2020 facts for kids

2020 (also known as twenty twenty) was a very eventful year. It was a leap year, meaning it had 366 days instead of the usual 365. The biggest event that affected everyone around the world was the COVID-19 pandemic. This global health crisis caused big changes in how people lived, worked, and went to school. It also had a huge impact on the world's economy and society.

Events

January

Iran accidentally shoots down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 near Tehran on January 8

The coronavirus outbreak begins in Wuhan and spreads quickly

The United Kingdom leaves the European Union on January 31. Prime Minister Boris Johnson (pictured) signs the agreement

• January 2 – Huge bushfires in New South Wales, Australia, cause a state of emergency. These fires sadly killed many animals.
• January 3 – A U.S. airstrike near Baghdad International Airport kills Iranian military general Qasem Soleimani, leading to more tension in the Persian Gulf.
• January 8 – A plane flying to Ukraine crashes after taking off from Tehran, Iran. All 176 people on board die. Iran later says it accidentally shot down the plane.
• January 30 – The World Health Organization (WHO) declares the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency.
• January 31 – The United Kingdom and Gibraltar officially leave the European Union (EU). This event is known as Brexit.

February

President Donald Trump is found not guilty during his impeachment trial by the U.S. Senate in February 5

The World Health Organization names the new disease COVID-19 as it spreads globally

• February 5 – President Donald Trump is found not guilty during his impeachment trial by the U.S. Senate.
• February 11 – The World Health Organization (WHO) officially names the new disease COVID-19.
• February 27 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average, a measure of stock prices, drops sharply. This is the worst week for the index since 2008, caused by worries about the spreading coronavirus. This leads to a huge global stock market crash.
• February 29 – Luxembourg becomes the first country in the world to make all public transport free to use.

March

Mount Merapi volcano erupts, causing areas in Indonesia to close

Several tornadoes in Nashville, Tennessee kill 25 people

Many countries around the world issue lockdowns or quarantines due to the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic

The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo are postponed due to the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic

• March 3 – Several tornadoes hit Nashville, Tennessee, killing 25 people.
• March 8 – Italy places 16 million people in quarantine to try and stop the spread of coronavirus.
• March 9 – Stock prices fall sharply around the world because of an oil price war and the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic.
• March 11 – The World Health Organization declares the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. This means it is a worldwide outbreak.
• March 12 – Global stock markets crash again due to worries about COVID-19.
• March 24 – Japan suspends the Summer Olympics until 2021 because of the pandemic.
• March 27 – North Macedonia becomes the 30th country to join NATO, a military alliance.

April

Many countries around the world enter lockdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic

At least thirty people are killed in an Easter Sunday tornado outbreak in the Southeastern United States

• April 2 – Over 1,000,000 cases of COVID-19 are confirmed worldwide.
• April 8 – China ends the lockdown in Wuhan, where the virus first started. People are allowed to leave the city for the first time in 76 days.
• April 10 – The number of deaths from COVID-19 goes over 100,000 globally.
• April 12–13 – At least thirty people die in an Easter Sunday tornado outbreak in the Southeastern United States.
• April 15 – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 2 million worldwide.
• April 20 – Oil prices fall to a record low, even going into negative values. This is due to the pandemic and an oil price war.
• April 25 – The death toll from COVID-19 goes over 200,000 globally.
• April 27 – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 3 million worldwide. In the United States, cases pass 1 million.

May

The total number of recovered COVID-19 patients reaches 1 million worldwide

SpaceX's Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 make their first crewed launch for NASA

• May 1 – The total number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 reaches 1 million worldwide.
• May 3 – Brazil reports 100,000 cases of infection and 7,000 deaths.
• May 5 – The UK's death toll from COVID-19 becomes the highest in Europe.
• May 6 – Astronomers announce the discovery of the first black hole that can be seen with the naked eye.
• May 10 – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 4 million worldwide.
• May 14 – The global death toll from COVID-19 goes over 300,000.
• May 21 – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 5 million worldwide.
• May 22 – Pakistan International Airlines Flight 8303 crashes in Karachi, killing 97 people.
• May 26 – Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Costa Rica, making it the first Central American country to do so.
• May 26 – Huge protests begin in the United States after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
• May 30 – The first crewed flight of the Dragon 2 spacecraft launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida. This is the first time astronauts have launched from U.S. soil since 2011.
• May 31 – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 6 million worldwide.

