2024 facts for kids

From left to right, top to bottom:

• The 2024 Summer Olympics were held in Paris, France;
• A flooded bridge in Kłodzko, Poland, during the European floods, which caused many deaths;
• Speaker of the National Assembly Woo Won-shik signed a resolution to investigate South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol after he declared martial law;
• Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei led a prayer for Ismail Haniyeh, a political leader of Hamas, who was killed in Tehran;
• Donald Trump, who won the U.S. presidential election, paid respect to Corey Comperatore, who was killed in an attack on Trump;
• People cheered after the resignation of Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who had been in power for 15 years, following protests;
• Krasnogorsk's Crocus City Hall music venue after a terrible attack that caused many deaths and injuries;
• Syrians celebrated the fall of President Bashar al-Assad's government at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.

2024 (MMXXIV)

was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2024th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 24th year of the 3rd millennium, the 24th year of the 21st century, and the 5th year of the 2020s decade.

The year 2024 was filled with many important events around the world. Major conflicts continued.

The conflict in Gaza led to many protests and spread to other countries, especially Lebanon. In October, Israel's military entered Lebanon. This followed increased fighting between Israel and a group called Hezbollah. In September, Israel intensified its actions against Hezbollah, and their leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed. Ismail Haniyeh, a political leader of Hamas, was also killed in Tehran, Iran, in July. His successor, Yahya Sinwar, was killed by the Israel Defense Forces in October. In November, heavy fighting restarted in the Syrian civil war, which led to the government of Bashar al-Assad being overthrown. He fled Syria in December. Also, a group called the Houthi movement became more active, causing issues for global shipping in the Red Sea.

Many countries held national elections in 2024, including eight of the ten most populated nations. These included Bangladesh, Brazil, Pakistan, Russia, India, Mexico, Indonesia, and the United States. Other countries like France, the United Kingdom, and Japan also had elections. In many democracies, the party in power lost support. In countries like Japan, Botswana, and South Africa, parties that had been in charge for a long time lost their majorities. They either gave up power or formed new alliances. Bassirou Diomaye Faye won the election in Senegal, becoming the first opposition candidate to win in the first round there. In Sri Lanka, a smaller party, the National People's Power, won a big victory. On November 5, Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election. He became the first U.S. president since 1892 to be elected for a second term that was not immediately after his first. The governments in France and Germany faced political challenges. In December, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol tried to declare martial law, but members of parliament stopped him. This led to a political crisis and his investigation.

Events

January

Damage caused by a strong earthquake and fires in Wajima, Japan

• January 1
  • Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates joined the BRICS group.
  • The Republic of Artsakh was officially dissolved after the Nagorno-Karabakh region was taken back by Azerbaijan.
  • A strong 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the western coast of Japan. It caused many deaths and injuries. The next day, five more people died when a Japan Coast Guard aircraft carrying aid was involved in a collision with a Japan Airlines plane. All 379 people on the passenger jet were safely evacuated.
  • Ethiopia announced an agreement with Somaliland to use the port of Berbera. Ethiopia also said it would recognize Somaliland's independence.
• January 2 – Hilda Heine was elected President of the Marshall Islands for a second time.
• January 3 – A bombing in Kerman, Iran, caused many deaths during a memorial event.
• January 7 – The Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, won its fourth election in Bangladesh.
• January 8
  • Said Abdullahi Deni was elected President of Puntland.
  • Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency due to unrest. The military was sent out, and a nighttime curfew was set.
• January 11 – Riots broke out in Papua New Guinea after police and soldiers received less pay than expected.
• January 12 – A U.S.-led group launched airstrikes at Houthi locations in Yemen. This was in response to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
• January 13 – Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party won the 2024 Taiwanese presidential election.
• January 14
  • Margrethe II officially stepped down as Queen of Denmark. Her eldest son, Frederik X, became King.
  • Azali Assoumani won re-election as president in Comoros.
• January 15 – Bernardo Arévalo became the 52nd President of Guatemala.
• January 16 – Iran launched strikes, saying they were aimed at a militant group in Balochistan, Pakistan.
• January 18 – Pakistan responded with its own airstrikes on Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province.
• January 19 – Japan became the fifth country to successfully land a spacecraft on the Moon with its SLIM mission.
• January 22 – The Ram Mandir temple was opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ayodhya, India.
• January 24 – A Russian military transport plane crashed near the Russia–Ukraine border, killing everyone on board.
• January 26
  • The UN's International Court of Justice asked Israel to prevent harm to civilians in Gaza.
  • Kausea Natano, the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, lost his election. A month later, Feleti Teo was elected prime minister.
• January 31 – Sultan of Johor Ibrahim Iskandar became the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.

