Culture & Society in the 21st century

249 sourced entries, 2000 CE to 2025 CE, oldest first. Also see Culture & Society across every century or everything else in the 21st century.

• 2000January 1 – Millennium celebrations are held around the world to celebrate the beginning of the 3rd millennium.source
• 2000February 5 – 2000 Six Nations Championship in rugby union opens, the first year in which Italy takes part.source
• 2000February 21 – UNESCO holds the inaugural celebration of International Mother Language Day.source
• 2000February 29 – A rare century leap year date occurs. Usually, century years are common years due to not being exactly divisible by 400. 2000 is the first such year to have a February 29 since the year 1600, making it only the second such occasion since the Gregorian Calendar was introduced in 1582. The next such leap year will occur in 2400.source
• 2000July 2 – France defeats Italy 2–1 after extra time in the final of the UEFA Euro 2000 Championship in Association football, becoming the first team to win the World Cup and European Championship consecutively.source
• 2000September 15–October 1 – The 2000 Summer Olympics, held in Sydney, Australia, is the first Olympic Games of the 2000s.source
• 2000October 26 – Pakistani authorities announce that their police have found an apparent mummy of an alleged Persian Princess in the province of Balochistan, Pakistan. The governments of Iran, Pakistan as well as the Taliban of Afghanistan all claim the mummy until Pakistan announces it is a modern-day forgery in April 2001.source
• 2001January 15 – Creative Commons is founded.source
• 2001January 15 – Wikipedia, which became the world's largest encyclopedia, is launched.source
• 2001March 26 – World Championship Wrestling goes out of business and is purchased by its chief competitor, the World Wrestling Federation, bringing an end to the Monday Night Wars.source
• 2001April 1 – The Act on the Opening up of Marriage goes into effect in the Netherlands, which becomes the first modern country to legalize same-sex marriage.source
• 2001July 13 – The International Olympic Committee chooses Beijing to host the 2008 Summer Olympics.source
• 2002January 19 – In American football, Tom Brady's victory in the Tuck Rule Game causes a national controversy.source
• 2002February 8–24 – The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City, Utah.source
• 2002March 16 – Sofia Gubaidulina's Johannes-Ostern is premiered, together with her earlier Johannes-Passion, at Hamburg's Michaeliskirche, performed by soloists, choir and orchestra from the Mariinsky Theatre combined with NDR choir and orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev.source
• 2002April 5 – The genome sequence for indica rice is published.source
• 2002May 31 – The 2002 FIFA World Cup begins, taking place in South Korea and Japan.source
• 2002June 30 – 2002 FIFA World Cup: Brazil beats Germany 2–0 in the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final with Ronaldo scoring the two goals; Brazil's captain Cafu, who becomes the first player to appear in three successive World Cup finals, accepts the trophy on behalf of the team.source
• 2002July 5 – The Imperial War Museum North opens in Trafford, England.source
• 2002July 25–August 4 – The 2002 Commonwealth Games are held in Manchester, England.source
• 2002August 7 – The AKS primality test is published by Manindra Agrawal, Neeraj Kayal, and Nitin Saxena from the Indian Institutes of Technology.source
• 2002October 16 – The Bibliotheca Alexandrina opens in Alexandria, Egypt, in a ceremony attended by several heads of state.source
• 2003February 9 – The 2003 Cricket World Cup begins. It is held in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya, and it ends on March 23 with Australia defeating India in the final.source
• 2003February 11 – The first set of data from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe is published.source
• 2003June 15 – The 50th Venice Biennale begins.source
• 2003June 21 – The release of the novel Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix becomes a worldwide cultural event and boosts the literary industry.source
• 2003July 1 – The annual 1 July Marches in Hong Kong see hundreds of thousands of participants in response to the National Security (Legislative Provisions) Bill.source
• 2003September 20–October 12 – The 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup is held in the United States after the tournament is moved from China due to the SARS outbreak. Germany win their first title after they defeated Sweden in the final with a golden goal.source
