Drumrolls! The year 2021 has come to end and here are the major events that made headlines.
2021 was anything but an ordinary year. While it was, fortunately, better than the tragic 2020, this year too had its fair share of extraordinary events that shook the world. COVID-19 still remains a challenge to be tackled, however, the world took a few victorious steps forward with vaccine mandates and adaptability. From newly elected global leaders to bidding farewell to historic ones, from groundbreaking technological inventions to plugging off the old ones that existed for ages, the major events that happened in 2021 had a lot to offer to our list and the world.
So, without any further ado, here are the top 11 major events that happened in 2021 and will go down in history for both good and bad!
1/11
United States Elects Its First Female Vice President, Kamala Harris
We begin with the moment that will be registered in history in bold letters. After 244 years of independence, the United States finally elected its first-ever female Vice President, Kamala Harris. The Democratic Party candidate secured a win against Republican candidate and former Vice President Mike Pence, Donald Trump’s running mate.
Harris’ appointment to the White House is a multifold achievement for American democracy. The country not only elected its first female to the office, Kamala Harris is also the first vice president who is a woman of colour.
Kamala Harris Biography — Early Life And Education
Harris was born in Oakland, California, to Indian-Jamaican parents and graduated from Howard University and the University of California, College of Law. She is married to Douglas Emhoff and has two children, Ella and Cole.
Vice President Harris began her career in legal services by specializing as a child sexual assualt prosecutor at Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. In 2003, she was elected as San Fransisco District Attorney and, later, California’s Attorney General in 2010.
The next milestone in her legal career came in 2017 when VP Harris was sworn into the United States senate. She finally became the first female vice president of the U.S. in 2021.
My mother had a saying: ‘Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you’re not the last.
— Kamala Harris, Vice President — United States Of America
2/11
Taliban Returns To Power, U.S. Withdraws Troops From Afghanistan After 20 Years
On Aug 31, 2021, the world woke up to the shocking news of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, marking the end of 20 years of Western military presence on the land. Things escalated real quick and before America could even evacuate all its personnel from the nation, the Taliban took over the country. Within 10 days, democracy in the country crumbled to the ground and a new government by the Taliban took hold.
The event was followed by extreme human rights violations including killings, rapes and threats, which continue to date. All the nations like Australia, Norway, the United Kingdom, India, France, Germany, New Zealand, among others, rescued their citizens from Afghanistan, leaving behind the natives of the nation pleading for help.
How Is Afghanistan Doing Under Taliban?
According to a UN report, 23 million people in Afghanistan are struggling with malnutrition and hunger. By mid-2022, the country’s 97% population is projected to slip under poverty while 30% of its GDP is on the verge of being wiped off.
Taliban has launched a severe crackdown on media, women’s rights have been crushed to the ground and human rights of all sorts are hanging by thread. Since the Taliban took hold of the nation that was abandoned by the U.S. overnight, more than 100 former police and intelligence officers have disappeared or been killed.
3/11
COVID Vaccines Make Their Debut
Not everything was terrifying and gloomy about 2021. If 2020 is to be remembered as the grievous year that took lives, 2021 was the knight in shining armour. Medical experts and scientists finally developed vaccines to fight the COVID-19 outbreak, infusing hope among the masses.
2021 will be registered as the year when COVID-19 vaccines were made, adding to the list of medical wonders like polio and smallpox vaccines. However, COVID-19 vaccines have an extra feather in the hat to boast of. Vaccines generally take 10-15 years to be prepared, however, scientists prepared an antidote to the deadly virus outbreak in less than a year.
These vaccines were also impressively effective. Vaccines like Moderna and Pfizer displayed almost 90 percent efficacy in the face of early variants of the virus.
While we talk about COVID-19 vaccines, here are the answers to some of the most common questions among the masses:
Can You Catch COVID After Two Vaccines?
Vaccines never guarantee 100% protection from getting infected against any disease. One can still catch COVID after two doses. However, complete vaccination is a strong protection against developing severe symptoms.
Which Vaccines Of Coronavirus Are The Most Effective?
According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Pfizer has been found to be 95% effective, whereas Moderna provides 94% efficacy in protection against severe COVID symptoms.
4/11
Joe Biden Replaces Donald Trump Post Riots In ‘The Capitol’
This is another event that was never witnessed before in history. A U.S. President himself incited insurrection inside the Capitol building, consequently being impeached twice. Former President Donald Trump faced grave consequences for inflicting madness among masses who believed Joe Biden wrongly won the elections.
Sadly, for the notorious president and his followers, Joe Biden succeeded Donald Trump, becoming the 46th President of the United States. Even the inauguration ceremony of President Biden was one of a kind. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak and social distancing norms, the event was planned in a never-seen-before manner.
What Is The Net Worth Of Joe Biden?
The President of the U.S. Joe Biden is $9 million in net worth. He boasts of a home in Greenville, Delaware that he bought in 1996 for $350,000. The house is worth $1 million today. President Biden also owns a $2.7 million beach house in Delaware that he purchased in 2017.
Among his car collections, President Biden is the proud owner of Corvette Convertible, Corvette GS, Cadillac Limousine, and a GMC Yukon.
