View source for 21st century

{{Short description|One hundred years, from 2001 to 2100}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Centurybox|21}}

The '''21st century''' is the current [[century]] in the ''[[Anno Domini]]'' or [[Common Era]], in accordance with the [[Gregorian calendar]]. It began on [[1 January]] <!-- DO NOT CHANGE THE FOLLOWING FROM 2001 -->[[2001]]<!-- DO NOT CHANGE THE PRECEDING FROM 2001 -->, and will end on [[31 December]] <!-- DO NOT CHANGE THE FOLLOWING FROM 2100 -->[[2100]]<!-- DO NOT CHANGE THE PRECEDING FROM 2100 -->. It is the first century of the [[3rd millennium]].

The rise of a [[World economy|global economy]] and [[Third World]] [[consumerism]] marked the beginning of the century, along with increased [[private enterprise]] and deepening concern over [[terrorism]] after the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Majority of Americans distrust the government |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-americans-government-poll-idUSTRE63I0FB20100419 |newspaper=Reuters |date=19 April 2010 |access-date=1 June 2015 |archive-date=24 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151224195447/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-americans-government-poll-idUSTRE63I0FB20100419 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Rational Extremism: Understanding Terrorism in the Twenty-first Century according to Kathii Erick Gitonga |first=David A. |last=Lake |url=https://quote.ucsd.edu/lake/files/2014/06/Rational-Extremism.pdf |website=quote.ucsd.edu |access-date=1 June 2015 |archive-date=9 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809063333/https://quote.ucsd.edu/lake/files/2014/06/Rational-Extremism.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web |title=Working with Private Industry {{!}} Research Pages {{!}} The Stimson Center {{!}} Pragmatic Steps for Global Security |url=http://www.stimson.org/research-pages/working-with-private-industry/ |website=www.stimson.org |access-date=1 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203085826/http://www.stimson.org/research-pages/working-with-private-industry/ |archive-date=3 February 2016}}</ref> The [[NATO]] [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|intervention in Afghanistan]] and the [[United States]]-led coalition intervention in [[Iraq War|Iraq]] in the early 2000s, as well as the overthrow of several regimes during the [[Arab Spring]] in the early 2010s, led to mixed outcomes in the [[Arab world]], resulting in several [[civil wars]] and political instability.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Arab Spring yields different outcomes in Bahrain, Egypt and Libya |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/arab-spring-yields-different-outcomes-in-bahrain-egypt-and-libya/2011/12/15/gIQAY6h57O_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=20 December 2011 |access-date=19 March 2020 |issn=0190-8286 |first=Marc |last=Fisher |archive-date=26 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026022134/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/arab-spring-yields-different-outcomes-in-bahrain-egypt-and-libya/2011/12/15/gIQAY6h57O_story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The early 2020s saw an increase in wars across the world, as seen with conflicts such as the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]] and the [[Gaza war]].<ref name="Twenties War A">{{Cite news |last=Taylor |first=Adam |date=29 June 2023 |title=A historic rise in global conflict deaths suggests a violent new era |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/06/29/conflict-war-deaths-global-peace-rise-casualty/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913034345/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/06/29/conflict-war-deaths-global-peace-rise-casualty/ |archive-date=13 September 2024 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref name="Twenties War B">{{Cite web |last=Keating |first=Joshua |date=25 January 2024 |title=It's not your imagination. There has been more war lately. Why the "long peace" may be ending. |url=https://www.vox.com/world-politics/2024/1/25/24049551/war-increasing-ukraine-gaza-sudan-ethiopia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913034503/https://www.vox.com/world-politics/2024/1/25/24049551/war-increasing-ukraine-gaza-sudan-ethiopia |archive-date=13 September 2024 |website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref> Meanwhile, the [[war on drugs]] continues, with the focus primarily on [[Mexican drug war|Mexico]] and the rest of [[Latin America]].<ref>{{cite web |last= |first= |title=Lost cause |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/06/14/war-on-drugs-50-years-latin-america-violence-mexico-colombia/ |date=14 June 2021 |website=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hernández |first=Isabela De los Rios |title=Knowledge, Soil, Politics, and Poverty: How Drug Trafficking Has Kept Its Hold on Latin America |url=https://hir.harvard.edu/knowledge-soil-politics-and-poverty-how-drug-trafficking-has-kept-its-hold-on-latin-america/ |date=26 June 2024 |website=[[Harvard International Review]]}}</ref> The [[United States]] has remained the [[American imperialism|sole]] [[Superpower|global superpower]], while [[China]] is now considered to be an [[Potential superpower|emerging superpower]].

In 2022, 45% of the world's population lived in "some form of democracy", although only 8% lived in "full democracies".<ref>{{cite web |last= |first= |title=Democracy Index 2022 |url=https://www.eiu.com/n/campaigns/democracy-index-2022 |access-date= |website=[[Economist Intelligence Unit]]}}</ref> The [[United Nations]] estimates that by 2050, two-thirds of the world's population will be [[urbanization|urbanized]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=68% of the world population projected to live in urban areas by 2050, says UN {{!}} UN DESA {{!}} United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs |url=https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/population/2018-revision-of-world-urbanization-prospects.html |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=www.un.org}}</ref>

The [[world economy]] expanded at high rates from $42 trillion in 2000 to $101 trillion in 2022, and though many economies rose at greater levels, some gradually contracted.{{Efn|See, for instance, the [[Lost Decades]] in Japan.}} Effects of [[global warming]] and [[rising sea level]]s exacerbated the [[ecological crises]], with eight islands disappearing between 2007 and 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2146594-eight-low-lying-pacific-islands-swallowed-whole-by-rising-seas/ |title=Eight low-lying Pacific islands swallowed whole by rising seas |first=Alice |last=Klein |website=New Scientist |access-date=22 September 2019 |archive-date=25 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225031535/https://www.newscientist.com/article/2146594-eight-low-lying-pacific-islands-swallowed-whole-by-rising-seas/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 15, 2014 |title=Township in Solomon Islands Is 1st in Pacific to Relocate Due to Climate Change |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/township-in-solomon-islands-is-1st-in-pacific-to-relocate-due-to-climate-change/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111193413/http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/township-in-solomon-islands-is-1st-in-pacific-to-relocate-due-to-climate-change/ |archive-date=11 November 2020 |access-date=22 September 2019 |website=Scientific American}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/ |title=Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment |website=Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment |access-date=24 February 2021 |archive-date=11 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511213226/http://environment.gov.au/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

In late 2019, the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] began to rapidly spread worldwide, causing more than seven million reported deaths,<ref name="COVID Death Toll">{{Cite web |date=21 January 2024 |title=WHO COVID-19 Dashboard |url=https://data.who.int/dashboards/covid19/deaths?n=c |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240206183245/https://data.who.int/dashboards/covid19/deaths?n=c |archive-date=6 February 2024 |access-date=6 February 2024 |website=WHO}}</ref> and around 18.2 to 33.5 million estimated deaths,<ref name="COVID True Death Toll">{{Cite news |date=25 October 2022 |title=The Pandemic's True Death Toll |url=https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/coronavirus-excess-deaths-estimates |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240208015904/https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/coronavirus-excess-deaths-estimates |archive-date=8 February 2024 |access-date=26 July 2023 |newspaper=The Economist}}</ref> while at the same time, causing [[Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic|severe global economic disruption]], including the [[COVID-19 recession|largest global recession]] since the [[Great Depression]] in the 1930s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gopinath |first=Gita |date=14 April 2020 |title=The Great Lockdown: Worst Economic Downturn Since the Great Depression |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2020/04/14/blog-weo-the-great-lockdown-worst-economic-downturn-since-the-great-depression |website=[[International Monetary Fund]]}}</ref> The pandemic defined 2020 and 2021, and remained a global health crisis until May 2023.

Due to the sudden proliferation of internet-accessible [[mobile devices]], such as [[smartphone]]s becoming ubiquitous worldwide beginning in the early 2010s, more than two-thirds of the world's population obtained access to the [[Internet]] by 2023.<ref name="Internet Use">{{Cite web |title=Global offline population steadily declines to 2.6 billion people in 2023 |url=https://www.itu.int/itu-d/reports/statistics/2023/10/10/ff23-internet-use/ |website=[[International Telecommunication Union]]}}</ref> After the success of the [[Human Genome Project]], [[DNA sequencing]] services became available and affordable.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gent |first=Edd |date=2020-03-08 |title=$100 Genome Sequencing Will Yield a Treasure Trove of Genetic Data |url=https://singularityhub.com/2020/03/08/100-genome-sequencing-will-yield-a-treasure-trove-of-genetic-data-and-maybe-a-dystopian-nightmare/ |access-date=2020-08-25 |website=Singularity Hub |language=en-US |archive-date=18 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118194733/https://singularityhub.com/2020/03/08/100-genome-sequencing-will-yield-a-treasure-trove-of-genetic-data-and-maybe-a-dystopian-nightmare/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/story/whole-genome-sequencing-cost-200-dollars/ |title=Now You Can Sequence Your Whole Genome for Just $200 |first=Megan |last=Molteni |magazine=Wired |date=19 November 2018 |via=www.wired.com |access-date=28 May 2019 |archive-date=8 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108132943/https://www.wired.com/story/whole-genome-sequencing-cost-200-dollars/ |url-status=live}}</ref> There were [[AI boom|significant improvements in the complexity of artificial intelligence]], with American companies, universities, and research labs pioneering advances in the field.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Frank |first=Michael |date=September 22, 2023 |title=US Leadership in Artificial Intelligence Can Shape the 21st Century Global Order |url=https://thediplomat.com/2023/09/us-leadership-in-artificial-intelligence-can-shape-the-21st-century-global-order/ |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=[[The Diplomat (magazine)|The Diplomat]] |language=en-US |quote=Instead, the United States has developed a new area of dominance that the rest of the world views with a mixture of awe, envy, and resentment: artificial intelligence... From AI models and research to cloud computing and venture capital, U.S. companies, universities, and research labs – and their affiliates in allied countries – appear to have an enormous lead in both developing cutting-edge AI and commercializing it. The value of U.S. venture capital investments in AI start-ups exceeds that of the rest of the world combined. |archive-date=8 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208132421/https://thediplomat.com/2023/09/us-leadership-in-artificial-intelligence-can-shape-the-21st-century-global-order/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":03">{{Cite web |date=January 19, 2023 |title=What is generative AI? |url=https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-generative-ai |access-date=2024-03-18 |website=[[McKinsey & Company]] |language=en-US |archive-date=23 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423114030/https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-generative-ai |url-status=live}}</ref> Research into outer space greatly accelerated in the 2020s, with the [[United States]] mainly dominating [[space exploration]], including the [[James Webb Space Telescope]], [[Ingenuity (helicopter)|''Ingenuity'' helicopter]], [[Lunar Gateway]], and [[Artemis program|''Artemis'' program]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Signé |first1=Landry Signe |last2=Dooley |first2=Hanna |date=March 28, 2023 |title=How space exploration is fueling the Fourth Industrial Revolution |url=https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-space-exploration-is-fueling-the-fourth-industrial-revolution/ |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=Brookings |language=en-US |archive-date=25 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525153745/https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-space-exploration-is-fueling-the-fourth-industrial-revolution/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Chandrayaan-3 Details |url=https://www.isro.gov.in/Chandrayaan3_Details.html |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=www.isro.gov.in |archive-date=23 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823165138/https://www.isro.gov.in/Chandrayaan3_Details.html |url-status=live}}</ref>{{TOC limit|3}}

==Pronunciation==

There is a lack of general agreement over how to pronounce specific years of the 21st century in English. Academics have pointed out that the early years of previous centuries were commonly pronounced as, for example, "eighteen oh five" (for 1805) and "nineteen oh five" (for 1905).<ref name="preferMC">{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article376957.ece |title=Login |access-date=21 February 2007 |archive-date=10 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210233248/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> Generally, the [[2000s|early years of the 21st century]] were pronounced as in "two-thousand (and) five," with a change taking place around 2010, when pronunciations often shifted between the early-years form of "two-thousand and ten" and the traditionally more concise form of "twenty-ten."

The [[2010 Winter Olympics|Vancouver Olympics]], which took place in 2010, was being officially referred to by ''Vancouver 2010'' as "the twenty-ten Olympics".{{explain|date=October 2023}}

==Society==
Technologies such as [[ultrasound]], prenatal [[genetic testing]], and [[genetic engineering]] have advanced significantly. Due to [[sex-selective abortion]], fewer girls have been born in the 21st century (and since the early 1980s) compared to past centuries, mostly because of [[son preference]] in East and South Asia. In 2014, only 47% of Indian births were of girls.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/Sex-ratio-at-birth-on-the-decline/article16729844.ece |title=Sex ratio at birth on the decline |first=Samarth |last=Bansal |newspaper=The Hindu |date=30 November 2016 |via=www.thehindu.com |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-date=19 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919043407/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/Sex-ratio-at-birth-on-the-decline/article16729844.ece |url-status=live}}</ref> This has led to an increase in [[bachelors]] in countries such as China and India. The first [[Lulu and Nana controversy|genetically modified children]] were born November 2018 in [[China]] to significant controversy, beginning a new biological era for the human species.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=The First Chinese Edited Babies: A Leap of Faith in Science |date=2019 |pmc=6724388 |last1=Raposo |first1=V. L. |journal=Jbra Assisted Reproduction |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=197–199 |doi=10.5935/1518-0557.20190042 |pmid=31436399}}</ref>

[[Anxiety]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322877.php |title=Is anxiety increasing in the United States? |website=Medical News Today |date=5 September 2018 |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-date=3 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203082223/https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322877.php |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[depression (mood)|depression]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression |title=Depression |website=who.int |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-date=26 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201226072232/https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression |url-status=live}}</ref> rates have risen in the [[United States]] and many other parts of the world. However, [[suicide]] rates have fallen in Europe and most of the rest of the world so far this century, declining 29% globally between 2000 and 2018, despite rising 18% in the [[United States]] in the same period. The decline in suicide has been most notable among Chinese and Indian women, the elderly, and middle-aged Russian men.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theconversation.com/why-is-suicide-on-the-rise-in-the-us-but-falling-in-most-of-europe-98366 |title=Why is suicide on the rise in the US – but falling in most of Europe? |first=Steven |last=Stack |website=The Conversation |date=28 June 2018 |access-date=25 March 2019 |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112033853/https://theconversation.com/why-is-suicide-on-the-rise-in-the-us-but-falling-in-most-of-europe-98366 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2018/11/30/why-the-global-suicide-rate-is-falling |title=Why the global suicide rate is falling |date=30 November 2018 |newspaper=The Economist |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-date=19 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219235840/https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2018/11/30/why-the-global-suicide-rate-is-falling |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Knowledge and information===

[[File:Shanghai Skyline, Dec2014.jpg|thumb|[[Shanghai]] has become a symbol of the recent economic boom of [[China]].]]

The entire [[Writing|written works]] of humanity, from the beginning of [[recorded history]] to 2003, in all known [[language]]s, are estimated to amount to five [[exabyte]]s of data.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/07/quote-of-the-day-google-ceo-compares-data-across-millennia/344989/ |title=Quote of the Day: Google CEO Compares Data Across Millennia |first=Benjamin |last=Carlson |date=3 July 2010 |website=The Atlantic |access-date=10 February 2019 |archive-date=19 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919150658/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/07/quote-of-the-day-google-ceo-compares-data-across-millennia/344989/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/08/04/schmidt-data/ |title=Eric Schmidt: Every 2 Days We Create As Much Information As We Did Up To 2003 |date=4 August 2010 |access-date=24 February 2021 |archive-date=10 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210233247/https://techcrunch.com/2010/08/04/schmidt-data/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Since 2003, with the beginning of [[social media]] and "[[user-generated content]]", the same amount of data is created every two days.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://i.imgur.com/gpXRWoq.png |title=So What is a Petabyte Anyway? |access-date=10 February 2019 |archive-date=10 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210233245/https://i.imgur.com/gpXRWoq.png |url-status=live}}</ref> With the [[AI boom]] of the 2020s gaining international prominence, as of 2024, mass-produced [[AI slop]] comprised over half of the [[Internet]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harrison Dupré |first=Maggie |date=19 January 2024 |title=Huge Proportion of Internet Is AI-Generated Slime, Researchers Find |url=https://futurism.com/the-byte/internet-ai-generated-slime |website=Futurism}}</ref>

[[Telecommunications]] in the early 21st century are much more advanced and universal than they were in the late 20th century. Only a few percent of the world's population were Internet users and [[cellular phone]] owners in the late 1990s; while as of 2023, 67% of the world's population is online,<ref name="Internet Use" /> and 78% of all people aged 10 and above own a mobile phone.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mobile phone ownership |url=https://www.itu.int/itu-d/reports/statistics/2023/10/10/ff23-mobile-phone-ownership/ |website=[[ITU]]}}</ref> In the 2010s, [[artificial intelligence]], mainly in the form of [[deep learning]] and [[machine learning]], became more prevalent and in the early 2020s, with the rise of [[Generative artificial intelligence|generative AI]], the AI boom began. As of 2022, 8.6% of the world's population still lacked access to electricity.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Access to electricity (% of population) |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS |website=[[World Bank]]}}</ref>

[[File:Triptychon Maha Kumbh Mela.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|India's [[Prayag Kumbh Mela]] is regarded as the world's largest [[religious festival]].]]

In 2001, [[Dennis Tito]] became the first [[space tourist]], beginning the era of [[commercial spaceflight]]. Meanwhile [[China]] and [[India]] have made substantial strides in their space programs. On 3 January 2019, China landed a robotic spacecraft on the [[far side of the Moon]], the first to do so.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.history.com/news/china-plans-historic-landing-on-dark-side-of-the-moon |title=China Makes Historic Landing on 'Dark Side' of the Moon |first=Sarah |last=Pruitt |website=HISTORY |date=3 January 2019 |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-date=24 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124065205/https://www.history.com/news/china-plans-historic-landing-on-dark-side-of-the-moon |url-status=live}}</ref> On 23 August 2023, with the [[Chandrayaan-3|Chandrayaan-3 Mission]], India became the first country to touch down near the [[lunar south pole]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chow |first=Denise |date=23 August 2023 |title=India makes historic uncrewed landing on the moon's south pole |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/india-chandrayaan-3-landing-moon-south-pole-rcna101296 |website=[[NBC News]]}}</ref>

===Culture and politics===
{{Further|International relations since 1989}}
War and violence have declined considerably compared to the 20th century, continuing the post-[[World War II]] trend called [[Long Peace]]. However, since the beginning of the 2020s, geopolitical tensions and wars have been rising across the world, as seen with the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]] and [[Gaza war]], the [[Tigray war]], the [[Sudanese civil war (2023–present)|Sudanese civil war]], and the deterioration of [[China–United States relations]].<ref name="Twenties War A" /><ref name="Twenties War B" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S.-China Relations |url=https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-china-relations |website=[[Council on Foreign Relations]]}}</ref> As of 2023, 14% of people in the world live within five kilometers of violent conflict; the highest number of ongoing conflicts across various regions than at any point since World War II.<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 February 2024 |title=Estimated 14 per cent of world population exposed to conflict, data shows |url=https://www.southampton.ac.uk/news/2024/02/population-exposed-to-conflict.page#:~:text=Estimated%2014%20per%20cent%20of%20world%20population%20exposed%20to%20conflict%2C%20data%20shows,-Published:%206%20February |website=[[University of Southampton]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Herre |first1=Bastian |last2=Rodés-Guirao |first2=Lucas |last3=Roser |first3=Max |title=War and Peace |url=https://ourworldindata.org/war-and-peace#:~:text=Intrastate%20conflicts%20and%20one%2Dsided,the%20recent%20increase%20in%20conflicts |website=[[Our World in Data]]}}</ref>

[[Poverty]] is still widespread globally, but fewer people live in the most extreme forms of poverty. In 1990, 37.9% of the world's population lived in [[extreme poverty]]; by 2022, this had dropped to just 9%.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Poverty headcount ratio at $2.15 a day (2017 PPP) (% of population) |url=https://data.worldbank.org/topic/poverty |website=[[World Bank]]}}</ref>

The [[Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal]] drew international attention to the possible adverse effects of social media in influencing citizens' views, particularly regarding the [[2016 United States presidential election]].{{explain|date=September 2023}}

===Population and urbanization===
The [[world population]] was about 6.1 billion at the start of the 21st century and reached 8 billion by November 2022. It is [[Projections of population growth|estimated to reach]] nearly 8.6 billion by 2030,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/by-2030-world-will-have-8-6bn-people-1-5bn-of-them-in-india/articleshow/59279842.cms |title=By 2030, world will have 8.6bn people, 1.5bn of them in India |date=23 June 2017 |newspaper=The Economic Times |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-date=3 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203115326/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/by-2030-world-will-have-8-6bn-people-1-5bn-of-them-in-india/articleshow/59279842.cms |url-status=live}}</ref> and 9.8 billion by 2050. According to the [[United Nations]] World Urbanization prospects, 60% of the world's human population is projected to live in [[megacity|megacities]] and [[megalopolis]]es by 2030, 70% by 2050, and 90% by 2080.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/publications/files/wup2014-highlights.pdf |title=World Population Prospects |access-date=13 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202002014/https://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/Publications/Files/WUP2014-Highlights.pdf |archive-date=2 February 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Life expectancy]] has increased as [[child mortality]] continues to decline. A baby born in 2019, for example, will, on average (globally), live to 73 years — 27 years longer than the global average of someone born in 1950.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 May 2023 |title=GHE: Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy |url=https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates/ghe-life-expectancy-and-healthy-life-expectancy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322174132/https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates/ghe-life-expectancy-and-healthy-life-expectancy |archive-date=22 March 2023 |access-date=9 May 2023 |website=www.who.int |language=en}}</ref> 10 million [[Britons]] (16% of the [[United Kingdom]] population) will, on average, live to 100 or older.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/10-million-brits-alive-today-will-live-see-100th-birthday-150028500.html |title=10 million Brits alive today will live to see their 100th birthday |website=uk.news.yahoo.com |date=12 March 2018 |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-date=19 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919072737/https://uk.news.yahoo.com/10-million-brits-alive-today-will-live-see-100th-birthday-150028500.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Climate change]] remains a serious concern; United Nations Secretary-General [[António Guterres]], for instance, has described it as an "[[Global catastrophic risk|existential threat]]" to humanity.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/05/1009782 |title=Climate change: An 'existential threat' to humanity, UN chief warns global summit |date=15 May 2018 |website=UN News |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-date=23 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223154410/https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/05/1009782 |url-status=live}}</ref> Furthermore, the [[Holocene extinction]] event, the sixth-most significant extinction event in the Earth's history, continues with the widespread degradation of highly [[Biodiversity hotspot|biodiverse habitats]] as a by-product of human activity.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ceballos |first1=Gerardo |last2=Ehrlich |first2=Paul R. |title=The misunderstood sixth mass extinction |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |date=8 June 2018 |volume=360 |issue=6393 |pages=1080–1081 |doi=10.1126/science.aau0191 |pmid=29880679 |bibcode=2018Sci...360.1080C |s2cid=46984172 |oclc=7673137938 |issn=0036-8075}}</ref>

[[File:Isolierte-Völker.png|thumb|A map of [[Uncontacted peoples|uncontacted tribes]], around the start of the 21st century]]

===Economics, education and retirement===
Economically and politically, the United States and Western Europe were dominant at the beginning of the century; by the [[2010s]], China became an [[emerging superpower|emerging global superpower]] and, by some measures, the world's [[List of countries by GDP (PPP)|largest economy]]. In terms of [[purchasing power parity]], [[India's economy]] became more significant than [[Japan]]'s around 2011.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/india-larger-than-japan-in-ppp-terms-says-wb-114043000075_1.html |title=India larger than Japan in PPP terms, says WB |first=B. S. |last=Reporter |newspaper=Business Standard India |date=30 April 2014 |via=Business Standard |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-date=25 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025073751/https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/india-larger-than-japan-in-ppp-terms-says-wb-114043000075_1.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Bitcoin]] and other [[cryptocurrencies]] are decentralized currencies that are not controlled by any central bank. These currencies are increasing in popularity worldwide due to the expanding availability of the [[internet]] and are mainly used as a [[store of value]].

There is an ongoing impact of [[technological unemployment]] due to [[automation]] and [[Business process reengineering|computerization]]: the rate at which jobs are disappearing—due to machines replacing them—is expected to escalate.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://danielmiessler.com/images/mfg1.jpg |title=US Real Manufacturing Output vs. Employment, 1947 to 2014 |access-date=4 March 2019 |archive-date=6 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306111459/https://danielmiessler.com/images/mfg1.jpg |url-status=live}}</ref> Automation alters the number of jobs and the skills demands of industries. As of 2019, the production output of [[First World|first world nation]]s' manufacturing sectors was doubled when compared to 1984 output; but it is now produced with one-third fewer workers and at significantly reduced [[operating cost]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DWLZgalWkAAUpYL.jpg&imgrefurl=https://twitter.com/jessphoenix2018/status/965290722067824645&docid=i0gYqb6m7ILAxM&tbnid=eHWWEy0Z6B0qYM:&vet=10ahUKEwiOlfiL--jgAhUFNKwKHR2GApUQMwh_KC4wLg..i&w=621&h=467&itg=1&bih=665&biw=1292&q=metropolitan+policy+program+automation&iact=mrc&uact=8 |title=Google Image Result |website=[[Google News]] |access-date=10 February 2022 |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308123239/https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.twimg.com%2Fmedia%2FDWLZgalWkAAUpYL.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fjessphoenix2018%2Fstatus%2F965290722067824645&docid=i0gYqb6m7ILAxM&tbnid=eHWWEy0Z6B0qYM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwiOlfiL--jgAhUFNKwKHR2GApUQMwh_KC4wLg..i&w=621&h=467&itg=1&bih=665&biw=1292&q=metropolitan+policy+program+automation&iact=mrc&uact=8 |url-status=live}}</ref> Half of all jobs with requirements lower than a bachelor's degree are currently in the process of being replaced with partial- or full-automation.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://i1.wp.com/www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/fig7-automation-education.jpg?w=768&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C9999px&ssl=1 |title=Figure 7 |access-date=4 March 2019 |archive-date=24 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224205249/https://i1.wp.com/www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/fig7-automation-education.jpg?w=768&crop=0,0px,100,9999px&ssl=1 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[World Economic Forum]] forecasted in 2018 that 65% of children entering [[primary school]] will end up in jobs or careers that currently do not yet exist.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/31/the-future-of-work-wont-be-about-degrees-it-will-be-about-skills.html |title=The future of work won't be about degrees, it will be about skills |type=Opinion |author=Stephane Kasriel |date=31 October 2018 |work=CNBC |access-date=7 November 2018 |archive-date=13 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213061050/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/31/the-future-of-work-wont-be-about-degrees-it-will-be-about-skills.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

A rise in the retirement age has been called for in view of an increase in [[life expectancy]] and has been put in place in many jurisdictions.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-40057117 |title=Call to raise retirement age to at least 70 |work=BBC News |date=26 May 2017 |last1=Johnston |first1=Chris |access-date=16 November 2019 |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112020146/https://www.bbc.com/news/business-40057117 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Emily Jane Fox |url=https://money.cnn.com/2012/06/12/news/economy/retirement-age/index.htm |title=Retirement age must rise – OECD |access-date=16 November 2019 |archive-date=24 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024152330/https://money.cnn.com/2012/06/12/news/economy/retirement-age/index.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Linguistic diversity===
{{see also|List of languages by time of extinction#List}}
As of 2009, [[Ethnologue]] catalogued 6,909 living human languages.<ref>[http://www.ethnologue.com/ "Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060406012854/http://www.ethnologue.com/ |date=6 April 2006 }}. Retrieved 28 June 2007, {{ISBN|1-55671-159-X}}</ref> The exact number of known living languages will vary from 5,000 to 10,000, generally depending on the precision of one's definition of "language", and in particular, on how one classifies [[dialect]]s.

