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SALT LAKE CITY — 2020 was a long and chaotic year, which you can look back and reminisce about here.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on Utahns dominated the news this year. While it was five days after Gov. Gary Herbert announced a state of emergency over COVID-19, Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert's positive test on March 11 ultimately signaled that normalcy as we knew it would change.
Yet it was the moments outside of COVID-19 that dominated this year's most-read KSL.com stories list. It might not much of a surprise when taking into account natural disasters like earthquakes, windstorms and wildfires all hit the Beehive State over the course of 2020. There were also historic human moments, such as this summer's protests over social injustice, and plenty of political moments.
What also might stand out in the top KSL.com stories this year is people wanted some escape from those aforementioned moments of 2020.
This year was challenging, to say the least, but it also produced uplifting moments. For example, volunteers made masks at the start of the pandemic and volunteers helped clear fallen trees out of yards after the September windstorm. Or, as demonstrated in one story that cracked the Top 10, a neighbor made a small gesture to liven up a child's regular bike ride routine.
If that wasn't enough, 2020 was also a year for the outdoors. State parks recorded record attendance, while national parks in the state also experienced large numbers once they reopened. There were extremely rare cosmic events like the NEOWISE comet and the recent Jupiter-Saturn conjunction that fascinated us. There were also epic wildlife moments that cracked this year's list.
Now that it's coming to an end, here were the most-read KSL.com articles in 2020:
Earthquake blog: Updates from Utah's 5.7 quake that rocked Salt Lake and the Wasatch Front
Date published: March 18
Page views: 1.99 million
Short synopsis: Updates from throughout the day after a 5.7 magnitude earthquake rattled the Wasatch Front.
Peaceful protests take dangerous turn in Salt Lake City
Date published: May 30
Page views: 1.054 million
Short synopsis: Protests calling for justice in the death of George Floyd, a Black man from Minnesota, started out peaceably in Salt Lake City but escalated.
Have You Seen This? Guy deals with kid playing in his driveway in the best way possible
Date published: Aug. 28
Page views: 838,562
Short synopsis: YouTuber Canyon Chasers noticed an alert from his driveway security camera around the same time every evening. When he looked at the footage he saw that it was a little boy on a daily walk with his parents and dogs. The kiddo was on his bike and would always make a quick loop in the driveway before continuing on his way. So what did Canyon Chasers do? He decided to make the driveway a bit more exciting and drew a racetrack with sidewalk chalk.
It was a very long 6 minutes': Utah man describes wild encounter with cougar at Provo canyon
Date published: Oct. 12
Page views: 769,896
Short synopsis: Utah man Kyle Burgess came across four cougar cubs. Before he could react, the 26-year-old Orem man found himself face to face with the cubs' mother.
Windstorm Updates: Tuesday windstorm updates: At least 1 fatality reported; nearly 125 K without power as temperatures fall
Date published: Sept. 8
Page views: 745,260
Short synopsis: Hurricane-level winds blew into the state Tuesday leading to at least one fatality, power outages, downed trees and wind damage throughout northern Utah.
Video: Grizzly bear clashes with 20 wolves at Yellowstone
Date published: Sept. 23
Page views: 725,155
Short synopsis: A grizzly bear goes head-to-head with one of Yellowstone's largest wolf packs — and KSL.com contributor Mike Godfrey was there to witness it.
Police: Woman accidentally writes $21,000 check; man thanks the Lord, deposits money
Date published: April 6
Page views: 711,258
Short synopsis: Hurricane police arrested a 67-year-old handyman after they alleged he deposited a check accidentally written for $21,000 into his account.
'We must do more': Statewide mask mandate, social gathering limit coming to Utah amid COVID-19 surge
Date published: Nov. 8
Page views: 666,660
Short synopsis: Utah Gov. Gary Herbert issued a statewide mask mandate as part of emergency orders directing Utahns to limit social gatherings to their own household to combat the state's current COVID-19 surge.
Coronavirus updates: UDOH gives guidance to Jazz players on self-quarantining
Date published: March 12
Page views: 649,512
Short synopsis: Updates about the coronavirus on March 12, a day after Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.
Chad Daybell arrested on suspicion of destruction of evidence after human remains found on property
Date published: June 9
Page views: 577,844
Short synopsis: Human remains were found on the property of Chad Daybell, who was taken into police custody.
