Extraordinary photos of the year so far: protests, pandemic, and wildfires

“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.