2021 Snapshot
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The Vibe
Pop Culture
NFT Craze
Slang
"Bet"
Price Check
Gas: $3.01
Notable Deaths
Prince Philip, Stephen Sondheim, Desmond Tutu
Music & Style
Hyperpop
World Affairs
Jan 6 Capitol
Taliban Takeover
Year's Summary
- Global Events: Global vaccine rollouts begin. The January 6th Capitol riot in the US. The 'Ever Given' container ship blocks the Suez Canal for six days, disrupting global trade. The Taliban returns to power in Afghanistan.
- Culture & Mood: A 'Hybrid' reality emerges. The 'NFT' and 'Crypto' craze reaches a fever pitch. Squid Game becomes a global phenomenon, highlighting economic anxieties.
- Fashion & Slang: 'Y2K' fashion returns (Gen Z style). 'Cheugy' and 'Gaslight.'
- Fun Fact: 2021 was the year of the 'GameStop Short Squeeze,' where amateur traders on Reddit took on Wall Street hedge funds and won!
- 6 Jan 2021: United States Capitol Attack Shocks Nation – Supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump stormed the United States Capitol complex in Washington, D.C., interrupting the congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election results. The violent breach resulted in multiple deaths, dozens of injuries to law enforcement officers, widespread structural damage, and a second impeachment of Donald Trump.
- 20 Jan 2021: Inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris – Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States alongside Kamala Harris, who made history as the first female, first African American, and first South Asian American Vice President. The ceremony took place amid heightened security following the Capitol attack and strict public health measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 23 Mar 2021: Ever Given Container Ship Blocks the Suez Canal – The 400-meter-long container ship *Ever Given* ran aground in the Suez Canal due to strong winds, completely blocking one of the world's most critical trade routes for six days. The blockage halted billions of dollars in daily global trade, stranded hundreds of vessels, and exacerbated international supply chain disruptions.
- 23 Jul 2021: Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Open After One-Year Delay – The Summer Olympic Games opened in Tokyo, Japan, after being postponed from 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Held largely without public spectators to limit viral transmission, the Games featured the debut of new sports like skateboarding, surfing, and sport climbing.
- 15 Aug 2021: Fall of Kabul and Taliban Recapture of Afghanistan – Following the rapid withdrawal of United States and NATO coalition forces, Taliban fighters entered Kabul, leading to the collapse of the Western-backed Afghan government. The event triggered a massive, chaotic international airlift operation at Kabul International Airport as thousands sought to flee the country.
- 1 Nov 2021: COP26 Climate Summit Convenes in Glasgow – World leaders, scientists, and activists gathered at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Scotland, negotiating the Glasgow Climate Pact. The agreement marked the first explicit UN climate plan to phase down unabated coal power and reduce methane emissions.
- 25 Dec 2021: Launch of the James Webb Space Telescope – NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency successfully launched the James Webb Space Telescope aboard an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana. Designed to observe the universe's earliest galaxies in infrared light, the telescope succeeded the Hubble Space Telescope as humanity's premier space observatory.