Estimates vary depending on many factors, but the general consensus is that there are between 6,000 and 7,000 languages currently spoken. Between 50% and 90% of those will have become [[Language death|extinct]] by the year 2100.<ref name="Handbook2">{{cite book |last1=Austin |first1=Peter K |title=Cambridge Handbook of Endangered Languages |last2=Sallabank |first2=Julia |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-521-88215-6 |editor-last=Austin |editor-first=Peter K |chapter=Introduction |editor2-last=Sallabank |editor2-first=Julia}}</ref>

The [[List of languages by number of native speakers|top 20 languages]] spoken by more than 50 million speakers each, are spoken by 50% of the world's population. In contrast, many of the other languages are spoken by small communities, most of them with fewer than 10,000 speakers.<ref name="Handbook2" />

== Events ==
{{For timeline}}

===2000s===
{{main|2000s}}

[[File:Second Congo War Africa map en.png|thumb|Belligerents of the [[Second Congo War]]]]
[[File:George-W-Bush.jpeg|thumb|upright|[[George W. Bush]], the 43rd [[president of the United States]], from 2001 to 2009]]
[[File:National Park Service 9-11 Statue of Liberty and WTC fire.jpg|thumb|right|[[September 11 attacks]]]]
[[File:Flickr - europeanpeoplesparty - EPP Sumiit 15 May 2006 (3).jpg|thumb|[[Angela Merkel]] and [[José Manuel Barroso]]]]
[[File:Obama and Medvedev sign Prague Treaty 2010.jpeg|thumb|[[Barack Obama]], the first [[African-American]] [[President of the United States|president]] of the [[United States]], and Russian president [[Dmitry Medvedev]] after signing the [[New START|Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty]]]]
* 1998–2003 – The [[Second Congo War]] continued into the early 21st century. A 1999 ceasefire quickly broke down and a UN peacekeeping mission, [[MONUC]], was unable to control the fighting. Troops from [[Rwanda]] and [[Uganda]] continued to support rebel groups against the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] and rifts also grew between Rwanda and Uganda as they accused each other of supporting rival rebel groups as well. [[Laurent Kabila]], president of the DRC, was assassinated in January 2001 and his son, [[Joseph Kabila]], took power. Throughout 2002 steps were made towards peace and Rwanda and Uganda both removed their troops from the country. On [[December 17]], 2002, a massive treaty officially ended the war. However, the DRC only holds power in less than half of the country, with most of the eastern and northern portions still controlled by rebel groups, where there is still significant infighting. In addition, Rwanda still supports anti-DRC rebels and anti-Rwandan rebels continue to operate from the DRC. The war killed an estimated 3.9 million people, displaced nearly 5.5 million, and led to a widespread and ongoing famine that continues to result in deaths. Severe human rights violations continue to be reported.<ref>{{cite web |date=2007-05-01 |title=Mortality in the Democratic Republic of Congo: An ongoing crisis |url=https://www.rescue.org/report/mortality-democratic-republic-congo-ongoing-crisis |access-date=2021-03-30 |website=International Rescue Committee (IRC) |language=en |archive-date=17 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417081129/https://www.rescue.org/report/mortality-democratic-republic-congo-ongoing-crisis |url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2000–2005 – The [[Second Intifada]], a major Palestinian uprising against [[Israel]], is estimated to have led to the deaths of approximately 3,000 Palestinians and 1,000 Israelis.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

====2001====
* [[January 20]]: 
** [[George W. Bush]] is [[First inauguration of George W. Bush|inaugurated]] as the 43rd president of the United States. He is the second president from the [[Bush family]], after [[George H. W. Bush|his father]].
** President [[Joseph Estrada]] of the [[Philippines]] is ousted in the [[Second EDSA Revolution]].
* [[January 26]] – An [[2001 Gujarat earthquake|earthquake]] strikes [[Gujarat]], [[India]], on [[Republic Day (India)|Republic Day]], resulting in more than 20,000 deaths.
* [[April 1]] – The [[Netherlands]] becomes the first country in the world to legalize [[same-sex marriage]].
* [[May 13]] – Conservative media magnate [[Silvio Berlusconi]] wins the [[2001 Italian general election|general election]] in Italy, becoming the country's [[Prime Minister of Italy|Prime Minister]]. Berlusconi would go on to dominate Italian politics for the rest of the decade.
* [[June 1]] – The [[Nepalese royal massacre]] occurs at a house on the grounds of the [[Narayanhity Palace|Narayanhity Royal Palace]], the residence of the Nepalese monarchy. Ten members of the family were killed during a party or monthly reunion dinner of the royal family in the house. The dead included [[Birendra of Nepal|King Birendra of Nepal]] and [[Queen Aishwarya of Nepal|Queen Aishwarya]].
* [[July 20]] – [[July 22|22]] – More than 200,000 [[Anti-globalization movement|anti-globalization protesters]] march in [[Genoa]], during the [[27th G8 summit]]. Two demonstrators are killed by the [[Italian police]]. On [[July 21]], a group of [[Carabinieri]] [[2001 Raid on Armando Diaz|attacked the school Armando Diaz]], critically injuring many peaceful protesters.
* [[September 11]] – [[September 11 attacks]] – 19 [[al-Qaeda]] terrorists [[Hijackers in the September 11 attacks|hijack]] four [[commercial airliner]]s and [[September 11 attacks|crash two of them]] into the [[World Trade Center (1973-2001)|World Trade Center]], one into [[the Pentagon]] and one into a field in [[Shanksville, Pennsylvania]], of the United States on 11 September, killing nearly 3,000 people. The president [[George W. Bush]] subsequently declares the [[War on Terror]].
* [[October 23]] – [[Steve Jobs]] introduces the first [[iPod]].
* [[December 11]] – After 15 years of negotiations, the [[People's Republic of China]] becomes a member of the [[World Trade Organization]] (WTO).
* 2001–2014 – The [[Northern Alliance]] and [[NATO]]-led [[International Security Assistance Force|ISAF]] [[United States invasion of Afghanistan|invades]] [[Afghanistan]] on [[Operation Enduring Freedom|October 7, 2001]], and overthrows the Al-Qaeda-supportive [[Taliban]] government. Troops remained to install a democratic government, fight a slowly escalating insurgency, and to hunt for Al-Qaeda leader [[Osama bin Laden]] who would be [[Death of Osama bin Laden|killed]] by [[SEAL Team Six|American troops]] nearly 10 years later, on [[May 2]], 2011. On [[December 24]], 2014, NATO forces officially ended combat operations in Afghanistan, but forces remained until [[August 30]], 2021, followed by a quick withdrawal of all troops.

====2002====
* [[January 1]]:
** The [[Treaty on Open Skies|Open Skies]] mutual [[surveillance]] treaty, initially signed in [[1992]], officially enters into force.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/russia-conduct-observation-flight-over-us-under-open-skies-treaty-1742081 |title=Russia To Conduct Observation Flight Over US Under Open Skies Treaty |last=Bora |first=Kukil |date=2014-12-08 |newspaper=International Business Times |access-date=2017-01-27}}</ref>
** The [[Euro]] is the official currency introduced in the [[Eurozone]] countries.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/1/newsid_4044000/4044891.stm |title=Celebrations as euro hits the streets |date=2002-01-01 |website=BBC News |access-date=2017-01-27}}</ref> The former currencies of all the countries that use the Euro ceased to be legal tender on February 28.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2002/html/pr020228.en.html |title=The euro becomes the sole legal tender in all euro area countries |date=2002-02-28 |website=European Central Bank |language=en |access-date=2017-01-27}}</ref>
* [[January 6]] – ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' publishes results of an investigation leading to the [[Sexual abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston|criminal prosecutions]] of five Roman Catholic priests and bringing widespread attention to the [[Catholic Church sexual abuse cases|sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Church allowed abuse by priest for years |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/special-reports/2002/01/06/church-allowed-abuse-priest-for-years/cSHfGkTIrAT25qKGvBuDNM/story.html |first1=Matt |last1=Carroll |first2=Sacha |last2=Pfeiffer |first3=Michael |last3=Rezendes |first4=Walter V. |last4=Robinson |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=2002-01-06 |access-date=2023-03-12}}</ref>
* [[January 17]] – [[Mount Nyiragongo]] erupts in the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], displacing an estimated 400,000 people.<ref>{{cite web |title=Case study – volcanic eruption in a developing country: Mt Nyiragongo – Volcanoes and volcanic eruptions – Edexcel – GCSE Geography Revision – Edexcel |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zpf9mnb/revision/7 |website=BBC Bitesize |access-date=22 March 2021}}</ref>
* [[January 18]] – The [[Sierra Leone Civil War]] comes to a conclusion with the defeat of the [[Revolutionary United Front]] by government forces.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.blackpast.org/gah/sierra-leone-civil-war-1991-2002 |title=The Sierra Leone Civil War (1991–2002) {{!}} The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed |last=Momodu |first=Samuel |website=Black Past |date=January 16, 2017 |language=en |access-date=2017-01-27}}</ref>
* [[February 6]] – [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] of the [[Commonwealth realms]] celebrates her [[Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II|Golden Jubilee]], marking 50 years since her accession to the thrones of the [[United Kingdom]], [[Canada]], [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/queen-helps-cbc-tv-mark-50th-anniversary-1.323865 |title=Queen helps CBC TV mark 50th anniversary |date=2002-10-11 |website=CBC |access-date=2016-06-04}}</ref>
* [[February 8]] – [[February 24|24]] – The [[2002 Winter Olympics]] are held in [[Salt Lake City|Salt Lake City, Utah]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.olympic.org/salt-lake-city-2002 |title=Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics – results & video highlights |date=2016-10-13 |website=International Olympic Committee |access-date=2016-12-10}}</ref>
* [[February 12]] – The [[trial of Slobodan Milošević]], the former president of [[Serbia and Montenegro|Yugoslavia]], begins at the [[International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia]] in [[The Hague]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/11/opinion/the-trial-of-slobodan-milosevic.html |title=The Trial of Slobodan Milosevic |date=2002-02-11 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=2017-01-27}}</ref>
* [[February 14]] – The [[State of Bahrain]] is declared a [[constitutional monarchy]] and becomes the [[Kingdom of Bahrain]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2002-02-15 |title=Bahrain now a monarchy |url=https://www.deseret.com/2002/2/15/19637636/bahrain-now-a-monarchy |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=Deseret News |language=en}}</ref>
* [[February 19]] – [[NASA]]'s ''[[2001 Mars Odyssey]]'' [[space probe]] begins to map the surface of [[Mars]] using its thermal emission imaging system.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.wired.com/2009/02/feb-19-2002-odyssey-turns-its-cameras-on-mars/ |title=Odyssey Turns Its Cameras on Mars |last=Long |first=Tony |date=2002-01-19 |newspaper=Wired |language=en-US |access-date=2017-01-27}}</ref>
* [[February 20]] – [[2002 El Ayyat railway accident]]: A train fire in [[El Ayyat]], Egypt kills at least 370 people.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 20, 2002 |title=Horror on Egypt fire train |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/africa/02/20/egypt.train/ |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=CNN}}</ref>
* [[February 22]]:
** [[UNITA]] guerrilla leader [[Jonas Savimbi]] is killed in clashes against government troops led by [[President of Angola|Angolan President]] [[José Eduardo dos Santos]] in [[Moxico Province]], [[Angola]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1839252.stm |title=Savimbi 'died with gun in hand' |date=2002-02-25 |newspaper=BBC News |access-date=2016-06-04}}</ref>
** The government of Sri Lanka and the [[Tamil Tigers]] agree to a ceasefire, temporarily ending the [[Sri Lankan civil war|Sri Lankan Civil War]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dugger |first=Celia W. |date=2002-02-22 |title=Sri Lanka and Rebels Sign Cease-Fire Agreement |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/22/international/sri-lanka-and-rebels-sign-ceasefire-agreement.html |access-date=2022-12-11 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> It would last until the resumption of hostilities in 2008.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sirilal |first=Ranga |date=2008-01-02 |title=Sri Lanka ends ceasefire with Tamil Tigers |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-31216020080102 |access-date=2022-12-11}}</ref>
* [[February 27]] – A mob [[Godhra train burning|attacks]] a train near [[Godhra]], India, killing approximately 59 people.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2021-02-16 |title=Godhra train burning case accused held after 19 years |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/godhra-train-burning-case-accused-held-after-19-years/article33853611.ece |access-date=2022-12-11 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> The state of Gujarat breaks out into [[2002 Gujarat riots|riots]], including the [[Gulbarg Society massacre]] on February 28 that kills approximately 69 people.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ghosh |first=Sohini |date=2022-07-01 |title=Gulberg Society case: 69 dead, 30 missing, all those convicted out on bail |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/gulberg-society-case-69-dead-30-missing-all-those-convicted-out-on-bail-8003685/ |access-date=2022-12-11 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>
* [[March 14]] – [[SpaceX]] is founded by [[Elon Musk]].
* [[May 20]] – After a long period of [[Indonesian occupation of East Timor|occupation by Indonesia]], [[East Timor]]'s independence is recognized by [[Portugal]] and the [[United Nations|UN]].
* [[July 1]] – The [[International Criminal Court]] (ICC) is established.
* [[September 10]] – [[Switzerland]], a [[neutral country]], becomes a member of the [[United Nations]].
* [[October 12]] – [[Jemaah Islamiyah]], a violent Islamist group, claims responsibility for the [[2002 Bali bombings|detonation of three bombs]] in the tourist district of [[Kuta, Bali|Kuta]] on the [[Indonesia]]n island of [[Bali]]. The attack killed 202 people and left 209 people injured.
* [[November 15]] – [[Hu Jintao]] becomes the [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party]], making him the [[paramount leader]] of [[China]] after [[Jiang Zemin]].

====2003====
* [[January 10]] – North Korea announces its withdrawal from the [[Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons]].
* [[February 4]] – The [[Serbia and Montenegro|Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] is renamed to "Serbia and Montenegro" (after its two constituent states) after its leaders reconstitute the country into a loose state-union between [[Republic of Montenegro (1992–2006)|Montenegro]] and [[Republic of Serbia (1992–2006)|Serbia]], ending the 73-year-long use of the name "Yugoslavia" by a sovereign state.
* 2003–2020 – On February 26, 2003, a conflict in [[Darfur]], [[Sudan]] begins and escalates into [[War in Darfur|full-scale war]]. By 2008 it was believed that up to 400,000 people had been killed and over 2.5 million displaced. In 2005, the ICC decided that Darfur war criminals would be tried, and on [[July 14]], 2008, Sudanese president [[Omar al-Bashir]] was charged with 5 accounts of [[crimes against humanity]] and 2 accounts of war crimes, even though the ICC had no power to enforce such charges. The war ends following a peace agreement on August 31, 2020.
* 2003–2010 – The [[Multi-National Force – Iraq|U.S.-led coalition]] [[2003 invasion of Iraq|invades]] [[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]] on March 20, 2003, and overthrows the government of [[Saddam Hussein]] (who is executed by the Iraqi government on December 30, 2006). Coalition troops remain in the country to install a democratic government and fight an escalating insurgency. In addition to an insurgency against the American presence, Iraq also suffered from a [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–11)|civil war]] for several years. The war was soon seen as the central front of the War on Terror by many governments, despite growing international dissatisfaction with the war. The [[Casualties of the Iraq War|total death toll]] has been estimated at near 150,000 but these estimations are highly disputed, with one highly disputed study guessing even over 1 million.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://antiwar.com/casualties/ |title=Estimated casualties in Iraq |access-date=6 October 2014 |archive-date=7 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007084135/http://antiwar.com/casualties/ |url-status=live}}</ref> After the U.S.-led coalition initiated a [[Iraq War troop surge of 2007|troop surge]] in 2007, casualty numbers have decreased significantly. Combat ended, at least officially, in August 2010.
* [[April 14]] – The [[Human Genome Project]] is completed, with 99% of the human [[genome]] sequenced to 99.99% accuracy.
* [[August 27]] – [[Mars]] makes its [[Opposition (astronomy)|closest approach]] to Earth in over 60,000 years.
* [[November 3]] – [[November 23|23]] –The [[Rose Revolution]] occurs in [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]].
* [[November 17]] – [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] becomes [[Governor of California]].
* [[December 19]] – Libyan leader [[Muammar Gaddafi]] announces that Libya would voluntarily eliminate all [[Libya and weapons of mass destruction|weapons of mass destruction]].

====2004====
* [[File:2023 Facebook icon.svg|thumb|Facebook, a social networking site, was launched in 2004, connecting to millions of users around the world.]][[February 4]] – TheFacebook, later renamed to [[Facebook]], is formed by [[Mark Zuckerberg]], [[Andrew McCollum]], [[Eduardo Saverin]], [[Dustin Moskovitz]], and [[Chris Hughes]].
* [[March 11]] – [[2004 Madrid train bombings|Ten explosions occur]] at the [[Cercanías Madrid|Cercanías]] commuter train system of [[Madrid]], [[Spain]], killing 191 people and injuring around 2,000.
* [[May 1]] – The [[European Union]] [[2004 enlargement of the European Union|expands]] by 10 countries (including eight former communist countries, plus [[Malta]] and [[Cyprus]]).
* [[June 5]] – Former U.S. president [[Ronald Reagan]] [[Death and state funeral of Ronald Reagan|dies]] at the age of 93, after suffering nearly a decade from [[Alzheimer's disease]].
* [[September 1]] – A group of Chechen rebels [[Beslan school siege|invade a school in Beslan]], keeping thousands of hostages during three days. A series of shootings and bombings kills 334 people and injured 750.
* 2004–2005 – Beginning on November 22, 2004, and ending on January 23, 2005, the [[Orange Revolution]] occurs in [[Ukraine]].
* [[November 11]] – [[Palestinian people|Palestinian]] leader and Chairman of the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]] [[Yasser Arafat]] dies in France, at the age of 75, from hemorrhagic stroke.
* [[November 18]] – [[Massachusetts]] becomes the first [[U.S. state]] to [[Goodridge v. Department of Public Health|legalize]] [[same-sex marriage]].
* [[December 26]] – [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami]] leaves 227,898 dead.

====2005====
* [[January 1]] – Jeanna Giese becomes the first person to ever survive [[rabies]] without a vaccination.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Razner |first=Sarah |title=15 years after she survived rabies, Jeanna Giese seeks to save others from it |url=https://www.fdlreporter.com/story/news/2019/09/12/fond-du-lac-rabies-survivor-jeanna-giese-seeks-save-others-virus/2284305001/ |access-date=2021-01-14 |website=The Reporter |language=en-US |archive-date=April 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419180124/https://www.fdlreporter.com/story/news/2019/09/12/fond-du-lac-rabies-survivor-jeanna-giese-seeks-save-others-virus/2284305001/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lite |first=Jordan |title=Medical Mystery: Only One Person Has Survived Rabies without Vaccine—But How? |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/jeanna-giese-rabies-survivor/ |access-date=2021-01-14 |website=Scientific American |language=en |archive-date=December 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210131741/http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=jeanna-giese-rabies-survivor |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[January 5]] – [[Eris (dwarf planet)|Eris]], the most massive known [[dwarf planet]] in the [[Solar System]], is discovered by a team led by [[Michael E. Brown]] using images originally taken on October 21, 2003, at the [[Palomar Observatory]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://solarviews.com/eng/eris.htm |title=Dwarf Planet Eris |last=Hamilton |first=Calvin J. |website=Solar Views |access-date=July 3, 2016 |archive-date=August 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160814052034/http://solarviews.com/eng/eris.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[January 12]] – [[Deep Impact (spacecraft)|''Deep Impact'']] is launched from [[Cape Canaveral]] with the purpose of studying the [[comet]] [[Tempel 1]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4162869.stm |title=Comet probe Deep Impact launches |publisher=BBC |date=2005-01-12 |access-date=2009-10-14 |archive-date=December 13, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061213152505/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4162869.stm |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[January 14]] – The [[Huygens (spacecraft)|''Huygens'' spacecraft]] lands on [[Titan (moon)|Titan]], the largest moon of [[Saturn]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/huygens_descent_comm_050114.html |title=Touchdown on Titan: Huygens Probe Hits its Mark |website=[[Space.com]] |access-date=2009-10-14 |date=2005-01-14 |first1=Tariq |last1=Malik |first2=Peter |last2=de Selding |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091010053614/http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/huygens_descent_comm_050114.html |archive-date=October 10, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[January 20]] – The most intense [[solar particle event]] in recorded history is observed.<ref>{{cite web |title=A New Kind of Solar Storm |url=https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2005/10jun_newstorm |website=NASA Science |access-date=1 January 2021 |archive-date=January 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126014020/https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2005/10jun_newstorm/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[February 14]] – [[YouTube]] is founded by [[Jawed Karim]], [[Chad Hurley]] and [[Steve Chen]].
* [[February 14]] – [[April 27]] – [[Cedar Revolution]] occurs in [[Lebanon]].
* [[February 16]] – The [[Kyoto Protocol]] comes into effect.
* [[March 22]] – [[April 11]] – [[Tulip Revolution]] occurs in [[Kyrgyzstan]].
* [[April 19]] – After the death of [[Pope John Paul II]] on [[April 2]], [[Joseph Ratzinger]] of Germany is [[2005 papal conclave|elected]] as Pope Benedict XVI.
* [[July 7]] – Four Islamic extremist [[suicide bomb]]ers [[7 July 2005 London bombings|set off three bombs in London]]; 56 people are killed, including the four suicide bombers.
* [[November 22]] – [[Angela Merkel]] becomes the first elected female [[Chancellor of Germany]].

====2006====
* [[January 16]] – [[Ellen Johnson Sirleaf]] becomes President of [[Liberia]], and thus Africa's first elected female head of state.
* [[March 21]] – [[Twitter]] is founded by [[Jack Dorsey]], [[Noah Glass]], [[Biz Stone]], and [[Evan Williams (Internet entrepreneur)|Evan Williams]].
* [[April 23]] – [[Spotify]] is founded by [[Daniel Ek]] and [[Martin Lorentzon]].
* [[May 21]] – [[June 3]] – The [[Serbia and Montenegro|State Union of Serbia and Montenegro]] is peacefully dissolved and [[Serbia]] and [[Montenegro]] emerge as independent and sovereign nations.
* [[July 12]] – [[Hezbollah]] crosses the border of [[Lebanon]] and captures two Israeli soldiers. Israel [[2006 Lebanon War|responds]] by sending troops across the border and bombing Hezbollah strongholds, while Hezbollah fires missiles on towns in northern Israel, approximately 6 each day. At the end of the war 1,200 Lebanese civilians, 500 Hezbollah fighters, 44 Israeli civilians and 121 Israeli soldiers die. A ceasefire is signed on [[August 14]], after which Israeli troops withdrew from Lebanon.
* [[October 9]] – [[North Korea]] conducts its [[2006 North Korean nuclear test|first nuclear test]].<ref>{{cite news |title=US confirms nuclear claim |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=15 October 2006 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/16/world/asia/17koreacnd.html |first1=John |last1=O'Neil |first2=Norimitsu |last2=Onishi |access-date=21 February 2017 |archive-date=21 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201121110555/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/16/world/asia/17koreacnd.html |url-status=live}}</ref> This was preceded by years of political wrangling with the U.S. over the status of [[North Korea and weapons of mass destruction|their nuclear program]].

====2007====
* [[January 1]] – [[Bulgaria]] and [[Romania]] [[2007 enlargement of the European Union|join]] the [[European Union]].
* [[January 9]] – Apple CEO [[Steve Jobs]] introduces the original [[iPhone (1st generation)|iPhone]] at a Macworld keynote in [[San Francisco]], starting the new era of smartphones with this invention.
* [[January 25]] – A [[Fatah–Hamas conflict|civil war]] escalates in the [[Gaza Strip]] throughout June, which would result in the [[Hamas]] driving most [[Fatah]]-loyal forces out from the Strip. In reaction, Palestinian president [[Mahmoud Abbas]] dismisses Hamas Prime Minister [[Ismail Haniyeh]] and dissolves the Hamas-ruled parliament. Scattered conflict continues.
* [[January 31]] – Boston faces a [[2007 Boston Mooninite panic|hoax bomb scare]], as a result of [[LED]] placards of [[List of Aqua Teen Hunger Force characters#Ignignokt and Err|Ignignokt and Err]] from [[Aqua Teen Hunger Force]] being mistaken as an [[improvised explosive device]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chapin |first=Kinne |date=31 January 2013 |title=The Mooninite Invasion of Boston, 6 Years Later |url=http://wgbhnews.org/post/mooninite-invasion-boston-6-years-later |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140731012118/http://wgbhnews.org/post/mooninite-invasion-boston-6-years-later |archive-date=2014-07-31 |access-date=2022-09-15 |work=[[WGBH-TV]]}}</ref>
* [[July 25]] – [[Pratibha Patil]] becomes the first woman to be elected [[President of India]].
* [[December 13]] – 27 EU member states sign the [[Treaty of Lisbon]], with the treaty coming into effect on [[December 1]], 2009.
* 2007–2008 – [[2007-08 Kenyan crisis|Crisis]] follows the [[2007 Kenyan presidential election|Kenyan presidential election of 2007]], leading to the formation of a coalition government, with [[Mwai Kibaki]] as president and [[Raila Odinga]] as prime minister.

====2008====
* [[January 1]] – [[Cyprus]] and [[Malta]] adopt the [[euro]] currency.<ref name="vgEan">[http://www.euractiv.com/en/euro/cyprus-malta-set-join-eurozone-2008/article-163836 Cyprus and Malta set to join eurozone in 2008] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090130041939/http://www.euractiv.com/en/euro/cyprus-malta-set-join-eurozone-2008/article-163836 |date=January 30, 2009}}, EurActiv</ref><ref name="qxkbC">[http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198764121.53/ Akrotiri and Dhekelia adopt the euro], EUbusiness ([[ISO 4217]] code: VEF). {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090706103838/http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1198764121.53/ |date=July 6, 2009}}</ref>
* [[January 14]] – At 19:04:39 [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]], the uncrewed [[MESSENGER]] [[space probe]] is at its closest approach during its first flyby of the planet [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]].<ref name="45JNK">{{cite web |url=http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/mer_flyby1.html |title=Mercury Flyby 1 |access-date=2008-01-12 |publisher=[[Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516045507/http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/mer_flyby1.html |archive-date=May 16, 2008}}</ref>
* [[January 21]]:
**Stock markets around the world plunge amid growing fears of a U.S. [[recession|Great Recession]], fueled by the 2007 [[subprime mortgage crisis]].<ref name="UdyTv">{{Cite news |author1=Landler, Mark |author2=Timmons, Heather |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/business/22stox-web.html |title=Stocks Plunge Worldwide on Fears of a U.S. Recession |date=January 21, 2008 |work=The New York Times |access-date=November 21, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211195300/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/business/22stox-web.html |archive-date=December 11, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>
**[[Online activist]] group [[Anonymous (hacker group)|Anonymous]] initiates [[Project Chanology]], after a [[News leak|leaked interview]] of [[Tom Cruise]] by the [[Church of Scientology]] is published on [[YouTube]], and the Church of Scientology issued a [[DMCA takedown|"copyright infringement" claim]]. In response, Anonymous sympathizers took to the streets to [[protest]] outside the church (after February 10), while the church's websites and centres were getting [[DoS attacks]], [[Prank call|phone line nukes]], and [[black faxes]].<ref name="sx8F7">{{Cite web |date=2011-05-10 |title=Hackers Declare War on Scientology – Science News {{!}} Science & Technology |website=[[Fox News]] |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,325586,00.html |access-date=2021-03-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510074500/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,325586,00.html |archive-date=May 10, 2011}}</ref><ref name="vOwe0">{{Cite web |date=2008-03-23 |title=From The Magazine : Radar Online : Scientology is under attack from a faceless cabal of online activists. Has America's most controversial religion finally met its match? |url=http://www.radaronline.com/from-the-magazine/2008/03/scientology_anonymous_protests_tom_cruise_01.php |access-date=2021-03-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080323063402/http://www.radaronline.com/from-the-magazine/2008/03/scientology_anonymous_protests_tom_cruise_01.php |archive-date=March 23, 2008}}</ref><ref name="muTyR">{{Cite news |last=MAR |title=Online group declares war on Scientology |newspaper=National Post |language=en-CA |url=http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=261308 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20080128145858/http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=261308 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2008-01-28 |access-date=2021-03-12 |issn=1486-8008}}</ref><ref name="LwGGz">{{Cite magazine |title=War Breaks Out Between Hackers and Scientology – There Can Be Only One |language=en-us |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/2008/01/anonymous-attac/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211014/https://www.wired.com/2008/01/anonymous-attac/ |archive-date=2021-10-14 |access-date=2021-03-12 |issn=1059-1028}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
* [[February 16]] – [[2008 Kosovo declaration of independence|Kosovo unilaterally declares independence]] from [[Serbia]]. Serbia refuses to recognize it and considers Kosovo as part of its territory.
* [[February 18]] – [[WikiLeaks]] releases [[allegations]] of [[Tax evasion|illegal activities]] carried out by the [[Cayman Islands]] branch of [[Swiss banking]] corporation [[Julius Baer Group|Julius Baer]]; a subsequent [[Bank Julius Baer v. WikiLeaks|lawsuit against WikiLeaks]] prompts a [[Web domain|temporary suspension]] of the website, but uproar about violations of [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|freedom of speech]] causes WikiLeaks to be brought back online.<ref name="UHHp2">{{Cite magazine |title=Cayman Islands Bank Gets Wikileaks Taken Offline in U.S. – Updated with Links |language=en-us |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/2008/02/cayman-island-b/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211014/https://www.wired.com/2008/02/cayman-island-b/ |archive-date=2021-10-14 |access-date=2021-03-09 |issn=1059-1028}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="L7ZF1">{{Cite news |last=Gollner |first=Philipp |date=2008-02-29 |title=Judge reverses ruling in Julius Baer leak case |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-baer-idUSN2927431720080229 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211014/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-baer-idUSN2927431720080229 |archive-date=2021-10-14 |access-date=2021-03-09}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
* [[May 2]] – [[Cyclone Nargis]] kills 133,000 in [[Myanmar]].
* [[May 12]] – [[2008 Sichuan earthquake|Magnitude 8.0 earthquake]] occurs in Wenchuan, China, causing almost 90,000 people to die or go missing.
* [[May 28]] – The [[1st Nepalese Constituent Assembly]] declares [[Nepal]] a [[republic]], ending its [[Kingdom of Nepal|monarchy]].
* [[August 1]]–[[August 12|12]] – [[Russo-Georgian War|An armed conflict]] is fought between [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] and the [[Russian Federation]] together with [[Ossetians|Ossetian]] and [[Abkhazians|Abkhazian]] separatists on the other. Russia officially [[International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia|recognizes]] the independence of [[Abkhazia]] and [[South Ossetia]].
* [[November 4]] – [[Barack Obama]] is [[2008 United States presidential election|elected]] as the first African-American [[president of the United States]]. He is [[First inauguration of Barack Obama|sworn into office]] on January 20, 2009.
* [[November 26]]–[[November 29|29]] – The financial capital of [[India]], [[Mumbai]], is [[2008 Mumbai attacks|attacked]] by ten Pakistani terrorists belonging to [[Lashkar-e-Taiba]], resulting in 175 deaths (including nine attackers). One gunman, named [[Ajmal Kasab|Ajmal Amir Kasab]], is captured alive by Mumbai Police and executed on 21 November 2012.
* [[December 11]] – Following the release of its beta version on [[September 2]], [[Google Chrome]] 1.0 is released.

