The year 2020 began with fire-fuelled orange skies over Australia and parts of New Zealand, before nations prepared for COVID-19 to hit their shores. What ensued was crisis: a pandemic, political upheaval, an international human rights movement, global recession and localised emergencies dwarfed by a world spinning on an axis of turmoil. These fifty essays from leading thinkers and contributors to The Conversation examine what will be one of the most significant and punishing years in the 21st century. 2020: The Year That Changed Us explores the key lessons from this remarkable year and kickstarts the discussion about what comes next.