Review of 2021 (part 2)

Cuba's hip-hop dance company Datway made headlines in July 2021, going viral after the island got internet access.

However, as Datway became a hot topic online, North America was experiencing unusually high temperatures.

"It was like 90 degrees at midnight or some - or 80 degrees or something - it was crazy."

Areas of Western Europe had unusual flooding while Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos started their space tourism projects.

Jeff Bezos: "We're going to build a road to space, so that our kids and their kids can build the future. And we need to do that. We need to do that to solve the problems here on Earth."

The postponed 2020 Olympics were held in August 2021 in Japan. Unfortunately, spectators couldn't attend.

Takako: "I'm Japanese and because of the Covid, I couldn't go back to Japan. That's why I went to see the Olympic Games on a big screen in the UK."

Tourists in Greece were excited to go on their first undersea museum dive.

Hans Jurgen Fercher: "It makes it special and unique that it's a combination of diving and archaeological diving. It's diving into history."

Fans of Abba were also excited for the group's return with a new album and futuristic tour.

Hakan: "I'm knocked out! ABBA is back! ABBA is back! ABBA are avatars!"

It was also the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York. People including the then president George W Bush gathered to remember the 2977 deaths.

George W Bush: "In the weeks and months following the 9/11 attacks, I was proud to lead an amazing, resilient, united people."

September and October were all about freedom. We saw the situation with Haitian refugees in Mexico. Britney Spears was finally freed. And Little Amal arrived in the UK from Syria, walking 2000 kilometres to remember child refugees.

Jude Law: "It just seemed the most brilliant way to celebrate, try and raise awareness and share with the people who have taken a similar path to little Amal."

The environment became the main focus in November. World leaders met at COP26 in Scotland. Many activists like Greta Thunberg protested, pushing governments to act fast.

Jenny Rise: "A lot of politicians are scared of the power of this movement and that we can achieve something."

As 2021 came to an end and despite Covid, we have progressed. Korean teachers have now got robot assistants. Barbados has become the world's newest republic and making gingerbread houses in Sweden has led to growing interest in architecture.

Sara Sandell : "So it's a lot of things that go with architecture and the design but also it's fun and everybody loves gingerbread houses!"

What will 2022 bring?

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