50 Fun Facts About 2021
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Take the 50-question quizWhich container ship blocked the Suez Canal for six days in March 2021?
The 400-metre vessel was freed by fourteen Egyptian, Dutch and Italian tugs.
Which NASA rover landed in Mars's Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021?
It carried the Ingenuity helicopter and is caching rock samples for a future return mission.
How many flights did the Mars helicopter Ingenuity eventually complete, against a plan of five?
It flew for nearly three years before being retired.
Which space telescope launched on Christmas Day 2021 aboard an Ariane 5?
It headed for the Sun–Earth L2 point, 1.5 million km away, and sent its first image in 2022.
Webb's gold-coated primary mirror is made of how many hexagonal segments?
Together they form a 6.5-metre mirror, against Hubble's 2.4 metres.
Which September 2021 SpaceX flight was the first orbital mission with only private citizens aboard?
Jared Isaacman led it to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Which billionaire flew on Blue Origin's first crewed New Shepard flight in July 2021?
Four crew members went to space on the reusable rocket.
Who was inaugurated as the 46th US president on January 20, 2021?
At 78 he was then the oldest person to assume the presidency.
Which 22-year-old recited 'The Hill We Climb' at the 2021 inauguration?
She is the youngest inaugural poet; Garth Brooks sang 'Amazing Grace'.
Rioters attacked the US Capitol during election certification on which day of January 2021?
Five people died; the event was classed as domestic terrorism.
A February 2021 coup in which country removed Aung San Suu Kyi from power?
Sudan, Mali and Guinea also saw coups that year.
Which group captured Kabul on August 15, 2021?
US troops left Kabul airport two weeks later, ending 20 years of operations.
Which country became the first to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021?
It took effect on September 7, alongside the US dollar.
Which Caribbean nation became a republic on November 30, 2021?
It was the 55th anniversary of its independence; it stayed in the Commonwealth.
Which Caribbean president was assassinated at his home in July 2021?
A 7.2 earthquake struck Haiti a month later.
Who was sentenced in June 2021 to 22 and a half years for the murder of George Floyd?
He was convicted that April.
Who succeeded Angela Merkel's party at the 2021 German federal election?
Laschet's CDU/CSU and Baerbock's Greens were beaten.
Which highly mutated COVID-19 variant prompted a WHO emergency meeting in November 2021?
It was first identified in South Africa and appeared more infectious than Delta.
In which city was the COP26 climate conference held in 2021?
Leaders agreed a 'phasedown' of unabated coal power.
Which city hosted the delayed Expo 2020, opening October 1, 2021?
It had been scheduled for October 2020.
What did the WHO endorse for the first time in October 2021?
It was the first vaccine against the mosquito-borne disease.
Which journalists shared the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize?
Abdulrazak Gurnah won the literature prize.
Which Italian band won Eurovision 2021 in Rotterdam?
The 2020 contest had been cancelled; they won with 'Zitti e buoni'.
Where were the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics held in July and August 2021?
Events took place behind closed doors with no spectators.
Which country topped the Tokyo 2020 medal table with 39 golds?
China had 38 and host Japan a record 27.
Which sports made their Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020?
Baseball and softball also made a one-off return, their first since 2008.
Who won UEFA Euro 2020, played in 2021, beating England on penalties at Wembley?
It was Italy's second European title; goalkeeper Donnarumma was player of the tournament.
How many countries hosted Euro 2020?
It was the first pan-European edition; Dublin was dropped over spectator guarantees.
Who won the 2021 Copa América, held behind closed doors in Brazil?
The tournament ran from June 13 to July 10.
Which team won Super Bowl LV in February 2021 at its own home stadium?
The Chiefs failed to score a touchdown for the first time under Patrick Mahomes.
Who won his first Formula One title at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?
He was the first Dutch champion; Hamilton had reached 100 wins that September.
Which F1 driver became the first to win 100 Grands Prix in 2021?
The milestone came at the Russian Grand Prix.
Which Netflix survival drama about 456 indebted players became its most-watched series in 2021?
Hwang Dong-hyuk wrote the story in 2009 but could not get funding until Netflix bit.
Who created, wrote and directed the Netflix hit about 456 players?
It won six Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe.
Which 2021 film grossed $1.921 billion, the first billion-dollar film since 2019?
It became Sony's highest-grossing film ever.
Which Disney animated film about the Madrigal family of Colombia came out in November 2021?
Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the songs; 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' topped the charts.
Who directed the 2021 adaptation of Dune, premiering at Venice?
It was the first half of a two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel.
Which country was the highest-grossing box-office market of 2021?
It took $7.3 billion of a $21.4 billion global total.
Which web word game, released publicly in October 2021, went viral with its emoji grids?
Josh Wardle made it for his partner; the New York Times bought it in January 2022.
Whose debut single 'Drivers License', released January 8, 2021, topped the Hot 100?
Her album Sour followed; Time named her Entertainer of the Year.
The 'Drivers License' singer played Nini in a Disney+ series based on which film franchise?
She played Nini Salazar-Roberts from 2019 before her music career took off.
Which BTS single debuted at number one on the Hot 100 in June 2021 and set a Spotify record?
Its 11 million first-day streams were the biggest debut in the platform's history.
What was the title of Billie Eilish's second album, released July 30, 2021?
It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
Which Regency romance series, narrated by Julie Andrews, was Shondaland's first Netflix show?
It is based on Julia Quinn's novels about eight siblings.
Ted Lasso coaches which fictional English football club?
Jason Sudeikis's character began as an NBC Sports promo for Premier League coverage.
Facebook's parent company rebranded itself in 2021 as what?
The name signalled a shift toward the metaverse.
Which Houston festival hosted by Travis Scott saw a fatal crowd crush in November 2021?
Ten people died and more than 300 were injured.
Which Florida condominium partially collapsed in June 2021, killing 98 people?
One survivor was pulled from the wreckage.
A record heatwave and 130 wildfires in mid-2021 hit which region?
More than 600 people died in the North American heat.
How many COVID-19 vaccinations had been given worldwide by late June 2021?
The total passed 1 billion in April and 500 million in March.