This article may be
too long to read and navigate comfortably. Consider
splitting content into sub-articles,
condensing it, or adding
subheadings. Please discuss this issue on the article's
talk page.(February 2024)
The following is a list of notable events, births and deaths from 2020 in the United States.
The US was heavily impacted by the
COVID-19 pandemic, which by the end of the year killed over 300,000 people within American borders. America also became a political battleground for various issues, with various instances of
racism and more so
police brutality commencing
a wide movement of racial unrest and the
George Floyd protests. The year has been characterized by some as among the most tumultuous in American history.[1][2]
Donald Trump was a central figure to American politics during his final full year of his first term as president, which saw not only the pandemic and racial unrest but also Trump's
first impeachment trial and the appointment of
Amy Coney Barrett to the
Supreme Court. While Trump lost the
2020 election to former Vice President
Joe Biden, he has disputed the result of the election, and effort continued into both 2021 and 2022 to
overturn the election.
Several new regulations take effect in the United States, including new regulations on retirement funds, new minimum wage rules, and new overtime rules.[5]
Persian Gulf crisis: Iran
attacks Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. troops, injuring more than 110 service members.[10]
The
American Cancer Society reports a 2.2% drop in the
cancer death rate between 2016 and 2017, the largest single-year decline in mortality for this disease ever recorded in the U.S.[11][12]
Persian Gulf crisis: The
House of Representatives votes 224–194 to pass a non-binding
War Powers Resolution to limit the president's ability to pursue military actions against Iran without congressional consent.[13]
Puerto Rico is hit by a 5.9Mw earthquake and several 5.0Mwearthquakes, following the 7 January 6.4Mw that left one dead and several wounded in addition to thousands without electric power.[16]
At least seven people are killed by wind and rain storms across
the South.[17]
January 24 – Donald Trump becomes the first sitting president to personally attend the annual
March for Life anti-abortion protest in Washington, D.C.[28]
COVID-19 pandemic: President Donald Trump imposes travel restrictions preventing foreign nationals from entering the U.S. if they visited China within the previous two weeks.[35]
The U.S. Senate votes 51–49 against calling witnesses in President Trump's impeachment trial.[36]
February 20 –
Political consultantRoger Stone is sentenced to 40 months in prison after being found guilty of witness tampering, obstructing an official proceeding, and five counts of making false statements.[51]
COVID-19 pandemic: Growing fear of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic causes the
Dow Jones Industrial Average to plunge by 1,190.95 points (4.4%), closing at 25,766.64—its largest one-day points decline in history. This follows several days of large falls, the Dow's worst week since 2008.[59]
Former
Baltimore mayorCatherine Pugh is sentenced to three years in prison and three years probation after pleading guilty to tax evasion and conspiracy to defraud the government.[61]
COVID-19 pandemic: The
first death from COVID-19 in the U.S. is reported by officials in
Washington state, as the total number of cases nationwide reaches 66.[63]
Florida reports two deaths from COVID-19, the first confirmed U.S. fatalities outside of the
west coast.[79]
The annual
South by Southwest (SXSW) festival is
canceled due to COVID-19 fears; it is the first time the event has been canceled in its 34-year history.[80]
Black Monday 2020: Share prices fall sharply in response to economic concerns and the impact of COVID-19. The Dow Jones industrial average plunges more than 2,000 points, its biggest ever fall in intraday trading.[82]Oil prices plunge by as much as 30% in early trading, the biggest fall since 1991, after Saudi Arabia launches a
price war with Russia.[83]
The U.S. begins a conditional
troop withdrawal from
Afghanistan; American troop numbers are to be reduced from 12,000 to 8,600 within 135 days.[84]
March 10 – COVID-19 pandemic: COVID-19 cases in the U.S. exceed 1,000, with a 50% increase within a 24-hour period and infections reported in 35 states.[85]
President Trump announces a 30-day ban on incoming travel from
Europe (with the exception of the
United Kingdom), effective midnight EDT (0400 GMT) on March 13. The announcement occurs the same day the
World Health Organization (WHO) declares the COVID-19 outbreak a
pandemic.[86] The travel ban is extended to the UK and
Ireland on March 16.[87]
The
NCAA cancels all Winter and Spring championships, including its
men's and
women's basketball tournaments, marking the first time both tournaments have been cancelled.[92]
Black Thursday 2020: Following a series of recent major falls, the Dow Jones plunges yet again, this time by over 9.5%, along with markets around the world.[93]
March 19 – COVID-19 pandemic: The
Department of Labor reports that 281,000 Americans filed for
unemployment in the last week, a 33 percent increase over the prior week and the biggest percentage increase since
1992.[111]
March 20 – COVID-19 pandemic: The governor of New York orders staff at all "non-essential" businesses to remain at home as the number of COVID-19 cases in the state exceeds 7,000.[112]
March 21 – COVID-19 pandemic: Biotech company
Cepheid Inc reports that it has been granted
FDA approval for a new rapid diagnostic test, able to detect COVID-19 in 45 minutes.[113][114]
President Trump says the
National Guard has been activated in California, Washington, and
New York, thus far the most impacted states during the pandemic.[115] The
Washington National Guard clarifies that it was yet to be "activated", only put on stand-by.[116]
A
Gallup poll places President Trump's approval rating at 49 percent, his highest thus far.[124] A separate
Hill-
HarrisX poll places him at 50 percent, his highest since August
2018.[125]
Nationwide COVID-19 deaths surpass 1,000 as the total number of cases reach almost 69,000.[126]
The White House and the Senate agree to a
$2 trillion stimulus package—the largest in U.S. history—to
boost the economy amid the ongoing pandemic.[127] The Senate subsequently approves the negotiated bill (the CARES Act) in a 96–0 vote.[128] Trump signs the bill into law on March 27 after a House
voice vote.[129]
The Pentagon orders a 60-day halt on all overseas troop travel and movement as 227 U.S. troops have thus far tested positive for COVID-19. The withdrawal from Afghanistan will continue.[130]
