The year 2020 did not go as anyone expected. With the new decade came some of the most unprecedented events this world has ever seen. It sucked.
It may be hard for most people to look back at 2020 and take a retrospective view that is positive. But we are going to try and showcase the good that happened from this crazy year.
This is not meant to diminish the challenges many are still facing today, but to highlight the silver linings and some lighter statistics in a harsh reality.
From the wide acceptance of loungewear at work to giving thousands of foster pets a home, here are 20 unique, fun, and positive facts and findings from what has been what hell of a year, that is 2020.
Acts of Kindness
- The total number of charitable donations increased by 7.2% from 2019. (Association of Fundraising Professionals)
- 99% of small businesses gave back to their communities within the past year. (Seedership)
- 89% of foster dogs and cats were adopted from March through June 2020. (Shelter Animals Court)
- Since establishing its COVID-19 Response Fund on March 16, 2020, Meals on Wheels America has distributed nearly $7 million to more than 450 local providers on the front lines of the crisis nationwide. (Meals on Wheels America)
- The National School Board Association and Scholastic donated 4.25 million face masks to underserved schools. (Yahoo!)
- Residents at Essex Meadows Senior Living Community in Connecticut get fun surprises every Friday to keep their spirits up. (USA Today)
Family and Lifestyle
- On average, people were calling their loved ones 1.5 times more now than before the COVID-19 quarantine. (Drive Research)
- 46% of people said they now describe themselves as a true outdoorsman because of quarantine and 75% of those surveyed even feel like they can take on anything. (People)
- 35% of Americans took up virtual workout classes from the comfort of their homes. (Nerd Bear)
- 44% of consumers have taken or would consider taking online courses or training to further their education since COVID-19 hit. (Drive Research)
- On average, 385,000 babies were born each day around the world. (The World Counts)
Fashion and Shopping
- There was a 28% increase in 2020 online Black Friday shopping from 2019. (Drive Research)
- There was a 20 to 40% uptick in sales of sweatpants. (Aeropostale and Russel Athletic)
- On average, 1 in 10 people on a Zoom call are wearing a dress shirt with sweatpants. (Drive Research)
- Christmas décor started selling out in September with 70% of people looking to do something positive and bring early holiday cheer during the quarantine. (Vitamin Angels)
Pop Culture
- Viral Tik Tok star, Nathan Apodaca had his dreams come true when Ocean Spray gave him a new truck after his car broke down. (CNN Business)
- Tiger King connected us all. 90% of U.S. adults believe Carole Baskin killed her husband, Don Lewis. (Drive Research)
- Broadway came to our living room! 2.7 million households streamed the recorded version of Hamilton during the first week of its debut on Disney Plus. (Next TV)
- Dolly Parton donated $1 million to help develop a coronavirus vaccine. (The New York Times)
- In just two months, “Some Good News” with John Krasinski garnered over 72 million views on YouTube. (USA Today)
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Emily Carroll
A SUNY Cortland graduate, Emily has taken her passion for social and content marketing to Drive Research as the Marketing Coordinator. She has earned certificates for both Google Analytics and Google AdWords.
Learn more about Emily, here.
