Here are 202 things that happened in 2020

Do you remember them all?

2020 in review (Getty Images / WSLS 10)

At times it felt like we got a year’s worth of news in just a month (March, we’re looking at you).

2020 certainly had its ups and downs, so before we head into 2021, take a scroll with us through the last year in news.

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January

Jan. 3 - The United States killed Iran’s top general, Qassem Soleimani, in an airstrike at Baghdad’s international airport.

Jan. 8 - A plane with Ukraine International Airlines crashed shortly after takeoff in Tehran, Iran on January 8, killing all 176 people on board the Boeing 737-800, according to Ukrainian officials.

Jan. 8 - The Netflix docuseries “Cheer” was released and was an instant success. It followed the world of competitive cheer as a squad worked to win a national title. One of the stars of the show, Jerry Harris, was later arrested on several child sex and pornography charges.

Jan. 9 - The World Health Organization (WHO) first announced news about a deadly coronavirus that had emerged in Wuhan, China.

Jan. 16 - The U.S. Senate opened the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. During the nearly three-week trial, House Democrats prosecuting the case argued that Trump abused power like no other president in history when he pressured Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, ahead of the 2020 election.

In this image from video, presiding officer Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts swears in members of the Senate for the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. (Senate Television via AP) (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Jan. 18 - Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Harry and wife Meghan will no longer use the titles “royal highness” or receive public funds for their work under a new deal that lets the couple step aside as working royals. The Queen expressed her support for the deal in a statement, saying, in part, “It is my whole family’s hope that today’s agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life.”

Jan. 21 - The CDC announced the first travel-related case of the new coronavirus had been detected in the U.S. The patient returned to Washington state from Wuhan on January 15 and sought medical care. Lab testing at the CDC confirmed the diagnosis on January 20.

Jan. 22 - In a strange stunt carried out over a series of commercials and Super Bowl ads, Planters announced Mr. Peanut died at age 104. The company posted the news from the @MrPeanut account on Twitter asking people to pay their respects with hashtag #RIPeanut. Fans were asked to “tune into Mr. Peanut’s funeral” during the third quarter of the Super Bowl when the company’s full ad premiered. During that ad, Mr. Peanut is ultimately reborn as a Baby Nut.

Jan. 26 - Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant in Calabasas, California.

Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna Bryant attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center on December 29, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)

Jan. 26 - 18-year-old Billie Eilish won big at the Grammys, taking home five awards.

Jan 30 - The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency in response to the new coronavirus outbreak.

Jan. 31 - The U.S. declared a public health emergency to aid the nation’s health care community in responding to the coronavirus.

Jan. 31 - One of the world’s most popular writers, the “Queen of Suspense,” Mary Higgins Clark died. She was 92.

Jan. (no single date) - Bush fires raged on in Australia during a devastating wildfire season. The fires started in late 2019 and continued through the new year. At least 33 people died, including four firefighters, as well as thousands of animals. The BBC reported that more than 27.2 million acres of bush, forest and parks across Australia burned.


February

Feb. 2 - Travel restrictions to and from China went into effect in the U.S. in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Feb. 2 - At the Super Bowl LIV, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20. Jennifer Lopez and Shakira performed at the halftime show with an exuberance and joy that celebrated their Latina heritage.

Feb. 3 - The Iowa caucuses “broke down in every way possible”.

Feb. 4 - President Donald Trump gave a State of the Union speech in which he made his case for another term, prompting some Republican legislators to start chanting “Four More Years.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped up her copy of Trump’s speech as he ended his address.

Feb. 5 - President Donald Trump won impeachment acquittal in the U.S. Senate, bringing to a close only the third presidential trial in American history.

President Donald Trump holds a copy of The Washington Post as he speaks in the East Room of the White House, one day after the U.S. Senate acquitted on two articles of impeachment. After five months of congressional hearings and investigations about Trump’s dealings with Ukraine, the U.S. Senate formally acquitted him of charges. (Getty Images)

Feb. 9 - “Parasite” became the first non-English language film to win best picture in the 92-year history of the Academy Awards. The film also took home awards for best director, best international film and best screenplay. The win was a watershed moment for the Academy Awards, which has long been content to relegate international films to their own category.

Feb. 11 - The World Health Organization (WHO) proposed an official name for the disease the virus causes: COVID-19, which stands for coronavirus disease 2019.

Feb. 17 - Home décor shop Pier 1 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and would later close all of its stores.

