About this section In years to come, when you tell people how you lived through 2020, some won’t believe it. But in this historic, turbulent, divisive gut-punch of a year, USA TODAY Network photographers found beauty and triumph. From record-breaking storms to tear-jerking success in the sports arena, to what we consider normal pre- and post-COVID-19, these photos will help one day make sense of a year with too many “oh, yeah, that actually happened!” moments. As the USA TODAY Network combines the best journalism from USA TODAY as well as Gannett’s 550-plus publications across the U.S., these photos span the nation.
8 12 22
2
32
Year in politics
40
A year in contrasts
Sports moments
COVID-19
Social justice
44
Moments of normalcy
Staff
Inside
3
Weather & climate Editor LISA GLOWINSKI Copy editor MICHAEL TOESET Art director TONY FERNANDEZ-DAVILA Cover photo: A woman tearfully joins protesters at Union Square in Manhattan on May 30. All photos from USA TODAY Network ©2020 GANNETT CO. INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Weather &climate May 19, Syracuse, Kansas: Lighting strikes in front of a shelf cloud of a tornado-warned supercell thunderstorm during a storm chase.
A year of
extremes
About 200 students gathered at the Indiana Statehouse Jan. 28 for the first ever Youth Climate Action Day.
Record heat and cold. More hurricanes than forecasters had names for. Tornado Alley moving ever more southeast. And kids spoke out for climate change awareness. Yes, weather was a hot topic in 2020.
Noel Zepeda, 3, stays cool in a kiddie pool as his grandmother, Guadalupe Zepeda, looks on at her home in Phoenix July 13. Temperatures at Sky Harbor International Airport hit 114 degrees, tying a record high for the date, according to the National Weather Service.
Sept. 16, Orange Beach, Alabama: A man uses a kayak to travel down the street as Hurricane Sally leaves widespread damage.
4
Cumulus clouds gather over a field being turned in Chili, New York, May 26. Temperatures were in the high 80s.
Scientific studies have found that climate change is affecting the flow of the Colorado River, which is fed by snow in the Rocky Mountains. Photographed Feb. 22.
Dozens gathered outside the Indiana Statehouse during the Global Day of Climate Action Sept. 25 to decry environmental racism and encourage civic engagement to counteract climate change in Indianapolis.
The tree that sliced through the home of Essie Queen Young in Pickens, Mississippi, during severe storms and a possible tornado Jan. 5 destroyed her mobile home but left her with only a scratch.
5
Tornado damage near East End United Methodist Church in East Nashville, Tennessee, on March 3.
6
Mark Broekhuizen, 17, walks through the remains of Ken Gluck’s house in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, March 6. These walls are the only ones left standing after the tornado that ripped through Middle Tennessee and is where Gluck hid during the storm.
A damaged car in Bassfield, Mississippi, April 14, two days after an Easter tornado.
Joshua Wright beholds the Tahuya State Forest’s “Tip Top” property not far from the great bend of Hood Canal. Wright, a climate activist who lives in Union, Washington, is working with neighbors and other activtists to try to save it from being cut down in a logging sale by the state’s Department of Natural Resources.
A statue of Mary sits untouched but surrounded by tornado debris April 14 at a home in Bassfield, Mississippi.
7
Feb. 2, Miami Gardens, Florida: Kansas City Chiefs nose tackle Derrick Nnadi (91) slides through the confetti after winning Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium.
Sports
moments 8
Highs and lows Sports gave us something to cheer for during the pandemic year, rooting on first-time champs and longtime legends. But the most affecting story may have been the loss of basketball legend Kobe Bryant in January. Here, photos tell the story.
Feb. 2, Miami Gardens, Florida: Kansas City Chiefs celebrate with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) celebrates after defeating the San Francisco 49ers to win Super Bowl LIV.
Oct. 11, Lake Buena Vista, Florida: Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) hugs forward Jared Dudley (10) after winning the 2020 NBA Finals over the Miami Heat at AdventHealth Arena. Oct. 11, Lake Buena Vista, Florida: The Los Angeles Lakers pose for a photo after Game Six of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena. The Los Angeles Lakers won 106-93 to win the series.
