2013 CE

Pope Francis is elected to the Papacy in the papal conclave; Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; The streak from the Chelyabinsk meteor that rocketed across the Russian morning sky; The Boston Marathon bombing kills three and injures hundreds; Euromaidan erupts in Ukraine; Protests lead to the coup d'état that overthrew President Mohamed Morsi of Egypt; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh kills over 1,000 people; Smoke rises as a result of the Westgate shopping mall attack in Nairobi, Kenya, carried out by Al-Shabaab militants.

In the 2010s, the 21st century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

January 26 - Czech presidential election, 2013Czech Republic source
February 3 – 2013 Liechtenstein general election: The Progressive Citizens' Party led by Adrian Hasler wins a plurality of 10 seats in the Landtag.source
February 25 – Park Geun-hye becomes the first woman to become the president of South Korea.source
March 9: Maltese General Election, 2013, with a turnout of 93%. Joseph Muscat defeated Lawrence Gonzi in the election.Malta source
14 March: The Jebali Cabinet led by Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali dissolves and the Laarayedh Cabinet led by Ali Laarayedh is formed.Tunisia source
April 2 – The United Nations General Assembly adopts the Arms Trade Treaty to regulate the international trade of conventional weapons.source
19 April – The Brussels Agreement (2013) is signed between representatives of Kosovo and Serbia, ending the two year long North Kosovo crisis. The 15-point document granted devolved powers to North Kosovo regarding economic development, education, healthcare and urban planning, and several mechanisms that allowed a certain autonomy in justice, policing and electoral matters.Kosovo source
April 21 – Businessman Horacio Cartes wins the 2013 Paraguayan general election against Efraín Alegre.source
April 30 – Willem-Alexander is inaugurated as King of the Netherlands following the abdication of his mother, Beatrix.source
18 June - The Malian government and Tuareg rebel groups sign a preliminary peace agreement aimed at enabling presidential elections.Mali source
June 25 – Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani abdicates and his son Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani assumes power.source
June 26 – Kevin Rudd defeats Julia Gillard in an Australian Labor Party leadership ballot and consequently becomes Prime Minister of Australia, three years after Gillard replaced Rudd.source
July 1 – Croatia becomes the 28th member of the European Union.source
July 21 – Philippe is sworn in as King of the Belgians, following the abdication of his father, Albert II.source
August 15 – Horacio Cartes is sworn in as President of Paraguay.source
August 29 – The United Kingdom Parliament votes against UK military attacks on Syria.source
September 7 – 2013 Australian federal election: The Liberal/National Coalition led by Tony Abbott defeats the Labor Government led by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Abbott is sworn in on September 18.source
28 September: Voters in Guinea go to the polls for a legislative election.Guinea source
October 9 — the 25th Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit and 8th East Asia Summit are held in Brunei.Brunei source
October 10 – Delegates from some 140 countries and territories sign the Minamata Treaty, a UNEP treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds.source
November 6 - Voters in Tajikistan go to the polls for a presidential election. Incumbent President Emomali Rahmon of the People's Democratic Party was re-elected with approximately 84% of the vote.Tajikistan source
November 21 – Euromaidan pro-EU demonstrations begin in Ukraine after President Viktor Yanukovych rejects an economic association agreement between the European Union and Ukraine in favor of closer ties to Russia.source
November 24 – Iran agrees to limit their nuclear development program in exchange for sanctions relief.source
December 7 – Ninth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization delegates sign the Bali Package agreement aimed at loosening global trade barriers.source