• 2003October 10–November 22 – The 2003 Rugby World Cup is held in Australia and is won by England who defeated Australia in the final after extra time.source
• 2004February 1 – Janet Jackson suffers a wardrobe malfunction during the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII.source
• 2004May 5 – Garçon à la pipe, painted by Pablo Picasso in 1905, is sold for $104.2 million. This was the highest price a work of art had ever been sold for at auction.source
• 2004May 12–15 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2004 takes place in Istanbul, Turkey, and is won by Ukrainian entrant Ruslana with the song "Wild Dances".source
• 2004August 13–29 – The 2004 Summer Olympics are held in Athens, Greece.source
• 2004August 22 – Armed robbers steal Edvard Munch's The Scream, Madonna, and other paintings from the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway.source
• 2004November 20 – The Museum of Modern Art reopens in its new location.source
• 2005February 14 – YouTube, an American online video sharing and social media platform was founded by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim headquartered in San Bruno, California.source
• 2005February 14 – Chad Hurley registers the youtube.com domain name.source
• 2005April 9 – Charles, Prince of Wales marries Camilla Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony at Windsor's Guildhall. Camilla receives the title Duchess of Cornwall.source
• 2005May 19–21 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2005 takes place in Kyiv, Ukraine, and is won by Greek entrant Helena Paparizou with the song "My Number One".source
• 2005May 21 – David Foster Wallace delivers his now-famous commencement address, This Is Water at Kenyon College in Ohio.source
• 2005June 4 – The Civic Forum of the Romanians of Covasna, Harghita and Mureș is founded.source
• 2005July 2 – Live 8, a set of 10 simultaneous concerts, takes place throughout the world, raising interest in the Make Poverty History campaign.source
• 2005July 6 – The International Olympic Committee awards London the right to host the 2012 Summer Olympics.source
• 2005August 31 – The Al-Aimmah bridge disaster in Baghdad, Iraq kills 953 Shia Muslim pilgrims who were celebrating a religious festival.source
• 2005October 20 – The general conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) passes the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.source
• 2006February 10–26 – The 2006 Winter Olympics are held in Turin, Italy.source
• 2006May 18–20 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 takes place in Athens, Greece, and is won by Finnish band entrant Lordi with the song "Hard Rock Hallelujah".source
• 2006June 9 to July 9 – The 2006 FIFA World Cup takes place in Germany; Italy defeats France in the final.source
• 2006October 22 – Fernando Alonso wins his second World Drivers Championship.source
• 2006October 24 – Taylor Swift releases her debut album,Taylor Swift.source
• 2006November 2 – No. 5, 1948 by Jackson Pollock becomes the most expensive painting after it is sold privately for $140 million.source
• 2006December 21 – The Juraj Dobrila University of Pula is established.source
• 2007March 1 – The fourth International Polar Year, a $1.73 billion research program to study both the North Pole and South Pole, is launched in Paris.source
• 2007March 13–April 28 – The 2007 Cricket World Cup is held in the West Indies with Australia defeating Sri Lanka in the final.source
• 2007May 10–12 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 takes place in Helsinki, Finland, and is won by Serbian entrant Marija Šerifović with the song "Molitva".source
• 2007July 4 – The International Olympic Committee awards Sochi the right to host the 2014 Winter Olympics.source
• 2007July 7 – Live Earth Concerts are held in nine major cities around the world to raise environmental awareness.source
• 2007September 7 – October 20 – The 2007 Rugby World Cup takes place in France. South Africa beat defending champions England in the final.source
• 2007September 11 – Ethiopia celebrates the third millennium in Ethiopian calendar.source
• 2007October 21 – Finnish racing driver Kimi Räikkönen won his first Formula One World Championship, driving for Scuderia Ferrari at the Brazilian Grand Prix.source
• 2007Sports TV Uganda Limited is incorporated in Uganda.source
• 2008January 21 – Online activist group Anonymous initiates Project Chanology, after a leaked interview of Tom Cruise by the Church of Scientology is published on YouTube, and the Church of Scientology issued a "copyright infringement" claim. In response, Anonymous sympathizers took to the streets to protest outside the church (after February 10), while the church's websites and centres were getting DoS attacks, phone line nukes, and black faxes.source
