2025 CE

View from Madrid's Preciados Street towards Callao Square during the Iberian Peninsula blackout, with Preciados still dark while Callao has partial power restored; Robert Prevost is elected as Pope Leo XIV following the death of Pope Francis; Prime minister Narendra Modi visits the wreckage of Air India Flight 171's tail section wedged into the B. J. Medical College, Ahmedabad; Anti-government protests erupt across Nepal, resulting in the resignation of prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli and several government buildings set on fire; A LCBO store recommending non-American products (Chilean wines pictured) in response to the Donald Trump tariffs; Airstrike on the IRIB studio in Tehran during the Twelve-Day War; A magnitude-7.7 earthquake strikes Myanmar, causing more than 5,400 fatalities and extensive damage in Southeast Asia; Hostages Square in Tel Aviv after the announcement of the impending release of Israeli hostages in an attempt to end the Gaza war.

In the 2020s, the 21st century.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

January 23 – Micheál Martin is re-elected prime minister (Taoiseach) of Ireland by Dáil Éireann for a second non-consecutive term.source
January 29 – Ahmed al-Sharaa is appointed as the president of Syria, after a one-month vacancy following the fall of the Assad regime.source
February 15 – Foreign minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf is elected as Chairperson of the African Union Commission.Djibouti source
February 18 – Vladimir Putin announces that Russia and the United States have officially agreed to restore diplomatic relations. A four-hour summit between the US and Russia is held in Saudi Arabia.source
21 February – Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan announce an agreement to delineate their common border.Tajikistan source
February 23 – 2025 German federal election: After being pushed forward as a result of the 2024 German government crisis, the centre-right CDU/CSU becomes the largest party, with big gains from the far-right AfD, resulting in a second-place finish.source
February 28 – A meeting between U.S. president Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy takes place at the White House. Trump and V.P. JD Vance sharply criticise Zelenskyy, raising questions about support for Ukraine, a proposed end to the war, and the country's future in general.source
April 12 – Iran and the United States hold their first high-level negotiations since 2018 over the Iranian nuclear programme in Muscat.Oman source
April 28 – 2025 Canadian federal election: Following Justin Trudeau's resignation as prime minister in March, former governor of the Bank of Canada Mark Carney becomes the Prime Minister of Canada. The Liberal Party wins a fourth consecutive election and forms a minority government.source
May 3 – 2025 Australian federal election: The incumbent Labor Party led by Anthony Albanese wins reelection, increasing their majority.source
May 6 – 2025 German federal election: Friedrich Merz is elected Chancellor of Germany in the second round of parliamentary voting, hours after being defeated in the first round, a first in post-WWII German history.source
May 11 – 2025 Albanian parliamentary election: The incumbent Socialist Party led by Edi Rama wins reelection, retaining a majority government.source
May 18 – 2025 Romanian presidential election: Following the annulment of the previous election, Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan wins in the second round, beating George Simion.source
29 May – Former finance minister Sidi Ould Tah is elected as president of the African Development Bank.Mauritania source
June 1 – 2025 Polish presidential election: Karol Nawrocki is narrowly elected President of Poland in the second round of voting, beating Rafał Trzaskowski.source
June 27 – The U.S., with Qatari support, brokers a preliminary peace treaty between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, ending their armed conflict that started in 2022.source
2 July – Myanmar officially notifies Malaysia, the 2025 ASEAN chair, of its opposition to Timor-Leste joining the bloc in October 2025, amid Timor-Leste reportedly supporting anti-junta forces in the Myanmar civil war.East Timor source
6 July – The National Assembly elects NDP leader Jennifer Geerlings-Simons as the first female president of Suriname.Suriname source
July 21 – Twenty-eight countries issue a joint statement calling for an immediate end to the Gaza war, saying it has "reached new depths" in terms of the suffering of civilians.source
August 8 – Armenia and Azerbaijan sign a peace deal to end 37-year-old hostilities regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.source
August 15 – 2025 Russia–United States Summit: US president Donald Trump meets with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, to discuss a plan for resolving the Russo-Ukrainian war.source
20 August – China and India agree to resume direct flights suspended since 2020, reopen designated border trade points and boost investment in their economies following talks in New Delhi between Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and Indian officials including Indian foreign minister S. Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.India source
September 12 – Former chief justice Sushila Karki assumes office as interim prime minister of an interim government formed after K. P. Sharma Oli's resignation in Nepal, the decision notably being decided via a poll on a social media platform, Discord.source
September 21 – The UK, Canada, and Australia announce their formal recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state, with France also doing so the next day.source
September 28 – 2025 Moldovan parliamentary election: Incumbent pro-European party PAS wins reelection, forming another majority government.source
6 October – Eswatini receives 10 third-country nationals deported from the United States under an agreement with the Trump administration.Eswatini source
October 10 – Dina Boluarte, the President of Peru, is unanimously impeached by the Congress of the Republic.source
October 21 – Sanae Takaichi becomes the first female Prime Minister of Japan.source
October 26 – 2025 Argentine legislative election: Incumbent President Javier Milei's party La Libertad Avanza wins the election with over 40% of the votes.source
October 29 – 2025 Dutch general election: Social liberal party Democrats 66 ties with right-wing populist party Party for Freedom in most number of seats.source
November 10–21 – The COP30 summit is held in Belém, Brazil, focusing on the role of the Amazon rainforest in climate action.source
1 December – Independence Day holidayBarbados source
December 14 – 2025 Chilean general election: José Antonio Kast is elected President of Chile. Right-wing coalitions gain control of the Chamber of Deputies and tie in the Senate.source