Nationwide COVID-19 infections exceed 82,000—surpassing infections in China and
Italy—as the U.S. now has more cases reported than any other country to date.[131]
The Department of Labor reports that 3.28 million Americans filed for
unemployment benefits in the last week, the largest increase in U.S. history. It supersedes the all-time high of 695,000 in October
1982.[132]
The Trump administration indicts Venezuelan president
Nicolás Maduro's government of
drug trafficking and
narcoterrorism and offers a $15 million reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest.[133]
Nationwide reported COVID-19 cases exceed 163,000 as the national death toll reaches 3,000. Three-quarters of the U.S. population are under lockdown as
Maryland,
Virginia,
Arizona and
Tennessee become the latest states to restrict movement.[137]
U.S. dairy producers dump thousands of gallons of milk as farmers cannot get their product to market due to a
truck driver shortage.[138]
The Trump administration deploys anti-drug Navy ships and
AWACS planes near
Venezuela in reportedly the largest military build-up in the region since the
1989 invasion of Panama.[141]
Coal companies owned by West Virginia Governor
Jim Justice agree to pay $5 million for thousands of
mine safety violations.[142]
April 3 – COVID-19 pandemic: The CDC recommends all citizens consider wearing cloth or fabric face coverings in public.[143]
COVID-19 pandemic: Nationwide COVID-19 deaths surpass 10,000, with more than 19,800 recoveries.[144]
President Trump signs an executive order encouraging future long-term commercial exploitation of various celestial bodies and mining of
lunar resources.[145]
April 7 – COVID-19 pandemic: The U.S. records the most COVID-19 deaths in a single day to date, with more than 1,800 fatalities reported, taking the cumulative total to nearly 13,000.[146] This is overtaken on April 15 when 2,371 deaths are recorded in a single day, topping 30,800 fatalities.[147]
April 14 – COVID-19 pandemic: President Trump announces that he will suspend U.S. funding of the
World Health Organization (WHO) pending an investigation into its early response to the outbreak.[156]
New York Governor
Andrew Cuomo signs an executive order requiring everyone in the state to wear a mask or a mouth/nose covering in public when not
social distancing.[159]
It is revealed that nearly 22 million Americans have filed for
unemployment within a single month due to COVID-19 lockdowns, the worst unemployment crisis since the
Great Depression.[160]
The Trump administration reveals federal guidelines outlining a three-phased, gradual reopening of schools, commerce, and services for parts of the country.[161]
April 17 – COVID-19 pandemic:
Texas is the first state to begin easing coronavirus-related restrictions.[162] Florida's
Duval County is the first in the state to ease restrictions, with
Jacksonville,
Atlantic, and
Neptune being the first beaches in the state to reopen, on a limited basis.[163]
April 20 –
Oil prices reach a record low, falling into negative values, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia–Saudi Arabia oil price war.[164]
April 29 – The
Department of Commerce reports that the U.S. economy shrank by 4.8% in the first quarter of 2020, its most severe contraction since
2008.[173]
May 3 – The United States faces an invasion of
Asian giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia magnifica), threatening domestic bees.[179]
May 7 – The Department of Justice drops charges against former National Security Advisor
Michael Flynn in the
Mueller investigation.[180] On May 11, nearly 2,000 former Justice Department officials sign a letter calling for
Attorney GeneralWilliam Barr to resign over what they describe as his improper intervention in the Flynn case.[181]
May 8 – COVID-19 pandemic: The national
unemployment level reaches 14.7%, with more than 33 million jobless claims having been filed since mid-March.[182]
May 12 – COVID-19 pandemic: The Broadway League extends its shutdown of Broadway theatres for a second time, projecting reopening on September 6.[183]
The
Senate Intelligence Committee submits the fifth and final volume of its report on Russian election meddling to the
ODNI for classification review. The report totals "nearly 1,000 pages". It is released on August 18, reportedly providing new information about President Trump's relationship with Russian officials.[186]
COVID-19 pandemic: The U.S. surpasses 1.5 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and 90,000 deaths.[192]
Two dams in
Midland County,
Michigan, fail, resulting in extensive evacuations and the declaration of a state of emergency.[193]
The
Congressional Budget Office reports a 38% fall in GDP on an annualized basis in the second quarter of 2020, with 26 million more unemployed Americans than in Q4 2019.[194]
May 20 – COVID-19 pandemic: James Jamal Curry, 31, who spat and coughed on a police officer in
Miami, Florida after claiming to have COVID-19, is indicted for committing a
biological weapon hoax (terrorism).[195]
COVID-19 pandemic: The official nationwide death toll surpasses 100,000—more Americans than were killed in the
Vietnam and
Korean wars combined, and approaching that of the
First World War, when more than 116,000 Americans died in combat.[199][200]
George Floyd protests:
Protests in Minneapolis turn violent as activists call for murder charges against the police officers involved in George Floyd's murder.[201][202]
President Trump threatens to shut down Twitter and other social media platforms, accusing them of bias against
conservatives.[203]
George Floyd protests: A state of emergency is declared in the Twin Cities, with hundreds of
National Guard soldiers deployed on the streets as protests
spread nationwide.[204]
President Trump signs an executive order rolling back liability protections for social media companies over user-generated content.[205][206]
Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin is charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd.[207] An independent autopsy concludes on June 1 that Floyd's cause of death was "homicide caused by
asphyxia".[208] Minnesota Attorney General
Keith Ellison later increases the charge against Derek Chauvin to
second degree on June 3; charges against the three other officers who were present are also filed.[209]
George Floyd protests: Curfews are declared in Los Angeles,
Philadelphia and
Atlanta as riots and protests continue nationwide. The weeks' rioting is termed the worst instance of civil unrest in the United States since the 1968
King assassination riots.[212]
COVID-19 pandemic: The FDA withdraws emergency use authorization for
hydroxychloroquine to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients, citing unnecessary risk.[234]