• 2008May 20–24 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 takes place in Belgrade, Serbia, and is won by Russian entrant Dima Bilan with the song "Believe".source
• 2008June 7–29 – Austria and Switzerland jointly host the UEFA Euro 2008 football tournament, which is won by Spain.source
• 2008August 8–24 – The 2008 Summer Olympics were held in Beijing, China.source
• 2008September 5 – Quentin Bryce becomes the first female Governor-General of Australia.source
• 2008November 2 – In a race won by Brazilian driver Felipe Massa, British driver Lewis Hamilton ends in 5th place in 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix and becomes the first black driver to win the Formula One World Championship, and the second youngest driver to achieve the feat at the age of 23.source
• 2008European Certification and Qualification Association is founded.source
• 2009January 1 – Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, becomes the American Capital of Culture and Vilnius and Linz become the European Capitals of Culture.source
• 2009February 1 – Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir is appointed as the new Prime Minister of Iceland, becoming the world's first openly lesbian head of government.source
• 2009March 31 – Rachel Crandall Crocker founds the International Transgender Day of Visibility.source
• 2009May 12–16 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 takes place in Moscow, Russia, and is won by Norwegian entrant Alexander Rybak with the song "Fairytale".source
• 2009May 15 – The album 21st Century Breakdown is released by American rock band Green Day, which sold over 5 million copies.source
• 2009May 19 – German football club RB Leipzig is founded by Red Bull.source
• 2009July 7 – A public memorial service for Michael Jackson is held at Staples Center. It is watched by over 2.5 billion people worldwide.source
• 2009October 2 – The International Olympic Committee awards Rio de Janeiro the right to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.source
• 2009October 18 – British racing driver Jenson Button won his first Formula One World Championship, driving for Brawn GP at the Brazilian Grand Prix.source
• 2009November 24 – The Avdhela Project, an Aromanian digital library and cultural initiative, is founded in Bucharest, Romania.source
• 2010February 3 – The sculpture L'Homme qui marche I by Alberto Giacometti sells in London for £65 million (US$103.7 million), setting a new world record for a work of art sold at auction.source
• 2010February 12–28 – The 2010 Winter Olympics are held in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada.source
• 2010May 4 – Nude, Green Leaves and Bust by Pablo Picasso sells in New York for US$106.5 million, setting another new world record for a work of art sold at auction.source
• 2010June 11–July 11 – The 2010 FIFA World Cup was held in South Africa and was won by Spain.source
• 2010June 19 – Wedding of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and Daniel Westlingsource
• 2010June 22–25 – A tennis match between Nicolas Mahut and John Isner at the Wimbledon Championships, becomes the longest tennis match in history.source
• 2010October 3–14 – 2010 Commonwealth Games takes place in Delhi, India.source
• 2010November 11–12 – The G-20 summit is held in Seoul, South Korea. Korea becomes the first non-G8 nation to host a G-20 leaders summit.source
• 2010November 14 – Sebastian Vettel became the youngest F1 Champion after a 4 way championship fight.source
• 2011January 25 – The 2011 Egyptian revolution begins.source
• 2011February 19–April 2 – The 2011 Cricket World Cup is held in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka with India defeating Sri Lanka in the final.source
• 2011May 10–14 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2011 takes place in Düsseldorf, Germany, and is won by Azeri entrants Ell & Nikki with the song "Running Scared".source
• 2011June 26–July 17 – The 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup takes place in Germany, and is won by Japan.source
• 2011July 6 – The International Olympic Committee awards Pyeongchang the right to host the 2018 Winter Olympics.source
• 2011September 9–October 23 – The 2011 Rugby World Cup is held in and won by New Zealand who beat France in the final.source
• 2011September 17 – Occupy Wall Street protests begin in the United States. This develops into the Occupy movement which spreads to 82 countries by October.source
