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2021, in 6 minutes

Year two of the coronavirus pandemic was filled with vaccines and variants, Summer Olympics, joys, and sorrows.

2021 was a year like no other. The world got vaccinated, but not in equal measure. Coronavirus variants surged in every country. Hospitalization rates went up and down and up again. Year two of the pandemic brought serious challenges, but it also brought reunions with loved ones and a new sense of community.

Records were broken in the summer Olympics, NFTs went big, the Perseverance rover landed on Mars, TikTok trends kept us entertained, and Olivia Rodrigo dominated the music charts.

Extreme weather events and the effects of climate change continued to alter our landscape. We saw a coup in Myanmar, Haitian migrants stuck at the US-Mexico border, and same-sex marriage approved by Chile’s legislature.

In December, omicron became a dominant Covid-19 variant, and our vaccines are being put to the test. To revisit these events and everything in between, check out the video above.

To see more Vox videos, check out our YouTube page.

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