While we may only be two-thirds of the way into 2020, many will be glad when it is over. As far as bad years go this has to be one of the worst in recent history.
In fact, there is little doubt that 2020 will go down in history. Sadly, this is for all the wrong reasons.
We are nowhere near the end of the year yet, but boy, what a year it has been! From bushfires and floods to a full-blown global pandemic, we have seen it all in the space of eight months.
Some Key Events that Have Shaped 2020
There are many key events that have taken place in 2020 in the space of just the first few months of the year. Unfortunately, these have been undesirable events that have made a big impact around the world.
1. Australian Bushfires
We kicked off the year as Australia was going through the devastation of horrendous bushfires. People lost their lives, huge amounts of land were wiped out, and more than a billion animals lost their lives.
Most people will have seen the dreadful images of the bushfires raging around the country. Thousands of people were forced out of their homes to seek shelter elsewhere.
For those in Australia, this was just the start of what was to be an incredibly bad year. Just as things started to come under control, the next disaster struck.
2. Royal Split
While this was not a disaster as such, it was still notable news for the first part of 2020. Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, decided they were quitting the Royal Family.
In an unprecedented move, the two senior royals decided to up sticks and move to Canada. The decision sent shockwaves through the country and the monarchy.
The couple was still in the throes of monopolizing the media with the move when COVID came along. This then pushed the news of the royal split onto the back burner.
3. Death of a Sports Superstar
The year got off to a very bad start for the world of sports and sports fans. The shocking news came in January reporting that NBA legend Kobe Bryant had been killed in a helicopter crash along with four other passengers.
One of those who also died in the crash was Bryan's young daughter, Gianna. The extent of the damage was such as the sports star had to be identified by fingerprints.
Bryant was aged just 41 years when he was killed in the crash. His young daughter was aged just 13 years.
4. Fears Over World War III
Another major event that took place in January this year had many wondering whether we were about to see World War III break out. This came after the top intelligence and security commander in Iraq was killed.
General Suleimani was killed along with other officials in a drone strike. It later transpired that this drone strike had been authorized by none other than President Donald Trump.
An emergency meeting was called in Iran by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He asked for three days of public mourning following the incident followed by retaliation for the attacks.
5. Global Pandemic
What was the next disaster? The coronavirus global pandemic, of course.
During the first couple of months of the year, we started hearing reports of a mysterious new virus that originated in Wuhan, China. The world watched shocking images and heard about the rising death toll in China.
Most people thought that this disaster was a world away from their comfortable homes. However, by March, it had started to sweep across the planet, creating havoc across the world.
In a matter of months, hundreds of thousands of people died, with many more being infected with COVID-19. Countries were put into lockdown and people were forced to stay away from work, friends, and loved ones.
Economies have been brought to their knees as a result of the pandemic. In addition, millions of people have lost their jobs due to the impact on businesses.
There is no doubt that this pandemic has changed the world for the foreseeable future. We are now living in a society of social distancing and face masks.
6. Nova Scotia Shooter
As the world tried to get to grips with the pandemic's effects, one man was on his own personal mission to bring about death. In a killing spree lasting 12 hours, Gabriel Wortman shot and killed 22 people in Nova Scotia, Canada.
He was dressed in a fake police uniform and set fire to several places during his spree in April. He was finally shot dead by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
7. George Floyd Killing
The world was up in arms in May this year after the killing of a black man, George Floyd, by police. He died after a police officer knelt on his neck, despite Floyd calling for help because he could not breathe.
People worldwide protested after the killing, and the Black Lives Matter movement made headlines each day. Both peaceful and violent riots broke out in countries around the world.
The global outrage stemmed from the actions of an officer in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. The funeral was shown on TV around the world.
An Eventful Year
As you can see, 2020 has been a scarily eventful year so far. The bad news is that there are still a few months to go, so who knows what else might happen?!
