With a global pandemic keeping many people at home but political unrest bringing others to the streets, 2020 has been a year to remember. So it’s not surprising that several of YouTube’s top trending videos of the year were made in reaction to the current state of affairs.
From the Black Lives Matter movement to the US presidential election, some of the videos on the platform's recently released list reflected what was happening in the world while others acted as a distraction, with clips focusing on good deeds to help lift spirits.
The top trending video of the year was a powerful Dave Chappelle stand-up special called 8:46 that dropped on June 12, amid ongoing protests after George Floyd's death.
The 27-minute monologue’s title refers to the length of time police officer Derek Chauvin pushed his knee against Floyd’s neck, leading to his death, in May. The incident triggered a series of ongoing protests calling for reform in policing and the end of police brutality in the US.
This second trending video was Saturday Night Live's take on the first US presidential debate. The show's cold open featured Alec Baldwin and Jim Carrey portraying President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Despite only being uploaded in early October, it quickly became one of the most shared videos on the platform.
Another video to make the list was the first episode of Some Good News with John Krasinski, a web-only series "dedicated entirely to good news".
The first episode, filmed from inside the star's home, is around 15-minutes long and was uploaded on March 29. In it, Krasinski shared heartwarming stories from around the world. It also included a special guest appearance via video link with The Office co-star Steve Carell to mark the 15th anniversary of the show.
Following suit when it comes to good news was We Cant Believe This Happened by YouTube personality David Dobrik, which was uploaded on April 24. In the four minute and 20 second video, he and his friends, known as The Vlog Squad, hand out gifts (including iPads, Xbox, PlayStations and even new cars) to people around their neighbourhoods.
Another video to make it on to the list is Dude Perfect's Quarantine Stereotypes video from April 27. The almost 10-minute video from the American sports and comedy group listed all the stereotypes that emerged during the pandemic, including The New Hobby Guy, Mr Homemade Mask, The Binge Watchers, The Gamer, The Conspiracy Theorists and more.
Here's the full list of the top trending videos of 2020:
1. 8:46 - Dave Chappelle – Netflix Is A Joke
2. First Debate Cold Open – Saturday Night Live
3. We Broke Up. – jeffrreestar
4. I Bought The World's Largest Firework ($600,000) – MrBeast
5. I'm Coming Out. – NikkieTutorials
6. Minecraft Speedrunner VS 3 Hunters Grand Finale – Dream
7. Ricky Gervais's Monologue – 2020 Golden Globes – NBC
8. Quarantine Stereotypes – Dude Perfect
9. Some Good News with John Krasinski episode one – SomeGoodNews
10. We Cant Believe This Happened – David Dobrik
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
SPECS
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
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How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
The biog
Full name: Aisha Abdulqader Saeed
Age: 34
Emirate: Dubai
Favourite quote: "No one has ever become poor by giving"
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Fixture: Liechtenstein v Italy, Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match is shown on BeIN Sports
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