Feb. 18 - The Boy Scouts of America urged victims to come forward as the historic, 110-year-old organization filed for bankruptcy protection in the first step toward creating a huge compensation fund for potentially thousands of men who were molested as youngsters decades ago by scoutmasters or other leaders.

Feb. 24 - Harvey Weinstein was convicted of sexual assault and rape against two women.

Feb. 24 - Katherine Johnson, a mathematician who calculated rocket trajectories and earth orbits for NASA’s early space missions and was later portrayed in the 2016 hit film “Hidden Figures,” about pioneering black female aerospace workers, died at 101.


March

Mar. 2 - The latest installment of the James Bond franchise, No Time To Die, is delayed until November 2020.

Mar. 3 - Joe Biden won Virginia’s Democratic presidential primary.

Mar. 4 - Jill Biden gets in between her husband Joe Biden and protestors who stormed onstage during his speech at a rally in Los Angeles.

Joe Biden watches as his wife Jill Biden, center, blocks a protester from arriving on stage during an primary night rally in Los Angeles on March 3, 2020. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images (© 2020 Bloomberg Finance LP)

Mar. 4 - Gov. Ralph Northam announced Virginia’s initial plans to combat COVID-19. At the time these plans were released, Virginia had no confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Mar. 5 - Elizabeth Warren ends her 2020 presidential bid. The exit came days after the onetime front-runner couldn’t win a single Super Tuesday state, not even her own.

Mar. 7 - Virginia announced its first COVID-19 case, a U.S. Marine at Fort Belvoir.

Mar. 11 - Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years for sexual assaults.

Mar. 11 - The NBA announced it was suspending the season after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.

Mar. 11 - Tom Hanks announces via Twitter that he and wife Rita Wilson have tested positive for the coronavirus. While more celebrities would go on to test positive for COVID-19, this was arguably the first news of a positive case among high-profile, A-list celebrities. Hanks and Wilson were in Australia when they announced the news.

Mar. 12 - After losing the NBA, the NCAA announced March Madness, as well as other NCAA championships were canceled.

Mar. 12 - Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency due to COVID-19.

Gov. Ralph Northam declares a state of emergency for Virginia, amid the coronavirus outbreak. (WSLS 10)

Mar. 13 - Breonna Taylor, a Black emergency medical worker, was fatally shot by officers who burst into her Louisville, Kentucky home using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation. No drugs were found at her home. Click here to learn about the investigation that ensued.

Mar. 13 - Gov. Ralph Northam ordered all K-12 schools in Virginia to close for a minimum of two weeks in response to the continued spread of COVID-19.

Mar. 13 - Augusta National Golf Club announced the decision to postpone The Masters.

Mar. 14 - The Virginia Department of Health reported the death of a hospitalized patient who had previously tested positive for COVID-19. That marked the first death in Virginia due to COVID-19. Gov. Ralph Northam’s office released a statement that he and his wife Pam were “deeply saddened to learn that a Virginian has died from COVID-19.”

Mar. 16 - Idris Elba announced he had tested positive for COVID-19, becoming one of the first celebrities to publicly announce their diagnosis.

Mar. 16 - Disney closed Walt Disney World due to concerns over COVID-19.

Mar. 16 - Regal announced that starting the next day, it would close all of its theaters, amid coronavirus concerns.

Mar. 17 - Actress Vanessa Hudgens was accused of making insensitive remarks about the coronavirus pandemic in an Instagram video in which she said deaths are “terrible but...inevitable.”

Mar. 17 - Gov. Ralph Northam announced new measures to combat COVID-19 and directed Virginians to follow federal guidelines limiting gatherings to just 10 people. Northam and State Health Commissioner Norm Oliver issued a public health emergency order prohibiting more than 10 patrons in restaurants, fitness centers and theaters. The order gave local and state law enforcement the ability to enforce the ban if needed. Northam also advised anyone with a chronic health condition or who is 65 or older to self-quarantine. Northam also directed the Commissioner of the Virginia Employment Commission to waive the one-week waiting period to ensure workers can receive benefits as soon as possible.

Mar. 19 - Gov. Ralph Northam announced more measures to address the spread of COVID-19 in Virginia. Working with the Department of Medicaid Assistance Services, Northam took action to eliminate all co-pays for Medicaid-covered services among other measures to increase access to health care. Northam also announced small businesses could start applying for low-interest federal disaster loans.

