Time warped in 2020. When everything about lockdown was novel, the days felt long. When every day became a version of the other, time accelerated. A consistent presence through it all, though, has been the memes. Looking back, online trends can help map how many weeks have passed and how we've spent our time passing them.
Throughout everything that's happened in 2020, from the global pandemic to the political turmoil, memes have ranged from wholesome to surreal, covering timely obsessions like Netflix's "Tiger King" and seemingly coming out of nowhere like the "everything is cake" memes of July. Of course, they've also reflected major news ranging from the USPS funding crisis to the California wildfires. One of the most online years ever — particularly for those who have been working, studying, and socializing from home — created one wild meme cycle.
Compiled by Insider's digital culture team, this is a chronology of the best memes of 2020.