21 events that defined 2021 in Australia and around the world
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2021. What a year it has been!
There have been some high highs and some low lows. Maybe it was a great year for you and maybe it wasn’t? Regardless of what 2021 brought you, you are still here today and that’s the most important thing. If you’re still waking up, enjoying a cuppa, having a nibble for breakfast and opening our newsletter then you are doing okay. You of all people will know that life really is unpredictable, we don’t want to boost your ego too much, but you really are one of the wise ones here. You’ve lived a good, long life. So remember to be grateful for the little things.
We wanted to leave you with one thing to reflect on over the next few days, especially as we welcome 2022. This quote was something we stumbled on back in November. James Clear is an author and a bloody good one at that. He has a weekly newsletter that lands in our inbox every Friday morning with 3 ideas, 2 quotes and 1 question. We love it, because it always gets us thinking. Here was one of his ‘ideas’ from earlier this year:
"Life is easier when you know what you want—but most people don't take the time to figure out what they want.
It's not that we are completely lost, but our efforts are often slightly misdirected. People will work for years and ultimately achieve a lifestyle that isn't quite what they were hoping for—often, simply, because they never clearly defined what they wanted.”
You’re NEVER too old to think about what you want from your life. So what is it that you want from 2022? Is it to spend more time with family and friends? Is it to make new friends? Is it to start cooking?
We will start with what we want, while you think about what you want. What we want: Is to grow this gorgeous community even more. So here’s to 2022, eh?
Now let’s get into the 21 events that defined this year:
January 1, 2021: Australian Anthem Word Change
The words of the Australian national anthem, "Advance Australia Fair", are changed for the first time since 1984, amending the line "For we are young and free" to "For we are one and free".
Personally, we thought this was incredible. It’s amazing the impact a small word change can have on a community. One other highlight that we saw towards the end of 2020, in relation to the national anthem, was the Australian rugby team, the Wallabies, singing the anthem in a First Nations language. If you haven’t seen it, we highly recommend watching the video, it gave us goosebumps.
Source: 9news.com.au.
January 6, 2021: Supporters of Donald Trump attack the United States Capitol
We remember this like it was yesterday. Turning on the TV to watch people storm the Capitol with our mouths sitting on the floor.
But what actually happened? You might be thinking. Well, here’s a recap: A bunch of Trump supporters gathered in Washington to watch the then President of the United States, Donald Trump begin an election speech. Just 15 minutes into his speech, he started encouraging his supporters to converge on the Capitol, knowing that he was losing the election. Before we knew it, they were marching towards the police barrier and even got past the officers. The police, clearly outnumbered, were unsuccessful in their attempt to contain them. The supporters were wielding flags and weapons. One man even stood on a makeshift gallow, complete with a noose. The crowd was chanting: "Fight for Trump."
The protesters managed to break through the windows of the Capitol building. Pushing inside, hopping through the glass they broke. They even kicked open the doors to let more people in. Some wore hoods and helmets, some held cameras or Confederate flags. Once they were inside, things seemed to get even worse with the rioters turning violent. Five people died during the riot, including a police officer and a woman who was shot and killed inside the Capitol building. The event was classified as a domestic terrorist attack.
Just 14 days later, Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States. All we can say about this one is this: Australia isn’t perfect, but we are damn lucky we live here.
Source: BBC.
Trump protestors storm the Capitol Building. Image source: BBC.
January 13, 2021: The world’s first successful double arm and shoulder transplant
Can you believe it? In 2021 the world’s first transplant of both arms and shoulders occurred in Lyon, France, on a 48-year-old Icelandic patient named Felix Gretarsson.
On 12 January 1998, Mr. Gretarsson, an electrician, was working on a high-voltage power line when an 11,000-volt surge burned his hands and flung him to the icy ground. He sustained multiple fractures and internal injuries, and went into a three-month coma during which surgeons amputated both arms.
The operation was “his biggest dream” and it took years to find suitable donors, during which some 50 medical staff in total became involved in the preparations for the operation. This historic transplant went for 15 hours, and since the operation Mr. Gretarsson says he is now able to move his elbow in water and his bicep works. He has even “noticed the veins in my arms are starting to expand in the heat and that doesn’t happen unless the automatic nervous system is working.”
“I am so hopeful that I am going to be able to move my hands as well which nobody expected - except me.” Now, Mr. Gretarsson's goal is to be able to hug his wife and children for the first time in decades, and to hold his grandchildren for the very first time. What a remarkable story.
Source: The Guardian and The Daily Mail.
Felix Gretarsson the first man in the world to get a double arm transplant. Image source: The Daily Mail.