====2009====
[[File:Reporter and Crowd outside UCLA - MJ Death.jpg|thumb|Reporter covering the [[death of Michael Jackson]] outside [[Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center|UCLA Medical Center]] in Los Angeles]]
* [[January 3]] – The [[cryptocurrency]] [[Bitcoin]] is launched.
* [[January 15]] – [[US Airways Flight 1549]] ditches in the [[Hudson River]] in an accident that becomes known as the "Miracle on the Hudson", as all 155 people on board are rescued.
* [[April 1]] – [[Albania]] and [[Croatia]] join [[NATO]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna29995397 |title=Albania, Croatia become NATO members |date=2009-04-01 |newspaper=nbcnews.com |access-date=2017-01-14 |archive-date=January 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109232239/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/29995397/ns/world_news-europe/t/albania-croatia-become-nato-members/#.WHpG5FxMGUk |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[April 5]] – [[North Korea]] launches a rocket from its [[Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground]], which it says is carrying the [[Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2]] [[satellite]], prompting an emergency meeting of the [[United Nations Security Council]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/04/05/nkorea.worldreax/?iref=mpstoryview |title=U.N. Security Council to meet on N. Korea launch |date=April 5, 2009 |publisher=[[CNN]] |access-date=April 5, 2009 |archive-date=August 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805035025/http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/04/05/nkorea.worldreax/?iref=mpstoryview |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[April 7]] – [[April 2009 Moldovan parliamentary election protests]] – In protests that spurred across Moldova, claiming a fraudulent election had occurred, 4 people died and 270 were injured.
* [[April 21]] – [[UNESCO]] launches the [[World Digital Library]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/20/AR2009042001324.html?hpid=sec-world |title=U.N. Launches Library Of World's Knowledge |date=April 21, 2009 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=April 21, 2009 |archive-date=November 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107215643/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/20/AR2009042001324.html?hpid=sec-world |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[June 13]] – [[2009 Iranian presidential election protests|Protests erupt]] in [[Iran]], following the [[2009 Iranian presidential election protests|presidential election]], against [[President of Iran|Iranian president]] [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]].
* [[June 16]] – [[BRICS|BRIC]] is formed by [[Brazil]], [[Russia]], [[India]], and [[China]], as an economic bloc.
* [[June 25]] – American pop star [[Michael Jackson]] [[Death of Michael Jackson|dies]] at the age of 50. His death triggers an outpouring of worldwide grief; online reactions to the event cripple several major websites and services, as the abundance of people accessing the [[uniform resource locator|web addresses]] pushes [[internet traffic]] to unprecedented and historic levels.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/06/26/michael.jackson.internet/ |title=Jackson dies, almost takes Internet with him |website=[[CNN]] |date=June 26, 2009 |access-date=January 30, 2024 |archive-date=December 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221225202917/https://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/06/26/michael.jackson.internet/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

===2010s===
{{main|2010s}}
[[File:Julia Gillard 2010.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Julia Gillard]] was sworn in as the first female [[Prime Minister of Australia]] in 2010.]]
[[File:White House celebrations, May 2 2011.jpg|thumb|Americans celebrating the [[death of Osama bin Laden]] in front of the [[White House]]]]
[[File:Światowe Dni Młodzieży - 28559360556.jpg|thumb|[[Pope Francis]] in Poland, 2016]]
[[File:Euromaidan Kiev 2014-01-23 11-04.JPG|thumb|[[Ukraine]], [[Euromaidan]], people protesting in favor of [[Ukraine–European Union relations|Ukraine's European way]]]] [[File:2016-05-09. День Победы в Донецке 093.jpg|thumb|Pro-Russian separatists in [[Donetsk]], Ukraine]]
[[File:Slovenska vojska pri reševanju migrantske situacije z več zmogljivostmi 01.jpg|thumb|[[2015 European migrant crisis]]]]
[[File:After coup nightly demonstartion of president Erdogan supporters. Istanbul, Turkey, Eastern Europe and Western Asia. 22 July,2016.jpg|thumb|Turkish anti-[[2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt|coup]] rally in support of President [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]], 22 July 2016]]
[[File:Donald Trump swearing in ceremony.jpg|thumb|[[First inauguration of Donald Trump]]]]
[[File:March For Our Lives Parkland 2018.jpg|thumb|Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, parents, and others march in the [[March for Our Lives]] protest in [[Parkland, Florida]], 2018]]
[[File:Whiteguard Volunteers HELP KERALA FLOOD 2018.jpg|thumb|[[2018 Kerala floods]], [[India]]]]
[[File:NotreDame20190415QuaideMontebello (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Notre-Dame fire]]]]

==== 2010 ====
* [[February 25]] – [[Kamla Persad-Bissessar]] becomes the first female Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.
* [[April 10]] – [[President of Poland|Polish President]] [[Lech Kaczyński]] dies in an [[2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash|airplane crash]] near the city of [[Smolensk]], Russia, along with his wife and 94 other people on board.
* [[June 11]] – [[July 11]] – [[South Africa]] becomes the first country in [[Africa]] to host the [[2010 FIFA World Cup|FIFA World Cup]].
* [[June 24]] – [[Julia Gillard]] becomes the first female [[Prime Minister of Australia]].
* [[October 3]] – [[Dilma Rousseff]] is [[2010 Brazilian presidential election|elected]] as the first female [[president of Brazil]]. She serves as the president until [[Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff|her impeachment]] and removal from office on [[August 31]], 2016.
* [[November 13]] – [[Burma|Burmese]] opposition leader and [[Nobel Peace Prize|1991 Nobel Peace Prize]] laureate [[Aung San Suu Kyi]] is released from house arrest, after being incarcerated since 1989.
* [[December 17]] – The [[Arab Spring]], a [[revolutionary wave]], begins [[Tunisian Revolution|in Tunisia]], and eventually spreads across the [[Middle East]] and the [[Arab world]], with widespread [[protest]]s, [[Demonstration (protest)|demonstration]]s, [[riot]]s and [[civil war]]s for [[free elections]] and [[human rights]].

==== 2011 ====
* [[March 11]] – The [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami]] and subsequent [[Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster]] in [[Japan]] leave 15,899 people dead.
* [[May 2]] – [[Al-Qaeda]] leader [[Osama bin Laden]], the mastermind behind the [[Planning of the September 11 attacks|9/11 attacks]], is [[Death of Osama bin Laden|killed in a raid]] at [[Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad|his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan]] by the U.S. Navy's SEAL Team 6 (DEVGRU).
* [[July 10]] – Britain's largest [[Tabloid (newspaper format)|tabloid newspaper]], the ''[[News of the World]]'', shuts down after 168 years in print due to the [[News International phone hacking scandal|2009 phone hacking scandal]].
* [[July 14]] – [[South Sudan]], following the [[2011 South Sudanese independence referendum|January 2011 independence referendum]], becomes a member of the [[United Nations]].
* [[September 17]] – The [[Occupy movement]], an international protest movement against [[Social inequality|social]] and [[economic inequality]], takes shape. It is partially inspired by the Arab Spring and is one of the first significant global protest movements to occur in the age of [[social media]].
* [[October 20]] – Deposed dictator [[Muammar Gaddafi]] is [[Death of Muammar Gaddafi|captured and killed]] by the [[National Liberation Army (Libya)|National Liberation Army of Libya]], during the [[Libyan Civil War (2011)|Libyan Civil War]].
* [[November 16]] – Italy's long-term Prime Minister [[Silvio Berlusconi]] [[Resignation of Silvio Berlusconi|resigns]] amid public protests, financial crisis and [[Silvio Berlusconi prostitution trial|sexual scandals]].
* [[December 15]] – The [[Iraq War]] is formally declared over.
* [[December 17]] – [[Kim Jong-il]], [[Supreme Leader (North Korean title)|supreme leader of North Korea]], [[Death and state funeral of Kim Jong-il|dies]]. He is succeeded by his son [[Kim Jong-un]].

==== 2012 ====
[[File:Xi_Jinping_2019.jpg|thumb|upright|China's [[Xi Jinping]] has been the [[paramount leader]] since 2012.]]
* [[November 15]] – [[Xi Jinping]] becomes the [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party]], making him the [[paramount leader]] of [[China]] after [[Hu Jintao]].
* [[December 10]] – [[Séléka]] rebels seize power in the [[Central African Republic]], ousting the President and government and beginning a [[Central African Republic Civil War (2012–present)|civil war]].
* [[December 19]] – [[Park Geun-hye]] is [[2012 South Korean presidential election|elected]] [[President of South Korea]], the first woman to hold the position.

====2013====
* [[January 11]] – [[France]] [[Operation Serval|intervenes with its army]] in the [[Northern Mali conflict]], defeating the Islamists who had taken control of the country.
* [[February 28]] – [[Pope Benedict XVI]] resigns, becoming the first pope to do so since 1415. Benedict takes the title [[pope emeritus]]. At the subsequent [[Papal conclave, 2013|papal conclave]], Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina is elected pope on [[March 13]], becoming the first Latin American pope. Bergoglio takes the name of [[Pope Francis]].
* [[March 5]] – President of Venezuela [[Hugo Chávez]] dies due to prostate cancer and is succeeded by [[Nicolás Maduro]].
* [[March 21]] – Convicted Kurdish leader [[Abdullah Ocalan]] puts an end to the armed revolt against [[Turkey]].
* [[April 8]] – [[United Kingdom|British]] politician and former [[Prime Minister of the UK]] [[Margaret Thatcher]] [[Death and funeral of Margaret Thatcher|dies]] at the age of 87, from a stroke.
* [[July 1]] – [[Croatia]] becomes the [[2013 enlargement of the European Union|28th]] [[Member state of the European Union|member]] of the [[European Union]].
* [[September 14]] – [[Syria]] avoids an American intervention on its soil during the [[Syrian Civil War]], accepting to [[Destruction of Syria's chemical weapons|destroy]] all [[Syria and weapons of mass destruction|chemical weapons stocks owned]].
* [[November]] – [[China]] declares an "[[Air Defense Identification Zone (East China Sea)|Air Defense Identification Zone]]" in the [[East China Sea]], including over the [[Senkaku Islands]], a group of islands [[Senkaku Islands dispute|held by Japan, but claimed by both Japan and China]], and the [[Socotra Rock]], claimed by both China and South Korea.
* [[December 5]] – [[South Africa]]n political and civil leader [[Nelson Mandela]] dies at the age of 95, from natural causes.
* [[December 15]] – The [[South Sudanese Civil War]] breaks out.
* [[Iran]] allows international inspections on its nuclear policy in exchange of the removal of the sanctions and the right to produce a small amount of low-grade enriched uranium, thus marking an apparent new policy towards the [[United Nations]] under [[Hassan Rohani]]'s presidency.
* 2013–2014 – A [[2013–2014 Thai political crisis|political crisis in Thailand]] breaks out and the government declares [[martial law]].

====2014====
* [[February 22]] – Pro-Russian [[President of Ukraine]] [[Viktor Yanukovich]] is ousted amidst the [[Euromaidan]] revolution. The [[Russian Federation]] [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|annexes]] [[Crimea]] in response, and a "low intensity" [[War in Donbas (2014–2022)|war in Donbas]] breaks out between the Ukrainian government and Russian-backed separatists.
* [[May 26]] – [[Narendra Modi]] becomes 14th Prime Minister of [[India]], winning a clear majority in [[2014 Indian general election|the election]].
* [[September 18]] – [[Scotland]] votes to remain [[Countries of the United Kingdom|part]] of the [[United Kingdom]] during the [[2014 Scottish independence referendum]].
* [[September]]–[[October]] – During the [[Syrian civil war]], the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] rises and seizes territories in northern [[Iraq]] and Syria, near the border with Turkey. The [[United States]] [[Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve|lead a coalition]] of more than 30 countries [[Military intervention against ISIL|to destroy ISIL]]. Meanwhile, [[Russia]] [[Russia–Syria–Iran–Iraq coalition|leads its own coalition]], along with Syria, Iraq and Iran, and [[Russian military intervention in Syria|Russia's military action begins]] on [[September 30]], 2015.
* [[October 31]] – In [[Burkina Faso]], President [[Blaise Compaoré]] resigns amidst widespread protests, ending 27 years of leadership.
* [[December 17]] – United States President [[Barack Obama]] and Cuban President [[Raúl Castro]] announce the beginning of [[United States–Cuban Thaw|a process of normalizing relations]] between Cuba and the United States, ending a 54-year stretch of hostility between the two nations. Later, on [[July 20]], [[2015]], with [[Cuba–United States relations|full diplomatic relations]], the embassies of both countries are opened after five decades.

==== 2015 ====
* [[January 7]] – Two gunmen, brothers Saïd and Chérif Kouachi, commit [[Charlie Hebdo shooting|a mass murder]] at the offices of ''[[Charlie Hebdo]]'' in [[Paris]], killing 12 people. Following the attack, about two million people, including more than 40 world leaders, met in Paris for a [[Republican marches|rally of national unity]], and 3.7 million people joined demonstrations across the country. The phrase ''[[Je suis Charlie]]'' became a common slogan of support at the rallies and in social media.
* [[March 6]] – [[NASA]]'s ''[[Dawn (spacecraft)|Dawn]]'' probe enters orbit around [[Ceres (dwarf planet)|Ceres]], becoming the first spacecraft to visit a [[dwarf planet]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nasa.gov/press/2015/march/nasa-spacecraft-becomes-first-to-orbit-a-dwarf-planet/index.html |title=NASA Spacecraft Becomes First to Orbit a Dwarf Planet |work=NASA |date=March 6, 2015 |access-date=2 August 2023 |archive-date=17 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417141458/http://www.nasa.gov/press/2015/march/nasa-spacecraft-becomes-first-to-orbit-a-dwarf-planet/index.html |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31754586 |title=Nasa's Dawn probe achieves orbit around Ceres |work=BBC |date=March 6, 2015}}</ref>
* [[March 23]] – [[Singapore]]an politician and the 1st [[Prime Minister of Singapore]] [[Lee Kuan Yew]] [[Death and state funeral of Lee Kuan Yew|dies]] at the age of 91.
* [[April 25]] – [[April 2015 Nepal earthquake|A magnitude 7.8 earthquake]] strikes [[Nepal]] and causes 8,857 deaths<ref>{{cite news |title=Nepal earthquake: Hundreds die, many feared trapped |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-32461019 |date=April 25, 2015 |work=BBC News |access-date=June 21, 2018 |archive-date=June 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629132532/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-32461019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-04-26 |url=https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-nepal-quake-aftershock-20150426-story.html |title=Nepal earthquake death toll tops 3,200 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=2015-04-26 |first=Bhrikuti |last=Rai |archive-date=March 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327103019/https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-nepal-quake-aftershock-20150426-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> in Nepal, 130 in [[India]],<ref name="ht52">{{cite news |work=Hindustan Times |date=April 25, 2015 |access-date=April 25, 2015 |title=Nepal earthquake: 52 dead, hundreds injured in India, huge damage in bordering areas |url=http://m.hindustantimes.com/india-news/earthquake-spells-destruction-in-india-20-feared-dead-houses-damaged/article1-1340918.aspx |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150426005807/http://m.hindustantimes.com/india-news/earthquake-spells-destruction-in-india-20-feared-dead-houses-damaged/article1-1340918.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 26, 2015}}</ref> 27 in [[China]]<ref name="KSL">{{cite web |agency=Associated Press |publisher=KSL |date=April 25, 2015 |access-date=April 25, 2015 |title=Nepal quake: Hundreds dead, history crumbles, Everest shaken |url=http://www.ksl.com/?nid=157&sid=34379730 |archive-date=June 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612163904/https://www.ksl.com/?nid=157&sid=34379730 |url-status=live}}</ref> and 4 in [[Bangladesh]]<ref name=USAToday>{{cite news |last1=Stanglin |first1=Doug |title=Hundreds dead as 7.8 magnitude quake rocks Nepal |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/04/25/nepal-earthquake/26354073 |access-date=April 25, 2015 |agency=USA Today |archive-date=April 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150425133937/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/04/25/nepal-earthquake/26354073/ |url-status=live}}</ref> with a total of 9,018 deaths.
* [[April 29]] – The [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) declares that [[rubella]] has been eradicated from the [[Americas]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-32523300 |title=Rubella (German measles) eradicated from Americas |work=BBC |date=April 29, 2015 |access-date=June 21, 2018 |archive-date=June 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623233030/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-32523300 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[June 26]] – The [[Supreme Court of the United States]] determines that [[same-sex marriage in the United States|same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry]] in a landmark case ''[[Obergefell v. Hodges]]''.
* [[July 14]] – The [[P5+1]] (China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US + Germany) and [[Iran]] agree on final provisions of [[Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]] in regards to the latter's [[Nuclear program of Iran|nuclear program]].
* [[October]] – The [[Chinese Communist Party]] announces the end of the [[one-child policy]] after 35 years.
* [[November 13]] – [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|ISIL]] claims responsibility of the [[November 2015 Paris attacks]], which killed 137 and left 416 injured.
* [[November 24]] – [[Turkey]] [[2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown|shoots down]] a Russian [[Sukhoi Su-24M]] attack aircraft. This is the first case of a [[Member states of NATO|NATO member]] destroying a Russian aircraft since the [[attack on the Sui-ho Dam]] (during the [[Korean War]]).
* [[November 30]] – [[December 12]] – During the [[2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference|UN summit on Climate Change]], 193 nations [[Paris Agreement|agree]] to reduce carbon emissions starting in 2020.
* During the [[2015 European migrant crisis]], around 1.3 million people, most notably [[refugees]] of the wars in [[Syrian civil war|Syria]], [[War in Iraq (2013–2017)|Iraq]] and [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|Afghanistan]], flee to Europe to claim [[Right of asylum|asylum]], leading to considerable political upheaval in the [[European Union]]. [[Germany]] ultimately takes in the majority of the asylum seekers.

====2016====
* [[January 3]] – Following [[2016 attack on the Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran|the fallout]] caused by the [[Nimr al-Nimr#Execution and reaction against|execution of Nimr al-Nimr]], [[Saudi Arabia]] and several other countries end their [[Iran–Saudi Arabia relations|diplomatic relations]] with [[Iran]].<ref>{{cite tweet |user=AFP |author=AFP news agency |number=683742509407801346 |date=January 3, 2016 |title=#BREAKING Saudi Arabia severs ties with Iran, foreign minister says}}</ref>
* [[January 8]] – [[Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán|Joaquín Guzmán]], widely regarded as the world's most powerful drug trafficker, is recaptured following his escape from a maximum-security prison in Mexico.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-35275070 |title='El Chapo': Sean Penn interviewed Guzman before recapture |date=2016-01-10 |work=BBC News |access-date=2016-01-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110081340/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-35275070 |archive-date=January 10, 2016}}</ref>
* [[January 16]] 
** The [[International Atomic Energy Agency]] announces that Iran has adequately dismantled [[Iran and nuclear weapons|its nuclear weapons program]], allowing the [[United Nations]] to lift sanctions immediately.<ref>{{cite news |title=Iran nuclear deal: 'New chapter' for Tehran as sanctions end |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-35336707 |date=2016-01-17 |access-date=2016-01-17 |work=BBC |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160117063353/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-35336707 |archive-date=January 17, 2016}}</ref>
** In the [[2016 Taiwan general election|general election of the Republic of China (Taiwan)]], the Democratic Progressive Party, led by [[Tsai Ing-wen]], secured a majority in the Legislative Yuan, resulting in the first majority by a non-KMT party and the first majority won by the DPP. Tsai become the 14th President for [[Republic of China|Taiwan]], and also become the first female leader for China.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2015/09/16/2003627834 |title=Shih Ming-te fails to meet threshold, ends candidacy |work=taipeitimes.com |date=September 16, 2015 |access-date=February 4, 2019 |archive-date=January 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115075857/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2015/09/16/2003627834 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[January 28]] – The [[World Health Organization]] announces an [[2015–17 Zika virus epidemic|outbreak]] of the [[Zika virus]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/28/health/zika-virus-global-response/index.html |title=Zika virus spreading explosively |last=Botelho |first=Greg |date=2016-01-28 |access-date=2016-01-28 |work=CNN |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128131150/http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/28/health/zika-virus-global-response/index.html |archive-date=January 28, 2016}}</ref>
* [[June 5]] – [[Hillary Clinton]] becomes the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]'s nominee for president of the United States, making her the first woman to be nominated for president by a major party.
* [[June 23]] – The [[United Kingdom]] votes to [[Brexit|leave the European Union]] in the [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|June 2016 membership referendum]].
* [[July 15]] – [[July 16|16]] – A [[2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt|coup d'état]] is attempted in Turkey against state institutions, including but not limited to the government and President [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]]. The attempt is carried out by a faction within the [[Turkish Armed Forces]] that organized themselves as the [[Peace at Home Council]].
* [[September 2]] – 1st President of Uzbekistan [[Islam Karimov]] dies at age of 78, after 25 years in office.
* [[September 28]] – Former [[President of Israel]] and [[Nobel Peace Prize|1994 Nobel Peace Prize]] laureate [[Shimon Peres]] dies at the age of 93, from a massive stroke.
* [[October 13]] – [[Bhumibol Adulyadej]], the [[List of longest-reigning monarchs|longest-reigning]] [[Thailand|Thai]] monarch dies at the age of 88, from a long illness.
* [[November 8]] – [[Donald Trump]] is [[2016 United States presidential election|elected]] as the 45th president of the United States, defeating [[Hillary Clinton]].
* [[November 25]] – [[Cuba]]n political and revolutionary leader [[Fidel Castro]] [[Death and state funeral of Fidel Castro|dies]] at the age of 90.

====2017====
* [[January 21]] – [[January 22|22]] – In opposition to [[First inauguration of Donald Trump|Donald Trump's inauguration]], millions of people in the US and worldwide join the [[2017 Women's March|Women's March]].
* [[January 27]] – U.S. President [[Donald Trump]] signs an [[Executive Order 13769|executive order]] restricting travel and immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries. This order was blocked by the [[U.S. federal courts]]; a second, related order issued by Trump was also blocked by the federal courts. The block of second order was partially removed, by the Supreme Court, in June. The Supreme Court stated they would reconsider the order in October.
* [[March 10]] – The [[United Nations|UN]] warns that the world is facing the largest [[humanitarian crisis]] since [[World War II]], with up to 20 million people at risk of starvation and famine in [[Yemen]], [[Somalia]], [[South Sudan]] and [[Nigeria]].<ref>{{cite news |title=UN: World facing greatest humanitarian crisis since 1945 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-39238808 |access-date=March 11, 2017 |work=BBC News |date=March 11, 2017 |archive-date=March 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170311024224/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-39238808 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[March 29]] – The [[United Kingdom]] triggers [[Withdrawal from the European Union#Procedure|Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty]], starting the [[Brexit]] negotiations, the talks for the [[United Kingdom]] to leave the [[European Union]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Brexit: Article 50 has been triggered - what now? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39143978 |access-date=March 29, 2017 |work=BBC News |date=March 29, 2017 |archive-date=January 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103013048/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39143978 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[March 30]] – [[SpaceX]] conducts the world's first [[Reusable launch system|reflight]] of an orbital-class rocket.<ref>{{cite web |title=SpaceX Launches a Satellite With a Partly Used Rocket |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/30/science/spacex-launches-a-satellite-with-a-partly-used-rocket.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 30, 2017 |access-date=March 31, 2017 |archive-date=September 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200906083219/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/30/science/spacex-launches-a-satellite-with-a-partly-used-rocket.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Success for SpaceX 're-usable rocket' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-39451401 |work=BBC News |date=March 31, 2017 |access-date=March 31, 2017 |archive-date=May 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505091332/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-39451401 |url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[March 31]] – [[Horacio Cartes]] presents to Congress his plans of allowing the re-election of the [[president of Paraguay]] for a second term, going against the [[Constitution of Paraguay]], leading to a [[2017 Paraguayan crisis|political crisis]] which ended in the storm of Congress by liberal activists and in the assassination of Rodrigo Quintana by the police. After this, the Congress votes against the re-election project.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-04-01 |title=Rioters storm Paraguay congress and set it on fire after vote to extend president's term |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20170401-paraguayans-protest-congress-fire-secret-vote-president-cartes-term |access-date=2022-05-07 |website=France 24 |language=en |archive-date=May 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220507203833/https://www.france24.com/en/20170401-paraguayans-protest-congress-fire-secret-vote-president-cartes-term |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[October 27]] – [[Catalan declaration of independence|Catalonia declares independence]] from [[Spain]],<ref>{{cite news |date=27 October 2017 |title=Catalonia declares independence from Spain as political crisis deepens |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/27/europe/catalonia-independence-spain/index.html |work=CNN |access-date=27 October 2017 |archive-date=6 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171106105733/http://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/27/europe/catalonia-independence-spain/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref> but the declaration is not recognized by the Spanish government or any other sovereign nation.<ref>{{cite news |date=27 October 2017 |title=Catalans declare independence as Madrid imposes direct rule |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41780116 |work=BBC |access-date=27 October 2017 |archive-date=4 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204112602/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41780116 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== 2018 ====
* [[February 6]] – [[SpaceX]] successfully conducts the maiden flight of its most powerful rocket, the [[Falcon Heavy]], from [[Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39|LC39A]] at [[John F. Kennedy Space Center]] in [[Florida]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-42969020 |title=Elon Musk's Falcon Heavy rocket launches successfully |work=BBC News |date=February 6, 2018 |access-date=February 6, 2018}}</ref>
* [[February 9]] – [[February 25|25]] – The [[2018 Winter Olympics]] are held in [[Pyeongchang County|Pyeongchang]], [[South Korea]].<ref name="olympic1">{{cite web |title=Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics – Next Winter Olympic Games in Korea |url=http://www.olympic.org/pyeongchang-2018-winter-olympics |publisher=Olympic.org |access-date=February 28, 2015}}</ref>
* [[March 11]] – The [[National People's Congress]] of [[China]] approves a [[Constitution of the People's Republic of China|constitutional change]] removing [[term limits]] for its [[List of national leaders of the People's Republic of China|leaders]], granting [[Xi Jinping]] the status of "[[President for life|leader for life]]". Xi is the [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party]] ([[paramount leader]]).
* [[March 19]] – [[Paula-Mae Weekes]] becomes the first female [[President of Trinidad and Tobago|president]] of Trinidad and Tobago.
* [[March 24]] – In over 900 cities internationally, people participate in demonstrations against gun violence and mass shootings, calling for stronger gun control in the [[March for Our Lives]], which was a student-led demonstration in response to the [[Stoneman Douglas High School shooting]] in [[Parkland, Florida]], that took place in [[February 14]].
* [[May 9]] – The opposition-led [[Pakatan Harapan]] coalition, led by former [[Prime Minister of Malaysia|Prime Minister]] [[Mahathir Mohamad]], secures a [[2018 Malaysian general election|parliamentary majority]] in the [[Parliament of Malaysia|Malaysian Parliament]], ending the 61-year rule of the [[Barisan Nasional]] coalition in [[Malaysia]] since [[Independence Day (Malaysia)|independence]] in 1957.
* [[June 12]] – President [[Donald Trump]] and [[North Korea]]n leader [[Kim Jong Un]] attend a [[2018 North Korea–United States Singapore Summit|summit]] in [[Singapore]], the first meeting between the leaders of the two countries.
* [[June 23]]-[[10 July]] – [[Tham Luang cave rescue]]<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Safi |first1=Michael |last2=Goldberg |first2=Jacob |last3=Thoopkrajae |first3=Veena |date=2018-07-08 |title=Thailand cave rescue begins as four of 12 boys freed in day of drama |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/08/thailand-cave-rescue-begins-four-boys-freed |access-date=2025-01-24 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
* [[October 28]] – [[Jair Bolsonaro]] is [[2018 Brazilian general election|elected]] as the 38th president of [[Brazil]], after having been stabbed during the election campaign and undergoing three surgeries.

