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On January 13, scientists discovered Earth’s oldest material after analyzing a meteorite. The rock fell to Earth in the 1960s, and the dust is thought to be 7.5 billion years old. (BBC)
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On January 20, China announced it reached 139 cases of pneumonia caused by a new strain of coronavirus. So far, three people have died from the virus, which is mostly in Beijing. (CNN)
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On February 14, China revealed that over 1700 medics fighting the coronavirus have been infected themselves. This has created a crisis of its own in the country. Overall, 67,000 global cases of coronavirus have been documented, and the first European death from the disease occurred on February 15. The US revealed that it had its fourteenth documented case. (CNN)
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As of March 30, twenty-seven states have issued a stay-at-home order, affecting 225 million Americans. President Trump extended quarantines until April 30.
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On April 26, various local governments reopened the areas, but they still caution a “safer at home” approach. The NBA has announced that it will open facilities in all areas that restrictions have been lifted. Players will be able to workout individually, but not as teams.
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On May 26, hundreds of people in Minneapolis gathered at the intersection where George Floyd died. Floyd was being arrested after police were called for a potential forgery in progress. During the arrest, an officer placed his knee on Floyd’s neck, not moving it after Floyd said he couldn’t breathe. Floyd died later at the hospital. Four officers have been fired due to the incident. Protesters have gathered around Minneapolis, highlighting the #blacklivesmatter movement.
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By June 6, as US protests entered their 12th consecutive day, various European countries and Australia participated in Black Lives Matter protests themselves. On June 5, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a knee during BLM protests in Canada. On June 6, after a court overturned the ruling that protests are illegal due to coronavirus, over 10,000 people protested for justice in Sydney, Australia. (CNN)
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On July 30, the US House of Representatives stated that all lawmakers and representatives must wear masks or risk being thrown out. The decision came after various lawmakers tested positive. (CNN)
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On August 24, a day after police shot an unarmed man in Lafayette, Louisiana, protesters gathered on the street. Protesters blocked traffic, starting out as peaceful, but aggressors joined in later in the night, sparking riot police and smoke canisters. That same day, protests began in Kenosha, Wisconsin after police shot and killed an unarmed black man in front of his three children.
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On September 25, it was reported that Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine trial is looking well. There has been a strong immune response in almost all 800 candidates for the vaccine. Experts believe this vaccine may be safe and effective, but it has yet to be reviewed and published
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On October 19, various states reported record-breaking numbers regarding early votes ahead of the November 3 election. Many states have seen a dramatic increase in the number of absentee ballots. States are also seeing a boom in US postal ballot requests. So far, registered Democrats have voted more than registered Republicans. (BBC)
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On November 27, it was reported that Biden picked up 132 more votes in Milwaukee after a Trump-requested recount. Despite the recount, more than 27,000 ballots are being segregated due to the campaign’s absentee objections. On November 30, Arizona officially certified Joe Biden’s victory. (CNN)
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On December 21, Johns Hopkins University reported that the US officially surpassed 18 million coronavirus cases and 319,000 deaths.
