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Events on Wednesday 1 January 2020 8
1942 – 2020David Stern (1942-2020)Died 1 January 2020, aged 77David Stern served as commissioner of the NBA from 1984 to 2014, transforming it into a global entertainment brand and expanding the league internationally. He died on 1 January 2020 following a brain hemorrhage.
202014 Peaks: Nothing Is ImpossibleThe Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible was released, bringing his story and Nepali-led mountaineering to a global audience of millions.
20202020: Lewis HamiltonMercedesHamilton won his seventh title in a COVID-shortened season, equalling Schumacher's record of seven World Championships.
2020Australian "Black Summer" bushfiresCatastrophic fire season burns over 18 million hectaresBushfires that had raged across Australia since mid-2019 continued into early 2020, ultimately burning more than 18 million hectares, destroying thousands of homes and killing at least 33 people. Smoke haze reached South America, and the fires were declared contained by mid-February 2020.
2020East Africa locust invasionWorst desert locust outbreak in decades threatens food supplyMassive swarms of desert locusts spread across East Africa and the Horn of Africa through the first half of 2020, devastating crops and pasture in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and beyond. The UN called it the region's worst locust crisis in 25 years, threatening food security for millions.
2020 – 2023Martial Arts and Later LifeHeld a sixth-degree black belt in karate and taught martial arts alongside his literary work. Continued writing, performing and campaigning until his diagnosis with a brain tumour in late 2023.
2020Virtual Rocky Horror ReunionAppeared in a virtual reunion of The Rocky Horror Picture Show cast during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing joy to fans worldwide. His warmth and humour despite his physical limitations inspired an outpouring of love on social media.
2020Zoom usage explodesVideo calling becomes essentialZoom went from 10 million daily meeting participants in December 2019 to 300 million in April 2020, becoming essential infrastructure for remote work, education and socialising during COVID-19.