January 22, 2021: Mice Plague Concerns
The mice plague all started with a "perfect storm" of optimal weather conditions for breeding and the end of the 2017 to 2019 drought. The mice first started to appear in the spring of 2020 when farmers were harvesting a ‘bumper crop’. There was plenty of grain in the paddocks and in storage for the mice to eat, as well as fewer predators, seeing that the majority of them died during the drought.
Fast forward to January 2021 and we saw the mice spread from New South Wales to Queensland and even South Australia, causing some serious crop concerns. By March, the mice were stripping food and other items from the shelves of a supermarket in Gulargambone, and in some areas, it got so severe that mice were biting people in their sleep, sending some residents to hospital in critical conditions, and as it turns out, this was just the beginning.
By June, the plague caused the complete evacuation of the Wellington Correctional Centre. Yes, you read that correctly. An entire correctional centre had to be evacuated because of the mice. There were so many dead mice in the centre and damage to infrastructure that it led to concerns for the health and safety of inmates and staff.
Unfortunately, the mouse plague will continue into 2022 as it won’t end until the mice starve or a disease is spread so that they die out. Instead, farmers are having to use a chemical called ‘zinc phosphide’ to poison mice in their paddocks. If you would like to read more about what the farmers are doing to tackle this plague, read this.
Our thoughts are with our Aussie farmers.
Source: ABC and news.com.au.
A map of the mice spreading across NSW, Victoria and Queensland. Image source: Mousealert.com.au.
January 30, 2021: The Seniors Discount Club was established
It wouldn’t be the events that took place in 2021, without mentioning the fact we were established, now would it? Jon and I (Maddie) founded the Seniors Discount Club back in January, however we didn’t actually start our daily newsletter until June.
When we started this back in January we weren’t entirely sure what we wanted to do with it. We just thought there was nothing out there doing a good job of helping Australians over the age of sixty save money, find good deals and have a bit of fun whilst doing so. Since then, we have launched a website, a forum, put together multiple eBooks, hired Vella and even have a few other hands on deck who are helping us write articles every day, yes! That would be the lovely James and Sean who you see post our articles day in and day out.
If you told us back in January 2021 that the Seniors Discount Club would be an incredible community of about 60,000 Australians that we get to speak to daily, we wouldn’t have believed you. In fact, we probably would have laughed at you
We are so lucky to have each and every one of you join us day in and day out for a bit of fun, bargain hunting and of course, a bit of brain training! And we cannot wait to see what 2022 brings.
February 9, 2021: Cause of the COVID-19 Pandemic concluded
The World Health Organisation (WHO) released its report into the origins of the coronavirus. It outlined that ‘SARS-CoV-2’, the virus that actually causes COVID-19, most likely arose in bats and then spread to humans via an unidentified intermediary animal, rather than the idea that the disease was leaked via a laboratory in Wuhan.
The evidence found that the virus could have been circulating in China as early as mid-to-late November 2019.
Source: The Conversation.
March 1, 2021: Final Report For The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety
Investigations into Aged Care Quality and Safety happened over a two year period and had more than 10,500 submissions and 600 witnesses. The final report was submitted on 1 March 2021 and the findings were horrendous. It became very clear that the Aged Care system had ineffective governance and weak regulation and it had to come to an end.
The final report had 148 recommendations, and highlighted Australia’s needs for a new Aged Care Act to underpin reform. The new Act should set out the rights of older people, including their entitlement to care and support based on their needs and preferences. It is said that upon the adoption of these recommendations the aged care system should be entirely transformed, but it is something we will be keeping a very close eye on.
Source: ABC.
March 18, 2021: NSW experiences “one in 100-year” flooding
As Sydneysiders, we aren’t too sure how we managed to forget this one, especially considering how devastating it was. Extreme rainfall started on the east coast on March 18 and led to widespread flooding across New South Wales, affecting multiple regions from the North Coast to the Sydney metropolitan area.
Some suburbs of Sydney experienced the worst flooding seen in 60 years, with the flooding described by the NSW Premier at the time, Gladys Berejikilan, as a “one in 100-year” event. The Australian government declared multiple regions of the east coast a natural disaster zone after the flooding rains forced more than 18,000 people to evacuate their homes. Over 1,000 people had to be rescued as a result of the flood waters and sadly, 5 people lost their lives.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who were affected by these floods. We know that more floods occurred later in 2021 which largely affected regional and rural NSW. We want you to know that we haven’t forgotten and if you ever need someone to talk to or if we can help in anyway, please email us at [email protected].
Source: Wikipedia and The Guardian.
March 23, 2021: Suez Canal Blocked
‘Ever Given’ is one of the world’s largest container vessels weighing 200,000 tonnes and has a maximum carrying capacity of 20,000 containers. So on March 23, when the ship, which is operated by Taiwanese transport company ‘Evergreen Marine’, became stranded after running aground and becoming lodged sideways across the waterway, the world was shocked. How on earth were they going to move a ship that big? And better yet, how did it get stuck in the first place?
