The world in
What happened in 2021?
16 events across 8 world regions, each with its sources.
Sub-Saharan Africa
- Outbreak of the Tigray War
In early November 2020, a civil war broke out between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, primarily in the Tigray Region, later spreading to Oromia, Amhara, and Afar. The conflict lasted about two years, with significant implications for Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- 2021 Malian coup d'état
On the night of 24 May 2021, the Malian Armed Forces staged a coup, arresting interim President Bah N'daw, Prime Minister Moctar Ouane and Defence Minister Souleymane Doucouré. Assimi Goïta, head of the junta that led the 2020 coup, announced the stripping of their powers and pledged new elections for 2022. It was Mali's third coup in a decade.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
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Establishment of Maputo National ParkIn 2021, Mozambique officially established Maputo National Park. Located on Maputo Bay in Maputo Province, the park covers 1,718 km² and integrates terrestrial and marine ecosystems. It was formed from the former Maputo Special Reserve and the Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve, and is part of the Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗
Europe
Foundation of Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro landscapeThe Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro landscape originated in Madrid with the creation of the tree-lined Paseo del Prado avenue in the 16th century. This cultural landscape evolved during the 18th-century enlightened absolutist period, integrating arts, sciences, industry and research buildings. It embodies aspirations for a utopian society through the democratization of knowledge and exerted major influence in Latin America. The site, which includes the Buen Retiro gardens and the Royal Botanical Garden, was later inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia (FR) ↗Image: GALoPaX based on / basado en / basé sur PNOA / CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗
- Outbreak of the War in Donbas
In April 2014, Russian-backed paramilitaries launched an uprising in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, seizing territory and declaring independent states, prompting a military response from the Ukrainian government. This phase of the Russo-Ukrainian war, fought as a hybrid conflict, lasted until it was subsumed by the full-scale invasion in 2022.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Development of the Slate Industrial Landscape of Northwest WalesFrom the late 18th to early 20th centuries, the traditional agricultural landscape of the Snowdon massif in northwest Wales was transformed by large-scale slate quarrying and mining during the Industrial Revolution, creating a distinctive industrial environment extending from mountain-top to sea-coast. The area became a leading global producer and exporter of slate, as well as technology and skilled workers, leaving a coherent cultural landscape of quarries, archaeological sites, transport systems, and settlements.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Image: User:Stemonitis / CC BY-SA 2.5 ↗
South Asia
- 2021 Taliban offensive
The 2021 Taliban offensive began on May 1, a military campaign in the final phase of the War in Afghanistan conducted by the Taliban against the Afghan government and its allies, coinciding with the US troop withdrawal. The offensive culminated in the capture of Kabul on August 15, overthrowing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, ending nearly two decades of war, and having widespread repercussions for human rights and international counterterrorism efforts.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Fall of Kabul
On 15 August 2021, the Taliban captured Afghanistan's capital Kabul, overthrowing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and reinstating the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. This event was the final action of a major Taliban offensive that began in May 2021, marking the end of the Western-backed government.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- 2021 Myanmar Coup d'État
On the morning of 1 February 2021, Myanmar's military, the Tatmadaw, staged a coup d'état, deposing the democratically elected National League for Democracy government. The military declared a state of emergency, transferred power to Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, and detained State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other NLD leaders. The coup sparked widespread protests, which the military violently suppressed, leading to prolonged conflict.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
East Asia
- Construction of Tiangong Space Station Begins
In 2021, China began in-orbit construction of the Tiangong space station, the first newly built large space laboratory of the 21st century, comprising the Tianhe core module, Wentian and Mengtian experiment modules, to host experiments in bioastronautics and microgravity.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Global COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, began in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 and spread globally by early 2020. The WHO declared it a pandemic on 11 March 2020. By early 2025, over 777 million confirmed cases and more than 7 million deaths had been reported worldwide.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
North America
- War on Terror begins
The United States launched the global War on Terror in 2001, following the September 11 attacks, a military campaign spanning multiple theaters.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- First Flight of Ingenuity Helicopter on Mars
On 19 April 2021, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter, part of the Mars 2020 mission, made the first powered controlled flight on Mars, becoming the first aircraft to achieve controlled extraterrestrial flight. Developed by JPL, it demonstrated flight in the thin Martian atmosphere to provide unique perspectives for exploration.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
West Asia
- Outbreak of the Syrian Civil War
In March 2011, large-scale anti-government protests demanding democratic reforms broke out in Syria as part of the Arab Spring. The Assad regime's lethal crackdown led to the formation of armed opposition groups, turning the uprising into a civil war. The conflict lasted nearly 14 years until the regime's fall in December 2024.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Central & South America
- Launch of the James Webb Space Telescope
On December 25, 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope was launched from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. Developed by NASA, ESA, and CSA, it is the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, designed to conduct infrared astronomy with higher resolution and sensitivity. Its mission includes observing the first stars and galaxies in the early universe and characterizing the atmospheres of potentially habitable exoplanets.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Central Asian steppe
- Launch of the Belt and Road Initiative
In 2013, the Chinese government launched the Belt and Road Initiative, an infrastructure and economic development strategy to connect Asia, Europe, Africa, and beyond. The initiative comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, evoking the historic trade routes. It has since involved agreements with numerous countries and organizations for global connectivity projects.
SourcesWikipedia ↗