Conflict & Security

January 15 – Gaza war: Israel and Hamas approve a ceasefire agreement that seeks to end the war, exchange Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and allow in international aid. It takes effect on January 19.source
January 15 – The President of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, is successfully arrested after a second attempt by police following a martial law declaration and successful impeachment motion the previous December.source
January 19 – Gaza war: A ceasefire goes into effect, lasting until an Israeli surprise attack on 18 March.source
March 3 – The Trump administration pauses military aid to Ukraine, following the Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy the previous week.source
March 5 – The US begins direct negotiations with Hamas over the release of the remaining Israeli hostages. Trump later threatens on Truth Social and X that the people of Gaza "are dead" unless they return the hostages "immediately".United States source
March 8 – More than 1,000 people, including civilians, are reported killed in a crackdown by Syrian transitional government security forces in the Alawite region, described as the country's worst violence for years.source
March 18 – Israel launches widespread aerial bombardments and attacks on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 591 people, including children, ending the ceasefire agreement reached in January.source
March 19 – Nationwide protests erupt across Turkey following the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, on charges of corruption and terrorism.source
April 22 – Pakistan backed attackers affiliated with The Resistance Front open fire on a group of tourists after asking their religion at the Baisaran Valley in Jammu and Kashmir, India, killing 26 and injuring at least 20.source
28 April – National Heroes' DayBarbados source
May 7 – 2025 India–Pakistan conflict: India launches several missiles into Pakistani territory in response to the 2025 Pahalgam attack two weeks prior.source
29 May – Arnolfo Teves Jr., a Filipino congressman who had been seeking sanctuary in Timor-Leste after being wanted in his home country for the Pamplona massacre in 2023, is deported and repatriated on national security grounds and concerns over Dili's accession to ASEAN.East Timor source
June 5 – Eight migrants are reported dead while 22 others are reported missing after being offloaded by traffickers from a boat off the Djiboutian coast.Djibouti source
June 13 – Iran–Israel war: Israel conducts air strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities, killing military commanders including Hossein Salami; Iran retaliates.source
June 14 – The No Kings protests occur across many cities in the U.S., as well as Canada, Europe, Japan and Mexico, against Donald Trump.source
16 June – The headquarters of the state broadcaster IRIB in Tehran is bombed by Israel during a live broadcast, killing at least one person.Iran source
June 22 – Iran–Israel war: The United States carries out B-2 bomber airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.source
June 23 – Iran launches missiles at US bases in Qatar and Iraq in response to the previous day's strikes.source
June 24–25 – A NATO summit is held at the World Forum in The Hague, Netherlands.source
July 13 – Several clashes erupt in southern Syria between armed Druze and Bedouin groups.source
July 24 – Armed conflicts break out between Cambodia and Thailand after the escalation of a border dispute. At least 39 people are killed and more than 100,000 displaced due to the conflicts.source
September 8 – Mass anti-government protests erupt in Nepal, resulting in at least 22 deaths and hundreds injured. Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli resigns the following day amidst the demonstrations.source
September 9 – Russian drone incursion into Poland: Multiple drones breach Polish airspace during a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine and are intercepted by Polish and NATO forces, marking the first attack on NATO territory and prompting Poland to invoke Article 4.source
September 16 – A UN Human Rights Council commission of inquiry finds that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.source
September 19 – Estonian airspace near Vaindloo island is violated by three Russian MiG-31 jets. In response, Estonia invokes Article 4 of NATO.source
8 October – Russian president Vladimir Putin arrives in Dushanbe for a three-day state visit and a summit meeting with CIS leaders.Tajikistan source
October 9 – Israel and Hamas agree to the first phase of a Gaza peace deal, paving the way for a ceasefire, almost exactly two years after the conflict began.source
October 9 – 2025 Afghanistan–Pakistan conflict: Pakistan reportedly carries out airstrikes in Kabul, Khost, Jalalabad, and Paktika, targeting Noor Wali Mehsud, an internationally designated terrorist.source
13 October – National Heroes' DayBahamas source
29 November – Deposed Guinea-Bissau president Umaro Sissoco Embaló goes into exile in the Republic of the Congo from Senegal following the 2025 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état.Republic of the Congo source
December 2 – Yemeni civil war: The Southern Transitional Council launches a large-scale military offensive across Southern Yemen, breaking years of military stalemate in the conflict.source
7 December – An unsuccessful coup attempt is carried out against President Talon.Benin source
16 December – US President Donald Trump issues a proclamation barring Sierra Leonean nationals from entering the United States.Sierra Leone source
December 25 – The United States, in cooperation with the Nigerian government, initiates a series of airstrikes targeting Islamic State-affiliated militants operating in the country's Sokoto State. US President Donald Trump states that rising extremist violence against Christians is a primary reason for the strikes.source

