Has 2020 officially become one of the worst years in American history?

[Calthrina950]

The question is in the title. Has 2020 established its place as one of the worst years in American history? On par with other years such as 1861, 1941, 1968, and 2001? Is it the worst year of the 21st century thus far? I think the answer to these questions should be obvious, but I'm aware of the nuances, and would be interested to hear your thoughts.

[Big Abraham]

It's probably the worst year for Americans collectively since 2008.

In the number of bats—t crazy things that have happened in the news? Probably the worst within my living memory (albeit, I am still young)

[Frodo]

It is always darkest before the dawn.  At least that's how I like to look at it.  

Next year has got to be better than this...  

[Pericles]

It's probably the worst year for Americans collectively since 2008.

In the number of bats—t crazy things that have happened in the news? Probably the worst within my living memory (albeit, I am still young)

Lol.

[Big Abraham]

It's probably the worst year for Americans collectively since 2008.

In the number of bats—t crazy things that have happened in the news? Probably the worst within my living memory (albeit, I am still young)

Lol.

Ayyyeee

[MarkD]

"Officially" ...?

I have to answer "No" because there is no such thing as an "officially" worst year. Who is the authority on it who could make it "official"?

[EastOfEden]

Well, it's certainly the worst in my lifetime.

[woodley park]

It is the worst year of the twenty-first century, that much is for sure.

[Suburbia]

1991, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2008-2009, 2016 were all bad years

[Suburbia]

It is the worst year of the twenty-first century, that much is for sure.

2001 takes the cake.

We have been militarized since

[SWE]

I would have said yes but the recent Trump news might redeem this year

[Bootes Void]

1861(civil war), 1919(red summer and spanish flu), 1932(worst of great depression),1941(WW2 kicks into high gear), 1979(stagflation, iran hostage) and 2005(iraq, oil price surge, corporatism and natural disasters) are good favourites

2020 could beat all of them

[Calthrina950]

1861(civil war), 1919(red summer and spanish flu), 1932(worst of great depression),1941(WW2 kicks into high gear), 1979(stagflation, iran contra) and 2005(iraq, oil price surge, corporatism and natural disasters) are good favourites

2020 could beat all of them

1979 was the Iranian Hostage Crisis; Iran-Contra played out in 1986 and 1987. But I get what you're referring to, and I forgot about some of these years, such as 1919 and 1932.

1991, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2008-2009, 2016 were all bad years

2008 and 2009 were dominated by the Great Recession, but Obama's election-a historic milestone-takes off some of the sting from those years, I believe. I don't agree with you about 1991, which was marked by America's success in the relatively swift Persian Gulf War and by the collapse of its Cold War archenemy, the Soviet Union. 1995 wasn't a particularly good year, with the Clinton-Gingrich partisan battles and the Oklahoma City bombing, but it wasn't one of the worst. 2003 had the start of the Iraq War, and 2016 had the election of Trump-so those weren't particularly good years, though again, not the absolute worst.

[Roll Roons]

1861(civil war), 1919(red summer and spanish flu), 1932(worst of great depression),1941(WW2 kicks into high gear), 1979(stagflation, iran contra) and 2005(iraq, oil price surge, corporatism and natural disasters) are good favourites

2020 could beat all of them

1968 (Vietnam, assassinations of MLK and Bobby Kennedy, massive riots and a flu pandemic) was also pretty awful.

[Hammy]

It is always darkest before the dawn.  At least that's how I like to look at it.  

Next year has got to be better than this...  

That's just begging for it to be unimaginably worse. For me, the last five or so years have done that, nothing but 'things cant possibly get worse' only for the prior year to feel like paradise in comparison.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

It is the worst year of the twenty-first century, that much is for sure.

2001 takes the cake.

We have been militarized since

True, and when the "left" option brags about writing the Patriot Act and wants a larger military budget, we're screwed either way.

