The first week of 2021 was one of the darkest periods the US has seen since the Civil War

<p><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5ff8dadfd184b30018aade4e-2400/2021-01-06T233036Z_1_LYNXMPEH051NU_RTROPTP_4_USA-ELECTION-TRUMP (1).JPG" border="0" alt="Capitol Hill dystopian" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Leah Millis" data-mce-caption="An explosion caused by a police munition is seen while supporters of President Donald Trump gather in front of the US Capitol Building in Washington DC on January 6, 2021."></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>The US is in shock after one of the most tumultuous weeks in its history. Just seven days in, 2021 is already rivaling 2020 in terms of sheer chaos.</p><p>What's transpired since the calendar changed could fill an entire chapter in the history books and studies of democratic systems.</p><p>America's democracy is limping forward in the final days of the Trump era, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the country and the US struggles with its vaccine rollout.</p><p>Here's a quick recap of the biggest events and developments in the US in 2021's first week:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Congress delivered <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/senate-gives-trump-first-veto-override-defense-spending-bill-2021-1">the first successful veto override of President Donald Trump's presidency</a> on the National Defense Authorization Act, a $741 billion defense bill that the president vetoed largely for reasons unrelated to national defense.&nbsp;</li><li>Trump called Georgia's secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-georgia-brad-raffensperger-election-influencing-transcript-republicans-2021-01">pressured him to "find" 11,780 votes</a> in order to overturn the election. The call, which was recorded and leaked, was a stunningly anti-democratic move from a sitting US president.&nbsp;</li><li>Democratic candidates Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff made history by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/georgia-senate-runoffs-loeffler-warnock-ossoff-perdue-live-results-2021-1">defeating incumbent GOP Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue</a> in the Georgia Senate runoff, giving Democrats a majority in the Senate for the first time in six years. Warnock is the first Black Democrat to be elected in former Confederate state, and will be the first Black senator from Georgia. Ossoff will be the first Jewish senator from Georgia and at 33 will be the youngest sitting senator.</li><li>Trump <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-provoked-attempted-coup-capitol-sat-back-and-tweeted-2021-1">provoked an attempted coup</a> at the US Capitol. A pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol building, destroying property and assaulting police officers along the way. The chaos delayed, but did not ultimately prevent, the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory. Five people died, including a police officer. The country and much of the wider world looked on in horror.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>The president's incitement of a violent insurrection prompted calls from congressional Democrats and two Republicans for Trump to be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chuck-schumer-demands-trump-be-removed-with-25th-amendment-2021-1">removed via the 25th Amendment or impeachment,</a> despite the fact he has less than two weeks left as president.&nbsp;</li><li>The US recorded <a href="https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-deaths-4000-c06a6dee-42e6-46a5-8bbf-789164c8a8dd.html">more than 4,000 COVID-19 deaths</a> on Thursday, the highest number of single-day fatalities the country has recorded since the pandemic began.&nbsp;</li><li>After the violent insurrection he provoked at the Capitol, Trump on Thursday <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-trump-condemns-siege-promises-smooth-transition-of-power-2021-1">acknowledged for the first time that there will be a new administration</a>, but stopped short of congratulating Biden or explicitly admitting defeat.</li><li>Trump on Friday announced he would not attend Biden's inauguration on January 20. He'll be the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-announces-he-will-not-attend-bidens-inauguration-2021-1">first outgoing president since 1869</a> to skip the inauguration of their successor.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/first-week-2021-darkest-7-day-periods-us-history-2021-1#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-myths-debunked-wuhan-china-2020-2">Epidemiologists debunk 13 coronavirus myths</a></p>
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