2024
Trump wins a second term
Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris to win a second, non-consecutive term as U.S. president. The result returned him to office after four years out of power and gave Republicans unified control of the White House and Senate.
Assad government falls in Syria
Rebel forces entered Damascus and Bashar al-Assad fled the country, bringing an end to his family's rule after more than five decades. The collapse followed years of civil war, foreign intervention, and economic exhaustion.
Navalny dies in Russian prison
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died in the IK-3 penal colony north of the Arctic Circle. His death removed the Kremlin's most visible domestic critic and intensified scrutiny of political repression in Russia.
BJP loses majority in India
Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party lost its outright parliamentary majority and had to rely on coalition partners to form a government. The result weakened the aura of electoral invincibility that had surrounded Modi since 2014.
Noto Peninsula earthquake
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula on New Year's Day, collapsing homes, igniting fires in Wajima, and killing hundreds of people. Recovery took months and tested emergency services in a region already struggling with age and depopulation.
Trump survives assassination attempt in Butler
A gunman opened fire at a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing Donald Trump and killing one spectator. The attack became one of the defining images of the 2024 campaign and intensified political tensions in the United States.
Sheikh Hasina flees Bangladesh
After weeks of protests that began over public-sector job quotas and widened into a broader anti-government movement, Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India. Her departure ended fifteen years in power and opened an uncertain political transition.