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2019: Facts & Events That Happened in This Year

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2019: Facts & Historical Events That Happened in This Year

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2019 was an exciting and eventful year for everyone around the globe. It had its fair share of surprises, sad moments, and political drama, just like any other year in the 21st century.

The whole world was concerned about the climate crisis, and thanks to Greta Thunberg, young students worldwide felt motivated to take action. They bravely marched on the streets, urging their governments to find solutions.

In the world of politics, things were quite intense. The United States made history by impeaching President Donald Trump. At the same time, the United Kingdom faced a difficult decision about whether they should leave the European Union or stay.

We also witnessed some heart-wrenching events, like the devastating fire at the Notre Dame cathedral in France. People from all over the world sent their thoughts and prayers to show their support.

But it wasn’t all gloomy news! Prince Harry and Meghan, welcomed their first child into the world… and let’s not forget the other famous babies that captured our hearts in 2019. We had the catchy Baby Shark song, and we were introduced to the adorable Baby Yoda from the Star Wars series.

Overall, 2019 was a year full of ups and downs, with memorable moments that will stay with us for a long time.

Continue reading to learn about the major events, memorable music releases, thought-provoking quotes, and notable deaths that defined 2019.

Events

Here you’ll find the remarkable milestones and game-changing moments that made 2019 a year to be remembered.

Jan 1

Same-sex marriage became legal in Austria.

Jan 3

China’s Chang’e-4 became the first spacecraft to successfully land on the far side of the Moon.

Jan 15

The World Economic Forum announced that there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans by as early as 2050.

Jan 21

Li Na became the first Asian-born tennis player to be entered into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Feb 2

Forty mummies were discovered and unearthed in Tuna el-Gebel, South Cairo, Egypt.

OTD in 2019: Forty mummies were discovered and unearthed in Tuna el-Gebel

The mummies are believed to be from 323-30 BC.

Feb 7

Kangaroo fossil research showed that they may have learned to hop over 20 million years ago.

Feb 19

US Democrat Senator Bernie Sanders announced his second attempt to run for President.

His previous bid for the Democrats in 2016 lost to Hilary Clinton primarily due to fears he was too much of a socialist.

Feb 27

The world’s smallest baby was finally released from the hospital months after being born.

OTD in 2019: The world's smallest baby was finally released from the hospital months after being born.

The baby boy was born in Tokyo, Japan, at 24 weeks and weighed just 9.45 oz.

Mar 14

Google employee Emma Haruka Iwao broke a world record by calculating Pi right down to 31.4 trillion digits!

Mar 20

Disney purchased 21st Century Fox for $71 billion.

The purchase was made to grow Disney’s empire and take on Netflix in the world of online TV streaming.

Mar 21

A woman in Bangladesh gave birth to twins one month after giving birth previously.

It turned out that the mother had two uteruses.

Mar 28

The European Union Parliament declared single-use plastics were to be banned by 2021.

Apr 10

The first photo of a black hole that was taken in 2017 was announced to the public.

OTD in 2019: The first photo of a black hole that was taken in 2017 was announced to the public.

The black hole is 6.5 billion times the size of Earth and is 55 million light-years away.

Apr 15

The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris caught fire, which destroyed the roof.

OTD in 2019: The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris caught fire

Before the fire was fully extinguished, the spire had collapsed.

Apr 21

Climate change activist Greta Thunberg gave a speech in London, leading to protests across the city for four days.

OTD in 2019: Climate change activist Greta Thunberg gave a speech in London

Almost a thousand people were arrested, with 42 charged.

Apr 28

HBO’s Game of Thrones aired the longest battle ever to be shown on screen.

The episode was called “The Long Night,” and the battle lasted for almost 80 minutes.

May 2

Kanye West claimed that African-American slaves in the US remained slaves by choice.

May 19

Lauv released his single “I Like Me Better,” which earned platinum recognition in seven countries, including the USA.

OTD in 2019: Lauv released his single "I Like Me Better

May 24

Theresa May announced her resignation as British Prime Minister.

OTD in 2019: Theresa May announced her resignation as British Prime Minister.

With this, Theresa May also resigned from her position as the leader of the Conservative Party. May’s resignation largely came down to her boundless incompetence in handling the Brexit negotiations.

