The year in review: Top news stories of 2021 month-by-month (2024)

"Sunday Morning" host Jane Pauley looks back on key events of a dramatic year:

January

In January Joe Biden was inaugurated as our 46th president …

• Inauguration 2021: Swearing in of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris
• President Biden takes office, moving quickly to implement agenda
• Read the full text of Biden's inaugural address
• Inauguration 2021: The task for Joe Biden, and for America ("Sunday Morning")

… just two weeks after supporters of former President Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

• 4 dead after Trump supporters storm U.S. Capitol
• Capitol Police officer dies from injuries in pro-Trump riot
• Handguns, crowbars, Tasers and tomahawk axes: Dozens of Capitol rioters wielded "deadly or dangerous" weapons, prosecutors say
• Extremism in the ranks: The military and the insurrection ("Sunday Morning")
• "Normal tourist visit": Some Republicans downplay January 6 riot amid Democratic objections
• Republican Senators acquit Trump for role in Jan. 6 insurrection ("Sunday Morning")
• Retired military generals warn of threat of another insurrection in 2024

February

In February, the United States formally re-joined the Paris Climate Agreement, an international treaty aimed at limiting global warming.

• What the U.S. is committing to as it rejoins the Paris climate accords — and why it matters
• Biden says Trump's withdrawal from Paris climate pact put us "behind the eight ball"

March

The container ship Ever Given ran aground in the Suez Canal in March, holding up billions in trade. The ship was freed six days later.

• Massive cargo ship turns sideways, totally blocks Suez Canal
• How did a cargo ship get stuck in the Suez Canal, and how are they going to un-stick it?

April

In April, a Minneapolis jury found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd a year earlier.

• Ex-cop Derek Chauvin convicted of all charges in George Floyd's death
• Nation reacts after Derek Chauvin convicted in George Floyd's death
• What Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict means for the future of policing
• Derek Chauvin sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for George Floyd's murder
• Derek Chauvin pleads guilty in federal civil rights case

May

May saw the successful splashdown of the first operational spaceflight by a private company, Elon Musk's SpaceX.

• SpaceX Crew Dragon astronauts arrive home with rare pre-dawn splashdown in Gulf of Mexico
• Elon Musk says SpaceX rocket launch is "a dream come true"
• SpaceX launch site brings controversy to Texas town

June

June saw the partial collapse of a 12-story condominium in Surfside, Florida, killing 98 residents.

• "Surfside Collapse: A Search for Answers"
• First responders endure emotional toll of Surfside condo collapse: "It's heartbreaking"
• Investigators find new evidence of extensive corrosion in Surfside condo building
• Death toll in Surfside condo collapse rises to 98 after final missing victim is identified
• Complete CBSNews.com coverage: Florida building collapse

July

July brought the 32nd Summer Olympic games to Tokyo, a year after being postponed. The U.S. topped the medal count with 113.

• Extraordinary moments from the Tokyo Olympics that outshined the competition
• Dozens of COVID cases linked to Olympic Games in Tokyo
• Tokyo Olympics closing ceremony marks end of strangest games on record
• Complete CBSNews.com coverage: Tokyo Olympics

August

August saw the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan after a two-decade war that took the lives of over 2,400 U.S. service personnel.

• Taliban fighters reported at the gates of Afghan capital ("Sunday Morning")
• 11 days in August: How Afghanistan fell ("Sunday Morning")
• Afghanistan wasn't all for nothing, says Army vet ("Sunday Morning")
• An Iowa town goes to battle for Afghan immigrant ("Sunday Morning")
• Complete CBSNews.com coverage: Afghanistan: The New Reality

September

September saw the implementation of the Texas Heartbeat Act, which bans abortions after roughly six weeks. The Supreme Court has declined to block the law, saying it's a question for lower courts.

• Texas abortion ban turns citizens into "bounty hunters"
• Texas "whistleblower" website used for snitching on abortions shut down
• After Texas' new abortion law, some clinics in nearby states can barely keep up with demand
• Texas abortion law's enforcement mechanism not valid, judge rules
• Supreme Court keeps Texas abortion law in place but allows providers' legal challenge to proceed
• Abortion: The great divide ("Sunday Morning")

October

October brought the welcome news that the World Health Organization had endorsed the world's first vaccine against malaria.

• Malaria vaccine hailed as possible breakthrough
• WHO recommends widespread use of first malaria vaccine

November

In November, the Atlanta Braves won their fourth World Series, defeating the Houston Astros four games to two.

• Braves win first World Series since 1995, defeating Astros in Game 6
• Minor league teams are "on the brink of financial catastrophe" and bipartisan lawmakers are stepping up to the plate

December

In December, tornadoes ripped through the South and Midwest, killing at least 91 people ...

• Photos: Deadly storms and tornadoes leave wake of destruction
• Tornadoes ravage central U.S. ("Sunday Morning")
• Mayfield candle factory "looks as if a bomb has dropped on it," mayor says after tornado hit
• Stories and science from the devastating December 10-11 tornado outbreak
• Glimmer of relief amid deadly tornadoes' devastation

...and the FDA authorized two pills to treat COVID-19, a potential game-changer in our now years-long fight against the disease.

• FDA authorizes first antiviral pill to treat COVID-19
• FDA authorizes second COVID antiviral pill, from Merck, if no alternatives available
• COVID-19 pills could be a game changer — if you can get your hands on them

Story produced by Robert Marston. Editor: Chad Cardin.