• 2012January 18 – As part of a series of protests against the Stop Online Piracy Act and the PROTECT IP Act, the English Wikipedia goes dark for 24 hours, starting at midnight Eastern Standard Time (05:00 UTC).source
• 2012February 6 – The Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II commemorates 60 years since the accession of Elizabeth II as Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms.source
• 2012March 22 – Pakistan wins the 2012 Asia Cup cricket tournament.source
• 2012May 2 – A pastel version of The Scream, by the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, sells for US$120 million in a New York City auction, setting a new world record for an auctioned work of art.source
• 2012May 19 – Chelsea wins the 2011-12 UEFA Champions League held in Munich, Germany by beating the home side Bayern Munich in the final.source
• 2012May 22–26 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2012 takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan, and is won by Swedish entrant Loreen with the song "Euphoria".source
• 2012July 1 – The final match of the UEFA Euro 2012 takes place in Kyiv between Spain and Italy. Spain wins 4–0, achieving victorious from the third international tournament in a row, after winning UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.source
• 2012July 27–August 12 – The 2012 Summer Olympics are held in London, England, United Kingdom.source
• 2012September 22 – The United Kingdom informs the World Health Organization about a novel coronavirus case originating from Saudi Arabia.source
• 2012December 6–16 – The 2012 FIFA Club World Cup is held in Japan and won by Sport Club Corinthians Paulista.source
• 2012December 21 – 2012 phenomenon: End of 13th b'ak'tun in the Mayan calendar, supposed end of the world according to new age beliefs. Festivities took place to commemorate the event in the countries that were part of the Maya civilization (Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador), with main events at Chichén Itzá in Mexico and Tikal in Guatemala.source
• 2013May 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
• 2013May 15 – The World Health Organization names the novel coronavirus Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).source
• 2013June 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
• 2013July 22–28 – XIV World Youth Day, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.source
• 2013August 19 – All-time most expensive public school in Norway, Kuben Upper Secondary School, opens.source
• 2013September 7 – The International Olympic Committee awards Tokyo the right to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.source
• 2014February 7–23 – The XXII Olympic Winter Games are held in Sochi, Russia. Slopestyle events are introduced for the first time.source
• 2014March 16 – The fifth ICC T20 World Cup in cricket is held in Bangladesh.source
• 2014May 6–10 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2014 takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark, and is won by Austrian entrant Conchita Wurst with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix".source
• 2014June 12 – The 2014 FIFA World Cup started with hosts Brazil defeating Croatia 3–1.source
• 2014June 14 – The Catholic Church removes restrictions on clerical marriage in the Eastern Catholic Churches' diaspora.source
• 2014June 15 – Australia wins the 2014 Hockey World Cup.source
• 2014June 15 – The San Antonio Spurs defeat the Miami Heat in the 2014 NBA Finals, 4–1, to win their 5th championship in franchise history.source
• 2014July 8 – In the 2014 FIFA World Cup semi-finals, hosts Brazil were shockingly beaten 7–1 by Germany after trailing 5-0 in 29 minutes.source
• 2014July 13 – Germany defeats Argentina 1-0 to win the 2014 FIFA World Cup.source
• 2014July 23–August 3 – The 2014 Commonwealth Games takes place in Glasgow, Scotland.source
• 2015February 14–March 29 – The 2015 Cricket World Cup is held in Australia and New Zealand with Australia defeating New Zealand in the final.source
• 2015March 26 – The order of succession to the British throne is changed to absolute primogeniture, in accordance with the 2011 Perth Agreement and the UK Succession to the Crown Act 2013. The change also applies in the Commonwealth realms. Marrying a Roman Catholic no longer disqualifies a person from succeeding to the Crown.source
• 2015March 29 – Australia wins the 2015 Cricket World Cup.source
• 2015May 19–23 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2015 is held in Vienna, Austria, and is won by Swedish entrant Måns Zelmerlöw with the song "Heroes".source
