2019
November
- The bubonic plague is reported in sporadic cases in the province of Inner Mongolia.
December (Point-of-Divergence)
- December 19: The earliest first known case of SARS-CoV-2 is reported in Wuhan. Symptoms are reported as flu-like or pneumonia-like.
- Between December 19-31: The Chinese government announces that a new pneumonia-like disease is spreading in Wuhan. It is linked to the Wuhan wholesale wet market that serves fresh meat and exotic animals. The Chinese Communist Party announces the closure of the wet market and enacts a lockdown throughout Wuhan. All New Year's Eve celebrations are cancelled.
- December 23: The U.S. Consulate in Wuhan is evacuated. Other foreign consulates follow suit.
- December 24: On Christmas Eve, a large contact tracing effort is enacted throughout Wuhan. Those that had a history of being in the wet market or being in contact with said individuals are placed in quarantine.
- December 26: China announces that WHO teams would be invited to investigate the outbreak in Wuhan.
2020
January
- January 2: WHO teams arrive in Wuhan and begin working with their Chinese counterparts.
- January 3: Iranian general Qasem Soleimani is assassinated in a U.S.-led airstrike in Baghdad International Airport, Iraq. Tensions boil with the United States and Iran.
- January 6: China releases the genetic makeup of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The virus is also known as the novel coronavirus of 2019 (NCOV-19) or coronavirus infectious disease of 2019 (COVID-19). Research on the vaccine begins by multiple pharmaceutical companies.
- January 7: Multiple countries issue temporary travel bans to and from China.
- January 10: The WHO delegate to China completes their investigation, stating the SARS-CoV-2 virus was indeed a cross-specie infection. Blame is placed on bats and civet cats that were sold in the wet market.
- January 12: Taal Volcano in the Philippines erupts, causing ash fall throughout much of Luzon. Several flights and classes are disrupted while nearby provinces are evacuated.
- January 19: Sinulog 2020 is held in Cebu City, Philippines. Over 2.3 million visitors are counted.
- January 26: Kobe Bryant, his 13-year old daughter Gianna, and nine others nearly perish in a helicopter accident over Los Angeles, California. Thanks to the quick thinking skills of the pilot, they were able to land safely with no injuries.
- January 30: China declares that the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 has been more or less controlled after a month of heavy lockdowns.
February
- February 3: American alternative rock band LANY performs at the Plus 63 Music & Arts Festival held beside SM Seaside, Cebu City, Philippines.
- February 14: Wuhan slowly reopens to allow citizens to go back to work. Social distancing and marks are still in effect.
March
April
May
June
July
- July 24: The opening of the 2020 Summer Olympics takes place in Tokyo, Japan.
August
September
October
November
- November 3: The 2020 United States Presidential Election occurs. Donald Trump is reelected president after defeating Joe Biden.
December
2021
January
- January 20: Donald Trump is re-inaugurated.