Dashed left edge = started before January 2021 ·
Dashed right edge = ongoing beyond January 2021
Events in January 2021 19
1926 – 2021Cloris Leachman (1926-2021)Died 27 January 2021, aged 94American actress who won eight Emmy Awards and an Oscar for The Last Picture Show.
1933 – 2021Larry King (1933-2021)Died 23 January 2021, aged 87American broadcaster whose interview programme ran for twenty-five years on CNN.
2017 – 2021Trump 1st presidency45th President — 2017 to 2021Donald Trump served as the 45th President from January 20, 2017 to January 20, 2021. He was impeached twice, cut taxes, appointed three Supreme Court justices, and oversaw Operation Warp Speed producing COVID vaccines.
2021Australian Open 2021Men: Novak Djokovic · Women: Naomi Osaka
2021 – 2023Dichter des VaderlandsPoet Laureate of the NetherlandsFrom January 2021 to January 2023 Marsman serves as Dichter des Vaderlands, succeeding Tsead Bruinja and followed by Babs Gons. She made complex themes accessible to a strikingly young audience.
2021In mijn mandPoetry collection on appointmentOn the day of her appointment as Poet Laureate, Marsman publishes the collection "In mijn mand", centring on the value of life and the place of death within it.
2021Sony acquires Bungie for $3.6 billionSony announces the acquisition of Bungie — creators of Halo and Destiny — for $3.6 billion in January 2022, Sony's largest gaming acquisition. The deal is partly a response to Microsoft's shock announcement of its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Bungie gives Sony a major live-service games developer and expertise in online multiplayer games — an area where PlayStation has historically been weaker than Xbox. Sony commits to keeping Destiny available on multiple platforms.
2021Zen 3 3D V-Cache — 3D chip stackingAMD introduces Ryzen processors with 3D V-Cache in January 2022 — stacking 64MB of additional L3 cache directly on top of the processor using TSMC's 3D stacking technology (SoIC). The 3D V-Cache processors deliver dramatic improvements in gaming performance — in some games 15–30% faster than equivalent processors without V-Cache — by keeping more game data closer to the processor cores. The 3D stacking innovation demonstrates AMD's willingness to explore non-traditional packaging technologies to achieve performance gains.
20212021: Max VerstappenRed BullDutch driver Verstappen won his first title in one of the most controversial finishes in F1 history, overtaking Hamilton on the final lap of the final race in Abu Dhabi after a disputed Safety Car restart.
2021Cosmic Nature at the New York Botanical GardenHer exhibition Cosmic Nature at the New York Botanical Garden brought her immersive installations outdoors, with giant polka-dotted pumpkins and flowers set among the gardens. The Tate Modern in London also opened a permanent display of two of her Infinity Mirror Rooms.
2021Dr. Brain on Apple TV+Starred in Dr. Brain, Apple TV+'s first Korean-language original series, earning a nomination for Best Performance by an Actor at the International Emmy Awards.
2021InvincibleVoiced Thaedus in the Prime Video animated series Invincible, one of his final roles.
2021Rememberings MemoirPublished her memoir Rememberings, which received broad critical praise for its candour and wit.
2021Second Rock Hall Induction and Tina DocumentaryInducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for the second time as a solo artist. The HBO documentary Tina, a deeply personal portrait of her life, was also released.
2021 – 2023The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin ZephaniahPublished his autobiography The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah, reflecting on his journey from a troubled childhood to becoming one of Britain's most beloved poets.
2021US Capitol stormedTrump supporters attack CongressSupporters of President Trump stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, attempting to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden's electoral victory. Five people died.
2021First Winter Ascent of K2Part of the ten-member all-Nepali team that made the first winter ascent of K2 (8,611m), the world's second-highest mountain. They sang the Nepali national anthem on the summit in temperatures below minus 60 degrees Celsius.
2021 – 2025Biden presidency46th President — 2021 to 2025Joe Biden served as the 46th President from January 20, 2021 to January 20, 2025. He passed the Inflation Reduction Act, led NATO support for Ukraine following Russia's invasion, and withdrew US troops from Afghanistan.
2021Joe Biden inaugurated as presidentA ceremony held behind fencing and troopsJoe Biden was inaugurated on 20 January 2021 amid extraordinary security following the Capitol attack. Kamala Harris became the first woman, first Black person and first person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president.