9
The sports world lost a legend in Kobe Bryant after a Jan. 26 helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, killed him, his daughter Gianna and seven others. Bryant was 41; his daughter, 13. FILE PHOTO, USA TODAY SPORTS
Oct. 27, Arlington, Texas: Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Julio Urias (7) and the team celebrate defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in game six of the 2020 World Series at Globe Life Field.
10
Sept. 9, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Pirates stand for the national anthem before playing the Chicago White Sox at PNC Park. All Pirates players and coaches are wearing the number 21 in honor of the late Pirate right fielder on Roberto Clemente Day in Major League Baseball.
Sept. 25, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: The Tampa Bay Lightning celebrate a game winning goal scored by defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk (22) against the Dallas Stars during overtime in Game 4 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place.
Sept. 28, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: The Tampa Bay Lightning celebrate winning the Stanley Cup in Game 6 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Final after defeating the Dallas Stars.
March 24, Tokyo, Japan: The Olympic rings monument at Rainbow Bridge, Odaiba, Tokyo. The IOC announced that the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics would be postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
11
COVID-19
Sept. 21, Washington, D.C.: Emilia Vice, 1, from Washington, D.C., stands in the field of flags on the National Mall as COVID Memorial Project volunteers place flags to memorialize the 200,000 U.S. deaths from COVID-19.
12
Story of the year
The thread that tied everything about 2020 together was the emergence of novel coronavirus 2019, or COVID-19. With no known cure, it killed more than 270,000 Americans, but in December hope grew for an effective vaccine in 2021.
A member of the color guard awaits the arrival of the hearse that carries the body of Frank Scorpo, a 34-year-old motorcycle officer who had been hospitalized for more than 10 days with COVID19, outside of police headquarters in Paterson, New Jersey, April 12.
Volunteers at William Paterson University, which is the newest site of COVID-19 testing for Passaic County residents only with a doctor’s prescription in Wayne, New Jersey, March 25.
March 3, Washington, D.C.: Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy znd Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, testifies before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on how the U.S. Is responding to COVID-19.
March 19, Framingham, Massachusetts: Stop and Shop opened early for seniors for the first time. Eleanor Leach, of Framingham, said she’s happy for the opportunity. “It’s a wonderful idea,” she said. “After this, I’m hibernating.”
13
Sophia Ramirez, 7, leaves school Visalia, California, with her mother, Teresa Ramirez, and a Chromebook, her first computer, Aug. 10. The district began the 2020-21 school year with remote learning.
Chillicothe City Schools in Ohio had their first day of school Aug. 10, the first in the area to do so with many precautions in place to help limit the spread of COVID19, including one-way hallways, masks, distancing, limited interactions during meals, temperature checks and the use of Plexiglas.
Cheryl Norton of Blue Ash, Ohio, hugs her daughter Kelsey Kerr, 28, an ICU nurse at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati working the front lines during the pandemic, April 3. Norton so much wanted to hug her, so she put a sheet over her so she could hold her tight, just for a moment. After this hug, Cheryl dropped the covering in the garage. It will lie there for three days before she washes it in hot soapy water. And she, of course, washed her hands.
14
Kindergarten teacher Ersurine Lowe reviews the schedule on the first day of hybrid school at Edward Williams School in Mount Vernon, New York, Nov. 16. The district began its three phase re-opening with pre-kindergarten to third-grade classes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Students go through the lunch line at Garden City Elementary School in Jacksonville, Florida, Aug. 18. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, extra safety precautions are in place, including individually wrapping the food and social distancing with Xs on the floor for guidance.
Oct. 23, Washington, D.C.: Walter Larkin, the son of D.C. National Guard Capt. Matthew Larkin, walks through the “In America: How Could This Happen” art project installed on the D.C. Armory Parade Ground and created by artist Suzanne Firstenberg. The project honored each of the nearly 240,000 lives lost in the U.S. due to COVID-19 with a white flag.
15
A dining “igloo” sits outside THEA in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Nov. 10. Owner AnnMarie Nelms purchased the tents, which are outfitted with patio lights and a speaker, this autumn in preparation for outdoor dining in the upcoming winter months amid COVID19 restrictions.
