But come on. Something good has to happen in 2021, right?
Many things that were canceled in 2020 are back this year. Probably. And many common activities that we once had for granted can slowly return to our lives, things like hugging and not being uncomfortable getting on a plane. ATTEMPTIVELY.
If all goes well, we can dare to wait for these remarkable points in 2021.
1. The Tokyo Olympic Games
The Tokyo Olympics in 2020 were put on hold because of the pandemic, but are now scheduled for July 2021. It may not look like the Olympics of the past – the IOC says it will be a “simpler and more contained approach” – but it won don’t stop us from giving in to the common joy of pretending that we know how gymnastics is scored.
2. Eurovision Song Contest
Remember the shows? Remember music shows? Do you remember seeing large undulating crowds of overly energetic people enjoying the vibrations without caring about the world? These may be coming back, and that includes the super popular Eurovision Song Contest, which was postponed in 2020. The contest organizers say “there will definitely be a Eurovision Song Contest in 2021”. It is currently scheduled for May in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
3. NASA’s Perseverance rover lands on Mars
Mars will have a new small inhabitant when NASA’s Perseverance rover lands in February. Like its charming rover predecessors in the Mars Exploration Program, Perseverance will undoubtedly have an entire Earth fandom rooting for it. Is it because we like to anthropomorphize complex robotics or because we secretly wish that we too could be launched from this Earth to another planet?
4. Travel and large gatherings
Raise your hand if the most exotic scene you’ve seen this year is literally anything outside your home. Even if you’re not planning a big escape as soon as the pandemic gets better, just the thought that you can do it is comforting. And do you know what is better than a vacation? A great (safe) meeting with friends. Fortunately, we will all remember how to socialize.
5. Generalized immunity against Covid-19
Obviously, for all of this to happen, we need safe pandemic practices and a Covid-19 vaccine available to everyone. Several countries are beginning to implement vaccination plans and it appears that more vaccine authorizations are underway. It will take a while – experts say we may not see any “normal” appearance until the second half of the year. But, oh, it will be worth the wait.
6. UEFA Euro Championship
The four-year football tournament should be held in 2020 and should be a special event marking the 60th anniversary of the competition. But don’t worry, it will still be special when it starts this summer! Instead of a host region, the games will take place in 12 host countries in Europe, from Spain to Romania and Russia.
7. T20 Cricket World Cup
In other sports news, the International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup will be back – postponed to 2020, of course – in India in the fall. Americans, if you need a primer before you dive into the waters of cricket fandom, don’t say anything else.
8. The 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World
Speaking of milestones, October 1st will mark Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary. The park will also reveal many new things to do, including a “Ratatoiulle” attraction, a “Guardians of the Galaxy” tour and a “Tron” tour.
9. New climate policies and actions
2020 should be the year when the world’s climate plans came into action. But … they didn’t. The next year could be better! The EU has sealed plans to reduce carbon emissions and pour billions into clean energy alternatives. China, the world’s biggest polluter, has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2060. Japan, South Korea and Canada have made similar promises to cut fossil fuels. And we can see more friezes at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Glasgow, Scotland, in November this year.
10. Presidential inauguration
No matter your policy, a presidential tenure is a piece of history. Therefore, all eyes will be on the United States in January, when Joe Biden takes office. Kamala Harris, in turn, will make all kinds of history when she takes office as the first woman and the first black woman to serve as vice president.
11. New TV shows
If you’ve already transferred everything to Netflix, don’t worry! It will be a very fruitful TV year. The long-awaited “Friends” meeting will air in March. A reboot of “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” is coming to Peacock, Netflix is developing a live-action version of the classic anime “Cowboy Bebop”. And Disney + is launching what appears to be a million new programs and concepts. Whatever happens to your social schedule, your TV viewing schedule is definitely full.
12. New films
Where to start? Take a deep breath: “Dune” with Timothee Chalamet! “” Cinderella “with Billy Porter! A new” Coming to America “with Eddie Murphy! A new Bond film,” No Time to Die! “A new” Fantastic Beasts! ” “Black Widow!” Oh, and Warner Brothers is going to broadcast their new movies on HBO Max the same day they go to theaters. Wait, it looks like we’re missing something …
13. Tom Cruise going to spaaace
In addition to starring in the upcoming film “Top Gun: Maverick”, Tom Cruise will take off – literally – when he works on the first narrative film to be shot in outer space. With the help of NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Cruise will travel to the International Space Station to work on the project this year.
14. The largest litter of cicadas
I hope you like insects, because billions of them will invade parts of the United States when Brood X, the largest and broadest of the 15 cicada creations in the United States, emerges from the ground in the spring. This is an event that occurs once in 17 years, guys! It’s a cultural moment! It will take months to get the crunch crunch crunch of your abandoned shells out of your head. But hey, you can learn a thing or two about cicadas, and that’s precious knowledge.
15. 6G
Now is the time to confess if you don’t really know what terms like 4G, 5G and 6G mean. It refers to different generations of technology standards for cellular networks. In other words, it is the level at which your cell phone, internet and many other telecommunications architectures work. That’s why many people were excited about 5G. Fast phone! Convey all things! Zoom meetings less painful! Well, things will get even faster and better when more 5G networks come up around the world. And Japan and Korea are already working on 6G features. This next generation will help improve things like telecommuting and distance learning, as well as more futuristic activities like holograms and virtual and augmented reality.
16. Artificial intelligence. Everywhere.
AI technology has been a major focal point for some time, but in 2021 we will see it appear in even more places. And no, not in a scary “Black Mirror” way. Imagine, for example, all that AI can do to help us interpret and use medical and scientific data if. You know, just in case a massive pandemic happens. AI is also helping more companies make smarter decisions about customer behavior. Wilson Pang, chief technology officer at Appen, told Forbes he expects 2021 to see more companies address worrying issues of bias in AI technologies, so that innovators can develop AI responsibly.
17. Drone delivery
Walmart, Amazon, UPS and other companies are stepping up their drone game, so don’t be surprised if packages start arriving at your door soon. The Federal Aviation Administration has just launched new rules on “unmanned aircraft”, which will promote “the integration of drones in the national airspace system”. Amazon’s drone delivery service, Prime Air, was approved by the FAA in early 2020.
18. The Queen of England turns 95
Queen Elizabeth II is already the longest reigning monarch in British history, and in 2021 she will celebrate an equally impressive achievement: turning 95! Her birthday is April 21st. She probably doesn’t need gifts, but we expect our British friends to do something sophisticated to celebrate. In the meantime, we will be watching “The Crown”.
19. Highly anticipated concerts
Nostalgia will be quite a year in 2021 with all the reboots, remakes and meetings. Could we get another dose with a potential Spice Girls world tour? There were rumors about a 25th anniversary tour, and Spice Girl Mel C itself hinted that this could be happening. Meanwhile, the Doobie Brothers will hit the road for their 50-year tour in July. Celine Dion, Guns N ‘Roses, Harry Styles and dozens of other artists are making plans to return to the stage as the year progresses.
20. New albums
Do you want your music a little more socially distanced? Evanescence, Kendrick Lamar, Kacey Musgraves, Lorde, Cardi B, Adele, Foo Fighters and The Cure are all confirmed or rumored to release new albums this year.
21. Hugs 🙁
Come on, 2021. Please, let us have this one.