In 2021, the world confronted the second year of a global pandemic that continued its deadly toll despite the arrival of vaccines, the U.S. Capitol insurrection and the unmistakable realities of climate change. ABC News’ photo editors selected some of the most dramatic images from an unforgettable year.

A U.S. Border Patrol agent on horseback tries to stop a Haitian migrant from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande near the Acuna Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 19, 2021.
Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Images