- July 14
- US President Donald Trump signs the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, authorizing sanctions on those involved in "extinguishing Hong Kong's freedom", and ruling that Hong Kong is no longer a separate economic entity from the People's Republic of China. [1491.31]
- July 15
- NBC Universal launches the Peacock video streaming service in the USA. [1491.52]
- July 16
- In Guyana, Chan Santokhi is sworn in as new president. [1476.27]
- July 19
- Flooding of the Brahmaputra River kills 189 and leaves 4 million homeless in India and Nepal. [1384]
- July 20
- From the spaceport on Tanegashima, Kyushu, Japan, the United Arab Emirates' Al Amal Mars orbiter is launched. [1474.10,62]
- July 21
- European leaders agree to create a 750 billion euro (US$858 billion) recovery fund to rebuild EU economies impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. [1384] [1472.4] [1474.39]
- July 22
- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 15 million worldwide. [1384]
- July 23
- From the Wenchang Space Launch Centre on Hainan Island, People's Republic of China, the Tianwen-1 Mars mission is launched, consisting of orbiter, lander, and rover. [1474.10,62]
- July 25
- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un convenes an emergency meeting, declares a state of emergency, and orders the lockdown of Kaesong after a person suspected of having COVID-19 returned from South Korea. [1384]
- July 28
- Former Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak is found guilty of all seven charges in the first of five trials on the 1MDB scandal, being jailed 12 years and fined RM210 million as a result. [1384]
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- July 30
- From the spaceport at Cape Canaveral, Florida, NASA successfully launches its Perseverance Mars 2020 rover mission to search for signs of ancient life on the planet, and collect samples for return to Earth. The mission includes technology demonstrations to prepare for future human missions. [1384] [1474.62]
- August 1
- The Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates becomes operational. It is the first commercial nuclear power station in the Arab world. [1384]
- August 2
- In Guyana, the Elections Commission declares Irfaan Ali is the winner of the March 2 presidential election. [1476.27]
- August 4
- An explosion caused by unsafely stored ammonium nitrate kills over 220 people, injures thousands, and severely damages the port in Beirut, Lebanon. Damage is estimated at US$10-15 billion, and an estimated 300,000 people are left homeless. [1384] [1476.5,8] [1478.42]
- August 5
- U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar travels to Taiwan, the highest U.S. official visit to the country in 40 years. Officials of the People's Republic of China condemn the visit. [1384]
- General election in Sri Lanka. The United National Party drops from 106 to 1 member in parliament. The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party gets 145 seats. [1478.36]
- August 7
- Air India Express Flight 1344 crashes after overrunning the runway at Calicut International Airport in Kerala, India, killing 19 of the 191 people on board. [1384]
- August 9
- Belarus election, Alexander Lukashenko claims 80 percent win. [1470.52] [1475.9] [1477.6]
- August 10
- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 20 million worldwide. [1384]
- Prime Minister Hassan Diab of Lebanon resigns. [1478.42]
- August 11
- Russian President Vladimir Putin announces that Russia has approved the world's first COVID-19 vaccine. [1384]
- August 13
- Israel and the United Arab Emirates agree to normalise relations, marking the third Israel-Arab peace deal. [1384] [1477.38]
- August 15
- The Japanese bulk carrier Wakashio, which stranded on a reef in Mauritius last month, breaks in half. Approximately 1,000 tonnes of oil are spilled into the ocean, becoming the largest environmental disaster in the history of Mauritius. [1384]
- August 18
- A mutiny in a military base by soldiers of the Malian Armed Forces develops into a coup d'état. President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta and Prime Minister Boubou Cissé, among other senior governmental and military officers, are arrested. [1384] [1477.10]
- August 19
- Apple becomes the first American company with a valuation of US$2 trillion. [1477.63]
- The Special Tribunal for Lebanon convicts in absentia Salim Ayyash, a senior member of Hezbollah, for the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. [1384]
- August 22
- The worldwide death toll from COVID-19 exceeds 800,000. [1384]
- August 25
- Africa is declared free of wild polio, the second virus to be eradicated from the continent since smallpox 40 years ago. [1384]
- August 26
- Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos becomes the first person in history to have a net worth exceeding US$200 billion, according to Forbes. [1384]