February

Sebastián Piñera, former President of Chile, sadly died in a helicopter crash on February 6

• February 2 – The U.S. launched airstrikes on targets in Iraq and Syria. This was in response to an attack on a U.S. military base.
• February 4
  • President of Namibia Hage Geingob passed away at age 82. His vice-president, Nangolo Mbumba, took over.
  • Incumbent President Nayib Bukele won the election in El Salvador. He became the first president to be reelected there since 1944.
• February 6 – Former President of Chile Sebastián Piñera sadly died in a helicopter crash.
• February 7 – President Ilham Aliyev was reelected for a fifth term in Azerbaijan.
• February 8 – Independent politicians won the most seats in the National Assembly in Pakistan.

Alexander Stubb was elected in a very close presidential election in Finland on February 11.

• February 11 – Alexander Stubb was elected President of Finland in a very close election.
• February 14 – Prabowo Subianto won the presidential election in Indonesia.
• February 16 – Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition leader, sadly passed away.
• February 22 – An American company's Nova-C lander became the first commercial vehicle to land on the Moon.
• February 28 – A state of emergency was declared in Haiti after unrest at prisons.
• February 29 – Soldiers opened fire on a crowd of civilians in Gaza City, causing many deaths. Many people were sadly killed in the conflict.

March

Vladimir Putin was re-elected in the 2024 Russian presidential election, held from March 15 to 17.

• March 7 – Sweden officially joined NATO, becoming its 32nd member.
• March 10 – The Democratic Alliance won the most seats in Portugal and formed a government.
• March 11 – Haitian acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced he would resign due to ongoing unrest in the country.
• March 13 – The Artificial Intelligence Act, the world's first big set of rules for artificial intelligence, was passed by the European Union.
• March 14 – The United Nations reported that many women and children were among those who died in the Gaza war.
• March 15–17 – Incumbent Vladimir Putin was reelected for a fifth term as president of Russia.
• March 22 – A terrible attack happened at a concert hall in Krasnogorsk, Russia, causing many deaths and injuries.
• March 24 – Bassirou Diomaye Faye was elected president of Senegal.
• March 25 – The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution calling for an immediate stop to fighting in the Gaza war. It also demanded the release of all hostages.

A container ship under collapsed segments of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, on March 26

• March 26 – A container ship hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. This caused the bridge to collapse and led to some deaths.
• March 31 – Bulgaria and Romania became members of the Schengen Area for sea and air travel.

April

An attack happened at the Iranian embassy in Damascus on April 1

• April 1 – An attack happened at the Iranian embassy in Damascus, causing some deaths.
• April 3 – A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Taiwan. Small tsunamis reached Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.
• April 4 – Opposition candidates kept a majority in the National Assembly in Kuwait.
• April 5 – Ecuadorian police entered the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest a former vice-president. This caused diplomatic issues, and Mexico and Nicaragua broke off relations with Ecuador.

The solar eclipse of April 8, 2024 was visible across North America.

Simon Harris became Ireland's youngest Taoiseach on April 9 after Leo Varadkar resigned

• April 6 – Peter Pellegrini was elected President of Slovakia.
• April 8 – A total solar eclipse was visible across North America.
• April 9 – Simon Harris became Ireland's youngest Taoiseach after a vote.
• April 10 – The Democratic Party and Democratic Alliance won many seats in the 2024 South Korean legislative election.
• April 13 – Iran launched missile attacks against Israel in response to an earlier attack on the Iranian embassy.

Persian Gulf floods in Manama, Bahrain, on April 16

• April 16 – 2024 Persian Gulf floods: Heavy rainfall caused flash flooding in the Middle East, leading to many deaths. This also caused problems for flights at Dubai International Airport.

Aerial photographs of the Rio Grande do Sul floods in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on May 5

• April 17
  • Incumbent Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's party won the most seats in the 2024 Solomon Islands general election.
  • Incumbent Prime Minister Andrej Plenković's party won the most seats in the 2024 Croatian parliamentary election.
• April 19 – Israel responded with airstrikes against Iran.
• April 25 – The Transitional Presidential Council took power as the new head of state of Haiti.
• April 29
  • Floods in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul caused many deaths and left thousands without homes.
  • A railway embankment failed near Mai Mahiu, Kenya, causing many deaths and adding to widespread floods in Kenya and Tanzania.

