A reference page for the defining elections, conflicts, disasters, technological milestones, cultural events and global transformations of 2024.
2024 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2024th year of the Common Era and Anno Domini designations, the 24th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 5th year of the 2020s decade.
The year saw the continuation of major armed conflicts, a historic global election cycle, the passage of the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act, the Paris Olympic Games, severe climate disasters and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria.
Damage caused by the 7.5 magnitude earthquake and subsequent fires in Wajima, Japan.
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January 1, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates became BRICS members. The Republic of Artsakh was formally dissolved. A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s Noto Peninsula.
January 3, Islamic State bombings killed 94 people in Kerman, Iran.
January 7, Bangladesh held a general election won by the Awami League.
January 13, Lai Ching-te won Taiwan’s presidential election.
January 14, Queen Margrethe II abdicated in Denmark and was succeeded by Frederik X.
January 19, Japan became the fifth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon with its SLIM mission.
January 26, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take measures to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza.
February
Sebastián Piñera, former President of Chile, died in a helicopter crash on February 6.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.Alexander Stubb was elected President of Finland on February 11.
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February 4, Namibian President Hage Geingob died. Nayib Bukele won reelection in El Salvador.
February 6, former Chilean President Sebastián Piñera died in a helicopter crash.
February 8, Pakistan held a general election.
February 11, Alexander Stubb was elected President of Finland.
February 14, Prabowo Subianto won Indonesia’s presidential election.
February 16, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died in prison.
February 22, Intuitive Machines’ Nova C became the first commercial vehicle to land on the Moon.
February 29, more than 100 civilians were killed in Gaza City after Israeli forces opened fire near an aid crowd.
March
Vladimir Putin was reelected in the 2024 Russian presidential election.
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March 7, Sweden joined NATO as its 32nd member.
March 10, Portugal held a legislative election won by the Democratic Alliance.
March 13, the European Union passed the Artificial Intelligence Act.
March 15 to 17, Vladimir Putin was reelected President of Russia.
March 22, Islamic State affiliated gunmen attacked Crocus City Hall near Moscow.
March 24, Bassirou Diomaye Faye was elected President of Senegal.
March 26, the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in Baltimore after being struck by a container ship.
April
Sixteen people were killed in an Israeli attack in Damascus on April 1.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.Total solar eclipse seen in Dallas, Texas, on April 8.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.Simon Harris became Ireland’s youngest Taoiseach on April 9.
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April 1, Israel attacked the Iranian embassy complex in Damascus.
April 3, a powerful earthquake struck off Taiwan’s eastern coast.
April 5, Ecuadorian police raided the Mexican embassy in Quito.
April 8, a total solar eclipse crossed North America.
April 9, Simon Harris became Taoiseach of Ireland.
April 13, Iran launched retaliatory strikes against Israel.
April 29, floods in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, caused widespread destruction.
April 30, G7 countries agreed to phase out unabated coal power by 2030 to 2035.
May
Solar storms produced aurorae visible at unusually low latitudes.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.José Raúl Mulino won Panama’s presidential election on May 5.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.Ebrahim Raisi and Hossein Amir Abdollahian were killed in a helicopter crash on May 19.
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May 5, José Raúl Mulino was elected President of Panama.
May 7 to 11, the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Malmö and won by Nemo of Switzerland.
May 10, intense solar storms created widespread aurorae.
May 15, Lawrence Wong became Prime Minister of Singapore. Robert Fico was shot in Slovakia.
May 19, Luis Abinader was reelected in the Dominican Republic. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash.
May 24, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah.
May 28, Spain, Ireland and Norway recognised the State of Palestine.
May 30, Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 counts in his hush money trial.
June
Halla Tómasdóttir won Iceland’s presidential election on June 1.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.A plane crash near Chikangawa killed nine people, including Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.Julian Assange was freed from prison on June 24.
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June 1, India’s general election concluded and Halla Tómasdóttir was elected President of Iceland.
June 2, Claudia Sheinbaum was elected President of Mexico.
June 6 to 9, the European Parliament election was held.
June 10, a plane crash in Malawi killed Vice President Saulos Chilima and eight others.
June 14, Cyril Ramaphosa was reelected President of South Africa after a national unity government agreement.
June 14 to July 14, UEFA Euro 2024 was held in Germany and won by Spain.
June 24, Julian Assange left the United Kingdom after a plea deal with the United States.
June 26, a failed coup attempt occurred in Bolivia.
July
Donald Trump was injured in an assassination attempt on July 13.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.The student uprising in Bangladesh intensified in July.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.Opposition figures protested disputed election results in Venezuela.
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July 1, Hurricane Beryl became the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record.
July 4, Keir Starmer led Labour to victory in the United Kingdom general election.
July 5, Masoud Pezeshkian was elected President of Iran.
July 7, France’s legislative election produced a hung parliament.
July 13, Donald Trump was shot in the ear during an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.