• 2015June 12–28 – The inaugural European Games are held in Baku, Azerbaijan.source
• 2015July 31 – The International Olympic Committee awards Beijing the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.source
• 2015September 18–October 31 – The 2015 Rugby World Cup is held in England and is won by New Zealand who beat Australia in the final.source
• 2016April 23 – American singer-songwriter Beyoncé releases her sixth studio album Lemonade.source
• 2016May 10–14 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2016 is held in Stockholm, Sweden, and is won by Ukrainian entrant Jamala with the song "1944".source
• 2016June 10–July 10 – France hosts the UEFA Euro 2016 football tournament, which is won by Portugal.source
• 2016August 5–21 – The 2016 Summer Olympics are held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the first time in South America.source
• 2016September 30 – Two paintings by Vincent van Gogh with a combined value of $100 million, Seascape at Scheveningen and Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen, are recovered after having been stolen on December 7, 2002, from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.source
• 2016November 2 – The Chicago Cubs win the World Series for the first time since 1908, ending the longest championship drought in North American sports history.source
• 2016December 1 – Following a mourning period of seven weeks after the death and funeral of Bhumibol Adulyadej, Vajiralongkorn formally succeeds his late father as the new King of Thailand.source
• 2016December 31 – An extra leap second (23:59:60) is added to end of the year. The last time this occurred was in June 2015.source
• 2017January 21 – Millions of people worldwide join the Women's March following the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States. 420 marches were reported in the U.S. and 168 in other countries, becoming the largest single-day protest in American history at the time.source
• 2017May 9–13 – The Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Kyiv, Ukraine, and is won by Portuguese entrant Salvador Sobral with the song "Amar Pelos Dois".source
• 2017September 13 – The International Olympic Committee awards Paris and Los Angeles the right to host the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympics, respectively.source
• 2017September 26 – Fortnite Battle Royale releases, becoming one of the biggest video games in the world and a cultural phenomenon.source
• 2017November 15 – A Leonardo da Vinci painting, Salvator Mundi, sells for US$450 million at Christie's in New York, a new record price for any work of art.source
• 2017December 5 – Russia is banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang by the International Olympic Committee, following an investigation into state-sponsored doping.source
• 2018February 9–25 – The 2018 Winter Olympics are held in Pyeongchang, South Korea.source
• 2018March 9–18 – The 2018 Winter Paralympics are held in Pyeongchang, South Korea.source
• 2018March 24 – In over 900 cities internationally, people participate in demonstrations against gun violence and mass shootings, calling for stronger gun control in the "March for Our Lives".source
• 2018April 4–15 – The 2018 Commonwealth Games are held in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.source
• 2018May 8–12 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2018 is held in Lisbon, Portugal, and is won by Israeli entrant Netta Barzilai with the song "Toy".source
• 2018May 19 – The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was held at St George's Chapel, Windsor, with an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion.source
• 2018June 13 – FIFA awards hosting rights for the 2026 World Cup to a joint bid from Canada, Mexico and the United States.source
• 2018June 14–July 15 – The 2018 FIFA World Cup is held in Russia and is won by France.source
• 2018June 22–July 1 – The 2018 Mediterranean Games are held in Tarragona, Spain.source
• 2018June 24 – Saudi Arabia allows women to drive.source
• 2018July 15 – France national football team wins the 2018 FIFA World Cup final 4–2 against the Croatia national football teamsource
• 2018August 25 – The amateur boxing match between KSI and Logan Paul takes place at Manchester Arena, the fight is dubbed as the biggest amateur boxing match in history.source
• 2018October 19 – At least 59 people are killed and at least 100 injured when a train runs through a crowd at a Hindu festival in Punjab, India.source
