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2020 facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Millennium: 3rd millennium
Centuries: 20th century21st century22nd century
Decades: 1990s  2000s  2010s  – 2020s –  2030s  2040s  2050s
Years: 2017 2018 201920202021 2022 2023

2020 (twenty twenty) (MMXX) was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2020th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 20th year of the 3rd millennium, the 20th year of the 21st century, and the 1st year of the 2020s decade. The COVID-19 pandemic led to severe global economic and social disruption throughout 2020. The year was also nominated by Time magazine to be one of "the worst years to be alive" in modern history, although the cover article itself did not go as far, instead saying "There have been worse years in U.S. history, and certainly worse years in world history, but most of us alive today have seen nothing like this one."

Events

January

Ukrainian Boeing 737-800 Crashes near Tehran 2020-01-08 01
Iran accidentally shoots down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 near Tehran on January 8
Watson queue for face masks 20200130 DSCF2199 (49464278376)
The 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak begins in Wuhan and has spread to 28 countries, affecting over 40,000 and killing over 900
Johnson signed Brexit Withdrawal Agreement
The United Kingdom formally leaves the European Union on 31 January. Prime Minister Boris Johnson (pictured) signs the withdrawal agreement a week before

February

President Trump at the National Prayer Breakfast (49497668863)
President Donald Trump is found not guilty during his impeachment trial by the U.S. Senate in February 5
SARS-CoV-2 (CDC-23312)
The World Health Organization official names COVID-19 as the deadly respiratory disease begins to globally spread

March

Blethrow merapi1
Mount Merapi volcano erupts causing many Indonesian areas to close down such as the Adisumarmo International Airport in Solo (Surakarta)
Emergenza coronavirus (49496883162)
Countries and states around the World issues national/regional lock-downs or are placed on quarantine due to the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
Tokyo 2020logo
The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo is postponed for next year due to concerns over the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
North Macedonia Joins NATO
North Macedonia becomes the 30th country to join NATO
WTI Price between 1 January 2019 and 10 March 2020
The price of oil continues to fall sharply as value lowers for Brent Crude or West Texas Intermediate oils during the Russian–Saudi oil price war

April

COVID-19 Outbreak lockdowns
Multiple countries around the world enter lockdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic      National lockdown     Subnational lockdown     No lockdown
April 13, 2020, Livingston, South Carolina EF3 tornado damage
At least thirty people are killed in an Easter Sunday tornado outbreak in the Southeastern United States (pictured is the damage in Livingston, South Carolina)
  • April 1 – Former Prime Minister of Somalia Nur Hassan Hussein dies of COVID-19, aged 82.
  • April 2 – 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: Over 1,000,000 cases of COVID-19 are confirmed worldwide.
  • April 3 – 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong announced a much stricter set of rules called "Circuit Breaker", starting 7 April until at least 4 May. All non-essential workplaces will be closed during this period. Schools will move to home-based learning, and preschools will close.
  • April 5
  • April 7 – 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: Japan declares a state of emergency in response to COVID-19, and passes a stimulus package worth 108 trillion yen ($990 billion), equal to 20% of the country's GDP.
  • April 8 – 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: China ends the lockdown in Wuhan, with people allowed to leave the city for the first time in 76 days.
  • April 10 – 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: The death toll from COVID-19 exceeds 100,000 globally, a ten-fold increase from March 20.
  • April 1213 – At least thirty people are killed in an Easter Sunday tornado outbreak in the Southeastern United States.
  • April 13 – 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: Spain partially stops some lockdown rules, allowing around 300,000 non-essential workers, such as construction and manufacturing industries to return to their jobs.
  • April 15
    • 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 2 million worldwide.
    • 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: Denmark partially lift some of its lockdown rules, allowing children up to age 11 returned to school.
  • April 17
    • 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: China fixes the coronavirus death toll upward in Wuhan, where the virus originated, adding 1,290 more fatalities to bring the country's reported deaths from COVID-19 to 4,632.
    • 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: Europe passes the 100,000 deaths mark.
  • April 20Oil prices reach a record low, falling into negative values, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the Russia–Saudi Arabia oil price war.
  • April 24 – 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: Ecuador revises its total confirmed cases to 22,719, doubled from previous day, caused by increased test capacity and presentation of delayed results.
  • April 25 – 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: The death toll from COVID-19 exceeds 200,000 globally. The U.K. becomes the fifth country to report 20,000 deaths.
  • April 26
    • 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: The number of cases in Iran passes 90,000.
    • 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: Spain further partially eases its lockdown rules, allowing children up to 14 to go outside their home for at most one hour.
  • April 27 – 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 3 million worldwide, while the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States passes 1 million.
  • April 28 – 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: Russia's 87,147 COVID-19 cases passes the 84,341 in China.