Mar. 19 - A Botetourt County woman in her 80s was Southwest Virginia’s first confirmed coronavirus case. She was admitted to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital on Monday, March 16, exhibiting symptoms consistent with COVID-19 and was tested. She was placed in a COVID-19 isolation unit and the results were received from a commercial testing lab on March 19. Carilion Clinic immediately shared the result with the Virginia Department of Health. Delegate Sam Rasoul shared her name, Helen Ronk, along with the news of her death on March 29.

Mar. 20 - Netflix releases docuseries “Tiger King,” which will go on to become a wildly-discussed TV obsession. The series follows the story of the self-proclaimed “Tiger King,” also known as Joe Exotic. The genius behind “Tiger King” is that you expect to watch a documentary about tigers in captivity and the owners who profit off of them, but there are twist and turns filled with murder plots, missing people, cover-ups, drug cartels, sister-wives and arson.

Mar. 20 - Singer, actor, “The Gambler” Kenny Rogers died. A representative said he died at home, under hospice care and of natural causes. He was 81.

Mar. 23 - Gov. Ralph Northam issued Executive Order Fifty-Three, which ordered the closure of all K-12 schools for the remainder of the academic year and the closure of certain non-essential businesses. It also banned all gatherings of more than 10 people. Northam also urged Virginians to avoid non-essential travel outside the home.

Mar. 24 - The 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics were postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Mar. 29 - The first episode of “Some Good News with John Krasinski” was posted to YouTube. It has since been viewed more than 18 million times.

Mar. 29 - Country music star Joe Diffie died at age 61 after contracting COVID-19.

Mar. 30 - Bill Withers, man behind soulful 70s classics like “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lean on Me” and “Lovely Day” died. He was 81.

Mar. 30 - Gov. Ralph Northam issued a statewide stay-at-home order to combat the spread of COVID-19. The executive order took effect on March 30 and was to remain in place until June 10, unless amended or rescinded by a future order. Virginians were permitted to leave home for “allowable travel,” according to the order, which included travel to seek medical attention, work, care for family or household members, to obtain goods and services like groceries and prescriptions, and to engage in outdoor activity.

Mar. 30 - The Tokyo Summer Olympics were rescheduled for July 2021. The Opening Ceremony is scheduled for July 23.

(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

March (no date) - During a two-day period in March, online and in-store toilet paper sales shot up a whopping 845% as states announced stay-at-home orders, according to NCSolutions, a data and consulting firm. Retailers continued to see shortages as the pandemic continued and demand for toilet paper increased as people stockpiled it at home.


April

Apr. 5 - The Bronx Zoo announced one of its Malayan tigers, Nadia, has tested positive for COVID-19.

Apr. 6 - The Masters is tentatively rescheduled for November 9-15.

Apr. 7 - Celebrated singer-songwriter John Prine died of complications from the coronavirus, his wife announced. He was 73. In 2017, Rolling Stone proclaimed him “The Mark Twain of American songwriting.”

Apr. 8 - Bernie Sanders drops his 2020 presidential bid, making Joe Biden the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge President Donald Trump in a general election campaign.

Sen. Bernie Sanders

Apr. 8 - Gov. Ralph Northam announces plans to postpone Virginia elections due to COVID-19. Northam requested the General Assembly move the May General Election and all special elections scheduled for May 5, 2020 to the November 3, 2020 General Election date. He also used his authority to move the June primary elections from June 9, 2020 to June 23, 2020.

Apr. 10 - Trolls World Tour opened in theaters and on-demand on the same day, although many theaters were closed at the time of its release.

Apr. 14 - Former President Barack Obama endorsed Joe Biden, giving the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee a boost from the party’s biggest fundraiser and one of its most popular figures.

Apr. 15 - Gov. Ralph Northam announced he was extending Executive Order Fifty-Three for two weeks, through May 8. This order, originally issued on March 23, included the closure of certain non-essential businesses. It also banned all gatherings of more than 10 people.

Apr. 18-19 - A man allegedly dressed as a police officer in Nova Scotia killed 22 people, making it Canada’s deadliest mass shooting in history. The gunman shot people in their homes and set fires in a rampage across rural communities.

Apr. 19: Sen. Mark Warner made a tuna melt sandwich on Instagram that shook the world considering how much mayo he used.

Apr. 19 - “The Last Dance,” a sports documentary miniseries focusing on the career of NBA superstar Michael Jordan, debuted on ESPN.

Apr. 19 - Camille Schrier, the Virginia Tech biochemist and former Miss Virginia who was crowned Miss America in December of 2019, continued to settle into her role during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the week of April 19, Schrier taught Virginia Virtual Academy students a science lesson.