Exploration & Expansion

March 28 – Bhutan exports its wine for the first time.Bhutan source
11 April – Direct flights from Bermuda to Raleigh, North Carolina are inaugurated by BermudAir.Bermuda source
April 13 – October 13 – Expo 2025 is held in Osaka, Japan.source
22 May – The transfer of the Chagos Islands from the United Kingdom to Mauritius is suspended after the UK's High Court of Justice grants "interim relief" to two Chagossian women who had brought a case against the UK Foreign Office. The transfer pushes through later in the day after the injunction is lifted by the court.Mauritius source
17 July – President Ndayishimiye is designated by the African Union as its special envoy to the Sahel region.Burundi source
12 September – 2025 Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Honiara.Solomon Islands source
1 October – An agreement allowing absolute freedom of movement for nationals of Barbados, Belize, Dominica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines travelling between their countries comes into effect.Barbados source
December 3 – Nine Filipino sailors held captive by the Houthis in Yemen following the group's attack on the cargo vessel Eternity C in July arrive in Muscat after being turned over to Omani authorities.Oman source
16 December – US President Donald Trump issues a proclamation imposing partial travel restrictions on Mauritanian nationals travelling to the United States.Mauritania source

Religion & Belief

January 1 – Poland takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Hungarian presidency.source
21 January – Our Lady of High GraceDominican Republic source
29 March–1 April – End of RamadanOman source
April 2-3 – The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA)-Olympic Solidarity (OS) Regional Forum is held in Thimphu.Bhutan source
April 26 – The funeral of Pope Francis is attended by delegations from 164 countries, including 82 leaders, and 250,000 members of the public.source
May 7–8 – 2025 conclave: 133 cardinal electors select Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Francis's successor, on the fourth ballot. He takes the name Leo XIV, and becomes the first pope from North America, the first with Peruvian or U.S. citizenship, and the first from the Order of Saint Augustine.source
May 8 – American Robert Francis Prevost is elected pope during the 2025 conclave, becoming the first North American to hold the position. He chooses the name Leo XIV.United States source
24 May – Saints Cyril and Methodius' DayNorth Macedonia source
May 31 – Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat is sworn in as the new Episcopal Co-Prince of Andorra and Bishop of Urgell after the Vatican accepts the resignation of Joan Enric Vives i Sicília for age limitation reasons.source
11 July – Mount Mulanje is designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.Malawi source
15 August – Founding of AsunciónParaguay source
5 September – The Prophet's BirthdayMali source
October 3 – Dame Sarah Mullally is named the first female Archbishop of Canterbury.source
November 27–30 – An ecumenical meeting of the Eastern Orthodox Church and Catholic Church at Nicaea is held to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea.source
15 December — The United States State Department threatens to reduce aid to Fiji unless the Fijian government takes action against a South Korean religious cult called the Grace Road Church, which has been accused of forced labour and human trafficking.Fiji source

Economy & Finance

1 January – The corporate income tax law takes effect.Bermuda source
January 24 – A series of ongoing boycotts in Southeastern European countries took place of several retail stores in that region, in response to raised food prices and alleged price fixing.source
January 27 – Global technology shares outside China fall sharply in response to the release of DeepSeek's chatbot, a Chinese competitor to OpenAI's ChatGPT. Chip giant Nvidia loses almost $600 billion of its value, the biggest drop for a single company in U.S. stock market history.source
February 4 – China–United States trade war: China announces export controls and increased tariffs on certain American imports in retaliation for Donald Trump's imposition of tariffs on Chinese goods.source
7 March – Investigative outlets publish a video of immigration chief Alusine Kanneh receiving a gift from fugitive Dutch drug lord Johannes Leijdekkers at a Freetown restaurant, causing President Bio to fire him.Sierra Leone source
March 31 – The Caribbean guilder is introduced, replacing the Netherlands Antillean guilder as the currency for Curaçao and Sint Maarten.source
April 2 – US President Donald Trump issues sweeping trade tariffs on many countries, including a 10% baseline tariff for all imports.source
2 April – The United States imposes a 50% tariff on imports from Lesotho.Lesotho source
3 April – The FTSE 100 falls sharply in response to major, worldwide tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump, including a 10% charge on UK imports. The UK government announces it is planning a list of US products it could hit with retaliatory tariffs.United Kingdom source
9 April – The Central Bank of Solomon Islands grants IumiCash with a Money Transfer Service (MTS) license.Solomon Islands source
3 June – Qatar records a budget deficit of 500 million riyals ($133.31 million) in the first quarter of 2025.Qatar source
August 5 – The Trump administration dismisses all five Democratic members of the seven-person Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico, including chairman Arthur Gonzalez, citing inefficiency.Puerto Rico source
September 8 – 2024–2025 French political crisis: The Bayrou government collapses after losing a no-confidence vote.source
3 October – Francisco Morazán BirthdayHonduras source
26 November – President Saied summons European Union ambassador Giuseppe Perrone for meeting with leaders of the Tunisian General Labour Union and the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts.Tunisia source
December 19 – EU leaders approve a €90bn ($105bn) loan for Ukraine for the next two years, which Kyiv will repay only once Russia pays reparations.source
December 28 – 2025 Iranian protests: Major protests emerge in Iran following an intense inflation spike that saw a severe depreciation in the Iranian rial. These protests are accompanied with demands for an end to the Islamic republic.source

