The year 2021 is a special, even unprecedented, year, with news unraveling rapidly beginning with the violent attack on the United States’ Capitol, which broke out in our consciousness only on Thursday. six of January.
We then see the end of one US presidency and the beginning of another, with Joe Biden being sworn in and Donald Trump leaving before the ceremony. The historic event also brought Kamala Harris, the nation’s first black female vice president and first South Asian.
As the year went on, the coronavirus pandemic continued to soar, with the global death toll surpassing 5 million. We’ve seen hospitals overrun around the world, mass cremations in India, and mass graves in the Amazon.
This year, we have seen an increase in hate crimes against Asians and Asian Americans, with innocent men and women being assaulted, even killed.
We’ve got repeated evidence of climate change, with ice sheets melting in Greenland, fires sweeping through Greece, deadly floods in China and severe drought in the western United States.
And if these weren’t for the stirrings, we would see chaos and despair in Afghanistan as American troops withdrew, the country’s government collapsed, and the Taliban once again took power. Marcus Yam, a Los Angeles Times foreign correspondent and photographer who was in Kabul during the difficult days of August, told CNN Digital in an interview: “This is the Vietnam of my generation. There is no other American moment like this.”
Throughout these historical events, we have seen heroism, hope, perseverance, and resilience.
In the midst of a chaotic day on January 6, we saw US congressman Eugene Goodman redirect Trump supporters out of the Senate chambers where lawmakers were gathering and making their way to safety. Over the course of the past year, 7 billion doses of the vaccine have been administered in more than 200 countries and territories, offering some hope that we can slowly emerge from the worst days of the pandemic.
This is also a year with many historical imprints. In July, 14-year-old Zaila Avant-garde was crowned champion in this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee, becoming the first African-American in the competition. And at this year’s Summer Olympics, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz set an Olympic record and won the Philippines’ first gold medal. At the Olympics, we saw the rise and fall of American gymnast Simone Biles as she endured heavy pressure and mental block and then won a bronze medal. in the recoil, while also drawing Shannon Miller for most Olympic medals by an American gymnast.
This is also the year that many photojournalists are assaulted, even killed in the performance of their work. We have lost Reuters Danish photographer Siddiqui, who was killed on a mission in Afghanistan. Siddiqui is only 38 years old, leaving behind his wife and two young children. Journalists from various news outlets covering the events of January 6 were hacked and their equipment destroyed. However, they continued their work. Yam, who was attacked by the Taliban while telling a story, said: “We have a responsibility. It is a privilege to work these stories. We are the guide for the audience.”
In this context, it is an absolute privilege to present to you CNN Digital’s Year of 2021.