[Suburbia]

1861(civil war), 1919(red summer and spanish flu), 1932(worst of great depression),1941(WW2 kicks into high gear), 1979(stagflation, iran contra) and 2005(iraq, oil price surge, corporatism and natural disasters) are good favourites

2020 could beat all of them

1979 was the Iranian Hostage Crisis; Iran-Contra played out in 1986 and 1987. But I get what you're referring to, and I forgot about some of these years, such as 1919 and 1932.

1991, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2008-2009, 2016 were all bad years

2008 and 2009 were dominated by the Great Recession, but Obama's election-a historic milestone-takes off some of the sting from those years, I believe. I don't agree with you about 1991, which was marked by America's success in the relatively swift Persian Gulf War and by the collapse of its Cold War archenemy, the Soviet Union. 1995 wasn't a particularly good year, with the Clinton-Gingrich partisan battles and the Oklahoma City bombing, but it wasn't one of the worst. 2003 had the start of the Iraq War, and 2016 had the election of Trump-so those weren't particularly good years, though again, not the absolute worst.

1991 was the brutal beating of Rodney King, Crown Heights riots, the rise of Pat Buchanan and the first signs of people seeing police brutality before they slept through the 90s and 2000s until 2015.

[Badger]

Well, we have to keep it in perspective of such times as the Civil War and the depression, not to mention that for all its patriotic fervor the death toll in World War II made it tough to say the least.

That said, 2020 gets at minimum honorable mention in the worst year ever category, and could easily get to the semi-finals overall.

[Badger]

1861(civil war), 1919(red summer and spanish flu), 1932(worst of great depression),1941(WW2 kicks into high gear), 1979(stagflation, iran contra) and 2005(iraq, oil price surge, corporatism and natural disasters) are good favourites

2020 could beat all of them

1979 was the Iranian Hostage Crisis; Iran-Contra played out in 1986 and 1987. But I get what you're referring to, and I forgot about some of these years, such as 1919 and 1932.

1991, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2008-2009, 2016 were all bad years

2008 and 2009 were dominated by the Great Recession, but Obama's election-a historic milestone-takes off some of the sting from those years, I believe. I don't agree with you about 1991, which was marked by America's success in the relatively swift Persian Gulf War and by the collapse of its Cold War archenemy, the Soviet Union. 1995 wasn't a particularly good year, with the Clinton-Gingrich partisan battles and the Oklahoma City bombing, but it wasn't one of the worst. 2003 had the start of the Iraq War, and 2016 had the election of Trump-so those weren't particularly good years, though again, not the absolute worst.

1991 was the brutal beating of Rodney King, Crown Heights riots, the rise of Pat Buchanan and the first signs of people seeing police brutality before they slept through the 90s and 2000s until 2015.

I was there, dude. Not even remotely close.

[Badger]

Well, it's certainly the worst in my lifetime.

Wow. I lived through 1979 and all the s*** storm that occurred there, and I think I have to agree.

[Mr.Bakari-Sellers]

No, we have had diseases before and this isn't the last disease, that's why we still have the common cold. Get over it, already, we are living in a Covid environment now, things have changed, they may never return to normal

Asian countries uses mask and don't attend ballgames for yrs and they are fine with it. We must learn to adapt. It's not gonna get better.

[BlueSwan]

For now, yes. But if the year ends with a thorough repudiation of Trumpism, then it will at least end on a high note.

[SevenEleven]

2020 has been one of the worst years in American history.

Today has been the best day of 2020.

[GeneralMacArthur]

2008 was definitely worse.  2020 is worse than 2001.  1968 was really bad but probably not as bad as 2020.  If you go back to the Great Depression and Dust Bowl years, those were all absolutely awful.

[SevenEleven]

2008 was definitely worse.  2020 is worse than 2001.  1968 was really bad but probably not as bad as 2020.  If you go back to the Great Depression and Dust Bowl years, those were all absolutely awful.

Obama got elected in 2008 so no.