- August 28
- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving prime minister in the history of Japan, announces his resignation from office, citing ill health. [1384]
- August 30
- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 25 million worldwide. [1384]
- September 3
- The skeletons of 200 mammoths and 30 other animals are unearthed at a construction site for the Mexico City Santa Lucía Airport. It is the largest find of mammoth bones to date. [1384]
- Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and Abdelaziz al-Hilu, the leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North, sign an agreement to transition the country into a secular state. [1384]
- September 4
- The La Línea highway tunnel, the longest road tunnel in South America at a length of 8.65 kilometres (5.37 miles), is opened in Colombia after 14 years of construction. [1384]
- Kosovo and Serbia announce that they will normalize economic relations. The two countries will also move their Israeli embassies to Jerusalem, becoming the third and fourth countries to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. [1384]
- Bahrain and Israel agree to normalise relations, marking the fourth Israel-Arab peace deal. [1384]
- Pope Benedict XVI becomes the longest-lived pope at 93 years, four months, and 16 days, surpassing Pope Leo XIII, who died in 1903. [1384]
- September 6
- Typhoon Haishen makes landfall on Japan and then South Korea as a strong category 2-equivalent typhoon. [1384]
- September 14
- The first discovery of the perfectly preserved remains of a cave bear, believed to be 22,000 to 39,500 years old (Late Pleistocene), is made in Lyakhovsky Islands, Siberia in the thawing permafrost. [1384]
- September 16
- A United Nations Human Rights Council fact-finding mission formally accuses the Venezuelan government of crimes against humanity, including cases of killings, torture, violence against political opposition and disappearances since 2014. President Nicolás Maduro and other senior Venezuelan officials are among those implicated in the charges. [1384]
- Yoshihide Suga becomes the new Prime Minister of Japan, replacing Shinzo Abe. [1384]
- September 17
- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 30 million worldwide. [1384]
- France, Germany, and the United Kingdom issue a joint note verbale to the United Nations rejecting China's claims to the South China Sea, and supporting the ruling in Philippines v. China that said the historic rights per the nine-dash line ran counter to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. However the statement says that on "territorial sovereignty" they "take no position". [1384]
- September 19
- A 1634 edition of The Two Noble Kinsmen, the last play by English playwright William Shakespeare, is discovered at the Royal Scots College's library in Salamanca, Spain. It is believed to be the oldest copy of any of his works in the country. [1384]
- September 20
- BuzzFeed News and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) release the FinCEN Files, a collection of 2,657 documents relating to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network describing over 200,000 suspicious transactions valued at over US$2 trillion that occurred from 1999 to 2017 across multiple global financial institutions. [1384]
- September 27
- Deadly clashes erupt in Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces. Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Republic of Artsakh introduce martial law and mobilize forces. [1384]
- September 29
- The Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Sabah dies at the age of 91. Crown Prince Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is named his successor. [1384]
- The worldwide death toll from COVID-19 exceeds one million. [1384]
- October 1
- Tokyo, Japan, stock exchange has full-day outage, first time in over 20 years, due to malfunctioning data device. [1465.5]
- October 2
- US President Donald Trump announces he has tested positive for Covid-19. [1465.8]
- October 5
- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 35 million worldwide. [1384]
- US President Donald Trump returns to the White House from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, recovering from Covid-19. [1465.8]
- The World Health Organization estimates that total worldwide cases of COVID-19 may be around 760 million - roughly a tenth of the global population. [1384]
- October 10
- Armenia and Azerbaijan agree on a ceasefire in the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. [1384]
- October 15
- President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov resigns from office after weeks of massive protests in the wake of the October 2020 parliamentary election; opposition leader Sadyr Japarov assumes office as both the acting president and Prime Minister. [1384]