Apr. 20 - There was speculation about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s health and there were rumors that he was dead.

Apr. 24 - Gov. Ralph Northam used his authority to postpone the May General and Special Elections by two weeks, from May 5, 2020 to May 19, 2020. Earlier in April, Northam recommended moving the May elections to November, which required action by the General Assembly. While the House of Delegates approved the measure, the Senate failed to do so. The Governor also moved the June primary elections from June 9, 2020 to June 23, 2020.

Apr. 27 - After a lot of confusion, conspiracies and rumors, South Korea told the media that Kim Jong-Un was “alive and well,” even though there was mass speculation that the North Korean dictator had died. North Korean state media published a letter on April 27 allegedly written by Kim Jong-Un in which he was congratulating South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Freedom Day.

Apr. 29 - The Pentagon released videos of possible UFOS. It was unclear what exactly the objects flying in the sky were (obviously), but it sure was creepy.


May

May 4 - Elon Musk and Grimes baffle the world with their choice of baby name: X Æ A-12.

May 4 - It was reported that murder hornets were spotted in Washington state. The giant Asian insect was first spotted in the U.S. in December 2019. After news broke of murder hornets in the U.S. in early May of 2020, 10 News received multiple photos from viewers of insects they spotted, wondering if the potentially dangerous species had arrived in Virginia. A Virginia Tech expert said while he couldn’t rule out the possibility of murder hornets ever arriving in Virginia, he didn’t expect them to be in the state at that time. Insect experts largely agreed the public fear surrounding “murder hornets” was driven by hype. The hornets are not big killers of humans, although it does happen on rare occasions.

File photo of a dead Asian giant hornet in a lab in Olympia, Wash. (Quinlyn Baine/Washington State Department of Agriculture via AP)

May 6 - Video of an unarmed Black man, Ahmaud Arbery, was released from the February incident showing Arbery being gunned down and killed by two white men while he was jogging in a Georgia neighborhood.

May 7 - Gregory McMichael and Travis McMichael were charged with killing Ahmaud Arbery in February.

May 6 - Video of an unarmed Black man, Ahmaud Arbery, was released from the February incident showing Arbery being gunned down and killed by two white men while he was jogging in a Georgia neighborhood.

May 8 - The Labor Department said that 20.5 million jobs vanished in April in the worst monthly loss on record, triggered by coast-to-coast shutdowns of factories, offices and other businesses. The coronavirus crisis sent U.S. unemployment surging to 14.7%, a level last seen when the country was in the throes of the Great Depression.

May 8 - Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy, the duo whose extraordinary magic tricks astonished millions until Horn was critically injured in 2003 by one of the act’s famed white tigers, died. Horn died of complications from COVID-19. He was 75.

May 9 - Gov. Ralph Northam announced Phase One guidelines for Virginia, to start no sooner than May 15. Virginia’s Phase One featured a “Safer at Home” strategy, which continued the ban on social gatherings of more than 10 people and maintained recommendations for social distancing, teleworking, and wearing face coverings. All businesses were required to make modifications to maintain physical distancing, increase cleaning and provide enhanced workplace safety measures.

May 9 - Little Richard, one of the chief architects of rock ‘n’ roll whose piercing wail, pounding piano and towering pompadour irrevocably altered popular music while introducing black R&B to white America, died after battling bone cancer. He was 87.

May 11 - “Seinfeld” and “The King of Queens” actor and comedian Jerry Stiller died. His son, Ben Stiller, announced that his father died of natural causes. He was 92.

May 17 - NASCAR returned to racing at Darlington Raceway with Kevin Harvick winning the Real Heroes 400.

May 25 - George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota while being arrested for allegedly using a counterfeit bill. He died after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on Floyd’s neck while he was pinned to the ground.

May 26 -Gov. Ralph Northam signed an executive order requiring Virginians to wear face coverings in public indoor settings. Under the order, any person age ten and older must wear a mask or face covering at all times while entering, exiting, traveling through, and spending time in certain public settings like restaurants, retail shops, grocery stores and personal care businesses. Northam also signed an amended, prior executive order, extending Virginia’s state of emergency declaration.

May 30 - A rocket ship built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company launched two astronauts into space. NASA’s Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken rode skyward aboard a Dragon capsule on top of a Falcon 9 rocket, lifting off at 3:22 p.m. from the same launch pad used to send Apollo crews to the moon a half-century ago. Minutes later, they slipped safely into orbit.

