Pretty much everyone can agree that 2020 was a bad year. As we transition into 2021, however, there are many events and opportunities that we can look forward to that are sure to make this year better than the last.

One thing many people are looking forward to this year is the potential end of the pandemic. Since last March, COVID-19 caused everyone to wear a mask and social distance, making things far from normal. With new vaccines and an increase in safety measures, the world is becoming increasingly better at fighting the virus. According to CNN, experts predict that things will go back to normal around July. When the pandemic is over, people will be able to travel, meet with people outside of their households, and attend in-person events. Juliana Neemeh (10) agrees and says that she is “looking forward to when things go back to the way they were before the pandemic so [she] can safely meet up with friends and family again.”

Another major event to look forward to is the Tokyo Olympics. Since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics could not have taken place due to the pandemic, they have been postponed to July 2021. While the postponement may have been a disappointment to many athletes, they have gotten an extra year to train for competition. Although things may look a little different with increased safety precautions, people will still enjoy watching athletes from around the world compete and demonstrate their hard work.

For anyone interested in science, the NASA rover landing is something to look out for. The Perseverance rover is set to land on Mars on February 18, 2021, and will search for ancient life on the planet. This rover may help bring us a step further to colonizing Mars. This year, NASA will also be launching the James Webb Telescope. This telescope is the successor of the Hubble Space Telescope and is planned to be launched on October 31, 2021, by NASA. NASA states that this telescope is much stronger than the Hubble telescope and may also answer possible questions about cosmic origins.

This year, there will also be many events in the entertainment industry. Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, and many other streaming services are introducing new movies and TV series this year. Additionally, if the pandemic ends, people could go to concerts again to see their favorite artists in person. 2021 is also Disney World’s 50th anniversary. Its anniversary celebration will most likely last for several months. 

These are just some of the many things that can help make 2021 a better year than 2020 was. Even if some of these events are not guaranteed to happen, we can still find our own silver linings in life that will make 2021 a good year.