• 2019May 1 – King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand marries his personal bodyguard Suthida Tidjai – a commoner – in a surprise ceremony, making her queen consort of Thailand.source
• 2019May 14–18 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2019 takes place in Tel Aviv, Israel, and is won by Dutch entrant Duncan Laurence with the song "Arcade".source
• 2019May 20 – The revision of the SI system of measurement adopted by the majority of countries in the world takes effect.source
• 2019May 30–July 14 – The 2019 Cricket World Cup is held in England (one match in Wales) with England defeating New Zealand in the final.source
• 2019June 2 – 2019 San Marino referendum: Sammarinese voters vote to end discrimination based on sexual orientation and initiate a popular legislative initiative for the reform of the electoral system.source
• 2019June 7–July 7 – The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup is held in France and is won by the United States.source
• 2019June 11 – Botswana decriminalizes homosexuality.source
• 2019June 12 – 12 June 2019 Hong Kong protest: The Hong Kong government and police controversially declare that the protest has "turned into a riot".source
• 2019June 12 – The Supreme Court of Ecuador rules in favor of same-sex marriage, making it legal throughout the country.source
• 2019July 10 – The last Volkswagen Beetle rolls off the line in Puebla, Mexico. The last of 5,961 "Special Edition" cars will be exhibited in a museum.source
• 2019July 26–August 11 – The 2019 Pan American Games are held in Lima, Peru.source
• 2019August 5 – 2019–20 Hong Kong protests: Amid ongoing protests, Hong Kong is hit by the first general strikes of their kind since 1967.source
• 2019September 20–November 2 – The 2019 Rugby World Cup is held in Japan and is won by South Africa who defeated England in the final.source
• 2019September 20 – An international strike and protest led by young people and adults is held three days before the latest UN Climate Summit, to demand action be taken to address the climate crisis. Gathering 6 million people in 4,500 locations across 150 countries, the event is one of the largest climate mobilizations in history.source
• 2019September 27 – 500,000 people march in a climate change protest led by activist Greta Thunberg and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Montreal, Canada. 4,000,000 go on strike around the world.source
• 2019December 9 – The World Anti-Doping Agency votes unanimously to ban Russia from international sport for four years for doping offences, meaning it will be excluded from the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.source
• 2020March 24 – The International Olympic Committee and Japan postpone the 2020 Summer Olympics to 2021. On March 30, the Summer Olympics will be rescheduled from July 23 to August 8, 2021.source
• 2020May 26 – Costa Rica becomes the first Central American country to legalise same-sex marriage.source
• 2020July 10 – Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan orders the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul to be reverted to a mosque following a supreme court annulment of a 1934 presidential decree that made it into a museum.source
• 2020November 15 – Lewis Hamilton wins his seventh Formula One World Drivers' Championship at the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix, equalling the record set by Michael Schumacher in 2004.source
• 2021March 23 – The Israeli general elections take place, the fourth Knesset election in two years.source
• 2021April 11 – Hideki Matsuyama wins the 2021 Masters Tournament, becoming the first man from Japan to win a major golf championship.source
• 2021May 26 – The 2021 Syrian presidential election is held.source
• 2021June 9 – The 2021 Mongolian presidential election is held.source
• 2021June 13–July 10 – The 2021 Copa América, hosted behind closed doors by Brazil, is held, and is won by Argentina.source
• 2021June 23 – 2021 ICC World Test Championship Final: New Zealand wins the 2019–2021 ICC World Test Championship.source
• 2021July 10–August 1 – The 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup is held in, and is won by, the United States.source
• 2021July 19 – Day of Hajj: For the first time, women are permitted to attend without a male guardian (mehrem) provided they go in a trustworthy group.source
• 2021August 4 – 2020 Summer Olympics: Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya is given political asylum in Poland through a humanitarian visa after attempts by the Belarus Olympic Committee to repatriate her against her will.source