June 25 – COVID-19 pandemic: The U.S. reaches a record daily high of 40,000 new COVID-19 cases, following a reversal in the downward trend of infections in early June. Southern and western states are the worst affected.[237]
President Trump signs an executive order against the destruction or vandalism of public monuments, memorials, or statues.[238]
The New York Times reports that a Russian
military intelligence unit offered
bounties to
Taliban-linked militants for the killing of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and that President Trump was briefed on the findings in late March 2020, but did not authorize any response.[239] Trump denies he was ever briefed on the matter.[240]
June 29 – COVID-19 pandemic: Arizona Governor
Doug Ducey orders all bars, nightclubs, gyms, movie theaters and water parks to close for 30 days due to a spike in COVID-19 cases.[241]
COVID-19 pandemic: Florida reports 10,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day, the biggest one-day increase in the state since the pandemic started, and more than any European country had at the height of their outbreaks.[245]
July 17 – Secretary of Defense
Mark Esper issues a memorandum to the military on the appropriate display of flags, which excludes the
Confederate flag, thereby effectively banning it.[265]
July 21 – Republican Ohio House Speaker
Larry Householder is arrested by federal agents in connection with a $60 million bribery case. Former Ohio GOP Chairman
Matt Borges is also arrested, along with a GOP advisor and two lobbyists.[267]
A 7.8-magnitude earthquake is reported off the coast of
Alaska.[268]
George Floyd protests: President Trump announces a "
surge" in deployments of federal officers to Democratic-run cities, following an earlier crackdown on protests in Oregon.[269]
Federal economic figures show a 32.9% annualized rate of GDP contraction between April and June, the sharpest decline since records began in
1945.[272][273]
President Trump signs an executive order banning any U.S. companies or citizens from making transactions with
ByteDance, the parent company of
TikTok, in 45 days.[281] He takes similar action against
Tencent.
Facebook founder
Mark Zuckerberg reaches a net worth exceeding $100 billion, becoming the third
centibillionaire, alongside Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates.[282]
August 10–
11 – A
derecho with winds recorded at up to 140 mph strikes the
Midwest, resulting in four deaths, hundreds of injuries, widespread utility outages, and severe property damage.
August 11 – Democratic presidential candidate
Joe Biden names Senator
Kamala Harris as his vice presidential nominee, the first African American woman to serve in the role.[285]
COVID-19 pandemic:
Bill Cassidy (R-LA) is the second senator to test positive for COVID-19.[291]
Former White House advisor
Steve Bannon is arrested and charged with fraud over a fundraising campaign to build a
wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.[292] He is released on a $5 million bail bond after pleading not guilty.[293]
COVID-19 pandemic: The FDA grants emergency use authorization to antibody-rich
blood plasma for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients.[295][296]
August 26–
31 –
Riots break out in downtown Minneapolis following false rumors about the suicide of an African American man being pursued by police. 113 people are arrested.[299]
August 26
Kenosha protests:
Two people are
fatally shot overnight during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin; a suspect is arrested.[300]
Professional athletes begin
boycotting their respective sports contests in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake.[301]
September 22 – COVID-19 pandemic: Nationwide official COVID-19 deaths surpass 200,000.[319]
September 25 – President Trump unveils his "
Platinum Plan" at a campaign rally in
Atlanta, in which he proposes making
Juneteenth a federal holiday, labeling the
Ku Klux Klan and
Antifa as terrorist organizations, and making
lynching a national hate crime, among other socioeconomic initiatives aimed at African Americans.[320]
A New York Times report on President Trump's personal and business
tax returns alleges years of tax avoidance and millions in debt and
IRS penalties, among other allegations.[322][323]
COVID-19 pandemic: The
White House COVID-19 outbreak is realized, as both President Donald Trump and First Lady
Melania Trump test positive for COVID-19 and enter quarantine. Several White House staffers and multiple congress members also test positive.[327]
The Trump administration announces plans to slash U.S. refugee admissions for 2021 to a record low–15,000 refugees, down from a cap of 18,000 for 2020.[328][329][330]
October 3 – COVID-19 pandemic: By this date, multiple U.S. senators whom have attended presidential events have tested positive for COVID-19.[331]
A former leading fundraiser for president Donald Trump has been indicted on a charge that he illegally lobbied the US government to drop its probe into the Malaysia
1MDB corruption scandal and to deport an exiled Chinese billionaire. The indictment said
Elliott Broidy was recruited in 2017 by an unnamed foreign national, understood to be Malaysian
Low Taek Jho, to pressure US officials to end their investigation into a scandal engulfing the then Malaysian prime minister,
Najib Razak.[337]
House Democrats announce plans to create a congressional commission invoking the
25th Amendment to evaluate the physical and
mental health of the president.[340]
COVID-19 pandemic: The Broadway League extends its shutdown of Broadway theaters for a third time, this time until May 30, 2021.[342]
October 10 – COVID-19 pandemic: President Trump hosts his first public event at the White House since becoming ill, informing attendees that a
vaccine is forthcoming.[343]
The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously votes for the nomination of Judge
Amy Coney Barrett, 12–0, as committee Democrats boycott the roll call.[350]
The U.S. is the first country to exceed 100,000 daily cases of COVID-19.[370]
Nationwide COVID-19 cases surpass nine million.[371]
The FBI launches an investigation into an
incident in Texas where a
Joe Biden campaign bus tour was cancelled after a caravan of supporters of President Trump attempted to run it off the road and hit a staffer's car.[372]
2020 presidential election: Amid
election-related protests,
Facebook bans a 300,000-member
Stop the Steal group page being used by supporters of President Trump to organize protests against the election results, citing calls for violence by some participants.[382]
Texas surpasses one million confirmed cases of COVID-19, the first state and the world's first place to pass that milestone that is not an independent country.[383]