May 31 - Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency and authorized assistance to localities in response to escalating violence across the state. Northam also granted a request from Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney to extend a curfew in the city.

May and beyond - The Minneapolis-St. Paul area sees unrest and protests following George Floyd’s death. While many of these protests were considered peaceful events, the area also saw rioting, looting and property destruction, particularly during a three-night period in late May that resulted in $500 million in property damage.

May and beyond - Local protests in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area spark a global protest movement about police brutality and racial justice. Those protesting Floyd’s death made broader calls for justice in relation to other incidents. The Black Lives Matter movement gained more international attention during the aftermath of Floyd’s death.

In this May 30, 2020, file photo, protesters gather in Minneapolis. (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

June

June 2 - Gov. Ralph Northam announced Virginia’s Phase Two guidelines, set to go into effect on June 5. Northern Virginia and Richmond were to remain in Phase One. Under Phase Two, the state maintained the “Safer at Home” strategy with continued recommendations for social distancing, teleworking, and requiring Virginians to wear face coverings in indoor public settings. The limit on the number of people allowed at social gatherings increased from 10 to 50 people. Restaurants could offer indoor dining at 50 percent occupancy, fitness centers could open indoor areas at 30 percent occupancy, and certain recreation and entertainment venues without shared equipment could open with restrictions.

June 4 - Gov. Ralph Northam announced plans to move Robert E. Lee statue from Richmond. However, due to legal challenges, the statue still remains on its pedestal.

June 5 - Joe Biden formally clinched the Democratic presidential nomination.

June 10 - NASCAR banned the Confederate flag from all its racetracks.

June 11 - Virginia entered Phase Two of reopening.

June 11 - Country music group Lady Antebellum announced it was changing its name to “Lady A”.

June 15 - The Supreme Court ruled that LGBT workers are protected from job discrimination.

June 16 - Gov. Ralph Northam announced his plans to mark Juneteenth as a permanent paid state holiday. Northam’s office said Virginia has long marked Juneteenth by issuing a proclamation, but the date has not previously been considered a state holiday.

June 18 - Gov. Ralph Northam outlined Virginia’s Phase Three guidelines. Under Phase Three, the maximum number of people allowed in social gatherings will increase from 50 to 250 people.

June 19 - People around the country recognized Juneteenth, which took on new meaning amid a broad push for racial justice. The holiday, which commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, is usually celebrated with parades and festivals but became a day of protest for some this year in the wake of demonstrations set off by George Floyd’s killing at the hands of Minneapolis police. There were several local marches and celebrations, including some in Roanoke and Lynchburg.

Malik Harris, left, leads protesters as they march towards the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington on Friday, June 19, 2020, to mark Juneteenth. (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

June 23 - Dr. Cameron Webb won the U.S. House 5th District Democratic Primary. He’d go on to lose to Bob Good in November’s election.

June 23 - Federal authorities announced that the noose found hanging in Bubba Wallace’s garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway had been there since at least last October.

June 25 - Country music group Dixie Chicks announced it was changing its name to “The Chicks”.

June 29 - Actor, Comedian and director Carl Reiner died at the age of 98. Reiner created “The Dick Van Dyke Show”.


July

July 1 - Virginia entered Phase Three of reopening.

July 2 - Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested. According to the indictment, Maxwell, who lived for years with Epstein and was his frequent companion on trips around the world, facilitated his sex crimes and on some occasions joined him in sexually abusing the girls.

July 3 - Rather than wait until its planned theatrical release of Oct. 15, 2021, Disney released “Hamilton,” a live stage recording of the original Broadway cast.

July 4 - Kanye West announced he was running for president.

In this Nov. 17, 2019, file photo, Kanye West appears on stage during a service at Lakewood Church in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke, File) (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

July 5 - Broadway veteran Nick Cordero, a Tony-nominated actor known for his roles in “Waitress,” “A Bronx Tale” and “Bullets over Broadway” died from coronavirus complications. He was 41.

July 6 - Country music legend Charlie Daniels died. The Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry member died from a stroke. He was 83.

July 8 - Singer and actor Naya Rivera, known for her role on the TV show “Glee,” died. Rivera accidentally drowned while boating with her 4-year-old son on a California lake. She was 33.

July 10 - Regal theaters began opening some of its theaters, before once again, closing all of them on Oct. 9

July 11 - Disney reopened Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom.

July 12 - Actor Kelly Preston died. Husband John Travolta shared in an Instagram post that Preston “lost her two-year battle with breast cancer.” Preston and Travolta were married for 28 years. She was 57.

