What Happened In 2019?

2019 was one heck of a year! From big political changes to famous criminals caught, multiple big celebrity births, and tragic losses. But, it was also a year for important improvements and developments that changed the world forever.

We were one year away from the chaos of COVID-19 – making this the final year before the “New Normal” changed things forever. Here are some of the most important things that happened in 2019.

In this year

1January

The US government shutdown lasted for 35 days. In so doing, it became the longest-lasting government shutdown in American government history. The shutdown occurred due to an impasse over President Donald Trump’s infamous demand for $5.7 billion in federal funds for a US–Mexico border wall – however, it is believed that the shutdown itself cost the nation at least $11 billion!

2February

Pope Francis made history by holding an unprecedented summit on allegations of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. Bishops from around the world met in the Vatican for the four-day summit – it was the latest in a series of progressive motions from the Pope, who had made it clear he intended to make changes to the church.

3March

Following the vote to leave the European Union, the British Parliament voted again to delay Brexit and request an extension from the EU. The finalization of the deal took years to approve and has had a long list of impacts on both British and European citizens – it wasn’t until the second year of COVID that Brexit finally came to pass!

4April

The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris caught fire, causing significant damage to one of France’s most iconic monuments. It took a total of nine hours to stop the fire completely. It is believed that the Cathedral will reopen to the public by December 2024, although construction will continue past then, particularly to rebuild the spire.

5May

A tremendous archaeological discovery opened historians’ eyes in May 2019, as it emerged that early humans lived high up in Tibetan altitudes more than 160,000 years ago. This was a huge moment for understanding our connection to ancient Denisovans – and gave us even more insight into our evolution.

6June

British Prime Minister Theresa May, following a series of battles within the Conservative Party over Brexit, resigned as of June 7th – she stepped down as leader of the party, and thus from her role as PM. She would be succeeded by Boris Johnson, who would see Brexit through to completion, but cause controversy through COVID-19 and “Partygate.”

7July

The infamous Jeffrey Epstein was arrested. The ex-financier was arrested on sex trafficking charges – he would later kill himself in prison.

8August

The Amazon rainforest caught fire. In fact, the area experienced severe widespread wildfires that drew international attention – spreading across about 906,000 hectares of forestry, putting animal habitats at risk.

9September

Greta Thunberg shook the world by leading climate strikes and protests. Following her lead, protests took place around the world, demanding governments everywhere take the ecological crises taking place worldwide seriously. At just 16 years old, Thunberg would be named TIME’s Person of The Year for 2019.

10October

Christina Koch and Jessica Mair made NASA history on October 18th – they became the first astronauts to complete an all-female spacewalk around the International Space Station!

11November

Venice, Italy’s famous canal-filled city, experienced severe flooding in November 2019 –in fact, it reached its highest levels of flooding in over 50 years. The flood damage is said to have topped more than €1 billion.

12December

Donald Trump was impeached. In December 2019, the US House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump on charges of obstruction of Congress and abuse of power.

2019 was the year of the…pig!

Like 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, and 2007, 2019 raised a glass or two to people born under the pig sign in the Chinese Zodiac. People born in pig years are said to be generous, compassionate, energetic, and enthusiastic. They are also very responsible and reliable people. The next pig year won’t be until 2031!

Celebrity Births in 2019

• Gene Attell Fischer (Born May 5th, parents Amy Schumer and Chris Fischer)
• Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor (Born May 6th, parents Prince Harry and Meghan Markle)
• Psalm West (Born May 10th, parents Kim Kardashian and Kanye West)
• Lyla Maria Schwarzenegger Pratt (Born August, parents Katherine Schwarzenegger and Chris Pratt)
• Betty Reynolds (Born October, parents Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds)

Famous People We Lost in 2019

• Luke Perry, American actor, died aged 52
• Doris Day, American singer, died aged 97
• Karl Lagerfeld, German fashion designer, died aged 85
• Cameron Boyce, American actor, died aged 20
• Rip Torn, American actor, died aged 88