Instagram From the deadliest pandemic in the last century, to some of the worst wildfires of all time, to violent political polarization, to the loss of several of our most beloved celebrities—not to mention, those pesky murder hornets!—2020 has been a difficult year, to say the very least. Still, in a shockingly impressive show of optimism and solidarity, people around the world continued to locate the silver linings among all of those very dark storm clouds, in the form of new virtual friendships, stronger social and political participation, and, of course, an abundance of memes. The nonstop arrival of news that swung from the bizarre to the devastating from one minute to the next, plus the "new normal" of that aforementioned pandemic (maybe you've heard of it?), created something of a perfect storm for meme makers and lovers alike: While all but confined to their homes, people had plenty of time to create, retweet, and appreciate memes, and even more meme-able content pouring in each day. As we finally prepare to leave this exhausting year behind, take a look back at the 26 memes (and meme-able events) that defined 2020, arranged as chronologically as possible.