Although it may seem like it’s been a decade since Jan. 2020, and the biggest story of the year is the coronavirus pandemic, there were many other news items that filled this past year.

Here are some of the most notable news of the year 2020:

This year was marked by the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of lives lost to COVID-19, quarantines and lockdowns, working from home, job losses, traveling bans, and shortages in many grocery stores. 

As COVID-19 transformed our lives, scientists across the globe rushed in search of a cure. In the United States, the first two vaccines to be given emergency authorization and being administered are the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Both vaccines are said to be highly effecting - with some side effects reported. 

The death of George Floyd on May 25 led to nationwide protests over police violence and racial injustice. Floyd, a Black man, was killed during an arrest after a Minneapolis Police Department officer knelt on his neck for nearly eight minutes.

The 2020 U.S. presidential elections were held on Nov. 3, 2020 with Joe Biden defeating Donald Trump. This election saw the highest voter turnout since 1900, with each of the two main tickets receiving more than 74 million votes, surpassing Barack Obama's record of 69.5 million votes from 2008. Biden received more than 81 million votes, the most votes ever cast for a candidate in a U.S. presidential election.

The U.S. and Iran nearly entered into an open conflict on Jan. 8, 2020 when the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched missile attacks against two U.S./Iraqi military bases housing U.S. soldiers in retaliation for the killing of commander of IRGC's Quds Force Qasem Soleimani, a rare direct Iran–U.S. confrontation and the closest to the brink of war between the two nations in decades. Upon initial assessments of no U.S. casualties, the Trump administration curtailed tensions by temporarily ruling out a direct military response but announcing new sanctions.

This year's Australian bushfire season, colloquially known as Black Summer, was a period of unusually intense bushfires in many parts of Australia. The fires started at the end of 2019 and continued into January 2020. By Jan. 13, 2020 at least 28 people had been killed in the fires that destroyed 2,000 homes and razed 27.7 million acres. The devastating bushfires are also reported to have killed or displaced nearly three billion animals.

Worldwide sports saw their seasons being canceled, delayed or shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As virus cases started to lower, teams were allowed to play, but many with restrictions, including no spectators in stadiums. The 2020 Olympic Summer Games, that were set to be held in Tokyo were postponed and are now expected to be played in the summer of 2021. CLICK HERE to read about the rules authorities are implementing for the postponed games.