Since March, Americans have been inundated with news about the coronavirus. The United States reached several dark milestones as daily cases and death rates increased and the Covid-19 pandemic changed the way Americans work, vote, learn and socialize.
But in the midst of the deadly pandemic, there were other crises that left a mark in 2020, including civil unrest, terrorist acts, layoffs and layoffs at the White House and natural disasters that devastated lands and claimed lives.
Here are the stories that defined 2020:
January
The year started with international tensions. On January 3, Iranian general Qassem Soleimani died during a military air strike launched by American forces. His death sparked a series of efforts by Tehran, the capital of Iran, to retaliate against the United States.
Efforts continued until June, when Tehran said President Donald Trump was involved in “killings and terrorist acts”. At the time, the capital put Trump and other figures on “red alert” and asked Interpol to help stop him.
As the tension unfolded, the United States became aware of its first case of coronavirus, marking the beginning of the US response to the pandemic.
Then basketball legend Kobe Bryant died in a tragic helicopter accident on January 26. Americans were shocked by the announcement of his death, which raised questions about how to mourn a beloved figure who had been accused of sexual assault.
February
On February 5, the Republican-controlled Senate cleared Trump of two impeachment charges, ending a month-long process to remove him from office. He was impeached in December for abuse of power and obstruction of Congressional accusations.
The decision to absolve him of the first charge fell largely on party lines in the Senate, with each Democrat and independent Senator – and Republican Senator Mitt Romney – voting to condemn Trump. The rest of the Republican senators voted for absolution. In the second charge, lawmakers ‘votes fell entirely on party lines, with Democrats voting to put the obstruction of Congress’ accusation on Trump and Republicans voting to release him. The Republicans, who hold the majority in the Senate, won.
The day after the vote, word spread about the first American who died of coronavirus. A 60-year-old man was the first American reported to die of the disease.
march
The March 3 Super Tuesday helped narrow the list of more than two dozen candidates running for president at the time. Now President-elect Joe Biden came out strong, with more than 63% of the vote. Next came Senator Bernie Sanders, with just over 16% of the vote. After the results came out, Mike Bloomberg dropped out of the race and supported Biden. Senator Elizabeth Warren also ended her campaign.
Throughout the rest of the March primaries, Biden continued to score points, while a handful of presidential candidates ended their candidacies.
March also marked a move for government officials to take the pandemic seriously. State and local authorities in the United States have begun giving blocking orders to contain the spread of the coronavirus. By the end of March, more than a third of the world had somehow entered a blockade.
On March 11, the World Health Organization officially recognized the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic. And on March 13, Trump declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency. Two weeks later, Trump signed a $ 2 trillion stimulus package that included direct payments of $ 1,200 to Americans.
Also on March 13, Breonna Taylor was shot to death by police in her own home, an event that sparked months-long protests from the Black Lives Matter that continue today.
April
Throughout the month of April, many Americans protested to defy orders. Trump was among those who supported these movements, pushing for a quick return to normal and urging state officials to reopen companies to boost the economy.
The April Department of Labor jobs report said 14.7% of Americans were unemployed. About 20 million jobs have been lost.
May
Earlier this month, reports emerged about a new challenge: killer wasps.
They are officially called Asian giant wasps or Mandarin wasp. Killer wasps are 2-inch insects that have killed humans in the past.
Near the end of the month, on Memory Day, a Minneapolis police officer knelt on the back of the neck of George Floyd, a black man who died after being restrained for several minutes. His death rekindled the Black Lives Matter protests that began earlier in the year after Breonna Taylor’s death. Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck, was later charged with manslaughter and second-degree manslaughter.
June
The protests continued until June, with waves of people, both nationally and worldwide, again revealing police brutality and racial injustice. While largely peaceful, some protests have become violent and dangerous, with law enforcement using force against protesters or protesters.
Meanwhile, Biden secured enough delegates to formally win the title of Democratic presidential candidate. Up to this point, he had been the party’s presumed candidate.