Well, at first a gust of wind was blamed (they always blame the wind) but investigations are still being carried out to figure out what exactly made the ship lodge itself sideways. Unfortunately, releasing the ship wasn’t the only problem because it was blocking one of the world’s busiest trade routes, Egypt’s Suez Canal, meaning hundreds, if not thousands, of ships were impacted giving the global shipping industry an ever-given headache (sorry, I had to).
It took 14 tug boats, 6 days and 7 hours to release the ship, and it is estimated to have cost the world trade industry $54 billion. In other words: Keep your boats out of the wind, fellas.
Sources: BBC and IndiaToday.
Ever Given blocking the Suez Canal. Image source: India Today.
April 9, 2021: Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh dies
The Duke of Edinburgh was the longest-serving royal consort in British history and was at the Queen's side for more than her six decades of reign. He died on April 9 2021, aged 99. His cause of death was reportedly “old age”.
We will never forget the photo of the Queen sitting alone at his funeral because of social distancing rules at the time. It absolutely broke our hearts.
Source: 7news.com.au and BBC.
Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh died aged 99. Image source: 7news.com.au.
June 26, 2021: Sydney placed into lockdown with the rest of NSW and Victoria set to follow
Look, we don’t want to go into too much detail with this one for two reasons. One, we lived it and we do not want to relive it. Two, our Victorian members probably feel even more strongly about not reliving it.
Long story short, Greater Sydney, Wollongong, Blue Mountains and the Central Coast were placed into lockdown as the Delta variant of COVID-19 spread, and were locked down for a total of 107 days. But honestly, it was child’s play in comparison to how long Melbourne were in lockdown for between 2020 and 2021, totalling 245 days and breaking the world record for the longest cumulative lockdown in the world. An event we hope none of us have to relive again.
July 8, 2021: Royal Commission launched into Defence and Veteran Suicide
The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide was established on the July 8th, and honestly, if you ask us, it should have happened a lot sooner. The Royal Commission is set to examine the systematic issues and common themes in past deaths-by-suicide of ADF members and veterans. These will include suspected suicides and lived experiences of suicide risks. It is suspected this Royal Commission will take 18 to 24 months.
We are aware that many members here would have been impacted by some of these horrific incidents and we just want to say that we see you and we are here for you if you need. Here’s hoping the independent investigation will provide recommendations to improve the wellbeing of our defence force members, both current and veterans.
Source: Defence.gov.au.
July 10, 2021: World No. 1 women's tennis player Ash Barty wins her first Wimbledon ladies' singles title.
Oh my goodness. How could we have forgotten this?! The damn Barty Party was on! What a phenomenal woman she is. She won by beating Karolina Pliskova in three sets and became the first Australian woman to win Wimbledon since 1980. That’s right, it’s been 41 years since Evonne Goolagong Cawley's win.
What a great story for Aussies in 2021.
Source: NPR.
The beloved Ash Barty wins her first Wimbledon title. Image source: Sky Sports.
July 21, 2021: The International Olympic Committee awards Brisbane the right to host the 2032 Summer Olympics
Well there isn’t too much more to say with this one, other than the fact Australia gets to host yet another Olympics! We were ecstatic when we found out our beloved Sunshine state got the opportunity to host the 2032 Summer Olympic Games.
Let’s go Brissy!
Brisbane Olympics 2032. Image source: Brisbanedevelopment.com.au.
July 23 to August 8, 2021: The 2020 Summer Olympics were held in Tokyo, Japan
Ah, the great Aussie story did not stop at Ash Barty’s Wimbledon win. Oh no, it did not! Because our Aussie sporting legends came out and performed exceptionally at the Tokyo Olympics and quite literally blew everyone else out of the water. In fact, we have goosebumps just reflecting at what our team managed to do.
We finished up with 17 gold, 7 silver and 22 bronze medals. We ranked 6th in the medal tally which is one magnificent feat for a small country of just 25.7 million people. There were so many phenomenal performances that stopped the nation, from Ariarne Titmus’ 400m Freestyle beating the ‘unbeatable’ American, Katie Ledecky, to Kaylee McKeown’s double gold in the 100m and 200m Backstroke, just 9 months after losing her father to cancer. We must also give a shout out to her incredible “F*** Yeah!” that she said on National TV after realising she had just won her first Olympic gold medal (I mean, who wouldn’t say that after achieving that?!). To Jess Fox’s first Olympic Gold after jumping between Silver and Bronze for the past two Olympic games, to finally, probably one of the most historic medals, The Australian Boomers’ breakthrough bronze medal. After years and years of fourth places, the team finally achieved the podium dream, led by the magnificent Patty Mills, who we, along with the rest of Australia, has come to know and love.
