Scroll below to see some of the most memorable moments of 2020 in California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
CALIFORNIA — 2020 was a difficult year for many of us in California, but it was nothing if not eventful.
With this year's nonstop news cycle, you could be forgiven for forgetting some of 2020's milestones. That's why we've compiled photos from 35 memorable moments across the state, from the San Francisco Bay Area to San Diego.
Click the image to read more about the story behind the photo.
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January
A basketball legend dies and talk of coronavirus becomes mainstream.
A man places a hat at a makeshift memorial near Staples Center in remembrance of former NBA great Kobe Bryant who, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, died January 26 in a helicopter crash, on Jan. 28 in Los Angeles, California. Kobe and "Gigi" were among nine people killed in the crash in Calabasas, California as they were flying to his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, where he was going to coach her in a tournament game. (David McNew/Getty Images)An airplane carrying U.S. citizens being evacuated from Wuhan, China, lands at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif. Jan. 29. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
February
California receives its first report of person-to-person spread of COVID-19 and talk of face coverings emerges.
People leave the VacaValley Hospital on February 27 in Vacaville. A Solano County resident who is the first confirmed case of COVID-19 that was "community-acquired," has been held in isolation while undergoing treatment at the UC Davis Medical Center for the past week. The patient first went to VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville, but the hospital did not test for the coronavirus. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)The California Department of Public Health said wearing face coverings in public could help stop people who are sick but asymptomatic from spreading the new coronavirus.
March
A statewide stay-at-home order is issued and everyday lives are flipped upside down.
In the days after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the state's stay-at-home order in March, extremely light traffic moves along the 110 Harbor Freeway toward downtown Los Angeles in the mid-afternoon. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Schools across California — including Tenderloin Elementary School in San Francisco, pictured above — closed in March to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Many campuses have remained closed ever since. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)The Princess Cruises Grand Princess cruise ship docked in the Port of Oakland on March 10. The ship was held off the coast of California after 21 people on board tested positive for the coronavirus. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) This photo shows the toilet paper aisle with empty shelves at Walmart on Friday, March 13, 2020, in San Leandro. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
April
In the midst of frenzy caused by the pandemic, Californians find hope in some of the little things in life.
People stand on Newport Beach in April to watch the waves glow blue due to bioluminescence — a phenomenon caused by certain kinds of phytoplankton associated with red tide. (Michael Heiman/Getty Images) A woman shields her face as she stands in front of a "Social Distancing" message made out of yarn by crochet artist London Kaye in the Arts District of Los Angeles on April 12. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)People line up looking to buy face masks and toilet paper outside Masataco, a taco shop in Whittier, Tuesday, April 7. Masataco has managed to sell thousands of face masks at cost, mostly first responders. They also sell bags of rice, beans, toilet paper, napkins and tortillas. Just days after recommending that people wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, a county in Southern California went a step further and ordered all residents to cover their faces when leaving home as the number of infections and deaths continued to rise across California. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
May
After weeks at home, residents begin to speak out against the stay-at-home order.
Activists hold signs and protest the California lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic on May 1 in San Diego. The protesters' demands included opening small businesses, churches as well as support for President Trump. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)On May 23, a firefighter sprays into a warehouse after a fire broke out before dawn at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. Commercial fishers are suing the Port of San Francisco, claiming gross negligence that resulted in a massive fire that destroyed a warehouse the size of a football field where the fishers stored their gear. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
June
Activists take to the streets in the wake of the death of George Floyd, the virus continues to spread and PG&E pleads guilty.
Protesters raise their fists June 1 in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles during demonstrations over the death of George Floyd, who died May 25 after being restrained by Minneapolis police. Curfew orders were instituted in cities across California, including Los Angeles, due to rioting and looting that took place alongside peaceful protests. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)Protesters gather on Hollywood Boulevard on June 14 near the famous TCL Chinese Theatre during the All Black Lives Matter solidarity march, replacing the annual gay pride celebration, as protests continued in the wake of George Floyd’s death. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)Californians have been required to wear face coverings in most public situations since June. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)Beds fill a homeless shelter inside the San Diego Convention Center Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, in San Diego. When the coronavirus emerged in the United States this year, public health officials and advocates for the homeless feared the virus would rip through shelters and tent encampments, ravaging vulnerable people who often have chronic health issues. Yet, the virus so far does not appear to have brought devastation to the homeless population as many feared. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)California utility company Pacific Gas & Electric Co. pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter in June for its role in the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 85 people and destroyed nearly the entire town of Paradise.
