But on Tuesday, Americans will elect Trump or Harris as the next president, even though it seemed unlikely before. The final chapter of one of the most surprising, unpredictable and important epics in political history. For once, the word “unprecedented” was not overused.

“If someone had told you in advance what was going to happen in this election and you tried to sell it as a book, no one would believe it,” said Neil Newhouse, a Republican pollster with more than four decades of experience. “It galvanized the country and polarized the country. “And all we can hope for is that we come out of this better in the end.”

History has been made and will be written. The United States has never elected a president convicted of a crime. Trump survived not one but two assassination attempts. Biden dropped out in the middle of the election year, and Harris could become the first female president. In the world’s most powerful country, the fundamental principles of democracy will be tested as never since the Civil War.

And that’s not to mention the backdrop of simultaneous conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, hacking of foreign governments, an increasingly normalized blizzard of misinformation, and the close involvement of the world’s richest man, Elon Musk.

For now, the only thing the country can agree on is that no one knows how the story will end.

Republicans could be done with Trump after January 6, 2021.

This was the day he fired up his supporters with false claims of voter fraud, led them to march on the U.S. Capitol as Congress ceremoniously certified Biden’s election victory, and then stood by as the insurrection threatened lawmakers and his own vice president.

But there aren’t enough Republicans He joined with Democrats to convict Trump in his impeachment trial, paving the way for him to run again.

Trump has begun planning a comeback even as some leaders in his party hope he will be eclipsed by Florida governor Ron DeSantis or former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, who serves as Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations.

Trump faced four criminal charges in the year after announcing he would run against Biden. Two of the indictments were linked to attempts to overturn his election defeat. Another was his refusal to return classified documents to the federal government after leaving office. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges, and none of these cases have been resolved.

But a fourth indictment in New York led to Trump becoming the first president in US history to be criminally convicted. A jury found him guilty on May 30 of falsifying business records over secret payments of money to a porn star who claimed to have an affair.

None of this has slowed Trump, who virtually ignored his rivals during the primary as he moved toward the Republican presidential nomination. A mug shot from one of his arrests was adopted by his followers as a symbol of resisting the corrupt system.

Trump’s candidacy tapped into anger over inflation and frustration over immigrants crossing the southern border. He also noted that Biden is too old for the job, even though he is only four years younger than the president.

But Democrats also think it would be better for Biden, 81, to consider retirement rather than a second term. So as Biden floundered in a presidential debate on June 27—losing his thoughts, appearing confused, stammering answers—he faced mounting pressure within the party to drop out of the race.

While Biden was facing a political crisis, Trump went to an outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. A young man ran away from police, climbed to the top of a nearby building and fired several shots from a semi-automatic rifle.

Trump grabbed his ear and fell onto the stage. As Secret Service agents gathered around him, he stood up with a streak of blood on his face, pumped his fist in the air and shouted “fight, fight, fight!” he shouted. An American flag was waving above us.

It became an instantly iconic moment. Trump’s path to the White House seemed clearer than ever, perhaps even inevitable.

The vice president was getting ready to do a puzzle with his nephews when Biden called on the morning of July 21. He had decided to end his re-election bid and support Harris instead.

He spent the rest of the day making dozens of phone calls to establish a support line, and within two days he had enough to secure the nomination.

It was a surprising reversal of fate. Harris lost her temper while running for president four years ago and left the race before the first Democratic primary. Biden revived her political career by choosing her as his running mate, and she became the first woman, Black person and person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president.

But Harris’ struggles didn’t end there. He sidestepped questions about immigration, oversaw widespread turnover in his office, and faded into the background rather than using his historic status as a platform.

All of this came to an end on June 24, 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. This began to change after the Wade decision annulled the nationwide right to abortion that was protected. Harris has become the White House’s chief advocate on an issue that is reshaping American politics.

It also proved to be more agile than before. Her team staged a sudden dash to Nashville shortly after returning from a week-long trip to Africa so Harris could show support for two Tennessee lawmakers who were expelled for protesting gun control.

Meanwhile, Harris was networking with local politicians, business leaders and cultural figures to gain insight and make connections. When Biden left, he was in a better position to seize the moment than many thought.

The day after her nomination, Harris flew to Wilmington, Delaware, to visit her campaign headquarters. Staff had spent the morning printing out “Kamala” and “Harris for President” signs to tape next to old “Biden-Harris” posters.

There are 106 days left until the end of the election.

While speaking to campaign staff in Wilmington, Harris used a phrase that has become a mantra chanted by supporters at rallies across the country. “We won’t go back,” he declared.

It’s a fitting counterpoint to the “Make America great again” slogan Trump has used since launching his first campaign more than eight years ago.

The two candidates have almost nothing in common; This was revealed when Harris and Trump first met on September 10 for their only televised debate.

Harris has promised to restore abortion rights and take advantage of tax cuts to support small businesses and families. He said he would “be the president of all Americans.”

Trump took credit for nominating the justices who helped overturn Roe, promised to protect the U.S. economy with tariffs, and made false claims that immigrants were eating people’s pets. He called Harris “the worst vice president in the history of our country.”

Harris was widely seen as having the upper hand. Trump insisted he won but ruled out a second debate. The race remained fairly close.

Experts and pollsters have spent recent weeks trying to determine whether there has been any change in the candidates’ chances. Microscopic changes in public opinion can affect the outcome of the election. It could take days to count enough votes to determine who will win.

The outcome, once clear, could be just another surprise in a campaign full of them.