What a team we had. An Olympics we will never forget.
Source: Olympics.com and 7news.com.au.
The Australia Boomers' Breakthrough Bronze led by Patty Mills. Image source: ABC News.
August 24 – September 5, 2021: The 2020 Summer Paralympics were held in Tokyo, Japan
The Australian Olympic glory did not end at the Olympic games, because it was our Paralympic team's turn to take on the glory, and my goodness, saying they made us proud to be an Australian is an understatement.
We finished up with 21 gold, 29 silver and 30 bronze medals. A total of 80 medals were won across 10 different sports by our team, with some goosebump inducing performances. From the Men’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay where they set a world record and won a gold medal for Australia after holding off Italy in a nail biting finish, to the 25 year-old Qian Yang’s table tennis gold after beating Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre by 3-1, to the remarkable Madison de Rozario’s two gold medals after becoming the first Australian woman to win a Paralympics marathon, only six days after taking out the T53 800m final for her first gold in her fourth Paralympics.
Honestly what a team, and what a Paralympic games, another games we will never forget.
Sources: Wikipedia, SMH, 7news.com.au and Sportaus.gov.au.
August 30, 2021: The US follows Australia and withdraws from Afghanistan
The United States withdrew its last remaining troops from Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, ending 20 years of operations in Afghanistan.
All Australian Defence Force personnel were reportedly withdrawn from Afghanistan by mid-June 2021, about two months prior to the US withdrawal. It was quite unbelievable seeing this unfold and the events that continue to take place in Afghanistan. Something we may unfortunately, continue to see in 2022.
September 15, 2021: Australia cancels it’s Attack-class Submarine deal with France
Honestly, there were quite a bit of ‘defence’ related events in 2021. If you didn’t see it, then let us explain: we had a contract with the French where we were supposed to construct a bunch of attack-class submarines with them. Instead, Scott Morrison cancelled that contract in order to team up with the US and UK in what is called the ‘AUKUS security alliance’, which includes the acquisition of nuclear powered submarines.
We don’t know much more, as the media really honed in on the French President, Emmanuel Macron, being furious with Scott Morrison for cancelling the contract, but if you are interested in learning more about the AUKUS we recommend checking out this website.
Source: Wikipedia.
September 22, 2021: A 5.9 magnitude earthquake is reported in Victoria
Gosh we remember this event like it was yesterday. We aren’t Melbourians, but we just remember sitting at home talking about how tough Melbourne has had it over the past two years, to then suddenly see all the ‘Breaking News’ articles splattered across the internet, saying Melbourne had just experienced a 5.9 magnitude earthquake… Like are you kidding? What could possibly come next?
The epicentre was around the Mansfield area in north-eastern Victoria and the quake's effects were felt as far away as Tasmania and Adelaide, with even Southern New South Wales reporting tremors.
Honestly, we just want to say to any of our members who are located in Melbourne and even in wider Victoria, that you’re a bunch of tough people. The amount of things you have gone through over the past 24 months is unbelievable, and we think if anything, this just goes to show what a great bunch of people live down in Melbourne. Clearly a tight knit community that can get through anything. Kudos to you all, and let’s hope 2022 is far less eventful and is a little bit more ‘smooth’ eh?
Source: 9news.com.au.
Damage after the Melbourne earthquake. Image source: 9news.com.au.
October 17 – November 14, 2021:The 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup is held in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, and is won by Australia
Look members, I’m not going to sit here and write pretending that I know everything there is to know about cricket. In fact, I’m the exact opposite, if the cricket is on I’ll grab a nice book to read and indulge myself in that instead (sorry cricket lovers). However, in saying that I know the fact that Australia won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is a tremendous achievement. Clearly, 2021 was the year for Australian athletes.
Australia went from the underdogs, to the top dogs, a narrative in which we absolutely love to see, after they beat New Zealand with an eight-wicket triumph. It was without a doubt, a stunning turnaround for an Australia team which had lost five T20 series on the trot heading into the World Cup.
Let’s go Aussies.
Source: Reuters.com.
Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi Oi Oi! Australia win the T20 World Cup. Image source: Sportingnews.com.
December 6, 2021: The US, UK, Canada and Australia announce a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics
Obviously, with this event only happening a few weeks ago, the story is still unfolding. But here is what we know right now: The United States announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing in response to China’s human rights record. What this means is the US will not send any government officials to the games, but athletes will be allowed to attend and represent the US.
Shortly after the US announced this boycott, the UK, Australia and Canada followed. So far, China’s response has been [for the countries that are boycotting] “will pay the price for their mistaken acts.” We will see this story continue to unfold in 2022, with the Winter Olympic Games starting February 4th.