June

Cyclone Nisarga makes landfall in Mumbai as a Category 1 hurricane on June 3

A solar eclipse occurs, visible mainly in Asian and African countries

Micheál Martin becomes the 15th Taoiseach of Ireland on June 27

• June 3 – Severe Cyclonic Storm Nisarga hits south of Mumbai, India. This is the first time a tropical cyclone has hit the city since 1891.
• June 3 – Russian President Vladimir Putin declares a state of emergency after 20,000 tons of oil leaked near Siberia.
• June 7 – The global death toll from COVID-19 goes over 400,000.
• June 8 – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 7 million worldwide.
• June 15 – At least 20 Indian soldiers and over 40 Chinese forces are killed or injured in fights along the Sino-Indian border.
• June 16 – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 8 million worldwide.
• June 21 – An annular solar eclipse happens. It can be seen mainly in countries in Asia and Africa.
• June 22 – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 9 million worldwide.
• June 23 – A 7.5-magnitude earthquake hits the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico, killing at least four people.
• June 27 – Micheál Martin becomes the new Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland.
• June 28 – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 10 million worldwide. The global death toll goes over 500,000.

July

On July 1, Russians vote to change their constitution to allow President Vladimir Putin to run for two more six-year terms

In Poland, President Andrzej Duda narrowly wins re-election on July 12

Hurricane Hanna makes landfall in South Texas and areas in Mexico on July 25

• July 1 – Russian voters approve a constitutional change that could allow Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036.
• July 2 – A landslide in Myanmar kills at least 162 people.
• July 3 – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 11 million worldwide.
• July 4 – A massive flood in southern Japan kills 49 people.
• July 8 – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 12 million worldwide.
• July 10 – The Turkish government orders the Hagia Sophia to be turned back into a mosque after it had been a museum.
• July 12 – President Andrzej Duda wins re-election in Poland.
• July 13 – C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE), a comet, can be seen with the naked eye, becoming one of the brightest visible comets since 1997.
• July 22 – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 15 million worldwide.
• July 25 – Hurricane Hanna makes landfall in South Texas with strong winds.
• July 30 – NASA successfully launches its Mars 2020 mission to study Mars and prepare for future human missions.

August

On August 4, multiple explosions damage the port of Beirut, Lebanon, killing over 220 people

On August 9, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is controversially re-elected, leading to protests

On August 28, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe resigns due to health issues

• August 4 – Multiple explosions caused by stored chemicals kill over 220 people and injure thousands in Beirut, Lebanon. The city's port is severely damaged.
• August 5 – The worldwide death toll from COVID-19 passes 700,000.
• August 9 – President Alexander Lukashenko is controversially re-elected, leading to many protests.
• August 10 – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 20 million worldwide.
• August 11 – Russian President Vladimir Putin announces that Russia has approved the world's first COVID-19 vaccine.
• August 13 – Israel and the UAE agree to normalize their relations, a historic peace deal.
• August 18 – A military coup happens in Mali. The president and prime minister are arrested.
• August 22 – The worldwide death toll from COVID-19 passes 800,000.
• August 25 – Africa is declared free of wild polio, a major health achievement.
• August 28 – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe resigns due to health problems.
• August 28 – Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman dies at age 43.
• August 30 – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 25 million worldwide.