July 19, global IT outages affected businesses and organisations worldwide.
July 21, Joe Biden ended his presidential campaign.
July 26 to August 11, the Paris Summer Olympics were held.
July 28, Venezuela’s presidential election triggered major controversy and protests.
July 31, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran.
August
Twenty six individuals were released in the largest United States Russia prisoner exchange since the Cold War.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.Tô Lâm became General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.Paetongtarn Shinawatra became Prime Minister of Thailand in August.
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August 1, a major United States Russia prisoner exchange took place in Ankara.
August 3, Tô Lâm became General Secretary of Vietnam’s Communist Party.
August 5, Sheikh Hasina resigned as Prime Minister of Bangladesh and fled to India.
August 8, Muhammad Yunus became Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government.
August 9, Voepass Flight 2283 crashed in Brazil, killing all 62 people on board.
August 11, Ukraine announced a cross border offensive in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
August 14, the WHO declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern.
August 28 to September 8, the Paris Paralympics were held.
September
Infrared satellite imagery of Typhoon Yagi making landfall over Hainan.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.Weather in Central Europe before the September floods.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.Hurricane Helene made landfall in the United States on September 26.
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September 2, Brazil’s Supreme Court upheld the blocking of X in Brazil.
September 12, heavy rainfall triggered severe flooding in Central Europe. Polaris Dawn conducted the first commercial spacewalk.
September 15, Ryan Wesley Routh was accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump in Florida.
September 17 to 18, Hezbollah pagers and walkie talkies exploded in coordinated attacks.
September 21, Anura Kumara Dissanayake was elected President of Sri Lanka.
September 23, Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon marked the deadliest day of the Hezbollah Israel conflict since 2006.
September 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane.
September 30, the United Kingdom became the first G7 country to phase out coal power for electricity generation.
October
Iran attacked Israel with ballistic missiles on October 1.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas, was killed on October 16.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.Duma Boko won Botswana’s general election on October 30.
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October 1, Israel invaded southern Lebanon and Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israel.
October 7, Hurricane Milton became one of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes on record.
October 13, SpaceX achieved the first successful return and capture of a Super Heavy booster.
October 14, NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft launched.
October 16, Yahya Sinwar was killed in Rafah.
October 20, Moldova narrowly approved a constitutional referendum on EU membership.
October 27, Japan’s ruling LDP lost its parliamentary majority.
October 30, Botswana’s ruling party was voted out after 58 years, and severe floods struck Spain.
November
Donald Trump won the 2024 United States presidential election on November 5.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.COP29 was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 to 22.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah became Namibia’s first female president.
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November 5, Donald Trump was elected President of the United States for a second non consecutive term.
November 5, Germany’s governing coalition collapsed after Olaf Scholz dismissed Christian Lindner.
November 11 to 22, COP29 was held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
November 12, Justin Welby announced his resignation as Archbishop of Canterbury.
November 21, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant and Mohammed Deif.
November 24, Yamandú Orsi was elected President of Uruguay.
November 26, Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire deal.
November 27, Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah was elected Namibia’s first female president.
November 30, Syrian opposition forces seized most of Aleppo.
December
South Korea’s National Assembly speaker signed the impeachment resolution against Yoon Suk Yeol.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.Bashar al Assad’s regime was overthrown after rebel forces captured Damascus.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia. Used under the licence stated on the original file page. Original author credited on Wikimedia Commons.Jeju Air Flight 2216 crashed at Muan International Airport on December 29.
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December 3, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, triggering a political crisis.
December 4, Michel Barnier became the first French prime minister since 1962 to lose a no confidence motion.
December 7, Notre Dame Cathedral reopened to the public.
December 8, Bashar al Assad fled Damascus as opposition forces overthrew his regime.
December 11, FIFA confirmed Morocco, Portugal and Spain as joint hosts of the 2030 World Cup.
December 12, Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest World Chess Champion.
December 14, Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached. Cyclone Chido devastated Mayotte.
December 24, the Parker Solar Probe became the closest human made object to the Sun.
December 25, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 crashed in Kazakhstan.
December 29, Jeju Air Flight 2216 crashed in South Korea, killing 179 people.
Nobel Prizes
Chemistry, David Baker, Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper, for work on computational protein design and protein structure prediction.
Economics, Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James A. Robinson, for studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity.
Literature, Han Kang, for intense poetic prose confronting historical trauma and human fragility.
Peace, Nihon Hidankyo, for efforts toward a world free of nuclear weapons.
Physics, John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton, for foundational discoveries enabling machine learning with artificial neural networks.
Physiology or Medicine, Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, for the discovery of microRNA and its role in gene regulation.
Open Chronicle Perspective
2024 was a year of elections, conflict, technological regulation, climate shocks and institutional stress. From the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act to the fall of the Assad regime, from Paris 2024 to the global election cycle, the year captured the instability and acceleration that define the early twenty first century.
