2021: Another year of turbulence and change, difficulty and hope. Our photojournalists witnessed grief in the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting in Bay Area history. They saw the impact of wildfires, our region’s housing crisis and the tumult in Afghanistan. They recorded local preparations for the Olympics, the governor’s recall election and the surprise success of the San Francisco Giants.
They also captured images of return and reopening: Children in school and worshipers in churches, high school sports and senior birthday parties and live theater. They documented a mass vaccination campaign that saw lines of cars stretching down streets and millions of shots administered, even as families continued to mourn those they had lost from COVID-19.
And then, those moments of everyday beauty in the place where we live: Encroaching fog, birds in flight, the crashing ocean. Perhaps these are especially meaningful amid so much tumult — and so much that remains unknown as we begin a new year.
Presenting 2021, through the eyes of Bay Area News Group photographers.
JANUARY
<strong>JANUARY 10:</strong> A bicycle rider moves along a trail at Marina Park in San Leandro. It was the start of another long road for the Bay Area as it struggled from the coronavirus pandemic. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) <strong>JANUARY 13:</strong> Officers investigate a shooting on the 1100 block of Poplar Street in West Oakland. Crime in the city became a serious concern with at least 133 homicides reported in Oakland. (Dylan Bouscher/Bay Area News Group) <strong>JANUARY 20:</strong> Bekka Fink, left, and Larry Bogad dance to “Please Mr. Postman” as they carry signs in front of the Berkeley Main Post Office on Allston Way. Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, and Oakland-born Kamala Harris, who grew up in Berkeley, was sworn in as the first female, Black and South Asian vice president. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) <strong>JANUARY 27:</strong> Protesters face off with members of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office during a demonstration that was declared an unlawful assembly at the Santa Clara County Superior Court in San Jose. Angry tenants and advocates demonstrated against the displacement of renters during the coronavirus pandemic. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group) <strong>JANUARY 27: </strong>Ursula Haeussler, a 105-year-old woman, who lived through the Spanish flu pandemic, experienced another global crisis caused by COVID-19. She was able to get vaccinated for the coronavirus. She was 4 years old when the Spanish flu hit and remembers several family members who died. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
FEBRUARY
<strong>FEBRUARY 10:</strong> Sandy Waite-Lopez, a Foothill Elementary School fourth-grade teacher, leads her class in Saratoga. A sense of normalcy began to emerge on campus as students returned to classrooms in the school district for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic forced their closure in March 2020. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) <strong>FEBRUARY 14: </strong>Robert Bondonno, center, and his wife, Carol, right, raise their hands while listening to the service at Rise City Church in Redwood City. The church was able to have indoor service at 25% capacity and the rules were later loosened as cases began falling in the spring. (Randy Vazquez/ Bay Area News Group) <strong>FEBRUARY 23: </strong>Carnation flowers cover the hood of a Ford truck once owned by Lawrence Ferlinghetti at a vigil held for the literary figure at his City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco. He died at the age of 101. Several popular authors died in 2021, including Joan Didion, bell hooks, Anne Rice and Beverly Cleary. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) <strong>FEBRUARY 24: </strong>Professional boxer Dalia “La Pantera” Gomez, right, holds punching pads as Aton Alva, 6, learns boxing skills during the Vertical Skillz Outreach youth boxing and fitness class at San Antonio Park in Oakland. The free class is run by Gomez, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Vertical Skillz Outreach. “The program gives them the opportunity to take care of their health, wellness, mind and soul,” Gomez said. “Most important is to give kids a safe place where they feel happy, grow and be a better person.” (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) <strong>FEBRUARY 26: </strong>Residents enjoy the belly dance performance by Heaven Mousalem, left, during a Purim celebration at Moldaw Residences in Palo Alto. As more people were vaccinated, live entertainment began to return. (Randy Vazquez/ Bay Area News Group) <strong>FEBRUARY 28: </strong>Dr. Patricia Nunley hugs Rajuan Lewis, 7, during a vigil and anti-violence rally for his father, Reuben Lewis, at Concordia Park in Oakland. Lewis was shot and killed in the park on Feb. 24 as his sons and others took part in a youth football practice. It was one of a number of violent deaths in Oakland in 2021. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
MARCH