José Raúl Mulino won the 2024 Panamanian general election on May 5

• April 30 – The G7 countries agreed to stop using most coal power by 2030–2035.

May

• May 5 – José Raúl Mulino was elected president.
• May 6 – Mahamat Déby won the election to become president of Chad.
• May 7–11 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 was held in Malmö, Sweden. Swiss contestant Nemo won with the song "The Code".
• May 8 – The right-wing party VMRO-DPMNE won a big victory in North Macedonian elections. Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova was elected as the country's first female president.
• May 10
  • The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution to give the State of Palestine the right to be seated among member states.
  • 

    A series of solar storms impacted the Earth, creating aurorae seen in more places than usual. Aurorae seen on May 12 from southern Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
    ]A series of strong solar storms impacted the Earth, creating aurorae that were seen in more places than usual. This was the strongest storm since 2003.

Luis Abinader won the 2024 Dominican Republic general election on May 19

• May 15
  • Lee Hsien Loong, who had been Prime Minister of Singapore since 2004, was succeeded by Lawrence Wong.
  • The Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, was shot and hospitalized.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian were killed in a helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan–Iran border on May 19.

• May 19
  • Incumbent Luis Abinader was reelected as president of the Dominican Republic.
  • Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian were sadly killed in a helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan–Iran border.
  • An attempt to take over the government happened in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but it was quickly stopped.
• May 20 – The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court sought to investigate leaders from both sides for actions during the conflict.

Incumbent president Gitanas Nausėda won a big victory on May 26 in the 2024 Lithuanian presidential election for a second term in office.

• May 24
  • The UN's highest court, the ICJ, asked Israel to stop its military actions in Rafah, southern Gaza.
  • A huge landslide in Papua New Guinea caused many deaths and buried many people.
• May 26 – Incumbent president Gitanas Nausėda won a big victory for a second term in Lithuania.
• May 28 – Spain, Ireland, and Norway recognized the State of Palestine.
• May 29
  • The ANC party in South Africa failed to win a majority of votes for the first time in the country's democratic history.
  • President Andry Rajoelina's party lost its majority in the National Assembly.
• May 30 – Former U.S. President Donald Trump was found guilty in a legal case, which was a first for an American president.

Halla Tómasdóttir won the 2024 Icelandic presidential election on June 1.

June

• June 1
  • The 2024 Indian general election, which began on April 19, concluded. The BJP party lost its outright majority, but its alliance kept a majority.
  • The 2024 Icelandic presidential election was held, and Halla Tómasdóttir was elected president of Iceland.
• June 1–29 – The 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup was co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States, and was won by India.
• June 2 – Claudia Sheinbaum was elected as president of Mexico.
• June 5 – The Starliner Crewed Flight Test launched to the ISS.
• June 6–9 – The 2024 European Parliament election was held. The EPP remained the largest group in parliament.
• June 9
  • The Democracy and Freedom alliance won the most seats in San Marino.
  • The New Flemish Alliance remained the largest party in Belgium's parliament.
  • Boyko Borisov's coalition won the most seats in the June 2024 Bulgarian parliamentary election but struggled to form a stable government.

A plane crash on June 10 near Chikangawa, Malawi, killed nine people, including Vice President of Malawi Saulos Chilima

• June 10 – A plane crash near Chikangawa, Malawi, killed nine people, including Vice President of Malawi Saulos Chilima.
• June 12 – The United Nations' first inquiry into the October 7 attacks and resulting conflict found that both Israel and Hamas committed serious actions during the conflict.
• June 14 – The ANC and other parties in South Africa agreed to form a national unity government. Cyril Ramaphosa was re-elected President of South Africa.
• June 14 – July 14 – UEFA Euro 2024 was held in Germany, and was won by Spain.
• June 20 – July 14 – The 2024 Copa América was held in the United States, and was won by Argentina.
• June 23
  • Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg announced that his son, Guillaume, would start taking on royal duties.
  • Many people sadly died due to extreme heat during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
  • Coordinated attacks in Makhachkala and Derbent, Russia, caused deaths and injuries.