Conflict & Security

January 11 – The French military begins a 5-month intervention into the Northern Mali conflict, targeting the militant Islamist Ansar Dine group.source
11 January - France commits troops to aid government forces in the Northern Mali conflict.Mali source
10 February - A roadside bombing in Yala Province kills 5 soldiers and injures three others.Thailand source
February 14 - Bahraini uprising (2011–present)Bahrain source
March 24 – Central African Republic President François Bozizé flees to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, after rebel forces capture the nation's capital, Bangui.source
April 15 – Boston Marathon bombing: Two Chechnya-born Islamist brothers (one a United States citizen) detonate 2 bombs at the Boston Marathon in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States, killing 3 people and injuring 264 others.source
June 6 – Global surveillance disclosures: Former CIA employee and NSA contractor Edward Snowden discloses operations engaged in by a U.S. government mass surveillance program to news publications and flees the country, later being granted temporary asylum in Russia.source
July 3 – Amid protests, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi is deposed in a military coup d'état, leading to widespread violence.source
August 14 – Following the military coup in Egypt, two anti-coup camps are raided by the security forces, leaving 2,696 people dead. The raids are described by Human Rights Watch as "one of the world's largest killings of demonstrators in a single day in recent history".source
September 21 – Al-Shabaab militants attack the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, killing at least 62 civilians and wounding over 170.source
October 18 – Saudi Arabia rejects a seat on the United Nations Security Council, making it the first country to reject a seat on the Security Council. Jordan takes the seat on December 6.source
17-19 October: Battle of TouayelTunisia source
3 November – Two American missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) were attacked in the nation by a group of known Albanian Islamic terrorists in Pristina. Both missionaries made a full recovery.Kosovo source
December 15 – South Sudanese Civil War: Fighting between ethnic Dinka and Nuer members of the presidential guard break out in Juba, South Sudan, plunging the country into civil war.source
15 December – President Kiir accuses his former deputy Riek Machar and ten others of attempting a coup d'état, leading to the start of the South Sudanese Civil War.South Sudan source
The Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) receive the first of twelve Poland-manufactured Sikorsky S-70i Blackhawk helicopters, to replace their ten ageing Bell 212 helicopters.Brunei source
Tensions between Buddhist and Muslim flare into violent clashes in various cities throughout central and eastern part of the country.Myanmar source
2013 Papua New Guinea National Soccer LeaguePapua New Guinea source

Exploration & Expansion

28 March – Security tightens in Cyprus as banks prepare to reopen after nearly two weeks, following a controversial international bailout that was negotiated with the EU and IMF.Cyprus source
April 7 — Taiwan plans to expand a pier on one of the disputed Spratly Islands, parts of which are also claimed by Vietnam, Brunei, China, Malaysia, and the Philippines, as the other claimants strengthen military deployment in the South China Sea.Brunei source
20 April - Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare has posted the fifth best women's 200m time of 22.31 in 2013 (wind +1.3m/sec) at the Mount SAC Relays on Saturday in Los Angeles, California.Nigeria source
August 30: Scientists discover an 800km long canyon that is up to 800m deep in places beneath the ice sheet that covers Greenland.Greenland source
21 September – Peter Solan, film director (born 1929)Slovakia source
November 21 – Moldovan-flagged cargo ship MV Rhosus makes port in Beirut, Lebanon, carrying 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. After inspection by port state control, the Rhosus is deemed unseaworthy, and is forbidden to set sail. By order of an Urgent Matters judge in Beirut, the cargo is brought ashore in 2014 and placed in Warehouse 12 at the port, where it will remain for six years. The ammonium nitrate will erupt in a massive explosion on August 4, 2020.source
17 December – The 49th annual Vuelta Ciclista a Costa Rica (Tour of Costa Rica bicycle race) got underway in Limón. The 1,530 kilometre race ends in San José on 29 December.Costa Rica source
December 19 - Berlin city-state officials say that a police investigation has traced vehicles stolen in recent years in Germany to Tajikistan, some 3,500 mi away. German authorities alleged that relatives and other people close to Tajikistan's president are driving stolen luxury cars from Germany, as a long-running criminal probe escalated into a diplomatic spat between two countries.Tajikistan source
20–30 June – Slovenia at the 2013 Mediterranean GamesSlovenia source