<strong>MARCH 4: </strong>Alisal Elementary School staff member Amy Wood, left, greets students as they return to campus for class in Pleasanton. The pace of classroom reopenings became an issue among Bay Area school districts. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) <strong>MARCH 7: </strong>Ballet dancer Angela Watson shows off her talents in the Berkeley hills. She received a National YoungArts Foundation Award for her accomplishments in ballet and though she had a nagging Achilles injury and the quarantine hampered her somewhat, she said she couldn’t wait to get back on stage. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) <strong>MARCH 19: </strong>Members of the Freedom High football team raise their helmets during the playing of the national anthem before their football game against Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg. High school football returned in a truncated season. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group) <strong>MARCH 24:</strong> The Curative COVID-19 drive-thru mass vaccination site at Golden Gate Fields racetrack was one of several in the Bay Area. Lines were long as residents hurried to get their coronavirus vaccine. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) <strong>MARCH 27: </strong>Alex Chen, of Alameda, listens to speakers during a San Francisco march and rally focused on fighting anti-Asian crime. The march, organized by the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, started at San Francisco City Hall and ended at Union Square. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) <strong>MARCH 26: </strong>Demonstrators in San Francisco march to protest a rise in attacks against Asian and Pacific Islander residents in the Bay Area and nationwide. The brutality of the assaults, often captured on video, sparked an outcry and a renewed focus on crime. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) <strong>MARCH 31: </strong>A couple is silhouetted by the sunset inside a tent at Sharp Park Beach in Pacifica. Although there was plenty of sun in the winter, that meant drought conditions worsened in the state. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
APRIL
<strong>APRIL 2: </strong>Longtime friend and neighbor Linda Wolan, of Berkeley, kisses Dick Wezelman during his 88th birthday celebration at Belmont Village Senior Living in Albany. The community has reached over 98% vaccinations for all staff and residents, and Wezelman’s fully vaccinated friends were able to attend. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) <strong>APRIL 7:</strong> View of Oakland Coliseum COVID-19 vaccination site in Oakland. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) <strong>APRIL 21:</strong> Archbishop Mitty’s Hunter Hernandez (33) fights for the ball against St. Mary’s Nia Anderson (32) in the fourth quarter at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose. High school sports adapted to the pandemic by adopting rules such as a face mask requirement. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) <strong>APRIL 30: </strong>Vanessa Singh, of San Jose, the sister of Natalia Smüt, a transgender woman who was murdered, hugs her cousin Aja Franco of Pittsburg during an unveiling of a mural visualizing LGBTQ+ culture, history and community. The work included a panel memorializing Smüt and other victims of anti-trans violence in San Jose. The 864-square-foot mural, located on the side of Splash Video Dance Bar, was the first mural from The Qmunity District, the South Bay’s LGBTQ+ arts and culture space. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
MAY
<strong>MAY 4: </strong>“A Series of Unfortunate Events” author Daniel Handler, known by the pseudonym Lemony Snicket, poses for a portrait in his San Francisco home. He released a new book titled “Poison for Breakfast” and said the pandemic had been tough on his writing process because he usually writers in libraries and cafes, which were closed. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) <strong>MAY 11:</strong> Lincoln plays against Leland during their girls basketball game at Saratoga High School. With the San Jose Unified district not providing the mandatory testing for indoor play and Santa Clara County stuck in the orange reopening tier, student-athletes at six San Jose Unified high schools played their games outside. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) <strong>MAY 12:</strong> Mission San Jose High’s Savara Deshmukh and James Logan High’s Vienna Garcia wrestle in their 135-pound bout in Union City. Because of the pandemic, the wrestling match was held outdoors. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group) <strong>MAY 26: </strong>Two people hug near the scene of a mass shooting at the VTA rail yard that killed nine people. It was the Bay Area’s worst mass shooting with 10 people dead, including the shooter. (Randy Vazquez/ Bay Area News Group) <strong>MAY 27:</strong> The family of Paul Delacruz Megia including his father Leonard, center right, and son Gavin, center left, grieve for Megia before a vigil at San Jose City Hall. He was one of nine people killed in the VTA mass shooting. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
JUNE
