World 2021 Timeline

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Showing 75 events on this page. Use search or category filters to narrow the year.
Jan
07
Politics / Government

U.S.

U.S. Rep. Scott Perry and U.S. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri object to Pennsylvania's electoral college votes, forcing a second vote to accept or reject the objection. This comes after the House and the Senate defeated a similar objection to Arizona's electoral college votes from Rep. Paul Gosar and Senator Ted Cruz. The Senate and the House both vote to reject the objection, allowing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to receive the state’s electoral votes. (The Guardian)

Jan
08
Immigration / Law / Policy

A court in Pakistan sentences three people to death and a college teacher to 10 years in prison for blasphemy.

A court in Pakistan sentences three people to death and a college teacher to 10 years in prison for blasphemy. Those convicted can now appeal to higher courts and ask for clemency from the President. Human rights groups say that the law persecutes religious minorities including Shias and the Ahmadiyya. (Al Jazeera)

Jan
08
Immigration / Law / Policy

COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden The Riksdag passes a new law that gives the government power to impose COVID-19-related lockdowns, such as ordering certain business

COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden The Riksdag passes a new law that gives the government power to impose COVID-19-related lockdowns, such as ordering certain businesses to close or prohibiting public gatherings of certain sizes. The law will take effect on January 10. (The Washington Post)

Jan
08
Politics / Government

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in New York COVID-19 pandemic in New York City New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea tests posi

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in New York COVID-19 pandemic in New York City New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea tests positive for COVID-19. (Patch.com) COVID-19 pandemic in California, COVID-19 vaccine California Governor Gavin Newsom sets a goal of vaccinating 1 million people by January 17. (The Los Angeles Times) President-elect Joe Biden says he will plan to speed up the release of vaccine doses. (USA Today)

Jan
08
Major Trends

Brisbane is placed into lockdown for three days in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 after a cleaner at a hotel quarantine site was diagnosed with a known

Brisbane is placed into lockdown for three days in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 after a cleaner at a hotel quarantine site was diagnosed with a known variant of concern. The Northern Territory and Tasmania ban all travellers from Brisbane. (ABC Australia) (The Canberra Times) (News.com.au)

Jan
08
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia Indonesia reports a record for the third consecutive day of 10,617 new cases.

COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia Indonesia reports a record for the third consecutive day of 10,617 new cases. It is the first time that the country has reported more than 10,000 cases and brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 808,340. (Kompas) The Indonesian Ulema Council gives a religious approval for use of Sinovac Biotech's vaccine, deeming it halal, or permissible under Islam. (DW)

Jan
08
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in South America COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil Brazil surpasses 8 million cases of COVID-19, becoming the third country to do so after the Unite

COVID-19 pandemic in South America COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil Brazil surpasses 8 million cases of COVID-19, becoming the third country to do so after the United States and India. (CNA) COVID-19 pandemic in Peru, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Peru reports the first case of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom in a citizen who resides in Lima and had attended a family reunion days before Christmas. (Andina)

Jan
08
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland Ireland reports a record 8,248 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to

COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland Ireland reports a record 8,248 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 135,884. (Irish Examiner) Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan announces that three cases of the South African variant of SARS-CoV-2 named 501.V2 variant have been detected in Ireland. All of the people had travelled to South Africa. (The Irish Times)

Jan
08
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom COVID-19 pandemic in England, COVID-19 pandemic in London London mayor Sadiq Khan declares a "major incident" in the cap

COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom COVID-19 pandemic in England, COVID-19 pandemic in London London mayor Sadiq Khan declares a "major incident" in the capital due to a rise in the number of cases that threatens to overwhelm hospitals. (Sky News) The United Kingdom reports a record 68,053 new confirmed cases and 1,325 deaths in the past 24 hours. (BBC News) The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approves a vaccine made by Moderna for use in the UK. This comes after clinical trials found the vaccine had an efficacy of 94.1% and 100% for severe cases. (Evening Standard)

Jan
08
Politics / Government

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces that anyone coming into Australia must present a negative COVID-19 test prior to their departure and that masks will be

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces that anyone coming into Australia must present a negative COVID-19 test prior to their departure and that masks will be mandatory on all domestic and international passenger flights. The caps on international arrivals will also be reduced for the next month. (9 News)

Jan
08
Major Trends

Tozinameran, Variants of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine developer Pfizer announces that lab studies have concluded that the joint Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine remains effective

Tozinameran, Variants of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine developer Pfizer announces that lab studies have concluded that the joint Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine remains effective against mutation variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including Variant of Concern 202012/01 and the 501.V2 variant. (BBC News)

Jan
08
Politics / Government

Trial of Benjamin Netanyahu Amid another quarantine lockdown, the next hearing in the trial of current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is postponed.

Trial of Benjamin Netanyahu Amid another quarantine lockdown, the next hearing in the trial of current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is postponed. Netanyahu stands accused, in three separate ongoing cases, of a litany of corruption accusations, including bribery, breach of trust, and fraud. (AP)

Jan
09
Health / Disasters

2020–21 European windstorm season Storm Filomena causes the death of two people from heavy rains in the province of Málaga and another two from hypothermia afte

2020–21 European windstorm season Storm Filomena causes the death of two people from heavy rains in the province of Málaga and another two from hypothermia after a blizzard hits central Spain. The Mayor of Madrid requests the assistance of the Army as he considers the situation in the capital to be of "extreme gravity". (BBC News) (Europa Press)

Jan
09
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in France, Variant of Concern 202012/01 France extends its curfew to eight departments, including Bouches-du-Rhône, which includes Marseille,

COVID-19 pandemic in France, Variant of Concern 202012/01 France extends its curfew to eight departments, including Bouches-du-Rhône, which includes Marseille, where a 6:00 p.m. curfew has been imposed after 21 people tested positive for the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that originated in the United Kingdom. (France 24)

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