Year-end articles follow a well-worn format: predictions pieces enumerating what is likely to happen in the following year or a trends wrap-up with a pithy regurgitation of the biggest news of the past 12 months.
But 2020 is a year that defies a neat summary. Immense tragedy collided with unprecedented innovation. Extreme selfishness rubbed shoulders with selfless sacrifice. A wrongful death galvanized the entire nation and indeed the world. And the human spirit — challenged by death, destruction, our own limitations, and yes even our triumphs — somehow soldiered on.
In the following pages, we attempt to capture this bewildering and memorable year by highlighting the phenomena and personalities who made it so.