Julian Assange was freed from prison on June 24

• June 24 – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was freed from prison and returned to his native Australia.
• June 25 – Talks officially began for Moldova and Ukraine to join the European Union.
• June 26 – An attempt to take over the government happened in La Paz, Bolivia, but it failed.
• June 28 – The Mongolian People's Party won a reduced majority of seats in Mongolia's parliament.
• June 29
  • Incumbent president Mohamed Ould Ghazouani won re-election in Mauritania.
  • Bomb blasts in Gwoza, Nigeria, caused deaths and injuries.

Donald Trump was injured in an attack on July 13.

July

• July 1 – Hurricane Beryl became a very strong hurricane and caused damage to the island of Carriacou, Grenada.
• July 4 – Sir Keir Starmer led the Labour Party to victory in the 2024 United Kingdom general election, returning the party to government after 14 years.
• July 5 – Masoud Pezeshkian was elected president of Iran.
• July 7 – The left-wing New Popular Front won the most seats in the National Assembly in France, but did not get a majority.
• July 9–11 – The 33rd NATO summit was held in Washington, D.C.
• July 13 – Former President Donald Trump was injured in an attack during a campaign event near Butler, Pennsylvania.
• July 15 – Incumbent Paul Kagame was reelected for a fourth term in Rwanda.

Blue screens caused by a worldwide faulty CrowdStrike software update on July 19 at LaGuardia Airport, New York City

• July 19
  • Global IT outages impacted many businesses and organizations worldwide.
  • Protests in Bangladesh led to many deaths, and the government imposed a curfew.
• July 22 – Landslides in Ethiopia killed many people and buried two villages.
• July 23 – China helped broker a unity agreement between rival Palestinian groups, Fatah and Hamas, to form a single government.
• July 26 – August 11 – The 2024 Summer Olympics were held in Paris, France. The opening ceremony and some boxing matches sparked international discussions.

María Corina Machado and Edmundo González addressed supporters in Caracas following the 2024 presidential election results

• July 28 – Incumbent President Nicolás Maduro declared victory in the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election amid alleged problems. This caused many South American states to question the results and led to protests.
• July 30
  • Many people were killed, injured, and went missing following landslides in Wayanad district, Kerala, India.
  • Israel carried out an airstrike in Beirut, killing a Hezbollah commander.
  • Unrest and riots happened in the United Kingdom following a stabbing incident.
• July 31
  • Ismail Haniyeh, a political leader of Hamas, was killed at his home in Tehran, Iran.
  • Moussa Dadis Camara, a former military leader in Guinea, was found guilty of serious actions from 2009 and received a prison sentence.

Twenty-six individuals were released on August 1 from Ankara Esenboğa Airport in the largest prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia since the Cold War.

August

• August 1 – 2024 American–Russian prisoner exchange: 26 individuals were released in the largest prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia since the Cold War.

Tô Lâm succeeded Nguyễn Phú Trọng as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam on August 3

• August 3 – The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam elected Tô Lâm as the new General Secretary.
• August 5 – Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina announced her resignation and fled to India following protests.
• August 6 – Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' leader in the Gaza Strip, was appointed as the chairman of Hamas' political bureau.
• August 7 – The Move Forward Party in Thailand was dissolved, and its leaders were banned from politics.
• August 8 – Muhammad Yunus became the Chief Adviser of an interim government in Bangladesh.
• August 9 – Voepass Flight 2283, a plane, crashed near Vinhedo, São Paulo, Brazil, killing everyone on board.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra succeeded Srettha Thavisin as Prime Minister of Thailand on August 14

• August 11 – President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the Ukrainian military was conducting a cross-border offensive inside Russia's western Kursk Oblast. Russia said many people had been evacuated.
• August 14
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a public health emergency again due to its spread in African countries.
  • The Constitutional Court of Thailand dismissed the Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. Paetongtarn Shinawatra succeeded him.
• August 24 – A terrible attack in Barsalogho, Burkina Faso, caused many civilian deaths.
• August 25 – The Israel Defense Forces began strikes against targets in southern Lebanon.
• August 28 – September 8 – The 2024 Summer Paralympics were held in Paris, France.
• August 31 – A helicopter crashed in Kamchatka Krai, Russia, killing everyone on board.