May 29

Boris Johnson was ordered to appear in court after claims that he lied to the public throughout Britain’s Brexit campaign.

Jun 4

More than 100,000 people attended a vigil in Hong Kong to commemorate the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

OTD in 2019: More than 100

2019 marked the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. In 1989 a series of protests led to a brutal crackdown by the Chinese government, which saw hundreds of casualties. Hong Kong is the only Chinese territory where the crackdown is commemorated; the event is completely censored in mainland China.

Jun 11

Toy Story 4 premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in LA, California.

Jun 15

Babe Ruth’s baseball jersey became the most expensive sports memorabilia when it sold for $5.6 million.

Jun 30

Donald Trump became the first US president to visit North Korea while meeting Kim Jong Un.

Jul 22

Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame” became the most financially successful movie of all time.

On this day, the movie had grossed an incredible $2.79 billion!

Jul 23

The 9/11 victim compensation fund was extended indefinitely by the US Senate.

Jul 28

Meghan Markle became the first-ever guest editor for UK Vogue.

OTD in 2019: Meghan Markle became the first-ever guest editor for UK Vogue.

Working on the September 2019 issue, Markle created a cover for Vogue that included the faces of fifteen women she admired. Some of the people included Jane Fonda and Greta Thunberg.

Jul 29

Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” single reached a new record for the longest time on the Billboard charts after spending 17 weeks at number one.

Aug 6

Barney’s luxury store in New York filed for bankruptcy.

Aug 18

Ignoring the Chinese government, 1.7 million protesters set out on Hong Kong streets during heavy showers to fight for freedom.

Aug 24

President Jair Bolsonaro ordered the Brazilian Army to help battle the Amazon forest fires.

Aug 26

The pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson was told to pay Oklahoma $572 million in damages for adding to an opioid crisis in the state.

The trial was the first successful one of its kind, and it is expected to set a precedent for further similar cases against big pharma companies.

Sep 4

YouTube was fined $170 million for collecting data on child users.

Sep 11

NASA revealed that water vapor was discovered in the atmosphere of an Earth-size planet, the exoplanet K2-18b.

OTD in 2019: NASA revealed that water vapor was discovered in the atmosphere of an Earth-size planet

K2-18b is a super-Earth about 111 light-years away from our solar system. It was discovered in 2015 by NASA’s Kepler spacecraft. Astronomers say it’s “the best candidate for habitability that we know right now.”

Sep 15

The UK’s prime minister Boris Johnson compared himself to The Hulk in his efforts to steer the country out of the European Union.

Sep 20

The climate change rally led by activist Greta Thunberg saw millions of protesters worldwide standing up for urgent action.

OTD in 2019: The climate change rally led by activist Greta Thunberg saw millions of protesters worldwide standing up for urgent action.

Oct 6

Protestors took to the streets in Hong Kong after the government announced a ban on face masks.

Oct 16

A camera in London Zoo became the first camera to take selfies powered by plants.

Pete the Fern provided the energy utilizing microbial energy production.

Oct 17

Lana Del Rey’s song “Video Games” was named song of the decade at the Q Awards in London.

OTD in 2019: Lana Del Rey's song "Video Games" was named song of the decade at the Q Awards in London.

Upon accepting the award, she said: “I’m so honored. This is unreal.”

Oct 18

The first all-female spacewalk took place.

On this day, astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir stepped foot in space to fix a device on the International Space station.

Nov 12

The Disney+ streaming service was launched.

OTD in 2019: The Disney+ streaming service was launched.

The on-demand streaming video service gives viewers access to a wide range of Walt Disney Studios, Walt Disney Television, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic shows and movies.

Nov 21

Elon Musk revealed Tesla’s first electric cyber truck with shatterproof windows.

OTD in 2019: Elon Musk revealed Tesla's first electric cyber truck with shatterproof windows.

However, at the grand reveal, when the shatterproof windows were tested by being repeatedly hit by the design chief Franz von Holzhausen, the windows shattered. After a reassuring speech by Musk, the cyber truck did not live up to expectations, so Tesla’s share price plummeted by 6%.

Nov 24

Taylor Swift won six awards at the American Music Awards, including Artist of the Year and Artist of the Decade.

OTD in 2019: Taylor Swift won six awards at the American Music Awards

Nov 29

Two people were stabbed to death by a terrorist by London Bridge.