September

On September 4, Kosovo and Serbia announce they will normalize economic relations at the White House

On September 16, Yoshihide Suga becomes the new Prime Minister of Japan

On September 27, an armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan breaks out

• September 4 – Kosovo and Serbia announce they will normalize economic relations.
• September 10 – The worldwide death toll from COVID-19 passes 900,000.
• September 14 – Scientists announce the detection of phosphine in Venus' atmosphere, which could suggest the presence of tiny life forms.
• September 15 – Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain sign agreements to officially normalize diplomatic relations.
• September 16 – Yoshihide Suga is elected to replace Shinzo Abe as the next Prime Minister of Japan.
• September 18 – U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies at age 87.
• September 27 – Deadly clashes break out in Nagorno-Karabakh between the armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
• September 29 – The worldwide death toll from COVID-19 passes one million.

October

On October 17, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is re-elected in a landslide victory

On October 30, a 7.0 earthquake causes damage in Greece and Turkey, killing 100 people

• October 5 – Huge protests begin in Kyrgyzstan after accusations that the recent election was unfair.
• October 6 – Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen dies at age 65.
• October 10 – Armenia and Azerbaijan agree to a short ceasefire in the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
• October 15 – Following the protests in Kyrgyzstan, President Sooronbay Jeenbekov resigns.
• October 17 – Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern wins a landslide victory for her second term in office.
• October 20 – NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft briefly touches down on the asteroid 101955 Bennu to collect samples.
• October 26 – NASA confirms the existence of molecular water on the sunlit side of the Moon.
• October 30 – A 7.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami hits parts of Turkey and Greece, killing at least 100 people.
• October 31 – Academy Award-winning actor Sir Sean Connery dies at age 90.
• October 31 – Typhoon Goni makes landfall in the Philippines as a very strong typhoon.

November

On November 7, former Vice President Joe Biden is elected the 46th President of the United States

On November 15, SpaceX Crew-1 launched from the Kennedy Space Center as the first crewed operational flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft

On November 15, former Prime Minister Maia Sandu is elected Moldova's first female president

• November 3 – In the United States, Donald Trump and Joe Biden face off in the presidential election. No winner is declared on election night.
• November 4 – The United States officially leaves the Paris Agreement on climate change.
• November 7 – Former Vice President Joe Biden is declared the winner of the presidential election. He will become the 46th President of the United States. Kamala Harris will become the first female, African-American, and Asian-American Vice President.
• November 8 – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 50 million worldwide.
• November 8 – Long-time Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek dies.
• November 9 – The first successful large-scale trial of a COVID-19 vaccine is announced by Pfizer and BioNTech. It is found to prevent 90% of infections.
• November 9 – A Russian-backed peace treaty is signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan, ending the Nagorno-Karabakh war.
• November 15 – The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is signed by 15 Asia-Pacific countries, forming the world's largest free-trade bloc.
• November 15 – NASA and SpaceX launch the SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the ISS, the first operational flight of the Crew Dragon capsule.
• November 15 – Former Prime Minister Maia Sandu is elected Moldova's first female president.
• November 16 – Moderna's mRNA vaccine is shown to be 94.5% effective against COVID-19.
• November 19 – The National Science Foundation announces that the Puerto Rican radio telescope Arecibo Observatory will be taken down.
• November 25 – Argentine footballer and FIFA World Cup champion Diego Maradona dies at age 60.
• November 25 – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 60 million worldwide.
• November 30 – Protein folding, a big mystery in biology, is solved by the artificial intelligence company DeepMind.

December

On December 5, Russia begins mass vaccinations against COVID-19

On December 14, a solar eclipse occurs and is visible in parts of South America and Africa

On December 21, a great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn occurs

On December 24, the United Kingdom and European Union agree on a trade deal, nearly ending the Brexit transition period