Sources: usnews.com and olympics.com.
Now members, that’s a wrap of the 21 events that defined 2021. What a year, eh? What did you think of the 21 events? Do you think we missed anything that you believed defined the year? Let us know in the comments below!
There have been some high highs and some low lows. Maybe it was a great year for you and maybe it wasn’t? Regardless of what 2021 brought you, you are still here today and that’s the most important thing. If you’re still waking up, enjoying a cuppa, having a nibble for breakfast and opening our newsletter then you are doing okay. You of all people will know that life really is unpredictable, we don’t want to boost your ego too much, but you really are one of the wise ones here. You’ve lived a good, long life. So remember to be grateful for the little things.
We wanted to leave you with one thing to reflect on over the next few days, especially as we welcome 2022. This quote was something we stumbled on back in November. James Clear is an author and a bloody good one at that. He has a weekly newsletter that lands in our inbox every Friday morning with 3 ideas, 2 quotes and 1 question. We love it, because it always gets us thinking. Here was one of his ‘ideas’ from earlier this year:
"Life is easier when you know what you want—but most people don't take the time to figure out what they want.
It's not that we are completely lost, but our efforts are often slightly misdirected. People will work for years and ultimately achieve a lifestyle that isn't quite what they were hoping for—often, simply, because they never clearly defined what they wanted.”
You’re NEVER too old to think about what you want from your life. So what is it that you want from 2022? Is it to spend more time with family and friends? Is it to make new friends? Is it to start cooking?
We will start with what we want, while you think about what you want. What we want: Is to grow this gorgeous community even more. So here’s to 2022, eh?
Now let’s get into the 21 events that defined this year:
January 1, 2021: Australian Anthem Word Change
The words of the Australian national anthem, "Advance Australia Fair", are changed for the first time since 1984, amending the line "For we are young and free" to "For we are one and free".
Personally, we thought this was incredible. It’s amazing the impact a small word change can have on a community. One other highlight that we saw towards the end of 2020, in relation to the national anthem, was the Australian rugby team, the Wallabies, singing the anthem in a First Nations language. If you haven’t seen it, we highly recommend watching the video, it gave us goosebumps.
Source: 9news.com.au.
January 6, 2021: Supporters of Donald Trump attack the United States Capitol
We remember this like it was yesterday. Turning on the TV to watch people storm the Capitol with our mouths sitting on the floor.
But what actually happened? You might be thinking. Well, here’s a recap: A bunch of Trump supporters gathered in Washington to watch the then President of the United States, Donald Trump begin an election speech. Just 15 minutes into his speech, he started encouraging his supporters to converge on the Capitol, knowing that he was losing the election. Before we knew it, they were marching towards the police barrier and even got past the officers. The police, clearly outnumbered, were unsuccessful in their attempt to contain them. The supporters were wielding flags and weapons. One man even stood on a makeshift gallow, complete with a noose. The crowd was chanting: "Fight for Trump."
The protesters managed to break through the windows of the Capitol building. Pushing inside, hopping through the glass they broke. They even kicked open the doors to let more people in. Some wore hoods and helmets, some held cameras or Confederate flags. Once they were inside, things seemed to get even worse with the rioters turning violent. Five people died during the riot, including a police officer and a woman who was shot and killed inside the Capitol building. The event was classified as a domestic terrorist attack.
Just 14 days later, Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States. All we can say about this one is this: Australia isn’t perfect, but we are damn lucky we live here.
Source: BBC.
Trump protestors storm the Capitol Building. Image source: BBC.
Can you believe it? In 2021 the world’s first transplant of both arms and shoulders occurred in Lyon, France, on a 48-year-old Icelandic patient named Felix Gretarsson.
On 12 January 1998, Mr. Gretarsson, an electrician, was working on a high-voltage power line when an 11,000-volt surge burned his hands and flung him to the icy ground. He sustained multiple fractures and internal injuries, and went into a three-month coma during which surgeons amputated both arms.
The operation was “his biggest dream” and it took years to find suitable donors, during which some 50 medical staff in total became involved in the preparations for the operation. This historic transplant went for 15 hours, and since the operation Mr. Gretarsson says he is now able to move his elbow in water and his bicep works. He has even “noticed the veins in my arms are starting to expand in the heat and that doesn’t happen unless the automatic nervous system is working.”
“I am so hopeful that I am going to be able to move my hands as well which nobody expected - except me.” Now, Mr. Gretarsson's goal is to be able to hug his wife and children for the first time in decades, and to hold his grandchildren for the very first time. What a remarkable story.
Source: The Guardian and The Daily Mail.
Felix Gretarsson the first man in the world to get a double arm transplant. Image source: The Daily Mail.
