Dec : Review 2020
Review 2020
This year will undoubtedly be one for the history books. Against the backdrop of an unprecedented
pandemic that has infected over 50 million people and killed one million globally, any other event
seems to pale in comparison.
But noteworthy events have happened, nonetheless, and should be remembered. The following are
some of these significant moments that occurred this year.
Australia Bushfire
It’s been a year we’ll never forget. Even before the challenges of COVID-19, Australia was hit hard
by bushfires during summer 2019-20 – the most catastrophic bushfire season ever experienced in the
country’s history. So much was lost, and the impacts will be felt for years to come.
Early in January, WWF estimated that at that time, 1.25 billion animals had been killed. As the fires
raged well into March, and destroyed even more habitat, we had a scientific duty to update that
figure to understand the true impact on our wildlife and natural landscapes.
Trump vs Biden
The US presidential election has been a colourful event with accusations and lawsuits to
come. Incumbent President Donald Trump has repeatedly tried throw doubt on postal ballots and
has appealed to courts to remove them from counted votes.
Prince Harry leaves Royalty Family
For the first time, a member of Britain’s royal family has decided to ‘quit’. Prince Harry and his
wife Meghan Markle announced on 8 January that they world “take a step back” from the royal
family. They now no longer represent the Queen or the UK army, and have no official role. The couple
has moved to the US, living as ‘ordinary citizens’, though still taking advantage of their past positions.
Covid-19
On 23 January, when Covid-19 was just a ‘novel coronavirus’, the mainland government order
the complete lockdown of Wuhan. People were ordered to stay put and businesses closed, the
entire province practically resembled a ghost town.
This was an unprecedented action, as Wuhan is the largest travel hub in China, with thousands of
trains and flights land and take-off every day.
On 11 March, the World Health Organisation (WHO) finally declared Covid-19 a pandemic. Due to
concerns about possible mask shortages, the WHO initially recommended only healthcare
professionals or people with symptoms wear masks. However, by June the WHO updated its
guidelines and asked everyone to wear masks whenever possible.
Basketball legend dies
Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, six family friends and a pilot died in a helicopter crash on 26
January. The group was travelling for a basketball game.
The 18*-time All Star player, who spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National
Basketball Association, is still considered a legend of the sport’s history. His sudden death
shocked the world as he was only 41 years old.