Coronavirus is the biggest event of 2020, but it is not the story of the year

How quickly we forget that 2020 began with the threat of war.

When Iranian military mastermind Qassem Soleimani was killed in a targeted US drone strike in Iraq on January 3, the world truly did hold its breath.

Within hours the Iranians were threatening to retaliate and American forces were put on high alert. Long-time observers warned of escalation that could trigger a conflict between the biggest powers on the planet.

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Thankfully the moment passed, but it had revealed our fragility.

Within a month of Soleimani’s assassination the world faced another threat. A mystery virus we had heard was circulating in China spread around the globe.

By year’s end coronavirus would infect nearly 80 million people worldwide and kill more than 1.7…