Michigan surpasses 200,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19.[384]
Joe Biden is projected to have won the presidential election, following several days of uncertainty due to
postal vote counting. He is to be
inaugurated on January 20, 2021. It is the first time since
1992 that an incumbent president's challenger has won the election over the incumbent president, when
Bill Clinton defeated
George H. W. Bush.[385][386]
November 10 – President Trump promotes a number of reported loyalists to various roles in the Defense Department following the November 9 ouster of Defense Secretary
Mark Esper.[389]
2020 presidential election: A coalition of federal and state officials declare the 2020 presidential election "the most secure in American history" and asserts there is no evidence of compromised voting systems.[390][391]
COVID-19 pandemic:
California becomes the second state after Texas to reach one million cases.[392]
More than 150,000 new cases are reported nationwide, setting a world record for a third consecutive day.[393]
The FBI arrests convicted murderer Leonard Rayne Moses, who escaped from custody in 1971 and had been on their
Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.[394]
2020 presidential election: President-elect Joe Biden is projected to win
Arizona, the first Democrat to do so since
Bill Clinton in
1996.[395] Biden also becomes the first Democrat to win
Georgia since Clinton did so in
1992.[396]
COVID-19 pandemic:
More than 130
Secret Service agents are ordered to self-isolate or quarantine.[397]
Michigan,
Wisconsin,
Maryland, and
Illinois report new single-day records for new cases. Illinois breaks the national record for new cases reported by a state in a single day.[399][400][401][402]
A 5.5 Mw earthquake strikes
Tonopah, Nevada, the largest earthquake in Nevada in over 66 years.[405]
November 14 – 2020 presidential election: Thousands of protesters march in Washington, D.C. in support of President Trump and his
claims of electoral voter fraud.[406]
Texas surpasses 20,000 confirmed deaths from COVID-19, becoming the state with the second highest number of reported deaths in the country, behind
New York.[411]
Wisconsin reports a record 92 new fatalities within the previous 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 2,741. A record 318 hospitalizations are also reported.[413]
Pennsylvania announces that out-of-state travelers will be required to either quarantine or present a negative
COVID-19 test result to enter the state.[417]
Ohio Governor
Mike DeWine orders a three-week night time curfew from 10:00 pm until 5:00 am
EST beginning November 19.[418]
2020 presidential election: Joe Biden's win in Georgia is upheld and reaffirmed following a hand recount, making him the first Democrat to win the state since Bill Clinton in 1992.[427]
COVID-19 pandemic:
Utah reports a record number of new COVID-19 daily cases and deaths.[428]
Pennsylvania and Maryland report new daily records for new cases.[429][430]
California Governor
Gavin Newsom orders a 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
PST curfew for 41
counties beginning November 21, affecting more than 90 percent of the state population.[431]
Nationwide COVID-19 cases surpass 12 million, six days after surpassing 11 million cases. More than 200,000 new cases have been reported in recent days.[439]
Michigan and New Jersey both surpass 300,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19.[440][441] New Jersey,
Mississippi, Oregon, and California report a record number of new daily cases.[441][442][443][444]
U.S. Senator
Kelly Loeffler (R-Georgia) enters quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19.[445]
The FDA grants emergency use authorization for
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals' antibody cocktail to treat COVID-19 patients.[446]
Michigan extends its statewide partial shutdown on businesses, indoor dining in restaurants, and in-person instruction at high schools and colleges through December 20 after surpassing 400,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases.[490][491] The same day the
Michigan House of Representatives announce that they will cancel a voting session scheduled for December 8 (and later 9 and 10) after a legislative aide tested positive for COVID-19.[492]
Wyoming issues new containment procedures, including a statewide mask mandate for indoor public spaces lasting from December 9 to January 8.[493]
Nationwide COVID-19 cases surpass 15 million, with about one out of every 22 Americans having tested positive since the pandemic began.[494]
Michigan surpasses 10,000 confirmed deaths from COVID-19.[495] Governor Gretchen Whitmer orders flags to fly at half staff for the next 10 days, one day for every 1,000 victims.[496]
2020 presidential election: The Supreme Court denies a
lawsuit to overturn Joe Biden's victory in four battleground states.[502]
COVID-19 pandemic:
Nationwide COVID-19 cases surpass 16 million and a new one-day record of 3,309 deaths are reported.[503][504]
California reports 35,468 new cases in the previous 24 hours, a new single-day record, and reports a record number of 2,013 hospitalized patients and 2,669 intensive care patients.[505]
The FDA grants emergency authorization of the
Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.[506] The vaccine begins shipment to all 50 states on December 13,[507] with the first doses administered on December 14.[508]
Joe Biden nominates
Deb Haaland for Secretary of the Interior, becoming the first Native American appointed to a cabinet-level position if confirmed.[522]
COVID-19 pandemic:
California reports new single-day records for new cases and new deaths, also breaking national records.[523]
Congress passes the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, a packaged $2.3 trillion pandemic relief and omnibus spending bill. At 5,593 pages, it is the longest bill ever passed by Congress.[529][530][531][532] After initial objections, President Trump signs the bill into law on December 27, averting a partial government shutdown.[533]
President-elect Joe Biden and incoming First Lady
Jill Biden receive the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.[534]
The local council of
Murdock, Minnesota gives permit approving for a whites-only church. The Asatru Folk Assembly describes itself as a “warrior” religion of “white people” from northern Europe.[537][538][539]
This article may be
too long to read and navigate comfortably. Consider
splitting content into sub-articles,
condensing it, or adding
subheadings. Please discuss this issue on the article's
talk page.(February 2024)
The following is a list of notable events, births and deaths from 2020 in the United States.