The mice plague all started with a "perfect storm" of optimal weather conditions for breeding and the end of the 2017 to 2019 drought. The mice first started to appear in the spring of 2020 when farmers were harvesting a ‘bumper crop’. There was plenty of grain in the paddocks and in storage for the mice to eat, as well as fewer predators, seeing that the majority of them died during the drought.
Fast forward to January 2021 and we saw the mice spread from New South Wales to Queensland and even South Australia, causing some serious crop concerns. By March, the mice were stripping food and other items from the shelves of a supermarket in Gulargambone, and in some areas, it got so severe that mice were biting people in their sleep, sending some residents to hospital in critical conditions, and as it turns out, this was just the beginning.
By June, the plague caused the complete evacuation of the Wellington Correctional Centre. Yes, you read that correctly. An entire correctional centre had to be evacuated because of the mice. There were so many dead mice in the centre and damage to infrastructure that it led to concerns for the health and safety of inmates and staff.
Unfortunately, the mouse plague will continue into 2022 as it won’t end until the mice starve or a disease is spread so that they die out. Instead, farmers are having to use a chemical called ‘zinc phosphide’ to poison mice in their paddocks. If you would like to read more about what the farmers are doing to tackle this plague, read this.
Our thoughts are with our Aussie farmers.
Source: ABC and news.com.au.
A map of the mice spreading across NSW, Victoria and Queensland. Image source: Mousealert.com.au.
It wouldn’t be the events that took place in 2021, without mentioning the fact we were established, now would it? Jon and I (Maddie) founded the Seniors Discount Club back in January, however we didn’t actually start our daily newsletter until June.
When we started this back in January we weren’t entirely sure what we wanted to do with it. We just thought there was nothing out there doing a good job of helping Australians over the age of sixty save money, find good deals and have a bit of fun whilst doing so. Since then, we have launched a website, a forum, put together multiple eBooks, hired Vella and even have a few other hands on deck who are helping us write articles every day, yes! That would be the lovely James and Sean who you see post our articles day in and day out.
If you told us back in January 2021 that the Seniors Discount Club would be an incredible community of about 60,000 Australians that we get to speak to daily, we wouldn’t have believed you. In fact, we probably would have laughed at you
We are so lucky to have each and every one of you join us day in and day out for a bit of fun, bargain hunting and of course, a bit of brain training! And we cannot wait to see what 2022 brings. February 9, 2021: Cause of the COVID-19 Pandemic concluded
The World Health Organisation (WHO) released its report into the origins of the coronavirus. It outlined that ‘SARS-CoV-2’, the virus that actually causes COVID-19, most likely arose in bats and then spread to humans via an unidentified intermediary animal, rather than the idea that the disease was leaked via a laboratory in Wuhan.
The evidence found that the virus could have been circulating in China as early as mid-to-late November 2019.
Source: The Conversation.
March 1, 2021: Final Report For The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety
Investigations into Aged Care Quality and Safety happened over a two year period and had more than 10,500 submissions and 600 witnesses. The final report was submitted on 1 March 2021 and the findings were horrendous. It became very clear that the Aged Care system had ineffective governance and weak regulation and it had to come to an end.
The final report had 148 recommendations, and highlighted Australia’s needs for a new Aged Care Act to underpin reform. The new Act should set out the rights of older people, including their entitlement to care and support based on their needs and preferences. It is said that upon the adoption of these recommendations the aged care system should be entirely transformed, but it is something we will be keeping a very close eye on.
Source: ABC.
March 18, 2021: NSW experiences “one in 100-year” flooding
As Sydneysiders, we aren’t too sure how we managed to forget this one, especially considering how devastating it was. Extreme rainfall started on the east coast on March 18 and led to widespread flooding across New South Wales, affecting multiple regions from the North Coast to the Sydney metropolitan area.
Some suburbs of Sydney experienced the worst flooding seen in 60 years, with the flooding described by the NSW Premier at the time, Gladys Berejikilan, as a “one in 100-year” event. The Australian government declared multiple regions of the east coast a natural disaster zone after the flooding rains forced more than 18,000 people to evacuate their homes. Over 1,000 people had to be rescued as a result of the flood waters and sadly, 5 people lost their lives.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who were affected by these floods. We know that more floods occurred later in 2021 which largely affected regional and rural NSW. We want you to know that we haven’t forgotten and if you ever need someone to talk to or if we can help in anyway, please email us at [email protected].
Source: Wikipedia and The Guardian.
March 23, 2021: Suez Canal Blocked
‘Ever Given’ is one of the world’s largest container vessels weighing 200,000 tonnes and has a maximum carrying capacity of 20,000 containers. So on March 23, when the ship, which is operated by Taiwanese transport company ‘Evergreen Marine’, became stranded after running aground and becoming lodged sideways across the waterway, the world was shocked. How on earth were they going to move a ship that big? And better yet, how did it get stuck in the first place?