Technology & Infrastructure

January 1 – Ukraine halts the transportation of many Russian gas supplies through the country following the expiration of a five-year transit deal, while also becoming a state party in the International Criminal Court.source
29 January – US rail technology firm Wabtec signs a $248M deal for locomotives on the Simandou railway.Guinea source
February 9 – The Baltic states complete synchronization of their power grids with continental Europe's grid, disconnecting from Russia's grid.source
February 10 – A bus falls off a bridge over the Las Vacas River in Guatemala City, Guatemala, killing at least 55 people, and seriously injuring 9 others.source
18 February – 2025 Sino-Metals Leach Zambia dam disaster: A tailings dam belonging to a Chinese-operated copper mine collapses in northern Zambia, causing 50 million liters of waste containing concentrated acid, dissolved solids and heavy metals to enter a tributary of the Kafue River and prompting a shutdown of the water supply in Kitwe.Zambia source
26 February – The South Korean train manufacturing firm Hyundai Rotem wins a US$1.53 billion contract to supply advanced trains to the Moroccan national railway operator ONCF.Morocco source
March 11 – Balochistan Liberation Army militants blow up railway tracks and hijack the Jaffar Express train bound from Quetta to Peshawar, taking 450 people hostages including both security personnel and civilians.source
20 March – The International Charity Organization announces plans to build a city in Mauritania.Mauritania source
24 March – Eswatini Mobile announces that it has 'entered the 5G era'.Eswatini source
3 April – Nonstop flights from Bermuda to Bradley International Airport commence.Bermuda source
April 17 – The atmosphere of K2-18b, a candidate water world located 124 light-years away, is found to contain large quantities of dimethyl sulfide and/or dimethyl disulfide – two compounds that, on Earth, are only known to be produced by life.source
27 May – Airtel Madagascar secures a 15-year license for global telecom operations.Madagascar source
28 May – The US-funded Sustainable Transformation of Enterprises in the Poultry Sector (STEPS) project shuts down.Lesotho source
August 7 – OpenAI's model GPT-5 is released.source
August 15–17 – The first World Humanoid Robot Games are held in Beijing, China.source

Science & Discovery

January 1 – The first versions of the Popeye and Tintin characters have entered the Public domain.source
January 13 – C/2024 G3 (ATLAS), a non-periodic comet, reaches perihelion, and is dubbed The Great Comet of 2025.source
January 16 – Blue Origin successfully launches its heavy-lift launch vehicle, New Glenn, on its first attempt, though fails to land its first stage booster as intended.source
March 2 – Firefly Aerospace becomes the first commercial company to successfully land on the Moon with no technical issues, with its Blue Ghost Mission 1.source
March 4 – Colossal Biosciences creates woolly mice as part of de-extinction efforts for the woolly mammoth.source
March 7 – Brunei launches the BruneiID initiative.Brunei source
March 8–17 – The 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games are held in Turin, Italy.source
April 1 – Fram2 launches aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, becoming the first crewed spaceflight to enter a polar retrograde orbit.source
April 7 – Colossal Biosciences showcases three grey wolves that are genetically modified to exhibit the characteristics of the dire wolf.source
April 9 – A 4,000-year-old musical instrument is found near Dahwa.Oman source
10 April – A Boeing 737-500 passenger aircraft operated by Varesh Airlines veers off the runway while landing at Dushanbe International Airport from Tehran due to adverse weather conditions. No injuries are reported.Tajikistan source
23 May – Latvia accedes to the Outer Space Treaty.Latvia source
June 25 – The Axiom Mission 4 is launched. The mission involves four astronauts, including the first astronauts from Poland (Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski) and India (Shubhanshu Shukla) since the end of the Cold War.source
13 July – The Maputo National Park is designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as part of an expansion from the ISimangaliso Wetland Park in neighbouring South Africa.Mozambique source
July 23 – The International Court of Justice (ICJ) rules that countries can sue each other over historical emissions of greenhouse gases and the effects of climate change.source
23 July: The International Court of Justice, acting on a case led by Vanuatu, rules that climate change is an "existential threat" and that countries failing to meet their climate obligations could be in breach of international law and liable to reparations claims by affected countries.Vanuatu source
August 7–17 – The 2025 World Games are held in Chengdu, China.source
2 September – The International Atomic Energy Agency says it found traces of uranium of anthropogenic origin at an undeclared nuclear reactor in Deir ez-Zor Governorate that was attacked by Israel in 2007 and linked to the Assad regime's clandestine nuclear program.Syria source
September 27 – The Seven Brothers Islands are designated as biosphere reserves by UNESCO.Djibouti source
October 14 – Microsoft ends support for Windows 10 that started in 2015.source
November 6 – Khaled El-Enany is elected the new Director-General of UNESCO.source
November 13 – The New Glenn rocket booster lands for the first time.source
December 20 – German engineer Michaela Benthaus becomes the first wheelchair user to travel into space, aboard the Blue Origin NS-37.source

