2021: A Year in Review – Major Events, News, and Global Highlights

Introduction

The year 2021 was a rollercoaster of events, emotions, and milestones. It was a time when the world tried to heal from the pandemic, adapt to new normals, and move forward with hope. In this blog, we look at the major events that shaped 2021 across categories like health, politics, environment, technology, sports, and global affairs.

1. COVID-19 Pandemic: Variants, Vaccines & Second Wave

🦠 Second Wave in India

The second wave of COVID-19 hit India hard between April and June 2021. The Delta variant spread rapidly, causing massive surges in cases and fatalities.

💉 Vaccination Drive

India began its vaccination drive in January 2021, starting with frontline workers.

• Covishield and Covaxin were widely used.
• India crossed 1 billion vaccine doses by October.

🌍 Global Vaccinations

• Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson vaccines rolled out globally.
• Many countries faced vaccine inequality and hesitancy.

2. Political Events & Movements

🇺🇸 Joe Biden Becomes U.S. President

• Sworn in on January 20, 2021
• First female VP: Kamala Harris

🇮🇳 Farmers' Protest in India

• Continued throughout 2021
• Historic protests against 3 farm laws
• On November 19, PM Modi announced repeal of the laws

🇦🇫 Taliban Regains Control of Afghanistan

• In August 2021, the Taliban took over Kabul after U.S. withdrawal
• Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country

3. Natural Disasters & Climate Change

🌪️ Cyclone Tauktae and Yaas (India)

• Devastated coastal regions in May 2021
• Major loss of life and infrastructure

🌎 IPCC Climate Report

• Warned of irreversible climate change
• Urged for net-zero emissions by 2050

🔥 Wildfires & Floods

• California, Greece, and Turkey witnessed intense wildfires
• Germany and Belgium hit by devastating floods

4. Technology & Innovation

🚀 Space Exploration

• Jeff Bezos (Blue Origin) and Richard Branson (Virgin Galactic) entered space tourism
• NASA's Perseverance Rover landed on Mars
• James Webb Telescope was launched in December

💰 Cryptocurrency Boom

• Bitcoin hit $68,000 in November 2021
• Rise of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) in art and gaming
• India proposed a Crypto Bill

📱 Tech Updates

• Apple launched iPhone 13 series
• Windows 11 was introduced by Microsoft
• Rise of remote work tools: Zoom, Slack, MS Teams continued growing

5. Sports Highlights

🏅 Tokyo Olympics 2020 (Held in 2021)

• Took place from July 23 – August 8
• Conducted without spectators due to COVID

🇮🇳 India’s Olympic Highlights:

• Neeraj Chopra – Gold in Javelin Throw
• Mirabai Chanu – Silver in Weightlifting
• Total: 7 medals (India's best performance ever)

🏏 Cricket

• India vs Australia Test Series: India’s historic win at Gabba
• T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE
• Winner: Australia
• India had an early exit

🏆 Football

• Euro 2020 (held in 2021): Winner – Italy
• Messi joins PSG, ends 21-year journey with Barcelona

6. Economy & Finance

📉 Economic Recovery

• India’s GDP bounced back to 9.5% growth projection
• Inflation, fuel prices remained high

📈 Stock Markets

• Sensex crossed 60,000 mark
• Record IPOs: Zomato, Nykaa, Paytm

💼 Startups & Unicorns

• India saw 44 startups become unicorns (valuation > $1B)
• Growth in edtech, fintech, e-commerce

7. Entertainment & Pop Culture

🎥 OTT Boom

• Web series gained massive popularity:
• Scam 1992, The Family Man 2, Squid Game
• 
  
• Theaters reopened slowly

🎵 Viral Trends

• “Bachpan Ka Pyaar” by Sahdev Dirdo became an internet sensation
• K-pop and BTS fandom continued growing in India

🎬 Movies

• Shershaah, Sardar Udham, Sooryavanshi gained popularity
• Oscars 2021: Nomadland won Best Picture

8. Notable Deaths in 2021

• Lata Mangeshkar’s brother Hridaynath
• Dilip Kumar, veteran Bollywood actor
• Sidharth Shukla, actor and Bigg Boss winner
• Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
• Larry King, American talk show legend
• Desmond Tutu, South African Nobel Laureate

9. Current Affairs and Government Policies (India)

• PM Gati Shakti Plan – Infrastructure boost
• Digital Health ID initiative launched
• PLI Scheme extended to multiple sectors
• Air India sold back to Tata Group
• E-Shram portal for unorganized sector workers

10. Social Media and Internet Trends

• Instagram Reels & YouTube Shorts boom
• Rise of Clubhouse (voice-only social media)
• WhatsApp privacy policy update controversy
• India banned several Chinese apps for security

Conclusion

2021 was a year of challenge and change. It reminded the world of the importance of healthcare, science, compassion, and adaptability. As we move forward, the lessons learned in 2021 will help us build a more resilient and prepared future.