- The Government of Thailand declares a "severe" state of emergency, banning gatherings of five or more people, initiating a crackdown on demonstrations, and imposing media censorship. [1384]
- October 17
- Jacinda Ardern's Labour Party of new Zealand wins a landslide second term in office, defeating the National Party led by Judith Collins and gaining the country's first parliamentary majority since the introduction of the MMP voting system. [1384] [1465.33]
- October 18
- General elections in Bolivia. Luis Arce wins presidency with 54.5 percent of vote. [1466.6]
- October 19
- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 40 million worldwide. [1384]
- October 20
- US Department of Justice files a lawsuit versus Alphabet for anti-trust, alleging anticompetitive practices to maintain monopoly in Internet search via Google. [1466.6]
- October 21
- Heavy rains brought by tropical storm Linfa cause landslides at the Rao Trang 3 hydroelectric plant in Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam, killing 17 construction workers and 13 soldiers who were on a rescue mission. [1384]
- October 22
- The Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women's Health and Strengthening the Family is signed by government representatives from 34 countries. [1384]
- October 23
- Israel and Sudan agree to normalise relations, marking the fifth Israel-Arab peace deal. [1384]
- At the end of an 11-year demining process, the Falkland Islands are declared free of land mines, 38 years after the end of the 1982 war. [1384]
- October 26
- NASA confirms the existence of molecular water on the sunlit side of the Moon, near Clavius crater, at concentrations of up to 412 parts per million. [1384]
- October 29
- The International Organization for Migration confirms the death of least 140 migrants who drowned off the coast of Senegal on a vessel bound for the Spanish Canary Islands. [1384]
- October 30
- A magnitude 7.0 earthquake hits Turkey and Greece, killing 119 people and injuring over 1,000. [1384]
- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 45 million worldwide. [1384]
- October 31
- Typhoon Goni makes landfall in the Philippines, becoming the strongest landfalling tropical cyclone in history, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and killing dozens of people in the region. [1384]
- November 1
- Former Prime Minister and Minister of Education Maia Sandu is elected as the 6th President of Moldova. [1384]
- November 3
- Hurricane Eta makes landfall in Nicaragua as category 4 strength, killing over 100 people in Central America. [1384]
- Joe Biden is elected as the 46th President of the United States. [1384]
- November 4
- The United States formally exits the Paris Agreement on climate change. [1384]
- November 8
- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 50 million worldwide. [1384]
- November 9
- The first successful phase III trial (over 40,000 people) of a COVID-19 vaccine is announced by drug companies Pfizer and BioNTech, which is 90% effective in preventing illness according to interim results. [1384] [1468.21]
- Armenia and Azerbaijan sign a Russia-brokered ceasefire agreement. [1384]
- November 10
- Armenia Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signs agreement to end war over Nagorno-Karabakh. [1468.11]
- President Martin Vizcarra of Peru is impeached; head of congress Manuel Merino is sworn in as interim president. [1468.11]
- November 11
- The Sputnik V vaccine is proven to be 92% effective against COVID-19 according to interim results. [1384]
- November 12
- Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers resign en masse, in response to four lawmakers' disqualification made by the government. [1384]
- November 15
- The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is signed by 15 Asia-Pacific countries to form the world's largest free-trade bloc, covering a third of the world's population. [1384]
- NASA and SpaceX launch the SpaceX Crew-1 mission from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A to the ISS, the first operational flight of the Crew Dragon capsule. [1384]
- November 16
- Hurricane Iota makes landfall in Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane, devastating the area. [1384]
- Moderna's mRNA vaccine is proven to be 94.5% effective against COVID-19 based on interim results, including severe illnesses. [1384] [1469.6]
- SpaceX Dragon caspsule delivers four astronauts to the International Space Station. [1469.6]
- November 17
- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 55 million worldwide. [1384]
- November 18
- Pfizer and BioNTech complete trials on their COVID-19 vaccine, with an overall effectiveness rate of 95% without adverse events. [1384] [1469.6]
- November 22
- The United States withdraws from the Treaty on Open Skies. [1384]
- November 23
- AstraZeneca's AZD1222 vaccine, developed in collaboration with Oxford University, is shown to be 70% effective in protecting against COVID-19. The efficacy can be raised to 90% if an initial half dose is followed by a full dose a month later, based on interim data. [1384]