Health & Medicine

January 15 – Colossal Biosciences and University of Melbourne create the world's first artificial womb in marsupials as part of their project toward de-extinction of the thylacine.source
19 February – The government declares a dengue fever outbreak after rising cases nationwide.Tonga source
April 6 – The Dominican Republic significantly tightens border controls and migration enforcement along its border with Haiti, as announced by President Abinader.Dominican Republic source
April 28 – A widespread power outage affects Spain and Portugal for hours. Andorra is affected for a few seconds while southern France is lightly affected.source
28 April – A massive blackout hits the Iberian Peninsula, causing extensive power outages across mainland Portugal.Portugal source
5 June – A cholera outbreak is declared following the deaths of seven people and 38 other infections in Vridi Akobrate, near Abidjan.Ivory Coast source
22 July – 2023–2025 mpox epidemic: The first case of mpox is reported in the country with the government declaring an outbreak.Gambia source
24 July – Honduras mandates face masks again in public spaces amid a spike in respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, and orders temporary remote work for state institutions.Honduras source
1 September – Former prime minister and ANO leader Andrej Babiš is hospitalized after being attacked by a man with a walking stick at a rally in Dobra.Czech Republic source
5 November – The Mohammed VI International University Hospital Complex is inaugurated in Rabat by King Mohammed VI and Crown Prince Moulay Hassan.Morocco source
18 November – Eswatini becomes the first African country to receive the twice-yearly HIV prevention injection drug lenacapavir.Eswatini source
November 25 – A report published by the United Nations shows that Indonesian capital Jakarta has surpassed Japanese capital Tokyo as the world's largest city, with a population of 42 million people.source

Crime & Justice

January 25 – The Dacian-era Helmet of Coțofenești, on loan from the National History Museum of Romania, is stolen along with three other gold artifacts from the Drents Museum in Assen by thieves who broke into the museum using explosives.source
29 January – Authorities seize 10 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine from a shipping container that arrived from the United States and arrest three people in what is reported as the "largest known drug smuggling operation" in the country.Samoa source
30 January – A court in Cotonou convicts businessman Olivier Boko, his brother-in-law Rock Nieri, who is in hiding, and former sports minister Oswald Homeky of plotting a coup against President Patrice Talon and sentences them to 20 years' imprisonment and a fine of 60 billion CFA francs ($95 million).Benin source
March 11 – The former President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, is arrested in the Philippines after being served an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.source
28 March – Nineteen Filipino nationals are arrested for holding an unauthorized political demonstration in support of former President Rodrigo Duterte.Qatar source
April 3 – Hungary withdraws from the International Criminal Court after Israeli Prime Minister and accused war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu lands in Budapest for a state visit, in defiance of the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against him.source
11 May – Lassy Mbouity, the leader of the opposition Les Socialistes Congolais party, is abducted in Brazzaville.Republic of the Congo source
30 May – Three former paramilitaries are convicted of crimes against humanity for rape and other abuses committed against 36 Achi women in Rabinal from 1981 to 1985 during the Guatemalan Civil War and sentenced to 40 years' imprisonment.Guatemala source
6 August – The statue of Christopher Columbus in Columbus Square in Port of Spain is removed amid criticism over its symbolism of colonialism.Trinidad and Tobago source
September 11 – The Supreme Federal Court convicts former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and sentences him to 27 years in prison for his involvement in the 2022 Brazilian coup plot.source
October 1 – Israel intercepts the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, in international waters, arresting 443 activists from 47 countries.source
October 13 – Gaza war: Hamas releases the last 20 living hostages in Gaza after they were kidnapped during the 2023 October 7 attacks. In exchange, Israel releases 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 detainees.source
October 19 – 2025 Louvre heist: Pieces of the French Crown Jewels are stolen during a robbery from the Galerie d'Apollon of the Louvre in Paris.source
October 26 – El Fashir massacre: Mass murder is reported during which an estimated 2,500 or more civilians have been executed by the Rapid Support Forces in the city of El Fashir, Sudan.source
7 November – Mariam Cissé, a TikTok user known for praising the Malian Armed Forces, is abducted by armed men in Tonka, Tombouctou Region and executed in public.Mali source
November 17 – Former prime minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina is found guilty of crimes against humanity by a Bangladeshi tribunal and sentenced to death in absentia.source
26 December – Silvinei Vasques, a former commander of the Brazilian Federal Highway Police wanted for evading his conviction on charges of involvement in the 8 January Brasília attacks in 2023, is arrested at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Asunción and extradited to Brazil.Paraguay source

