“It was important to me that I become part of history,” said Schcola Chambers of Miami, Florida, who joined the “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” march protesting for racial justice in Washington, D.C., this past August. This has certainly been a year for making history—for those who are actively protesting for change, for those fighting or fleeing the wildfires raging through the West, and for our entire global population still firmly in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic. Images of this year range from tragic to inspiring: funerals for COVID-19 victims, pilgrims taking selfies in India, drones capturing never-before-seen views of Mount Everest, and essential workers still risking their health and their lives to treat us when we are sick and to keep food on our plates.

- Photography
- News
Extraordinary photos of the year so far: protests, pandemic, and wildfires
COVID-19 is still with us—but photos published so far this year show us how life goes on, for better and for worse.
Alena Battle of Charlotte, North Carolina, holds her son, Tamaj Bulloch, during the “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” Commitment March in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 28, 2020. The event, on the 57th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, honored the original protest while emphasizing the work still to be done, especially for police and criminal justice reform.
Read This Next
Go Further
Animals
- Wildlife traffickers in Oregon sentenced to help researchers study wildlife crimeWildlife traffickers in Oregon sentenced to help researchers study wildlife crime
- How one tiny island is rallying to save a critically endangered parrotHow one tiny island is rallying to save a critically endangered parrot
- Inside the race to save West Africa’s endangered lionsInside the race to save West Africa’s endangered lions
Environment
- Pacific Northwest tribe gains support for resuming whale huntsPacific Northwest tribe gains support for resuming whale hunts
- Five ways big brands can source materials more sustainably, Video Story
- Paid Content
Five ways big brands can source materials more sustainably - Planning to go camping? Try these eco-friendly tips.Planning to go camping? Try these eco-friendly tips.
- Why seashells are getting harder to find on the seashoreWhy seashells are getting harder to find on the seashore
- In Mexico City, the pandemic revived Aztec-era island farmsIn Mexico City, the pandemic revived Aztec-era island farms
History & Culture
- General Grant's surprising rise from cadet to commanderGeneral Grant's surprising rise from cadet to commander
- How the Declaration of Independence wooed Americans from BritainHow the Declaration of Independence wooed Americans from Britain
- The great hunt for the world's first LGBTQ archiveThe great hunt for the world's first LGBTQ archive
- Stolen a century ago, Bruce’s Beach has finally been returnedStolen a century ago, Bruce’s Beach has finally been returned
- ‘This is me, as I am’: Photographing my own gender transition‘This is me, as I am’: Photographing my own gender transition
- How historians are documenting the lives of transgender peopleHow historians are documenting the lives of transgender people
Science
- One of the best tools for predicting COVID-19 outbreaks? Sewage.One of the best tools for predicting COVID-19 outbreaks? Sewage.
- Why BA.4 and BA.5 are causing fresh U.S. outbreaksWhy BA.4 and BA.5 are causing fresh U.S. outbreaks
- Young adults are volunteering to get COVID-19—for scienceYoung adults are volunteering to get COVID-19—for science
- Why a placebo can work—even when you know it's fakeWhy a placebo can work—even when you know it's fake
- Biggest bacterium ever found shakes our view of microbial lifeBiggest bacterium ever found shakes our view of microbial life
- Fossil-finding ants amass huge haul of ancient creaturesFossil-finding ants amass huge haul of ancient creatures
Travel
- Exploring the magic of Taiwan’s ‘Spirited Away’ cityExploring the magic of Taiwan’s ‘Spirited Away’ city
- Escape the heat at these 10 cool U.S. destinationsEscape the heat at these 10 cool U.S. destinations