====2019====
* [[January 10]] – [[Venezuela]] enters a [[2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis|presidential crisis]] after the disputed results of the [[2018 Venezuelan presidential election]] leads to [[Juan Guaidó]] being declared the acting president, disputing [[Nicolás Maduro]].
* [[February 27]] – [[February 28|28]] – President [[Donald Trump]] and North Korean leader [[Kim Jong-un]] meet for the [[2019 North Korea–United States Hanoi Summit]] in [[Vietnam]].
* [[March 15]]:
** Over 2 million people in [[Hong Kong]] [[2019–2020 Hong Kong protests|protest]] against [[Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019|proposed legislation]] regarding [[extradition]] to China.
** At the first ever Global [[School Strike for Climate]], 1.4 million people in about 2,200 protests across 125 countries gathered urging decision-makers to take responsibility and stop the [[climate crisis]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Carrington |first=Damian |date=2019-03-19 |title=School climate strikes: 1.4 million people took part, say campaigners |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/19/school-climate-strikes-more-than-1-million-took-part-say-campaigners-greta-thunberg |access-date=2024-07-10 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
* [[March 23]] – Most of the territory formerly held by the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|Islamic State]] in Syria [[Battle of Baghuz Fawqani|collapses]] amidst the [[Syrian Civil War]]. After years of global [[International military intervention against ISIL|push back]], the extremist group transitions from a [[proto-state]] into an [[Eastern Syria insurgency (2017–present)|insurgency]] as it retains offshoots and influence in regions across the globe.
* [[April 11]] – Amid [[2018–19 Sudanese protests|mass protests]], [[Omar al-Bashir]] is deposed as [[President of Sudan]] in [[2019 Sudanese coup d'état|a coup d'état]], after nearly 30 years in office.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-47891470 |title=Sudan military says it has seized power |date=April 11, 2019 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=April 11, 2019}}</ref>
* [[April 15]] – [[Notre-Dame fire]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-04-16 |title=Notre-Dame fire: Millions pledged to rebuild cathedral |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-47943705 |access-date=2025-01-24 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>
* [[April 21]] – [[2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings|A series of Islamist bomb attacks]] occur at eight locations in [[Sri Lanka]], including three churches, four hotels and one housing complex in [[Colombo]], on [[Easter|Easter Sunday]], leaving 259 people dead and over 500 injured. It is the deadliest terrorist attack in the country since the [[Sri Lankan civil war|Sri Lankan Civil War]] ended in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/scores-hurt-in-sri-lanka-easter-church-bombings-20190421-p51fyn.html |title=Hundreds killed, 450 injured as explosions rock Catholic churches during Easter mass |date=April 22, 2019 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=April 22, 2019}}</ref>
* [[April 28]] – [[Victor Vescovo]] achieves the deepest dive of any human in history, as he reaches [[Challenger Deep]] within the [[Mariana Trench]], at a depth of 10,928&nbsp;m (35,853&nbsp;ft).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fivedeeps.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/FDE-Challenger-Release-FINAL-5132019.pdf |title=Deepest Submarine Dive in History, Five Deeps Expedition Conquers Challenger Deep |date=May 13, 2019 |access-date=May 13, 2019 |publisher=Five Deeps}}</ref>
* [[April 30]] – [[Emperor of Japan|Emperor]] [[Akihito]] of [[Japan]] [[2019 Japanese imperial transition|abdicates]] from his [[Chrysanthemum Throne|throne]], the first abdication by a Japanese monarch in almost two centuries. The abdication ends the [[Heisei]] [[Japanese era names|era of Japan]] and ushers in the [[Reiwa|Reiwa era]] with new emperor [[Naruhito]] ascending to the throne on [[May 1]].
* [[July 16]] – The [[European Parliament]] elects [[Ursula von der Leyen]] as the new [[president of the European Commission]].
* [[September 20]] - Likely the largest in world history, the [[September 2019 climate strikes]] included protests in 4,500 locations across over 150 countries and gathered roughly 6 million people, many of them schoolchildren.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Laville |first1=Sandra |last2=Watts |first2=Jonathan |date=2019-09-20 |title=Across the globe, millions join biggest climate protest ever |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/21/across-the-globe-millions-join-biggest-climate-protest-ever |access-date=2024-07-10 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
* [[December 10]] – [[Sanna Marin]], at the age of 34, becomes the world's youngest serving prime minister after being selected to lead [[Finland]]'s [[Social Democratic Party of Finland|Social Democratic Party]].
* [[December 18]] – President [[Donald Trump]] is [[First impeachment of Donald Trump|impeached]] by the [[United States House of Representatives]].
* [[December 31]] – The first known case of [[COVID-19]] is reported in [[Wuhan]], [[China]]; the disease would rapidly proliferate into a [[COVID-19 pandemic|global pandemic]] throughout the next three months.<ref name="Novel Coronavirus—China">{{cite web |title=WHO {{!}} Novel Coronavirus—China |url=https://www.who.int/csr/don/12-january-2020-novel-coronavirus-china/en/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114185815/https://www.who.int/csr/don/12-january-2020-novel-coronavirus-china/en/ |archive-date=14 January 2020 |website=WHO |access-date=9 April 2020}}</ref><ref name="5days">{{cite web |title=Covid-19: Five days that shaped the outbreak |first=Jane |last=McMullen |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-55756452 |date=25 January 2021 |access-date=25 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126021655/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-55756452 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===2020s===
{{main|2020s}}
[[File:George Floyd Miami Protest, June 7, 2020 17.jpg|thumb|[[George Floyd protests]] in Miami during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] in June 2020<ref>{{cite news |title=Did Floyd Protests Lead to a Virus Surge? Here's What We Know |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/01/nyregion/nyc-coronavirus-protests.html |work=The New York Times |date=1 July 2020 |access-date=8 July 2020 |archive-date=18 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201218060527/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/01/nyregion/nyc-coronavirus-protests.html |url-status=live}}</ref>]]
[[File:Joe Biden presidential portrait.jpg|thumb|[[Joe Biden]], the 46th [[president of the United States]] from 2021 to 2025<ref>{{Cite news |title=Biden Wins Presidency, According To AP, Edging Trump In Turbulent Race |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/11/07/928803493/biden-wins-presidency-according-to-ap-edging-trump-in-turbulent-race |access-date=2020-11-07 |newspaper=NPR |date=7 November 2020 |language=en |last1=Detrow |first1=Scott |last2=Khalid |first2=Asma |archive-date=25 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225155245/https://www.npr.org/2020/11/07/928803493/biden-wins-presidency-according-to-ap-edging-trump-in-turbulent-race |url-status=live}}</ref>]]
[[File:2021 storming of the United States Capitol 09 (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[January 6 United States Capitol attack]]]]
[[File:Taliban Humvee in Kabul, August 2021 (cropped).png|thumb|[[Fall of Kabul (2021)|Fall of Kabul]]]]
[[File:Destruction of Russian tanks by Ukrainian troops in Mariupol (4).jpg|thumb|[[Russian invasion of Ukraine]]]]
[[File:20220908-Buckingham Palace Elizabeth II death reactions (07).jpg|thumb|Crowds at [[Buckingham Palace]] following the [[death of Elizabeth II]]]]
[[File:Corpo de Bento XVI em câmara ardente.(2).png|thumb|[[Death and funeral of Pope Benedict XVI]]]]
[[File:Invasão do prédio do Congresso Nacional (52616674782).jpg|thumb|[[2023 Brazilian Congress attack]]]]
[[File:Collage of 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake.jpg|thumb|[[2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes]]]]
[[File:3003 West Tasman Drive entrance 2, Santa Clara, California.jpg|thumb|[[Collapse of Silicon Valley Bank]]]]
[[File:2023 Coronation Balcony.jpg|thumb|[[Coronation of Charles III and Camilla]]]]
[[File:Prigozhin rebellion Rostov tank with flowers in the muzzle June 24.jpg|thumb|[[Wagner Group rebellion]]]]
[[File:Buildings in Gaza Strip being levelled by Israeli missiles (cropped).png|thumb |[[Gaza war]]]]

====2020====
* [[January 2]] – The [[Royal Australian Air Force]] and [[Royal Australian Navy|Navy]] are deployed to [[New South Wales]] and [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] to assist mass evacuation efforts amidst the [[2019–20 Australian bushfire season]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Military moves in to help mass evacuation from Australian bushfires |work=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/australia-wildfires-jan1-1.5412274 |access-date=November 15, 2020 |archive-date=December 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223165119/https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/australia-wildfires-jan1-1.5412274 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Marnie |first1=O'Neill |title=Half a billion animals perish in bushfires |url=https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/half-a-billion-animals-perish-in-bushfires/news-story/b316adb4f3af7b1c8464cf186ab9f52c |access-date=January 3, 2020 |work=News.com.au |date=January 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103031916/https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/half-a-billion-animals-perish-in-bushfires/news-story/b316adb4f3af7b1c8464cf186ab9f52c |archive-date=January 3, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[January 5]] – [[2019–20 Croatian presidential election]] – The second round of voting is held and [[Zoran Milanović]] of the [[Social Democratic Party of Croatia]] defeats [[incumbent]] [[President of Croatia|president]] [[Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 6, 2020 |title=Croatia elects centre-left challenger Zoran Milanovic as president |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51006754 |access-date=March 3, 2022 |archive-date=April 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408145737/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51006754 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[January 10]] – [[Haitham bin Tariq]] succeeds [[Qaboos bin Said]] as the [[Sultan of Oman]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50902476 |title=Sultan Qaboos of Oman dies aged 79 |date=January 11, 2020 |access-date=January 11, 2020 |work=[[BBC News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115183138/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50902476 |archive-date=January 15, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Oman's new ruler Haitham bin Tariq takes oath: newspapers |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oman-sultan-successor-media/omans-new-ruler-haitham-bin-tariq-takes-oath-newspapers-idUSKCN1ZA078 |access-date=January 11, 2020 |work=Reuters |date=January 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200111063255/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oman-sultan-successor-media/omans-new-ruler-haitham-bin-tariq-takes-oath-newspapers-idUSKCN1ZA078 |archive-date=January 11, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[January 11]] – [[2020 Taiwanese presidential election|Presidential]] and [[2020 Taiwanese legislative election|legislative elections]] are held in [[Taiwan]]. [[Incumbent]] [[President of the Republic of China|president]] [[Tsai Ing-wen]] is reelected and the [[Democratic Progressive Party]] wins a majority of 67 out of 113 seats in the [[Legislative Yuan]].<ref>{{cite web |date=January 11, 2020 |title=Taiwan election: Tsai Ing-Wen wins landslide in rebuke to China |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/11/taiwan-re-elects-tsai-ing-wen-as-president-in-clear-message-to-china |access-date=February 28, 2022 |website=The Guardian |language=en |archive-date=February 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220203042957/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/11/taiwan-re-elects-tsai-ing-wen-as-president-in-clear-message-to-china |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=January 11, 2020 |title=Taiwan opposition candidate admits defeat in presidential election |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-taiwan-election-opposition-idUSKBN1ZA0HJ |access-date=February 28, 2022 |archive-date=January 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200122200159/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-taiwan-election-opposition-idUSKBN1ZA0HJ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://vote.nccu.edu.tw/engcec/B202000E.PDF |title=Election Result By Parties Votes For The 10th Regional Legislators Elections (National Level Public Officials Election-Taiwan, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128114956/https://vote.nccu.edu.tw/engcec/B202000E.PDF |archive-date=November 28, 2022 |access-date=January 6, 2023}}</ref>
* [[January 31]] – The [[United Kingdom]] becomes the first member state to [[Brexit|leave]] the [[European Union]].
* [[May 26]] – [[George Floyd protests|Protests]] break out following the [[murder of George Floyd]] across [[List of George Floyd protests in the United States|hundreds of cities in the United States]] and even smaller ones [[List of George Floyd protests outside the United States|outside the US]]. [[Derek Chauvin]], the officer responsible for Floyd's murder, would ultimately be [[State v. Chauvin|convicted]] on two counts of murder and one of manslaughter in the wake of the protests.
* [[June 30]] – [[China]] passes the controversial [[2020 Hong Kong national security law|Hong Kong national security law]], allowing China to crack down on opposition to Beijing at home or abroad.
* [[August 11]] – [[Kamala Harris]] becomes the Democratic Party's nominee for vice-president of the United States, making her the first [[African Americans|African-American]], the first [[Asian Americans|Asian-American]] and the third female vice presidential running mate on a major party ticket.
* [[August 18]] – A mutiny in a military base by soldiers of the [[Malian Armed Forces]] develops into [[2020 Malian coup d'état|a coup d'état]]. [[President of Mali|President]] [[Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta]] and [[Prime Minister of Mali|Prime Minister]] [[Boubou Cissé]], among other senior governmental and military officers, are forced to resign.
* [[August 28]] – [[Prime Minister of Japan|Japanese Prime Minister]] [[Shinzo Abe]], the [[List of prime ministers of Japan|longest-serving prime minister]] in the [[history of Japan]], announces his pending resignation from office, citing ill health, he was replaced by [[Yoshihide Suga]] and [[Fumio Kishida]].
* [[September 4]] – [[Kosovo–Serbia relations|Kosovo and Serbia]] announce that they will [[2020 Kosovo–Serbia agreement|normalize economic relations]].
* [[September 29]] – The [[Emir of Kuwait]] [[Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah|Sheikh Sabah al-Sabah]] dies at the age of 91. Crown Prince [[Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah]] is named his successor.
* [[November 3]] – [[Joe Biden]] is [[2020 United States presidential election|elected]] as the 46th president of the United States, and [[Kamala Harris]] is elected as vice-president. Biden is the oldest person elected to a first term.
* [[November 15]]:
** [[President of Kyrgyzstan]] [[Sooronbay Jeenbekov]] resigns from office after weeks of [[2020 Kyrgyzstan protests|massive protests]] in the wake of the [[October 2020 Kyrgyz parliamentary election|October 2020 parliamentary election]]; opposition leader [[Sadyr Japarov]] assumes office as both the acting president and [[Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan]].
** The [[Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership|Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)]] is signed by 15 [[Asia-Pacific]] countries to form the world's largest free-trade bloc, covering a third of the world's population.

====2021====
* [[January 1]] – The [[African Continental Free Trade Area]] comes into effect.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/1/1/after-months-of-covid-delays-african-free-trade-bloc-launches |title=After months of COVID delays, African free trade bloc launches |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=1 January 2021 |access-date=3 January 2021}}</ref>
* [[January 6]] – [[2021 storming of the United States Capitol|Pro-Trump rioters storm the US Capitol]], disrupting the Congressional certification of United States President-elect [[Joe Biden]]. Trump is [[Second impeachment of Donald Trump|impeached a second time]] a week later for his role in the storming, making him the first US federal official to be impeached more than once and the first president to have his [[Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump|trial]] occur after his tenure expired.
* [[January 20]] – [[Joe Biden]] and [[Kamala Harris]] are [[Inauguration of Joe Biden|inaugurated]] as the 46th and 49th [[President of the United States|President]] and [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] of the United States. Harris becomes the first Black, South Asian and female Vice President.
* [[January 22]] – The [[Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons]], the first legally binding international agreement comprehensively to prohibit nuclear weapons, comes into effect.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/01/1082702 |title=Guterres hails entry into force of treaty banning nuclear weapons |date=22 January 2021 |website=UN News |access-date=December 7, 2023 |archive-date=April 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424161740/https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/01/1082702 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[January 26]] – COVID-19 pandemic: The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases exceeds 100 million worldwide.<ref>{{cite news |date=26 January 2021 |title=COVID-19: 100 million coronavirus cases recorded worldwide – a year after virus first officially diagnosed |url=https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-100-million-coronavirus-cases-recorded-worldwide-a-year-after-virus-first-officially-diagnosed-12191487 |work=Sky News |access-date=27 January 2021 |archive-date=February 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214220316/https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-100-million-coronavirus-cases-recorded-worldwide-a-year-after-virus-first-officially-diagnosed-12191487 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[February 1]] – A [[2021 Myanmar coup d'état|coup d'état]] in [[Myanmar]] removes [[Aung San Suu Kyi]] from power and restores [[Tatmadaw|military]] rule.<ref>{{cite web |title=Military takes control of Myanmar; Suu Kyi reported detained |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/reports-military-coup-myanmar-suu-kyi-detained-75602314 |website=ABC |access-date=1 February 2021 |date=1 February 2021 |archive-date=3 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303001114/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/reports-military-coup-myanmar-suu-kyi-detained-75602314 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[February 18]] – [[NASA]]'s [[Mars 2020]] mission (containing the ''[[Perseverance (rover)|Perseverance]]'' rover and ''[[Mars Helicopter Ingenuity|Ingenuity]]'' helicopter drone) lands on [[Mars]] at [[Jezero (crater)|Jezero Crater]], after seven months of travel.<ref>{{cite web |last=mars.nasa.gov |title=Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/ |access-date=2021-02-18 |website=mars.nasa.gov |language=en |archive-date=4 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604025605/https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[April 30]] – [[June 13]] – A [[2021 Meron crowd crush|crush]] during a pilgrimage on [[Lag BaOmer]], renewed violence during the [[2021 Israel-Palestine crisis]] and continuing problems with the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Israel]] precede the [[2021 Israeli presidential election]]. Amidst the election, [[Naftali Bennett]] and [[Yair Lapid]] agree to a rotation government, [[Thirty-sixth government of Israel|first]] headed by Bennett, in order to oust [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] as [[Prime Minister of Israel|Prime Minister]] as the month of crises is the culmination of scandals and corruption, including financial criminal charges, during Netanyahu's record long tenure.
* [[June 7]] – The ''[[Juno (spacecraft)|Juno]]'' spacecraft performs its only flyby of [[Jupiter]]'s moon [[Ganymede (moon)|Ganymede]], the first flyby of the moon by any spacecraft in over 20 years.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Agle |first1=D.C. |last2=Fox |first2=Karen |last3=Johnson |first3=Alana |last4=Schmid |first4=Deb |title=NASA's Juno to Get a Close Look at Jupiter's Moon Ganymede |url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-s-juno-to-get-a-close-look-at-jupiter-s-moon-ganymede |website=[[NASA]] |access-date=3 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603202011/https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-s-juno-to-get-a-close-look-at-jupiter-s-moon-ganymede/ |archive-date=3 June 2021 |date=3 June 2021 |quote=On Monday, June 7 [...] NASA's Juno spacecraft will come within 645 miles (1,038 kilometers) of the surface of Jupiter's largest moon, Ganymede. The flyby will be the closest a spacecraft has come to the solar system's largest natural satellite since NASA's Galileo spacecraft made its penultimate close approach back on May 20, 2000. |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Berger |first1=Eric |title=NASA extends Juno, turning spacecraft into an Io, Europa, and Ganymede explorer |url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/01/nasa-extends-missions-to-jupiter-and-mars-expect-lots-of-jovian-moon-flybys/ |website=[[Ars Technica]] |access-date=3 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603202029/https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/01/nasa-extends-missions-to-jupiter-and-mars-expect-lots-of-jovian-moon-flybys/ |archive-date=3 June 2021 |date=12 January 2021 |quote=As part of a research plan submitted by Scott Bolton, Juno's principal investigator, the spacecraft will fly to within 1,000km of the surface of Ganymede... |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[July 7]] – [[Haitian President]] [[Jovenel Moïse]], is [[Assassination of Jovenel Moïse|assassinated]] in a midnight attack by an unknown group of gunmen.
* [[August 15]] – The Taliban [[Fall of Kabul (2021)|regain control of Kabul]] after US forces and the [[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan|republican government]] flee Afghanistan, marking the end of the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|War in Afghanistan]] after nearly 20 years.<ref>{{cite news |date=16 August 2021 |title=Afghanistan conflict: Kabul falls to Taliban as president flees |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58223231 |work=BBC News |access-date=16 August 2021 |archive-date=16 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816071218/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58223231 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[November 30]] – [[Barbados]] becomes a republic by replacing [[Elizabeth II]] as Queen with [[Sandra Mason]] as [[President of Barbados|president]] in the role of head of state.
* [[December 25]] – [[NASA]], [[European Space Agency|ESA]], the [[Canadian Space Agency]] and the [[Space Telescope Science Institute]] launch the [[James Webb Space Telescope]], the successor of the [[Hubble Space Telescope]].

====2022====
* [[January 2]] – [[Abdalla Hamdok]] [[resign]]s as [[List of heads of government of Sudan|Prime Minister of Sudan]] amid deadly protests.<ref>{{Cite web |first1=Alaa |last1=Elassar |first2=Pierre |last2=Meilhan |title=Sudan's Prime Minister resigns amid violent anti-coup protests that have left at least 57 people dead |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/02/world/sudan-protest-killed-anti-coup-security-forces/index.html |date=2022-01-02 |publisher=CNN |access-date=January 3, 2022 |archive-date=January 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220103005643/https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/02/world/sudan-protest-killed-anti-coup-security-forces/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[January 4]] – The [[Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council|five permanent members of the UN Security Council]]—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States—issue a rare joint statement affirming that "a [[nuclear war]] cannot be won and must never be fought."<ref>{{cite news|date=4 January 2022|title='No one can win a nuclear war': Superpowers release rare joint statement|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/no-one-can-win-a-nuclear-war-superpowers-release-rare-joint-statement-20220104-p59lmf.html|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=4 January 2022|archive-date=January 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220104104414/https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/no-one-can-win-a-nuclear-war-superpowers-release-rare-joint-statement-20220104-p59lmf.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[February 4]] – [[February 20|20]] – The [[2022 Winter Olympics]] are held in [[Beijing]], China, making it the first city ever to host both the [[Summer Olympic Games|Summer Olympics]] and [[Winter Olympic Games|Winter Olympics]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2022 Olympics – Next Winter Olympic Games {{!}} Beijing 2022 |url=https://www.olympic.org/beijing-2022 |date=May 28, 2020 |website=International Olympic Committee |access-date=May 29, 2020 |archive-date=27 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227173804/https://www.olympic.org/beijing-2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[February 24]] – After a prolonged [[Prelude to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|military buildup]], Russia launches an [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|invasion]] of Ukraine.
* [[June 24]] – The Supreme Court [[Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization|rules]] that the [[Constitution of the United States]] does not confer a right to abortion, thus overruling the 1973 case ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'', and its related 1992 case ''[[Planned Parenthood v. Casey]]''. [[2022–2023 abortion protests|Protests erupt across nearly every major city]] in the United States.
* [[July 8]] – Former [[Prime Minister of Japan]] [[Shinzo Abe]] is [[Assassination of Shinzo Abe|assassinated]] while giving a public speech in the city of [[Nara, Nara|Nara]], Japan.
* [[September 8]] – [[Elizabeth II]], the [[List of monarchs in Britain by length of reign|longest reigning British monarch]] and [[List of longest-reigning monarchs|longest reigning female monarch]] [[Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II|dies]], and is succeeded by [[Charles III]], her eldest child.
* [[October 30]] – [[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]] is [[2022 Brazilian general election|elected]] as the 39th president of [[Brazil]], after defeating incumbent [[Jair Bolsonaro]], becoming the first Brazilian president to be elected for a third term.
* [[November 24]] – Long-time [[Leader of the Opposition (Malaysia)|opposition leader]] [[Anwar Ibrahim]] is appointed by [[Yang di-Pertuan Agong]] [[Abdullah of Pahang|Abdullah]] as [[Prime Minister of Malaysia]].
* [[November 30]] – [[OpenAI]] releases [[ChatGPT]], an [[artificial intelligence]] [[chatbot]] able to answer questions and write essays.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vanian |first=Jonathan |title=Why tech insiders are so excited about ChatGPT, a chatbot that answers questions and writes essays |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/13/chatgpt-is-a-new-ai-chatbot-that-can-answer-questions-and-write-essays.html |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=CNBC |date=December 13, 2022 |language=en |archive-date=February 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207225656/https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/13/chatgpt-is-a-new-ai-chatbot-that-can-answer-questions-and-write-essays.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-05 |title=OpenAI's ChatGPT, launched last week, used by over 1 million in 6 days: CEO |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/technology/openais-chatgpt-launched-last-week-used-by-over-1-million-in-6-days-ceo-101670234260469.html |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en |archive-date=February 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207220718/https://www.hindustantimes.com/technology/openais-chatgpt-launched-last-week-used-by-over-1-million-in-6-days-ceo-101670234260469.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[December 7]] – The [[Congress of the Republic of Peru|Congress]] of [[Peru]] removes [[President of Peru|President]] [[Pedro Castillo]] from office and arrests him after he tries to dissolve congress in a [[2022 Peruvian self-coup attempt|coup attempt]], Vice President [[Dina Boluarte]] succeeds him, leading to [[Peruvian protests (2022–present)|large protests]] against Boluarte and in favor of Castillo to erupt.
* [[December 19]] – At the [[2022 United Nations Biodiversity Conference|UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15)]], nearly 200 countries agree a landmark deal to protect a third of the planet for nature by 2030.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/19/cop15-historic-deal-signed-to-halt-biodiversity-loss-by-2030-aoe |title=Cop15: historic deal struck to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 |work=The Guardian |date=19 December 2022 |access-date=19 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64019324 |title=COP15: Nations reach 'historic' deal to protect nature |work=BBC News |date=19 December 2022 |access-date=19 December 2022}}</ref>
* [[December 29]] – [[Brazil national football team|Brazilian]] [[association football|football]] legend [[Pelé]] dies at the age of 82.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brazilian football legend Pele dies at age 82 |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/29/brazilian-football-legend-pele-dies-aged-82 |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}</ref>
* [[December 31]] – [[Pope Benedict XVI|Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI]], who served from 2005 until his resignation in 2013, [[Death and funeral of Pope Benedict XVI|dies]] at the age of 95.