Disasters & Accidents

January 11 – A gas station explosion in Al Bayda, Yemen, results in 40 deaths and dozens of others injured.source
January 29 – 2025 Potomac River mid-air collision: A United States Army Black Hawk helicopter with three occupants on board, collides with a Bombardier CRJ700 operated by PSA Airlines with 64 occupants on board in Washington, D.C., United States. There were no survivors.source
February 25 – An Antonov An-26 of the Sudanese Air Force crashes in a residential area, near the Wadi Seidna Air Base. All 17 occupants onboard and 29 people on the ground died.source
8 March – Niger orders the expulsion of three Chinese oil officials from CNPC, WAPCo, and SORAZ, citing disputes over pay and project delays.Niger source
March 16 – A fire breaks out in a nightclub in Kočani, North Macedonia, killing at least 59 people and injuring 155 others.source
16 March – A fire at a nightclub in Kočani kills 62 people and injures 196 others.North Macedonia source
March 21 – A major power outage causes Heathrow Airport in London to completely shut down, with disruption expected to last for days, affecting thousands of flights around the world.source
April 8 – During a concert performance by Rubby Pérez in Santo Domingo, a nightclub roof collapses, killing at least 231 people, including Pérez, and injures more than 200 others.source
April 15 – A motorized wooden boat capsizes after catching fire in the Congo River near the town of Mbandaka in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing at least 148 people.source
April 26 – An explosion in the Port of Shahid Rajaee, Bandar Abbas, Iran, kills at least 70 people and injures more than 1,000.source
June 12 – Air India Flight 171, a London-bound Boeing 787, crashes into a building after take-off from Ahmedabad, India, killing 229 passengers, 12 crew on board, and 19 people on the ground. One passenger survives the crash. It is the first fatal crash and hull loss involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.source
21 June – A bus heading from Maputsoe to Maseru crashes into a pile-up of vehicles, killing 11 people and injuring 12 others.Lesotho source
6 July – The historic Hotel Oloffson in Port-au-Prince is destroyed in an arson attack by armed gangs.Haiti source
July 21 – 2025 Dhaka Chengdu J-7 crash: An F-7 BGI training aircraft of the Bangladesh Air Force crashes into Milestone College in Uttara, Dhaka, killing 31 people including the pilot.source
July 24 – Angara Airlines Flight 2311, operated by an Antonov An-24 aircraft, crashes near Tynda in Eastern Siberia, Russia. All 48 people on board are killed.source
August 19 – A multi-vehicle collision involving a bus carrying migrants deported from Iran, a motorcycle and a truck kills at least 79 people in Herat Province, Afghanistan.source
September 10 – A liquid petroleum gas truck overturns and explodes at an overpass in Iztapalapa, Mexico City, killing 32 people and injuring 90 others.source
16 September – A boat from The Gambia carrying more than 100 migrants runs aground in Dakar on its way to the Canary Islands.Senegal source
8 October – A Eurocopter AS350 B2 helicopter of the Ecuadorian Army crashes near La Merced de Buenos Aires, San Miguel de Urcuquí Canton, injuring the four occupants on board.Ecuador source
22 October – At least 40 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa die after a boat sinks off the coast near Mahdia.Tunisia source
November 4 – UPS Airlines Flight 2976, a Honolulu-bound McDonnell Douglas MD-11F, crashes shortly after take-off near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky, United States, killing all three crew members and 12 people on the ground, as well as injuring 22 others.source
December 6 – A fire at a nightclub in Arpora, Goa, India, leaves at least 25 people dead and 50 injured.source
21 December – Two chairlifts collide at Savin Kuk in Žabljak, killing German footballer Sebastian Hertner and injuring his wife.Montenegro source
December 23 – Harmony Jets Flight 185, a Dassault Falcon 50, crashes near Ankara, Turkey, killing all eight people on board, including Libyan Army chief of staff Mohammed al-Haddad.source