July 15 - Disney reopened EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.

July 17 - Taco Bell confirmed it was removing popular menu items like the Quesaritos, Loaded Grillers, 7-Layer Burritos, and all potato items.

July 17 - Key civil rights leader Rev. C.T. Vivian died at 95. He was an early and key adviser to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. who organized pivotal civil rights campaigns and spent decades advocating for justice and equality.

July 17 - Civil rights icon and celebrated Congressman John Lewis died. Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement. He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. Lewis announced a battle with pancreatic cancer in December 2019. He was 80.

In this Oct. 10, 2007, file photo, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., poses on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP2007)

July 23 - MLB started its shortened 60-game regular season.

July 24 - Television host and personality Regis Philbin died. He was known for his role on the game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and morning talk shows “Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee” and later “Live! with Regis and Kelly.” He was 88.

July 24 - The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services warned Virginians against planting seeds they may have mysteriously received in the mail that appeared to be from China. Virginia was just one of many states that issued warnings about receiving unsolicited seed packets from China.

July 24 - Taylor Swift surprised her fans as she released her eighth studio album, “Folklore”.

July 26 - The “everything is cake” meme absurdity took off, especially on Twitter and TikTok.

July 30 - Basketball returned as the NBA returned, creating the Disney Bubble near Orlando to finish the season.


August

Aug. 1 - President Trump said he was banning TikTok in the U.S.

Aug. 4 - A massive explosion rocked Beirut, killing more than 70 people and injuring 3,000. The blast damaged buildings across the capital and sent a giant mushroom cloud into the sky.

Aug. 9 - Virginia surpassed 100,000 total COVID-19 cases since March.

Aug. 11 - Then-Presidential candidate Joe Biden announced Kamala Harris as his running mate and pick for vice president. It was a historic move in that Harris would be the nation’s first female, first Black and first Asian American vice president.

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks after Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden introduced her as his running mate during a campaign event at Alexis Dupont High School in Wilmington, Del., Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020. (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Aug. 11 - Stein Mart filed for bankruptcy. It was later purchased for $6 million to be relaunched in 2021 as an online store.

Aug. 15 - Robert Trump, President Donald Trump’s younger brother, died. Robert Trump was known for his career on Wall Street working in corporate finance before he joined the Trump family business. He was 71.

Aug. 17 - Actor Dennis Quaid adopted a cat named Dennis Quaid from the Lynchburg Humane Society.

Aug 21 - Full House’s Lori Loughlin and husband, designer Mossimo Giannulli were sentenced to time in prison for their roles in a college bribery plot.

Aug. 28 - Actor Chadwick Boseman, known for his portrayal of Black American icons like Jackie Robinson and James Brown, as well as Black Panther, died. Boseman had been battling colon cancer for four years. He was 43.

In this Jan. 29, 2018 file photo, Chadwick Boseman, a cast member in "Black Panther," poses at the premiere of the film in Los Angeles. (2018 Invision)

September

Sept. 2 - “Tiger King” star Carole Baskin announced she was joining “Dancing With the Stars,” set to premiere on ABC on Sept. 14.

Sept. 4 - Rather than wait for theaters to reopen, Disney released its live-action “Mulan” on Disney+, charging subscribers a $30 fee to watch.

Sept. 18 - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died. Ginsburg was a beloved champion of women’s rights and just the second female justice on the nation’s highest court. She died from complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer. She was 87.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg smiles during a photo session with photographers at the U.S. Supreme Court March 3, 2006 in Washington DC. (2006 Getty Images)

Sept. 21 - Denny Hamlin announced he and Michael Jordan were starting a NASCAR Cup Series team for 2021 with Bubba Wallace as the team’s driver.

Sept. 23 - Model Gigi Hadid and singer Zayn Malik welcomed their first baby together.

Sept. 25 - Gov. Ralph Northam announced that he and his wife tested positive for COVID-19. The governor’s office said Governor Northam was experiencing no symptoms while First Lady Pamela Northam was experiencing mild symptoms.

Sept. 26 - President Trump announced Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court nominee to succeed the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Barrett was a federal appellate judge and Notre Dame law professor from Indiana who is a former law clerk to the late right-wing beacon, Justice Antonin Scalia.

Sept. 30 - The NFL announced its first game to be delayed due to COVID-19. The Week 4 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans was eventually pushed to Oct. 25, when the Steelers won, 27-24.


