Global pandemic, authoritarian regimes, wildfires, climate apocalypse - 2020 has been an epically bad year. But according to historians, it’s not the worst year ever.
That honor goes to 536 AD, when the Sun’s rays were essentially cut off for a year. Read the linked article to find out more about how bad it was.
A mysterious fog plunged Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia into darkness, day and night—for 18 months. "For the sun gave forth its light without brightness, like the moon, during the whole year," wrote Byzantine historian Procopius. Temperatures in the summer of 536 fell 1.5°C to 2.5°C, initiating the coldest decade in the past 2300 years.