Climate & Environment

2 January – Winter solstice (Nyi)Bhutan source
January 7 – A 7.1 magnitude earthquake strikes Tibet, China, killing at least 126 people, while another 338 are injured.source
January 7 – Greater Los Angeles experiences the most destructive wildfires in its history, fueled by strong winds and prolonged drought conditions. Over 13,000 structures are destroyed. At least 29 deaths are reported, while 180,000 people are evacuated, with fires continuing for days.source
January 10 – The European Copernicus Climate Change Service reports that 2024 was the world's hottest year on record, and the first calendar year to pass the symbolic threshold of 1.5 °C of global warming.source
January 24 – Storm Éowyn hits Ireland and the United Kingdom. Record high wind speeds of 183 km/h are recorded in Ireland, while over a million homes are left without power.source
26 February – Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport is closed after the Mauritius Meteorological Services issues a category 3 cyclone warning for Tropical Storm Garance.Mauritius source
1 March – President Irfaan Ali accuses the Venezuelan Navy of entering its territorial waters and harassing an offshore unit of ExxonMobil.Guyana source
March 12 – 2025 Belizean general election: The incumbent People's United Party wins a second term in a landslide victory.source
March 14 – A systems failure at the Diezmero electric substation outside Havana causes a nationwide blackout.Cuba source
March 21 – South Korea experiences one of its worst wildfires in modern history; over 87 000 hectares of land are destroyed in South Gyeongsang Province, killing at least 32 people.source
March 28 – A 7.7-magnitude earthquake occurs in Myanmar, resulting in 5,413 killed and 11,402 injured.source
May 3 – 2025 Singaporean general election: The incumbent People's Action Party led by Lawrence Wong wins reelection in a landslide, retaining a supermajority government.source
22 May – A magnitude 6.2 earthquake hits Crete, causing extensive damage in the Heraklion area.Greece source
June 20 – An EF5 tornado strikes southeast of Enderlin, North Dakota, becoming the first EF5 tornado globally since May 20, 2013.source
13 July – The Gola-Tiwai complex, which includes Tiwai Island and the Gola Rainforest National Park, is designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.Sierra Leone source
July 30 – An Mw 8.8 earthquake strikes off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, triggering tsunami warnings in Japan and Hawaii.source
12 August – A water tanker overturns near Podgorica, killing a soldier responding to a wildfire.Montenegro source
August 22 – Famine is confirmed in Gaza City for the first time after the UN-backed body responsible for monitoring food security raises its classification to Phase 5, the highest and worst level. The IPC says more than 500,000 people are now facing "starvation, destitution and death".source
August 31 – An earthquake in eastern Afghanistan kills over 2,200 people and injures 3,500.source
August 31 – Between 370 and 1,000 people are reported killed in a landslide caused by heavy rain that buries the village of Tarasin in the Marrah Mountains of Central Darfur and leaves one survivor.source
September 21 – Thousands of protesters across the Philippines gather at the EDSA Shrine in Quezon City for the Trillion Peso March and at Luneta Park in Manila for the Baha sa Luneta demonstrations, demanding government accountability over alleged corruption in flood control and infrastructure projects.source
27 September – The Mantadia and Tsimembo nature reserves are designated as biosphere reserves by UNESCO.Madagascar source
September 30 – A Mw 6.9 earthquake shakes the island of Cebu in the Philippines, leaving 71 people dead and 559 injured.source
7 October – A magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits Morobe Province, destroying several homes in Lae.Papua New Guinea source
October 24 – 2025 Irish presidential election: Independent candidate Catherine Connolly wins the election in a landslide, defeating Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys.source
October 28 – Hurricane Melissa makes a catastrophic landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane, with sustained wind speeds up to 160 kn, becoming the strongest hurricane to strike the country in recorded history.source
November 3 – A powerful Mw 6.3 earthquake shakes the provinces of Balkh and Samangan in Afghanistan, causing 31 deaths and 956 injuries.source
November 4 – Typhoon Kalmaegi leaves more than 288 people dead in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand.source
November 26 – Cyclone Senyar causes at least 1,390 deaths and leaves 186 missing in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.source
November 28 – Flooding and landslides caused by Cyclone Ditwah leave at least 647 dead and 183 missing across Sri Lanka and South India.source
December 8 – A Mw 7.6 earthquake occurs in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Aomori Prefecture in Japan, triggering a tsunami up to 70 cm high.source

