2021 Baltimore Sun Pictures of the Year | PHOTOS

The sun and moon rise together over downtown Baltimore in partial eclipse on Thursday, June 10. — Sunrise eclipse

Charlie Bond, senior development director of Beatty Development stands in the second level railroad control room which has been dismantled at Baltimore's Pennsylvania Station. — Baltimore's Penn Station sees future development

After one and a half hours, Naval Academy Midshipmen 2nd class were still struggling to get halfway up the Herndon Monument to replaced the plebe Dixie cup with the upperclassman's hat. The Class of 2023 are tackling the Herndon Monument Climb on August 22 because their traditional climb at the end of the first year was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. The 21-foot monument is slathered with vegetable grease at the start of the climb. — Herndon Monument Climb

The Johnny Unitas statue outside the M&T Bank Stadium Mass Vaccination Site sports a face mask. This is the first day walk-up appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine are available. People can stand in line for the 200 walk-up appointments available every day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. except when the Orioles have a day game. — First Day of Walk-Up Vaccines at M&T Stadium

Ryeheem Watson, 13, an eighth-grade student at New Song Academy works on a science lesson. About two dozen students have returned to New Song Academy, where they continue online learning with assistance from the staff of the school's Community Learning Center. New Song Academy has an enrollment of about 177 students from Pre-K to Grade 8. — Back to school after one-year shut down

Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson stands behind plexiglass at the dais in the Senate Chamber at the Maryland State House. Because of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, 47 senators and state workers will work behind protective barriers during the 442nd session of Maryland General Assembly which opens January 13. — COVID-19 Modifications for the Maryland General Assembly

Rachael Cannaday gives Joseph Murphy, 6, his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as his mom, Monica McGrath holds onto him. Children ages 5 to 11 receive their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at the White Marsh Mall on Friday, November 5. — COVID-19 vaccines for children 5-11

The Mervo Mustangs take the field at a memorial for Elijah Gorham at Mervo High School on Saturday, October 23. Gorham, a senior, died in October after suffering a serious injury in a football game in September. — Elijah Gorham’s memorial service

Rob Kleinendorst, the new Artistic Director of the Anne Arundel Community College Dance Company, center, works with the dancers during a rehearsal. Kleinendorst, 48, danced for 21 years with the Paul Taylor Dance Company. — Rob Kleinendorst, new Artistic Director of AACCDC

Six year old Rogue Turnbull of Columbia greets Mermaid Kira at the Howard County Pride Festival at Symphony Woods on October 9. — Howard County Pride Festival

Phillip Brown, whose drag name is Bambi Ferrah, prepares for The Manor Drag Brunch where he broke his wrist in June during a performance. As a result of the injury, Brown has limited use of his wrist and will have to have surgery to repair the break. He was back performing after 10 weeks, but is not able to use his left hand to apply makeup or putting on his wig. — Drag Queen Injuries

Naomi Stadler, 11, of Baltimore, picks Autumn Gold apples at Larriland Farm in Woodbine with her family. Wednesday, September 22, is the first day of fall, but apple season is already underway. — Apple picking

An Eastern screech owl naps, perfectly camouflaged in a cavity in a tree at Oregon Ridge Park in Baltimore County. — Eastern screech owl

Bamba Seck, 3 of Baltimore, takes a taste of the soap bubbles he's playing in at the Children’s Village at Freedom Day, the Juneteenth celebration in the Reservoir Hill neighborhood of Baltimore on June 19, 2021. — Juneteenth Celebration In Reservoir Hill

Lightning strikes near the Country Club of Maryland on Stevenson Lane in Towson Saturday afternoon. — Saturday thunderstorm

At Youths Benefit Elementary School (which honors those who perished in the World Trade Center attacks), Chase Barcikowski, 9 of Cub Scout Pack 801 removes the UPC stickers from a sea of flags during Fallston Boy Scout Pack 801's commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. — Fallston commemorates 9/11 anniversary

Stephanie Monje wipes away tears while listening to her son Samir tells how he felt when he left his home country of Honduras. The Monje family have been living with sponsors Roslyn and David Zinner for almost two years while seeking asylum in the U.S. — Seeking asylum

One of the members of the Anne Arundel County jury that decided that the man who killed five Capital Gazette employees was criminally responsible visits the Guardians of the First Amendment Memorial in Annapolis. The memorial honors the five with five columns in front of a tablet inscribed with the First Amendment. — Jurors in the Capital Gazette trial

From left, Dana Winters Rengers, sister of community reporter Wendi Winters, Summerleigh Geimer and her sister Montana Geimer, daughters of Wendi Winters, after the sentencing of the Capital Gazette shooter. — Capital Gazette Sentencing

Josh Johnson, 8, and his sister Riley Johnson, 3, escape the heat as they play in a pool outside their home in East Baltimore. — Staying Cool In The City

Chris Dias, of Hanover, Md., reflected in mirror on right, a tenor singer for the Baltimore Choral Arts Society since 2012, joins others for an in cars rehearsal with director Anthony Blake Clark, standing, and associate conductor Leo Wanenchek, seated, on Mar. 29, 2021 to prepare for the group's first outdoor concert in June. — Choral Arts in cars rehearsal

Workers from Gable install the uppercase S, final letter of the replacement Domino Sugars sign at the Tide Point plant Thursday morning. — Domino sign replacement

