The GameStop short squeeze reaches its peak of $483 per share, as the result of influence from the online community, r/wallstreetbets, drawing international attention.[18]
COVID-19 pandemic: A joint WHO–China investigation into the source of the outbreak concludes. Investigators deem a Wuhan laboratory leak to be "extremely unlikely", with a "natural reservoir" in bats being a more likely origin.[28]
The UAE's uncrewed Hope spacecraft becomes the first Arabian mission successfully to enter orbit around Mars.[29]
February 24 – COVID-19 pandemic: the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative delivers its first vaccines, delivering 600,000 doses for healthcare workers in Ghana.[36]
North Koreasevers diplomatic ties with Malaysia due to a Malaysian court's ruling that a North Korean citizen could be extradited to the United States to face money-laundering charges. Malaysian authorities order North Korean officials to leave the country in 48 hours.[43]
Ever Given, one of the largest container ships in the world, runs aground and obstructs the Suez Canal, disrupting global trade.[49] The ship is freed on March 29.[50]
March 25 – COVID-19 pandemic: The number of vaccinations administered worldwide exceeds 500 million.[51]
Iran accuses Israel of "nuclear terrorism" and vows revenge after a large explosion destroys the internal power system of the Natanz uranium enrichment plant.[57]
Twelve football clubs, including three from La Liga and leading clubs from the Premier League and Serie A, agree to join a new breakaway European Super League, prompting international condemnation.[64] Two days later, following major protests from supporters, other clubs and politicians, Manchester City withdraw from the league; this prompts all the remaining Premier League clubs and three others to do the same.[65]
UEFA announces that due to a lack of guarantees regarding spectators caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland would be removed as a tournament host for the UEFA Euro 2020.[73]
Following an international search and rescue effort, the Indonesian navy reports the sinking of KRI Nanggala with 53 crew members, the largest loss of life aboard a submarine since 2003.[74]
COVID-19 pandemic: The number of vaccinations administered worldwide exceeds 1 billion. Half of these doses have been administered in just three countries (the United States, China and India).[75]
May 15 – Fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants continues to escalate, as the death toll exceeds 150. An Israeli airstrike destroys a high-rise office building in Gaza occupied by Associated Press, Al Jazeera, and other media outlets.[90]
May 20 – Following international pressure, and nearly 250 deaths, Israel agrees to a ceasefire deal to end the conflict with Gaza militants, effective the next day at 2:00am local time.[95]
June 7 – The Juno spacecraft performs its only flyby of Jupiter's moon Ganymede, the first flyby of the moon by any spacecraft in over 20 years.[109][110]
July 12 – 2021 European floods: Heavy rain causes flooding in the border region of Germany and Belgium, resulting in 229 deaths, including 184 in Germany, 42 in Belgium with 1 person still missing there,[147] and 2 in Romania.[148] The event is attributed to a slowed jetstream caused by climate change.[147]
Roscosmos' Nauka laboratory docks with the International Space Station following a protracted seventeen-year development and launch on 21 July. Hours after docking, a malfunction of its thrusters causes a temporary loss of control of the station, spinning it up to 45 degrees from its normal orbital attitude.[161]
August 14 – A 7.2-magnitude earthquake strikes Haiti, killing more than 2,500 people.[174]UK coalition forces assist a child during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul
August 27 – The United States launches an airstrike that it claims killed the Islamic State member who was believed to have planned the Kabul airport bombings.[179] However, the U.S. Defense Department later acknowledged that the strike instead killed ten civilians, including seven children, and that no terrorists were killed.[180]
North Korea demonstrates two short-range ballistic missiles that land just outside Japan's territorial waters; and then only hours later South Korea demonstrates its first submarine-launched ballistic missile.[190]
AUKUS: A trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States is formed, to counter the influence of China. This includes enabling Australia to build its first nuclear-powered submarine fleet.[192]
Several ministers of the Argentine president Alberto Fernández's cabinet resign after the government's defeat in the primary elections, triggering a political crisis in the country.[193][194]
October 23 – Colombia's most wanted drug lord, Dario Antonio Úsuga, whose Gulf Clan controls many smuggling routes into the US and other countries, is captured by Colombia's armed forces.[218][219]
December 11 – New York City FC defeat the Portland Timbers at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon 5–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw, and win MLS Cup title for the first time in their history.[249]
December 16 – Typhoon Rai, also known as Typhoon Odette, hits the Philippines and caused destruction to agriculture, establishments, and houses, and caused many injured and deaths.
"CUMHURBAŞKANI KARARI 3718"(PDF). Official Gazette of Turkey (in Turkish). March 19, 2021. Archived(PDF) from the original on March 31, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
Strickland, Ashley (April 17, 2021). "NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and two Russian cosmonauts have landed back on Earth". CNN. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021. Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and NASA astronaut Kate Rubins ended their 185-day mission on the space station Friday. Their departure in the Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft aired live on NASA's TV channel and website.
Davenport, Christian (April 23, 2021). "SpaceX launches NASA's Crew-2 to orbit, its third human spaceflight in less than a year". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021. SpaceX successfully launched another crew of astronauts to the International Space Station in a predawn liftoff Friday [...] beginning a day-long journey to the space station, where the crew of four astronauts will join seven others now aboard the orbiting laboratory.
"China launches first module of new space station". BBC News. April 29, 2021. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021. China has launched a key module of a new permanent space station, the latest in Beijing's increasingly ambitious space programme. The Tianhe module – which contains living quarters for crew members – was launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre on a Long March-5B rocket. [...] Beijing plans to have at least 10 more similar launches, carrying all the additional equipment into orbit, before the completion of the station next year.
Chang, Kenneth (May 2, 2021). "SpaceX Makes First Nighttime Splash Down With Astronauts Since 1968". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021. Half a year ago, a SpaceX rocket lifted off with the four astronauts — three from NASA, one from Japan's space agency — who were sitting inside one of the company's Crew Dragon capsules. On Sunday, the same capsule, named Resilience, safely returned to Earth, just before 3 a.m. Eastern time.
"China lands its Zhurong rover on Mars". BBC News. May 15, 2021. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021. China has successfully landed a spacecraft on Mars, state media announced early on Saturday. The six-wheeled Zhurong robot was targeting Utopia Planitia...
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