The US was heavily impacted by the
COVID-19 pandemic, which by the end of the year killed over 300,000 people within American borders. America also became a political battleground for various issues, with various instances of
racism and more so
police brutality commencing
a wide movement of racial unrest and the
George Floyd protests. The year has been characterized by some as among the most tumultuous in American history.[1][2]
Donald Trump was a central figure to American politics during his final full year of his first term as president, which saw not only the pandemic and racial unrest but also Trump's
first impeachment trial and the appointment of
Amy Coney Barrett to the
Supreme Court. While Trump lost the
2020 election to former Vice President
Joe Biden, he has disputed the result of the election, and effort continued into both 2021 and 2022 to
overturn the election.
Several new regulations take effect in the United States, including new regulations on retirement funds, new minimum wage rules, and new overtime rules.[5]
Persian Gulf crisis: Iran
attacks Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. troops, injuring more than 110 service members.[10]
The
American Cancer Society reports a 2.2% drop in the
cancer death rate between 2016 and 2017, the largest single-year decline in mortality for this disease ever recorded in the U.S.[11][12]
Persian Gulf crisis: The
House of Representatives votes 224–194 to pass a non-binding
War Powers Resolution to limit the president's ability to pursue military actions against Iran without congressional consent.[13]
Puerto Rico is hit by a 5.9Mw earthquake and several 5.0Mwearthquakes, following the 7 January 6.4Mw that left one dead and several wounded in addition to thousands without electric power.[16]
At least seven people are killed by wind and rain storms across
the South.[17]
January 24 – Donald Trump becomes the first sitting president to personally attend the annual
March for Life anti-abortion protest in Washington, D.C.[28]
COVID-19 pandemic: President Donald Trump imposes travel restrictions preventing foreign nationals from entering the U.S. if they visited China within the previous two weeks.[35]
The U.S. Senate votes 51–49 against calling witnesses in President Trump's impeachment trial.[36]
February 20 –
Political consultantRoger Stone is sentenced to 40 months in prison after being found guilty of witness tampering, obstructing an official proceeding, and five counts of making false statements.[51]
COVID-19 pandemic: Growing fear of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic causes the
Dow Jones Industrial Average to plunge by 1,190.95 points (4.4%), closing at 25,766.64—its largest one-day points decline in history. This follows several days of large falls, the Dow's worst week since 2008.[59]
Former
Baltimore mayorCatherine Pugh is sentenced to three years in prison and three years probation after pleading guilty to tax evasion and conspiracy to defraud the government.[61]
COVID-19 pandemic: The
first death from COVID-19 in the U.S. is reported by officials in
Washington state, as the total number of cases nationwide reaches 66.[63]
Florida reports two deaths from COVID-19, the first confirmed U.S. fatalities outside of the
west coast.[79]
The annual
South by Southwest (SXSW) festival is
canceled due to COVID-19 fears; it is the first time the event has been canceled in its 34-year history.[80]
Black Monday 2020: Share prices fall sharply in response to economic concerns and the impact of COVID-19. The Dow Jones industrial average plunges more than 2,000 points, its biggest ever fall in intraday trading.[82]Oil prices plunge by as much as 30% in early trading, the biggest fall since 1991, after Saudi Arabia launches a
price war with Russia.[83]
The U.S. begins a conditional
troop withdrawal from
Afghanistan; American troop numbers are to be reduced from 12,000 to 8,600 within 135 days.[84]
March 10 – COVID-19 pandemic: COVID-19 cases in the U.S. exceed 1,000, with a 50% increase within a 24-hour period and infections reported in 35 states.[85]
President Trump announces a 30-day ban on incoming travel from
Europe (with the exception of the
United Kingdom), effective midnight EDT (0400 GMT) on March 13. The announcement occurs the same day the
World Health Organization (WHO) declares the COVID-19 outbreak a
pandemic.[86] The travel ban is extended to the UK and
Ireland on March 16.[87]
The
NCAA cancels all Winter and Spring championships, including its
men's and
women's basketball tournaments, marking the first time both tournaments have been cancelled.[92]
Black Thursday 2020: Following a series of recent major falls, the Dow Jones plunges yet again, this time by over 9.5%, along with markets around the world.[93]
March 19 – COVID-19 pandemic: The
Department of Labor reports that 281,000 Americans filed for
unemployment in the last week, a 33 percent increase over the prior week and the biggest percentage increase since
1992.[111]
March 20 – COVID-19 pandemic: The governor of New York orders staff at all "non-essential" businesses to remain at home as the number of COVID-19 cases in the state exceeds 7,000.[112]
March 21 – COVID-19 pandemic: Biotech company
Cepheid Inc reports that it has been granted
FDA approval for a new rapid diagnostic test, able to detect COVID-19 in 45 minutes.[113][114]
President Trump says the
National Guard has been activated in California, Washington, and
New York, thus far the most impacted states during the pandemic.[115] The
Washington National Guard clarifies that it was yet to be "activated", only put on stand-by.[116]
A
Gallup poll places President Trump's approval rating at 49 percent, his highest thus far.[124] A separate
Hill-
HarrisX poll places him at 50 percent, his highest since August
2018.[125]
Nationwide COVID-19 deaths surpass 1,000 as the total number of cases reach almost 69,000.[126]
The White House and the Senate agree to a
$2 trillion stimulus package—the largest in U.S. history—to
boost the economy amid the ongoing pandemic.[127] The Senate subsequently approves the negotiated bill (the CARES Act) in a 96–0 vote.[128] Trump signs the bill into law on March 27 after a House
voice vote.[129]
The Pentagon orders a 60-day halt on all overseas troop travel and movement as 227 U.S. troops have thus far tested positive for COVID-19. The withdrawal from Afghanistan will continue.[130]
Nationwide COVID-19 infections exceed 82,000—surpassing infections in China and
Italy—as the U.S. now has more cases reported than any other country to date.[131]