True bravery is when there is very little chance of winning, but you keep fighting.
— Joe Biden , President — United States Of America
5/11
Goodbye, Internet Explorer
The Internet browser that was almost as old as the Internet itself, was finally plugged off by the parent company. Microsoft finally decided to put down Internet Explorer formally marking an end to the long-outdated browser.
The move is intended to promote IE’s successor Microsoft Edge. The company wrote in a statement, “Customers are encouraged to move to Microsoft Edge, which provides support for legacy and modern websites and apps. For organizations with a dependency on legacy Internet Explorer-based sites and apps, sites will need to be configured to open in Microsoft Edge using Internet Explorer (IE) mode”.
6/11
The Global Supply Chain Fallout
This was a bad, bad year for the global supply chain. And this matters because the fallout of supply chains worldwide ignited a rethinking among businesses about outsourcing production. Whether it was blocking of Suez Canal by Ever Given ship container or shutdown of Chinese ports due to COVID-19 cases, the world suffered big time due to obstruction.
Semiconductor chips, gasoline, chlorine, chicken, corn, even iPhones, fell out of global supply, creating a terrifying shortage of everything. The situation became so bad that Apple rolled out its Self Repair Program.
Who owns Ever Given, The Ship That Blocked Suez Canal For Days?
Ever Given vessel is owned by Japan’s Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd. and is operated by Evergreen Marine. It is registered at the Panama City port and was sailing from China to Rotterdam when it got stuck in the Suez Canal in late March.
7/11
Farewell, Angela Merkel
When It Comes To Human Dignity, We Cannot Make Compromises.
Angela Merkel
After the remarkable 16 years of Germany’s Chancellorship, Angela Merkel finally decided to step down and vacate the seat for others. The scientist who went on to become the global leader single-handedly governed Germany through the technological boom and refugee crisis.
Not only Germany, Merkel was also regarded as the leader of the entire European Union, the most powerful figure of the whole continent. When the widely admired Merkel, often called one of the greatest Chancellors of Germany, decided to step down this year in December, the event truly marked ‘the end of an era’.
How Long Can You Be Chancellor In Germany?
Germany does not limit the number of tenures of its Chancellors. The parliament can re-elect the same chancellor as many times as it deems fit. Angela Merkel served for 18 years as the Chairwoman of the Conservative Christian Democratic Union while holding the office of the German Chancellor for 16 years.
8/11
Climate Change Took The Most Worrisome Shape In History
A series of natural disasters and never-seen-before events in the history of Earth certified that climate change is moving beyond human control. United Kingdom, China, Germany, India and other nations recorded the worst floods in decades. While Spain recorded the worst snowstorm in decades and Texans froze to death in -13 C temperature, Canada recorded 569 deaths due to unprecedented heatwave. Greece and Turkey struggled to control the destructive wildfires while Greenland recorded rainfall for the first time ever in the history of Earth, undoubtedly, the major event that happened in 2021.
However, the most worrisome news came in December when scientists confirmed that the biggest glacier of the world in Antarctica, Dooms Day Glacier, has started melting and will be gone in the next three years.
What Are The Three Effects of Climate Change That Are Going To Hit Us Worst?
Among the plethora of dangers that climate change poses before humanity, the biggest remains increased temperature, droughts and famine, and insect outbreaks. All of these consequences have already begun to impact the planet and modern society.
9/11
Elon Musk Became The Richest Man Ever In The World
Elon Musk amassed more than $300 billion in net worth, becoming the richest man ever in the history of humanity. Tesla CEO and Founder of SpaceX, Musk surpassed the wealth of Jeff Bezos by tens of billions, registering the net worth of a whopping $302 billion.
The figure is greater than the GDP of countries such as Vietnam, Finland and Chile. Elon Musk became richer than the market value of PayPal and Netflix.
When Henry Ford made cheap, reliable cars people said, ‘Nah, what’s wrong with a horse?’ That was a huge bet he made, and it worked.
— Elon Musk
10/11
Demise Of Price Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Weeks before his 100th birthday on June 10, Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth, passed away in Windsor Castle, England. According to The Telegraph, it was a natural death due to old age. Duke of Edinburgh was the oldest member of the British Royal family and also the longest-serving royal consort in the history of Britain.
Why Was Prince Philip Not Called The King?
British royal family follows a complicated system of titles. Prince Philip was given multiple titles after marrying Queen Elizabeth II, however, he is not king. The reason is that only the women who marry in the royal family are given the title. For example, Kate Middleton was titled Duchess of Cambridge after marrying Prince William. However, Jack Brooksbank remained Mr. Brooksbank after marrying Princess Eugenie.
He retired from the official duties of the royal court in 2017.
11/11
Bitcoin Becomes A Legal Tender
Here is another entry to the list of the major events that happened in 2021. For the first time since its inception, Bitcoin became the legal currency of any country. The South American country El Salvador adopted Bitcoin as its legal tender. President Nayib Bukele told the nation —
We must break with the paradigms of the past. El Salvador has the right to advance toward the first world.
The country announced that it would set up Bitcoin ATMs while carrying out all legal transactions with the crypto.