July
No traditional 4th Of July celebrations are held as the state continues to push through the pandemic.
A firefighter stands outside the San Gabriel Mission in the aftermath of a fire, July 11, in San Gabriel. The fire destroyed the rooftop and most of the interior of the nearly 250-year-old California church that was undergoing renovation. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)On July 13 helicopters approached the USS Bonhomme Richard as crews fought the fire in San Diego. The Navy on Nov. 30, said that it will decommission the warship docked off San Diego after suspected arson caused extensive damage, making it too expensive to restore. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)A U.S. Navy MH-60 Seahawk lands aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD-8) during ongoing search and rescue operations following an AAV-P7/A1 assault amphibious vehicle mishap off the coast of Southern California, July 30. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Patrick Crosley)
August
The Golden State Killer finally faces justice, CA is in the political spotlight and a massive firestorm takes hold.
Joseph James DeAngelo sits in court during the third day of victim impact statements at the Gordon D. Schaber Sacramento County Courthouse Aug. 20, in Sacramento. DeAngelo, 74, a former police officer in California eluded capture for four decades before being identified as the Golden State Killer. DeAngelo pleaded guilty in June to 13 murders and 13 rape-related charges stemming from crimes in the 1970s and 1980s. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP, Pool)Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, with Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., raise their arms up as fireworks go off in the background during the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention Aug. 20 at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Del. Looking on are Jill Biden, far left, and Harris' husband Doug Emhoff, far right. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)A ranger stands next to the thermometer at Furnace Creek Visitor Center after Death Valley saw its hottest day in 107 — a scorching high of 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Record-setting temperatures were recorded across the state, including a 121-degree day in Los Angeles. (Courtesy of the National Park Service)A series of lightning storms in August sparked some record-setting and many devastating wildfires across California, including the CZU August Lightning Complex Fire in Santa Cruz County, which destroyed more than 1,000 buildings. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)Apocalytpic orange skies hung over the Bay Area for days as wildfires raged across the state. Here, people in kayaks paddle in McCovey Cove outside Oracle Park in San Francisco during a baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the Seattle Mariners on Sept. 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
September
California continues to burn and students return to school — virtually.
Instructor Ms. Rodriguez keeps watch as students play with hula hoops while social distancing on the roof of Westwood STAR Tutoring & Enrichment Center on September 2 in Los Angeles. The center serves as a remote learning hub for students from various schools in the region which remain closed for in-person classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)A photograph of fallen Big Bear Interagency Hotshot Charles Morton, a firefighter who was killed battling the El Dorado wildfire, is displayed at a memorial service for Morton on September 25 in San Bernardino. Morton was a 14-year veteran with the U.S. Forest Service. The El Dorado fire has scorched more than 22,000 acres in Southern California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
October
A victorious month for Los Angeles sports fans after the loss of a basketball icon in January.
Los Angeles Lakers fans celebrated outside of Staples Center Oct. 11 in Los Angeles after the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals to win the championship. (AP Photo/Christian Monterrosa)In late October, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 in in Game 6 to win baseball's World Series in Arlington, Texas, ending a 32-year drought and thrilling fans across Southern California. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
November
Blue California celebrates a Biden victory in the presidential election.
This year's presidential election looked quite different in California, where many counties saw a record-high vote-by-mail turnout, election workers wore face shields and masks, and in-person voters stood six feet apart while waiting in line. (Renee Schiavone/Patch)In blue California, 64 percent of voters chose President-elect Joe Biden over President Donald Trump. In this photo, Los Angeles celebrates after Biden is declared victorious. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
December
Coronavirus cases spike during the holiday season and Californians seek cheer in a familiar comfort.
As cases of the coronavirus surged in the wake of Thanksgiving, Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley were hit hard. Some hospitals turned to contingency plans, such as establishing this mobile field hospital at UCI Medical Center Dec. 21 in Orange. A handful of facilities in hard-hit Los Angeles County have drawn up emergency plans in case they have to limit how many people receive life-saving care. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)A sign of light at the end of the tunnel, California's high-priority health care workers were among the first to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Nurse Helen Cordova, right, was the first to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center in Los Angeles Dec. 14. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)In a year where so many traditions were altered or forgotten, Christmas tree farms saw an uptick in interest. In this photo, workers at the International Garden and Floral Design Center in El Segundo wrap up a just-sold Christmas tree. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
— Patch Editor Toni McAllister contributed to this report
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