The Department of Labor reports that 3.28 million Americans filed for
unemployment benefits in the last week, the largest increase in U.S. history. It supersedes the all-time high of 695,000 in October
1982.[132]
The Trump administration indicts Venezuelan president
Nicolás Maduro's government of
drug trafficking and
narcoterrorism and offers a $15 million reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest.[133]
Nationwide reported COVID-19 cases exceed 163,000 as the national death toll reaches 3,000. Three-quarters of the U.S. population are under lockdown as
Maryland,
Virginia,
Arizona and
Tennessee become the latest states to restrict movement.[137]
U.S. dairy producers dump thousands of gallons of milk as farmers cannot get their product to market due to a
truck driver shortage.[138]
The Trump administration deploys anti-drug Navy ships and
AWACS planes near
Venezuela in reportedly the largest military build-up in the region since the
1989 invasion of Panama.[141]
Coal companies owned by West Virginia Governor
Jim Justice agree to pay $5 million for thousands of
mine safety violations.[142]
April 3 – COVID-19 pandemic: The CDC recommends all citizens consider wearing cloth or fabric face coverings in public.[143]
COVID-19 pandemic: Nationwide COVID-19 deaths surpass 10,000, with more than 19,800 recoveries.[144]
President Trump signs an executive order encouraging future long-term commercial exploitation of various celestial bodies and mining of
lunar resources.[145]
April 7 – COVID-19 pandemic: The U.S. records the most COVID-19 deaths in a single day to date, with more than 1,800 fatalities reported, taking the cumulative total to nearly 13,000.[146] This is overtaken on April 15 when 2,371 deaths are recorded in a single day, topping 30,800 fatalities.[147]
April 14 – COVID-19 pandemic: President Trump announces that he will suspend U.S. funding of the
World Health Organization (WHO) pending an investigation into its early response to the outbreak.[156]
New York Governor
Andrew Cuomo signs an executive order requiring everyone in the state to wear a mask or a mouth/nose covering in public when not
social distancing.[159]
It is revealed that nearly 22 million Americans have filed for
unemployment within a single month due to COVID-19 lockdowns, the worst unemployment crisis since the
Great Depression.[160]
The Trump administration reveals federal guidelines outlining a three-phased, gradual reopening of schools, commerce, and services for parts of the country.[161]
April 17 – COVID-19 pandemic:
Texas is the first state to begin easing coronavirus-related restrictions.[162] Florida's
Duval County is the first in the state to ease restrictions, with
Jacksonville,
Atlantic, and
Neptune being the first beaches in the state to reopen, on a limited basis.[163]
April 20 –
Oil prices reach a record low, falling into negative values, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia–Saudi Arabia oil price war.[164]
April 29 – The
Department of Commerce reports that the U.S. economy shrank by 4.8% in the first quarter of 2020, its most severe contraction since
2008.[173]
May 3 – The United States faces an invasion of
Asian giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia magnifica), threatening domestic bees.[179]
May 7 – The Department of Justice drops charges against former National Security Advisor
Michael Flynn in the
Mueller investigation.[180] On May 11, nearly 2,000 former Justice Department officials sign a letter calling for
Attorney GeneralWilliam Barr to resign over what they describe as his improper intervention in the Flynn case.[181]
May 8 – COVID-19 pandemic: The national
unemployment level reaches 14.7%, with more than 33 million jobless claims having been filed since mid-March.[182]
May 12 – COVID-19 pandemic: The Broadway League extends its shutdown of Broadway theatres for a second time, projecting reopening on September 6.[183]
The
Senate Intelligence Committee submits the fifth and final volume of its report on Russian election meddling to the
ODNI for classification review. The report totals "nearly 1,000 pages". It is released on August 18, reportedly providing new information about President Trump's relationship with Russian officials.[186]
COVID-19 pandemic: The U.S. surpasses 1.5 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and 90,000 deaths.[192]
Two dams in
Midland County,
Michigan, fail, resulting in extensive evacuations and the declaration of a state of emergency.[193]
The
Congressional Budget Office reports a 38% fall in GDP on an annualized basis in the second quarter of 2020, with 26 million more unemployed Americans than in Q4 2019.[194]
May 20 – COVID-19 pandemic: James Jamal Curry, 31, who spat and coughed on a police officer in
Miami, Florida after claiming to have COVID-19, is indicted for committing a
biological weapon hoax (terrorism).[195]
COVID-19 pandemic: The official nationwide death toll surpasses 100,000—more Americans than were killed in the
Vietnam and
Korean wars combined, and approaching that of the
First World War, when more than 116,000 Americans died in combat.[199][200]
George Floyd protests:
Protests in Minneapolis turn violent as activists call for murder charges against the police officers involved in George Floyd's murder.[201][202]
President Trump threatens to shut down Twitter and other social media platforms, accusing them of bias against
conservatives.[203]
George Floyd protests: A state of emergency is declared in the Twin Cities, with hundreds of
National Guard soldiers deployed on the streets as protests
spread nationwide.[204]
President Trump signs an executive order rolling back liability protections for social media companies over user-generated content.[205][206]
Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin is charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd.[207] An independent autopsy concludes on June 1 that Floyd's cause of death was "homicide caused by
asphyxia".[208] Minnesota Attorney General
Keith Ellison later increases the charge against Derek Chauvin to
second degree on June 3; charges against the three other officers who were present are also filed.[209]
George Floyd protests: Curfews are declared in Los Angeles,
Philadelphia and
Atlanta as riots and protests continue nationwide. The weeks' rioting is termed the worst instance of civil unrest in the United States since the 1968
King assassination riots.[212]
COVID-19 pandemic: The FDA withdraws emergency use authorization for
hydroxychloroquine to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients, citing unnecessary risk.[234]
