It will be years, decades maybe, before the generational effects of 2020 are known.

This is the time of year when publications usually take a nostalgic walk through the preceding 365 days. The result is often a copious number of "best of (insert year)" lists, daring even the most curmudgeonly to relive the past 52 weeks. But, simply put, there's not a lot to celebrate about 2020.

The year brought grief to more than 1.7 million families (and counting) worldwide who lost a loved one to COVID-19. The virus also triggered widespread economic uncertainty, further exposing stark inequities that persisted long before the coronavirus invaded the United States. Add racial unrest and a contentious presidential election to the mix, and it was enough to fill an entire history book.

That's not to say good things were obsolete. People still fell in love, babies were born, animals soaked up extra attention and forced isolation gave way to simpler joys.

But life was different.

And our photographers — Jeff Scheid, Daniel Clark and David Calvert — documented a world that would have been almost unimaginable on New Year's Day a year ago. The year started with a heavy political presence in Nevada ahead of the presidential caucus, then veered into a pandemic-induced shutdown by mid-March. Multiple race-related protests, two special legislative sessions and a mostly mail election followed, all while the coronavirus continued to drastically alter daily life.

So in lieu of commemorating this year, consider these images a reminder of how quickly major events can change the global, national and local landscape.