All That Happened in the Year 2020

Calling the year 2020, a roller coaster of a ride would not be too farfetched. Almost everything that took place in 2020 affected the lives of not only a particular country or region but also everyone worldwide. No one had expected what the year 2020 would turn out to be, and indeed it was a surprise for all. From the pandemic to volcanic eruptions, people will surely read about the year 2020 for centuries. We could take all of this in a negative sense, but that would not be right. As there were multiple disasters and bad things in 2020 that happened, there were also moments of happiness and success for many people.

Today, we have listed the top happenings, whether good or bad, that happened in 2020.

1.    The Bushfires of Australia

The trouble started even before the year 2020 began. Australia had been the target of drought, and fires sprouted all over the country. Millions and millions of hectares burnt and turned to ashes. The fire burnt the property and lands of thousands of people. Even the homes of some celebrities were laid to waste by the fires.

The NSW RFS first reported a fire on the Gosper Mountains, which was caused by lightning. This event happened in October of 2019. From there, it was as if a domino effect. The fire spread far and wide from there. Approximately 75 people lost their lives in the process. More so, the wildlife was affected a lot. It is estimated that more than 5000 koalas died. The wildlife and the habitat of millions of animals just burnt away in ash and smoke.

The fires took around six months to be under control completely. The government reported that the fires ended in May of 2020. The worst affected by the Australian bush fires were New South Wales and Victoria. This disaster was how the year 2020 started.

2.    Indonesian floods- Jakarta

January 1, 2020, the city of Indonesia, Jakarta, started to flood. These floods had crippled much of Indonesia's capital. Due to it, even the presidential house had been severely affected, and the houses of millions of ordinary people were filled with water. The traffic was jammed indefinitely and paralyzed the businesses, offices, and disrupted networks.

What added the proverbial fuel to the fire were those overnight rains, which caused the river bans to explode more than they already had. Reportedly, residential and commercial areas were about five feet deep in muddy water, making moving around impossible. The country's largest hospital, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital was unfortunately also compromised. Fifty-three people died from the floods, and almost 175,000 were displaced.

3.    Erupting Volcanoes in the Philippines

Moving on, January 12 marked a dark and ashy day for Taal, a city in the Philippines. The Taal volcano, which is the country's second most active volcano, came to life. The Philippines volcanic authority raised the red flag and sent out a Level 4 emergency alert. This alert meant that people had to immediately prepare for evacuation as an eruption could occur at any day or hour soon.

This eruption occurred after 43 years of the last one. PHIVOLCS Director Dr. Renato stated that seismic activity started at 11 am. Soon after, at 1 pm, a phreatic eruption took place. Authorities advised the locals to evacuate at least a 14 kilometers radius from the volcano. Even though there were no initial reports of fatalities and damage, the number was much higher in reality. During the eruption, more than 350 people had died. Later due to disease spread in camps, and continuous mudflow caused about 722 deaths in total.    

4.    A Plague emerged- The COVID-19

Coronavirus was the most prominent and ongoing disaster of 2020 and the 21^st century up until now. WHO initially reported the virus on December 31, 2019. The virus initiated from China spread at an unimaginable speed, and soon on January 30, 2020, Coronavirus has declared a global pandemic.

COVID-19 spread through human contact. The disease, fortunately, was not airborne and traveled through human contact. It affected the breathing and nasal passage of the human body to the lungs. Though there are many different symptoms, the main ones include losing the sense of smell and unable to taste anything. The more intensely one is affected, the more serious the condition becomes. Constant fever, coughing, body aches, and more are extreme conditions. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused 1.8 million deaths up till now. The number of people affected is almost 100 million around the world.

Fortunately, many people have recovered, yet the quarantine, isolation and lockdown have caused significant turmoil in all life sectors. The Coronavirus had not let up at all in 2020, and mutated versions are coming up. The whole world is anxious about what will happen next and how much more difficulty people will face due to this pandemic.

5.    Locusts Swamps

There was a massive locust swarm in the year 2020 in Africa. In February, a swarm of locusts invaded East Africa, targeting Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Uganda. Though the locusts had made their presence known to over 23 countries worldwide, East Africa was its main focal point.