• December 1 – The Arecibo Telescope at the Arecibo Observatory collapses, just weeks after it was announced it would be taken down.
• December 2 – The United Kingdom approves Pfizer's BNT162b2 vaccine, becoming the first country to do so.
• December 4 – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 65 million worldwide, with the global death toll passing 1.5 million.
• December 5 – Russia begins mass vaccinations against COVID-19 with its Sputnik V vaccine.
• December 5 – Hayabusa2 returns to Earth with samples from the asteroid 162173 Ryugu.
• December 8 – The United Kingdom becomes the first nation to begin a mass vaccination with a fully tested vaccine.
• December 8 – Nepal and China officially agree on Mount Everest's exact height.
• December 10 – Israel and Morocco normalize diplomatic relations.
• December 11 – The European Union agrees to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% over the next decade.
• December 12 – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 70 million worldwide.
• December 14 – The United States and Canada begin mass vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
• December 14 – A total solar eclipse is visible from parts of South America and the South Atlantic Ocean.
• December 20 – A highly infectious new strain of SARS-CoV-2, starting in the U.K., spreads to Europe and Australia, causing international border closures.
• December 21 – A great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn happens. The two planets appear very close in the sky, the closest they've been since 1623.
• December 24 – The United Kingdom and the European Union agree to a free trade deal before the end of the transition period.
• December 27 – The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 80 million worldwide.
• December 29 – In Croatia, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hits Petrinja, killing seven people.
• December 31 – The United Kingdom's departure from the European Union officially ends its transition period.

Births

• May 10 – Prince Charles of Luxembourg

Deaths

January

• January 1 – David Stern, former NBA commissioner.
• January 3 – Qasem Soleimani, Iranian general.
• January 7 – Neil Peart, Canadian drummer and lyricist for the band Rush.
• January 10 – Qaboos bin Said, Sultan of Oman.
• January 21 – Terry Jones, Welsh actor and comedian, known from Monty Python.
• January 26 – Kobe Bryant, American professional basketball player.

February

• February 4 – Daniel arap Moi, 2nd President of Kenya.
• February 5 – Kirk Douglas, American actor.
• February 7 – Li Wenliang, Chinese ophthalmologist who warned about COVID-19.
• February 24 – Katherine Johnson, American mathematician who worked for NASA.
• February 25 – Hosni Mubarak, 4th President of Egypt.
• February 28 – Freeman Dyson, British-born American physicist and mathematician.

March

• March 4 – Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, former Secretary-General of the United Nations.
• March 8 – Max von Sydow, Swedish-French actor.
• March 20 – Kenny Rogers, American country singer and songwriter.
• March 29 – Krzysztof Penderecki, Polish composer.
• March 30 – Bill Withers, American singer-songwriter.

April

• April 5 – Honor Blackman, English actress.
• April 11 – John Horton Conway, English mathematician.
• April 12 – Stirling Moss, English F1 racing driver.
• April 15 – Brian Dennehy, American actor.
• April 16 – Luis Sepúlveda, Chilean writer.
• April 29 – Irrfan Khan, Indian actor.

May

• May 9 – Little Richard, American singer-songwriter and musician.
• May 11 – Jerry Stiller, American comedian and actor.
• May 12 – Michel Piccoli, French actor.
• May 15 – Fred Willard, American actor and comedian.
• May 27 – Larry Kramer, American writer and LGBT rights activist.
• May 31 – Christo, Bulgarian-American artist.

June

• June 8 – Pierre Nkurunziza, President of Burundi.
• June 14 – Sushant Singh Rajput, Indian actor.
• June 18 – Vera Lynn, English singer.
• June 19 – Ian Holm, English actor.
• June 19 – Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Spanish novelist.
• June 29 – Carl Reiner, American actor, movie director and comedian.

July

• July 1 – Georg Ratzinger, German priest and conductor, brother of Pope Benedict XVI.
• July 6 – Ennio Morricone, Italian composer.
• July 8 – Naya Rivera, American actress and singer.
• July 10 – Jack Charlton, English footballer and manager.
• July 12 – Kelly Preston, American actress.
• July 17 – John Lewis, American politician and civil rights leader.
• July 24 – Regis Philbin, American television host.
• July 26 – Olivia de Havilland, British-American actress.
• July 30 – Lee Teng-hui, 13th President of the Republic of China.
• July 31 – Alan Parker, English filmmaker.

