The world in
What happened in 2018?
8 events across 6 world regions, each with its sources.
North America
- War on Terror begins
The United States launched the global War on Terror in 2001, following the September 11 attacks, a military campaign spanning multiple theaters.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial redesignated Gateway Arch National ParkIn 2018, the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri, was redesignated as Gateway Arch National Park and elevated to national park status. The site was originally established as a national memorial in 1935, near the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Europe
- Outbreak of the War in Donbas
In April 2014, Russian-backed paramilitaries launched an uprising in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, seizing territory and declaring independent states, prompting a military response from the Ukrainian government. This phase of the Russo-Ukrainian war, fought as a hybrid conflict, lasted until it was subsumed by the full-scale invasion in 2022.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal
On 4 March 2018, former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with the Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury, England, leaving them in critical condition. A responding police officer was also hospitalized. The incident triggered diplomatic expulsions of Russian officials by multiple countries.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
West Asia
- Outbreak of the Syrian Civil War
In March 2011, large-scale anti-government protests demanding democratic reforms broke out in Syria as part of the Arab Spring. The Assad regime's lethal crackdown led to the formation of armed opposition groups, turning the uprising into a civil war. The conflict lasted nearly 14 years until the regime's fall in December 2024.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
South Asia
- 2018 Malaysian general election
On 9 May 2018, Malaysia held its 14th general election for the Dewan Rakyat, with all 222 parliamentary seats and 505 seats in 12 state assemblies up for contention, except in Sarawak. The 13th Parliament had been dissolved by Prime Minister Najib Razak on 7 April 2018, ahead of its automatic dissolution date.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Central & South America
- 2018 Venezuelan presidential election
The 2018 Venezuelan presidential election was held on 20 May. Incumbent Nicolás Maduro was declared reelected for a second six-year term. The election was widely disputed because major opposition parties were barred from participating, leading some analysts to describe it as a sham election; voter turnout was the lowest in Venezuela's democratic era.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Central Asian steppe
- Launch of the Belt and Road Initiative
In 2013, the Chinese government launched the Belt and Road Initiative, an infrastructure and economic development strategy to connect Asia, Europe, Africa, and beyond. The initiative comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, evoking the historic trade routes. It has since involved agreements with numerous countries and organizations for global connectivity projects.
SourcesWikipedia ↗