Nov. 12, Columbus, Ohio: A nurse waits for patients at a COVID-19 testing site at the Ohio State Expo Center and Fairgrounds. Medical staff from Columbus Public Health, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, OhioHealth and Mount Carmel were on hand to administer PCR tests.
16
Daniel Uhlfelder of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, walks past a lifeguard stand at Pensacola Beach dressed as the Grim Reaper May 8. Uhlfelder wants the public to know that he doesn’t believe it is safe for people to return to the beaches during the coronavirus pandemic.
Nov. 2, Washington, D.C.: Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits the project “In America: How Could This Happen” created by Washington, D.C., artist Suzanne Firstenberg at the D.C. Armory Parade Grounds, along with Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser and Chef Jose Andres. The project was created by Firstenberg to mourn and honor those in the U.S. who have died from COVID-19.
Zayid Muhammad, community activist, talks Oct. 12 about how communities of color have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, with high case counts and deaths in Newark, New Jersey, the most populous city in the state and the heart of Essex County.
17
Wilmington, Delaware, residents get tested for COVID-19 Nov. 15 at a drive-through screening and testing center hosted by ChristianaCare at P.S. duPont Middle School.
A person is tested for COVID-19 Nov. 13 at the FITTEAM Ball Park of The Palm Beaches drive-through facility in West Palm Beach, Florida.
18
A small cemetery in south Juarez, Mexico, is taking extra precautions when burying those who died from COVID19 Nov. 17. The caskets are entombed in concrete and then covered with several feet of sand.
19
Chris and Kim Johnston touch hands with Kim’s mom, Marilyn Ramone, through the “Looking Glass” at The Springs at Sunnyview retirement home in Salem, Oregon, May 10.
Truck Ridgeway receives a COVID-19 test at Native Health in Phoenix May 16.
20
A COVID-19 patient is moved from an intensive care unit Nov. 5 at UW Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. The U.S. is contending with its third, and worst, wave of the virus yet. On Nov. 4, for the first time, more than 100,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported in a day. National Guard Sgt. Aaron Brummett tests residents of the Barry Towers in Memphis, Tennessee, for COVID-19 Nov. 10. Guardsmen have been supplementing local and state health departments conducting the tests around the state.
21
Social justice A protestor runs from a cloud of tear gas on the steps of the Iowa State Capitol May 30 in Des Moines. The second night of protests echo the protests around the country following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
22
A nation says
‘enough!’
Outrage over the killings of Black Americans by police spurred nationwide protests this summer. Counterprotests showed the feeling was not universal. Follow the news on these issues at usatoday.com/ news/race-in-america.
LMPD officer Christian Lewis wipes tears away after hugging a few citizens as hundreds gathered to protest the death of David McAtee, a beloved BBQ owner who was shot and killed amid gunfire by LMPD and Kentucky National Guard June 1 in West Louisville.
A demonstration May 7 of at least 200 people in downtown Indianapolis, demanding IMPD accountability after the killing of Dreasjon “Sean” Reed during a police pursuit a day earlier.
Members of the boogaloo bois movement “take a knee” on the Capitol steps during a rally in Lansing, Michigan, Oct. 17.
23
Protesters march through downtown Nashville, Tennessee, June 4. Protests continued after the death of George Floyd, after he was pinned down while handcuffed by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day.
24
May 28, Minneapolis: Protesters set the Minneapolis Police 3rd precinct ablaze during continued protest around the city after the death of George Floyd, a Black man, in police custody.
Aug. 23, Kenosha, Wisconsin: A man confronts police outside the Kenosha Police Department. Kenosha police shot a man that evening, setting off unrest in the city after a video appeared to show the officer firing several shots at close range into the man’s back.
25
The fourth night of demonstrations in Memphis, Tennessee, May 30 saw protesters face off with police in riot gear near the Orpheum on South Main Street. The protests are in reaction to the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died after being pinned down by a white Minneapolis police officer on Memorial Day.
