From sizzling temperatures to pensioners in space, a look back at 2021's biggest records

The year 2021 draws to a close following some extraordinary successes in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic, but there are challenges that are yet to be overcomed.Scientists have conceived around 20 vaccines, which have drastically slowed fatality rates in first-world countries but left the developing world far behind - a major challenge in 2022, with a combined threat of the highly contagious Omicron variant.At the COP26 summit in Glasgow, the world made a host of pledges on the climate change crisis that now need to be put into action, while natural disasters will continue to batter people across the globe.Meanwhile, the very concept of democracy was shaken by the attack on the US Capitol, the Taliban takeover of Kabul and multiple coups in Africa.From sizzling temperatures to Messi and Ronaldo and pensioners in space, here are some of the most significant records struck in 2021.Hottest monthJuly 2021 was the hottest month globally ever recorded, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says.And wildfires in Siberia, North America and around the Mediterranean caused record levels of CO2 emissions in July and August, the EU's Earth monitoring service says.[caption id="attachment_9872281" align="alignnone" width="640"] A local resident walks as a wildfire rages near the village of Gouves, on Euboea island, second largest Greek island. AFP[/caption]Record gas pricesAs economies reopened from their COVID-induced slumber firing heightened gas demand, prices in Asian, European and British gas hit record peaks. Europe's reference Dutch TTF gas price hit 187.78 euros per megawatt hour.Biggest airliftThe United States carried out its biggest ever airlift in the wake of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August, bigger even than the evacuation of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War.It airlifted more than 123,000 people out of Kabul, including US citizens, Afghan interpreters and others who supported the US mission.Around 55,000 people were evacuated from southern Vietnam in 1975.Suez Canal blockedThe giant container ship Ever Given blocked the Suez Canal in March, bringing a halt to shipping for six days in one of the world's busiest waterways.The ship, almost as long as New York's Empire State Building, caused a record traffic jam of 422 ships loaded with 26 million tonnes of merchandise, worsening supply difficulties already disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.[caption id="attachment_10245121" align="alignnone" width="640"] Tug boats and dredgers attempt to free the MV Ever Given on 26 March in the Suez Canal. AFP[/caption]Chinese incursionsThe most dramatic Chinese incursion into disputed Taiwanese airspace occurred at the start of October as China marked its annual national day when a record 149 flights crossed into Taiwan's southwestern air defence zone in four days.Bitcoin soarsCryptocurrency bitcoin soared to record levels in late 2021, being valued at $68,513 on November 9. The digital currency increasingly won support from small and large investors, some of whom see it as a way of protecting themselves against inflation, which hit a 30-year high in the US in October.Art goes wildArt sales records in 2021 included works by Frida Kahlo, veteran French artist Pierre Soulages and Banksy reaching sky-high levels.Revenues from sales of contemporary art have never been as high, totalling $2.7 billion, boosted in particular by the explosion in sales of unique digital works and NFTs (non-fungible tokens).Space touristsCaptain Kirk of "Star Trek", alias veteran actor William Shatner, became the oldest person to go into space at 90.He was among two dozen non-professionals who blasted off into space in 2021 on rockets owned by billionaires Jeff Bezos (Blue Origin), Elon Musk (SpaceX) and Richard Branson (Virgin Galactic).[caption id="attachment_10249831" align="alignnone" width="640"] The "Star Trek" actor and the three fellow passengers soared to an altitude of 66.5 miles (107 kilometers) over the West Texas desert in a fully automated capsule, in a flight that lasted just over 10 minutes. AFP[/caption]Ronaldo versus MessiTwo of football's living legends, Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina's Lionel Messi, rewrote the record books.Ronaldo became the top scorer of all time for a national team with 115 goals and also the most capped European, having been selected 184 times.Messi outstripped Brazil's Pele as the best Latin American striker with 79 goals for Argentina.Everest and the ChannelNepal's Kami Rita Sherpa beat his own record for climbing Everest, claiming a 25th successful ascent to the roof of the world in May.Australia's Chloe McCardel, 36, became the person to have swum the Channel the most -- a remarkable 44 times.With inputs from agencies

• Please read: Farewell 2021: Your A to Z guide of the biggest news events of the year

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