The world in
What happened in 2024?
11 events across 6 world regions, each with its sources.
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 ↗
- Fall of the Assad regime
In December 2024, a major offensive by Syrian opposition forces led to the rapid collapse of the Ba'athist regime. On 8 December, the capital Damascus fell to opposition groups, ending over five decades of rule by the Assad family, which had governed Syria since the early 1970s. This event marked a turning point in the Syrian civil war that began in 2011.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- 2024 Syrian opposition offensives
On 27 November 2024, a coalition of Syrian opposition factions launched a major offensive, coordinated by the Military Operations Command led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, targeting government forces in Aleppo and Idlib. This was the first large-scale military action in the civil war since 2019, framed by the opposition as retaliation for attacks on civilians.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Gaza War Begins
On 7 October 2023, the Gaza War began when Palestinian militant groups led by Hamas attacked Israel, prompting the Israeli military's Operation 'Iron Swords'. The conflict unfolded in the Gaza Strip and parts of Israel, marking a major escalation in the long-running Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The war resulted in heavy casualties and had significant regional repercussions.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Outbreak of the Red Sea Crisis
Starting October 2023, the Houthis launched missile and drone attacks against Israel and Red Sea shipping in support of the Gaza war, sparking a multi-national armed conflict and maritime security crisis.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
North America
- 2024 United States presidential election held
The 60th U.S. presidential election was held on November 5, 2024. The Republican ticket of Donald Trump and JD Vance defeated the Democratic ticket of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. The election also included all 435 House seats and 33 Senate seats. It was the first presidential election based on the 2020 census.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- 2024 Mexican General Election Held
On 2 June 2024, Mexico held general elections to elect a new president and all members of both chambers of Congress. Concurrently, gubernatorial and local legislative elections took place in several states.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Central & South America
- 2024 Venezuelan Presidential Election Held
On 28 July 2024, Venezuela held presidential elections to choose a president for a six-year term. The election was highly contentious, with international monitors declaring it neither free nor fair, citing the Maduro administration's repression of the opposition. The authorities declared Maduro the winner without releasing voting data, triggering a political crisis and forcing opposition candidate González Urrutia into exile.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
East Asia
- South Korean martial law crisis
On the night of 3 December 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared nationwide martial law in a televised address, accusing the opposition of pro-North Korean activities and paralysing the government—the first such declaration since 1980 and seen as a failed self-coup. The National Assembly swiftly reconvened, and with majority opposition, voted to lift martial law. Within hours Yoon was forced to withdraw the decree; the episode concluded briskly but triggered Yoon’s eventual impeachment over a year later.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Europe
- Russian full‑scale invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full‑scale military invasion of Ukraine, a major escalation of the conflict that began in 2014. The war became the largest and deadliest in Europe since World War II, with hundreds of thousands of military casualties and tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilian deaths. It displaced about 8 million people internally and forced 6–7 million to flee, creating Europe’s largest refugee crisis since 1945. By July 2026, Russian forces occupied roughly 20% of Ukraine.
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 ↗