From the inauguration to the Olympics to wild winter weather, 2021 was certainly a year for the history books.
Before the clock strikes 2022, let's revisit the photos from this year's biggest events that will be what the world remembers about 2021 for years to come.
1. On January 6, Trump supporters gathered in Washington, DC for the "Stop the Steal" protest, which quickly turned dangerous as armed protestors stormed the Capitol building.
2. Violence erupted inside the Capitol, with trespassers attempting to disrupt the joint session of Congress being held to ratify Joe Biden's electoral win. Protestors smashed windows and stole property from offices in the historic building.
3. Members of Congress were ushered out of the congressional chamber by Capitol Police officers. Vice President Mike Pence was taken to a safe location after protestors began calling for him once he ceritifed Biden's win, a move he stands by, saying he knew he "did the right thing."
4. Armed officers detained some of the trespassers, whose prosecutions and trials are ongoing. Five died during the riot, including Brian Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer who suffered a stroke after being pepper sprayed. Hundreds of protestors and police officers were hospitalized due to their injuries.
5. The masked Biden family strolled through Washington, DC as part of the abbreviated inauguration parade route. While the parade typically draws thousands of spectators, it was closed to the public due to both COVID-19 concerns and the potential for protests, a threat that was heightened after the January 6 riot.
6. Kamala Harris was sworn in as the first female US vice president on January 20. In addition to being the first female vice president, Harris is also the first Black vice president and first vice president of Indian descent.
7. After the inauguration festivities, President Biden virtually swore in members of his new administration via Zoom as part of the precautions put in place due to COVID-19.
8. In February, winter storm Uri devastated Texas, bringing snow, ice, and historically low temperatures to the state. Nearly 4 million people were left without power.
9. Millions of Texans lost power, heat, and water, and were forced to rely on donations of bottled water and food. Some stored snow to melt and use as a water substitute. Volunteers from around the country flew into the Lone Star State to assist with recovery.
10. Ice left major highways in dangerous conditions, bringing traffic to a standstill throughout the state. Freezing temperatures exposed how vulnerable the state-run power grid was, as officials say the state was minutes away from uncontrolled blackouts.
11. In March, the global supply chain was disrupted when Ever Given, a massive cargo ship, got stuck in the Suez Canal, blocking traffic in both directions for nearly a week. The blockage, which brought the world some glorious memes, was finally freed by tugboats and tides brought on by the full moon.
12. While 2021 was once again heavily impacted by COVID-19, vaccines proved to be a key factor in getting back to normalcy. By December 2021, 61.4% of Americans were fully vaccinated.
13. Vaccines allowed businesses to reopen, children to return to in-person schools and families to reunite. This viral photo shows Mark Uomoto surprising his 98-year-old mother in a Seattle nursing home, after not being able to see her in person for over a year.
14. Others were not so thrilled by the vaccine rollout. Anti-mask and anti-vaccine protests popped up around the world, with many refusing to get the vaccine, despite workplace mandates.
15. On June 24, portions of a 12-story condo building in Surfside, Florida collapsed, killing 98 people and injuring a dozen more.
16. The collapse became the third-deadliest structural engineering failure in United States history. The remaining half of the building was demolished 10 days after the tragedy amid fears that it could also collapse.
17. In one of 2021's most bizarre twists yet, we saw not one, but two billionaires make it to space. Virgin Group founder Richard Branson took flight in July 2021 after nearly 17 years of planning and development.
18. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos followed nine days later, with his Blue Origin spacecraft launching out of Texas. The flight crew included 82-year-old Wally Funk and 18-year-old Oliver Daemen, making them respectively the oldest and youngest people to go to space at the time of the flight. Both Bezos and Branson have expressed that they hope their flights will pave the way for future space tourism.
19. After the 2020 Olympic Games were postponed because of COVID-19, the torch was finally lit in Tokyo in July 2021. It was the first time the games have ever been postponed for a reason other than war, and the first date change since 1944.
20. Simone Biles, who was expected to win up to six medals at the games, withdrew from several Olympic finals amid mental health concerns. Her decision proved controversial, with some praising her bravery while others called her a quitter. Biles eventually returned to competition in what was likely the final Olympic event of her career, taking home the bronze medal.
21. After winning the gold in the men's shot put, Ryan Crouser held up a sign that read: "Grandpa, we did it. 2020 Olympic Champion!" Crouser's sign paid tribute to his late grandfather, who passed away the day before Crouser left for Tokyo and paved the way for Crouser's shot put career.
22. Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy and Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar both took the gold in the men's high jump. After both completed a 2.37-meter jump, they each attempted the 2.39 meter. When neither could complete it after three tries, they elected to share the gold medal instead of continuing the jump-off.
23. On August 15, people in Afghanistan flooded the Kabul International Airport's tarmac in an attempt to escape after the country fell to the Taliban. Earlier in the week, President Biden announced that he was withdrawing all US military forces from Afghanistan effective August 31, almost 20 years to the day of the September 11 terror attacks and the start of the war.
24. The US Air Force was able to transport about 640 Afghan citizens from the Hamid Karzai International Airport, but many other Afghan allies who had aided the US military were left behind. Seven people died during the airport evacuation, with several of them falling from the jet. By August 31, 122,000 US citizens, Afghans, and allies had been evacuated.
25. On November 5, 10 concertgoers died and dozens more were injured when fans began surging toward the stage at Travis Scott's Astroworld music festival. Multiple families are suing Scott, who has denied legal liability for the tragedy.
26. And finally, on November 12, the Los Angeles Superior Court ended the conservatorship that controlled Britney Spears' life for 13 years. Fans and supporters of the Free Britney movement took to the streets to celebrate the singer's newfound freedom.