October

Oct. 1 - Chrissy Teigen and John Legend announced their miscarriage through a social media post.

Oct. 1 - Hope Hicks, one of President Trump’s most trusted aides, tested positive for COVID-19.

Oct. 2 - President Donald Trump announced that he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus. “Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately,” Trump tweeted just before 1 a.m. “We will get through this TOGETHER!”

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump hold hands on stage after the first presidential debate at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio, Sept. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File) (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Oct. 2 - Kellyanne Conway announced she tested positive for COVID-19.

Oct. 2 - “No Time To Die” was delayed again. The opening date was changed to April 2, 2021.

Oct. 3 - Trump adviser and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he tested positive for COVID-19.

Oct. 6 - Guitar rock legend Eddie Van Halen died after a battle with cancer. He was 65. Van Halen is among the top 20 best-selling artists of all time, and the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

Oct. 8 - Rapper Tory Lanez was charged with shooting Megan Thee Stallion.

Oct. 11 - LeBron James won his 4th NBA title as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Miami Heat 355 days after the regular season began.

Oct. 12 - Virginia recognized Indigenous Peoples’ Day to honor the history and culture of Virginia’s native people. Gov. Ralph Northam made the proclamation a few days prior on October 9. It was the first such proclamation in Virginia history.

Oct. 12 - The Homeplace Restaurant was open for its final day of 2020, hoping to open again in 2021 after a decline in business due to COVID-19.

Oct. 18 - Country Cookin restaurants had their final day of business. The restaurant chain started in 1981.

Oct. 26 - Scientists discovered that the moon’s shadowed, frigid nooks and crannies may hold frozen water in more places and in larger quantities than previously suspected.

Oct. 31 - Actor Sean Connery, most famous for playing James Bond during a Hollywood career spanning seven decades, died at the age of 90.


November

Nov. 3 - After record-setting early voting, people still showed up in droves on Election Day to cast their ballot.

Nov. 4 - President Donald Trump’s campaign filed lawsuits in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia.

Nov. 6 - Trump’s Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Nov. 7 - NBC News projected Biden’s win against Trump for the 2020 presidential election.

President-elect Joe Biden gestures on stage after speaking, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool) (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Nov. 7 - Trump’s campaign team, led by Rudy Giuliani, held a news conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping instead of the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia.

Nov. 8 - The beloved and longtime host of “Jeopardy!”, Alex Trebek, died after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 80. He presided over the quiz show for more than 30 years.

Nov. 10 - Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft’s latest video game console, was released.

Nov. 12 - PlayStation 5, Sony’s latest video game console, was released.

Nov. 12 - Gov. Ralph Northam announced new statewide measures to contain COVID-19. Starting on November 15, all public and private in-person gatherings (indoors or outdoors) had to be limited to 25 people, down from the previous cap of 250 people. There was also an expansion of the mask mandate, strengthened enforcement of safety measures within essential retail businesses, and an on-site alcohol curfew at restaurants and other food and drink establishments.

Nov. 14 - Virginia surpassed 200,000 total COVID-19 cases since March.

Nov. 15 - Delayed to November, Dustin Johnson won The Masters with a record score of 268, 20-under-par.

Tiger Woods helps Masters' champion Dustin Johnson with his green jacket after his victory at the Masters golf tournament Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Nov. 18 - People magazine named Michael B. Jordan as Sexiest Man Alive.

Nov. 20 - A spokesman said President Donald Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., tested positive for COVID-19.

Nov. 23 - The producers of “Jeopardy!” announced that show champion and record-holder Ken Jennings would be the first interim “Jeopardy!” host. The long-term host to replace Alex Trebek was to be announced at a later date.

Nov. 25 - Chadwick Boseman’s final film “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” was released on Netflix.

Nov. 25 - Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, (formerly Markle), revealed in an opinion piece in The New York Times that she had a miscarriage in July, writing that “I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.”

Nov. 26 - As COVID-19 cases surged ahead of Thanksgiving, families across the U.S. celebrated ‘Zoomsgiving’ instead. Families marked Thanksgiving with just the immediate household and visited with extended family via video calls.

Nov. 30 - A record-breaking hurricane season came to a close. This season saw 30 named storms, which toppled the previous record of 28 in 2005. 13 of the 30 storms reached hurricane status. For just the second time in history, the Greek alphabet was used to name storms after the original list of names ran out. Three of the Greek names – Eta, Theta and Iota – were used for the first time.


December

Dec. 1 - ‘Juno’ star Elliot Page came out as transgender.

