By now, most folks know that 2020 was a uniquely awful year. More than 1.7 million people lost their lives to the COVID-19 pandemic, and millions more lost their jobs. The lookout got so bleak that numerous memes started blaming 2020 for every dumb decision or disaster, as if a unit of time could have a personal vendetta against us.
But for all of the negativity 2020 doled out, there are quite a few highlights that should be applauded. Human innovation and integrity brought some amazing breakthroughs that shouldn’t be seen as just silver linings, but huge strides toward solving our biggest problems as human beings and creating a brighter future.
Here are 20 amazingly good things that happened in 2020.
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1. The World Hunkered Down And Masked Up, Saving Millions of Lives
This year, the world stood still. Millions of us complied with local and national guidelines, staying at home and wearing masks when we needed to go out.
2. A Record 134 Women Elected To Serve In The Next United States Congress
Take a bow, ladies! Next year, more women legislators than ever before will serve in the U.S. Congress, including 48 women of color. Additionally, 2020 was the year that America elected its first ever female vice president.
3. Modern Medicine
Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna came out with coronavirus vaccines that were approved by the FDA. More than 1.1 million people in the U.S. have gotten the vaccine, including many frontline workers, with millions more expected to be vaccinated in the coming months.
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4. Carbon Emissions Plummeted By Seven Percent
Due to the shelter in place orders of 2020, carbon emissions decreased by a record seven percent this year. This will help to make our air cleaner and help to reduce the number of deaths related to air pollution.
5. More Cities Went Car-Free
As traffic dropped along with pollution, many cities realized that they actually enjoyed cleaner, smog-free air, boosting walkability. The mayor of Paris (another awesome woman leader) promised to get rid of half of all on-street parking and prioritize bicyclists. Other cities, including Barcelona, Detroit, Portland, and Melbourne followed suit.
6. Nevada Protected Gay Marriage
In 2020, more than 60 percent of Nevada voters passed a ballot that requires the state to issue marriage licenses to all couples, regardless of their gender.
7. Counties Are Creating Police Oversight Boards
Residents of Portland, Oregon voted “yes” on a measure to establish a police oversight board that will have the power and funding to investigate complaints made against the Portland Police Bureau, impose appropriate disciplinary actions against Portland law enforcement, and recommend policies and procedures to the PPB.
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8. Tons Of Critters Were Saved
Thanks to COVID-19’s likely “wet” food market origin, China was forced to rethink its treatment of animals. As a result, the country’s Wildlife Protection Law now applies at sea, vastly reducing the huge footprint of fleet fishing. Moreover, China started protecting the pangolin, the most trafficked animal on the globe, which was also super close to extinction.
Back in the U.S., numerous animals, both large and small, were saved from the massive California wildfires.
Additionally, as well as protecting animals, we also ate fewer of them. Global meat consumption sank by three percent in 2020. Eating less meat helps to reduce the support of factory farms, which provide inhumane living conditions to the animals they grow and harmfully impact the environment by contaminating the local water supply and boosting deforestation.
9. Decriminalization of Marijuana
The House of Representatives approved the decriminalization of marijuana this December at the federal level. This will help many folks to reap the medicinal benefits of marijuana and keep many others out of jail for non-violent drug offenses.
10. So Many Great Tunes
This year saw a ton of amazing new albums, including new releases from Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift.
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11. We Came Together
As fascism and systemic racism in America drew worldwide coverage, Black Lives Matter literally became the largest mass movement in American history. Millions took to the streets to let their voices be heard in the midst of a global pandemic.
12. We Slowed Down
This year gave us the opportunity to slow down and savor the things that matter most. Reading, playing board games, and spending a lot of time at home with our loved ones allowed many people to put things in perspective.
13. Large Companies Lent A Helping Hand
Big-name corporations, such as Apple and 3M, made millions of masks to help keep the public safe. Other major companies, including GM, Ford, and Tesla, made ventilators to help with the pandemic.
14. Crayola’s New Crayon Colors Help Kids
Crayola released a new box of crayons that came in a wide range of diverse skin colors to help kids “accurately color themselves into the world.”
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15. Frontline Workers Were Celebrated
Nurses, delivery drivers, grocery store clerks, teachers, and others were recognized for the heroes they truly are. Many hospitals and schools made signs, thanking their frontline workers’ daily efforts of bravery.
16. We Learned New Ways To Work, Educate, Worship, And Love
From homeschooling our kids in the kitchen and attending daily Zoom work meetings from our living rooms, to having video call first dates and digital church ceremonies, we learned new ways to come together while we were apart.
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17. Steps In Space Were Made
Despite being stuck at home, humanity didn’t stop exploring the heavens. Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched two successful missions to the International Space Station.
18. Dogs!
All this time spent at home allowed us to spend way more time with our beloved fur babies. In fact, a record number of pets were adopted this year due to the pandemic.
19. A Baby Girl Was Born From A 27-Year-Old Frozen Embryo
In October, a little girl was born in Tennessee from an embryo that was first created and frozen back in 1992. This will help to give women the opportunity to freeze their eggs until they are ready to have a baby later on down the road.
20. Electric Cars Are Getting More Popular
Ten percent of all cars sold this year were EV vehicles, a 28 percent increase from 2019. Electric vehicles can further cut down on nasty air pollution and offer a cleaner future for the world.
Looks like some good things happened in 2020 after all! Do you have any good news or personal accomplishments to share? Let us know in the comments!
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