May

Milad Hospital during COVID-19 pandemic 3556142
The total number of recovered COVID-19 patient reached 1 million worldwide
GS-441524 triphosphate
Remdesivir is approved in the United States to treat ill COVID-19 patients
HR 6819
Astronomers announced the closest known black hole to Earth and is the first one that can be seen by the naked eye
2020-04-12 Celebração de Páscoa por videoconferência 13
President Jair Bolsonaro refuses to acknowledge the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil as it becomes the second most infected country in the world
SpaceX Demo-2 Launch (NHQ202005300062)
SpaceX's Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 make their first crewed launch for NASA
  • May 1
  • May 2 – 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: Spain further eases the nationwide lockdown, allowing adults to go outside their homes from 6 to 10am and 8 to 11pm.
  • May 3 – 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: Brazil reports 100,000 cases of infection and 7,000 deaths. This is the ninth highest number of cases in the world, passing Iran.
  • May 4 – COVID-19 pandemic: Italy begins slowing down some of its lockdown measures. Italians can now exercise outside of their home, visit relatives at the same regions, be part of a funeral with a 15 attendees minimum, and visit bike and scooter shops. Schools, cinemas, and most shops remain closed.
  • May 5 – 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: The UK death toll from COVID-19 becomes the highest in Europe at 32,313 after exceeding the death toll of 29,029 in Italy.
  • May 6
    • 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic: New evidence indicates that an Algerian-born French fishmonger who had not traveled to China and did not have contact with any Chinese nationals was treated for pneumonia from an unknown source, now identified as COVID-19, on December 27, 2019.
    • Astronomers announce the discovery of the first black hole located in a star system visible to the naked eye.
  • May 9
    • Several Chinese and Indian soldiers are injured in a cross-border clash at the Nathu La crossing. About 150 troops participated in the face-off, which involved fistfights and stone-throwing.
    • Rock and Roll pioneer Little Richard dies at the age of 87.
  • May 10
    • COVID-19 pandemic: The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 4 million worldwide.
    • COVID-19 pandemic: Wuhan, the original epicenter of the pandemic, reports its first coronavirus cases in more than a month. A 89-year-old man was confirmed positive, but his wife and several member of the community were recorded as asymptomatic cases.
  • May 12
  • May 14
    • COVID-19 pandemic:
      • The global death toll from COVID-19 exceeds 300,000.
      • The UN warns of a global mental health crisis caused by isolation, fear, uncertainty and economic turmoil.
  • May 16 – Félicien Kabuga, a Rwandan businessman responsible for supporting the Rwandan genocide, is arrested in Asnières-sur-Seine, France after 26 years as a fugitive.
  • May 21 – COVID-19 pandemic: The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 5 million worldwide, with 106,000 new cases recorded over the past 24 hours, the highest single-day figure so far.
  • May 22
  • May 26
  • May 27
    • U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says that Hong Kong is "no longer autonomous", as China backs a new security law that would make it a crime to undermine Beijing's authority in the territory.
    • COVID-19 pandemic: The U.S. death toll passes 100,000 – more Americans than were killed in the Vietnam and Korean wars combined, and approaching that of the First World War, when 116,000 Americans died in combat. The total number of cases continues to rise, although the rate is slowing.
  • May 29
  • May 30 – The first crewed flight of the Dragon 2 (initially scheduled for May 27 but delayed due to weather) is launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, the first manned spacecraft to take off from U.S. soil since 2011.
  • May 31 – COVID-19 pandemic: The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 6 million worldwide.