Jefferson Square in Louisville, Kentucky, was packed Sept. 25 with American as well as international media at the first Breonna Taylor case press conference since the grand jury decision was announced Sept. 23.
26
Protesters rally in downtown Indianapolis May 30 after a series of prominent Black deaths that have inflamed racial tensions across the United States.
27
June 3, Minneapolis: Former NFL player Tyrone Carter passionately speaks at the George Floyd memorial site at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue.
28
A protester breaks free from Louisville police after they attempted to arrest him Sept. 23 during protests after the grand jury decision announcement in the Breonna Taylor case.
Approximately 50 people attended a candlelight vigil for Breonna Taylor in Paterson, New Jersey, Sept. 24.
29
May 30, Cincinnati, Ohio: An irate protestor shouts at Cincinnati Police in riot gear as the march clashes with police near Washington Park. Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood and downtown in solidarity with protesters in other U.S. cities, speaking out against police brutality. Aug. 28, Washington, D.C.: Marchers push down barricades after coming to bottlenecks while departing the Lincoln Memorial at the start of the Get Off Our Necks Commitment March.
Artwork in remembrance of Breonna Taylor at Jefferson Square Park in Louisville Sept. 10.
30
A portrait of Breonna Taylor is surrounded by tributes and lights in downtown Louisville on June 18.
31
Year in politics
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks to a crowd of supporters in Columbia after his victory in the South Carolina primary Feb. 29.
32
An election for the record books President Trump enters the Caloosa Sound Convention Center and Amphitheater in downtown Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 16.
Aug. 17, Milwaukee: Former First Lady Michelle Obama delivers the keynote address to viewers during the Democratic National Convention at the Wisconsin Center. Conventions went virtual this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The highest voter turnout in modern history. Unprecedented scrutiny of the polls. And a slew of diverse candidates winning seats in Congress — not to mention the first female vice president of color. Yes, 2020’s election was history-making.
(Left to right) U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California, Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker raise arms after Biden takes the stage to speak to a crowd during a Get Out the Vote event at Renaissance High School in Detroit March 9.
President Trump supporters listen to Donald Trump Jr. speak at a rally in Harrison Township, Michigan, Sept. 14. A couple of thousand supporters were there along with Kid Rock, who performed after Trump spoke.
33
Sept. 29, Cleveland, Ohio: President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate (and former vice president) Joe Biden appear at the Cleveland Clinic in the first presidential debate.
34
March 3, Detroit: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks to a crowd at Eastern Market.
Feb. 3, Des Moines, Iowa: Vermont Sen. and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks with his family on stage during his Caucus Day rally.
35
Aug. 18, Milwaukee: Rep. Alexandria OcasioCortez of New York speaks to viewers from Washington, D.C., during the virtual Democratic National Convention at the Wisconsin Center.
Aug. 20, Milwaukee: In this screen grab from the Democratic National Convention video stream, Cedric Richmond Jr., son of U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-Louisiana, recites the Pledge of Allegiance at the Wisconsin Center.
36
Nov. 7, New York, New York: Thousands of New Yorkers gather in Times Square to watch Joe Biden give his first speech as president-elect after the election was called for him earlier in the day.
Nov. 1, Rothschild, Wisconsin: Ivanka Trump addresses supporters during a Make America Great Again rally at Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center. Trump was in the area to rally support for her father, President Donald Trump, ahead of the election.
June 18, Washington, D.C.: Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and former National Security Advisor John Bolton mimics photos of President Trump holding a Bible after an interview with USA TODAY D.C. Bureau Chief Susan Page in advance of the release of his book, “The Room Where It Happened.”
Aug. 27, Washington, D.C.: In this screen grab from Republican National Convention video stream, President Donald Trump speaks at the White House.
37
Nov. 7, Wilmington, Delaware: Presidentelect Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden (right), with Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris and husband Doug Emhoff, are joined by family members and wave after Biden delivered his victory address after being declared the winner in the 2020 presidential election.
Aug. 26, Washington, D.C.: In this screen grab from the Republican National Convention video stream, from left, First Lady Melania Trump, President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence stand as country star Trace Adkins sings the national anthem after the vice president spoke from Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, during the Republican National Convention at the Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C.