- November 25
- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 60 million worldwide. [1384]
- November 27
- Iran's top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, is assassinated near Tehran. [1384]
- November 28
- Boko Haram jihadists attack a farm in Jere, Nigeria, killing at least 43 people. [1384]
- November 30
- Moderna in the USA announces completion of Phase 3 clinical trials of its mRNA-1273 Covid-19 vaccine, declaring it to be 94.1% effective. [1537.30]
- Protein folding, one of the biggest mysteries in biology, is solved by AlphaFold, an artificial intelligence algorithm developed by DeepMind. [1384]
- A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs; the last of four lunar eclipses in 2020. [1384]
- December 1
- The Arecibo Telescope of the Arecibo Observatory collapses, just weeks after the announcement of its planned demolition. [1384]
- December 2
- The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs votes to remove cannabis from a list of dangerous drugs in recognition of its medical value, although some controls will remain. [1384]
- The United Kingdom approves Pfizer-BioNTech's BNT162b2 vaccine, being the first country in the world to do so. [1384] [1470.65]
- December 4
- The United States announces its withdrawal from the Somali civil war over the next month. [1384]
- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 65 million worldwide, with the global death toll exceeding 1.5 million. [1384]
- December 5
- Russia begins mass vaccination against COVID-19 with the Sputnik V vaccine. [1384]
- December 7
- Romanian Prime Minister Ludovic Orban resigns. [1430.12]
- December 8
- The United Kingdom begins a mass inoculation campaign using the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. [1384] [1430.12]
- Nepal and China officially agree on Mount Everest's actual height, which is 8,848.86m. [1384]
- December 10
- Israel and Morocco normalise diplomatic relations. [1384]
- The United States reaffirms its previous recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara and announces plans to build a consulate there. [1384]
- The United States and Saudi Arabia approve the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, while Argentina approves Sputnik V. [1384]
- December 11
- The European Union agrees to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% over the next decade. [1384]
- December 12
- Bhutan and Israel normalise diplomatic relations. [1384]
- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 70 million worldwide. [1384]
- December 13
- After taking off from Mojave Air and Space Port, New Mexico, USA, VMS Eve carrier aircraft launches VSS Unity rocket plane, which then flies into space and back. [1575.24]
- December 14
- The United States removes Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. [1384]
- The United States places sanctions on Turkey in retaliation for their purchase of a S-400 missile system from Russia, making the first time they have sanctioned a NATO ally. [1384]
- A total solar eclipse is visible from parts of the South Pacific Ocean, southern South America, and the South Atlantic Ocean. [1384]
- The United States and Canada begin mass vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. [1384] [1431.4]
- Singapore approves the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, with other companies to provide vaccines progressively. [1384]
- December 15
- The International Criminal Court accuses the Philippines of crimes against humanity in its war on drugs. [1384]
- December 18
- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 75 million worldwide. [1384]
- The United States approves Moderna's vaccine for emergency use, the second brand available there. [1384]
- December 21
- 36 cases of Covid-19 are reported on Antarctic, the last continent to report infections. [1384]
- December 23
- Canada approves Moderna's vaccine, the second country to do so. [1384]
- December 24
- The United Kingdom and the European Union agree to a comprehensive free trade agreement prior to the end of the transition period. [1384]
- Sinovac's vaccine reaches a rate of 91.25% efficacy in trials in Turkey. [1384]
- December 27
- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 80 million worldwide. [1384]
- December 29
- The 2020 Petrinja earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 strikes Croatia, killing seven and injuring more than 20. [1384]
- December 30
- The United Kingdom approves AstraZeneca-Oxford's vaccine, the second one available. [1384]
- December 31
- The transition period following the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union on 31 January 2020 expires. [1384]
- Year
- Great Britain year GDP: -11%. Largest fall in GDP since 1709. [1659.6]
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