• 2021September 14 – The inaugural season of the UEFA Europa Conference League, the third tier of European club football, kicks off with Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv winning 4–1 against Armenian club FC Alashkert.source
• 2021October 17–November 14 – The 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup is held in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, and is won by Australia.source
• 2021October 24 – The 2021 Uzbek presidential election is held.source
• 2021November 5 – A crowd crush at the Astroworld Festival hosted by Travis Scott in Houston, Texas, kills 10 people and causes 300+ injuries.source
• 2021November 14 – The 2021 Bulgarian general election is held.source
• 2021November 21 – The 2021 Chilean general election is held.source
• 2021November 24–December 12 – Magnus Carlsen beats Ian Nepomniachtchi in the 2021 World Chess Championship. Magnus has been World Chess Champion since 2013.source
• 2021December 6 – The United States announces a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing in response to China's human rights record. Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia join shortly after.source
• 2021December 12 – Max Verstappen won his first Formula One World Championship and the first for a Dutch driver, driving for Red Bull Racing at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.source
• 2022January 9 – February 6 – The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations is held in Cameroon, with Senegal winning their first championship.source
• 2022February 4 – February 20 – The 2022 Winter Olympics are held in Beijing, China, making it the first city ever to host both the Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics.source
• 2022February 28 – Football governing bodies FIFA and UEFA suspend Russian clubs and national teams from all competitions.source
• 2022March 4 – March 13 – The 2022 Winter Paralympics are held in Beijing, China, making it the first city to host both Summer Paralympics and Winter Paralympics.source
• 2022May 10–May 14 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2022 is held in Turin, Italy. The contest is won by Ukrainian folk-rap group Kalush Orchestra with their song "Stefania".source
• 2022July 6 – July 31 – UEFA Women's Euro 2022, originally intended for 2021 but indirectly delayed due to UEFA Euro 2020 being delayed, is held in England, with the hosts winning their first major tournament since 1966.source
• 2022July 7 – July 17 – The 2022 World Games is held in Birmingham, Alabama, United States.source
• 2022July 18 – IFLA-UNESCO Public Library Manifesto issued.source
• 2022July 28–August 8 – The 2022 Commonwealth Games is held in Birmingham, England.source
• 2022August 10 – Spanish club Real Madrid beat German club Eintracht Frankfurt 2–0 to win the 2022 UEFA Super Cup played at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland.source
• 2022August 27 – September 11 – The 2022 Asia Cup is held in the United Arab Emirates, and is won by Sri Lanka.source
• 2022September 22 – October 1 – The 2022 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup is held in Sydney, Australia. In the final, the United States wins 83–61 against China.source
• 2022November 19–November 26 – The 2022 Central American and Caribbean Beach Games are held in Santa Marta, Colombia.source
• 2022November 20–December 18 – The 2022 FIFA World Cup is held in Qatar and won by Argentina.source
• 2022December 18 – Argentina wins the 2022 FIFA World Cup against defending champions France.source
• 2023March 8–21 – The 2023 World Baseball Classic is held in, and won by, Japan.source
• 2023May 9–13 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2023 is held in Liverpool, UK. Swedish contestant Loreen wins with the song "Tattoo".source
• 2023July 14–30 – The 2023 World Aquatics Championships took place in Fukuoka, Japan. Léon Marchand broke the world record in the men's 400-meter individual medley, which was previously held by Michael Phelps.source
• 2023July 20–August 20 – The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup is held in Australia and New Zealand. In the final, Spain wins 1–0 against England.source
• 2023July 23 – Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard wins the Tour de France for the second consecutive time.source
• 2023September 8 – October 28 – The 2023 Rugby World Cup is held in France and is won by South Africa who beat New Zealand in the final at the Stade de France, claiming a record fourth Rugby World Cup title.source
• 2023October 5 – November 19 – The 2023 Cricket World Cup is held in India, with Australia defeating India in the final.source