Infrared satellite imagery of Typhoon Yagi making landfall over Hainan on September 6

September

• September 2 – The Brazilian Supreme Court upheld a decision to block the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) due to concerns about misinformation.
• September 7 – Incumbent Abdelmadjid Tebboune was reelected for a second term in Algeria.

Weather in Central Europe on 12 September, right before floods

• September 12
  • Heavy rainfall in Central Europe triggered the worst flooding in the region since 2010.
  • The first commercial spacewalk was conducted by Jared Isaacman as part of the Polaris Dawn mission.
• September 15 – Ryan Wesley Routh was accused of attempting to attack Donald Trump in Florida.
• September 17–18 – Explosions of communication devices used by a group in Lebanon caused many deaths and injuries.
• September 20 – Israel killed Hezbollah leader Ibrahim Aqil and ten other senior leaders in Beirut.
• September 21 – Anura Kumara Dissanayake was elected President of Sri Lanka.

Hurricane Helene made landfall in the United States on September 26

• September 23 – A day of intense conflict between Hezbollah and Israel resulted in many deaths and injuries from airstrikes in Lebanon.
• September 26 – Hurricane Helene, a very deadly Atlantic hurricane, made landfall in Florida. It caused many deaths and left many people missing.

Rising smoke in Beirut after the killing of Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah on September 27

• September 27 – The Israeli Air Force bombed the central headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut, killing several people, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
• September 29 – A right-wing party in Austria achieved a significant victory in elections.
• September 30 – The UK became the first G7 country to stop using coal power for electricity generation.

October

Iran attacked Israel with ballistic missiles as a response to Israel's actions in Lebanon on October 1

• October 1
  • The Israel Defense Forces entered southern Lebanon, increasing its conflict against Hezbollah.
  • The Japanese parliament elected Shigeru Ishiba as the new prime minister of Japan. He called for an election on October 27.
  • Iran launched missile attacks against Israel in response to Israel's actions against Hassan Nasrallah and Ismail Haniyeh.
• October 3–20 – The 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup was held in the United Arab Emirates, and was won by New Zealand.
• October 6
  • The 2024 Kazakh nuclear power referendum was held and approved.
  • Incumbent Kais Saied was reelected for a second term in Tunisia.

Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas, was killed by the Israeli Defense Forces on October 16

• October 7 – Hurricane Milton became one of the most intense hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin.
• October 9 – Daniel Chapo was elected president, and the ruling party kept its majority in parliament.
• October 12 – The long-period comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS), called the "comet of the century," made its closest approach to Earth.
• October 13 – SpaceX successfully returned and captured a Super Heavy booster from Starship, the biggest rocket ever to fly.
• October 14 – The Europa Clipper spacecraft was launched to investigate Europa, an icy moon of Jupiter.
• October 16 – Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas, was killed in a gunfight with Israeli forces in Rafah.
• October 20
  • The 2024 Moldovan European Union membership constitutional referendum was held and narrowly approved.
  • Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka were inaugurated as the president and vice president of Indonesia.

Duma Boko won the 2024 Botswana general election on October 30

• October 21 – The National Assembly of Vietnam elected Lương Cường as the new president of Vietnam.
• October 24 – The first case of a new disease outbreak was reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• October 26
  • Israel launched airstrikes against Iran in response to Iran's missile attacks.
  • The ruling party in Georgia won a majority in elections.
• October 27
  • The governing party in Japan lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since 2009, but still won the most seats.
  • Boyko Borsiov's coalition successfully formed a government in Bulgaria after several elections.
  • The leftist opposition party in Lithuania won a majority in parliament.
• October 29 – 2024 Spanish floods: Spain experienced severe flooding, causing many deaths and leaving many people missing.
• October 30 – The ruling party in Botswana was voted out of power after 58 years. Duma Boko was elected President of Botswana.

Donald Trump won the 2024 United States presidential election on November 5

November

• November 3 – Incumbent Maia Sandu was re-elected for a second term in Moldova.
• November 5
  • 2024 United States presidential election: Former U.S. President Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris to win a second term.
  • Incumbent Surangel Whipps Jr. was reelected for a second term as president.
  • German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed a minister, leading to the collapse of the governing coalition in Germany.
• November 9 – A bombing at the Quetta railway station in Pakistan caused many deaths.
• November 10 – The ruling party in Mauritius was defeated by the opposition.

