The year 2020 has been full of unprecedented events that will forever define this moment in history. The world has gone through countless hardships that have left their unique mark, but with those hardships have come advancements that will change the scientific world forever. This moment in history will be remembered by the tremendous void and historical vaccine Covid-19 has brought and Elon Musk’s world changing technological achievements. Items that should be included in a “This Moment in History” starter pack include the millions of lives taken and affected by Covid-19, the economical effect of Covid-19, the record shattering new type of vaccine that will change biology forever, and Elon Musk’s space advancements through SpaceX .

On March 13th, 2020 students went home for Spring Break and their lives changed forever. Covid-19 gained traction around the world and hit the ground running, never looking back. Covid-19 not only deserves to be in a “This Moment in History” starter pack, but it unquestionably deserves the top spot. According to John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, as of February 10th, 2021, there have been 2,348,421 deaths and 107,166,785 total cases worldwide (Johns Hopkins University). While the death rate only comes out to be about 2.2%, the infection rate is what has caused a worldwide shut down and changed our way of life in various ways. Covid-19 spread like a wildfire (as seen by the 100,000,000 affected) and because of this the economy and normal life took a turn. The Washington Post reported that over 100,000 small businesses had shut down permanently within the first two months of the pandemic (Long). The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) found that in December of 2020 more than 25,000,000 people either met the definition of unemployment or lived with someone who is unemployed (does not include people who are unemployed but aren’t looking for a job) (“Tracking the COVID-19 Recession’s Effects on Food, Housing, and Employment Hardships”). These two statistics together show the profound impact that Covid-19 had on small businesses and unemployment. People who lost their jobs and businesses most likely wouldn't be in that position if it weren't for Covid-19. Struggling small business owners are now left empty handed, having to rebuild from the ground up. Millions of people are left looking for jobs just to survive, while before the pandemic they lived comfortably. This economic disaster, along with the millions of students learning through a laptop, demonstrates how the definition of the word “normal” has changed. There is nothing more deserving of a place in a “This Moment in History” starter pack than Covid-19.

While Covid-19 has brought many negative changes, one positive impact is the creation of a revolutionary vaccine. This monumental vaccine not only deserves to be in a “This Moment in History” starter pack because of the purpose it has in restoring our normal way of life, but also because it could be used in innovative ways. As explained by the CDC, unlike normal vaccines that work by putting a weak or inactive germ in a body, this new mRNA vaccine teaches cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response inside the body. Once this immune response is triggered, it produces antibodies that protect the body from getting infected. The CDC goes on to say that this process has been researched for decades, but the actual use of it in vaccines is new. This technology has been used in targeting specific cancer cells, but mRNA vaccine development may allow for unseen things like one vaccine being able to provide protection from multiple diseases (CDC). This is the first time this technology has been used in a vaccine, so there's an unlimited amount of possibilities in which the implementation of mRNA technology could benefit science. It will be exciting to see how it is used in the next couple decades to fight new diseases and stop them from becoming worldwide pandemics again, or maybe even aid in curing the unimaginable like autism. The opportunities are endless, which proves why the creation of the Covid vaccine should be in a “This Moment in History” starter pack. Not only does this new type of vaccine open the doors to new discoveries, it's already proved its worth due to its rapid development. According to UCLA Health, the Covid vaccine was developed, tested, and proved to be effective in less than 12 months. Before this scientific breakthrough, the fastest vaccine creation ever was the mumps vaccine, which took 4 years (Cohen). From this, it's obvious how much faster mRNA vaccines are developed compared to traditional vaccines- a three year difference, all because of a different type of vaccine. This record-breaking assembly time came at a time of need and will save many more lives as opposed to if it would have taken the same time as the Mumps vaccine. In 20+ years, this moment in history will be remembered for serving as the beginning of a new era in vaccination and mRNA technology.
Elon Musk may be the most important person in the world in large part due to his cutting edge technology in processes that start with “re-.” Not only is he fighting climate change with his rechargeable vehicles in Tesla, he’s also leading the charge in space exploration with his reusable rockets in SpaceX. Elon Musk will always be remembered for his decades worth of innovation, but the most important development he’s made recently is the historical orbit by his reusable rocket, Falcon-9. Gale In Context explained that in May of 2020, SpaceX was the first Private Company to ever launch people into orbit and the first to send people to space from US soil since 2011 (“SpaceX”). But what makes this launch so special and unique isn’t the fact that it's the first- it's the type of rocket used. SpaceX provides an analysis of the rocket used in that launch, Falcon-9, saying “Falcon 9 is the world’s first orbital class reusable rocket” (SpaceX). Elon was bankrupt in 2008, and 13 years later he is now the richest man in the world. It took Elon 13 years to go from nothing, to now making historical space launches and changing science. It only took him 13 years to do something historical for space, imagine what he's going to do in the next 20. With Elon’s reusable rockets and world class engineering, the possibilities are endless but for now Mars exploration is next, and it's coming faster than everyone thinks. Based off all of this and the potential he has to revolutionize space, he is the most important man in the world, and that's why he is deserving of being in the “This Moment in History” starter pack.
While this moment in history should span more than just one year, it can truly be described by the remarkable events in 2020. The “This Moment In History” starter pack, or 2020 starter pack, includes the overall effects of Covid-19 on people and the economy, the groundbreaking Covid-19 mRNA vaccine, and Elon Musk’s space launch. 2020 will be remembered as one of the worst years ever due to the never ending travesties it brought, but not everything was bad in 2020. Yes, Covid has negatively altered everyone's lives, but the series of historical technological events could, and will, change earth and space drastically. With all of these world-changing events in 2020, one begins to wonder, “If scientific advancements are happening this fast, how much different will the world be in 15 years?” And that's the beauty of it- no one has a clue what's in store for this world in the coming years. Who knows, there might be people living on Mars or a cure for cancer. The possibilities are endless, and it'll be here before you know it!

Work Cited
CDC. “Understanding MRNA COVID-19 Vaccines.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 18 Dec. 2020, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/mrna.html. Accessed 10 Feb. 2021.
Cohen, Sandy. “The Fastest Vaccine in History.” UCLA Health, 10 Dec. 2020, connect.uclahealth.org/2020/12/10/the-fastest-vaccine-in-history/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2021.
Johns Hopkins University. “COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.” Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, Johns Hopkins University & Medicine, 2020, coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html. Accessed 10 Feb. 2021.
Long, Heather. “Small Business Used to Define America’s Economy. The Pandemic Could Change That Forever.” Washington Post, 12 May 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/05/12/small-business-used-define-americas-economy-pandemic-could-end-that-forever/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2021.
SpaceX. “Falcon 9.” SpaceX, www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-9/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2021.
"SpaceX." Gale In Context Online Collection, Gale, 2020. Gale In Context: High School,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/VSSEIC614374885/SUIC?u=edmo80637&sid=SUIC&xid=3f078978. Accessed 11 Feb. 2021.
“Tracking the COVID-19 Recession’s Effects on Food, Housing, and Employment Hardships.” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 28 Jan. 2021, www.cbpp.org/research/poverty-and-inequality/tracking-the-covid-19-recessions-effects-on-food-housing-and. Accessed 10 Feb. 2021.