Religion & Belief

February 12 - Law lecturer Moses Foh-Amoaning promises that he will reform gay advocate Andrew Solomon, through Christian prayers and cogent arguments.Ghana source
17 February – Bodu Bala Sena hold a meeting in Maharagama, Colombo which is attended by around 16,000 people including 1,300 monks.Sri Lanka source
February 18 - Voters in Armenia go to the polls for a presidential election with incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan expected to win. Independent observers including the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe have expressed concern about the conduct of the elections.Armenia source
February 28 – Benedict XVI resigns as pope, becoming the first to do so since Gregory XII in 1415, and the first to do so voluntarily since Celestine V in 1294.source
March 13 – Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina is elected the 266th pope, whereupon he takes the name Francis and becomes the first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, and the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere.source
12 April – The official opening of Nalaikh Mosque in Nalaikh, Ulaanbaatar.Mongolia source
April 18 – Senior Associate Justice Francis Korkpor is appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia. Korkpor had been serving as Interim Chief Justice ever since Johnnie Lewis' resignation in September 2012.Liberia source
Ruqayyatu "Ruqayyah" Rufai – Minister of EducationNigeria source
8 November – President Chinchilla met Pope Francis in the Apostolic Palace Library in the Vatican, accompanied by a presidential delegation of thirteen people including the Minister of Communications, Carlos Roverssi; the Foreign Minister, Enrique Castillo; foreign policy chief, Javier Díaz; Deputy Ileana Brenes Jiménez of the National Liberation Party; the Costa Rican ambassador to the Vatican, Fernando Sánchez; the President's personal assistant, Alejandra Fonseca; Secretary of the Governing Council, Marta Monge; the chief of protocol, Ludwig Sibaja; and the President's husband. During their 25-minute meeting, Chinchilla gave the Pope a handmade stole made by indigenous women from Costa Rica. He gave her a copy of the Aparecida Document (the master plan for the New Evangelization in Latin America), and a medal of his pontificate. The President told the Pope that she would not be attending the canonization of Pope John Paul II. Chinchilla, who visited Pope Benedict XVI on 28 May 2012, invited Pope Francis to visit her country (John Paul II visited Costa Rica in 1983).Costa Rica source
16 December - A new counterterrorism law is passed by Saudi Council of ministersSaudi Arabia source

Economy & Finance

27 January – A controversial referendum on whether to build a second Bulgarian nuclear plant is invalidated by low turnout.Bulgaria source
February 12 – North Korea conducts its third underground nuclear test, prompting widespread condemnation and tightened economic sanctions from the international community.source
4 March - Latvia applies to enter the eurozone in 2014, in a move which could see it become the 18th member of the bloc.Latvia source
March 25 – 2012–13 Cypriot financial crisis: The European Union agrees to a €10 billion economic bailout for Cyprus. The bailout loan will be equally split between the European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism, the European Financial Stability Facility, and the International Monetary Fund. The deal precipitates a banking crisis in the island nation.source
25 March - Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal rules that foreign domestic workers are not allowed to become Hong Kong permanent residents.Hong Kong source
May 31 – Social website Multiply, based at this time in Indonesia, ceases operations.source
June 17 - prime minister Petr Nečas submits his resignation after a corruption scandal.Czech Republic source
29 November – Shoppers looking for bargains on Black Friday (Viernes Negro) found the discounts were not as competitive as they expected.Costa Rica source
14 December - A suicide car bomb by Katibat Salahadin in Kidal kills two Senegalese peacekeepers, injures several more, and destroys the Malian Solidarity Bank.Mali source
Belize People's Front is foundedBelize source
ServiceMarket - an online home services marketplace is founded in the UAE.United Arab Emirates source

Technology & Infrastructure

21 January – The National Biosecurity Technical Commission (CTNBio) granted the American company Delta & Pine Land, a subsidiary of the multinational biotechnology company Monsanto, permission to grow genetically modified corn in Costa Rica. There are 443 hectares of biotech crops in Costa Rica, including cotton, soybeans, pineapple, and banana, which are being grown by the companies Semillas Olson, D & PL Semillas, Bayer, Semillas del Trópico, and Del Monte.Costa Rica source
16 May: The Nakolo Wind Turbine, the first wind farm in Tonga, is commissioned in Tongatapu.Tonga source
24 July - Michael Ikpoki, former CEO of MTN Ghana has been named as the new chief executive officer of MTN Nigeria.Nigeria source
28 July - Heavy rain causes 30 metres of the Uttamanusorn Bridge in Kanchanaburi province to collapse. The amount collapsed increases to 70 metres three days after.Thailand source
30 July – The World Bank approves a $50 million IDA credit to the country to help improve access to electricity.Burkina Faso source
14 September – Rail services resume on the Northern Line between Omanthai and Kilinochchi after an interruption of 23 years due to the civil war.Sri Lanka source
15 November - Start of the 2013–14 BAI Basket seasonAngola source
2013 Indonesia Super Series PremierIndonesia source