June 25 – COVID-19 pandemic: The U.S. reaches a record daily high of 40,000 new COVID-19 cases, following a reversal in the downward trend of infections in early June. Southern and western states are the worst affected.[237]
President Trump signs an executive order against the destruction or vandalism of public monuments, memorials, or statues.[238]
The New York Times reports that a Russian
military intelligence unit offered
bounties to
Taliban-linked militants for the killing of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and that President Trump was briefed on the findings in late March 2020, but did not authorize any response.[239] Trump denies he was ever briefed on the matter.[240]
June 29 – COVID-19 pandemic: Arizona Governor
Doug Ducey orders all bars, nightclubs, gyms, movie theaters and water parks to close for 30 days due to a spike in COVID-19 cases.[241]
COVID-19 pandemic: Florida reports 10,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day, the biggest one-day increase in the state since the pandemic started, and more than any European country had at the height of their outbreaks.[245]
July 17 – Secretary of Defense
Mark Esper issues a memorandum to the military on the appropriate display of flags, which excludes the
Confederate flag, thereby effectively banning it.[265]
July 21 – Republican Ohio House Speaker
Larry Householder is arrested by federal agents in connection with a $60 million bribery case. Former Ohio GOP Chairman
Matt Borges is also arrested, along with a GOP advisor and two lobbyists.[267]
A 7.8-magnitude earthquake is reported off the coast of
Alaska.[268]
George Floyd protests: President Trump announces a "
surge" in deployments of federal officers to Democratic-run cities, following an earlier crackdown on protests in Oregon.[269]
Federal economic figures show a 32.9% annualized rate of GDP contraction between April and June, the sharpest decline since records began in
1945.[272][273]
President Trump signs an executive order banning any U.S. companies or citizens from making transactions with
ByteDance, the parent company of
TikTok, in 45 days.[281] He takes similar action against
Tencent.
Facebook founder
Mark Zuckerberg reaches a net worth exceeding $100 billion, becoming the third
centibillionaire, alongside Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates.[282]
August 10–
11 – A
derecho with winds recorded at up to 140 mph strikes the
Midwest, resulting in four deaths, hundreds of injuries, widespread utility outages, and severe property damage.
August 11 – Democratic presidential candidate
Joe Biden names Senator
Kamala Harris as his vice presidential nominee, the first African American woman to serve in the role.[285]
COVID-19 pandemic:
Bill Cassidy (R-LA) is the second senator to test positive for COVID-19.[291]
Former White House advisor
Steve Bannon is arrested and charged with fraud over a fundraising campaign to build a
wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.[292] He is released on a $5 million bail bond after pleading not guilty.[293]
COVID-19 pandemic: The FDA grants emergency use authorization to antibody-rich
blood plasma for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients.[295][296]
August 26–
31 –
Riots break out in downtown Minneapolis following false rumors about the suicide of an African American man being pursued by police. 113 people are arrested.[299]
August 26
Kenosha protests:
Two people are
fatally shot overnight during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin; a suspect is arrested.[300]
Professional athletes begin
boycotting their respective sports contests in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake.[301]
September 22 – COVID-19 pandemic: Nationwide official COVID-19 deaths surpass 200,000.[319]
September 25 – President Trump unveils his "
Platinum Plan" at a campaign rally in
Atlanta, in which he proposes making
Juneteenth a federal holiday, labeling the
Ku Klux Klan and
Antifa as terrorist organizations, and making
lynching a national hate crime, among other socioeconomic initiatives aimed at African Americans.[320]
A New York Times report on President Trump's personal and business
tax returns alleges years of tax avoidance and millions in debt and
IRS penalties, among other allegations.[322][323]
COVID-19 pandemic: The
White House COVID-19 outbreak is realized, as both President Donald Trump and First Lady
Melania Trump test positive for COVID-19 and enter quarantine. Several White House staffers and multiple congress members also test positive.[327]
The Trump administration announces plans to slash U.S. refugee admissions for 2021 to a record low–15,000 refugees, down from a cap of 18,000 for 2020.[328][329][330]
October 3 – COVID-19 pandemic: By this date, multiple U.S. senators whom have attended presidential events have tested positive for COVID-19.[331]
A former leading fundraiser for president Donald Trump has been indicted on a charge that he illegally lobbied the US government to drop its probe into the Malaysia
1MDB corruption scandal and to deport an exiled Chinese billionaire. The indictment said
Elliott Broidy was recruited in 2017 by an unnamed foreign national, understood to be Malaysian
Low Taek Jho, to pressure US officials to end their investigation into a scandal engulfing the then Malaysian prime minister,
Najib Razak.[337]
House Democrats announce plans to create a congressional commission invoking the
25th Amendment to evaluate the physical and
mental health of the president.[340]
COVID-19 pandemic: The Broadway League extends its shutdown of Broadway theaters for a third time, this time until May 30, 2021.[342]
October 10 – COVID-19 pandemic: President Trump hosts his first public event at the White House since becoming ill, informing attendees that a
vaccine is forthcoming.[343]
The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously votes for the nomination of Judge
Amy Coney Barrett, 12–0, as committee Democrats boycott the roll call.[350]
The U.S. is the first country to exceed 100,000 daily cases of COVID-19.[370]
Nationwide COVID-19 cases surpass nine million.[371]
The FBI launches an investigation into an
incident in Texas where a
Joe Biden campaign bus tour was cancelled after a caravan of supporters of President Trump attempted to run it off the road and hit a staffer's car.[372]
2020 presidential election: Amid
election-related protests,
Facebook bans a 300,000-member
Stop the Steal group page being used by supporters of President Trump to organize protests against the election results, citing calls for violence by some participants.[382]
