It has been a strange year, to say the least. Instead of the usual 12 months, it feels like 200.
For most of the year, COVID dominated our news headlines. What little bandwidth remained was absorbed by the bizarre US election.
You'd be forgiven for forgetting that many other unusual things happened, but here are five too weird to ignore:
1. 'Megxit' — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal departure
"That was this year?!" news stories probably don't come bigger than this.
On January 8, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they would step back as "senior" royals and instead work to become financially independent.
"After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution."
The pair said they would divide their time between the US and North America.
It was a shock announcement at the time and followed rumours of a rift in the Royal Family.
The move was a big departure from how the "The Firm" usually operates — in case you missed it, we answered all the big questions here.
2. The great baboon escape of 2020
A quiet Tuesday afternoon took a dramatic turn when three baboons broke free from an animal research truck at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney.
A male baboon was being transported with his two "wives" to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) in Camperdown to have a vasectomy.
"He cut loose before the big cut," said NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard at the time.
The group were eventually recaptured, but the great ape escape lives on, online.
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3. Singing sensation discovered in London Underground
We were barely into March when a viral video uncovered an incredible singing talent.
YouTuber Kevin Freshwater shared a video where he challenged passers-by to finish the lyrics to well-know tunes.
Stopped in the London Subway, Charlotte Awbery took on one of the biggest ballads of recent years — Lady Gaga's Shallow — and, well, demolished it.
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The initial video racked up more than 60 million views.
The professional singer had to talk down sceptics who thought it was a plant, but has since sang on Ellen, amassed over 600,000 Instagram followers, and released her own official cover of the song.
4. 'Hey all you cool cats and kittens!': the pandemic binge hit, Tiger King
Streaming services took a hammering during lockdown, and one epic feud captured our attention more than any other: Joe Exotic versus Carole Baskin.
The Netflix documentary lifted the lid on a weird world of scandal, secrets, and alleged murder.
Did Carole Baskin kill her husband? Did Joe Exotic plot to take her down?
An eye-opening look at the big cat industry, the distance some people will go to stay in the game, led to TikTok trends, a multitude of Halloween costumes and Baskin's appearance on a reality dance show.
Joe Exotic is serving a 22-year sentence for a murder-for-hire plot against Baskin, and animal abuse. He has reportedly asked President Trump for a pardon.
5. The X-cellent name that had us confused
In May, the unlikely couple of Tesla entrepreneur and space fan Elon Musk and singer Grimes welcomed a son.
His name? X AE A-12.
The proud parents were later forced to amend the name slightly after it was found that it didn't comply with Californian state naming laws, because of the use of numbers.
Grimes confirmed online that the '12' would be replaced by roman numerals. (XII, for those playing along at home).
All we know is, we still don't know how to say it.
We've kept this list to five, but there were many more. What caught your attention this year?
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiVWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTEyLTMxLzIwMjAtbW9tZW50cy15b3UtbWlnaHQtaGF2ZS1mb3Jnb3R0ZW4vMTMwMDM1MTTSASdodHRwczovL2FtcC5hYmMubmV0LmF1L2FydGljbGUvMTMwMDM1MTQ?oc=5
2020-12-30 20:23:00Z
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