2021: The year gone by—key moments beyond Covid-19
While Covid-19 hogged the headlines yet again, we look at some landmark events that shaped the globe
A round-up of what happened in 2021
January
- In South Korea, more people died than were born. Bad news for a country that already has the world’s lowest birth rate among over 180 member countries of the World Bank.
- Share trading app Robinhood suspended the trading of Gamestop, a firm that sells gaming consoles, due to a huge surge in its share price. The stock was previously short listed by Wall Street.
February
- The military in Myanmar took charge again and declared a year-long state of emergency. Citizens protested over the coup, the largest since the Saffron Revolution in 2007 when monks challenged their regime.
- Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala became the first woman, and the first African, to be chosen as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization. She said her priority would be to work with members to address the economic and health consequences as a result of the pandemic.
March
- Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s first tweet in 2006, “just setting up my twttr”, was sold as an NFT for the equivalent of $2.9 million to a Malaysia-based businessman, Sina Estavi. Estavi said it was like buying a Mona Lisa painting.
- At the 63rd Grammy Awards, Beyoncé broke the record for most Grammys won by a singer (28). Taylor Swift also became the first female artiste to win album of the year thrice. Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder are the only other artistes to win this category three times.
Beyoncé accepts the Best R&B Performance award for 'Black Parade' onstage during the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards at Los Angeles Convention Center on March 14, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
In this handout provided by U.S. Central Command Public Affairs, U.S. Air Force loadmasters and pilots assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, load passengers aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III in support of the Afghanistan evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) on August 24, 2021 in Kabul, Afghanistan. The United States and allies urged Afghans to leave Kabul airport, citing the threat of terrorist attacks, as Western troops race to evacuate as many people as possible by August 31.
Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games - Shooting - R2 - Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 - Medal Ceremony - Asaka Shooting Range, Tokyo, Japan - August 30, 2021. Gold Medallist Avani Lekhara of India celebrates on the podium 
People pull out Shell Ye Win, 24, who was shot during the security force crack down on anti-coup protesters in Mandalay, Myanmar March 14, 2021. 
Rakesh Tikait, a leader of Bharatiya Kisan Union, one of the largest farmers' unions, along with farmers vacate a protest site, after the government agreed to their demands, including assurance to consider guaranteed prices for all produce, at Ghazipur site near Delhi- Uttar Pradesh border, India, December 15, 2021.
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