• 2024January 31 – Sultan of Johor Ibrahim Iskandar ascends the throne as the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.source
• 2024May 7–11 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is held in Malmö, Sweden. Swiss contestant Nemo wins with the song "The Code".source
• 2024June 1–29 – The 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup is co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States, and is won by India.source
• 2024June 20 – July 14 – The 2024 Copa América is held in the United States, and is won by Argentina.source
• 2024July 26 – August 11 – The 2024 Summer Olympics are held in Paris, France. The controversial opening ceremony and the boxing match of Luca Hámori and Imane Khelif spark international debate.source
• 2024August 28 – September 8 – The 2024 Summer Paralympics are held in Paris, France.source
• 2024October 3–20 – The 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup is held in the United Arab Emirates, and is won by New Zealand.source
• 2024November 11–22 – COP29 is held in Baku, Azerbaijan.source
• 2024December 11 – FIFA announces that Morocco, Portugal and Spain will jointly host the 2030 World Cup, with anniversary matches to be held in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, while Saudi Arabia is confirmed as the host for 2034.source
• 2024December 12 – Indian chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju defeats former world champion Ding Liren in the 2024 World Chess Championship, breaking the previous age record of 22 set by Garry Kasparov by becoming champion at 18 years, 195 days old.source
• 2024December 24 – The 2025 Jubilee in the Catholic Church begins.source
• 2025January 1 – Liechtenstein becomes the 37th country to legalize same-sex marriage.source
• 2025January 14 – February 2 – The 2025 World Men's Handball Championship is held in Croatia, Denmark and Norway, and is won by Denmark.source
• 2025January 23 – Thailand becomes the 38th country and the first in Southeastern Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.source
• 2025February 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
• 2025February 18 – Following a constitutional reform, Nicaragua becomes a diarchy with spouses Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo as co-presidents.source
• 2025April 26 – At least 11 people are killed and at least 32 others are injured in a vehicle-ramming attack at the annual Lapu Lapu Day festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.source
• 2025May 9–25 – The 2025 IIHF World Championship is held in Stockholm, Sweden, and Herning, Denmark, and is won by the United States.source
• 2025May 13–17 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 is held in Basel, Switzerland. Austrian contestant JJ wins with the song "Wasted Love".source
• 2025May 25 – The 2025 Surinamese general election is held.source
• 2025June 14 – July 13 – The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is held in the United States, and is won by Chelsea.source
• 2025June 16–17 – The 51st G7 summit is held in Kananaskis, Canada.source
• 2025July 11 – August 3 – The 2025 World Aquatics Championships are held in Singapore.source
• 2025August 22 – September 27 – The 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup is held in, and is won by, England.source
• 2025September 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
• 2025September 13–21 – The 2025 World Athletics Championships are held in Tokyo, Japan.source
• 2025September 20 – Intervision 2025 is held in Moscow, Russia. Vietnamese contestant Đức Phúc wins with the song "Phù Đổng Thiên Vương".source
• 2025October 21 – American Eric Lu wins the quinquennial XIX International Chopin Piano Competition at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, Poland.source
• 2025November 21 – December 7 – The 2025 FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup is held in the Philippines, and is won by Brazil.source
• 2025November 22–23 – The G20 Johannesburg summit is held in South Africa, the first time a G20 summit has been held in Africa.source
• 2025November 26 – December 14 – The 2025 World Women's Handball Championship is held in Germany and the Netherlands, and is won by Norway.source
• 2025December 13 – The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025 is held in Tbilisi, Georgia. French contestant Lou Deleuze wins with the song "Ce monde".source
• 2025December 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
• 2025December 21 – January 18 – The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is held in Morocco, and is won by Senegal.source