Science & Discovery

February 7 – The Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency launched its first satellite AzerSat 1 into orbit on 7 February 2013 from Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana at orbital positions 46° East.Azerbaijan source
16 March – Cyprus defeat Bulgaria 79–10 in the European Nations Cup Second Division to earn their 18th consecutive Test victory. This at least ties the all-time record for consecutive Test wins, and (depending on the source) may be a new record.Cyprus source
3 May - The world's largest rubber duck is moved to Hong Kong.Hong Kong source
May 15 – Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University in the United States describe the first production of human embryonic stem cells by cloning, in a study published in the scientific journal Nature.source
July 17 - In a new law the United Arab Emirates is offering citizens a gram of gold for every kilogram of weight they lose in an attempt to curb the rising obesity rate in the nation.United Arab Emirates source
Ita Okon Bassey Ewa – Minister of Science & TechnologyNigeria source
October 17 – Microsoft releases Windows 8.1.source
3 November – A total solar eclipse was visible in the country.Gabon source
November 5 – The uncrewed Mars Orbiter Mission is launched by India from its launch pad in Sriharikota.source
15 November – Costa Rican scientist-engineer Sandra Cauffman (née Sandra María del Socorro Molina Rojas) participated in the American space agency NASA's first press conference in the Spanish language. The event was broadcast live on NASA TV and discussed the agency's mission to Mars called MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN), of which Cauffman is the Deputy Project Manager.Costa Rica source
December 14 – Chinese uncrewed spacecraft Chang'e 3, carrying the Yutu rover, becomes the first spacecraft to "soft"-land on the Moon since 1976 and the third ever robotic rover to do so.source
Indonesia at the 2013 Summer UniversiadeIndonesia source

Health & Medicine

January 21 – The Health Minister of Chad announces that 38 children have been hospitalized after getting vaccinated against Meningitis.Chad source
January 24 - The first Data Innovation Day, a day designed to raise awareness on how increased use of information can benefit individuals from the public and private sector, takes place.Ghana source
January 31 - Armenian politician Paruyr Hayrikyan is shot in his right clavicle and taken to a hospital in Yerevan, during his bid for the presidency.Armenia source
31 January – A new law prohibiting hunting for sport was signed by President Laura Chinchilla. The law set fines of up to ₡1.5 million for sport hunting and up to ₡900,000 for wildlife trafficking.Costa Rica source
February 21 – American scientists use a 3D printer to create a living lab-grown ear from collagen and animal ear cell cultures. In the future, it is hoped that similar ears could be grown to order as transplants for human patients with ear trauma or amputation.source
February 28 – Acting Monrovia Mayor Mary Broh resigns amidst controversy.Liberia source
November 21 - A Prague nursing school issues a hijab ban, coursing some controversy.Czech Republic source
25 November – Marian Kotleba of People's Party Our Slovakia wins the election of Governor of Banská Bystrica Region. Kotleba's win was described as a "shock" by political analysts, who attributed it to deep anti-Romani sentiments in the region.Slovakia source
December 1 – A new building of the Nazarbayev Center was opened.Kazakhstan source

Crime & Justice

13 January - Pădurea Domnească case is made public.Moldova source
February 11 – The Emergency Alert Systems of five different television stations across the U.S. states of Montana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and New Mexico are hijacked, airing a false "Zombie apocalypse" hoax. It is amongst one of the largest cybersecurity breaches in EAS history.source
A 16-year-old is shot dead at close range in Al-Daih, a village west of Manama.Bahrain source
April 13 – Venezuelan presidential election: Nicolás Maduro is declared winner with a narrow victory over his opponent Henrique Capriles Radonski. Protests continue to October.source
21 July – Murder of Dwayne JonesJamaica source
7 September – Marek Špilár, football player (born 1975)Slovakia source
September 17 – Grand Theft Auto V earns more than half a billion dollars on its first day of release.source
2 November - Two French journalists are abducted—and later executed—in Kidal by AQIM-linked armed jihadists.Mali source
November 12 – Three Studies of Lucian Freud, a series of portraits of Lucian Freud by the British painter Francis Bacon, sells for US$142.4 million in a New York City auction, setting a world record for an auctioned work of art.source
Lithuania at the 2013 Summer UniversiadeLithuania source
Arafat Mohammad flees Myanmar by boat to Malaysia after being targeted for assisting assault victims.Myanmar source
Ongoing: 2012–2013 Slovenian protestsSlovenia source

