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Rio Carnival -

The Rio Carnival has been postponed for the first time in 100 years. Brazil has been heavily hit by COVID-19 and Rio's League of Samba Schools decided that it was not safe to go forward with the event. 

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Rio Carnival -

Approximately two million people party in the streets of Rio de Janeiro during Carnival, and watch the parades of about 200 samba schools and 300 Carnival groups. The parade on its own, attracts around 90,000 spectators. There is still no date for the 2021 event.

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Oktoberfest, 1854 and 1873 -

The would-be upcoming edition of Oktoberfest is not the first time the event's been canceled. In both 1854 and 1873, Bavaria was hit by a cholera epidemic that raged through the state, leaving thousands of victims in its wake.

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Oktoberfest, 1854 and 1873 -

Unsurprisingly, the infamous beer festival was canceled in those years. Since its inception in 1810, the event has actually been canceled 24 times.

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Tokyo 2020 Olympics -

Also due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was confirmed by Japan's prime minister that the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo will be postponed and likely held in 2021.

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The Olympic Games, 1916 -

The outbreak of WWI led to the cancellation of the 1916 Olympics, which were originally scheduled to be held in Berlin.

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The Olympic Games, 1916 -

Berlin went on to host the Olympic Games in 1936. These were to be the last round of the Games before the outbreak of WWII in 1939.

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The Olympic Games, 1940 -

In 1938, Japan forfeited the 1940 Olympic Games, which were supposed to be held in Tokyo, due to the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Games were rescheduled to be held in Helsinki from July 20 to August 4.

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The Olympic Games, 1940 -

The 1940 Games were ultimately canceled due to the outbreak of WWII, but they did eventually come to Helsinki in 1952.

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FIFA World Cup, 1942 -

Much to the consternation of fans worldwide, the FIFA World Cup did not take place in 1942 due to the outbreak of WWII.

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FIFA World Cup, 1942 -

However, there was a match played between Germany and Sweden on September 30 of that year, which has been termed the "Unofficial World Cup Final." The Swedes won the match.

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The Olympic Games, 1944 -

Although the IOC held many events in 1944 to celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Games themselves were canceled that year because of the war.

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The Olympic Games, 1944 -

They had been scheduled to be held in London, which went on to host the Games in 1948 because of the cancellation.

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D-Day, 1944 -

Meticulous planning went into the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944, for which clear skies, calm seas, and low tides were required.

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D-Day, 1944 -

The invasion was initially planned for June 5, but on June 4 General Eisenhower made the difficult decision to postpone it by a day due to weather conditions.

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FIFA World Cup, 1946 -

When WWII ended in 1945, it was decided that the 1946 World Cup should be canceled because one year was not enough time to prepare.

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FIFA World Cup, 1946 -

The tournament was rescheduled to be held in Brazil in 1949, and then rescheduled again when it was decided the 'every four years' tradition should stay.

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40th Academy Awards, 1968 -

The 40th Academy Awards were originally scheduled for April 8, 1968, but were postponed by two days following the death of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4.

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40th Academy Awards, 1968 -

When the ceremony was eventually held on April 10, it was hosted by Bob Hope and, thanks to a push by the Academy president, was attended by 18 out of 20 acting nominees.

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53rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, 2001 -

The 53rd Emmy Awards were first pushed back from September 23 to October 7, 2001. When the US began to bomb Afghanistan on that day, the ceremony was postponed again.

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53rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, 2001 -

The event was eventually held on November 4 and was relocated from the Shrine Auditorium to the smaller Hubert Theatre.

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NHL Season 2004-5 -

The 88th season of the National Hockey League was canceled by Commissioner Gary Bateman because of an unresolved labor dispute.

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NHL Season 2004-5 -

This was the first time the Stanley Cup was not awarded since 1919, when the Spanish influenza led to the cancellation of the tournament's finals.

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The Dakar Rally, 2008 -

For the first time in its 30-year history, the Dakar Rally was canceled due to a security threat to its French location by Al-Qaeda.

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The Dakar Rally, 2008 -

The rally was eventually held, but not until 2009 and in South America rather than Europe and Africa.

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New York Marathon, 2012 -

On October 29, 2012, New York was hit by Storm Sandy, the category 1 hurricane that ripped through the United States causing havoc and devastation.

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New York Marathon, 2012 -

As a result, the New York City Marathon, originally scheduled for November 4, was canceled. It was thought inappropriate to hold the event in the hurricane's wake.

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Iron Man Triathlon, 2014 -

The Iron Man Triathlon event that was scheduled for September 2014 in Lake Tahoe had to be canceled due to a nearby forest fire.

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Iron Man Triathlon, 2014 -

The forest had been battling a drought for months and as the event drew nearer, it became clear it had to be canceled for safety reasons.

See also: Historical events that nobody can explain.

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