Pakistan was among the countries that were affected by locusts. Prime Minister Imran Khan declared an emergency alert on the locust invasion. This invasion was the worst locust swarm in two decades and had devastating effects. Crops of all the 23 countries were affected. Africa significantly had been involved in both physical and mental ways. Children could not go to school for weeks, and the already scarce agriculture was affected negatively.

6.    Masked Unity

We can agree that 2020 bought many misfortunes in people's lives, yet every coin has two sides. The coronavirus pandemic forced people to use masks. Now, these masks have become a necessary part of our everyday lives. This virus was one thing that did not discriminate.

The virus did not affect a particular race, country, region, or ethnicity. Black, or white, Muslim or Jew, Hispanic or Asian, all were affected equally. In a sense, it bought everyone together and made people together. In the year 2020, the entire world as the human race is fighting against the virus. This show of togetherness was the largest display of human unity in the entire history.

7.    Transgender and BLM Recognition and Rights

Especially 2020 was the year where people voiced out their rights, from women's rights to child abuse concerns. Every sensitive matter was raised by the people who were mistreated by haters and their sympathizers. Issues such as the Black Lives Matter movements and Women's rights were raised and fought worldwide. Many people joined hands in America to support the underprivileged, brutally murdered, and poorly treated black community. Social media stars and celebrities worldwide took part in this fight, and the repose was huge.

In Pakistan, steps were taken by the government in the right direction as for the first time in history, they recognized transgender people as part of the society, and enforcers legally supported their rights. In Karachi, high-ranking officials declared that they would protect and defend the transgender community in this lockdown caused due to COVID-19.

The fight is still ongoing, and there is still a long way to go. Transgender discrimination, rape, disrespect, and murder are still on the rise, and this recognition by the government is only the initial first step. But indeed, we are looking at a bright future ahead.

8.    Carbon Emission was lowered- Caring for the Climate

When Coronavirus came, it caused millions of businesses to shut down, factories to close down, and the government forced people to quarantine themselves at home. Government policies and other factors made it one of the biggest global problems; people have reduced global warming and greenhouse gases.

Reports say that people have reduced daily CO2 emissions by 17%. This contrast was made by comparing April 2020 with 2019 levels. Most of this reduction was due to less use of vehicles. If we look into separate countries, the highest reduced emissions value up to 26% on average.

Whether or not this change will remain depends on the continued conditions of lockdown and quarantine. The world is facing continuous threats like climate change and global warming, so much that the wildlife is endangered by us humans on a deep level. But this reduction in carbon emissions indeed bought a positive outlook and hope for the future.

9.    Greener land and clearer oceans

Google images have shown images with greener earth this year. Yes, the change and reduction in pollution and climate change was that big! With people staying inside their homes, roads, parks, and public areas were deserted by people. As humans are getting a break from their routine lives, nature is getting a break from humans.

Beaches aren't crowded with people anymore, and forests are thriving again. Plastic rates have reduced, and spectators visibly see the oceans as more clean and clear. This clarity is undoubtedly a good thing. We ignored the need to take care of our nature and surroundings, and through COVID-19 lockdowns, change in a positive way is finally seen. Activists and environmentalists are ecstatic about this and continue to raise awareness among people worldwide.

10. Vaccines to save us all 

As the year ends, hope rises as well. The Coronavirus was no doubt the biggest worry of the entire world, but the invention of its vaccines battled that. Towards the end of 2020, vaccines came into the picture like a silver lining. The first-ever vaccines to battle COVID-19 were invented by a Muslim power couple, Ugar Sahin and Ozlem Tureci.

The Pfizer vaccine made by this couple is said to be 90% effective against Coronavirus and has been rightfully termed by people as a miracle. After its release and testing, Pfizer stock prices went off the charts and made the scientists billionaires. Vaccines are now being sold by Pfizer to countries worldwide, and speculators say that by 2021 more than 3 billion people will be vaccinated. They also assume that production companies will make about 5.8 billion doses and that each person will require two doses for complete effectiveness.

Also Read: Who will be the Worlds First Trillionaire?

Conclusion

The year 2020 is one that will be written down by historians in books. Generations in the future will learn about this year that was filled with tragedy, misfortunes, and a test of patience. The people who are suffering now are waiting for better days to come. People lost hope, though, as the year also brought some fundamental changes in society and humankind's thinking. Throughout the world, people saw unity and kindness, and a shared kinship was the real achievement of this year.