2020
Lockdown began then
2020 refers to the year that became synonymous with global disruption—the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread lockdowns, and social upheaval.
The number now carries cultural weight beyond its calendar meaning: That's so 2020 suggests something absurdly chaotic or catastrophically unlucky.
What a 2020 moment.
WHO-named 2019 coronavirus
- coronavirusSpike-ringed viral family
- quarantineIsolation preventing disease transmission
- lockdownEnforced restriction on movement
- outbreakSudden eruption of trouble
social distancing · mask · vaccine · flatten the curve · ventilator · PPE · isolation · transmission
Japan's capital city
- postponementDelaying to later
- postponedMoved to a later date
- delayEnforced waiting period
- 2021Twenty-twenty-one
athletes · torch relay · rescheduling · Japan · IOC · qualification
46th American president
- TrumpAmerican political surname
- ballotVoting document
- votingFormally registering a choice
- electoral collegeIntermediary voting delegation system
swing state · mail-in voting · debate · polls · campaign · November · voter turnout · battleground
Video call platform
- remote workEmployment from afar
- telehealthMedical care delivered remotely
- streamingReal-time digital delivery
- contact tracing appsSoftware tracking disease spread
TikTok · Among Us · Animal Crossing · drive-in · livestream · online learning · curbside pickup · QR codes
Civil rights movement against racist violence
- BLMRacial justice movement initials
- protestPublic expression of disapproval
- racial justiceFairness regardless of ethnicity
- police brutalityUnjustified force by officers
George Floyd · demonstration · march · activism · solidarity · systemic racism · Juneteenth · civil rights
February's occasional extra
- quadrennialEvery four years
- calendarDate-tracking system
- leaplingsPeople born February 29th
Uncontrolled flames in eucalyptus country
- murder hornetsLarge predatory wasps
- locust swarmsMass migrations of crop-eating insects
- impeachmentCharging officials with misconduct
- BrexitUK leaving European Union
Kobe Bryant · wildfires · derecho · explosion · koalas · Amazon fires
COVID-19
WHO-named 2019 coronavirus
- coronavirusSpike-ringed viral family
- quarantineIsolation preventing disease transmission
- lockdownEnforced restriction on movement
outbreak · social distancing · mask · vaccine · flatten the curve · ventilator · PPE · isolation · transmission · Wuhan
Tokyo
Japan's capital city
- postponementDelaying to later
- postponedMoved to a later date
- delayEnforced waiting period
2021 · athletes · torch relay · rescheduling · Japan · IOC · qualification
Biden
46th American president
electoral college · swing state · mail-in voting · debate · polls · campaign · November · voter turnout · battleground · recount
Zoom
Video call platform
- remote workEmployment from afar
- telehealthMedical care delivered remotely
- streamingReal-time digital delivery
contact tracing apps · TikTok · Among Us · Animal Crossing · drive-in · livestream · online learning · curbside pickup · QR codes · touchless
Black Lives Matter
Civil rights movement against racist violence
- BLMRacial justice movement initials
- protestPublic expression of disapproval
- racial justiceFairness regardless of ethnicity
George Floyd · police brutality · demonstration · march · activism · solidarity · systemic racism · Juneteenth · civil rights · reform
leap day
February's occasional extra
- quadrennialEvery four years
- calendarDate-tracking system
- leaplingsPeople born February 29th
Australian bushfires
Uncontrolled flames in eucalyptus country
- murder hornetsLarge predatory wasps
- locust swarmsMass migrations of crop-eating insects
- impeachmentCharging officials with misconduct
Kobe Bryant · Brexit · wildfires · derecho · explosion · koalas · Amazon fires
20202019
Final pre-pandemic year
pre-pandemic · 2018 · normalcy · 2017 · business as usual
- Tokyo 2020Postponed Japanese Olympics