====2023====
* [[January 1]] – [[Croatia]] adopts the [[euro]] and joins the [[Schengen Area]], becoming the 20th member state of the [[Eurozone]] and the 27th member of the Schengen Area. This is the first enlargement of the Eurozone since [[Lithuania]]'s entry in [[2015]], and the first enlargement of the Schengen Area since [[Liechtenstein]]'s entry in [[2011]].<ref>{{cite web |date=July 12, 2022 |title=Croatia set to join the euro area on 1 January 2023: Council adopts final required legal acts |url=https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022/07/12/croatia-set-to-join-the-euro-area-on-1-january-2023-council-adopts-final-required-legal-acts/ |access-date=July 16, 2022 |website=European Council/Council of the European Union |archive-date=July 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220725212627/https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022/07/12/croatia-set-to-join-the-euro-area-on-1-january-2023-council-adopts-final-required-legal-acts/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="currency">{{cite web |last=Buckley |first=Julia |title=This popular European country just got a new currency |url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/croatia-joins-euro-zone-schengen/index.html |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=CNN |date=January 2, 2023 |archive-date=January 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230103001950/https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/croatia-joins-euro-zone-schengen/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[February 6]] – Two [[2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake|earthquakes]] strike southern [[Turkey]], the first 7.8 () in Gaziantep Province and the other 7.5 {{M|ww}} in Kahramanmaraş Province, causing widespread damage and at least 58,000 deaths in [[Turkey]] and [[Syria]], with more than 120,000 injured.<ref>{{cite news |date=2023-02-06 |title=Earthquake Kills More Than 110 People in Turkey, Syria |language=en |work=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-06/magnitude-7-7-earthquake-strikes-in-turkey-gfz |access-date=2023-02-06 |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206014835/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-06/magnitude-7-7-earthquake-strikes-in-turkey-gfz |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2023-02-06 |title=Powerful quake kills at least 360 people in Turkey, Syria |url=https://apnews.com/article/earthquake-shakes-turkey-b927808f6a5c54bdb669120faa40b7bc |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=AP NEWS |language=en |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206020324/https://apnews.com/article/earthquake-shakes-turkey-b927808f6a5c54bdb669120faa40b7bc |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[February 27]] – The United Kingdom and the European Union reach a [[Windsor Framework|new agreement]] surrounding modifications to the [[Northern Ireland Protocol]].
* [[March 10]] – The [[National People's Congress]] unanimously re-elects [[Xi Jinping]] as the [[President of the People's Republic of China]] to an unprecedented third term.
* [[March 17]] – The [[International Criminal Court]] issues [[Vladimir Putin arrest warrant|an arrest warrant]] for Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]], the first against a [[Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council|permanent member]] of the [[United Nations Security Council]].
* [[April 4]] – [[Finland]] becomes the 31st member of [[NATO]], doubling its border with Russia.
* [[April 14]] – [[Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer]] (JUICE) is launched by the [[European Space Agency]] (ESA) to search for life in the [[Moons of Jupiter|Jovian system]], with an expected arrival date of 2031.
* [[May 5]] – [[World Health Organization]] declares end of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] global health emergency.
* [[May 6]]: The [[coronation of Charles III and Camilla]] as [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|King]] and [[List of British royal consorts|Queen]] of the [[United Kingdom]] and the other [[Commonwealth realm]]s is held in [[Westminster Abbey]], [[London]].
* [[June 14]]: Scientists report the creation of the first synthetic [[Human embryonic development|human embryo]] from [[stem cell]]s, without the need for [[sperm]] or [[egg]] cells.
* [[June 19]]: The [[United Nations General Assembly]] unanimously adopts the [[High Seas Treaty]], the first [[treaty]] aimed towards [[marine conservation]] in [[international waters]].
* [[June 23]] – The [[Wagner group]] launches a [[Wagner Group rebellion|rebellion]] against the Russian government.
* [[July 14]] – [[SAG-AFTRA]] announces it will begin [[2023 SAG-AFTRA strike|an ongoing strike]] against the major film and TV studios in protest of low compensation, ownership of work, and [[generative AI]].
* [[August 18]] – The [[United States]], [[Japan]], and [[South Korea]] agree to sign a [[American–Japanese–Korean trilateral pact|trilateral pact]].
* [[August 23]]:
** India's [[Chandrayaan-3]] becomes the first spacecraft to land near the [[Lunar south pole|south pole]] of the [[Moon]].
** [[Wagner Group]] leader [[Yevgeny Prigozhin]] and founder [[Dmitry Utkin]] are killed when their plane [[2023 Wagner Group plane crash|crashes]] outside of Moscow, killing eight others.
* [[August 30]] – In the hours following the announcement of incumbent president [[Ali Bongo Ondimba]]'s reelection as [[President of Gabon|President]] of [[Gabon]] after the [[2023 Gabonese general election|2023 presidential election]], the [[Armed Forces of Gabon|military]] launches [[2023 Gabonese coup d'état|a successful coup d'état]] and creates the [[Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions]] to govern the country, ending the rule of the Bongo family after 56 years in power.
* [[September 9]] – At the [[2023 G20 New Delhi summit|18th G20 summit]] in [[New Delhi]], the [[African Union]] is announced as the 21st permanent member of the [[G20]].
* [[September 10]] – [[Storm Daniel]], a [[Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone]] makes landfall in [[Libya]], killing at least 5,000 people, with Libyan authorities announcing between 10,000 and 100,000 missing. In the city of [[Derna, Libya|Derna]] in [[Libya]], two dams collapsed, resulting in a quarter of the city being destroyed.
* [[September 28]] – [[President of Artsakh]] [[Samvel Shahramanyan]] signs a decree that will dissolve all [[Government of Artsakh|state institutions of Artsakh]] by 1 January 2024, bringing an end to the breakaway state.
* [[October 7]]:
** [[Hamas]] militants launch a large-scale [[October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel|attack]] from the [[Gaza Strip]], infiltrating southern [[Israel]] and prompting a [[Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip|full military response]] from the [[Israel Defense Forces]].
** [[2023 Herat earthquakes|A doublet earthquake]] occurs in [[Herat Province]] in [[Afghanistan]], killing 2,000 people and injuring over 9,000, with tremors felt in [[Iran]] and [[Turkmenistan]]. The earthquake is the deadliest in the country since [[May 1998 Afghanistan earthquake|1998]].
* [[October 8]] – Israel's [[Security Cabinet of Israel|Security Cabinet]] formally [[declaration of war|declares war]], for the first time since the [[Yom Kippur War]] in 1973, on [[Hamas]].
* [[October 15]] – Twenty-one species in the United States are declared extinct by the [[US Fish and Wildlife Service]]. These are one [[mammal]], ten [[birds]], two [[fish]], and eight [[mussels]].
* [[November 1]] – The first [[2023 AI Safety Summit|AI Safety Summit]] takes place in the United Kingdom, with 28 countries signing a "world first agreement" on how to manage the riskiest forms of [[artificial intelligence]].
* [[November 9]]:
** U.S. surgeons at [[NYU Langone Health]] announce the [[Eye transplantation#2023 NYU Langone Health attempt|world's first whole eye transplant]].
** [[SAG-AFTRA]] ends its [[2023 SAG-AFTRA strike|strike]] at 12:01&nbsp;a.m. PDT following a tentative deal reached the day prior.
* [[November 24]] – [[Somalia]] is admitted as the eighth member of the [[East African Community]], having applied for membership in 2012.
* [[December 6]] – [[Google DeepMind]] releases the [[Gemini (language model)|Gemini Language Model]]. Gemini will act as a [[Foundation models|foundational model]] integrated into Google's existing tools, including [[Google Search|search]] and [[Bard (chatbot)|Bard]].
* [[December 12]] – At the [[2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference|COP28]] climate summit in [[Dubai]], a consensus is reached for countries to "transition away" from fossil fuels, the first such agreement in the conference's 30-year history.
* [[December 16]] – [[Emir of Kuwait]] [[Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah]] dies at the age of 86 and is succeeded by his half-brother [[Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah]].

====2024====
* [[January 1]]:
** [[Egypt]], [[Ethiopia]], [[Iran]], [[Saudi Arabia]], and the [[United Arab Emirates]] become [[BRICS]] members.
** The [[Republic of Artsakh]] is formally dissolved as [[Nagorno-Karabakh]] unifies with [[Azerbaijan]].
** [[Ethiopia]] announces an agreement with [[Somaliland]] to use the port of [[Berbera]]. Ethiopia also says that it will eventually recognize Somaliland's [[Somaliland Declaration of Independence|independence]], becoming the first country to do so.
** Disney's copyright protection on [[Steamboat Willie]] and the original [[Mickey Mouse]] expires as they [[2024 in public domain|enter the public domain]].
* [[January 8]]:
** [[Astrobotic Technology]] alongside [[NASA]] [[Peregrine Mission One|launch]] the first commercial Lunar Lander. Seven hours after launch, an anomaly prevents stable orientation due to propulsion issues, resulting in critical fuel loss and the abandonment of the moon landing.
** [[President of Ecuador|Ecuadorian President]] [[Daniel Noboa]] [[2024 conflict in Ecuador|declares]] a [[state of emergency]] following the escape of Los Choneros drug cartel leader [[José Adolfo Macías Villamar]], from prison.
* [[January 13]] – [[2024 Taiwanese presidential election]]: [[Lai Ching-te]] of the ruling [[Democratic Progressive Party]] wins with 40% of the votes.
* [[January 14]]:
** [[Margrethe II|Queen Margrethe II]] of [[Denmark]] formally [[Abdication of Margrethe II|abdicates]] as [[Queen of Denmark|Queen]] on the 52nd anniversary of her accession, with her eldest son Frederik succeeding her as [[Frederik X|King Frederik X]].
** [[2024 Comorian presidential election]]: Amid an opposition boycott, incumbent president [[Azali Assoumani]] wins re-election with 62.9% of the vote and only 16.3% voter turnout.
* [[January 15]]: Following a brief political crisis in the aftermath of the [[2023 Guatemalan general election|2023 elections]], [[Bernardo Arévalo]] is [[Inauguration of Bernardo Arévalo|inaugurated]] as the 52nd President of Guatemala.
* [[January 19]]: Japan becomes the fifth country to successfully [[Soft landing|soft land]] on the Moon, with its [[Smart Lander for Investigating Moon|SLIM]] mission.
* [[January 26]] – [[2024 Tuvaluan general election]]: [[Kausea Natano]], the incumbent Prime Minister of Tuvalu, loses reelection to Parliament. A month later, [[Feleti Teo]] is elected prime minister.
* [[February 4]]:
** [[President of Namibia]] [[Hage Geingob]] dies at the age of 82, and is succeeded by his vice-president [[Nangolo Mbumba]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Petersen |first=Shelleygan |date=2024-02-04 |title=President Hage Geingob is dead |url=https://www.namibian.com.na/president-hage-geingob-is-dead/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204053823/https://www.namibian.com.na/president-hage-geingob-is-dead/ |archive-date=4 February 2024 |access-date=2024-02-04 |website=The Namibian |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-02-04 |title=Hage Geingob, Namibia's president, dies aged 82 after cancer treatment |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/04/hage-geingob-namibias-president-dies-aged-82-after-cancer-treatment |access-date=2024-02-04 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |agency=Agence France-Presse}}</ref>
** [[2024 Salvadoran general election]]: Incumbent President [[Nayib Bukele]] wins the election with over 80% of the vote, becoming the first president to be reelected in [[El Salvador]] since [[1944 Salvadoran presidential election|1944]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-05 |title=El Salvador's Bukele is already claiming a big election win, but a troubled count delays results |url=https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-nayib-bukele-president-reelection-ef04e20d901908099f4f787b841aca89 |access-date=2024-02-05 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=After Nayib Bukele's crushing, unconstitutional victory, what next? |url=https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2024/02/05/after-nayib-bukeles-crushing-unconstitutional-victory-what-next |access-date=2024-02-05 |newspaper=The Economist |issn=0013-0613}}</ref>
*[[February 6]] – Former [[President of Chile]] [[Sebastián Piñera]] [[Death and state funeral of Sebastián Piñera|dies in a helicopter crash]] at the age of 74.<ref>{{Cite web |work=BBC |title=Sebastián Piñera: Former president of Chile dies in helicopter crash |first1=Patrick |last1=Jackson |first2=Vanessa |last2=Buschschlüter |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-68223520 |date=6 February 2024 |access-date=7 February 2024 |archive-date=7 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240207003816/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-68223520 |url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[February 7]] – [[2024 Azerbaijani presidential election]]: Amid an opposition boycott, President [[Ilham Aliyev]] is reelected to a fifth term.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-07 |title=Azerbaijan's president is likely to win election after a blitz offensive reclaimed Karabakh region |url=https://apnews.com/article/azerbaijan-election-ilham-aliyev-39a3b0811de492afdcc96e2f17b6f797 |access-date=2024-02-07 |website=Associated Press |language=en}}</ref>
* [[February 8]] – [[2024 Pakistani general election]]: [[Independent politician|Independent]] politicians, most of whom are members of the [[PTI intra-party elections case|banned]] political party [[Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf]], win a plurality of seats in the [[National Assembly of Pakistan|National Assembly]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Imran Khan loyalists win shock victory in Pakistan election |url=https://www.ft.com/content/35a6dd5b-2924-40ad-a650-004ec6379e00 |access-date=2024-02-09 |website=www.ft.com}}</ref>
* [[29 February]] – [[Flour massacre]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-29 |title='Pity us': Desperate Gazans reel from aid trucks 'massacre' |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240229-pity-us-desperate-gazans-reel-from-aid-trucks-massacre |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=France 24 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[March 7]] – [[Sweden]] officially joins [[NATO]], becoming its 32nd member.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sweden officially joins NATO |url=https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_223446.htm |access-date=7 March 2024 |date=7 March 2024 |work=NATO}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sweden finally joins Nato after nearly two-year wait |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/07/sweden-joins-nato-after-ratification-hungary-drops-opposition |access-date=7 March 2024 |date=7 March 2024 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>
* [[March 10]] – [[2024 Portuguese legislative election]]: The [[Democratic Alliance (Portugal, 2024)|Democratic Alliance]] wins a plurality of seats and forms a minority government amid losses by the incumbent [[Socialist Party (Portugal)|Socialist Party]] and major gains by the right-wing [[Chega (political party)|Chega]] party.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-10 |title=Portugal election sees above-average turnout in very tight contest |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/portugual-election-above-average-participation/ |access-date=2024-03-10 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Vock |first=Ido |date=21 March 2024 |title=Luís Montenegro: Centre-right leader invited to form minority government |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68622683 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240321051720/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68622683 |archive-date=21 March 2024 |access-date=21 March 2024 |website=BBC |language=en}}</ref>
* [[March 11]] – Haitian acting [[Prime Minister of Haiti|Prime Minister]] [[Ariel Henry]] announces his pending resignation from both offices amid an ongoing [[Haitian crisis (2018–present)|crisis]] marked by [[Gang war in Haiti|gang warfare]] in the country.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-03-12 |title=Haiti's prime minister Ariel Henry resigns as law and order collapses |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-68541349 |access-date=2024-03-13 |language=en-GB}}</ref>
* [[March 13]] – The [[Artificial Intelligence Act]], the world's first comprehensive legal and regulatory framework for [[artificial intelligence]], is passed by the [[European Union]].<ref>{{cite web |title=World's first major act to regulate AI passed by European lawmakers |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/13/european-lawmakers-endorse-worlds-first-major-act-to-regulate-ai.html |access-date=13 March 2024 |date=14 March 2024 |work=CNBC}}</ref>
* [[April 1]] – [[World Central Kitchen aid convoy attack]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Narea |first=Nicole |date=2024-04-02 |title=Will Israel let aid workers in Gaza do their jobs? |url=https://www.vox.com/world-politics/2024/4/2/24119339/world-central-kitchen-israel-gaza-idf-killed-andres-wck |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=Vox |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[May 29]] – [[2024 South African general election]]: The [[African National Congress|ANC]] party fails to win a majority of the vote for the first time in South Africa's democratic history.<ref>{{Cite news |date=31 May 2024 |title=ANC facing worst result since end of apartheid |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjll8nr6962o |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240530005713/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjll8nr6962o |archive-date=May 30, 2024 |access-date=May 31, 2024 |work=BBC}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Harper |first=Paddy |title=Historic losses for ANC open new era in South African politics |url=https://www.africanews.com/2021/11/06/historic-losses-for-anc-open-new-era-in-south-african-politics/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801181438/https://www.africanews.com/2021/11/06/historic-losses-for-anc-open-new-era-in-south-african-politics/ |archive-date=1 August 2023 |access-date=2023-08-01 |work=Africanews |language=en}}</ref>
* [[June 2]] – The [[2024 Mexican general election]] is held, with [[Claudia Sheinbaum]] elected as the first female president of Mexico.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-03 |title=Claudia Sheinbaum Makes History, as First Woman Elected to Lead Mexico |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/02/world/americas/mexico-election.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240623132851/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/02/world/americas/mexico-election.html |archive-date=June 23, 2024 |access-date=2024-06-03 |language=en-US |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
* [[June 6]]–[[June 9|9]] – The [[2024 European Parliament election]] is held. The [[European People's Party Group|EPP]], of incumbent [[President of the European Commission|Commission President]] [[Ursula von der Leyen]], retains its status as the largest group in [[European Parliament|parliament]] amid notable gains by [[Far-right politics|far-right]] political groups.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-09 |title=Far-right gains in the EU election deal stunning defeats to France's Macron and Germany's Scholz |url=https://apnews.com/article/eu-election-right-migration-climate-polls-vote-0fbfcb7bd987008e802d70f759fa870b |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240721134857/https://apnews.com/article/eu-election-right-migration-climate-polls-vote-0fbfcb7bd987008e802d70f759fa870b |archive-date=July 21, 2024 |access-date=2024-06-10 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gilchrist |first=Karen |date=2024-06-09 |title=Far right makes strong gains in EU elections as liberals and Greens lose seats, projections show |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/09/eu-elections-2024-european-parliament-results-.html |access-date=2024-06-10 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref>
* [[July 4]] – [[2024 United Kingdom general election]]: [[Keir Starmer|Sir Keir Starmer]] leads the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] to a landslide victory, returning the party to government for the first time in 14 years.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-05 |title=Keir Starmer: Labour leader to become UK prime minister |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crge8g9qxj3o |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240705211937/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crge8g9qxj3o |archive-date=July 5, 2024 |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>
* [[July 13]] – [[Attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trump survives assassination attempt at campaign rally, as it unfolded |url=https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-13-2024 |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref>
* [[July 31]] – [[Ismail Haniyeh]], the political leader of [[Hamas]], [[Assassination of Ismail Haniyeh|is assassinated]] at his residence in [[Tehran]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Fassihi |first1=Farnaz |last2=Bergman |first2=Ronen |date=31 July 2024 |title=Iran Says Haniyeh, a Top Hamas Leader, Was Killed |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/07/30/world/israel-gaza-war-lebanon-hezbollah |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240730115237/https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/07/30/world/israel-gaza-war-lebanon-hezbollah |archive-date=July 30, 2024 |access-date=31 July 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
* [[File:The victory celebration of Bangladeshi student's one point movement.jpg|thumb|Victory march in [[Dhaka]] by protesters after the [[resignation of Sheikh Hasina]], 2024]][[August 5]] – [[Prime Minister of Bangladesh]] [[Sheikh Hasina]] announces her resignation and flees to [[India]] following [[Student–People's uprising|nationwide protests]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Paul |first1=Ruma |last2=Ganguly |first2=Sudipto |date=2024-08-05 |title=Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina resigns, interim government to be formed |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/bangladesh-protesters-call-march-dhaka-defiance-curfew-2024-08-05/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806033132/https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/bangladesh-protesters-call-march-dhaka-defiance-curfew-2024-08-05/ |archive-date=August 6, 2024 |access-date=2024-08-05 |work=Reuters |language=en}}</ref>
* [[September 17]]–[[September 18|18]] – [[2024 Lebanon electronic device attacks]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Berman |first=Lazar |title=Israel carried out pager attacks on Hezbollah, Netanyahu said to acknowledge for first time |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/israel-carried-out-pager-attacks-on-hezbollah-netanyahu-said-to-acknowledge-for-first-time/ |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=www.timesofisrael.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[23 September|September 23]]–[[30 September|30]] – Israel launches a [[September 2024 Israeli attacks against Lebanon|series of airstrikes]] on Lebanon and Hezbollah.<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Lyndal Rowlands|author2=Alastair McCready|author3=Stephen Quillen|author4=Edna Mohamed|author5=Usaid Siddiqui|author6=Farah Najjar|title=Israel attacks Lebanon updates: Unequivocal US support for Israel's wars |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/9/26/israel-attacks-lebanon-live-72-killed-in-latest-wave-of-israeli-attacks?update=3205303 |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>
* [[October 1]] – Israel launches an [[Israeli invasion of Lebanon (2024–present)|invasion of Lebanon]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Newby |first=Vanessa |date=2024-10-01 |title=Israel has invaded Lebanon six times in the past 50 years – a timeline of events |url=https://theconversation.com/israel-has-invaded-lebanon-six-times-in-the-past-50-years-a-timeline-of-events-240157 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241213104848/https://theconversation.com/israel-has-invaded-lebanon-six-times-in-the-past-50-years-a-timeline-of-events-240157 |archive-date=2024-12-13 |access-date=2024-12-14 |website=The Conversation |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[October 30]] – [[2024 Botswana general election]]: The ruling [[Botswana Democratic Party]] is voted out of power, ending 58 years of uninterrupted governance.<ref name="News24Botswana">{{Cite news |last=Ndebele |first=Lenin |date=31 October 2024 |title=Initial counting suggests Botswana may just get a new ruling party after 58 years |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/africa/news/initial-counting-suggests-botswana-may-just-get-a-new-ruling-party-after-58-years-20241031 |work=News24}}</ref> [[Duma Boko]] of the [[Umbrella for Democratic Change|UDC]] party is elected [[President of Botswana]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-10-31 |title=Early Botswana Vote Tallies Point to Shock Loss For Ruling Party |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-31/botswana-election-early-tallies-point-to-shock-loss-for-ruling-party |access-date=2024-11-01 |work=Bloomberg.com |language=en}}</ref>
* [[November 5]] – [[2024 United States presidential election]]: [[Donald Trump]], with his running mate [[JD Vance]], is elected for a second non-consecutive term, the first candidate to be so since [[Grover Cleveland]] in [[1892 United States presidential election|1892]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-11-06 |title=Trump wins the US Presidency |url=https://apnews.com/live/trump-harris-election-updates-11-5-2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241108182720/https://apnews.com/live/trump-harris-election-updates-11-5-2024 |archive-date=November 8, 2024 |access-date=2024-11-06 |publisher=AP News}}</ref>
* [[November 27]]–[[December 8]] – The [[2024 Syrian opposition offensives]] culminate in the [[fall of the Assad regime]].<ref name="cnn 27-11">{{Cite web |last1=Kourdi |first1=Eyad |last2=Edwards |first2=Christian |date=27 November 2024 |title=Syrian rebels launch major attack on regime forces in Aleppo province |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/27/middleeast/syria-rebel-attack-aleppo-assad-intl-latam/index.html |access-date=27 November 2024 |website=[[CNN]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name="fall">{{cite news |date=8 December 2024 |title=Syrian rebels topple President Assad, prime minister calls for free elections |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/syria-rebels-celebrate-captured-homs-set-sights-damascus-2024-12-07/ |access-date=8 December 2024 |publisher=Reuters}}</ref>
* [[December 20]] – [[2024 Magdeburg car attack]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cole |first=Brendan |date=2024-12-21 |title=Magdeburg attack suspect said Elon Musk, Alex Jones "telling truth": report |url=https://www.newsweek.com/germany-magdeburg-terrorism-musk-2004573 |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=Newsweek |language=en}}</ref>
* [[December 29]] – Former United States president [[Jimmy Carter]] dies at age 100.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Zurcher |first1=Anthony |last2=Geoghegan |first2=Tom |date=December 29, 2024 |title=Jimmy Carter, former US president, dies aged 100 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpww85w5p30o |access-date=December 29, 2024 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>

==Politics, wars, and states==
{{Main|International relations since 1989|List of wars: 2003–present}}

[[File:Victory Day Parade 2005-26.jpg|thumb|Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] with [[George W. Bush]] and other Western leaders in [[Moscow]], 9 May 2005]]
[[File:Genova-G8 2001-Incidenti a Corso Torino.jpg|thumbnail|Protesters try to stop members of the [[G8]] from attending the summit during the [[27th G8 summit]] in [[Genoa]], [[Italy]] by burning vehicles on the main route to the summit.]]

===New countries and territorial changes===
Some territories and states have gained independence during the 21st century. This is a list of sovereign states that have gained independence in the 21st century and have been recognized by the [[United Nations|UN]].[[File:Kosova independence Vienna 17-02-2008 b.jpg|thumb|Celebration of the [[2008 Kosovo declaration of independence|Declaration of Independence]] of [[Kosovo]]]]
* '''{{Flag|East Timor}}''' (Timor-Leste)<ref>Grolier- the new book of knowledge, section "E"</ref> on 20 May 2002.
* '''{{Flag|Montenegro}}''' on 3 June 2006.
* '''{{Flag|Serbia}}''' on 3 June 2006.
*'''{{Flag|Wa State}}''' on 20 August 2010.
* '''{{Flag|South Sudan}} '''on 9 July 2011.
*'''{{Flag|Chinland}}''' on 6 December 2023.
*'''{{Flag|Puntland}}''' on 1 April 2024.

These nations gained sovereignty through government reform.
* '''{{Flag|Comoros}}''' on 23 December 2001.

The [[Union of the Comoros]] replaced the [[Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros]]
* {{Flagicon|Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan}} '''[[Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan]]''' on 13 July 2002.

The [[Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan]] replaced the [[Islamic State of Afghanistan]].
* {{Flagicon|Serbia and Montenegro}} '''[[Serbia and Montenegro|State Union of Serbia and Montenegro]]''' on 4 February 2003.

The [[Serbia and Montenegro|State Union of Serbia and Montenegro]] replaced the [[Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]].
* {{Flagicon|Afghanistan|2004}} '''[[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]]''' on 7 December 2004.

The [[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]] replaced the [[Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan]]
* {{Flagicon|Nepal}} '''[[Nepal|Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal]]''' on 28 May 2008.

The [[Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal]] replaced the [[Kingdom of Nepal]].
* {{Flagicon|Libya}} '''[[National Transitional Council|National Transitional Council of Libya]]''' on 20 October 2011.

The [[National Transitional Council|National Transitional Council of Libya]] replaced the [[Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya]].
* {{Flagicon|Libya}} '''[[State of Libya]]''' on 8 August 2012.

The [[State of Libya]] replaced the [[National Transitional Council|National Transitional Council of Libya]].
* {{Flagicon|Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan}} '''[[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]]''' on 15 August 2021.

The [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]] replaced the [[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]].

These territories have declared independence and secured relative autonomy but they have only been recognized by some UN member states:
* {{Flagicon|Kosovo}} '''[[Republic of Kosovo|Kosovo]]''' on 17 February 2008. ([[International recognition of Kosovo|partially recognized]])
* {{Flagicon|South Ossetia}} '''[[South Ossetia]]''' on 26 August 2008. ([[International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia|partially recognized]])
* {{Flagicon|Abkhazia}} '''[[Abkhazia]]''' on 26 August 2008. ([[International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia|partially recognized]])

These territories have declared independence and secured relative autonomy but they have been recognized by no one:
* {{Flagicon|ISIS}} '''[[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]]''' in June 2014. Had [[ISIL territorial claims|taken over much of Iraq, Syria and Libya]]. It [[List of designated terrorist groups|is considered]] a terrorist organization and no longer holds any significant territorial control.
* {{Flagicon|Catalonia}} '''[[Catalonia|Republic of Catalonia]]''' on 27 October 2017. The [[Parliament of Catalonia|Catalan Parliament]] proclaimed the Catalan Republic, but the [[Spain|Kingdom of Spain]] did not recognise this and for a time imposed direct rule. (See [[2017 Catalan independence referendum]] and [[2017–2018 Spanish constitutional crisis]])
* {{Flagicon|South Yemen}} '''[[Southern Transitional Council]]''' in March 2017. Claimed the majority of the southern part of Yemen and the restoration of [[South Yemen]].

These territories were annexed from a sovereign country, the action has only been recognized by some UN member states:
* {{Flagicon|Crimea}} '''[[Republic of Crimea (Russia)|Crimea]]''' [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|annexed]] from Ukraine into the Russian Federation on 18 March 2014.
* '''{{flag|Donetsk People's Republic}}''',{{efn|See [[Russian occupation of Donetsk Oblast]].}} {{flagicon image|Flag of Kherson Oblast (Russia).svg}} '''[[Russian occupation of Kherson Oblast|Kherson Oblast]]''', '''{{flag|Luhansk People's Republic}}''',{{efn|See [[Russian occupation of Luhansk Oblast]].}} and {{flagicon image|Flag of the Russian administered Zaporizhzhia Oblast.svg}} '''[[Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia Oblast|Zaporizhzhia Oblast]]''' [[Russian annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts|annexed]] from Ukraine into the Russian Federation on 30 September 2022.

These territories were ceded to another country:
* {{Flagicon|Bangladesh}} {{Flagicon|India}} '''[[India–Bangladesh enclaves]]''', traded between the two countries in 2015.
* {{Flagicon|Artsakh}} '''[[Armenian-occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh]]''' and the '''[[Lachin corridor]]''', ceded by [[Armenia]] to [[Azerbaijan]] on 1 January 2024.

