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Columbia Strikes a Peace Deal
In November of 2016 the Colombian government signed a peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), ending a 52-year armed conflict that killed up to 220,000 people and displaced as many as 5 million people. -
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Death of Several Celebrities
Many loved celebrities passed away in 2016 including David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Prince, and Carrie Fisher. David Bowie and Alan Rickman died of cancer in January, Prince accidentally overdosed on fentanyl in April, and Carrie Fisher died of a heart attack in December only two days after Christmas. -
Earthquake in Italy
On the twenty-fourth of August, an enormous Earthquake hits central Italy, and it's so powerful that even people in Rome (who are 100 miles away) can feel it. The earthquake killed at least two-hundred-and-forty-one people. Several towns in Italy such as Amatrice, Accumoli, and Marche felt the effects of this earthquake and suffered many losses. -
Trump Wins Election
On January 20, 2017 Donald Trump won the U.S. Presidential Election after going against Hillary Clinton. He won the favor of many non-college educated whites. During the election he promised to put up a wall along the border of Mexico and to repeal the Affordable Care Act. He was also accused of sexual assault (he denied all allegations). Trump beat Hillary by 74 votes despite losing the popular vote to her. -
Women's March
The day after Trump won the 2017 presidential election, millions of women joined together to protest for the rights of women, people of color, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ outside of the nation's capital. Millions more joined in sister marches across the country and around the world. They hoped to revitalize the women’s movement and send the message that women would continue to fight for social justice. -
#MeToo Movement
The #MeToo movement was a movement that brought awareness to sexual assault and harassment and how common it was after Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual assault. Many famous people such as Bill Cosby, Charlie Rose, Pixar co-founder John Lasseter and more were accused of sexual harassment. Tarana Burke actually started the #MeToo movement in 2006, but it went global in 2018. -
Women are Allowed to Drive in Saudi Arabia
In July of 2018 women were given the right to drive in Saudi Arabia. Previously, they had needed the permission of a male guardian to get a driver's license. The laws of the religion are one and the same as the laws of the state, so eliminating gender-based driving restrictions was an earth-shattering change that gave hope to millions of Saudi women. -
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School Shootings
There have been 29 school shootings this year that resulted in injuries or deaths. There have been 121 such shootings since 2018, when Education Week began tracking these incidents. The highest number of school shootings with injuries or deaths, 34, occurred last year. There were 10 in 2020, and 24 each in 2019 and 2018. -
Hong Kong Protests
Hong Kong's protests started in June against plans to allow extradition to mainland China. Until 1997, Hong Kong was ruled by Britain as a colony but then returned to China. Under the "one country, two systems" arrangement, it has some autonomy, and its people more rights. Clashes between police and activists have become increasingly violent, with police firing live bullets and protesters attacking officers and throwing petrol bombs. -
Fire at Notre Dame
On April 15, 2019, a fire broke out under the eaves of Notre-Dame Cathedral’s roof. The fire engulfed the spire and most of the roof. The fire began around 6:30pm local Paris time on Monday, April 15 and burned until the next morning Tuesday, April 16. Thankfully, firefighters were able to control the blaze, saving the main structure including the bell towers and rose windows. The Catholic relics housed in the cathedral and priceless works of art were rescued and brought to safety. -
Death of Cameron Boyce
On July 06, 2019, Disney star Cameron Boyce died in sleep of a seizure caused by SUDEP. -
Quarantine
On March 13 the Trump Administration declares a nationwide emergency and issues an additional travel ban on non-U.S. citizens traveling from 26 European countries due to COVID-19. Then on March 15 states begin to implement shutdowns in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The New York City public school system— the largest school system in the U.S., with 1.1 million students— shuts down, while Ohio calls for restaurants and bars to close. -
George Floyd/Black Lives Matter Protests
After the death of George Floyd in May of 2020, many people began to protest about the racism present in the way they were being treated by cops and by the American legal system in general. Since the death of George Floyd, protests have erupted in at least 140 cities across the United States, and the National Guard has been activated in at least 21 states. -
First COVID-19 Vaccine Released
On December 11, 2020 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, and will now be marketed as Comirnaty (koe-mir’-na-tee), for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older. The vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA), including for individuals 12 through 15 years of age. -
Storming of the U.S. Capitol
On January 06 of 2021, pro-Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol Building on the day Congress was meeting to confirm Joe Biden's victory of the election. Lawmakers were forced to take shelter, the building was put into lockdown and four people died in the chaos that followed a pro-Trump rally near the White House. -
Biden is Elected President
On January 20, 2021 Joe Biden is elected the forty-sixth president of the United States. -
End of War in Afghanistan
After twenty years, President Biden finally declares the end of the war in Afghanistan. The last U.S. military forces depart Afghanistan, leaving it under Taliban rule. The exit follows a chaotic, two-week withdrawal process during which more than 120,000 people are evacuated. The next day, President Biden says the United States should learn from its mistakes and that the withdrawal marks the end of “an era of major military operations to remake other countries.” -
Russia Invades Ukraine
Vladimir Putin unleashed the biggest war in Europe since World War Two with the justification that modern, Western-leaning Ukraine was a constant threat and Russia could not feel "safe, develop and exist".
Thousands of people have since died, towns and cities such as Mariupol lie in ruins and 13 million people have been displaced. -
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Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Trial
From April 11 to June 01, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard faced each other in court after Depp sued Heard for defamation. The case was very publicized, and after six weeks, Johnny Depp won the case. -
Roe v Wade Overturned
Roe v Wade, the 1973 law stating that women had the legal right to an abortion was overturned on June 24 of 2022 taking away women's constitutional rights as human beings of privacy, freedom of choice, and freedom of religious beliefs. Abortion is not banned nationwide, however each individual state has the option of banning it. There are no exceptions for rape pregnancy. Many people are worried that this mean contraceptives preventing pregnancy and same-sex marriage could also be banned. -
Death of Queen Elizabeth
On September 08, 2022 Queen Elizabeth II of England passed away. Her cause of death was not revealed, but it's assumed to be old age. She died at the Balmoral Castle in Scotland.