Well, at first a gust of wind was blamed (they always blame the wind) but investigations are still being carried out to figure out what exactly made the ship lodge itself sideways. Unfortunately, releasing the ship wasn’t the only problem because it was blocking one of the world’s busiest trade routes, Egypt’s Suez Canal, meaning hundreds, if not thousands, of ships were impacted giving the global shipping industry an ever-given headache (sorry, I had to).
It took 14 tug boats, 6 days and 7 hours to release the ship, and it is estimated to have cost the world trade industry $54 billion. In other words: Keep your boats out of the wind, fellas.
Sources: BBC and IndiaToday.
Ever Given blocking the Suez Canal. Image source: India Today.
April 9, 2021: Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh dies
The Duke of Edinburgh was the longest-serving royal consort in British history and was at the Queen's side for more than her six decades of reign. He died on April 9 2021, aged 99. His cause of death was reportedly “old age”.
We will never forget the photo of the Queen sitting alone at his funeral because of social distancing rules at the time. It absolutely broke our hearts.
Source: 7news.com.au and BBC.
Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh died aged 99. Image source: 7news.com.au.
June 26, 2021: Sydney placed into lockdown with the rest of NSW and Victoria set to follow
Look, we don’t want to go into too much detail with this one for two reasons. One, we lived it and we do not want to relive it
. Two, our Victorian members probably feel even more strongly about not reliving it. Long story short, Greater Sydney, Wollongong, Blue Mountains and the Central Coast were placed into lockdown as the Delta variant of COVID-19 spread, and were locked down for a total of 107 days. But honestly, it was child’s play in comparison to how long Melbourne were in lockdown for between 2020 and 2021, totalling 245 days and breaking the world record for the longest cumulative lockdown in the world. An event we hope none of us have to relive again.
July 8, 2021: Royal Commission launched into Defence and Veteran Suicide
The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide was established on the July 8th, and honestly, if you ask us, it should have happened a lot sooner. The Royal Commission is set to examine the systematic issues and common themes in past deaths-by-suicide of ADF members and veterans. These will include suspected suicides and lived experiences of suicide risks. It is suspected this Royal Commission will take 18 to 24 months.
We are aware that many members here would have been impacted by some of these horrific incidents and we just want to say that we see you and we are here for you if you need. Here’s hoping the independent investigation will provide recommendations to improve the wellbeing of our defence force members, both current and veterans.
Source: Defence.gov.au.
July 10, 2021: World No. 1 women's tennis player Ash Barty wins her first Wimbledon ladies' singles title.
Oh my goodness. How could we have forgotten this?! The damn Barty Party was on! What a phenomenal woman she is. She won by beating Karolina Pliskova in three sets and became the first Australian woman to win Wimbledon since 1980. That’s right, it’s been 41 years since Evonne Goolagong Cawley's win.
What a great story for Aussies in 2021.
Source: NPR.
The beloved Ash Barty wins her first Wimbledon title. Image source: Sky Sports.
Well there isn’t too much more to say with this one, other than the fact Australia gets to host yet another Olympics! We were ecstatic when we found out our beloved Sunshine state got the opportunity to host the 2032 Summer Olympic Games.
Let’s go Brissy!
Brisbane Olympics 2032. Image source: Brisbanedevelopment.com.au.
Ah, the great Aussie story did not stop at Ash Barty’s Wimbledon win. Oh no, it did not! Because our Aussie sporting legends came out and performed exceptionally at the Tokyo Olympics and quite literally blew everyone else out of the water. In fact, we have goosebumps just reflecting at what our team managed to do.
We finished up with 17 gold, 7 silver and 22 bronze medals. We ranked 6th in the medal tally which is one magnificent feat for a small country of just 25.7 million people. There were so many phenomenal performances that stopped the nation, from Ariarne Titmus’ 400m Freestyle beating the ‘unbeatable’ American, Katie Ledecky, to Kaylee McKeown’s double gold in the 100m and 200m Backstroke, just 9 months after losing her father to cancer. We must also give a shout out to her incredible “F*** Yeah!” that she said on National TV after realising she had just won her first Olympic gold medal (I mean, who wouldn’t say that after achieving that?!). To Jess Fox’s first Olympic Gold after jumping between Silver and Bronze for the past two Olympic games, to finally, probably one of the most historic medals, The Australian Boomers’ breakthrough bronze medal. After years and years of fourth places, the team finally achieved the podium dream, led by the magnificent Patty Mills, who we, along with the rest of Australia, has come to know and love.
What a team we had. An Olympics we will never forget.
Source: Olympics.com and 7news.com.au.
The Australia Boomers' Breakthrough Bronze led by Patty Mills. Image source: ABC News.
