We look back at some of the most dramatic moments and developments of 2021 through Wikicommons images.

Storming of the United States Capitol

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  Trump supporters on the steps of the United States Capitol on January 6
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  Mock gallows at the US Capitol January 6

There was an extended debate on Wikipedia about what this episode should be called with the current choice of Attack beating contenders such as insurrection, storming, rally and even Putsch (German word for coup). Your UK-based author who got the message when you lot threw our tea in the sea wouldn't be foolhardy enough to get too embroiled in US politics but it can certainly be said that this incident made a dramatic impression in America and around the world becoming the fourth most viewed article from the 3 to 9 January even though it happened half way through that week.

Covid-19 vaccination

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  Man receives a COVID-19 vaccination in Delhi during January 2021
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  A Wikipedian after receiving a jab

Though the rollout began in late 2020, 2021 has very much been the year of Covid-19 vaccination around the world. The vaccine rollout has doubtless been a source of great hope for people across the globe (a study released in November suggested that in Europe alone almost half a million lives have been saved by it) but it has also highlighted the great divides in today's world, as of December less than 10% of people in countries with the poorest populations have received their first dose whilst others around the world have voluntarily chosen to forsake vaccination altogether.

Coup d'état in Myanmar

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  Military roadblocks during Myanmar's military coup on 1 February
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  A protest in March

At the start of February 2021, Myanmar's democratically elected government was overthrown by the country's military. The army declared the 2020 election result invalid and announced its intention to hold new elections after a year long state of emergency. By 12 April, at least 707 people (including children) had been killed by the military or police forces and 3,070 detained. The Burmese Army's motivations for the coup are debated.

Death of Prince Philip

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  Prince Philip as a child in the 1920s
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  Floral tributes to Prince Philip at Sandringham House

April saw the Death of Prince Philip, consort to Queen Elizabeth II. At the age of 99, he was the third-longest-lived member of the British royal family in history and the longest-lived male member. He was one of many notable people to pass away during 2021.

Israeli–Palestinian crisis

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  Israeli bombing of civilian neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip on 14 May
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  Bus and car burnt out after rocket hit in Holon, in coastal Israel

This outbreak of violence in May was the latest episode in a conflict dating back many decades. The crisis began with a period of protests and unrest in East Jerusalem (an area effectively annexed by Israel as part of the Palestinian occupied territories). This eventually culminated in Hamas firing rockets into Israeli territory to which Israel responded with air strikes. At least 256 Palestinians were killed in the crisis including 66 children along with thirteen Israelis including two children. Significant numbers of people appear to have been injured whilst 72,000 Palestinians were displaced.

Return of sport

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  Ukraine at the Olympics opening ceremony on 23 July
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  Ihor Reizlin scores in his individual men's épée Olympic bronze medal match

After many of the major sporting events of 2020 were cancelled due to the pandemic, sport made a major comeback in 2021. With events such as the Olympics and the European Football Championships (both referred to by their original date) providing much needed excitement and relief for people around the world. Sports events, sportsmen and sportswomen dominated lists of Wikipedia's most popular articles in the summer of 2021.

Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan

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  Evacuation flight carries 823 people out of Kabul
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  U.S. Marines assist with security at an Evacuation Control Checkpoint during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, August 20.

This August saw the conflict the US President called "America's longest war" come to a swift end as the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan. A few months after the formal announcement of the withdrawal of NATO troops the Taliban, which had been gaining strength in the countryside, swept through Afghanistan's cities in little more than a week reaching Kabul on the 15th. A chaotic airlift followed with almost all remnants of western presence disappearing from the country by the end of the month. Today, with its financial reserves frozen and aid stopped, the country is in crisis. 22% of its population are reported to be close to famine whilst an additional 36% are acutely food insecure. Among those under the age of five alone, 1 million children are believed to be at risk of starving to death.

Supply problems

During 2020 global commerial demand fell, in 2021 demand recovered whilst pandemic based disruption continued and supply chains around the world struggled to cope. Matters were made worse by shortages of shipping containers, lack of lorry drivers and back ups at ports. Whilst, a blockage in the Suez canal certainly wasn't ideal. All this has contributed to a sharp rise in inflation around the world.

COP26

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  Panel of politicians at the conference
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  Model representing children displaced by climate change carried through streets of Glasgow during protests of inaction on climate change on 10 November during the climate conference

November saw the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Glasgow. More broadly the year was marked by a wide range of extreme weather events across the world ranging from drought and wildfires to floods and monsoons.

Conflict over migration

Whilst the 2020 downturn in overall migration rates continued into 2021, that didn't stop immigration causing controversy across the Western world. In the second half of 2021, Belarus and the European Union came to blows over a influx of migrants attempting to cross into the EU through the country. Meanwhile, an increase in the number of migrants crossing the English channel led to conflict between Britain and France along with the channel's worst drowning in recent times. On the other side of the Atlantic, rising numbers of people crossing the US-Mexico border led to the Biden administration voluntarily and involuntarily continuing many Trump era immigration policies.

Honourable mentions

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  20 January: Joe Biden speaks at his inauguration
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  11 April: Voting in the first round of the Peruvian general election, which was won by the left-wing Free Peru party
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  13 June: Naftali Bennett (right) and Yair Lapid (left) replace Benjamin Netanyahu as Israeli Prime minister (president Reuven Rivlin, center)
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  12 July: Anti-government protests in Cuba
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  26 September: Ballot counting in Berlin during the German Election which eventually led to Olaf Scholz replacing Angela Merkel as the country's chancellor
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  8 November: New government meets following the Czech election which saw the main opposition coalition alliance of SPOLU and Pirates and Mayors gaining a legislative majority
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  21 November: Protestor against the Sudanese military coup
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  11 December: Anti-nuclear activists protest AUKUS, a British-American pact with Australia to help the latter build nuclear powered submarines