The top 20 most random things that happened in 2020: Nos. 6-10
Jan 20, 2021, 12:00 AM
At times, it seemed as if the year 2020 was piling on. As if being forced into quarantine due to a deadly pandemic wasn’t quite enough, the year kept throwing random, and sometimes dangerous, things at us all.
Here is some more randomness that 2020 offered up:
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10. Murder hornets
Seriously? Why not add to the pot of 2020 craziness little flying death machines?
Way back in May, when inside living was just gaining steam, a creature previously foreign to our shores descended for the first time on the United States: Murder hornets
According to Susan Cobey, a bee breeder at Washington State University, the flying nightmares are almost comically large — ranging up to two inches in length.
Oh, and they have a sting that causes searing pain. Because … 2020.
“They’re like something out of a monster cartoon with this huge yellow-orange face,” Cobey told Slate in May.
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9. Mystery drones in Colorado and Nebraska
Looking back, the mystery drones sighted near the border between northeastern Colorado and western Nebraska were just a bit of foreshadowing for the year to come.
From late December 2019 through early January 2020, a series of unidentified drones were observed on a nightly basis in the area without any explanation. As many as 17 drones had been seen in the air at one time, according to reports.
On Jan. 2, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement that he was “actively monitoring” reports of the drone sightings in the area and shared the “expressed concerns of law enforcement and local residents.”
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8. Bolivian orchestra trapped in ‘haunted’ German castle surrounded by wolves
While the pandemic forced many of us inside for months, at least it didn’t trap you in a haunted German castle surrounded by packs of wolves.
So … the haunted part might be a bit of a stretch, but still.
In late May, the BBC reported a Bolivian orchestra had spent more than two months quarantined in the sprawling estate of Rheinsberg Palace, a home to generations of German royalty.
And on top of the orchestra being stranded a half world from home, local media said the castle was haunted and the estate is home to roaming packs of wolves.
So, if you’re having a bad day, just imagine being stuck at home in a haunted house with wolves outside your door.
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7. Poland briefly (and accidentally) invaded the Czech Republic
In a “misunderstanding” Chad Kelly is uniquely suited to empathize with, Polish troops in June accidentally, you know, invaded the Czech Republic.
According to the BBC, a group of Polish troops “guarding the frontier as part of coronavirus measures” took up positions near a chapel and stayed for several days. Only one problem, the structure was on the Czech Republic side of the border.
After a few days, and a few upset Czech visitors looking to access the site, authorities squared things away.
Poland’s Ministry of Defense told CNN: “The placement of the border post was a result of misunderstanding, not a deliberate act. It was corrected immediately, and the case was resolved — also by the Czech side.”
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6. Megxit
In January 2020, the United Kingdom saw perhaps the ugliest divorce this side of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
No, not Brexit, though the UK did withdraw from the European Union on Jan. 31, 2020.
We’re talking … Megxit — when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, also known as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, decided to step back as “senior members” of the Royal Family.
“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” the pair said in a statement. “We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family, and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.”
Here’s hoping for new seasons of “The Crown” to flesh out the dirty details of what happened.
