What’s next

2019 showed that anything is possible. Here are potential newsmakers for the next year

Summer Olympics

With 11,091 athletes expected to participate, the 2020 Summer Olympics will take place July 24-Aug. 9 in Tokyo.

Bringing the total of Olympics sports to 33, athletes will be able to compete in new events karate, surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing.

Baseball/softball also makes a return, joining existing events, such as swimming and fencing.

Tokyo also hosted the 1964 Summer Olympic Games.

Tokyo 2020 organizers announced they will enhance competition venues from the 1964 Tokyo games, such as the Yoyogi National Gymnasium, and rebuild venues, such as the Tokyo National Stadium. These venues will spread across two themed areas named the “Heritage” and “Tokyo Bay” zones. Famous landmarks, such as Mount Fuji and the Imperial Palace Gardens, will host events as well. The location of the cauldron remains undecided.

Tokyo 2020 Emblem Selection Committee selected an indigo blue-checkered emblem designed by Asao Tokolo for the games, replacing the original circular red emblem that sparked a complaint from artist Olivier Debie, who claimed it was similar to his piece in the Théâtre de Liège.

According to the Olympic games website, the 2020 Summer Olympics will be the most innovative ever organized. The 2020 games will honor three main principles: striving for one’s personal best, honoring diversity, and passing on a legacy.

NASA Mars Mission

A NASA rover mission will begin July 17 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The rover will land on the Jezero Crater of Mars on Feb. 18, 2021, and stay for at least 687 days, or one year on Mars.

Part of NASA’s long-term exploration, the mission will potentially answer questions regarding life on Mars, characterize the climate and geology of Mars, and seek to address challenges to potential human exploration on Mars.

Scientists may bring samples back from Mars in order to further study the resources on Mars. The team will also test oxygen production from the atmosphere to prepare for more in-depth human exploration of Mars. The rover will also extract oxygen from Mars’ atmosphere, which is 96% carbon dioxide, according to NASA. 

NASA began the process of naming the mission’s rover through submitted written essays by students in the United States. Beginning in January, people will be able to vote for a name through a public poll. NASA will announce the winning name in February.

BREXIT — Britain leaves the European Union

If all continues according to plan, Britain will leave the European Union in 2020, making Britain the first member to ever leave the EU. Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans on not extending Britain’s transition out of the EU beyond the end of 2020, regardless of whether the no-trade deal is in place.

A public vote June 23, 2016, with results of 52%-48%,  determined that Britain will leave the EU.

Britain has been part of the EU since 1973, allowing free trade and movement between Britain and other countries in the EU.

After multiple drawbacks from former Prime Minister Theresa May, the European Union extended the deadline to Jan. 31, 2020. Parliament rejected two of May’s deals, eventually leading to her resignation.

Upcoming Entertainment

Both Marvel and DC will release new movies in 2020. Marvel will release “Black Widow” and “Eternals,” and DC will release “Cyborg,” a sequel to “Wonder Woman,” and a movie surrounding Harley Quinn, “Birds of Prey.”

Along with “Wonder Woman,” some other long-awaited sequels will also release in 2020, including “Fast & Furious 9,” “A Quiet Place 2,” and the 25th installment of the James Bond movies, “No Time To Die.”

Many shows have been renewed for 2020, including: “Bojack Horseman,” “Big Mouth,” “Atypical,” “The Crown,” “Sex Education,” “Stranger Things” and “You.”

Since it first launched on Nov. 12, Disney+ has become a popular streaming service, with more than 10 million people signing up for accounts or free trials in less than two days. Many Disney films will no longer be available on Netflix beginning in 2020.

Disney+ is set to release a wave of live-action series, starting with “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” in fall 2020. The full list of movies, documentaries and series that will come out on Disney+ is available on the Disney+ site.Disney+ will continue to launch internationally, with plans to roll out in Eastern Europe and Latin America in 2020

Presidential Election

With Democratic Party debates underway, 2020 will be a big year in terms of politics, leading up to the 59th United States presidential election.

Nearly 30 Democratic candidates have declared with only half remaining. Three Republican candidates, Mark Sanford, Bill Weld and Joe Walsh, declared their presidential campaigns opposing President Donald Trump’s re-election.

Primary elections and caucuses will occur in early 2020 across the U.S. The Democratic National Convention will occur July 13-16, in Milwaukee with the Republican National convention taking place Aug. 24- 27 in Charlotte. The general public will cast ballots Nov. 3. According to Pew Research Center, this election will mark a high for diversity in voters, with an expected 1 in 10 voters being members of Gen Z and one-third of voters being nonwhite.