What a year — 2020 has taken a toll on all of us. A year full of the unexpected and one with constant new hardships the world seemed to face. The concept of normality continually evolved and in many aspects, life as we once knew it changed into something much more lonely and dark than many of us have ever experienced.
If you were to ask most people their opinion of this crazy weird year, you would hear a variation of the same response. You would hear about the pain and suffering that so many individuals had to face this year. You would hear about the many cruel and unforgivable acts of injustice minorities throughout America have faced in this year alone, and how so many innocent people lost their lives on an early morning jog, or in their vehicles. You would hear about Covid-19 and how it has taken so many lives of loved ones. You would hear about the unemployment rate skyrocketing, the fires in California, the horrible hurricane season, and so much more.
There's no doubt that 2020 has been a tough year for everyone in some shape or form. It feels that tragedies have continually piled on top of each other, never leaving us with a break. But even in the midst of all the bad, there's always a little bit of good, and this year is no exception to that. I have always been the type of person to see the good in things, and with a year as difficult as this one, I have to admit that it was challenging. I did a little bit of research and decided to make a list of one good thing that happened every month of 2020. Whether you're just in search of a little positivity or reflecting on the events of this past year, I hope this list brings you a little perspective of this different year.
January
Any and every act to end human trafficking is an important one, and this one is no exception! On January 8, the country of Norway took in over 600 refugees who were evacuating from Libyan detention camps. This was a great step in the aid of ending human trafficking in the Mediterranean.
February
This one is a huge feat for the US and for women everywhere! On February 6, US astronaut Christina Koch set a record for the longest continuous space flight ever completed by a woman. She spent a whole 328 days on the International Space Station!
March
Covid outbreaks were just getting started in the US this month, and it seemed that was all anyone could focus on! However, on March 3, the World Bank pledged $12 million to developing countries dealing with Covid-19 which benefitted in many of their emergency aid programs.
April
If you're a fan of science, you might enjoy this one! On April 23, scientists unearthed remnants of a frog fossil in Seymour Island, Antarctica. After running some tests, they found that this fossil was over 40 million years old!
May
While many countries around the world have had laws in place for years legalizing same-sex marriage, the countries within Central America have not followed suit. However, on May 26 Costa Rica became the first country within Central America to legalize them!
June
With so many upsetting racial injustices happening in the US, this one makes me smile. General Charles Q. Brown was confirmed by the US Senate to be the Air Force Chief of Staff on June 9. Brown became the first African American to lead a US armed forces branch!
July
Google announced on July 27 that all employees could begin working from home, and remain to do so until July of 2021! As Google is one of the largest technology companies, this positively impacted hundreds of thousands of employees and helped in the ceasing of spreading Covid-19.
August
Flying cars have always been something out of a sci-fi movie, but maybe not for much longer! On August 28, a Japanese company, SkyDrive, announced that their engineers had completed their very first test flight of a flying car. How cool is that?!
September
After so many important events were canceled or rescheduled this year, it was refreshing to see the Emmy Awards still take place. The ceremony took place virtually on September 20, but still saw a great turnout!
October
A new coral reef was discovered on October 28, a little further north of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia! This new coral reef is said to be 500 meters high, which is huge.
November
This one is absolutely huge and makes me proud to be an American. Voter turnout in November's election was higher than it has ever been in the past 120 years! 66.2% of eligible voters cast their vote, whether it was in person, by mail, or other ways of voting. Way to go, American voters!!
December
The US received the Covid-19 vaccine a little while ago, but as of December 21, the US has officially begun its vaccination process! While it is still in the early stages, and a lot is still unknown, it's a huge step towards ending the pandemic.