<strong>JUNE 2: </strong>Relatives of Taptej Singh, one of the nine victims of the VTA shooting, gather Wednesday at his Union City home. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) <strong>JUNE 4: </strong>Los Altos High School graduates socially distance themselves from each other during the school’s graduation commencement ceremony at PayPal Park in San Jose. It was a different scene from 2020 when many ceremonies were canceled. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group) <strong>JUNE 4:</strong> U.S. weightlifter Wes Kitts, of Livermore, trains while at California Strength in San Ramon. Kitts set a U.S. record in the men’s 109-kilogram category to finish eighth in his Olympic debut in Tokyo. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) <strong>JUNE 9:</strong> Archbishop Riordan’s King-Jhsanni Wilhite (2) takes a shot against St. Ignatius High in their Central Coast Section Open Division basketball boys semifinal game at Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco. Face masks in sports became a normal sight and led to questions about which ones were the best. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) <strong>JUNE 10: </strong>St. Francis celebrates their 6-0 win over Notre Dame-Salinas in the CCS Open Division Softball Championships final at St. Francis High School in Mountain View. The return of high school sports brought smiles to student athletes. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) <strong>JUNE 15:</strong> Bear Bryan raises his arm in joy as Dan Zelinsky opens the doors to his Musee Mecanique at its grand reopening at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. Zelinsky’s beloved arcade closed 15 months ago when the pandemic shutdown began and reopened as restrictions began lifting. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) <strong>JUNE 15:</strong> Patrons enjoy drinks as a go-go dancer performs at Beaux lounge in San Francisco’s Castro District. California lifted its COVID-19 restrictions with modified masking guidelines that allow fully vaccinated residents to attend indoor venues without masks, capacity limits or social distancing. Those rules began changing as COVID-19 cases began to rise. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) <strong>JUNE 22:</strong> Members of the U.S. National Team Men’s Eight boat crew take part in a training session in Oakland. The U.S. Olympic men’s team reached the A final but finished fourth overall and were unable to medal. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) <strong>JUNE 22:</strong> Karega Bailey, left, of Oakland, and Oakland council member Carroll Fife hug each other at the end of a peace and healing vigil at the Lake Merritt Pergola in Oakland. Dashawn Rhoades, 22, of San Francisco, was killed and 6 others were injured during Juneteenth celebrations at Lake Merritt. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) <strong>JUNE 24:</strong> The fog rolls over the Oakland hills into the city of Orinda as seen from the summit of Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County. A dry 2021 continued exacerbating the drought conditions in the state. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
JULY
<strong>JULY 1:</strong> Fred Mekata tucks in his wife, Ruth, at night in their bedroom at The Watermark, an assisted-living facility in San Ramon. Mekata sold his home in order to move into the facility with his wife who has dementia. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) <strong>JULY 4:</strong> Illegal fireworks explode in the sky as a Contra Costa firefighter works quickly to extinguish a vegetation fire at East Lake Drive and Hillcrest Avenue in Antioch. Contra Costa County Fire Protection District responded to 48 vegetation and exterior blazes including five structure fires across the district. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) <strong>JULY 9: </strong>San Francisco Giants pitcher Tyler Rogers (71) pitches against the Washington Nationals in the eighth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco. The Giants had a remarkable season surprisingly nearly everyone in baseball by winning the National League West. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) <strong>JULY 21:</strong> Diane Ichiyasu, 79, with Belmont Village Senior Living’s Albany team, reaches for the ball in a seated volleyball match during an Olympic Games-themed competition in Albany. The senior living’s Albany location hosted the event between teams from their Albany, Sunnyvale and San Jose locations. It was all in the spirit of the Summer Games, which were held in Tokyo under strict conditions because of the pandemic. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group) <strong>July 22:</strong> The Pardee Lake Recreation marina is seen from this drone new at the Pardee Reservoir in Ione. The lake, which is usually full, is at 87% capacity and the marina had to be moved to deeper waters last month. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) <strong>JULY 24:</strong> Firefighters work to contain a two-alarm warehouse fire that caused a power outage on the 4300 block of East 12th Street in Oakland, affecting approximately 2,500 people. (Dylan Bouscher/Bay Area News Group)
AUGUST