June

Nisarga 2020-06-02 1515Z
Cyclone Nisarga makes landfall in Mumbai as a Category 1 hurricane on June 3
2014 04 22 Burundi President visit Somalia -13 (13989178103)
President of Burundi Pierre Nkurunziza dies in office from a heart attack on June 8, aged 55
Solar eclipse of 21 June 2020 in Beigang, Yunlin, Taiwan
A solar eclipse occurs, visible mainly in Asian and African countries, lasting 38 seconds
Micheál Martin (official portrait) 2020 (cropped) (2)
Micheál Martin became the 15th Taoiseach of Ireland on 27 June

July

2020 Russia Constitution Referendum Results
On July 1, Russians vote to change their constitution to allow President Vladimir Putin to run for two more six year terms. Results:
     Yes to change the constitution      No to change the constitution
President Trump Visits with the President of Poland (50044023577) (cropped)
In Poland, President Andrzej Duda narrowly wins re-election on July 12
CRP loop
Hurricane Hanna made landfall in South Texas and areas in Mexico on July 25

August

Port of Beirut explosion aftermath 4 August 2020
On August 4, multiple explosions damage the port of Beirut, Lebanon killing over 220 people and injuring thousands of people
Secretary Pompeo Meets With Belarusian President Lukashenko (49473916972) (cropped)
On August 9, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is controversially re-elected despite reports of fraud. His re-election caused the ongoing national protests
20200326tv kaigi02 (cropped)
On August 28, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe resigns from office due to bad health

September

President Trump Participates in a Signing Ceremony (50304780918) (cropped)
On September 4, Kosovo and Serbia announced they will normalized economic relations at the White House
Yoshihide Suga announcing new imperial era Reiwa 2 (cropped) (cropped)
On September 16, Yoshihide Suga becomes the Prime Minister of Japan replacing Shinzo Abe
Azerbaijanis and Turks organize a demonstration of support for Azerbaijan in 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts
On September 27, an armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan broke out and curfews are placed
Sooronbay Jeenbekov (2018-05-14) (headshot)
On 15 October, following weeks of protesting in Kyrgyzstan, President Sooronbay Jeenbekov resigns

October

Izmir earthquake aftermath (cropped)
On October 30, a 7.0 earthquake causes mass damages in the Greek island of Samos and the Turkish city of İzmir, killing 100 people and injuring over 1,000

November

Martín Vizcarra Cornejo (square portrait)
On November 9 and 10, Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra is impeached and removed from the presidency
SpaceX Crew-1 Launch (NHQ202011150029)
On November 15, SpaceX Crew-1 launched from the Kennedy Space Center becoming the first crewed operational flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft
Maia Sandu - MUS2559 (rectangle)
On November 15, former Prime Minister Maia Sandu is elected the country's first female president, defeating incumbent Igor Dodon
Francisco Sagasti y FFAA (rectangle)
On November 16, Francisco Sagasti is elected by the Peruvian Congress as the 87th President of Peru during the nationwide protests
Arecibo Radiotelescopio SJU 06 2019 7472
On 1 December, the Arecibo Telescope at the Puerto Rican observatory collapsed, a few weeks after the National Science Foundation announced its closure

December

Вакцина Спутник V
On 5 December, Russia begins the mass vaccinations against COVID-19 with the experimental Gam-COVID-Vac vaccine candidate
Nicolas Sarkozy-2 (46850269865) (rectangle)
On 10 December, the corruption trial of former President of France Nicolas Sarkozy ends
SE2020Dec14T
On 14 December, a solar eclipse occurs and is visible in parts of South America and Africa
Saturn and Jupiter Conjunction (NHQ202012170002)
On 21 December, a great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn occurs
UK location in the EU 2016
On 24 December, the United Kingdom and European Union agree on a trade deal nearly ending the Brexit transition period
     United Kingdom (UK)     European Union (EU) and Euratom

Births

Deaths

January

February

March

April

May

Larry Kramer 2010 Photo - David Shankbone
Larry Kramer

June

July

August

September

Kang Kek Iew (Kaing Guek Eav or Duch) before the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia - 20091126
Kang Kek Iew

October

November

December

Luke Harper April 2015
Brodie Lee

Nobel Prizes

Nobel medal

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: 2020 para niños

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2020 Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.