Skip to main content

Make sense of it all

Our world has too much noise and too little context. Vox helps you understand what matters. We don’t drown you in panic-inducing headlines, and we’re not obsessed with being the first to break the news. We’re focused on being helpful to you.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join today

2019, in 6 minutes

Let’s ring in the new year — and the 2020s.

2019 was a year of emotional highs and lows. In the US, Donald Trump became the third sitting US president to be impeached by the House. This comes as Democratic presidential hopefuls are gearing up their campaigns for the 2020 general election.

One point of division between Democrats and Republicans has been border security and, in particular, the treatment of migrants in detention camps along the southern US border. Earlier this year, disagreements between the two parties over border security led to the longest government shutdown in US history.

But political division wasn’t unique to the US. This year, massive protests cropped up all over the world. In India, a controversial new citizenship law that excludes Muslims prompted protests around the country. In Hong Kong, people have taken to the streets for months, spurred by an extradition law that threatened Hong Kong’s autonomy from mainland China. And in Venezuela, individuals mobilized by opposition politician Juan Guaidó are protesting in a movement against President Nicolás Maduro.

Related

Though the circumstances for these uprisings differ in each country, UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutiérrez noted that “there is a growing deficit of trust between people and political establishments.”

It wasn’t all doom and gloom in 2019 though. In a first for Asia, Taiwan’s parliament voted to legalize same-sex marriage. And this year marked the first time humans have captured a picture of a black hole.

To revisit these events and everything in between, check out the video above.

You can find this video and all of Vox’s videos on YouTube. And if you’re interested in supporting our video journalism, you can become a member of the Vox Video Lab on YouTube.

See More:

More in Video

RFK Jr. is in charge of vaccines. What now?RFK Jr. is in charge of vaccines. What now?
Play
Video

The new US secretary of Health and Human Services has a long history of spreading misinformation about vaccines.

By Kim Mas
When it’s okay to wait to pay off debtWhen it’s okay to wait to pay off debt
Play
Video

The simple math behind paying off debt versus investing.

By Coleman Lowndes
Why the US has birthright citizenshipWhy the US has birthright citizenship
Play
Video

Americans don’t agree on whether being born here should make you a citizen. That’s not new.

By Adam Freelander
How de-aging in movies got so goodHow de-aging in movies got so good
Play
Video

This tool might just change movies forever.

By Edward Vega
Is it time to worry about bird flu?Is it time to worry about bird flu?
Play
Video

A practical guide to your bird flu fears.

By Kim Mas
Are your fingerprints really unique?Are your fingerprints really unique?
Play
Video

A new AI tool says it can detect similarities in fingerprints that humans can’t.

By Coleman Lowndes