Retrospective: the 21 moments that marked 2021

Covid-19, Afghanistan, COP26, Tokyo Olympics, Merkel’s goodbye … You could say that 2021 has been a year full of key events. From Euronews, we wanted to review the 21 events that marked this year to say goodbye to him.

January 1: Brexit goes into effect

As of midnight on January 1, European Union law ceased to apply in the United Kingdom. This is the final stage of Brexit, the British event with the most impact of this century. After January 1, the effects of Brexit have been felt in all areas: economy, trade, national and international politics. In the case of Spain, companies in the country continue to view the British market as preferred.

January 6: Assault on the Capitol in Washington

With the year just beginning, the United States has captured the world’s attention. A group of supporters of Donald Trump invade the Capitol, where the deputies are. They were preparing to certify Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election. Washington was placed under a curfew, the National Guard was deployed and there were more than 80 arrests.

January 14: WHO experts in Wuhan

A mission from the World Health Organization (WHO) arrives in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the pandemic began at the end of 2019. WHO experts arrive loaded with questions and spend a month investigating the place to try to clarify the origin of the virus. One of the stops of the group of experts was the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where for several hours they investigated in its high-security laboratories. However, the expedition fails to reach a conclusion.

January 20: Inauguration ceremony for Joe Biden

Democrat Joe Biden officially becomes the 46th President of the United States. The ceremony took place in Washington, with the absence of his predecessor, Donald Trump. Joe Biden was sworn in, before entering the Oval Office of the White House.

March 23: blockade of the Suez Canal

A container ship ran aground in the Suez Canal on Tuesday, March 23. The 400-meter-long vessel blocked traffic for a week. This maritime axis is one of the most used maritime routes in the world.

April 9: Prince Philip of Edinburgh dies

Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II of England, died on April 9 at Windsor Castle at the age of 99. His funeral took place on Saturday, April 17. Felipe spent a month in the hospital at the beginning of the year before being discharged on March 16 to return to Windsor Castle.

April 24: 1 billion doses injected

The Covid vaccination campaign accelerated during the spring. On April 24, the milestone of one billion injected doses was reached worldwide. By mid-December, 8.5 billion doses had been administered, with large differences between rich and poor countries.

July 7: assassination of the Haitian president

Haitian President Javenel Moise was assassinated on the night of July 6-7, by a group of armed men, at his home. In the assault, the first lady, Martine Moise, was shot and required medical attention. Following investigations, several mercenaries were arrested. However, questions remain as to who ordered the murder.

July 11: Italy wins the European Championship

Italy wins the soccer Eurocup, scheduled for 2020 but postponed one year due to the pandemic. In the Wembley final, the Squadra Azzurra beat England on penalties.

July 23: Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony

The Summer Olympics were held in Tokyo, Japan from July 23 to August 8. The Games, originally scheduled for 2020, were postponed until 2021. Due to the pandemic, athletes had to parade, at the opening ceremony, through an Olympic stadium without an audience. The next Summer Olympics will be held in Paris in 2024.

August 15: The Taliban (re) seize power.

Kabul falls to the Taliban and President Ashraf Ghani leaves the country. Thousands of Afghans tried to escape the Islamist regime. The last US troops leave Afghanistan on August 30 after 20 years of military presence. Our colleague Anelise Borges narrated the first two weeks of the Islamists in power.

September 8: opening of the trial for the November 13 attacks

The trial is opened for the attacks of November 13, 2015 in Paris, also known as the massacre in the Bataclan room among other attacks in the French capital. Twenty defendants appear at the Special Court of Audience in Paris, including Salah Abdeslam, the only member of the terrorist command still alive. This extraordinary trial lasts for 9 months. A total of 130 people died in these attacks and more than 400 were injured.

October 4: Thomas Pesquet takes command of the ISS

Astronaut Thomas Pesquet takes command of the International Space Station (ISS). He is the first Frenchman to assume this responsibility. He will hold this position until his return to Earth on November 9.

October 5: investigation into sexual abuse in the Catholic Church

In France, the independent commission on sexual abuse in the Church (Ciase) presented its report to the Catholic authorities. The commission, chaired by Jean-Marc Sauvé, has been investigating for more than two years to clarify the sexual abuse of minors in the Catholic Church since 1950. According to the report, 330,000 people suffered sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

October 8: Nobel Peace Prize for two journalists

Russian Dmitri Muratov and Filipina Maria Ressa are joint winners of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. As heads of their respective media (Novaya Gazeta and Rappler), they are rewarded for “their brave fight for freedom of expression” . They received their awards at a ceremony on December 10 in Oslo, Norway, during which a minute’s silence was observed for journalists killed in the line of duty.

November 1: The world exceeds 5 million deaths from Covid-19

Two years after the outbreak of the coronavirus in our lives, the global death toll exceeds the 5 million barrier. This figure is based on the official daily reports of each country, but could be double according to the WHO warns. According to this report, 246.8 million cases have been registered.

November 13: COP26 ends

COP26, which began on October 31 in Scotland, ends with an agreement that is a disappointment to many. The UN Secretary General himself pointed out that the commitment was not enough. The climate agreement is renamed the “Glasgow Pact”. This text strives to maintain the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 ° C set by the Paris Agreement.

November 24: migratory tragedy in the English Channel

27 men, women and children died when their boat wrecked off the coast of Calais. They were trying to get to the UK by boat. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said it was the largest loss of life in the canal, since it began collecting data in 2014.

November 30: Josephine Baker enters the Pantheon

Music hall artist Joséphine Baker, a figure who fought against racism, was included in the Pantheon, forty-six years after her death. In his speech, French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to a committed woman who wanted to “show the world that skin colors, origins and religions could live in harmony.”

December 8: Angela Merkel leaves the German Chancellery

After 16 years at the head of the German Government, Angela Merkel leaves her post. She is replaced by the Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, winner of the legislative elections on September 26. During the transfer ceremony, he had these words for his successor: “Work for the good of our country, that is my wish and I wish you good luck.”

At 67, Angela Merkel thus retires from political life.

December 14: the French army leaves Timbuktu

French troops leave Mali after nine years of intervention against Islamist forces. This departure comes after the French army abandoned its bases in the northern cities of Kidal and Tessalit earlier this year, despite the fact that Islamist-led violence in the Sahel state shows no signs of abating.