Your place in the Universe on 2020
We are proud to bring you the most beautiful and accurate map of the stars on your day
Get your map!The Highlights of 2020: A Year That Shaped the Future
2020 (MMXX in Roman Numerals) was the year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2020th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations.
Is 2020 a year special to you? Discover what 2020 was famous for, Key World Leaders of 2020, 2020 Time’s Person of the Year, the #1 song, movie and book in 2020, how old is someone born in 2020 and what Chinese zodiac sign is associated to 2020.
On this page we will address all your questions and curiosities about 2020 to help you enjoy your trip down memory lane.
Table of contents
- What was 2020 known for ?
- Key World Leaders of 2020
- Who was the U.S. President in 2020?
- Who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2020?
- Who was the Pope in 2020?
- What was the most popular movie in 2020?
- What was the best selling book in 2020?
- How old is someone born in 2020?
- What was the Chinese Zodiac sign associated with the year 2020?
What was 2020 known for ?
- The year 2020 was like no other year. In January 2020, the World Health Organization announced dozens of cases of pneumonia. This was after the organization received news of a cluster of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan City on December 31st, 2019. The Chinese authorities identified the novel coronavirus as the cause and named it temporarily as 2019-nCoV.
- By the end of January, Japan, Thailand, and even the US confirmed cases of the new virus totalling more than 10,000 cases and 200 deaths. The mysterious respiratory disease got its official name in mid-February 2019 - COVID-19. By March 2020, WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic. It then recommended social distancing, mask-wearing, and other measures to lower the virus toll.
- In the entertainment world, as WHO was receiving news of coronavirus in January 2020, another major event was happening in the UK - Megxit. On January 8th, 2020, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, announced their decision to step back from full-time royal life. After the announcement, the couple moved to California to lead a more independent life.
- During the same period, the actual Brexit happened. The UK officially withdrew from the European Union on January 31st, 2020. This is after the UK House of Lords approved the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill, which received the Queen's royal assent. Later, the European Parliament approved the agreement.
- Still in the entertainment world, the South Korea's movie, Parasite, made history by winning the Oscar for best picture. The movie by Bao Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American filmmaker, was a depiction of Korean society. It demonstrated inequality, and poverty by dramatizing the extreme differences between wealthy and poor.
- On March 11th, 2020, Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years. A New York jury listened to the stories of six women. Despite the best defense lawyers' money and power can buy, the jurors found Weinstein guilty of criminal sexual acts and rape.
- One of the most relatable celebrity moments of 2020 was when Chris Evans accidentally leaked his own nude. To top it all, he used the opportunity to remind people to vote.
- Despite coronavirus, Disney released the live-action remake of its classic film Mulan. The $200 million film, one of the priciest of Disney's live-action remakes, grossed more than $300 million worldwide. However, it faltered at the Chinese box office. This is partly due to the Chinese government stalling its premier for a year.
- In the agricultural world, as COVID-19 infection rates rose, swarms of desert locusts were destroying hundreds of thousands of acres in East Africa. The UN agency, FAO, warned that the unprecedented size of the swarms had destructive potential if efforts to deal with the pests were not scaled up. If left unchecked, the crop devouring insects could grow 500 fold.
- From September 2019 to March 2020, unprecedented fires engulfed Australia causing untold damage. Thankfully, they rescued many animals, which they later released back into the world. Come summer, it was California's turn to deal with wildfires. In 2020, the state battled the largest wildfire in its recorded history.
- In the sports world, Super Bowl LIV happened, and Shakira and J-Lo did a concert. The duo put on a halftime show performance for the ages. However, the event birthed Baby Nut, a monocled legume reborn as an infant.
- Unfortunately, we lost many legends than we could keep track of. They include NBA legend Kobe Bryant, John Lewis, and Chadwick Boseman, the iconic Black Panther actor.
- The year ended with Bob Dylan selling his songwriting catalog of more than 600 sons to Universal Music for over $300 million.
- The world population in 2020 was 7,794,798,739 people according to data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. This figure includes both urban and rural populations. The urban population at that time accounted for 56.0% of the total population, which is roughly 4.4 billion individuals.The annual population change in 2020 was an increase of +81.0 million people, representing a percentage increase of +1.05% over the previous year.The average population density in 2020 was 32 persons per square mile (or 52 persons per square kilometer).
Find out more about your Moon Sign
A personalized Reading based on your birthdate
Get your FREE Moon Reading
Key World Leaders of 2020
Who was the U.S. President in 2020?
In 2020, Donald John Trump (Republican) was the President of the United States. His term spanned from January 21, 2017 to January 20, 2021. His presidency focused on tax cuts and renegotiating trade deals, while he became the first president to be impeached twice.
Who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2020?
In 2020 the UK Prime Minister was Boris Johnson (Conservative). During his premiership, he successfully negotiated the UK's exit from the European Union and led the country through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who was the Pope in 2020?
The leader of the Catholic Church in 2020 was Pope Francis who had held the papacy since 2013. During his pontificate, he has focused on issues of social justice, care for the environment, and reforming the Vatican bureaucracy while promoting a more pastoral Church.
What was the most popular movie in 2020?
The most popular movie and box office hit was Dolittle by Stephen Gaghan
What was the best selling book in 2020?
How old is someone born in 2020?
Someone born in 2020 is 5 years old this year.
Try out our age, time and generation calculators:
What was the Chinese Zodiac sign associated with the year 2020?
According to the Chinese Zodiac and Astrology 2020 was the Year of the Rat.
Discover Zodiac Sign Characteristics and Personality Traits of people born under the Rat sign.