At the end of 2020, we begged for 2021 to come faster; however, the outcome wasn’t anything like anyone expected. This year we were supposed to get back to “normal,” but it’s been anything but. 2021 was a year filled with changes.
Let’s take one last look at the biggest news of a strange yet occasionally hopeful year:
January 6th is a day we will never forget. The attack on the Capitol was a predictable climax of months-long conflicts. When the pro-Trump riot ensued, it forced the House-Senate to evacuate and delayed Biden’s win certification. On January 13th, the House voted to impeach President Trump, alleging that he encouraged the mob on the 6th.
February 15th: A winter storm pummeled Texas and sent millions of Texans without power in below-freezing temperatures. This was the start of outages that lasted for days, leaving Texans powerless in every way possible.
March 11th :President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion Covid stimulus package and urged states to make all adults eligible for vaccinations beginning May 1st.
April 20th: Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvan is found guilty of the May 2020 murder of George Floyd, which sparked racial-justice protests around the world.
May 13th: The CDC eases restrictions for fully vaccinated people. The CDC says fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks or physically distance themselves during outdoor and indoor activities.
June 24th : A 12-story Florida condo collapses in Surfside, Florida, leaving 98 people dead.
July 1st : The Delta variant begins to spread fast, delaying the return to “normal” and forcing many countries to go back into lockdown. Weeks later, on July 29th, President Biden says federal employees must get vaccinated against COVID-19.
August 10th: Andrew Cuomo steps down as New York City’s governor, following sexual harassment allegations.
September 22nd: FDA approves COVID vaccine booster shots for people ages 65 and older and other adults at high risk of illness.
October 28th: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announces the company is changing its name to Meta Platforms to reflect opportunities in online digital realms known as the metaverse.
November 8th: The U.S reopens borders to citizens of 33 countries restricted from entering due to COVID-19 for over a year.
December 21st: Omicron becomes the dominant COVID variant in the U.S., leaving people frantically searching for at-home tests and forcing many to cancel holiday plans.
Here’s to a joyous and somewhat “normal” 2022.