==Science and technology==
===Space exploration===
[[File:PIA16239 High-Resolution Self-Portrait by Curiosity Rover Arm Camera.jpg|thumb|upright|NASA successfully lands the [[Curiosity (rover)|''Curiosity'' rover]] on the surface of [[Mars]].]]
[[File:15-011a-NewHorizons-PlutoFlyby-ArtistConcept-14July2015-20150115.jpg|thumb|upright|Artist's impression of ''[[New Horizons]]''{{'}} close encounter with the Pluto–Charon system]]
* 2001 – [[Dennis Tito]] becomes the first [[space tourism|space tourist]] by paying $19 million to board the [[International Space Station]].
* 2003 – [[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster|Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disaster]] on 1 February.
* 2003 – The [[Chinese space program]] launches its first [[Human spaceflight|crewed space flight]], [[Shenzhou 5]], on 15 October. This made China the third country in the world to have indigenous crewed space capability.
* 2004 – [[Mars Exploration Rover]]s ''[[Spirit (rover)|Spirit]]'' and ''[[Opportunity (rover)|Opportunity]]'' land on [[Mars]]; ''Opportunity'' discovers evidence that an area of [[Mars]] was once covered in water.
* 2004 – ''[[Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne|SpaceShipOne]]'' makes the first privately funded [[human spaceflight]], on 21 June.
* 2005 – The ''[[Huygens (spacecraft)|Huygens]]'' probe lands on [[Titan (moon)|Titan]], the largest of Saturn's moons, on 14 January.
* 2006 – The ''[[New Horizons]]'' probe is launched to Pluto, on 19 January.
* 2006 – [[Pluto]] is reclassified from a [[planet]] to a [[dwarf planet]], leaving the solar system with eight planets.
* 2007 – China launches its first lunar mission with the [[Chang'e 1]], on 24 October.
* 2008 – India launches its first lunar mission [[Chandrayaan-1]] which included a [[remote sensing]] orbiter and impactor on 22 October 2008. It made India the third nation to place its flag on Moon.
* 2008 – [[Chinese space program]] launches its third crewed space flight carrying its first three-person crew and conducts its first spacewalk that makes China the third nation after Russia and USA to do that, ''[[Shenzhou 7]]'', on 25 September.
* 2008 – ''[[Phoenix (spacecraft)|Phoenix]]'' discovers water ice on Mars.
* 2009 – [[Iranian Space Agency|Iran]] launches its first [[satellite]], ''[[Omid]]'', on 2 February.
* 2011 – [[NASA]] retires the last Space Shuttle, ''Atlantis'', marking an end to its three-decade shuttle program.
* 2012 – [[SpaceX]] successfully delivers cargo to the [[International Space Station]].
* 2012 – NASA successfully lands the [[Curiosity (rover)|''Curiosity'' rover]] on the surface of [[Mars]], on 6 August.
* 2014 – India's [[Mars Orbiter Mission]], the nation's first attempt to send a spacecraft to Mars, successfully entered orbit on 24 September, making India the fourth nation in the world to reach that goal.
* 2014 – The [[European Space Agency]] robotic spacecraft [[Philae (spacecraft)|''Philae'']] landed successfully on the [[67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko|comet 67P]], the first cometary landing ever.
* 2015 – On 14 July, NASA's ''[[New Horizons]]'' spacecraft became the first to fly by [[Pluto (planet)|Pluto]], on a mission to photograph and collect data on its planetary system. No other spacecraft has yet performed such a mission so far from Earth.
* 2015 – On 28 September, NASA announces that liquid water has been found on [[Mars]].<ref>{{cite web |title=NASA News Conference: Evidence of Liquid Water on Today's Mars. |url=http://www.nasa.gov/topics/journeytomars/index.html |date=28 September 2015 |work=[[NASA]] |access-date=16 July 2021 |archive-date=18 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210718143624/https://www.nasa.gov/topics/journeytomars/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2015 – [[SpaceX]] launches and lands a [[Falcon 9]] into orbital space on 21 December, becoming the first reusable rocket to do so.
* 2016 – [[SpaceX]] lands the first orbital rocket, a [[CRS-8]], on a drone platform at sea on 8 April.
* 2016 – On 4 July, NASA's [[Juno (spacecraft)|''Juno'']] space probe maneuvered into a polar orbit to study the planet [[Jupiter]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/juno/overview/index.html |title=Juno Overview |last=Greicius |first=Tony |date=13 March 2015 |access-date=23 July 2016 |archive-date=7 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907181255/https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/juno/overview/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2016 – On 26 July, [[Solar Impulse 2]] becomes the first solar-powered aircraft to circumnavigate the world.
* 2016 – On 24 August, [[Proxima Centauri B|an Earth-sized exoplanet]] is discovered around [[Proxima Centauri]], 4.2 light years away, which is potentially habitable.
* 2016 – On 8 September, NASA's [[OSIRIS-REx|''ORIRIS-Rex'']] space probe is launched as the first asteroid sample return mission to collect samples from [[Bennu (asteroid)|Bennu]].
* 2019 – On 3 January, Chinese probe [[Chang'e 4]] becomes the first human-made object to land on the [[far side of the Moon]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-lands-probe-on-dark-side-of-the-moon-11546493599 |title=China Lands Probe on the 'Dark Side' of the Moon |last=Moss |first=Trefor |date=2019-01-03 |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=2019-01-03 |archive-date=12 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412020545/https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-lands-probe-on-dark-side-of-the-moon-11546493599 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2019 – NASA concludes the 15-year [[Opportunity (rover)|''Opportunity'' rover]] mission after being unable to wake the rover from hibernation.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ryan |first1=Jackson |title=NASA's history-making Mars rover Opportunity declared dead |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/nasa-history-making-mars-rover-opportunity-declared-dead/ |access-date=14 February 2019 |publisher=CNET |date=13 February 2019 |archive-date=11 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411223630/https://www.cnet.com/news/nasa-history-making-mars-rover-opportunity-declared-dead/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2019 – [[Israel]] launched its first [[spacecraft]], ''[[Beresheet]]'', towards the [[Moon]] on 7 April; after two months of journey, the spacecraft failed to land and crashed on the surface of the Moon, making Israel the seventh country to orbit the Moon.
* 2019 – The first image of the [[supermassive black hole]] inside galaxy [[Messier 87]] was captured by the [[Event Horizon Telescope]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Grossman |first1=Lisa |last2=Conover |first2=Emily |title=The first picture of a black hole opens a new era of astrophysics |url=https://www.sciencenews.org/article/black-hole-first-picture-event-horizon-telescope |access-date=11 April 2019 |publisher=Science News |date=10 April 2019 |archive-date=27 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427192956/https://www.sciencenews.org/article/black-hole-first-picture-event-horizon-telescope |url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2021 – [[NASA]]'s ''[[Perseverance rover|Perseverance]]'' rover, carrying the ''[[Ingenuity helicopter|Ingenuity]]'' helicopter, successfully lands on [[Mars]].
* 2021 – NASA's [[James Webb Space Telescope]] is successfully launched into orbit.
* 2022 – The first image of the [[supermassive black hole]] inside [[Milky Way]] was captured by the [[Event Horizon Telescope]].
* 2022 – The first image from the James Webb Space Telescope is published.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Garner |first1=Rob |title=NASA's Webb Delivers Deepest Infrared Image of Universe Yet |url=https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2022/nasa-s-webb-delivers-deepest-infrared-image-of-universe-yet |website=NASA |access-date=12 July 2022 |date=11 July 2022 |archive-date=12 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220712000119/https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2022/nasa-s-webb-delivers-deepest-infrared-image-of-universe-yet/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2022 – NASA successfully launches the [[Artemis 1]] Moon mission on the SLS spacecraft after multiple delays.
* 2023 – India successfully touched down near the south pole of the Moon with Chandrayaan-3's lander on August 23, making it only the fourth country to achieve the feat of reaching lunar surface after the US, China and the erstwhile Soviet Union.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.isro.gov.in/Chandrayaan3.html |title=Chandrayaan-3}}</ref>

===Physics===
* 2003 – [[Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe|WMAP]] observations of the [[cosmic microwave background]].
* 2010 – The [[Large Hadron Collider]]'s first high energy collisions took place in March 2010.
* 2012 – Physicists discover the [[Higgs boson]] based on collisions at the Large Hadron Collider, on 4 July. It is the latest particle to be discovered in the [[Standard Model]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-18702455 |title=Higgs boson-like particle discovery claimed at LHC |work=BBC News |date=4 July 2012 |access-date=6 October 2014 |archive-date=16 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116171540/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-18702455 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* 2016 – On 11 February, [[LIGO]] announces the discovery of bursts of [[gravitational waves]] generated by cosmic collisions of [[black hole]]s on, and was previously predicted by [[Albert Einstein]] 100 years ago.
* 2022 – on 13 December, the [[United States Department of Energy|US Department of Energy]] announces that scientists at the [[National Ignition Facility]] have achieved the first positive [[Fusion energy gain factor|energy gain]] from a [[Fusion power|fusion reactor]] in history.<ref name="21st">{{cite web |title=The 21st Century and the 3rd Millennium |url=http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/millennium.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002112920/https://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/millennium.php |archive-date=2019-10-02 |access-date=2018-11-06 |website=aa.usno.navy.mil |language=en}}</ref>

===Mathematics===
* 2002 – [[Grigori Perelman]] posted the first of a series of eprints to the [[arXiv]], in which he proved the [[Poincaré conjecture]], the first of the [[Millennium Prize Problems]] to be solved.
* 2013 – [[Yitang Zhang]] publishes a paper in the ''[[Annals of Mathematics]]'' that established the first finite bound on the least [[prime gap|gap between consecutive primes]] that is attained infinitely often.

===Meteorology===
{{main|Meteorology in the 21st century}}
{{See also|History of tornado research#21st century|Research on tornadoes in 2024}}
*2005 &ndash; A record 27 named storms [[2005 Atlantic hurricane season|occurred during the Atlantic hurricane season]]. The [[National Hurricane Center]] runs out of names from its standard list and uses Greek alphabet for the first time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lixion A. Avila |date=4 January 2006 |title=Tropical Cyclone Report Tropical Storm Alpha |url=https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL262005_Alpha.pdf |access-date=22 March 2023 |website=National Hurricane Center}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Susan |title=Tropical Storm Eta expected to intensify into the season's 12th hurricane on Monday |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/11/01/tropical-storm-eta-expected-become-hurricane-monday/6112670002/ |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=USA Today |language=en-US}}</ref>
*2007 &ndash; The [[Enhanced Fujita scale]] is formally released and put into use across the [[United States]], replacing the [[Fujita scale]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fujita Tornado Damage Scale |url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/f-scale.html |website=www.spc.noaa.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Tornado Scale - The Enhanced Fujita Scale &#124; TornadoFacts.net |url=http://www.tornadofacts.net/tornado-scale.php |website=www.tornadofacts.net}}</ref>
*2013:
**[[Environment and Climate Change Canada|Environment Canada]] (EC) adopts a variation of the [[Enhanced Fujita scale]] (CEF-scale), replacing the [[Fujita scale]] across [[Canada]].<ref>{{cite web |date=May 10, 2013 |title=Enhanced Fujita Scale |url=http://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo-weather/default.asp?lang=En&n=41E875DA-1 |publisher=Environment Canada}}</ref>
**[[2013 Moore tornado|A violent EF5 tornado]] impacts [[Moore, Oklahoma]], marking the last tornado to receive the rating of EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.<ref>{{cite web |author1=[[National Weather Service]] |title=May 20, 2013: The Day an EF-5 Tornado Struck the OKC Metro |url=https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/8b60d1b8144048fbb26610ed0c47c5a8 |website=[[ArcGIS]] StoryMaps |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date=5 May 2024 |location=[[Norman, Oklahoma]] |format=StoryMap |date=15 May 2023}}</ref>
**[[2013 El Reno tornado|A violent tornado]] impacts areas around [[El Reno, Oklahoma]].<ref>{{cite web |author1=[[National Weather Service]] |title=May 31, 2013: Tornado Outbreak & Historic Flooding |url=https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/9895d535c2a247e4997fb85493428be8 |website=[[ArcGIS]] StoryMaps |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date=5 May 2024 |location=[[Norman, Oklahoma]] |format=StoryMap |date=31 May 2023}}</ref> The [[University of Oklahoma]]'s RaXPol mobile Doppler weather radar, positioned at a nearby overpass, measured winds preliminarily analyzed as in excess of {{convert|296|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. These winds are considered the second-highest ever measured worldwide, just shy of the {{convert|302|±|22|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} recorded during the [[1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado]].<ref name=JeffMJune4>{{cite web |title=Largest Tornado on Record: the May 31 El Reno, OK EF-5 Tornado |url=http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2426 |author=Jeff Masters |website=Weather Underground |publisher=The Weather Company |date=June 4, 2013 |access-date=June 4, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605054308/http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2426 |archive-date=June 5, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |doi=10.1175/WAF-D-14-00152.1 |title=A Multiscale Overview of the el Reno, Oklahoma, Tornadic Supercell of 31 May 2013 |journal=Weather and Forecasting |volume=30 |issue=3 |pages=525–552 |year=2015 |last1=Bluestein |first1=Howard B. |last2=Snyder |first2=Jeffrey C. |last3=Houser |first3=Jana B. |bibcode=2015WtFor..30..525B |doi-access=free}}</ref>
*2015 &ndash; The [[European Severe Storms Laboratory]] along with the [[Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics]] publish a detailed assessment of the [[1764 Woldegk tornado]], in which it was assigned a rating of F5 on the [[Fujita scale]], marking the oldest official F5 tornado.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Bernold Feuerstein |author2=Thilo Kühne |title=A violent tornado in mid-18th century Germany: the Genzmer Report |journal=ECSS 2015 - European Conference on Severe Storms at: Wiener Neustadt, Austria |date=September 2015 |volume=8 |doi=10.13140/RG.2.1.3733.8085 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281862975 |access-date=28 January 2023 |publisher=European Severe Storms Laboratory}}</ref>
*2023:
**[[Elizabeth Leitman]] becomes the first woman to issue a convective watch from the [[Storm Prediction Center]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bates |first1=Sabrina |title=STEM Spotlight: Storm Prediction Center meteorologist makes history for women |url=https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-stem-spotlight-storm-prediction-center-meteorologist-makes-history-for-women/60192347 |website=KOCO |access-date=5 April 2024 |language=en |date=20 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Storm Prediction Center meteorologist became first woman to issue Severe Thunderstorm Watch |url=https://www.foxweather.com/watch/play-6ffeedab4001102 |publisher=[[Fox Weather]] |access-date=5 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=A conversation with Oklahoma meteorologist Liz Leitman, the first woman to issue a thunderstorm watch |url=https://www.kosu.org/energy-environment/2023-02-28/a-conversation-with-oklahoma-meteorologist-liz-leitman-the-first-woman-to-issue-a-thunderstorm-watch |website=KOSU |language=en |date=28 February 2023}}</ref>
**The [[TORNADO Act]] was introduced by U.S. Senator [[Roger Wicker]] as well as eight other senators from the [[118th United States Congress]].<ref>{{cite web |title=WICKER, COLLEAGUES INTRODUCE TORNADO ACT |date=26 April 2023 |url=https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2023/4/wicker-colleagues-introduce-tornado-act |publisher=Roger Wicker |access-date=26 April 2023}}</ref>
**The [[International Fujita scale]] (IF-scale) is officially published.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Pieter Groenemeijer (ESSL) |author2=Lothar Bock (DWD) |author3=Juan de Dios Soriano (AEMet) |author4=Maciej Dutkiewicz (Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology) |author5=Delia Gutiérrez-Rubio (AEMet) |author6=Alois M. Holzer (ESSL) |author7=Martin Hubrig |author8=Rainer Kaltenberger |author9=Thilo Kühne (ESSL) |author10=Mortimer Müller (Universität für Bodenkultur) |author11=Bas van der Ploeg |author12=Tomáš Púčik (ESSL) |author13=Thomas Schreiner (ESSL) |author14=Miroslav Šinger (SHMI) |author15=Gabriel Strommer (ESSL) |author16=Andi Xhelaj (University of Genova) |title=The International Fujita (IF) Scale |url=https://www.essl.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/IF-scale_v1.0.pdf |publisher=European Severe Storms Laboratory |access-date=30 July 2023 |date=30 July 2023}}</ref>
*2024 &ndash; Researchers with the [[University of Tennessee]] and [[University of Missouri]] publish an academic study about how survivors from the [[2011 Joplin tornado]] recover from "Tornado Brain", a new term for the [[Post-traumatic stress disorder|PTSD]] of tornado survivors.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=First |first1=Jennifer M. |last2=Carnahan |first2=Megan |last3=Yu |first3=Mansoo |last4=Lee |first4=Sangwon |last5=Houston |first5=J. Brian |title='Recovering from Tornado Brain': A Qualitative Analysis of Long-Term Needs after One of the Deadliest Tornadoes in U.S. History |journal=[[Clinical Social Work Journal]] |date=19 February 2024 |pages=1–11 |doi=10.1007/s10615-024-00926-1 |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10615-024-00926-1 |access-date=5 April 2024 |publisher=The [[University of Tennessee]] and [[University of Missouri]] via [[Springer Science+Business Media]] |language=en |issn=1573-3343|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===Biotechnology and medicine===
{{further|Timeline of medicine and medical technology#2000 – present}}
{{See also|Medicine in the 2010s}}
* 2001 – The first [[Remote surgery|telesurgery]] is performed by [[Jacques Marescaux]].
* 2003 – Completion of the [[Human Genome Project]]
* 2005 – The first successful partial [[face transplant]] is performed in France.
* 2006 – [[Australian of the Year]] Dr [[Ian Frazer]] develops a [[vaccine]] for [[cervical cancer]].
* 2007 – Visual prosthetic (bionic eye) Argus II.
* 2008 – Japanese scientists create a form of artificial [[DNA]].
* 2008 – [[Laurent Lantieri]] performs the first full face transplant.
* 2011 – First successful [[Uterus transplantation|Uterus transplant]] from a deceased donor in Turkey.
* 2012 – The first successful complete face transplant is performed in Turkey.
* 2012 – Doubts raised over [[Statin]] medication.
* 2013 – First kidney grown in vitro in the U.S.
* 2013 – First human liver grown from stem cells in Japan.
* 2014 – A [[3D printer]] is used for first ever [[skull transplant]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=26 March 2014 |title=Neurosurgeons successfully implant 3D printed skull |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/3d-printed-skull |access-date=15 February 2024 |magazine=Wired}}</ref>
* 2016 – The first ever [[artificial pancreas]] is created.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 August 2018 |title=The Artificial Pancreas Device System |url=https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/consumer-products/artificial-pancreas-device-system#:~:text=On%20September%2028%2C%202016%2C%20the,people%20with%20type%201%20diabetes. |website=FDA}}</ref>
* 2019 – Researchers 3D-print a heart from human patient's cells.<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 April 2019 |title=Researchers 3D-print heart from human patient's cells |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/15/health/3d-printed-heart-study/index.html |access-date=15 February 2024 |website=CNN}}</ref>
* 2020 – First [[COVID-19 vaccine|COVID-19 Vaccine]] is developed.
* 2022 – The complete [[human genome]] is sequenced.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Human Genome Project |url=https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/educational-resources/fact-sheets/human-genome-project#:~:text=On%20March%2031%2C%202022%2C%20the,truly%20complete%20human%20genome%20sequence. |access-date=15 February 2024 |website=genome.gov}}</ref>

===Telecommunications===
The [[Digital Revolution]] continued into the early 21st century with mobile phone usage and [[Global Internet usage]] growing massively, becoming available to many more people, with more applications and faster speeds.
{|
| {{Worldwide Internet users}}
|}

[[Social networking]] emerged in the mid-2000s as a popular form of social communication, partly replacing much of the function of [[email]], [[message board]]s and [[instant messaging]] services. [[Twitter]], [[Facebook]], [[YouTube]], [[Instagram]], [[Snapchat]] and WeChat are all major examples of social media which have gained widespread popularity. The use of [[webcam]]s and [[front-facing camera]]s on PCs and related devices, and services such as [[Skype]], [[Zoom (software)|Zoom]] and [[FaceTime]], have made [[video calling]] and [[video conferencing]] widespread. Their use hugely increased during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].

==Civil unrest==
{{further|List of protests in the 21st century}}
[[File:Crisis 20 diciembre 2001.jpg|thumb|[[December 2001 riots in Argentina]], also known as "Argentinazo"]]
[[File:Demonstrations in Tbilisi, Georgia. 7 November 2007.jpg|thumb|[[2007 Georgian demonstrations]] against the government of president [[Mikheil Saakashvili]]]]
[[File:Tahrir Square during Friday of Departure.png|thumb|[[Tahrir Square]] Protest during the [[2011 Egyptian revolution|Arab Spring in Egypt]]]]
[[File:Day 14 Occupy Wall Street September 30 2011 Shankbone 47.JPG|thumb|[[Zuccotti Park]] occupied by protesters during the [[Occupy Wall Street]] protests.]]
[[File:Madrid - Acampada Sol - 110520 230541.jpg|thumb|[[Anti-austerity movement in Spain|Peaceful protests]] in [[Madrid]]. In August 2011, Spain's unemployment reached 21.2% (46.2% for youths).]]
[[File:Protesto no Congresso Nacional do Brasil, 17 de junho de 2013.jpg|thumb|Protesters on top of [[National Congress of Brazil|Brazil's National Congress]] during the [[2013 protests in Brazil]]]]
[[File:Marcha Mas Grande De Chile 2019 Plaza Baquedano Drone.jpg|thumb|"[[La marcha más grande de Chile]]" in [[Santiago]], during the 2019 [[2019–2020 Chilean protests|Estallido Social]]]]
[[File:Minneapolis 05-28-20 (49947863357).jpg|thumb|[[George Floyd Protests]] in May 2020, Minneapolis]]
[[File:Violences urbaines Nahel Besançon-Planoise 29-06-2023 oufik-de-Planoise 4.jpg|thumb|[[Nahel Merzouk riots|Protests]] break out in 2023 across France over the [[Killing of Nahel Merzouk]].]]
{{Columns-list|colwidth=22em|
* [[Second Intifada]]
* [[2001 Harehills riot]]
* [[27th G8 summit#Citizens' responses and authorities' counter-responses|2001 G8 Genoa summit protests]]
* [[December 2001 riots in Argentina]]
* [[2002 Gujarat riots]]
* [[Protests against the Iraq War]]
* [[Bolivian gas conflict]]
* [[2003 Maldives civil unrest]]
* [[Rose Revolution]]
* [[2004 Venezuelan protests]]
* [[2004 Qamishli riots]]
* [[2004 unrest in Kosovo]]
* [[2004 Dublin May Day protests]]
* [[Orange Revolution]]
* [[Tulip Revolution]]
* [[Cedar Revolution]]
* [[2005 Belize unrest]]
* [[Protests against Faure Gnassingbé]]
* [[2005 Belfast riots]]
* [[2005 civil unrest in France]]
* [[2005 Cronulla riots]]
* [[Jeans Revolution]]
* [[2006 Oaxaca protests]]
* [[2006–2008 Lebanese protests]]
* [[Saffron Revolution]]
* [[2007 Georgian demonstrations]]
* [[2008 Armenian presidential election protests]]
* [[2008 Tibetan unrest]]
* [[2008 riot in Mongolia]]
* [[2009 Icelandic financial crisis protests]]
* [[2009 G-20 London summit protests]]
* [[April 2009 Moldovan parliamentary election protests]]
* [[2009–2010 Iranian election protests]]
* [[July 2009 Ürümqi riots]]
* [[2010 Thai political protests]]
* [[Kyrgyz Revolution of 2010]]
* [[2010 Kingston unrest]]
* [[2010 G-20 Toronto summit protests]]
* [[2010 Mozambican protests]]
* [[2010 UK student protests]]
* [[2010–2012 Greek protests]]
* [[Arab Spring]]
* [[Tunisian revolution]]
* [[2011 Egyptian revolution]]
* [[Timeline of the 2011 Egyptian revolution under Supreme Council of the Armed Forces|2011 Egyptian Post-Revolution protests]]
* [[Impact of the Arab Spring]]
* [[2011 Magallanes protests]]
* [[2011 Iranian protests]]
* [[2011 Libyan civil war]]
* [[Syrian civil war]]
* [[2011 Georgian protests]]
* [[2011 Northern Ireland riots]]
* [[2011 Malawian protests]]
* [[2011 United Kingdom anti-austerity protests]]
* [[Anti-austerity movement in Portugal]]
* [[2011 Spanish protests|Spanish "Indignants"]]
* [[2011 England riots]]
* [[2011–13 Chilean student protests]]
* [[2011 Israeli social justice protests]]
* [[List of Occupy movement protest locations|Worldwide "Occupy" Protests]]
* [[2011–2013 Russian protests]]
* [[Bersih 3.0 rally]]
* [[Yo Soy 132]]
* [[Belfast City Hall flag protests]]
* [[2012–2013 Iraqi protests]]
* [[2013 Myanmar anti-Muslim riots]]
* [[Gezi Park protests]]
* [[2013 protests in Brazil]]
* [[June 2013 Egyptian protests]]
* [[2013 Bangladesh quota reform movement]]
* [[2013–2014 Cambodian protests]]
* [[2013 Muzaffarnagar riots]]
* [[2013–2014 Thai political crisis]]
* [[Euromaidan]]
* [[2013 Italian social protests]]
* [[2013 Little India riots]]
* [[2014 Ukrainian Revolution]]
* [[2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine]]
* [[2014 unrest in Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
* [[Venezuelan protests (2014–present)]]
* [[2014 anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka]]
* [[2014 Pakistan anti-government protest]]
* [[2014 Ferguson unrest]]
* [[2014 Hong Kong protests]]
* [[Protests against Daniel Ortega]]
* [[2015 Baltimore protests]]
* [[Burundian unrest (2015–2018)]]
* [[2015–18 Iraqi protests]]
* [[2015 Lebanese protests]]
* [[Protests against Donald Trump]]
* [[FeesMustFall]]
* [[Nuit debout]]
* [[2016 Gabonese protests]]
* [[2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt]]
* [[2016–17 South Korean protests]]
* [[Dakota Access Pipeline protests]]
* [[2016 Manipur unrest]]
* [[2016–17 Cameroonian protests]]
* [[2017–2019 Romanian protests]]
* [[2017 Belarusian protests]]
* [[2017–2018 Russian protests]]
* [[2017–2018 Spanish constitutional crisis]]
* [[Unite the Right rally]]
* [[2017–2018 Honduran protests]]
* [[2018 Bangladesh quota reform movement]]
* [[2018 anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka]]
* [[2018–2019 Gaza border protests]]
* [[2018 Bangladesh road-safety protests]]
* [[Yellow vests movement]]
* [[Serbian protests (2018–present)]]
* [[Sudanese Revolution]]
* [[2018 Armenian revolution]]
* [[2018–2023 Haitian crisis]]
* [[2019–2020 Algerian protests]]
* [[2019–20 Hong Kong protests]]
* [[2019 Venezuelan uprising attempt]]
* [[2019 Papua protests]]
* [[2019 Egyptian protests]]
* [[2019–2020 Iraqi protests]]
* [[2019 Ecuadorian protests]]
* [[2019–2020 Chilean protests]]
* [[2019 Catalan protests]]
* [[2019–2020 Guinean protests]]
* [[2019–20 Lebanese protests]]
* [[2019 Bolivian political crisis]]
* [[2019 Indonesian protests and riots]]
* [[2019–20 Iranian protests]]
* [[2019 Maltese protests]]
* [[2019-2020 Colombian protests]]
* [[Citizenship Amendment Act protests]]
* [[2020–2021 Thai protests]]
* [[2020–2021 protests against Benjamin Netanyahu]]
* [[United States racial unrest (2020–2023)]]
* [[2020 Belarusian protests]]
* [[2020–2021 Serbian protests]]
* [[2020–2021 Bulgarian protests]]
* [[2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest]]
* [[End SARS|End SARS protests]]
* [[October–November 2020 Polish protests|2020 Polish protests]]
* [[2020 Peruvian protests]]
* [[2020–2021 United States election protests]]
* [[2020–2021 Armenian protests]]
* [[2020 Guatemalan protests]]
* [[2021 Dutch curfew riots]]
* [[2021 Russian protests]]
* [[2021 Myanmar protests]]
* [[2021 Senegalese protests]]
* [[2021 Paraguayan protests]]
* [[2021 Colombian protests]]
* [[2021 South African unrest]]
* [[2022 Kazakh protests]]
* [[2022 Sri Lankan protests]]
* [[2022 Ecuadorian protests]]
* [[Anti-MONUSCO protests]]
* [[2022 Sierra Leone protests]]
* [[Mahsa Amini protests]]
* [[2022–2023 Brazilian election protests]]
* [[2022 Mongolian protests]]
* [[2022–2023 Peruvian protests]]
* [[2023 Israeli judicial reform protests]]
* [[2023 French pension reform strikes]]
* [[2023–2024 Georgian protests]]
* [[2023 Pakistani protests]]
* [[2023 South African National Shutdown]]
* [[2023 Manipur violence]]
* [[2023 Senegalese protests]]
* [[Nahel Merzouk protests]]
* [[2023 Armenian protests]]
* [[2024 European farmers' protests]]
* [[2024 Papua New Guinean unrest]]
* [[2024 Indian farmers' protest]]
* [[2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses]]
* [[2024 New Caledonia unrest]]
* [[2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement]]
* [[Kenya Finance Bill protests]]
* [[2024 Harehills unrest]]
* [[July 2024 West Bank unrest]]
* [[2024 United Kingdom riots]]
* [[End Bad Governance protests]]
* [[2024 Indonesian local election law protests]]
* [[2024–2025 Mozambican protests]]
* [[2024–2025 Georgian protests]]
* [[2024–present Serbian anti-corruption protests]]
* [[2024 South Korean martial law crisis#Protests against Yoon Suk Yeol|Protests against Yoon Suk Yeol]]
* [[2025 Kinshasa riots]]
* [[2025 Indonesian protests]]
* [[2025 Turkish protests]]
* [[June 2025 Los Angeles protests]]
* [[2025 Kenyan protests]]}}

==Disasters==

===Natural disasters===
[[File:2004-tsunami.jpg|thumb|The tsunami striking [[Ao Nang]] in [[Thailand]] on 26 December 2004]]
[[File:KatrinaNewOrleansFlooded edit2.jpg|thumb|upright|[[New Orleans|New Orleans, Louisiana]], in the aftermath of [[Hurricane Katrina]] in 2005]]

'''2000s'''
* [[2001 Gujarat earthquake]] – An earthquake in Gujarat, India on 26 January 2001, killed approximately 20,000 people.
* [[January 2001 El Salvador earthquake]] – A 7.9 earthquake in El Salvador shook the whole country on 13 January 2001, causing a major devastating landslide, hundreds dead, thousands injured and many homeless. A month later, on 13 February 2001, the country suffered a second earthquake – 6.7
* [[2003 European heat wave]] – Approximately up to 70,000 people were killed across Europe in a summer long heat wave.
* [[2003 Bam earthquake]] – An [[Bam, Iran#2003 earthquake|earthquake]] in [[Bam, Iran|Bam]], [[Iran]] on 27 December 2003, killed more than 26,000.
* [[Hurricane Jeanne|2004 Hurricane Jeanne]] – Over 3,000 people are killed by [[Hurricane Jeanne]] in [[Haiti]] in September 2004.
* [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami]] – On 26 December 2004, a massive undersea earthquake resulted in a massive tsunami striking southeast Asia killing approximately 230,000.
* [[Hurricane Katrina|2005 Hurricane Katrina]] – The hurricane killed 1,836 in southeast Louisiana and Mississippi (mostly in [[New Orleans]]) and South Florida. A significant portion of the city, most of which sits below sea level, was submerged. Damages reached US$81.5 billion, making Katrina the costliest tropical cyclone ever recorded in the U.S.
* [[2005 Kashmir earthquake]] – An [[2005 Kashmir earthquake|earthquake in Kashmir]] on 8 October 2005, killed at least 74,500 in India and [[Pakistan]].
* [[Cyclone Nargis|2008 Cyclone Nargis]] – lead to catastrophic storm surge, leading to a death toll in excess of 100,000 and making millions homeless.
* [[2008 Sichuan earthquake]] – An earthquake between 7.9 and 8.0-magnitude struck Sichuan, China, on 12 May 2008, killing 68,712, with 17,921 missing.
* 2009 [[Black Saturday bushfires]] – The Black Saturday bushfires were a series of bushfires that ignited or were burning across the Australian state of Victoria, Australia on and around Saturday, 7 February 2009. The fires occurred during extreme bushfire-weather conditions and resulted in Australia's highest ever loss of life from a bushfire; 173 people died and 414 were injured.
* [[2009 L'Aquila earthquake]] – A 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes near [[L'Aquila]] ([[Italy]]) on 6 April 2009, one of the worst in Italian history. 308 were pronounced dead and more than 65,000 were made homeless.
* [[2009 flu pandemic]] – A worldwide outbreak of [[Influenza A virus subtype H1N1]] spread around the world forming a pandemic by June 2009.

