Here are a few significant events that have helped 2021 earn the title of most dramatic year, from drastic climate changes to the Taliban gaining control of Afghanistan
From extreme climatic changes to the Taliban taking over Afghanistan, here are a few world events that have helped 2021 to earn the title of a most eventful year.
Billionaire’s new holiday destination
In 2021, we have witnessed over 100 space missions and most of them were highly successful. Three of these space missions were en-route to Mars. UAE, US and China, all have landed their spacecraft on the red planet.
This year billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Sir Richard Branson took short vacations to space. After the 10-minute, 10-second flight, Jeff Bezos exclaimed: “Best day ever!”
Iran’s nuclear program advances
The year began with optimism as the Iran nuclear deal was supposed to be revived after three years of President Donald Trump quitting the agreement.
Biden came to office calling Trump’s Iran policy a “self-inflicted disaster” and pledged to return to the deal if Iran returned to compliance. After several failed rounds of talks as the end of 2021 draws near, the Biden administration is now wondering what to do next.
Joe Biden becomes US President as Trump’s supporters storm US Capitol
On the day of counting electoral votes to formalize then-President-elect Joe Biden, several of Trump supporters stormed the state Capitol in Washington DC. The former Vice President Mike Pence had to be evacuated after the attack, and the building was sealed. The incident exposed the deep political division of America to the world. Biden described the violence that killed five people as “one of the darkest days in the history of our nation”.
Two weeks after the incident, Joe Biden was pronounced as the president of the USA. Trump had refused to take part in the inauguration. This is surely one of the most significant world events.
End of Angela Merkel era in Germany
Angela Merkel became the first female German Chancellor in 2005. For the next 16 years, Merkel was credited with raising Germany’s profile and influence.
She is mostly known for her role to keep the fractious European Union together and manage a string of other crises. Her designated successor, Olaf Scholz, is expected to take her chair.
Climatic changes
2021 saw a record rise in temperatures in the US and Canada, killing more than 400 people. On the other hand, images of a submerged Germany and Belgium after flash floods left thousands displaced. Hundreds of people have died in China’s Henan after torrential rains swept through the province. Intense landslides in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and flooding in south India are examples of the rapid change in the world’s climate.
Amidst this, the UN summit COP 26 met in Glasgow this year. While the primary goal of the summit was to keep the Paris Agreement’s aim to limit global warming to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels alive, it failed to make significant progress on climate finance. Now, a lot will depend on how countries individually act to bring down emissions.
US Army leaves, Taliban takes over Afghanistan
The Taliban took complete control of Kabul on August 15 after lightning and an offensive exit of the US and NATO troops. The Taliban regained power after losing the battle to a US-led coalition around 20 years ago.
Around 123,000 diplomats, foreigners and locals were flown out in a chaotic evacuation. Several Afghanis died in an attempt to evacuate the Taliban rule. The last remaining troops pulled out on August 30, and the world witnessed the dramatic end of the longest war ever fought by the US soldiers.