July
Americans were banned from entering or staying in Europe. The European Union considered American citizens too risky to admit because of the increase in coronavirus cases in the United States. The full list of countries admitted included Algeria, Australia, Canada, China, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay.
At home, racial tensions continued to increase. Protesters ardently demanded the removal of the Confederate monuments – and local and state officials obeyed.
The United States has lost civil rights icon John Lewis, who has served in the House of Representatives since 1987. He was part of the original Freedom Riders, a group of civil rights activists who protested against segregated bus terminals.
Also in July, the FBI arrested Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime girlfriend, accusing her of participating in the abuse of girls. Epstein faced charges of sex trafficking until he died of suicide in prison. His accusers cited Maxwell as a person who facilitated sex trafficking by preparing girls to sleep with men within Epstein’s orbit.
August
After months of speculation about who would run for vice president, Biden announced Sen. Kamala Harris as her choice for vice president. Harris’ nomination was monumental, as she made history as the first black and Asian American woman to participate in an important party.
On August 23, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, police repeatedly shot Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old black man, in the back. During the shooting, Blake’s children were in the back of the car and one of them was celebrating a birthday. Blake was hospitalized with serious injuries.
Protests erupted in Kenosha shortly after the shooting. The police decreed a curfew in response to the demonstrations.
September
Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on September 18 of pancreatic cancer and left a seat on the Supreme Court bench. A few days before her death, she asked “not to be replaced until a new president is installed”.
Contrary to their wishes, lawmakers immediately started planning to replace Ginsburg. Trump’s choice was Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative Catholic who avoided questions on key issues during her confirmation hearings. The decision sparked protests and harsh words of discontent – some of which originated from Barrett’s former classmates.
Trump also received a reaction on the day of the first presidential debate between him and Biden. When asked to denounce white supremacists, Trump told the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist hate group, to “step back and wait.” The group welcomed Trump’s comment and took it as an order of command.
September was also the month when a grand jury refused to charge two of the three policemen involved in the Breonna Taylor murder. One officer, Brett Hankison, was charged with three counts of first-degree extinction danger.
October
On October 2, Trump announced that he and First Lady Melania had tested positive for coronavirus. Trump was transported to the Walter Reed Medical Center, where he stayed a few days before being released.
“Don’t be afraid of Covid,” he tweeted, just before he left the hospital. At that time, the country was facing huge peaks in confirmed cases. And in early October, more than 30 White House advisers, employees and several other team members tested positive for the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, the country was starting to vote by mail for the November presidential election. Most states began voting by mail this year to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
November
Business Insider called for Biden’s presidency on November 6, but for weeks afterward, Trump refused to concede the results. He released a statement accusing Biden of “rushing to pretend to be the winner” after dozens of news outlets projected that the former vice president would have won the election. Biden won with 306 sweeping electoral votes against 232 for Trump.
Trump also set off a series of legal challenges, alleging widespread electoral fraud in several states. He didn’t win any of them.
While electoral litigation was pending in the courts, coronavirus spikes continued. The death toll in the U.S. has increased by tens of thousands in a few weeks, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Health officials encouraged Americans to celebrate Thanksgiving virtually. But a record 1.1 million travelers bypassed orienteering and returned home after the holiday.
December
The FDA authorized the use of several vaccines, which were immediately sent to all states in the country.
Congress continued to debate the content of the next stimulus package until it finally reached an agreement on December 20, just before the Christmas holiday. It is a $ 900 billion rescue package that includes $ 600 in direct payments to Americans.
But in the final days of 2020, Trump overturned the bill, urging Congress to increase direct payments to $ 2,000. As a result, the stimulus relief package remains in limbo.
Also in December, the Trump administration was ordered to reinstate DACA, the Obama-era program that protects undocumented young immigrants from deportation. Trump has struggled to end the program, and a federal judge’s decision was a blow to his plan.