The pandemic may have dominated headlines yet again, but it was far from the only life-changing event this year.
A lot of us might be tempted not to look back as we show 2021 the door. With so much pandemic-related uncertainty still in the air, the future feels distracting enough without stopping to contemplate the year that’s been. But so many seismic, thought-provoking things besides Covid have happened in the last 12 months that we felt it was only right to revisit some already-historic moments.
1. The Capitol Insurrection
Few of us expected arguably the most significant story of the year to occur so early on. The nation watched on in horror as Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, upending a democratic reality many of us had taken for granted. KCM spoke with an FBI veteran for some behind-the-scenes insight into that dreadful day.
2. Biden’s special guest steals the show
With the seemingly endless November vote count and unprecedented violence at the Capitol fresh in everyone’s mind, President Biden’s inauguration on January 20 was a welcome reset — despite its constrained pandemic guest list. Amid the day’s star-studded attendees, it’s safe to say that poet and activist Amanda Gorman made the most lasting impression (though one of Biden’s former rivals came a close second!).
3. Deadly frost grips Texas
Texas came to a standstill in February after storm Uri left more than 4.5 million homes and businesses without power. The massive electricity generation failure — later explained as a result of a statewide failure to winterize power sources — led to shortages of water, food, and heat. At least 210 people were killed, with some estimates putting the death toll as high as 702 either as a direct or indirect result of the crisis.
4. Derek Chauvin found guilty in George Floyd’s killing
Millions breathed a sigh of relief in April when former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three charges in the killing of George Floyd. The collective trauma of Floyd’s murder was one of few events that consistently overwhelmed even the heartache caused by the pandemic nationwide.
5. The Dixie Fire puts records up in smoke
Wildfires tore through California from January onwards, but the biggest blaze of the year was sparked in July. The Dixie Fire burned for three months, becoming the largest non-complex wildfire in the state’s history, and the second-largest overall.
6. The billionaire space race
Despite an overwhelming number of Earthbound crises, 2021 saw an unprecedented rush in private industry space travel. Richard Branson led the charge with his Virgin Galactic flight on July 11, but was swiftly followed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Not to be outdone, Elon Musk persisted in his endeavor to send a crewed mission to Mars.
7. America’s torturous exit from Afghanistan
One of the most disturbing stories of the year was undoubtedly that of the events which followed President Biden’s July announcement that American troops would withdraw from Afghanistan. The Taliban immediately cut a swathe through the country’s major cities, capturing Kabul on August 15. The terror and desperation of Afghan civilians as they scrambled to escape before the U.S. troops’ final departure will haunt us all for years to come.
8. Texas’ super-strict abortion law
On September 1, the state of Texas enacted Senate Bill 8, banning abortions as early as six weeks, without any exception for rape or incest. President Biden called the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the ban an “unprecedented assault” on women’s reproductive rights, and activists nationwide rose up to decry the terrifying rollback in bodily autonomy.
9. A Met Gala brimming with controversy
The Met Gala is always fertile ground for intrigue, but having skipped a year in 2020, 2021’s outdid itself. From that Kim Kardashian dress (was it a message to Kanye? A comment on sexuality? Or simply a stroke of attention-grabbing genius?) to AOC’s fish outta water “Tax the rich” gown, there were just too many head-scratching looks to count.
10. Britney free at last
On November 12, after nearly 14 long years, a California court terminated the conservatorship of Britney Spears. Britney’s lawyer Mathew Rosengart said the superstar had helped “shine a light on conservatorships and guardianships… and that took a tremendous amount of insight, courage and grace.” Earlier in the year, Britney shared horrifying details about her life under the order, including not being able to ride in her boyfriend’s car, being forced to take the powerful drug lithium against her will, and being prohibited from removing her IUD in order to have children.
11. Rittenhouse weeps on the stand
In a highly unusual move, Kyle Rittenhouse took to the stand on November 10 to testify in his own defense in the killing of two demonstrators and wounding of another at a 2020 racial justice protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The 18-year-old — who was ultimately cleared of all charges — broke down in tears, at one point sobbing so hard that the judge had to call for a brief break.
12. Catastrophic tornados tear through six states
The year approached a dramatic close as a mid-December tornado outbreak wrought devastation and caused a record number of fatalities across parts of the Southern U.S. and Ohio Valley. Kentucky was the hardest hit by far, and there was widespread outrage when it was reported that employees at the Mayfield candle factory had been told that if they left before the tornado hit, they’d risk losing their jobs.