'''2010s'''
[[File:Haiti Earthquake building damage.jpg|thumb|Damaged buildings in [[Port-au-Prince]] as a result of the [[2010 Haiti earthquake]]]]

[[File:Hurricane Maria destruction along Roseau road.jpg|thumb|[[Hurricane Maria]] destruction in [[Dominica]] in 2017]]
* [[2010 Haiti earthquake]] – At least 230,000 are killed in Haiti after a massive earthquake on 12 January 2010. Three million people were made homeless.
* [[2010 Chile earthquake]] – A massive earthquake, magnitude 8.8, strikes the central Chilean coast on 27 February 2010.
* [[2010 Yushu earthquake]] – A large 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the Yushu region of China in Qinghai near Tibet, on 14 April 2010, killing over 2,200 people.
* [[2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull]] – A massive ash cloud is formed by the eruption of the Icelandic volcano [[Eyjafjallajökull]], on 14 April 2010, grounding flights across northwest Europe. Scientists began recording volcanic activity there in 2009 which increased through March 2010 culminating in the second phase eruption in April.
* [[2010 Pakistan floods]] – Began in July 2010 after record heavy [[monsoon]] rains. The [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] province of [[Pakistan]] was worst affected. At least 1,600 people were killed, thousands were rendered homeless, and more than thirteen million people were affected.<ref name="Bodeen">{{cite news |last=Bodeen |first=Christopher |title=Asia flooding plunges millions into misery |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jLQ5AssQ1MzPfWcFQRV8ZeJhjctQD9HFBA400 |access-date=8 August 2010 |newspaper=Associated Press |date=8 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100904101109/https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jLQ5AssQ1MzPfWcFQRV8ZeJhjctQD9HFBA400 |archive-date=4 September 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="nyt">Masood, Salman and Adam B. Ellick. [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/world/asia/02pstan.html Floods in Pakistan Kill at Least 700] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201226225549/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/world/asia/02pstan.html |date=26 December 2020}}. NYTimes.<!--On Sunday officials reduced the number of dead to 730, saying earlier reports on Sunday, reaching as high at 1,100, were not credible.--></ref><ref name="bbc20100731">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10827712 |title=UN voices Pakistan flood fears as death toll soars |date=31 July 2010 |publisher=BBC |access-date=31 July 2010 |archive-date=2 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802024340/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-south-asia-10827712/un-voices-pakistan-flood-fears-as-death-toll-soars |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="nyt20100730">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/31/world/asia/31pstan.html |title=400 Killed in Flooding in Pakistan, Officials Say |last=Khan |first=Ismail |work=The New York Times |access-date=30 July 2010 |date=30 July 2010 |archive-date=31 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231052540/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/31/world/asia/31pstan.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100801/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan_floods |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100812140521/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100801/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan_floods |archive-date=12 August 2010 |title=Thousands trapped by Pakistan floods; 900 dead |access-date=6 October 2014}}</ref> Estimates from rescue service officials suggest the death toll may reach 3,000 victims.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-31/pakistan-death-toll-from-flash-floods-in-northwest-rises-to-539-edhi-says.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006211630/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-31/pakistan-death-toll-from-flash-floods-in-northwest-rises-to-539-edhi-says.html |archive-date=6 October 2014 |title=Deaths From Pakistan Floods May Reach 3,000, Rescue Service Official Says |date=31 July 2010 |work=Bloomberg |access-date=6 October 2014}}</ref>
* [[2010–2011 Queensland floods|2011 Queensland floods]] – Began in December 2010 primarily in [[Queensland]]. The flood causes thousands of people to evacuate. At least 200,000 people were affected by the flood. The flood continued throughout January 2011 in Queensland, and the estimated reduction in [[Economy of Australia|Australia's GDP]] is about A$30 billion.
* [[Cyclone Yasi]] – A category 5 (Australian Scale) cyclone hits North Queensland with winds as strong as 290&nbsp;km/h (197 miles/hr) and devastates the residents of North Queensland.
* February [[2011 Christchurch earthquake]] – 185 people died in New Zealand after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch on 22 February 2011, making it New Zealand's second-deadliest natural disaster after the [[1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake]].
* [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami]] – On 11 March 2011, a catastrophic undersea earthquake of magnitude 9.0 occurred offshore of eastern [[Japan]], the greatest in the country's history and created a massive tsunami which killed 15,894; it also triggered the [[Fukushima I nuclear accidents]]. The overall cost for the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accidents reached up to US$235 billion, making it the costliest natural disaster on record.
* [[2011 Super Outbreak]] – Regarded as the deadliest tornado outbreak ever recorded and dubbed the '''2011 Super Outbreak''', a catastrophic tornado outbreak on 25–28 April affected the [[Southern United States]] and killed over 330 people, most of whom were in or from [[Alabama]]. Damages are expected to be near or over $10 billion.
* [[2011 Joplin tornado]] – On 22 May 2011, a devastating EF5 tornado struck [[Joplin, Missouri]], resulting in 159 casualties, making it the deadliest tornado to hit the United States since 1947.
* [[Tropical Storm Washi]] – Locally known as Sendong, it caused catastrophic flooding in the [[Philippines|Philippine]] island of [[Mindanao]] on the night of 16 December 2011. The hardest hits were in [[Cagayan de Oro]] and [[Iligan City]]. Almost 1000 people perished, most of whom were sleeping, and President [[Benigno Aquino III]] declared a [[state of calamity]] four days later.
* [[Hurricane Sandy]] – 24–30 October 2012 – kills at least 185 people in the [[Caribbean]], [[Bahamas]], [[United States]] and [[Canada]]. Considerable [[storm surge]] damage causes major disruption to the eastern seaboard of the United States.<ref><span class="plainlinks">[http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/30/us/tropical-weather-sandy/index.html CNN] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021123600/http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/30/us/tropical-weather-sandy/index.html |date=21 October 2020}}</span> Report: Superstorm Sandy. Retrieved 30 October 2012.</ref><ref><span class="plainlinks">[http://fox8.com/2012/10/29/sandy-wreaks-havoc-across-northeast-at-least-10-dead/ Cleveland News] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820113442/https://fox8.com/2012/10/29/sandy-wreaks-havoc-across-northeast-at-least-10-dead/ |date=20 August 2018 }}</span> Superstorm Sandy. Retrieved 30 October 2012.</ref><ref><span class="plainlinks">[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9642268/Sandy-New-York-subway-system-flooded-in-worst-ever-disaster.html Telegraph.co.uk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128115433/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9642268/Sandy-New-York-subway-system-flooded-in-worst-ever-disaster.html |date=28 November 2020 }}</span> News Report. 30 October 2012.</ref>
* [[2013 Bohol earthquake]] – An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 that killed 22 people and destroyed a total worth of ₱2.25 billion,
* [[Typhoon Haiyan]] 2013 – kills more than 6,000 people in central [[Philippines]]. Considered to be one of the strongest storms ever, it brought major damage and loss of life to the Philippines, especially the islands of [[Leyte]] and [[Samar]]. A worldwide humanitarian effort began in the aftermath of the typhoon.
* [[2014 Southeast Europe floods]] – kill at least 80 people in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] and [[Serbia]]. Floodwaters caused over 2,000 landslides across the Balkan region, spreading damage across many towns and villages.
* [[April 2015 Nepal earthquake]] – An earthquake of 7.8 magnitude kills almost 9,000 people, injures another 22,000 and leaves nearly 3 million people homeless in Central Nepal. The earthquake was so strong it was felt in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
* [[2016 Taiwan earthquake]] – An earthquake of 6.4 magnitude kills 117 people, injures 550, and 4 people were left missing. The earthquake resulted in 3 executives of the Weiguan developer being arrested under charges of professional negligence resulting in death.
* [[August 2016 Central Italy earthquake]] – A 6.2 magnitude [[earthquake]] killed 299 people and severely damaged [[Amatrice]], [[Accumoli]] and [[Arquata del Tronto]].
* [[2018 Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami]] – A shallow, large earthquake struck in the neck of the [[Minahasa Peninsula]], Indonesia, with its epicentre located in the mountainous Donggala Regency, Central Sulawesi. The magnitude 7.5 quake was located 70&nbsp;km (43&nbsp;mi) away from the provincial capital Palu and was felt as far away as [[Samarinda]] on East Kalimantan and also in [[Tawau]], Malaysia.

'''2020s'''
* Unprecedented flooding displaces millions and threatens famine in [[2020 in Sudan|Sudan]] and [[2020 in South Sudan|South Sudan]] in 2020–2021.<ref>{{cite news |title='Our children die in our hands': Floods ravage South Sudan |url=https://apnews.com/article/climate-south-sudan-hunger-health-floods-88c41779363cc8098299dcfc4bdae399 |access-date=2 January 2021 |work=Associated Press News |date=1 January 2021 |archive-date=1 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101101226/https://apnews.com/article/climate-south-sudan-hunger-health-floods-88c41779363cc8098299dcfc4bdae399 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Floods-hit Sudan facing 'unprecedented challenges', UN warns |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/9/25/over-800000-affected-in-sudan-flooding-un#:~:text=Over%20800%2C000%20have%20been%20affected,floods%20in%20Sudan%20in%20decades.&text=The%20number%20of%20people%20affected,died%2C%20according%20to%20the%20Government. |access-date=2 January 2021 |work=aljazeera.com |publisher=Al Jazeera English |date=25 September 2020 |language=en |archive-date=8 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208194430/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/9/25/over-800000-affected-in-sudan-flooding-un#:~:text=Over%20800%2C000%20have%20been%20affected,floods%20in%20Sudan%20in%20decades.&text=The%20number%20of%20people%20affected,died%2C%20according%20to%20the%20Government. |url-status=live}}</ref>
* On 12 January 2020, the Taal Volcano [[2020–2022 Taal Volcano eruptions|erupted]] for the first time in 43 years.
* The [[2020 Atlantic hurricane season]], the most active regional season on record with 30 total named storms, results in over 400 fatalities across parts of the United States, [[Central America]] and the [[Caribbean]].
* At least 20 people are killed in [[2021 Henan floods]] in China after heavy rainfall (at least 20c per hour) exacerbated by the approach of [[Typhoon In-fa]] breaks existing records.
* The [[2021 European floods]] kill over 188 people and devastate Belgium, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Croatia, Switzerland, Italy and Luxemburg. Floods in Germany prove to be the deadliest since the [[North Sea Flood of 1962]].
* On 27 July 2022, [[2022 Luzon earthquake|a magnitude-7.0 earthquake hit Luzon]], causing 11 deaths and ₱1.88 billion of property damage.
* In September 2022, [[Hurricane Ian]] hit the west coast of Florida as a Category 4 Atlantic hurricane, becoming the deadliest hurricane to hit Florida since the 1935 Labor Day hurricane.
*Towards the end of the month of September 2024, [[Hurricane Helene]] made landfall in the [[Big Bend (Florida)|Big Bend region of Florida]] at category 4 strength, causing catastrophic damage. Towards the end of its life, Helene hit the states of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[South Carolina]] and [[North Carolina]], becoming the fifth costliest tropical storm on record with estimates up to $78.7 billion (in 2024 USD).

===Human-made disasters===
[[File:Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling unit on fire 2010.jpg|thumb|Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling unit in the Gulf of Mexico on fire in 2010]]
* On 27 July 2002, a [[Sukhoi Su-27]] fighter [[Sknyliv airshow disaster|crashes]] at an [[air show]] in [[Ukraine]], killing 77 and injuring more than 100, making it the worst air show disaster in history.
* On 1 February 2003, at the conclusion of the ''[[STS-107]]'' mission, the [[Space Shuttle]] ''[[Space Shuttle Columbia|Columbia]]'' [[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster|disintegrates during reentry]] over [[Texas]], killing all seven astronauts on board.
* The [[Black Saturday bushfires]] – the deadliest [[bushfires in Australia]]n history took place across the [[Australia]]n [[Australian state|state]] of [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] on 7 February 2009, during extreme bushfire-weather conditions, resulting in 173 people killed, more than 500 injured, and around 7,500 homeless. The fires came after [[Melbourne, Australia|Melbourne]] recorded the [[Early 2009 southeastern Australia heat wave|highest-ever temperature]] (46.4&nbsp;°C, 115&nbsp;°F) of any capital city in Australia. The majority of the fires were ignited by either fallen or clashing power lines or deliberately lit.
* On 10 April 2010, Polish President [[Lech Kaczyński]], his wife and 94 other people, including dozens of government officials, are killed in [[2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash|a plane crash]].
* On 20 April 2010, an explosion on the ''[[Deepwater Horizon]]'' offshore [[drilling rig]], operating in the [[Gulf of Mexico]] off the coast of [[Louisiana]], left eleven crewmen dead and resulted in a fire that sank the rig and caused a massive-scale [[oil spill]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126468782 |title=BP Will Pay For Gulf Oil Spill Disaster, CEO Says |publisher=NPR |date=3 May 2010 |access-date=3 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100504210425/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126468782 |archive-date=4 May 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> that may become one of the worst environmental disasters in [[United States]] history.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126410895 "Choppy Seas Hinder Effort To Contain Oil Spill"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913120926/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126410895 |date=13 September 2020}}, ''National Public Radio'', 30 April 2010</ref> On 18 June 2010, oceanographer John Kessler said that the crude gushing from the well contains 40 percent methane, compared to about 5 percent found in typical oil deposits. Methane is a natural gas that could potentially suffocate marine life and create "dead zones" where oxygen is so depleted that nothing lives. "This is the most vigorous methane eruption in modern human history," Kessler said.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna37778190 |title=Oil spill full of methane, adding new concerns |publisher=msnbc |date=18 June 2010 |access-date=20 June 2010 |archive-date=23 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923231316/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/37778190 |url-status=live}}</ref> On 20 June an internal BP document was released by Congress revealing that BP estimated the flow could be as much as {{convert|100000|oilbbl|USgal m3|abbr=off}} per day under the circumstances that existed since 20 April blowout.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oil-spill-markey-idUSTRE65J1WI20100620 |title=Document Shows BP Estimates Spill up to 100,000 Bpd |work=ABC News |date=20 June 2010 |access-date=20 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100624004525/http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=10964694 |archive-date=24 June 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://globalwarming.house.gov/files/WEB/flowrateBP.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704200718/http://globalwarming.house.gov/files/WEB/flowrateBP.pdf |archive-date=4 July 2010 |title=Seafloor Exit |access-date=14 May 2013}}</ref>

==Pandemics and epidemics==
[[File:WHO in PPE.jpg|thumb|[[Western African Ebola virus epidemic]]]]
[[File:Covid-19 SP - Santo Andre's hospital at peak of pandemic.jpg|thumb|Santo Andre's hospital during the peak of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]]]

Several epidemics and pandemics have defined the early century. There have been two epidemics and pandemics involving [[severe acute respiratory syndrome]]: the [[2002-2004 SARS outbreak|2002-2004 outbreak]] with the variant [[SARS-CoV-1]] that began in China, leading to 8,000 infections and 774 deaths worldwide;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/deadly-sars-virus-history-2003-in-photos-2020-2|title=How SARS terrified the world in 2003, infecting more than 8,000 people and killing 774|work=Business Insider|date=20 February 2020|access-date=2 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302170811/https://www.businessinsider.com/deadly-sars-virus-history-2003-in-photos-2020-2|archive-date=2 March 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> and in 2020, the virus strain [[SARS-CoV-2]] caused [[COVID-19 pandemic|an outbreak]] of the [[COVID-19|coronavirus disease]].<ref name="start">{{#invoke:cite web||publisher=Word Health Organization|url=https://www.who.int/news/item/27-04-2020-who-timeline---covid-19|title=Archived: WHO Timeline – COVID-19|date=27 April 2020|access-date=7 March 2024|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429012212/https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/27-04-2020-who-timeline---covid-19|url-status=live}}</ref> Its societal impacts were numerous: [[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdowns were imposed]], which contributed to [[COVID-19 recession|economic stagnation]].<ref>{{cite news |author=Juliana Kaplan |author2=Lauren Frias |author3=Morgan McFall-Johnsen |date=14 March 2020|title=A third of the global population is on coronavirus lockdown – here's our constantly updated list of countries and restrictions|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/countries-on-lockdown-coronavirus-italy-2020-3|access-date=15 April 2020|work=Business Insider Australia}}</ref> The death toll from the pandemic could be as high as 33 million,<ref name=Economist2023>{{#invoke:cite news ||title=The pandemic's true death toll |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/coronavirus-excess-deaths-estimates |orig-date=18 November 2021 |date=26 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240208015904/https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/coronavirus-excess-deaths-estimates |access-date=26 July 2023|archive-date=8 February 2024 }}</ref> and it is widely considered to be [[List of epidemics and pandemics|in the top five deadliest pandemics]]. Modern medical advancements and superior hygiene prevented the pandemic from being any deadlier than it was, and the pandemic was over by 2023.

No other epidemic or pandemic in the century compared to the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of mortality or societal impact. Nonetheless, other epidemics and pandemics in the century included the worldwide [[2009 swine flu pandemic]], an uptick in global [[Influenza A virus subtype H1N1|H1N1 influenza]] cases.<ref name=":6">{{cite journal|vauthors=Michaelis M, Doerr HW, Cinatl J|date=August 2009|title=Novel swine-origin influenza A virus in humans: another pandemic knocking at the door|journal=Medical Microbiology and Immunology|volume=198|issue=3|pages=175–83|doi=10.1007/s00430-009-0118-5|pmid=19543913|s2cid=20496301|doi-access=free}}</ref> The pandemic resulted in possibly up to 1.4 billion cases and 284,000 deaths.<ref name="WHO99">{{Cite web|url= https://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/laboratory06_08_2010/en/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150807183818/http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/laboratory06_08_2010/en/|archive-date= 7 August 2015|title=Weekly Virological Update on 05 August 2010 | date=5 August 2010|website=World Health Organization (WHO) |access-date=8 April 2020}}</ref><ref name="WHO100">{{Cite web|url= https://www.who.int/csr/don/2010_08_06/en/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110327194118/http://www.who.int/csr/don/2010_08_06/en/|archive-date= 27 March 2011|title=Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 | date=6 August 2010|website=World Health Organization (WHO) |access-date=8 April 2020}}</ref>

In 2013, an [[Western African Ebola epidemic|epidemic of the Ebola Virus]] began in [[West Africa]]. After cases reached their peak in October 2014<ref name=WHOvirtualpress>{{cite report|url=https://www.who.int/mediacentre/multimedia/vpc-23-october-2014.pdf?ua=1 |format= PDF|title=WHO Virtual Press Conference on the third meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee regarding the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa|publisher=WHO|access-date=5 November 2014}}</ref> and the epidemic was over by 2016,<ref>{{cite report|title=Interim advice on the sexual transmission of the Ebola virus disease|url=https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/rtis/ebola-virus-semen/en/|publisher=WHO|access-date=28 October 2016}}</ref> the infection count had reached 28,646 cases and 11,323 deaths - an extraordinarily high case-fatality rate (40%).<ref>{{cite news| vauthors = Wappes J |title=US health worker monitored as DRC Ebola nears 600 cases |url=http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2018/12/us-health-worker-monitored-drc-ebola-nears-600-cases |publisher=CIDRAP |access-date=23 January 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

==Economics and industry==
* The [[2008 financial crisis]] led to the [[Great Recession]].
* In the early 2010s the [[European debt crisis]] caused major effects on [[European Union|European politics]] and contributing to power shifts and the introduction of [[austerity]] policies in different countries.
* [[Developing countries]] make up for 97% of the world's growth, and [[industrialization]] leads to the rapid rise of [[BRICS]] economies and the weakening of [[American Century|American]] [[hegemony]] in the global economy.
* The [[COVID-19 recession|recession]] caused by the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] forced many governments and economic sectors to heavily invest and restructure, especially through widespread introduction of [[remote work]].
* Economic restructuring was pursued in many economies due to global [[climate change]].

==Sports==
[[Association football]] is the most popular sport worldwide with the [[FIFA World Cup]] being the most viewed football event. Other sports such as rugby, cricket, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, tennis, and golf are popular globally. In [[cricket]], the emergence of the [[Twenty20]] format and the creation of the [[Indian Premier League]] led to changes in the nature of the sport. American swimmer [[Michael Phelps]] won an Olympic record setting 8 Gold medals at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]].

[[File:Beijing Birds Nest Olympics track .jpg|thumb|The [[Beijing]] Bird's Nest Stadium during the [[2008 Summer Olympics]]]]

=== Olympics ===
* The [[2002 Winter Olympics]] were held in [[Salt Lake City]], [[United States]]
* The [[2004 Summer Olympics]] were held in [[Athens]], [[Greece]]
* The [[2006 Winter Olympics]] were held in [[Turin]], [[Italy]]
* The [[2008 Summer Olympics]] were held in [[Beijing]], [[China]]
* The [[2010 Winter Olympics]] were held in [[Vancouver]], [[Canada]]
* The [[2012 Summer Olympics]] were held in [[London]], [[United Kingdom]]
* The [[2014 Winter Olympics]] were held in [[Sochi]], [[Russia]]
* The [[2016 Summer Olympics]] were held in [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[Brazil]]
* The [[2018 Winter Olympics]] were held in [[Pyeongchang]], [[South Korea]]
* The [[2020 Summer Olympics]] were held in [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]]
* The [[2022 Winter Olympics]] were held in [[Beijing]], [[China]]
* The [[2024 Summer Olympics]] were held in [[Paris]], [[France]]
* The [[2026 Winter Olympics]] will be held in [[Milan]] and [[Cortina d'Ampezzo]], [[Italy]]
* The [[2028 Summer Olympics]] will be held in [[Los Angeles]], [[United States]]
* The [[2030 Winter Olympics]] will be held in the [[French Alps]], [[France]]
* The [[2032 Summer Olympics]] will be held in [[Brisbane]], [[Australia]]
* The [[2034 Winter Olympics]] will be held in [[Salt Lake City]], [[United States]]

=== Association football (Men) ===
* The [[2002 FIFA World Cup]] – host [[South Korea]] and [[Japan]] – was won by [[Brazil National Football Team|Brazil]]
* The [[2006 FIFA World Cup]] – host [[Germany]] – was won by [[Italy National Football Team|Italy]]
* The [[2010 FIFA World Cup]] – host [[South Africa]] – was won by [[Spain National Football Team|Spain]]
* The [[2014 FIFA World Cup]] – host [[Brazil]] – was won by [[Germany National Football Team|Germany]]
* The [[2018 FIFA World Cup]] – host [[Russia]] – was won by [[France National Football Team|France]]
* The [[2022 FIFA World Cup]] – host [[Qatar]] – was won by [[Argentina National Football Team|Argentina]]

=== Association football (Women) ===
* The [[2003 FIFA Women's World Cup]] – host [[United States]] – was won by [[Germany women's national football team|Germany]]
* The [[2007 FIFA Women's World Cup]] – host [[China]] – was won by [[Germany women's national football team|Germany]]
* The [[2011 FIFA Women's World Cup]] – host [[Germany]] – was won by [[Japan women's national football team|Japan]]
* The [[2015 FIFA Women's World Cup]] – host [[Canada]] – was won by [[United States women's national soccer team|United States]]
* The [[2019 FIFA Women's World Cup]] – host [[France]] – was won by [[United States women's national soccer team|United States]]
* The [[2023 FIFA Women's World Cup]] – host [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]] – was won by [[Spain women's national football team|Spain]]

=== Cricket ===
* The [[2003 Cricket World Cup]] – host [[South Africa]], [[Zimbabwe]] and [[Kenya]] – was won by [[Australia men's national cricket team|Australia]]
* The [[2007 Cricket World Cup]] – host [[West Indies]] – was won by [[Australia men's national cricket team|Australia]]
* The [[2011 Cricket World Cup]] – host [[India]], [[Sri Lanka]] and [[Bangladesh]] – was won by [[India men's national cricket team|India]]
* The [[2015 Cricket World Cup]] – host [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]] – was won by [[Australia men's national cricket team|Australia]]
* The [[2019 Cricket World Cup]] – host [[England]] and [[Wales]] – was won by [[England cricket team|England]]
* The [[2023 Cricket World Cup]] – host [[India]] – was won by [[Australia men's national cricket team|Australia]]

=== Gridiron football ===
[[File:Tom Brady 2016.JPG|thumb|upright|Quarterback [[Tom Brady]] played in 10 Super Bowls, the most ever.]]
* In the [[National Football League]], the [[New England Patriots]] were the dominant franchise of the first two decades of the 21st century, winning six [[Super Bowl]]s between their first, in 2001, and their most recent, in 2018 and appearing in an additional three others. Head Coach [[Bill Belichick]] and quarterback [[Tom Brady]] led the team during the stretch, with Brady also leading the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] to an additional Super Bowl following the 2020 season. Other teams with multiple Super Bowl appearances over that time period include the [[Philadelphia Eagles]], [[New York Giants]], [[Kansas City Chiefs]], [[Seattle Seahawks]], and [[Carolina Panthers]]. Besides Brady, who also won three [[Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player Award]] (MVP), other highly recognized players include quarterback [[Peyton Manning]], who won five MVP awards, the most in history, and quarterback [[Aaron Rodgers]] who won three MVPs, who in 2011 set the NFL record for season [[passer rating]]. Successful offensive players at other positions include wide receiver [[Randy Moss]], who set the record for most receiving touchdowns in a season with 23 in 2007, wide receiver [[Michael Thomas (wide receiver, born 1993)|Michael Thomas]], who set the NFL record for most receptions in a season with 149 in 2019, tight end [[Rob Gronkowski]], who became the first tight end to lead the league in receiving touchdowns in 2011, and running back [[Adrian Peterson]], who set the all-time NFL record for rushing yards in a game with 296 in 2007, his rookie year. Key defensive players of the century include safety [[Ed Reed]], who led the league in interceptions three times, linebacker [[Ray Lewis]], who set the career tackles record when he retired in 2012, and linebacker [[J. J. Watt]], who is the only player to record more than 20 quarterback sacks in two different seasons.
* In American [[college football]], the sport saw the creation of the [[College Football Playoff]], the first playoff for [[NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision]], the highest level of college football in the U.S. The series was dominated by two teams, the [[Clemson Tigers football team|Clemson Tigers]] and [[Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama Crimson Tide]], at least one of which has played in every Playoff since its inception in 2014 and between them have won all but one of said championships. Prior to 2014, the method of determining the champion was done via the [[Bowl Championship Series]] (BCS), a single championship game that attempted to match the top two teams in the country using a series of polls and computer rankings to choose the top two teams. In the BCS era, the top teams were Alabama, which won three BCS Championships, and [[Florida State Seminoles football|Florida State]], [[LSU Tigers football team|LSU]], and [[Oklahoma Sooners football team|Oklahoma]], which won two BCS Championships each. [[Nick Saban]], who led both LSU and Alabama to one and seven national championships respectively, was the most dominant coach of his era, while quarterbacks dominated the [[Heisman Trophy]], winning 16 of 20 during the first two decades of the 21st century. Several controversies over the payment of athletes dominated the sport, with Heisman Trophy winner [[Reggie Bush]] being forced to return his award over receiving improper benefits while maintaining amateur status, while officials and media continued to debate the possibility of paying athletes at all levels of [[college athletics in the United States|college athletics]].
* In [[Canadian football]], the league opened the 21st century facing an uncertain financial future, suffering from the failures of the experiment of trying to field [[Canadian Football League in the United States|Canadian football teams in the United States]] and having to contract a large number of teams at the end of the 20th century. The league fluctuated between eight and nine teams as two different Ottawa-based franchises failed during the first decade of the 21st century. The league found stability during the 2010s, and showed surprising parity between the teams, with all nine teams appearing in at least one [[Grey Cup]] during the 2000s and 2010s, and with only the [[Montreal Alouettes]] winning back-to-back titles during those two decades, in 2009 and 2010. Quarterback [[Anthony Calvillo]] of the Alouettes was the face of the league during his career, winning three [[CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award|Most Outstanding Player Award]]s and setting several passing records in the process.