Disasters & Accidents

January 11 - A fire sweeps through a complex containing housing for foreign workers in Manama leaving 13 foreign nationals dead.Bahrain source
January 16–20 – 39 international workers and 1 security guard die in a hostage crisis at a natural gas facility near In Aménas, Algeria.source
January 27 – An estimated 245 people die in a nightclub fire in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.source
January 29 – SCAT Airlines Flight 760, a scheduled flight from Kokshetau to Almaty, crashed in the village of Kyzyltu, killing all 21 people on board.Kazakhstan source
The fleeing Islamists set on fire the Timbuktu library containing the Timbuktu Manuscripts. The extent of the damage is still unknown.Mali source
February 19 - A Yemeni Air Force plane crashes in Sana'a, killing 12 people and injuring 11 others.Yemen source
April 24 – The 2013 Savar building collapse, one of the worst industrial disasters in the world, kills 1,134 people in Bangladesh.source
April 29 - A powerful explosion badly damaged an office building in the center of Prague, injuring up to 43 people.Czech Republic source
20 June - A major fire breaks out at the Riga Castle, the Latvian presidential palace.Latvia source
June 23 – A bus carrying 47 Romanian tourists to Tivat, Montenegro, crashes in the Morača canyon in central Montenegro, killing 19 people and injuring 27.source
July 6 – Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crashes while landing at San Francisco International Airport, killing 3 people.source
July 6 – A runaway train carrying crude oil derails in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, catching fire and exploding, killing 47 people.source
October 16 – Lao Airlines Flight 301 crashes on approach to Pakse Airport, Laos, killing all 49 people on board.source
November 26 - At least 30 Haitian migrants die when a boat capsizes off the Bahamas.Haiti source
November 29 – A police helicopter crashes into The Clutha, a pub in Glasgow, Scotland, killing 10 people and injuring 31.source
Ok Tedi environmental disasterPapua New Guinea source

Climate & Environment

January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alaska earthquake: A Mw (Ms, 'Moderate') earthquake shakes Prince of Wales Island.source
February 10 – Severe weather spawns eight tornadoes across southern Mississippi and southwest Alabama, including an EF4 tornado which struck the city of Hattiesburg, Mississippi.source
February 15 – A meteor explodes over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, injuring 1,489–1,492 people and damaging over 4,300 buildings. It is the most powerful meteor to strike Earth's atmosphere since the 1908 Tunguska event. The incident, along with a coincidental flyby of a larger asteroid, prompts international concern regarding the vulnerability of the planet to meteor strikes.source
Official partial returns from the Armenian presidential election indicate that incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan will be reelected in a landslide with the leading Opposition candidate Raffi Hovannisian raising concerns about irregularities.Armenia source
April 20 – 2013 Lushan earthquake: A magnitude 6.6 earthquake jolts Sichuan, China, leaving 193 people dead and more than 11,000 injured.source
May 1 - Flash floods leave 16 people dead and 3 others missing in Saudi Arabia, with authorities urging citizens to avoid low-lying wadis. At least two others were killed in neighboring Oman in some of the heaviest rainfall in more than 25 years.Oman source
May 20 – An EF5 tornado in the US state of Oklahoma hits Moore and several other surrounding areas near Oklahoma City, resulting in 24 deaths and many injuries.source
May 31 – The largest tornado ever recorded hits El Reno, United States. This rain-wrapped, multiple-vortex tornado was the widest tornado ever recorded, and results in eight deaths, including four storm-chasers. Measurements from mobile weather radars revealed extreme winds up to 296 mph (476 km/h) within the vortex, among the highest observed wind speeds on Earth. As it crosses U.S. 81, the tornado grows to a record-breaking width of 2.6 miles (4.2 km).source
17 June - Nigeria's national football team beat Tahiti 6–1.Nigeria source
3 July – Minister for the Environment René Castro signed a decree making July 4 the National Wild Cat Day (Día Nacional del Felino Silvestre). There are six species of wild cat in Costa Rica: the jaguar, puma, ocelot, margay, jaguarundi, and oncilla.Costa Rica source
29 August – Britain sends six Typhoon fighter jets to the country in order to guard against potential retaliation by the Assad regime in the event of air strikes against Syria.Cyprus source
September 8 – The 2013 Colorado floods begin, resulting from heavy rain in the Colorado River Basin.source
23 September - At least 25 people are dead in Hong Kong and southern China after Typhoon Usagi passes through with the storm having killed eight people in the Philippines.Hong Kong source
October 15 – A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Bohol, Philippines, leaving 222 dead, 8 missing, and 976 people injured.source
November 8 – Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), one of the strongest tropical cyclones on record, hits the Philippines and Vietnam, causing devastation with at least 6,241 people dead.source
Human Rights Watch releases a report depicting the atrocities of the Chadian government under the administration of former president Hissène Habré.Chad source
15-18 November – the 2013 Nordic storms hit FinlandFinland source