COP29 was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11–22

• November 11–22 – COP29 was held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
• November 12 – Justin Welby announced his resignation as Archbishop of Canterbury after a report criticized how he handled past issues within the church.
• November 13 – Opposition candidate Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi was elected president.
• November 14 – President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's coalition won a large majority in parliament.
• November 15 – The spotted hyena was found again in Egypt, 5,000 years after it was thought to have disappeared from the area.

French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal was taken into custody by Algerian authorities on November 16.

• November 16
  • The 2024 Gabonese constitutional referendum was held and approved.
  • French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal was taken into custody by Algerian authorities.
• November 17 – President Bassirou Diomaye Faye's party won a majority in the National Assembly.
• November 21
  • The International Criminal Court (ICC) sought to investigate leaders from both sides for actions during the Gaza war.
  • An attack in Peshawar, Pakistan, on vehicles carrying a religious group caused many deaths and injuries.
  • Researchers announced the first "close-up" image of a star outside the Milky Way Galaxy.

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was elected as the first female president of Namibia on November 27.

• November 24 – Leftist opposition candidate Yamandú Orsi was elected president.
• November 26 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that a ceasefire agreement was reached to end fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
• November 27 – Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was elected as the first female president of Namibia.
• November 29 – Centre-right party Fianna Fáil remained the largest party in Ireland's parliament.
• November 30
  • The opposition party in Iceland won the most seats in parliament, but no party achieved a majority.
  • Syrian civil war: Opposition forces took control of most of Aleppo, Syria. This led to the first Russian airstrikes on the city since 2016.

December

• December 1 – The incumbent coalition in Romania won the most votes, with right-wing parties gaining support.

Protest outside the National Assembly of South Korea shortly after the declaration of martial law by president Yoon Suk Yeol on December 3

• December 3 – South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law during a late-night address.
• December 4
  • Michel Barnier became the first prime minister of France to lose a vote of no-confidence since 1962.
• December 6 – The Constitutional Court of Romania canceled the results of the first round of the presidential election due to concerns about fairness.
• December 7
  • John Mahama was elected president for a second term.
  • The Notre-Dame Cathedral reopened to the public after being damaged by a fire in 2019.

President of Syria Bashar al-Assad's government was overthrown as rebel forces captured the capital Damascus on December 8.

• December 8 – Syrian civil war: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled from Damascus to Moscow after his government was overthrown. The Syrian opposition formed a transitional government.
• December 11 – FIFA announced that Morocco, Portugal, and Spain would jointly host the 2030 World Cup. Saudi Arabia was confirmed as the host for 2034.
• December 12 – Indian chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju defeated Ding Liren to become the youngest world chess champion at 18 years old.
• December 14
  • Mikheil Kavelashvili was elected unopposed as president of Georgia.
  • South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's powers were suspended after MPs voted to investigate him following his martial law declaration.
  • Cyclone Chido caused many deaths and devastating damage in Mayotte.
• December 17 – The capital of Vanuatu, Port Vila, suffered extensive damage after a strong earthquake. Many people were killed.
• December 20 – A car was driven into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, causing deaths and injuries.

Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 crashed near Aktau International Airport, Kazakhstan, on December 25

• December 21 – A multiple-vehicle collision on a highway in Minas Gerais, Brazil, caused many deaths and injuries.
• December 24
  • The 2025 Jubilee in the Catholic Church began.
  • The Parker Solar Probe broke a record for being the closest artificial object to the Sun.
• December 25 – Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243, a plane, crashed in Kazakhstan. Many people survived the crash.

Jeju Air Flight 2216 crashed at Muan International Airport, South Korea on December 29

• December 27 – Acting President of South Korea Han Duck-soo was investigated by MPs. He was succeeded by deputy prime minister Choi Sang-mok.
• December 29
  • Jeju Air Flight 2216, a passenger plane, veered off the runway and crashed at Muan International Airport in South Korea, causing many deaths and injuries.

Births

Deaths

Nobel Prizes

• Chemistry – David Baker, for designing proteins, and Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper, for predicting protein structures.
• Economics – Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A. Robinson, for studying how institutions are formed and affect wealth.
• Literature – Han Kang, for her powerful writing that explores difficult historical events and human life.
• Peace – Nihon Hidankyo, for working towards a world without nuclear weapons and showing why they should never be used.
• Physics – John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton, for their important discoveries that helped create machine learning with artificial neural networks.
• Physiology or Medicine – Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, for discovering microRNA and its role in how genes work.

See also

In Spanish: 2024 para niños