August

• August 3 – John Hume, Northern Irish politician and Nobel winner.
• August 4 – Frances E. Allen, American computer scientist.
• August 11 – Trini Lopez, American singer and actor.
• August 14 – Julian Bream, English classical guitarist.
• August 21 – Sir Ken Robinson, English educationalist and author.
• August 28 – Chadwick Boseman, American actor.
• August 31 – Pranab Mukherjee, 13th President of India.

September

• September 2 – Kang Kek Iew, Cambodian prison commander and war criminal.
• September 10 – Diana Rigg, English actress.
• September 14 – Bill Gates Sr., American attorney and philanthropist.
• September 15 – Moussa Traoré, 2nd President of Mali.
• September 18 – Ruth Bader Ginsburg, American jurist and gender equality pioneer.
• September 18 – John Turner, 17th Prime Minister of Canada.
• September 21 – Arthur Ashkin, American physicist and Nobel Prize winner.
• September 23 – Juliette Gréco, French singer and actress.
• September 29 – Helen Reddy, Australian singer, actress and activist.
• September 29 – Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait.
• September 30 – Quino, Argentine cartoonist, creator of Mafalda.

October

• October 4 – Kenzō Takada, Japanese-born French fashion designer.
• October 6 – Johnny Nash, American singer-songwriter.
• October 6 – Eddie Van Halen, Dutch-American musician and songwriter.
• October 7 – Mario J. Molina, Mexican chemist and Nobel Prize winner.
• October 14 – Rhonda Fleming, American actress.
• October 20 – James Randi, Canadian-American skeptic and magician.
• October 31 – Sir Sean Connery, Scottish actor.

November

• November 4 – Ken Hensley, English rock singer-songwriter and musician.
• November 8 – Alex Trebek, Canadian-American game show host.
• November 10 – Saeb Erekat, Palestinian politician and activist.
• November 12 – Masatoshi Koshiba, Japanese physicist and Nobel Prize winner.
• November 12 – Jerry Rawlings, 1st and 4th President of Ghana.
• November 15 – Ray Clemence, English footballer.
• November 20 – Irinej, 45th Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
• November 25 – Diego Maradona, Argentine footballer and manager.
• November 28 – David Prowse, English bodybuilder and actor, known for playing Darth Vader.

December

• December 1 – Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, 20th President of France.
• December 6 – Tabaré Vázquez, 39th and 41st President of Uruguay.
• December 7 – Chuck Yeager, American military general and pilot, first to break the sound barrier.
• December 9 – Paolo Rossi, Italian footballer.
• December 10 – Dame Barbara Windsor, English actress.
• December 12 – John le Carré, British writer.
• December 12 – Charley Pride, American country singer.
• December 12 – Jack Steinberger, German-born American physicist and Nobel Prize winner.
• December 13 – Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini, 10th Prime Minister of Eswatini.
• December 17 – Pierre Buyoya, 3rd President of Burundi.
• December 18 – Michael Jeffery, 24th Governor-General of Australia.
• December 26 – Brodie Lee, American professional wrestler.
• December 29 – Pierre Cardin, Italian-born French fashion designer.

Nobel Prizes

• Chemistry – Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna for developing a method for genome editing.
• Economics – Paul Milgrom and Robert B. Wilson for improvements to auction theory.
• Literature – Louise Glück for her clear and beautiful poetry.
• Peace – World Food Programme for its efforts to fight hunger.
• Physics – Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea M. Ghez for discoveries about black holes.
• Physiology or Medicine – Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice for the discovery of the Hepatitis C virus.

Images for kids

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  COVID-19 pandemic's first outbreak in Wuhan, China

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  Governments worldwide put in place lockdowns and social distancing to fight the COVID-19 pandemic

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  SpaceX launches the first crewed flight of the Crew Dragon, the first spaceflight launched from the United States since the final Space Shuttle mission

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  The 2020 Beirut explosion damaged a large part of the city

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  Tigray War: Mekelle is bombed by the Ethiopian federal government.

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  The Indian farmers' protest was one of the largest in the nation's history.

See also

In Spanish: 2020 para niños