Culture & Society

February 23 - Tajik Armed Forces Day celebrations.Tajikistan source
14 March: Real Tonga was founded.Tonga source
May 14–18 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2013 takes place in Malmö, Sweden, and is won by Danish entrant Emmelie de Forest with the song "Only Teardrops".source
May 15 – The World Health Organization names the novel coronavirus Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).source
May 16-18: Malta participates in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest.Malta source
June 26 – United States v. Windsor (570 U.S. 744) decided in the Supreme Court of the United States, overturning a key section of the Defense of Marriage Act and hence granting federal recognition to same-sex marriage in the United States.source
Latvian authorities say the overnight fire has extensively damaged Riga Castle, the medieval fortress that houses the Baltic nation's National History Museum, and presidential residence.Latvia source
July 22–28 – XIV World Youth Day, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.source
August 10 – 17 – Kazakhstan competed at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow, Russia. A team of 17 athletes represented the country in the event.Kazakhstan source
August 19 – All-time most expensive public school in Norway, Kuben Upper Secondary School, opens.source
September 7 – The International Olympic Committee awards Tokyo the right to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.source
The 27th Southeast Asian Games opening ceremony is held at the Wunna Theikdi Stadium, Naypyidaw.Myanmar source
4–22 September – Slovenia hosted the EuroBasket 2013Slovenia source
Tunisia competes at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow, Russia.Tunisia source

Births

January 22 – Milan Piqué, son of Shakira & Gerard PiquéSpain source
June 15 – North West, daughter of Kanye West and Kim KardashianUnited States source
8 October – Bonneval, Thoroughbred racehorseNew Zealand source
17 October – Phanchanokchon PhansangThailand source

Deaths

January 9 – James M. Buchanan, 93, American economist, Nobel Prize (1986).source
January 11 – Aaron Swartz, 26, American programmer and internet activist, co-creator of Reddit, suicide by hanging.source
March 5 – Hugo Chávez, 58, Venezuelan politician and military officer, President (since 1999), heart attack.source
8 March – Ludwig Schulze, politicianPapua New Guinea source
March 21 – Chinua Achebe, 82, Nigerian poet, professor and novelist (Things Fall Apart, Anthills of the Savannah).source
French officials announce that a soldier was killed in action during contact with Islamic militants over the weekend. It is France's third casualty since operations began in Operation Serval.Mali source
April 8 – Death of Former United Kingdom Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.source
May 6 – Giulio Andreotti, 94, Italian politician, Prime Minister (1972–1973, 1976–1979, 1989–1992), Minister of Foreign Affairs (1983–1989) and Lifetime Senator (since 1991).source
15 May – Thomas M. Messer, director of The Guggenheim (born 1920)Czech Republic source
May 16 – Dick Trickle, 71, American NASCAR driver, suicide by gunshot.source
May 22 – Off-duty British Army soldier Fusilier Lee Rigby of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers is murdered in Woolwich, southeast London, by Islamic terrorists Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale.source
May 25 – T. M. Soundararajan, 91, Indian playback singer.source
June 19 – James Gandolfini, 51, American actor (The Sopranos, In the Loop, Crimson Tide), Emmy winner (2000, 2001, 2003), heart attack.source
13 August: Sonatane Tuʻa Taumoepeau-Tupou, 70, politician and diplomat, Foreign Minister (2004–2009).Tonga source
August 21 – 1,429 are killed in the Ghouta chemical attack during the Syrian Civil War.source
September 16 – Twelve people are killed during the Washington Navy Yard shooting.source
October 27 – Lou Reed, 71, American rock musician (The Velvet Underground) and songwriter ("Walk on the Wild Side"), liver disease.source
December 5 – Nelson Mandela, 95, South African anti-apartheid activist and politician, President (1994–1999), lung infection.source