Texas surpasses one million confirmed cases of COVID-19, the first state and the world's first place to pass that milestone that is not an independent country.[383]
Michigan surpasses 200,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19.[384]
Joe Biden is projected to have won the presidential election, following several days of uncertainty due to
postal vote counting. He is to be
inaugurated on January 20, 2021. It is the first time since
1992 that an incumbent president's challenger has won the election over the incumbent president, when
Bill Clinton defeated
George H. W. Bush.[385][386]
November 10 – President Trump promotes a number of reported loyalists to various roles in the Defense Department following the November 9 ouster of Defense Secretary
Mark Esper.[389]
2020 presidential election: A coalition of federal and state officials declare the 2020 presidential election "the most secure in American history" and asserts there is no evidence of compromised voting systems.[390][391]
COVID-19 pandemic:
California becomes the second state after Texas to reach one million cases.[392]
More than 150,000 new cases are reported nationwide, setting a world record for a third consecutive day.[393]
The FBI arrests convicted murderer Leonard Rayne Moses, who escaped from custody in 1971 and had been on their
Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.[394]
2020 presidential election: President-elect Joe Biden is projected to win
Arizona, the first Democrat to do so since
Bill Clinton in
1996.[395] Biden also becomes the first Democrat to win
Georgia since Clinton did so in
1992.[396]
COVID-19 pandemic:
More than 130
Secret Service agents are ordered to self-isolate or quarantine.[397]
Michigan,
Wisconsin,
Maryland, and
Illinois report new single-day records for new cases. Illinois breaks the national record for new cases reported by a state in a single day.[399][400][401][402]
A 5.5 Mw earthquake strikes
Tonopah, Nevada, the largest earthquake in Nevada in over 66 years.[405]
November 14 – 2020 presidential election: Thousands of protesters march in Washington, D.C. in support of President Trump and his
claims of electoral voter fraud.[406]
Texas surpasses 20,000 confirmed deaths from COVID-19, becoming the state with the second highest number of reported deaths in the country, behind
New York.[411]
Wisconsin reports a record 92 new fatalities within the previous 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 2,741. A record 318 hospitalizations are also reported.[413]
Pennsylvania announces that out-of-state travelers will be required to either quarantine or present a negative
COVID-19 test result to enter the state.[417]
Ohio Governor
Mike DeWine orders a three-week night time curfew from 10:00 pm until 5:00 am
EST beginning November 19.[418]
2020 presidential election: Joe Biden's win in Georgia is upheld and reaffirmed following a hand recount, making him the first Democrat to win the state since Bill Clinton in 1992.[427]
COVID-19 pandemic:
Utah reports a record number of new COVID-19 daily cases and deaths.[428]
Pennsylvania and Maryland report new daily records for new cases.[429][430]
California Governor
Gavin Newsom orders a 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
PST curfew for 41
counties beginning November 21, affecting more than 90 percent of the state population.[431]
Nationwide COVID-19 cases surpass 12 million, six days after surpassing 11 million cases. More than 200,000 new cases have been reported in recent days.[439]
Michigan and New Jersey both surpass 300,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19.[440][441] New Jersey,
Mississippi, Oregon, and California report a record number of new daily cases.[441][442][443][444]
U.S. Senator
Kelly Loeffler (R-Georgia) enters quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19.[445]
The FDA grants emergency use authorization for
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals' antibody cocktail to treat COVID-19 patients.[446]
Michigan extends its statewide partial shutdown on businesses, indoor dining in restaurants, and in-person instruction at high schools and colleges through December 20 after surpassing 400,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases.[490][491] The same day the
Michigan House of Representatives announce that they will cancel a voting session scheduled for December 8 (and later 9 and 10) after a legislative aide tested positive for COVID-19.[492]
Wyoming issues new containment procedures, including a statewide mask mandate for indoor public spaces lasting from December 9 to January 8.[493]
Nationwide COVID-19 cases surpass 15 million, with about one out of every 22 Americans having tested positive since the pandemic began.[494]
Michigan surpasses 10,000 confirmed deaths from COVID-19.[495] Governor Gretchen Whitmer orders flags to fly at half staff for the next 10 days, one day for every 1,000 victims.[496]
2020 presidential election: The Supreme Court denies a
lawsuit to overturn Joe Biden's victory in four battleground states.[502]
COVID-19 pandemic:
Nationwide COVID-19 cases surpass 16 million and a new one-day record of 3,309 deaths are reported.[503][504]
California reports 35,468 new cases in the previous 24 hours, a new single-day record, and reports a record number of 2,013 hospitalized patients and 2,669 intensive care patients.[505]
The FDA grants emergency authorization of the
Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.[506] The vaccine begins shipment to all 50 states on December 13,[507] with the first doses administered on December 14.[508]
Joe Biden nominates
Deb Haaland for Secretary of the Interior, becoming the first Native American appointed to a cabinet-level position if confirmed.[522]
COVID-19 pandemic:
California reports new single-day records for new cases and new deaths, also breaking national records.[523]
Congress passes the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, a packaged $2.3 trillion pandemic relief and omnibus spending bill. At 5,593 pages, it is the longest bill ever passed by Congress.[529][530][531][532] After initial objections, President Trump signs the bill into law on December 27, averting a partial government shutdown.[533]
President-elect Joe Biden and incoming First Lady
Jill Biden receive the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.[534]
The local council of
Murdock, Minnesota gives permit approving for a whites-only church. The Asatru Folk Assembly describes itself as a “warrior” religion of “white people” from northern Europe.[537][538][539]