a record 31,210.88.

January 21st:

• Facebook reviewed its decision to ban President Trump from its platform.

January 22nd:

• Louis “Hank” Aaron, a baseball player who dethroned Babe Ruth for home runs, died at 86.
• Jojo Siwa came out as lesbian in a Twitter post. The news was generally met with celebration, as many though this would set a good example for her fanbase of young children.

January 23rd:

• Over three thousand protestors were arrested in Russia, after protesting the arrest of Alexei Navalny. Among those arrested were his wife, Yulia.
• Larry King, considered America’s most famous news broadcaster, died at 87.
• Dustin Poirier defeated Conor McGregor at the highly anticipated UFC 257.

January 24th:

• The US passed 25 million coronavirus cases.
• 11 of 22 Chinese miners trapped in a gold mine were rescued.
• American football teams Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs won their respective championships, and are slated to face off at the 55th Super Bowl in February. The Buccaneers are the first team to “host” their own competition.

January 25th:

• The U.S. House of Representatives formally delivered the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate.
• Janet L. Yellen was confirmed as the first female Treasury Secretary.
• President Biden ended the transgender travel ban that former President Trump had put in place. He also imposed a soft travel ban on Brazil,South Africa, and parts of Europe.
• Italian President Giuseppe Conte announced his resignation.
• US Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) announced he wouldn’t run for reelection in 2022.

January 26th:

• The UK COVID strain is revealed to be potentially more deadly than the original strain.
• US Senator Patrick Leahy was taken to the hospital as a “precaution.”
• On India’s Republic Day, tens of thousands of farmers protested laws that Prime Minister Narenda Modi passed in September. They say the laws will hurt smaller farmers and favor bigger farms.
• Twitter permanently banned MyPillow founder Mike Lindell.
• Over a day’s trading period, Gamestop’s stock prices more than doubled, from $145.96 to $351.94.

January 27th:

• Halsey announces she is pregnant with her first child, fathered by Alev Aydin.
• The Doomsday Clock is revealed to be 100 seconds to midnight, which is the same as it was in 2020.
• President Biden signed an executive order that established climate change as an essential element of national security and foreign affairs.

January 28th:

• Cicely Tyson, aninfluential actress who broke barriers for Black women, died at 96.
• President Biden signed executive orders targeting anti-abortion laws, as well as ones aimed at restoring the Affordable Care Act.
• New York Attorney General Letitia Wright released a report revealing that NY Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration had undercounted nursing home COVID deaths by as much as 50%.

January 29th:

• General Motors announced that it would work to phase out gas- and diesel-powered cars by 2035.
• Toys R Us closed down its final two stores in the United States.

January 30th:

• A large portion of California’s Highway 1 collapsed near Big Sur.
• Former President Trump’s impeachment defense team resigned.

January 31st:

• Former President Trump reveals two new lawyers for his defense team.
• More protests in Russia over Alexei Navalny’s arrest end in bloody and brutal arrests.
• The global COVID-19 case count surpassed 100 million.

February: Round two, here we come

The military performed a successful coup on Myanmar’s democratically elected government in early February. Picture from BBC.

February 1st:

• Oregon’s Prop 110, which decriminalizes all drugs, went into effect.
• Coachella 2021 was cancelled due to COVID-19.
• Myanmar’s military took over the government, overthrowing the current leader.

February 2nd:

• Punxsutawney Phil predicted 6 more weeks of winter.
• Alexei Navalny was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
• Captain Sir Tom Moore, an army officer who helped raised millions for the NHS during the pandemic, died at 100.
• Jeff Bezos announced he is stepping down as Amazon’s CEO.
• SpaceX announced it is launching its first all-civilian crew into orbit in October.

February 3rd:

• Chuck Schumer officially became the U.S. Senate majority leader, replacing Mitch McConnell.
• Canada labeled the Proud Boys as a terrorist organization.

February 4th:

• US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was removed from her committee assignments.
• President Biden announced plans to end support for the Saudi-led offensive in Yemen.
• It was revealed that companies such as Gerber and Beechnut added toxic heavy metals to their baby food, most of which are harmful to babies even in small amounts.

February 5th:

• The US Jobs Report for January was released, showing slower growth overall than expected.
• Christopher Plummer, star of The Sound of Music, died at 91.
• Marilyn Manson was dropped by his manager after allegations of rape and assault surfaced.
• US coronavirus deaths surpassed 450,000.

February 6th:

• The Wyoming GOP censured Liz Cheney over her vote to impeach then-President Donald Trump.
• Myanmar shuts off its internet amid mass protests over Monday’s coup.

February 7th:

• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl LV, 9 to 31.
• American statesman George Shultz died at 100.
• A piece of a glacier in the Himalayas in INdiabroke off, flooding hydroelectric plants and causing at least 140 people to go missing and 9 people to die.

February 8th:

• The AstraZeneca vaccine rollout was put on hold in South Africa.

February 9th:

• The second impeachment trial of Fmr. President Donald Trump started.
• A Florida hacker tried to poison Tampa Bay’s water supply by remotely changing the concentration of lye in the water.
• The official report on Kobe Bryant’s death came out, over a year after Bryant’s death.

February 10th:

• President Biden paved the way for sanctions to be imposed on Myanmar.

February 11th:

• The Chinese government banned the BBC, and the UK banned China’s state network. This comes after a damning report from the BBC on the ethnic cleansing of Uighur Muslims in the country.
• European oil and gas producer Royal Dutch Shell announced it would start to reduce its oil production.

February 12th:

• The CDC released guidelines for schools to reopen.
• Minneapolis banned its police department from using facial recognition equipment.

February 13th:

• The US Senate voted to acquit Former President Donald Trump of his impeachment charges.
• A 78 year old California woman died after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
• Japan was hit by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake.

February 14th:

• Meghan Markle and Harry Windsor announced their second pregnancy.
• Nicki Minaj’s father died in a hit-and-run in New York.
• Guinea announced its first Ebola outbreak since 2016.

February 15th:

• The WHO granted approval to AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine.

February 16th:

• The NAACP and Representative Bernie Thomas (D-MS) filed a lawsuit against Former President Donald Trump, his laywer Rudy Giuliani, the Oath Keepers, and the Proud Boys, for the Capitol riots.

February 17th:

• Rush Limbaugh, conservative radio show host, died at 70.
• Prince Phillip, Queen Elizabeth’s 99-year-old husband, was taken to the hospital after he said he was feeling unwell.

February 18th:

• A report from the CDC showed that in the first half of 2020, the average American’s life expectancy dropped a year, from 78.8 to 77.8.
• New Zealand announced it would provide free menstrual products for its students starting in June.
• NASA’s Perseverance rover successfully touched down on Mars.

February 19th:

• Kim Kardashian officially filed for divorce from Kanye West.
• Naomi Osaka won the Australian Open against newcomer Jennifer Brady.

February 20th:

• A plane flying from Denver to Honolulu suffered engine failure a few minutes into flight. No one was killed, but large pieces of debris from the engine were found in a neighboring town.
• President Biden declared a state of emergency in Texas after a freak winter storm left most of the state without running water or power.
• Novak Djokovic defeated Daniil Medvdev in the Australian Open, winning him his 9th Grand Slam from that tournament.

February 21st:

• The United States surpassed 500,000 COVID cases.