Remember this time last year when we thought things could not possibly get any worse? Oh how naive were we.
Things, both in general and also in particular, did in fact get substantially worse (at the time of writing, for example, the US has hit the grim milestone of 800,000 Covid deaths). But for the next few minutes, I invite you to take a reprieve from the horrors of the world and, taking a leaf out of Monty Python's book, look on the bright side of life.
The reality is there have been some good things this year. Really. Ok, sure, some were just small mercies, others mere upsides of bad things - but there was also genuine good in the world. So, in no particular order, and much like we did last year, let's recap it some good news.
1. New Zealand reaches vaccination target
Okay, let's start with a really obvious one but it's also one that makes an actual impact in all our daily lives. New Zealand reached its goal of vaccinating 90 per cent of its eligible population before Christmas - with days to spare. The milestone means Kiwis are all a bit safer as we prepare to enjoy a summer of catch-ups with the ones we love.
2. World rushes to beat Covid-19
Sure we could dwell on new variants and the fact that there's still a pandemic raging out there. But let us have this one moment to celebrate the fact that more than 8.47 billion Covid vaccines have been administered worldwide because, holy mother of vaccination, that's pretty impressive.
3. Giant pandas are no longer endangered
5. The ozone layer is healing
6. The NZ Government started funding period products in schools
7. Campaigners bought part of the world-famous New Chum Beach
8. Portugal approved a law that makes it illegal for your boss to email you after hours
The country has recently introduced a law banning employers from contacting workers outside of their regular work hours.
9. Nasa made oxygen on Mars
10. The world's first 3D-printed school opened in Malawi
11. The Friends cast gave everyone a massive injection of nostalgia with their special reunion.
12. The Arizona man and the grandmother who met by accident continued their tradition of having Thanksgiving together.
13. The Great Barrier Reef has been showing promising (and very colourful) signs of recovery, with new coral babies popping up everywhere.
14. There is new hope for Type 1 diabetes patients
A new stem cell-derived treatment is now a new option for those who suffer from Type 1 diabetes.
15. A tortoise we thought extinct is actually still out there
A giant tortoise thought to be extinct 112 years ago was this year found living happily on Galapagos Island.
16. Adele released a new album.
17. Taylor Swift did too. Sort of.
18. And 2021 was also the year of our good Lorde, who also released a new album.
19. Original "Blue's Clues" host Steve Burns returned, just when we needed him the most.
20. The US rejoined the Paris Agreement, which Trump had ditched.
21. Renewable energies continue to overtake fossil fuels
22. Joe Biden pulled the plug on the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline
23. China has eliminated malaria.
24. Also this year, a malaria vaccine was approved, bringing hope that thousands of lives can be saved in Africa.
25. Still on the topic of vaccines, a trial for a vaccine against breast cancer has launched in the US.
26. Oh, and a vaccine for HIV has also shown great potential after phase 1 of human trials.
27. New Zealand's legalised euthanasia became a reality.
28. Australia pledged to pay reparations to Indigenous Australians who had been forcibly removed from their parents as children.
29. New Zealand appointed its first indigenous Governor-General, Dame Cindy Kiro.
30. The G20 reached a historic deal to make multinationals pay more tax.
31. Some countries around the world have started trialling shorter work weeks.
32. Tasmanian devils bred on mainland Australia for the first time in 3,000 years
33. There was also the heartwarming story of the university student who was left in tears of happiness after recognising her guest lecturer from an experience that had nothing to do with university coursework. It turns out, years earlier, he had saved her life.
34. Satya maintained its generous Christmas tradition of opening the restaurant doors to those doing it tough.
Despite lockdown hitting them hard, Auckland favourite Satya Indian restaurant opened its doors on Christmas Day and provided free meals to those who have struggled in 2021.
35. Athletes like Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka made their voices heard for mental health.
36. Proving it is never too late to follow your dreams, a 89-year-old retiree this year earned his PhD in physics from Brown University in the US.
37. And speaking of true inspiration, the first known triathlete with autism completed the Ironman 70.3 World Championship.
38. New Zealand women did us all proud at the Olympics
The Sevens team, Laurel Hubbard and Lisa Carrington, among others, did everyone proud with their spectacular performances in Tokyo. And then there was Ruby Tui's interview, which went viral, and put a smile on everyone's face.
What an interview!
— Jo Currie (@JoCurrie) July 30, 2021
Love this from NZ 7s @rubytui š
Beautifully done @JillADouglas pic.twitter.com/WpgR492Fe2
39. Auckland opened up the new Auckland City Mission HQ
40. The Broadcasting Standards Authority announced it will no longer accept complaints from people upset about hearing te reo MÄori on TV and radio.
41. To address the needs of disabled people and their whÄnau, New Zealand this year announced the creation of a Ministry for Disabled People.
42. Parliament this year also passed legislation giving mothers and their partners three days of bereavement leave following a miscarriage or stillbirth.
43. Pfizer has agreed to share the manufacture of its treatment pill.
Drugmaker Pfizer has signed a deal with a UN-backed group to allow other manufacturers to make its experimental Covid-19 pill, a move that could make the treatment available to more than half of the world's population.
44. TÄ«tahi Bay cafe patrons paid it forward in a "spontaneous chain"
A small gesture has set off a chain reaction of kindness in TÄ«tahi Bay, Porirua. The owners of t bay cafe took to Facebook to describe the "weird and wonderful" event, in which one customer decided to "pay it forward", leading to several others choosing to anonymously pay for other patron's bills in the cafe.
45. The number of monarch butterflies is soaring around the world.
46. New Zealand Parliament passed the "Self-ID Bill" at third reading, making it easier for trans people to update birth certificates.
47. France now has the first "retirement home" for elephants from zoos and circuses.
48. A blood test has shown high efficacy in detecting depression and bipolar disorder, a major breakthrough in the diagnosis of these conditions.
49. Dunedin made headlines worldwide when the city closed a road to keep a sea lion and its pup safe as they made their way to a Saint Kilda beach.
50. Alright, number 50. I've got to be honest - this was a difficult year. I think the list above proves that there were some good things that happened but they were not easy to find. So, for the final item on our list, let's rejoice in the fact that 2021 is nearly over. Good riddance to this rubbish year. Here's to compiling a much longer list of happy news this time next year!
New York Times: Men are leaving fiction reading behind. Some people want to change that.