Culture & Society

January 1 – Liechtenstein becomes the 37th country to legalize same-sex marriage.source
January 4 – The 2025 Bahamas Bowl at Thomas Robinson Stadium, Nassau is held, The Buffalo Bulls win.Bahamas source
January 14 – February 2 – The 2025 World Men's Handball Championship is held in Croatia, Denmark and Norway, and is won by Denmark.source
January 23 – Thailand becomes the 38th country and the first in Southeastern Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.source
8 February – The 2025 Miss Pacific Islands pageant is held in Honiara.Solomon Islands source
February 17 – 2025 Indonesian protests: A series of ongoing nationwide protests are held following the enactment of a legislation increasing military involvement in civilian government roles.source
February 18 – Egypt announces the discovery of Thutmose II's tomb by a joint British-Egyptian team, the first royal tomb to be discovered since Tutankhamun's in 1922. It is the 15th and final pharaoh tomb from the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt to have been found by archeologists.source
February 18 – Following a constitutional reform, Nicaragua becomes a diarchy with spouses Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo as co-presidents.source
May 9–25 – The 2025 IIHF World Championship is held in Stockholm, Sweden, and Herning, Denmark, and is won by the United States.source
May 13–17 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 is held in Basel, Switzerland. Austrian contestant JJ wins with the song "Wasted Love".source
May 25 – The 2025 Surinamese general election is held.source
5 June – Uzbekistan qualifies for its first FIFA World Cup after drawing 0-0 with the United Arab Emirates at the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification in Abu Dhabi.Uzbekistan source
June 14 – July 13 – The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is held in the United States, and is won by Chelsea.source
June 16–17 – The 51st G7 summit is held in Kananaskis, Canada.source
2 July – Angélique Kidjo becomes the first black African to be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Benin source
July 11 – August 3 – The 2025 World Aquatics Championships are held in Singapore.source
22 July – King Father's BirthdayEswatini source
9 August – Indigenous People's DaySuriname source
August 22 – September 27 – The 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup is held in, and is won by, England.source
September 12–28 – The 2025 FIVB Men's Volleyball World Championship is held in Pasay and Quezon City, the Philippines, and is won by Italy.source
September 13–21 – The 2025 World Athletics Championships are held in Tokyo, Japan.source
September 20 – Intervision 2025 is held in Moscow, Russia. Vietnamese contestant Đức Phúc wins with the song "Phù Đổng Thiên Vương".source
October 21 – American Eric Lu wins the quinquennial XIX International Chopin Piano Competition at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, Poland.source
3 November – National Women's DayEast Timor source
November 21 – December 7 – The 2025 FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup is held in the Philippines, and is won by Brazil.source
November 22–23 – The G20 Johannesburg summit is held in South Africa, the first time a G20 summit has been held in Africa.source
November 26 – December 14 – The 2025 World Women's Handball Championship is held in Germany and the Netherlands, and is won by Norway.source
December 13 – The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025 is held in Tbilisi, Georgia. French contestant Lou Deleuze wins with the song "Ce monde".source
December 21 – January 18 – The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is held in Morocco, and is won by Senegal.source
10–12 March – The 2025 Bermuda Risk Summit (for Reinsurance professionals) is held at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club.Bermuda source

Births

22 January – Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi, daughter of Princess Beatrice of York and Edoardo Mapelli MozziUnited Kingdom source
7 February – Princess Ines, Duchess of Västerbotten.Sweden source

Deaths

January 1 – Fifteen people (including the perpetrator) are killed and 57 others are injured during a vehicle-ramming and shooting attack in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.source
January 8 – Eighteen gunmen and a soldier are killed in an attack on the presidential palace in N'Djamena, the capital of Chad.source
April 21 – Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church since 2013, dies at the age of 88. World leaders pay tribute. Many countries declare national mourning.source
April 21 – Pope Francis, 88, Argentine Roman Catholic prelate, pope (since 2013), archbishop of Buenos Aires (1998–2013), stroke and cardio-circulatory collapse.source
5 June – Edgar Lungu, 68, president (2015–2021).Zambia source
June 10 – 10 people are killed and more than 30 others injured after a gunman opens fire at a school in Graz, Austria.source
June 11 – Brian Wilson, 82, American Hall of Fame musician (The Beach Boys), songwriter ("Good Vibrations"), and record producer (Pet Sounds), respiratory arrest.source
July 4–7 – At least 135 people are killed and over a hundred reported missing during a flood in Central Texas, United States.source
July 22 – Ozzy Osbourne, 76, English Hall of Fame musician (Black Sabbath), songwriter ("Paranoid"), and television personality (The Osbournes), heart attack.source
July 24 – Hulk Hogan, 71, American Hall of Fame professional wrestler (WWF, WCW) and actor (Suburban Commando), heart attack.source
10 August – A one-month-old infant dies after being subjected to female genital mutilation in Wellingara, resulting in two arrests.Gambia source
September 3 – At least 16 people are killed and over 21 are injured after the Glória funicular derailment in the centre of Lisbon, Portugal.source
September 10 – Charlie Kirk, an American right-wing activist and influential ally of President Trump, is assassinated at a campus event in Utah, prompting widespread reactions and reprisals both domestically and internationally.source
September 27 – 2025 Karur crowd crush: At least 40 people are killed and 51 injured in a crowd crush at a rally held by actor-turned-politician Vijay's party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Karur, Tamil Nadu, India.source
October 28 – Operation Containment: In Rio de Janeiro, more than 120 people are killed in raids targeting criminal organization Comando Vermelho during the deadliest police operation in Brazilian history.source
26 November — An American citizen is killed in a suspected drug-related stabbing in Castara, Tobago.Trinidad and Tobago source
December 14 – At least 16 people are killed and 43 injured in a mass shooting, classified as a terrorist attack, by two gunmen at Bondi Beach in Sydney during a celebration for the start of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.source
28 December – Nine people, including five children, are killed in a knife attack in Richelieu, Commewijne District. The suspect is arrested but dies from suicide in police custody the next day.Suriname source