<strong>AUGUST 6:</strong> Tigs Smith, her son Vance, 9, and her daughter Emily, 16, stay at an encampment site on vacant land owned by Apple along Component Drive in North San Jose. The housing crisis continued to be a big issue in the Bay Area. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group) <strong>AUGUST 6:</strong> A gateway made of horseshoes frames a scene of devastation in a residential section of Greenville after it was destroyed by the Dixie Fire. California experienced another season of record-breaking blazes. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) AUGUST 23: Dannae Gutierrez ,18, center, holds her father’s hand as health care worker Inderjot Kaur, right, administers a Pfizer Covid-19 vaccination shot at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) <strong>AUGUST 26:</strong> Mohammad Nazir Azami; his wife, Shabnam Azami; and daughter Hadia Azami, 4, were filled with worry for their family in Afghanistan after the Taliban took over. Mohammad Nazir Azami worked in Afghanistan for a U.S. government contractor and was able to move to the U.S. with a specialized visa. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) <strong>AUGUST 30:</strong> LaToya Foster, left, and her mother, Leavonia “Peaches” Love Foster, cry in front of the headstone of Lovell Brown at the Leavenworth National Cemetery in Kansas. After Peaches obtained an amended death certificate of her mother, Brown became the first victim who died of COVID-19 in the United States. She died on Jan. 9, 2020, rewriting the timeline of how the coronavirus came to the United States. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) <strong>AUGUST 30:</strong> A tree burns in a blackened forest at dawn after the Caldor Fire tore through the Twin Bridges area on Highway 50 overnight, destroying many structures in the area. The blaze threatened Lake Tahoe but was ultimately beaten back. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) <strong>AUGUST 31:</strong> Jason Marone of the Roseville Fire Department cools down a hot spot burning close to homes in the Christmas Valley area of Meyers. The 2021 fire season was one of the busiest ever. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) <strong>AUGUST 31: </strong>Veronica Foster, an evacuee from South Lake Tahoe, hugs her dog, Gracie, as she and her co-workers from Grocery Outlet spend time together outside an evacuation center in Gardnerville, Nevada. The California fires destroyed whole towns and left many without homes. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SEPTEMBER
<strong>SEPTEMBER 3:</strong> San Francisco Giants’ Buster Posey (28) tags out Los Angeles Dodgers’ Justin Turner (10) at home plate. Turner was attempting to score in the 11th inning of their game at Oracle Park in San Francisco. The Giants defeated the Dodgers 3-2 in 11 innings, but ultimately lost the series. It was also the last time Posey faced the Dodgers as he announced his retirement a few weeks later. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) <strong>SEPTEMBER 7:</strong> Alice Hoagland’s brother Vaughn Hoglan along with three of his children Bryce, from left, Jillian and Garrett, remember their cousin Mark Bingham at a memorial bench in Los Gatos. Bingham died a hero on Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001, and this year marked the 20th anniversary of the attacks. They are working to keep the memory alive of Bingham and Hoagland, who became an activist after the tragedy. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) <strong>SEPTEMBER 8:</strong> Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at an anti-recall rally in San Leandro. Newsom ended up beating back the Republican recall efforts. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group) <strong>SEPTEMBER 08:</strong> Oakland Athletics left fielder Mark Canha, #20 center fielder Starling Marte #2 and right fielder Chad Pinder #4 celebrate their 5-1 MLB win against the Chicago White Sox at the Coliseum in Oakland. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) <strong>SEPTEMBER 21:</strong> Junru Wang rehearses for “Dear San Francisco” at Club Fugazi in San Francisco. It is the first show at the famed North Beach club since Dec. 31, 2019, when the curtain came down on “Beach Blanket Babylon.” (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
OCTOBER
<strong>OCTOBER 8:</strong> Natalie Chavez, center, keeps an eye on Christian LaPalgia as he sings to her during a music therapy session at a Life Services Alternatives home in San Jose. The Campbell-based nonprofit houses 70 disabled people with varying levels of assistance needs. (Nha V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) <strong>OCTOBER 14:</strong> San Francisco Giants Wilmer Flores is left howling at home plate as umpire Doug Eddings calls him out and Los Angeles Dodgers Will Smith begins to celebrate a Game 5, 2-1 Dodger victory in the National League Divisional Series at Oracle Park. The game and series ended on Flores’ controversial check swing. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) <strong>OCTOBER 16:</strong> Judy Chicago’s pyrotechnic art exhibit, “Forever de Young,” is ignited outside the de Young Museum in San Francisco, filling the skies over Golden Gate Park with rainbow-colored smoke. It was the famed artist’s latest in a series of “Atmosphere” exhibits and coincides with her retrospective hanging in the museum until Jan. 9, 2022. