Featured moment
COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Begins Globally
Mass vaccination campaigns began worldwide, with billions of doses administered as the world fought to end the pandemic.
Recovery and reset.
Vaccines rolled out, the James Webb Space Telescope launched, and the metaverse became the buzzword of the year.
The Cost of Living in 2021
Gallon of Gas
$3.06
Loaf of Bread
$1.71
Gallon of Milk
$3.81
World Population
7.90 billion
Featured moment
Facebook Rebrands to Meta
Mark Zuckerberg renamed Facebook's parent company to Meta, betting the company's future on the "metaverse."
Featured moment
James Webb Space Telescope Launches
The most powerful space telescope ever built launched on Christmas Day, promising to revolutionize our understanding of the universe.
The wider picture
More from 2021
A few more things worth remembering.
World Events
January 6 US Capitol Attack
Supporters of President Trump stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.
Cinema & TV
Squid Game Becomes Netflix's Biggest Hit
The Korean survival drama became Netflix's most-watched series ever, with 1.65 billion viewing hours.
World Events
Taliban Retake Afghanistan
The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan as US forces withdrew, ending 20 years of military presence.
Pop Culture
GameStop/Meme Stock Phenomenon
Reddit's WallStreetBets drove GameStop stock up 1,500%, challenging Wall Street and spawning the meme stock movement.
Sports
Tokyo Olympics (Delayed from 2020)
The pandemic-delayed Games went ahead without spectators, featuring new sports like skateboarding and surfing.
Technology
NFT Market Explodes
Beeple sold a digital artwork NFT for $69 million at Christie's, sparking a digital art and collectibles craze.
Cinema & TV
Dune (2021) Released
Denis Villeneuve's epic adaptation of Frank Herbert's sci-fi novel earned $400M and won 6 Academy Awards.
Gaming
Halo Infinite Released
Master Chief returned with a free-to-play multiplayer and open-world campaign on Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Music
Spotify Wrapped Goes Viral Again
Spotify's year-end personalized recap became one of the most shared pieces of content on social media.
You arrivedin 2021.
The longer view
This was only the opening scene.
Follow the world as it changed around you, from 2021 to today.