Dec. 2 - Mariah Carey released a Christmas special on Apple TV+.

Dec. 2 - Gov. Ralph Northam announced Virginia’s three-phased coronavirus vaccine distribution plan.

Dec. 3 - WarnerMedia announced that all its 2021 movies would be released simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max.

Dec. 4 - Virginia prepared to receive an estimated total of 480,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and Moderna this month.

Dec. 6 - President Donald Trump announced that Rudy Giuliani tested positive for COVID-19.

Dec. 7 - Virginia Governor Ralph Northam ceremonially signed “Breonna’s Law,” which prohibits the use of no-knock search warrants in the commonwealth. The law was named after 26-year-old Breonna Taylor who was killed in March during the execution of a no-knock search warrant in her Louisville, Kentucky home.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signs "Breonna's Law"

Dec. 7 - Another federal judge blocked President Donald Trump’s attempts to ban TikTok. The Trump administration has alleged that TikTok is a security threat because the Chinese government could spy on app users’ personal data. TikTok has denied it’s a security threat but said it’s still trying to work with the administration to resolve its concerns.

Dec. 7 - Charles “Chuck” Yeager, the World War II fighter pilot who became the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound, died at 97.

Dec. 10 - Time magazine named KPOP group BTS the 2020 Entertainer of the Year.

Dec. 10 - Ellen DeGeneres tweeted that she tested positive for COVID-19.

Dec. 10 - A U.S. government advisory panel approved the endorsement of large-scale use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Dec. 10 - Gov. Ralph Northam announced a modified stay-at-home order for Virginians, among other measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, including a universal mask requirement. There was also a reduction in social gatherings from 25 people to just ten. The new measures were to go into effect on December 14.

Dec. 10 - TIME announced its pick for 2020 Person of the Year. President-elect Joe Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris, collectively, were named Person of the Year.

Dec. 10 - Former Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr. dismissed his lawsuit against the university.

Dec. 11 - Taylor Swift again surprised her fans as she released her ninth studio album, “Evermore,” described as a sister record to July’s “Folklore”.

Dec. 12 - Country music legend Charley Pride died due to COVID-19 complications. He was 86.

Dec. 14 - Joe Biden was officially named President-elect of the United States of America.

In this Nov. 7, 2020, file photo Vice President-elect Kamala Harris holds hands with President-elect Joe Biden and her husband Doug Emhoff as they celebrate in Wilmington, Del. (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Dec. 14 - The first shipments of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine arrived at a hospital in Richmond. This marked the start of shipments arriving at hospitals across the Commonwealth where the vaccine was administered to frontline health care workers.

Dec. 15 - The COVID-19 vaccine arrived at hospitals across Southwest and Central Virginia.

Dec. 16 - Virginia Tech announced it would not seek a bowl invite, ending the nation’s longest-running consecutive bowl streak at 27 games.

Dec. 18 - The U.S. cleared the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use.

Dec. 19 - Virginia surpassed 300,000 total COVID-19 cases since March.

Dec. 21 - President-Elect Joe Biden and wife Jill Biden received the COVID-19 vaccine.

Dec. 21 - Virginia’s statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee was removed from the United States Capitol. The statue, which stood on behalf of the state for 111 years, was taken to a museum in Richmond.

This Monday, Dec. 21, 2020 photo provided by the Office of the Governor of Virginia shows a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee being removed from the National Statuary Hall Collection in Washington. (Office of Governor of Virginia)

Dec. 21 - Comedian John Mulaney entered rehab for cocaine and alcohol abuse.

Dec. 22 - The NBA 2020-21 regular season began, just 72 days after the Lakers won the NBA title. The previous shortest offseason was 127 days in 2017.

Dec. 23 - New River Valley Health District got its first shipment of the Moderna vaccine.

Dec. 25 - “Wonder Woman 1984″ was released in theaters and on HBO Max. Disney’s “Soul” was released on Disney+

Dec. 25 - A bombing tore through Nashville on Christmas Day, damaging dozens of buildings and injuring three people. The man believed to be responsible blew himself up in the explosion and appears to have acted alone, according to federal officials. His motive still wasn’t clear at the time this article was first published.

Dec. 30 - Actress Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann on “Gilligan’s Island,” died at 82 from coronavirus-related complications.

Dec. 31 - The world prepared to say goodbye to 2020 and usher in 2021. New Year’s Eve celebrations were understandably different this year, with many iconic events going virtual with no public audiences, aimed solely at broadcast viewers.