August 24 – September 5, 2021: The 2020 Summer Paralympics were held in Tokyo, Japan
The Australian Olympic glory did not end at the Olympic games, because it was our Paralympic team's turn to take on the glory, and my goodness, saying they made us proud to be an Australian is an understatement.
We finished up with 21 gold, 29 silver and 30 bronze medals. A total of 80 medals were won across 10 different sports by our team, with some goosebump inducing performances. From the Men’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay where they set a world record and won a gold medal for Australia after holding off Italy in a nail biting finish, to the 25 year-old Qian Yang’s table tennis gold after beating Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre by 3-1, to the remarkable Madison de Rozario’s two gold medals after becoming the first Australian woman to win a Paralympics marathon, only six days after taking out the T53 800m final for her first gold in her fourth Paralympics.
Honestly what a team, and what a Paralympic games, another games we will never forget.
Sources: Wikipedia, SMH, 7news.com.au and Sportaus.gov.au.
August 30, 2021: The US follows Australia and withdraws from Afghanistan
The United States withdrew its last remaining troops from Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, ending 20 years of operations in Afghanistan.
All Australian Defence Force personnel were reportedly withdrawn from Afghanistan by mid-June 2021, about two months prior to the US withdrawal. It was quite unbelievable seeing this unfold and the events that continue to take place in Afghanistan. Something we may unfortunately, continue to see in 2022.
September 15, 2021: Australia cancels it’s Attack-class Submarine deal with France
Honestly, there were quite a bit of ‘defence’ related events in 2021. If you didn’t see it, then let us explain: we had a contract with the French where we were supposed to construct a bunch of attack-class submarines with them. Instead, Scott Morrison cancelled that contract in order to team up with the US and UK in what is called the ‘AUKUS security alliance’, which includes the acquisition of nuclear powered submarines.
We don’t know much more, as the media really honed in on the French President, Emmanuel Macron, being furious with Scott Morrison for cancelling the contract, but if you are interested in learning more about the AUKUS we recommend checking out this website.
Source: Wikipedia.
September 22, 2021: A 5.9 magnitude earthquake is reported in Victoria
Gosh we remember this event like it was yesterday. We aren’t Melbourians, but we just remember sitting at home talking about how tough Melbourne has had it over the past two years, to then suddenly see all the ‘Breaking News’ articles splattered across the internet, saying Melbourne had just experienced a 5.9 magnitude earthquake… Like are you kidding? What could possibly come next?
The epicentre was around the Mansfield area in north-eastern Victoria and the quake's effects were felt as far away as Tasmania and Adelaide, with even Southern New South Wales reporting tremors.
Honestly, we just want to say to any of our members who are located in Melbourne and even in wider Victoria, that you’re a bunch of tough people. The amount of things you have gone through over the past 24 months is unbelievable, and we think if anything, this just goes to show what a great bunch of people live down in Melbourne. Clearly a tight knit community that can get through anything. Kudos to you all, and let’s hope 2022 is far less eventful and is a little bit more ‘smooth’ eh?
Source: 9news.com.au.
Damage after the Melbourne earthquake. Image source: 9news.com.au.
October 17 – November 14, 2021:The 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup is held in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, and is won by Australia
Look members, I’m not going to sit here and write pretending that I know everything there is to know about cricket. In fact, I’m the exact opposite, if the cricket is on I’ll grab a nice book to read and indulge myself in that instead (sorry cricket lovers). However, in saying that I know the fact that Australia won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is a tremendous achievement. Clearly, 2021 was the year for Australian athletes.
Australia went from the underdogs, to the top dogs, a narrative in which we absolutely love to see, after they beat New Zealand with an eight-wicket triumph. It was without a doubt, a stunning turnaround for an Australia team which had lost five T20 series on the trot heading into the World Cup.
Let’s go Aussies.
Source: Reuters.com.
Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi Oi Oi! Australia win the T20 World Cup. Image source: Sportingnews.com.
December 6, 2021: The US, UK, Canada and Australia announce a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics
Obviously, with this event only happening a few weeks ago, the story is still unfolding. But here is what we know right now: The United States announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing in response to China’s human rights record. What this means is the US will not send any government officials to the games, but athletes will be allowed to attend and represent the US.
Shortly after the US announced this boycott, the UK, Australia and Canada followed. So far, China’s response has been [for the countries that are boycotting] “will pay the price for their mistaken acts.” We will see this story continue to unfold in 2022, with the Winter Olympic Games starting February 4th.
Sources: usnews.com and olympics.com.
Now members, that’s a wrap of the 21 events that defined 2021. What a year, eh? What did you think of the 21 events? Do you think we missed anything that you believed defined the year? Let us know in the comments below!
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