Dec 11

Climate activist Greta Thunberg was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year.

OTD in 2019: Climate activist Greta Thunberg was named Time magazine's Person of the Year.

Dec 16

Mariah Carey’s single “All I Want for Christmas Is You” reached number one, 25 years after its release.

OTD in 2019: Mariah Carey's single "All I Want for Christmas Is You" reached number one

Dec 17

Australia recorded its hottest day ever with an average temperature of 105°F across the country.

OTD in 2019: Australia recorded its hottest day ever with an average temperature of 105°F across the country.

Dec 18

The US House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump for abuse of power (230 votes to 197) and obstruction of Congress (229 votes to 198).

Famous Deaths

Here’s a glimpse at a few famous people who bid us farewell in 2019.

1999

2019

Cameron Boyce

American

Actor

Cameron Boyce

1999

2019

Cameron Boyce

Cameron Boyce was an American actor born on May 28, 1999. He died on July 6, 2019, at age 20 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Died On:

Jul 6, 2019 (Age 20)

Died In:

California, USA

1966

2019

Luke Perry

American

Actor

Luke Perry

1966

2019

Luke Perry

Luke Perry was an American actor born on October 11, 1966. He died on March 4, 2019, at age 52 in Burbank, California, USA.

Died On:

Mar 4, 2019 (Age 52)

Died In:

California, USA

1944

2019

Peter Mayhew

British-American

Actor

Peter Mayhew

1944

2019

Peter Mayhew

Peter Mayhew was a British-American actor born on May 19, 1944. He died on April 30, 2019, at age 74 in Boyd, Texas, USA.

Died On:

Apr 30, 2019 (Age 74)

Died In:

Texas, USA

Quotes

Here’s a roundup of the most memorable quotes people said in 2019.

Apr 24

[Cats are] very dignified. They’re independent. They’re very capable of dealing with their own life, and if you fit into that on that day, they’ll make some time for you, maybe.

Jun 6

I didn’t set out to be a role model, I set out to be a supermodel. Can I get an amen up in here?

RuPaul

RuPaul

American Drag Queen

2019 In Music

2019 was a musical journey that took us on a wild ride with its chart-topping hits!

From the catchy beats of “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X to the empowering anthem “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish, these songs captured the essence of the year and had us dancing like nobody’s watching!

Here are some music highlights from 2019 that you should know.

Album of the Year

Kacey Musgraves took country music to new heights in 2019 with her captivating and heartfelt album “Golden Hour,” securing her a well-deserved Grammy for Album of the Year.

Song of the Year

Childish Gambino, the multitalented Donald Glover, won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2019 with his thought-provoking track “This Is America.”

Best New Artist

Dua Lipa’s captivating vocals and infectious pop hits won her the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2019, making her an international pop sensation.

Eurovision Song Contest Winner

The 2019 Eurovision Song Contest, the 64th edition of this dazzling musical extravaganza, took place in Tel Aviv, Israel.

With catchy tunes, flashy performances, and a whole lot of sequins, it was the Netherlands that emerged as the winners, with Duncan Laurence’s mesmerizing ballad “Arcade” stealing the hearts of viewers around the world.

2019 in Numbers

Let’s explore the world of numbers! 2019 is written as MMXIX in Roman numerals and as 11111100011 in binary.

Chinese Zodiac 2019

Chinese Zodiac 2019: Year of the Earth Pig

There are twelve Chinese Zodiac signs, which cycle through and change every year. In the Chinese system, there are also five elements, with 2019 being the Year of the Earth Pig, which only occurs every 60 years.

Did you know that the Chinese zodiac operates on a lunar calendar? That means the Year of the Earth Pig actually kicked off on February 5th, and lasted until January 24, 2020.

The Pig symbolizes individuals who are kind-hearted, generous, and easygoing. They possess a love for life’s pleasures and have a nurturing and supportive nature, making them great friends and companions.

Notable names like Hillary Clinton, Logan Paul and Simon Cowell are all associated with the Year of the Pig.

2019 Trivia

Did you know that in 2019, a record-breaking egg became the most-liked post on Instagram?

It cracked the previous record held by Kylie Jenner’s baby announcement. This ordinary brown egg captured the hearts (and double-taps) of millions, proving that sometimes, the simplest things can make the biggest impact in the world of social media!

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