Kai Lewis, left, who lives in the pink rowhouse, background, comforts friend Katrina Moore who is a relative of the three victims of a fatal fire at 1535 N. Patterson Park Avenue on Nov. 22, 2021. The two and others gather at the scene for a prayer vigil to support the families affected. — Prayer vilgil after fatal fire

A Roseate Spoonbill feeds in the shallow water of the Paper Mill Flats area of Loch Raven Reservoir. Rare for Maryland, Spoonbills are tropical birds usually found in southern coastal areas of Florida, Louisiana and Texas. This year there have been sighting well outside their normal range including central Michigan and upstate New York. — Roseate Spoonbill

Dock Street remains flooded and many businesses closed on Saturday after yesterday’s rain and strong winds caused coastal flooding. — Flooding in Annapolis

International Transgender Day of Visibility

Chyna Monroe of Baltimore is wrapped in a rainbow flag beneath a canopy as rain pelts the area during Baltimore's participation in International Transgender Day of Visibility outside City Hall Wed., March 31, 2021. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)

Jeana Olinger sheds tears before accepting a proclamation from the Maryland General Assembly commemorating her husband's service during the 36th annual Fallen Heroes Day observance at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. Police Officer III Kyle David Olinger of the Montgomery County Police Department, died on April 18, 2019 from complications of a gunshot wound on August 13, 2003 during a traffic stop. — 36th Annual Fallen Heroes Day

President Joe Biden touts the infrastructure bill at the Dundalk Marine Terminal. — President Joe Biden visits Port of Baltimore

Navy host US Air Force gridiron on the 20th anniversary of 9/11

A huge banner is unfurled during halftime of the game between the Air Force Falcons and Navy Midshipmen, commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)

At Baltimore National Cemetery, Edward Schmedes, 84, of Bel Air, visits the grave of his father, 1SG Peter A. Schmedes with his great-granddaughter Grace Schmedes, 4, also of Bel Air, and other family members, on Memorial Day weekend. He recalled that his father served in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War, as well as in WWI. — Memorial Day

The Patterson Park Boat Lake is surrounded by snow Thursday after an overnight storm dropped several inches on the region. — Overnight snow

Evidence markers are placed near Burdick Hall and the addition to the student center on the Towson University campus on Saturday morning Three people were shot and injured during a gathering around 2 a.m. Saturday September 4. Officials said the shooting occurred in Freedom Square, an area popular with students, located under Lecture Hall. — Shooting at Towson University

Arianne Chapman, 3 rides piggyback on the shoulders of father Stephen Chapman of Overlea, at the 2021 Dundalk Heritage Fair Sun., July 4, 2021. — 2021 annual Dundalk Heritage Fair

Ayana Harris, of Baltimore, and daughter Sari Harris, 4, got caught in a heavy downpour after a lunch date in Fells Point on June 9, 2021 — Downpour

Olachi Tiffany Etoh, who was arrested in Chicago for kidnapping in 2014 and found not guilty by reason of insanity, has found balance among friends and family after returning to Baltimore to focus on herself Wed., July 14, 2021. — Olachi Tiffany Etoh

Alex Entrekin, dressed as Spider-Man, leaps into the air at the 2021 Baltimore Comic-Con held at the Baltimore Convention Center. — Baltimore Comic-Con

Austin Dodson (left) and Artie Hendricks with Landmark Roofing spread a tarp on a clients house in Londontowne a day after a tornado tore through the area. — Tornado cleanup

A passenger vehicle is damaged after being hit by a CSX freight train near W. Cold Spring Lane on August 12. — Train vs car

Sook Chung, a professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science - Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (UMCES-IMET), uses plastic tongs to pull one of the blue crabs she is raising out of the water to examine for her research on the species. Scientists Sook Chung, Tsvetan Bachvaroff and their team at UMCES-IMET have sequenced the genome of a blue crab for the first time. — Blue crab genome mapping

Ethan Sawyer, 11, of Prince George's County takes part in The iCan Bike Camp, developed by the nonprofit iCan Shine which is being held at Harford’s Churchville Recreation Center. Ethan is being helped by volunteers, Lauren Stambaugh and her sister, Megan Stambaugh (R) and they are from Fallston. Harford County’s summer camp for people with differing abilities, ages eight and older, to learn and experience the thrill of bike riding.This is the fourth year that the camp has been offered by Harford County’s Office of Disability Services and the Department of Parks & Recreation. — iCan Bike Camp

Christopher Chavez, 16, Pasadena, plays his violin after the first rehearsal of the Orion Youth Orchestra, a tuition-free orchestra for pre-college aged students, at Temple Beth Shalom. Chavez is a second violin. Started by Annapolis Symphony Academy, Orion Youth Orchestra is recruiting for all instruments. — Orion Youth Orchestra

Former Maryland Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller, who died following complications from cancer last week, is transported into the Maryland State House for a final viewing. — Mike Miller viewing at the State House

Dressed in their Easter best, ten-year old twin brothers Dominique, left, and Da'yonne Myers, holding their one-year old sister, J'Lynn Myers, pose for family pictures after church. The 1600 block of Appleton Street where they live is lined with cherry trees. — Easter finery on Appleton Street

Young Marines Place Flags On Graves

Daniel Westerlund, 10, a member of the Young Marines of Anne Arundel County, places an American flag on a grave at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens this morning. Members of Historic Elkridge and Anne Arundel County Young Marines placed 3500 American flags on graves in preparation for the Memorial Day observance. (Barbara Haddock Taylor)