38
Aug. 20, Wilmington, Delaware: Joe and Jill Biden watch fireworks after the former vice president accepted the nomination for the presidency at the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention.
39
Josh Roy, 13, lifts his arm while clinical nurse Andrea Fredricks takes his blood pressure at Riley Hospital for Children Outpatient Center in Indianapolis on Feb. 3.
A year in contrasts
A meme arose this year dubbed “How it started vs. how it’s going.” Here’s our take on it.
McLaren Flint staff and family sing “Amazing Grace” while gathered outside of the hospital in Flint, Michigan, Nov. 9 for a vigil for Santa Staples, an operating room nurse and an executive board member of Local 875 who passed away from COVID19.
40
Father Jose Luis Mesa celebrates Ash Wednesday Mass at Sacred Heart Church in the Segundo Barrio, El Paso, Texas, Feb. 26. Ash Wednesday marks the start of the Lenten season.
Parishioners fill only every other pew in an effort to social distance while attending Mass at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church Nov. 15 in Perry, Iowa. The Diocese of Des Moines announced masks would be required during all public Masses, sacramental celebrations and other events in church buildings.
41
Children pay close attention as they learn all about penguins. Captain Jack, a 4-yearold South African black-footed penguin, visited the students at Palisades Pre-School & Kindergarten in Fort Lee, New Jersey, Jan. 30.
Students work on their laptops in Tracy Bramel’s second-grade class at Norman Smith Elementary School in Clarksville, Tennessee, Nov. 16.
42
Salutatorian Casey Bucceri (center) shakes hands during the first Passaic County Community College winter graduation in Paterson, New Jersey, Jan. 14.
Josh Thibodeaux puts on his cap as he waits for his turn to receive his diploma during a video shoot at the Sherrill Center at UNC Asheville Nov. 11. The filming was the creation of a special fall 2020 commencement video for the university, which allowed graduates to receive their diploma in person while adhering to COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings. Only the graduates and some staff were allowed at the filming. Graduates who didn’t want to physically participate were invited to submit photos and videos of their memories at the university. The video went live for students and their families to view on YouTube and the university’s website Nov. 21. UNC Asheville adjusted its fall 2020 semester schedule because of the pandemic.
43
,
Moments of normalcy Georgie Bloom, 4, of New York City takes in “Submerge,” an immersive installation inspired by the Pantone Color of the Year 2020 at ARTECHOUSE NYC, located at Chelsea Market in Manhattan on Feb. 4. Classic Blue is the name of the Pantone Color of the Year.
44
In the ‘before times’ Remember when we used to go to stores and places without face masks? Yeah, that was weird. A few photos of early-2020 normalcy, which seems like lifetimes ago. What will “normal” look like next year? A lion dancer entertains some of the thousands of spectators who lined the streets of Chinatown in Manhattan, New York, on Feb. 9 during the 2020 Chinese New Year Parade.
People dressed in a variety of onesies drink, dance and have fun inside Mr. B’s Gastropub Jan. 25 during the fourth annual Onesie Bar Crawl in Royal Oak, Michigan.
45
Students in Elizabeth Garcia’s eighth grade language arts and global perspectives class receive apples during the surprise deliveries of Golden Apple awards at Manatee Middle School in East Naples, Florida, Feb. 11.
Family and friends take in the festivities Jan. 25 during the NAS Pensacola MWR Winter Wonderland in Florida.
46
Feb. 9, New York, New York: A Basset Hound is seen during breed judging at the 144th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, where over 2,600 dogs representing 204 breeds and varieties vied for the coveted Best In Show title. A standard poodle named Siba won the top award.
The supermoon, also known as the pink moon, rises April 7 over the Papago Park Buttes in Phoenix. It was the biggest and brightest supermoon of 2020.
Randolph, New Jersey, cheerleaders Arabella Mechanick, Dani Cogan and Maddie Plansky take a break during the Garden State Open at BridgewaterRaritan High School Jan. 12.
Nov. 15, Kennedy Space Center, Florida: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from pad 39A. The rocket is carrying NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi to the International Space Station.
47