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) <strong>OCTOBER 21:</strong> Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) warm-ups before their home opener against the Los Angeles Clippers at Chase Center in San Francisco. The season has gone well for the Warriors as they have one of the best records in the league. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) <strong>OCTOBER 22:</strong> Visitors ride the Wave Swinger on the first day of the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton. The fair returned after missing 2020 because of the pandemic. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group) <strong>OCTOBER 26:</strong> Brenda Deckman, 45, from Shasta County holds a flower at the Homeless Garden Project store in Santa Cruz. The project hires 17 homeless people each year and that helps turn around their lives. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) <strong>OCTOBER 28:</strong> Theresa Parker, left, hugs Brian Boyle in the Parker family’s backyard in El Sobrante. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Contra Costa County assists the Parkers with food distribution. The agency is a safety net for people struggling with hunger, homelessness, unemployment, and lack of health care. (Dylan Bouscher/Bay Area News Group) <strong>OCTOBER 28: </strong>San Jose Sharks’ Brent Burns (88) reaches for the puck against the Montreal Canadiens in the third period at the SAP Center in San Jose. The Sharks have had a decent season so far but a COVID-19 outbreak has upended the sport. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
NOVEMBER
<strong>NOV. 1:</strong> White pelicans fly over Lake Merritt as a light rain falls in Oakland. California hoped for a wet fall and winter to help end a drought. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) <strong>NOVEMBER 2:</strong> Samuel McFarland a former client at Options Recovery Services is seen alongside artwork created by students in his Recovery through the Arts program in San Leandro. Options Recovery Services helps those with addiction problems. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) <strong>NOV. 5:</strong> San Ramon Valley High’s Jordan Lewis (10) and the football team celebrate their 30-23 win against Monte Vista High in Danville. High school football returned with a more normal schedule but there were times COVID-19 outbreaks led to forfeits and cancellations. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group) <strong>NOVEMBER 7:</strong> San Jose Quakes’ Chris Wondolowski (8) is tossed in the air by his teammates after announcing his retirement at PayPal Park in San Jose. Wondolowski holds several records including the all-time MLS scoring record of 171 career regular-season goals. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) <strong>NOVEMBER 7:</strong> San Francisco 49ers’ Tavon Wilson (32) breaks up a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals’ Darrell Daniels (81) in the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. The 49ers had an up and down season. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) <strong>NOVEMBER 21:</strong> Circus performers do tricks on the rope at the Zoppé Italian Family Circus’ one-ring tent in downtown Redwood City. Traveling shows were more abundant as COVID restrictions were lifted in the fall despite a rising number of cases. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) NOVEMBER 28: Warren Upton, of San Jose, turned 102 in October and still remembers what happened at Pearl Harbor on the 80th anniversary of the attack. He was aboard the USS Utah and was getting ready for the day when the ship was hit by a torpedo on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
DECEMBER
<strong>DECEMBER 3:</strong> People walk in the labyrinth at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) <strong>DECEMBER 10:</strong> Cathedral Catholic quarterback Charlie Mirer (12) slides into the end zone as he celebrates with the team after defeating Folsom during their CIF division 1-AA football state championship game at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. Cathedral Catholic defeated Folsom 33-21. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) <strong>DECEMBER 22:</strong> Members of the Oakland Police Department’s 186th Basic Recruit Academy attend a graduation ceremony at the Scottish Rite Center in Oakland. Twenty-Five new Oakland Police Officers were sworn-in at the ceremony as the city deals with a rise in crime. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group) <strong>DECEMBER 22:</strong> Marisol Escalera, a volunteer for Farmworker Caravan from San Jose, gives clothes and toiletries to Ellie Aguilar and Nicole Martinez,7, at a Brussels sprout farm in Half Moon Bay. Volunteers for the Farmworker Caravan made 2,400 tamales for farmworkers in Half Moon Bay for the holiday season. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) <strong>DECEMBER 24:</strong> A snowboarder walks through a winter wonderland at Palisades Tahoe in Olympic Valley. A series of storms brought needed water to reservoirs and powder to fill the mountain snowpacks. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
