20 world events in 2020: medical, science, sport, technology and political milestones to watch out for
- If the Tokyo Olympics and US election aren’t enough, Facebook Libra will launch, Brexit finally happens and Nasa’s Mars exploration takes off
- Tesla’s new Roadster and the return of Whitney Houston are other reasons 2020 will be a year to remember
The next 12 months will be dominated by politics, and the civil unrest that has marked 2019 is likely to further intensify as citizens worldwide rally against corruption, climate inaction and the growing divide between rich and poor.
As we move into 2020, we look at 20 things that will define the first year of a new decade – and it’s not all gloomy.
1. Summer Olympics in Tokyo
On July 24, the Summer Olympics will return to Tokyo, 56 years after its first games, at a projected cost of 400 billion yen (US$3.7 billion).
Alongside traditional events, Tokyo will introduce a number of additional competitions, including 3x3 basketball, freestyle BMX and “madison” cycling (a lap-based track event), sport climbing, and skateboarding. Baseball and softball will both make an Olympic return, having been removed after 2008.
In unique twists the mascots, Miraitowa and Someity, were voted for by Japanese schoolchildren, and medals will be made from materials reclaimed from old electronics, such as mobile phones.
2. 2020 US election
This year’s US election is already shaping up to be one of the most pivotal and hotly debated in history, with topics such as the economy, immigration, health care and climate change set to divide the nation. As well as more women vying for the top job than ever before, this year’s election campaign has seen a historically large field of Democratic candidates.