{{Clear}}

=== Golf ===
[[File:Tiger Woods in May 2019.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|Tiger Woods was the most successful male golfer of the first two decades of the 21st century.]]
* The [[2002 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe 15 and a half to the USA's 12 and a half.
* The [[2004 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe 18 and a half to the USA's 9 and a half.
* The [[2006 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe again 18 and a half to the USA's 9 and a half.
* The [[2008 Ryder Cup]] was won by the USA 16 and a half to Europe's 11 and a half.
* The [[2010 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe 14 and a half to the USA's 13 and a half.
* The [[2012 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe 14 and a half to the USA's 13 and a half.
* The [[2014 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe 16 and a half to the USA's 11 and a half.
* The [[2016 Ryder Cup]] was won by USA 17 to Europe's 11.
* The [[2018 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe 17 and a half to the USA's 10 and a half.
* The [[2021 Ryder Cup]] was won by USA 19 to Europe's 9.
* The [[2023 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe 16 and a half to the USA's 11 and half.

=== Motorsport ===
[[File:Sydney SuperSprint 2016 Race 18 Start.jpg|thumb|The start of a race during the 2016 [[Supercars Championship]] in Australia]]
* [[Dale Earnhardt]] died after a last-lap crash during the [[Daytona 500]] in February 2001.
* [[Michael Schumacher]] broke many records in the first few years of the century, including the record for most races won (91), most World Championships (7), and most pole positions (68) by the time he retired in 2006. In 2010, he announced his comeback to [[Formula One]] after three years out of the sport, retiring again in 2012.
* [[Sebastian Vettel]] broke numerous records on his way to becoming Formula One's youngest ever world champion, in 2010 at age 23, and then the youngest ever double world champion, in 2011 at age 24.
* [[Sébastien Loeb]] became the most successful rally driver ever, winning the [[World Rally Championship]] a record 9 consecutive times between 2004 and 2012. He also set new records for the most wins, podium finishes and points scored.
* [[Casey Stoner]] won his second [[MotoGP]] world title (2007 and 2011), and announced his retirement from the sport at just 27 years of age, citing disagreement with the direction of the sport and a desire to spend more time with his family. His retirement became effective at the end of the 2012 MotoGP season. Stoner has won every MotoGP-branded race at least once.
* [[Craig Lowndes]] became the first driver to reach 100 race wins in the [[Supercars Championship|V8 Supercars Championship]].
* [[Lewis Hamilton]] broke the record for most career pole positions in [[Formula One]] in 2019, and the record for most career wins in 2020.

=== Rugby Union ===
* [[2003 Rugby World Cup]] – host [[Australia]] – was won by [[England national rugby union team|England]]
* [[2007 Rugby World Cup]] – host [[France]] – was won by [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]]
* [[2011 Rugby World Cup]] – host [[New Zealand]] – was won by [[New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand]]
* [[2015 Rugby World Cup]] – host [[England]] – was won by [[New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand]]
* [[2019 Rugby World Cup]] – host [[Japan]] – was won by [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]]
* [[2023 Rugby World Cup]] – host [[France]] – was won by [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]]

=== Tennis (Men) ===
* [[Roger Federer]] won 20 [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] titles (6 Australian Opens, 1 French Open, 8 Wimbledons, and 5 US Opens) to surpass [[Pete Sampras]]' record of 14.
* Roger Federer, [[Rafael Nadal]] and [[Novak Djokovic]] each completed a Career Grand Slam, winning the singles championships in the [[Australian Open]], [[French Open]], [[The Championships|Wimbledon]] and [[US Open (tennis)|US Open]]; Nadal also won the Olympic Singles gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics to complete a Golden Career Slam.
* At the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut completed the [[Isner–Mahut match at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships|longest tennis match ever]]. Isner won 6–4, 3–6, 6–7(7), 7–6(3), 70–68.
* In 2019, Rafael Nadal became the first male player to win a single Grand Slam tournament ([[French Open]]) 12 times.

=== Tennis (Women) ===
* [[Serena Williams]] won 23 Grand Slam titles (7 Australian Opens, 3 French Opens, 7 Wimbledons, and 6 US Opens) in the 21st century, to add to her 1999 US Open title. Including a 2017 Australian Open win whilst 8 weeks pregnant
* [[Maria Sharapova]] became the first female Russian player to reach No.1 on 22 August 2005. She also retired in 2020.
* China's [[Li Na]] won the [[2011 French Open]], becoming the first player, male or female, from that country to win a Grand Slam.
* Belarusian [[Victoria Azarenka]] won the [[2012 Australian Open]], becoming the first player, male or female, from that country to win a Grand Slam, and also hold the No.1 ranking (taking over from [[Caroline Wozniacki]]).

==Arts and entertainment==
=== Art ===
{{main|Contemporary art}}{{see also|Art:21}}

The rise of the [[Internet]] and [[Social media|Social Media]] led to art being democratized and revolutionized.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=Steven |date=30 August 2018 |title=Art Explained: How the Internet changed the art world |url=https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/how-the-internet-changed-art-steven-murphy/index.html |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref> Art websites and spaces such as [[DeviantArt]] grew rapidly. New [[Art movement#21st century|art movements]], such as [[minimalism]], [[craftivism]], [[stuckism]], and [[remodernism]], as well as art forms such as [[street art]], [[environmental art]], and [[pixel art]], rose as well. However, concerns grew over the dilution and commercialization of art.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bandoim |first=Lana |date=24 November 2017 |title=How the internet is transforming the art world |url=https://theweek.com/articles/732974/how-internet-transforming-art-world |website=[[The Week]]}}</ref>

In the late 2010s, [[Non-fungible token|NFTs]], unique digital assets that represent ownership or proof of authenticity for a specific item, primarily used for digital art, as a new form of investment asset, began surging dramatically. However, many considered them to be an [[economic bubble]] or a [[Ponzi scheme]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hawkins |first=John |date=13 January 2022 |title=NFTs, an overblown speculative bubble inflated by pop culture and crypto mania |url=https://theconversation.com/nfts-an-overblown-speculative-bubble-inflated-by-pop-culture-and-crypto-mania-174462 |website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]]}}</ref> In 2022, the NFT market collapsed; a May 2022 estimate was that the number of sales was down over 90% compared to 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vigna |first=Paul |date=3 May 2022 |title=NFT Sales Are Flatlining |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/nft-sales-are-flatlining-11651552616 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref> By September 2023, over 95% of all NFTs had zero monetary value.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yang |first=Maya |date=22 September 2023 |title=The vast majority of NFTs are now worthless, new report shows |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/sep/22/nfts-worthless-price |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>

===Music===
{{see also|Category:21st century in music}}
[[File:Taylor Swift Eras Tour - Arlington TX 20230331 - Look What You Made Me Do 1.jpg|thumb|[[The Eras Tour]] of [[Taylor Swift]]]]
At the beginning of the century, the [[compact disc]] (CD) was the standard form of music media, but alternative forms of music media started to take its place such as [[music downloading]] and [[online streaming]]. A [[Vinyl revival|resurgence]] in sales of [[vinyl records]] in the 2010s was driven by [[Record collecting|record collectors]] and [[audiophile]]s who prefer the sound of analog vinyl records to digital recordings. In 2020, for the first time since the 1980s, vinyl surpassed CDs as the primary form of physical media for consumers of music, though both were still surpassed by online streaming, which by the 2020s became the predominant way that people consumed music.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dean |first1=Grace |title=Americans are spending more on vinyl records than CDs for the first time since the 1980s |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-spending-vinyl-records-cds-2020-data-2020-9#:~:text=LP%20and%20EP%20sales%20totalled,Association%20of%20America%20(RIAA). |website=Business Insider |publisher=Insider Inc. |access-date=26 January 2021 |date=14 September 2020 |archive-date=23 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123123918/https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-spending-vinyl-records-cds-2020-data-2020-9#:~:text=LP%20and%20EP%20sales%20totalled,Association%20of%20America%20(RIAA). |url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2024, the most active music streaming services were [[YouTube]] (2 billion monthly music users, 100 million premium subscribers), [[Spotify]] (615 million monthly users, 239 million premium subscribers), [[Tencent Music]] (576 million monthly users, 106.7 million premium subscribers), [[NetEase Cloud Music]] (205.9 million monthly users, 44.1 million premium subscribers), [[Gaana (music streaming service)|Gaana]] (185 million monthly users), [[SoundCloud]] (175 million monthly users), [[JioSaavn]] (100 million monthly users), and [[Apple Music]] (60 million subscribers).<ref>{{cite web |title=How many users do Spotify, Apple Music and other big music streaming services have? |url=https://musically.com/2020/02/19/spotify-apple-how-many-users-big-music-streaming-services/ |website=Music Ally |access-date=26 January 2021 |date=19 February 2020 |archive-date=12 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112200637/https://musically.com/2020/02/19/spotify-apple-how-many-users-big-music-streaming-services/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Television===
As with music, the story of the first three decades of the 21st century was the growth of [[streaming television]] services in competition with older forms of television, such as [[Terrestrial television]], [[cable television]], and [[satellite television]]. The first major company to dominate the streaming service market was [[Netflix]], which began as a [[DVD]]-delivery service in the late 1990s, transitioned into an online media streaming platform initially focused on delivering content produced by studios, then began to produce its own content, beginning with the popular and critically acclaimed series ''[[House of Cards (American TV series)|House of Cards]]'' in 2013. Netflix's success encouraged the creation of numerous other streaming services, such as [[Hulu]], [[YouTube Premium]], [[Amazon Prime Video]], and [[Disney+]], the latter of which, within a year of its launch, overtook Netflix as the most downloaded television streaming application.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kissel |first1=Chris |title=The 10 Most Popular Streaming TV Services of 2020 |url=https://www.moneytalksnews.com/the-10-most-popular-streaming-tv-services-of-2020/ |website=Money Talks News |access-date=26 January 2021 |date=22 January 2021 |archive-date=25 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125200653/https://www.moneytalksnews.com/the-10-most-popular-streaming-tv-services-of-2020/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Issues and concerns==
[[File:GlobalPeakOilForecast.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Global [[Peak Oil]] forecast. Virtually all [[Economy|economic]] sectors rely heavily on [[petroleum]].]]
* '''[[Climate change]]:''' Climate scientists have reached a consensus that the earth is undergoing significant [[human impact on the environment|anthropogenic]], i.e. [[human]]-induced, global warming.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change |doi=10.1126/science.1103618 |pmid=15576594 |volume=306 |issue=5702 |journal=Science |page=1686 |year=2004 |last1=Oreskes |first1=Naomi |author1-link=Naomi Oreskes |doi-access=free}}</ref> Global warming risks considerable [[biodiversity loss|losses in biodiversity]] and [[ecosystem services]], unless considerable sociopolitical changes are introduced, particularly in patterns of mass consumption and [[transport]]ation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/09/rising-seas/if-ice-melted-map |title=What the World Would Look Like if All the Ice Melted |date=1 September 2013 |access-date=21 March 2018 |archive-date=11 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170111213849/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/09/rising-seas/if-ice-melted-map |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Dhaka street crowds.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Dhaka]], [[Bangladesh]] in 2006. Almost 97% of future population growth is expected to occur in [[Developing country|developing (mid-to-low income) countries]].<ref>[https://www.prb.org/resources/in-2011-world-population-surpasses-7-billion World population projected to reach 7 billion in 2011] {{cbignore|bot=medic}}". PRB. October 25, 2011.</ref>]]
* '''[[Population]]:''' The world's population demographics will shift considerably, with the population of [[Europe]] and [[East Asia]] predicted to decline considerably and the population of [[Africa]], and to a lesser extent [[South Asia]], to grow considerably, unless there are policy changes. The [[United Nations]] estimates [[world population]] will reach 9.7 billion by 2050, and peak at nearly 10.4 billion in the 2080s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/sites/www.un.org.development.desa.pd/files/wpp2022_summary_of_results.pdf |title=World Population Prospects 2022 |website=UN |access-date=6 August 2023}}</ref>
** '''[[Overconsumption]]''' and '''[[Human overpopulation|overpopulation]]:''' Such growth raises questions of ecological [[sustainability]] and creates many [[economic]] and [[political]] disruptions. In response, many [[Government|countries]] have adopted policies which either force or encourage their citizens [[Human population planning|to have fewer children]], and others have [[Opposition to immigration|limited]] [[immigration]] or both.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Population |url=https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/population |website=[[United Nations]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=16 August 2024 |title=Overpopulation: Causes, Consequences and Solutions |url=https://populationmatters.org/news/2024/08/overpopulation-causes-consequences-and-solutions/ |website=[[Population Matters]]}}</ref>
* '''[[Poverty]]:''' Poverty remains the root cause of many of the world's other ills, including [[famine]], [[disease]], and insufficient [[education]]. Poverty contains many self-reinforcing elements (e.g. it can make [[education]] unaffordable, which results in continuing poverty) that [[Aid agency|aid groups]] hope to rectify. Progress has been made in reducing poverty, especially in [[China]] and [[India]], but increasingly in [[Africa]] as well.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=The Challenge of Poverty, Near- Poverty and Inequality in the 21st Century |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349519422 |journal=[[ResearchGate]]}}</ref>

[[File:World nuclear weapons.png|thumb|right|In early 2019, more than 90% of world's 13,865 [[List of states with nuclear weapons|nuclear weapons]] were owned by [[Russia]] and the [[United States]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Global Nuclear Arsenal Declines, But Future Cuts Uncertain Amid U.S.-Russia Tensions |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/nuclear-weapons-russia-start-inf-warheads/30003088.html |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |date=17 June 2019 |access-date=23 July 2019 |archive-date=2 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702194556/https://www.rferl.org/a/nuclear-weapons-russia-start-inf-warheads/30003088.html |url-status=live}}</ref>]]
* '''[[War]]:''' [[List of ongoing armed conflicts|Conflicts]] continue around the world, such as the [[Syrian Civil War]], the [[Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)|Yemeni Civil War]] and the [[Russo-Ukrainian War]]. Violence continues in the [[Arab–Israeli conflict]]. Concern remains about [[nuclear war]] and [[nuclear proliferation]] and the availability of [[weapons of mass destruction]] to rogue groups.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Warfare today and tomorrow |url=https://www.elac.ox.ac.uk/programmes-projects/solferino-21/warfare-today-and-tomorrow/ |website=Oxford Institute of Ethics, Law, and Armed Conflict}}</ref>
** '''[[War on drugs]]:''' The legal, social, and military battle by governments against drug cartels show little results in ending drug trading and consumption, and an increase in the lives taken. After [[2006]] in the [[Mexican Drug War]], more than 100,000 human lives have been [[Death|lost]]. Some [[jurisdiction]]s have enacted a degree of [[legalization]] or decriminalization of some kinds of [[drug]]s and [[narcotic]]s, notably several [[Legalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States|U.S. states legalizing]] [[marijuana]] for [[Recreational drug use|recreational]] or [[Medical cannabis|medical]] use.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vulliamy |first=Ed |date=1 September 2013 |title='Mexico's war on drugs is one big lie' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/01/mexico-drugs-anabel-hernandez-narcoland |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=23 November 2024 |title=The Dangerous Narrative of the "War on Cartels |url=https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2024/11/23/the-dangerous-narrative-of-the-war-on-cartels/ |website=[[Georgetown Journal of International Affairs]]}}</ref>
* '''[[Intellectual property]]:''' The increasing popularity of digital formats for [[Entertainment|entertainment media]] such as [[Film|movies]] and [[music]], and the ease of copying and distributing it via the [[Internet]] and [[peer-to-peer]] networks, has raised concerns in the media industry about [[copyright infringement|copyright infringement (piracy)]]. Much debate is proceeding about the proper bounds between protection of [[copyright]], [[trademark]] and [[patent]] rights versus [[fair use]] and the [[public domain]], where some argue that such laws have shifted greatly towards intellectual property owners and away from the interests of the general public, while others say that such legal change is needed to deal with a perceived threat of new technologies against the rights of authors and [[artist]]s (or, as some put it, against the outmoded business models of the entertainment industry).<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Intellectual Property Rights in the Age of Social Media |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370299738 |journal=[[ResearchGate]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Appel |first1=Gil |last2=Neelbauer |first2=Juliana |last3=Schweidel |first3=David |date=7 April 2023 |title=Generative AI Has an Intellectual Property Problem |url=https://hbr.org/2023/04/generative-ai-has-an-intellectual-property-problem |website=[[Harvard Business Review]]}}</ref>
* '''[[Technology]]:''' [[Cybernetics|Communications and control]] technology continues to augment the intelligence of individual humans, collections of humans, and machines. Some, notably [[Ray Kurzweil]], have predicted that by the middle of the century there will be a [[technological singularity]] if [[artificial intelligence]] that outsmarts humans is created. [[Economists]] have expressed concerns over [[technological unemployment]] due to [[automation]], including [[Artificial intelligence|AI]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Cuthbertson |first1=Anthony |last2=Griffin |first2=Andrew |date=24 March 2021 |title=The 20 technologies that defined the first 20 years of the 21st Century |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/technology-bitcoin-iphone-tesla-ai-b1821678.html |website=[[The Independent]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=McSweeney |first=Kelly |date=12 August 2022 |title=21st Century Technology Drives Industry 4.0 |url=https://now.northropgrumman.com/21st-century-technology-drives-industry-4-0 |website=[[Northrop Grumman]]}}</ref>

[[File:World laws pertaining to homosexual relationships and expression.svg|thumb|{{legend|#025|Marriage open to same-sex couples}}{{legend|#800000|[[Death penalty for homosexuality]]}}]]
* '''[[Civil and political rights]]''', including [[women's rights]], [[LGBT rights by country or territory|LGBT rights]], [[racial equality]], [[minority rights]], and the rights of [[disability rights|disabled]] and individuals with [[Neurological disorder|neurodevelopmental disabilities]] (e.g. [[Autism rights movement|autism]]) are still a work in progress. [[Women]] are unable to realize or outright denied their rights in many countries, including [[India]], [[China]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.du.edu/korbel/hrhw/researchdigest/china/WomenChina.pdf |title=Chinese Women and Economic Human Rights |first=Lisa |last=Fry |publisher=Josef Korbel School of International Studies [[University of Denver]] |access-date=10 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004041354/https://www.du.edu/korbel/hrhw/researchdigest/china/WomenChina.pdf |archive-date=4 October 2012}}</ref> and [[Saudi Arabia]], and [[sexual violence]] against women is still an enormous problem. [[Sex-selective abortion]] has reduced the number of women born [[world]]wide since [[1990]], mostly because of [[son preference]] in [[China]], [[India]], [[Pakistan]], [[Vietnam]], [[South Korea]] and other countries. In many countries attitudes towards [[homosexuality]] have become more tolerant. [[Same-sex marriage]] was legalized in several jurisdictions during the first two decades of the century, but [[outlaw]]ed by [[constitution]]al amendment in other places. Meanwhile, some countries such as [[Uganda]] and [[Russia]] moved to toughen their laws against any sort of [[homosexuality|homosexual]] behavior or expression. Political battles over pro- or anti-gay legislation provoked much activism in the [[street]]s and on the [[Internet]]. [[Hate group]]s remain a serious problem, and [[Minority group|ethnic minorities]] have a lower status in many countries, including the [[United States]]. [[Neurological disorder|Neurological conditions]] such as [[ADHD]] and [[Autism spectrum|autism]] are becoming more understood and recognized.
* '''[[Globalization]]:''' Advances in [[telecommunications]] and [[transportation]], the expansion of [[capitalism]], through [[Neoliberalism]] since the late [[1980s]], and [[free trade]] agreements have resulted in unprecedented global economic and [[Culture|cultural]] integration. Most [[economist]]s believe [[free trade]] leads to economic growth and benefits most people, including [[small business]]es.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/aug/13/is-free-trade-always-the-answer |title=Is free trade always the answer? |first=Richard |last=Partington |newspaper=The Guardian |date=13 August 2018 |via=www.theguardian.com |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109023851/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/aug/13/is-free-trade-always-the-answer |url-status=live}}</ref> In recent years, however, there has been a backlash [[Anti-globalization movement|against globalization]] and a return to [[protectionist]] attitudes among some leaders and nations, most notably [[President of the United States|United States President]] [[Donald Trump]] and the [[Brexit|United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union]].
* '''[[Disease]]:''' [[Heart disease]], [[cancer]], [[neonatal]] conditions and other diseases [[Death|kill]] millions annually.<ref name="2024WHO">{{cite web | title=The top 10 causes of death | website=World Health Organization (WHO)
 | date=2024-08-07 | url=https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death | access-date=2025-02-26}}</ref> [[Antibiotic resistance]] is a growing concern. Other diseases, such as [[COVID-19]] and [[flu]] variations, are causes for concern.

==Astronomical events==
{{further|List of future astronomical events#21st century}}
* 8 June 2004: [[2004 transit of Venus|Transit of Venus]].
* 23 December 2007: [[Conjunction (astronomy and astrology)#2007|grand conjunction]], a galactic conjunction which happens every 26,000 years.
* 2009: [[Triple conjunction]] [[Jupiter]]–[[Neptune]].
* [[Solar eclipse of July 22, 2009]], total of 6 min 38.8 s, [[saros cycle|saros]] 136.
* [[Solar eclipse of January 15, 2010]], annular of 11 min 08 s, saros 141. The longest of the century, and also of the entire millennium.
* 5–6 June 2012: [[2012 transit of Venus|Transit of Venus]].
* 11 November 2019: [[Transit of Mercury]].
* [[Solar eclipse of June 21, 2020]], annular of 38 s, saros 137

==See also==
{{portal|Modern history}}
* [[20th century]]
* [[Timeline of the 21st century]]
* [[Timeline of geopolitical changes (2000–present)|Timeline of geopolitical changes in the 21st century]]
* [[Generation Z]] (1997 - 2012) (the first generation to have people born in the 21st century). 
* [[Generation Alpha]] (2012 - 2024) (the first generation to be entirely born in the 21st century). 
* [[Generation Beta]] (2025 - 2039). (the second generation to be entirely born in the 21st century).

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite web |last=Allitt |first=Patrick N. |title=America after the Cold War: The First 30 Years |year=2020 |url=https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/america-after-the-cold-war-the-first-thirty-years |website=[[The Great Courses]]}}
* {{Cite book |last=Andersson |first=Jenny |title=The future of the world: Futurology, futurists, and the struggle for the post cold war imagination |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2018 |isbn=978-0-19-254550-3}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ahram |first=Ariel I. |title=War and conflict in the Middle East and North Africa |publisher=Polity |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-5095-3281-0}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Aziz |first1=Nusrate |first2=M. Niaz |last2=Asadullah |title=Military spending, armed conflict and economic growth in developing countries in the post–Cold War era |journal=Journal of Economic Studies |volume=44 |issue=1 |year=2017 |pages=47–68 |doi=10.1108/JES-01-2015-0021 |url=https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/credit/documents/papers/2016/16-03.pdf}}
* {{Cite book |last=Brands |first=Hal |title=Making the unipolar moment: U.S. foreign policy and the rise of the post-Cold War order |publisher=Cornell University Press |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-5017-0272-3 |location=Ithaca}}
* {{Cite book |title=Web 25: histories from the first 25 years of the World Wide Web |date=2017 |publisher=Peter Lang |isbn=978-1-4331-3269-8 |editor-last=Brügger |editor-first=Niels |series=Digital formations |location=New York}}
* {{Cite book |last=Cameron |first=Fraser |title=US foreign policy after the Cold War: global hegemon or reluctant sheriff? |publisher=Routledge |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-415-35864-4 |edition=2nd |oclc=ocm57694857}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Cassani |first1=Andrea |title=Autocratization in post-Cold War political regimes |last2=Tomini |first2=Luca |publisher=Springer |year=2018 |isbn=978-3-030-03124-4 |location=New York, NY}}
* {{cite book |editor-last=Clapton |editor-first=William |title=Risk and Hierarchy in International Society: Liberal Interventionism in the Post-Cold War Era |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-137-39636-5}}
* {{cite book |editor-last1=Dai |editor-first1=Jinhua |editor-first2=Lisa |editor-last2=Rofel |title=After the Post–Cold War: The Future of Chinese History |publisher=Duke University Press |year=2018 |isbn=978-1-4780-0038-9}}
* {{Cite book |last=Duong |first=Thanh |title=Hegemonic globalisation: U.S. centrality and global strategy in the emerging world order |orig-date=2002 |publisher=Ashgate |year=2017 |isbn=978-0-7546-3013-5}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Gertler |first1=Mark |first2=Simon |last2=Gilchrist |title=What happened: Financial factors in the great recession |journal=Journal of Economic Perspectives |volume=32 |issue=3 |year=2018 |pages=3–30 |doi=10.1257/jep.32.3.3}}
* {{cite book |last=Harrison |first=Ewan |title=The Post-Cold War International System: Strategies, Institutions and Reflexivity |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-415-32836-4 |publisher=Routledge |location=London}}
* Henriksen, Thomas H. ''Cycles in US Foreign Policy Since the Cold War'' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017) [https://www.amazon.com/Cycles-Foreign-Policy-American-Century/dp/3319748521/ excerpt].
* Howe, Joshua P. ''Behind the curve: science and the politics of global warming'' (U of Washington Press, 2014).
* Jackson, Robert J. and Philip Towle. ''Temptations of Power: The United States in Global Politics after 9/11'' (2007)
* Lamy, Steven L., et al. ''Introduction to global politics'' (4th ed. Oxford UP, 2017)
* [[Michael Mandelbaum|Mandelbaum, Michael]] ''The Rise and Fall of Peace on Earth'' (Oxford UP, 2019) why so much peace 1989–2015. [https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-Peace-Earth/dp/0197533167/ excerpt]
* Maull, Hanns W., ed. ''The rise and decline of the post-Cold War international order'' (Oxford UP, 2018).
* Pekkanen, Saadia M., John Ravenhill, and Rosemary Foot, eds. ''Oxford handbook of the international relations of Asia'' (Oxford UP, 2014), comprehensive coverage.
* {{Cite book |title=Pocket world in figures 2021 |isbn=9781788164979 |publisher=Economist Publications |location=London |year=2020}}
* Ravenhill, John, ed. ''Global political economy'' (5th ed. Oxford UP, 2017) [https://www.amazon.com/Global-Political-Economy-John-Ravenhill/dp/0198737467/ excerpt]
* Reid-Henry, Simon. ''Empire of Democracy: The Remaking of the West Since the Cold War'' (2019) [https://www.amazon.com/Empire-Democracy-Remaking-West-Since/dp/1451684967/ excerpt]
* {{cite book |last=Rosenberg |first=Jerry M. |title=The Concise Encyclopedia of The Great Recession 2007–2012 |year=2012 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |edition=2nd |isbn=978-0-8108-8340-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/conciseencyclope0000rose |url-access=registration}}
* Rubin, Robert, and Jacob Weisberg. ''In an uncertain world: tough choices from Wall Street to Washington'' (2015).
* {{cite report |last=Rudolph |first=Peter |title=The Sino-American World Conflict |doi=10.18449/2020RP03 |publisher=German Institute for International and Security Affairs |series=SWP Research Paper |volume=3 |date=February 2020 |url=https://www.swp-berlin.org/10.18449/2020RP03/}}
* Schenk, Catherine R. ''International economic relations since 1945'' (2nd ed. 2021).
* Smith, Rhona K.M. et al. ''International Human Rights'' (4th ed. 2018)
* Smith, Rhona KM. ''Texts and materials on international human rights'' (4th ed. Routledge, 2020).
* Strong, Jason. ''The 2010s: Looking Back At A Dramatic Decade'' (2019) [https://www.amazon.com/2010s-Looking-Back-Dramatic-decade/dp/1999222725/ online]
* Taylor-Gooby, Peter, Benjamin Leruth, and Heejung Chung, eds. ''After austerity: Welfare state transformation in Europe after the great recession'' (Oxford UP, 2017).
* {{cite book |title=The World in 2020 |year=2019 |oclc=1129588760 |publisher=Economist Publications |location=London}}
* {{cite book |last=Tooze |first=Adam |author-link=Adam Tooze |title=Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World |location=New York |publisher=Viking |year=2018 |isbn=978-0-670-02493-3}}
* Tooze, Adam. ''Shutdown: How Covid Shook the World's Economy'' (2021).
* United Nations. ''World Economic Situation and Prospects 2020'' (2020) [https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/document_gem/global-economic-monitoring-unit/world-economic-situation-and-prospects-wesp-report/world-economic-situation-and-prospects-wesp-full-report/ online annual reports]
* United Nations. ''World Economic and Social Survey 2010 – Retooling Global Development'' (2010) [https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/publication/world-economic-and-social-survey-5/ online]
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101228211112/http://www.stateoftheworld.reuters.com/ Reuters – The State of the World] The story of the 21st century
* [http://www.longbets.org/ Long Bets] Foundation to promote long-term thinking
* [https://www.centuryseasons.org.in/ Century Seasons] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210620155309/https://www.centuryseasons.org.in/ |date=20 June 2021 }}
* [http://www.longnow.org/ Long Now] Long-term cultural institution
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060328235050/http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&articleID=00031010-F7DA-1304-B72683414B7F0000 Scientific American Magazine (September 2005 Issue) The Climax of Humanity]
* [http://www.mapreport.com/century/index.html MapReport] 21st Century Event World Map

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