Russia began a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, sparking the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II and prompting global condemnation and sanctions.
📍 Ukraine
The UAE’s Hope Probe successfully entered Mars orbit, marking the Arab world’s first interplanetary mission and advancing global cooperation in space science.
📍 Mars Orbit / Dubai, United Arab Emirates
NASA’s Perseverance rover landed safely on Mars, beginning a groundbreaking mission to search for signs of ancient life and collect samples for future return to Earth.
📍 Jezero Crater, Mars
Apple Inc. became the first publicly traded U.S. company to reach a $2 trillion market capitalization, marking a historic milestone in global business and technology valuation.
📍 Cupertino, California, United States
Stephen Hawking, renowned theoretical physicist and author of 'A Brief History of Time', died at age 76. He made groundbreaking contributions to black hole theory and cosmology despite battling ALS for decades.
📍 Cambridge, England, United Kingdom
SpaceX successfully launched the Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time, becoming the most powerful operational rocket and marking a milestone in commercial spaceflight.
📍 Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States
The United Kingdom triggered Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, formally beginning the process of Brexit. It marked the first time a member state initiated departure from the EU.
📍 London, United Kingdom
A series of coordinated terrorist attacks across Paris, including the Bataclan theatre, killed 130 people and injured hundreds, marking one of France's deadliest peacetime tragedies.
📍 Paris, France
NASA's Curiosity rover successfully landed on Mars as part of the Mars Science Laboratory mission. It began a groundbreaking exploration of the Martian surface to assess the planet's habitability and geology.
📍 Gale Crater, Mars
SpaceX launched its first commercial mission to the International Space Station with the Dragon spacecraft aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, marking a new era in private-sector space exploration.
📍 Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States
The Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia capsized after striking rocks off the coast of Tuscany, killing 32 people. The disaster led to major changes in maritime safety regulations.
📍 Isola del Giglio, Italy
NASA launched the Mars Science Laboratory mission with the Curiosity rover, marking one of the most ambitious explorations of the Martian surface in human history.
📍 Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA
SpaceX successfully launched the Falcon 9 rocket for the first time, marking a milestone in private space exploration and paving the way for commercial missions to the International Space Station.
📍 Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States
Pop icon Michael Jackson's death was formally announced, triggering worldwide mourning for the 'King of Pop,' whose influence reshaped global music and entertainment.
📍 Los Angeles, California, United States
The UN-backed Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Cambodia began hearing evidence on atrocities committed during the regime’s rule, seeking justice for over 1.7 million lives lost in the genocide.
📍 Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Pop icon Michael Jackson passed away at the age of 50, sparking a global outpouring of grief. Known as the 'King of Pop,' Jackson left behind an unmatched legacy in music, dance, and entertainment.
📍 Los Angeles, California, United States
Satoshi Nakamoto's Bitcoin white paper began circulating more widely outside the original cryptography mailing list, sparking the development of the first decentralized cryptocurrency.
📍 Online
Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, marking one of the largest financial collapses in history and triggering a global economic crisis.
📍 New York City, United States
CERN conducted the first test of the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s largest particle accelerator, marking a breakthrough in physics research.
📍 Geneva, Switzerland
Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia, sparking celebration among ethnic Albanians and opposition from Serbia and several major powers, leading to ongoing international disputes over recognition.
📍 Pristina, Kosovo
The Treaty of Lisbon, designed to streamline EU institutions and enhance decision-making, was signed by member states, marking a significant step in European integration and governance.
📍 Lisbon, Portugal
A gunman opened fire on the Virginia Tech campus, killing 32 people and wounding 17 others before taking his own life. The massacre shocked the world and reignited debates on mental health and gun control in the U.S.
📍 Blacksburg, Virginia, United States
Nancy Pelosi was sworn in as the first female Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, becoming the highest-ranking woman in U.S. political history at the time.
📍 Washington, D.C., United States
Saddam Hussein, Iraq’s former dictator who ruled from 1979 to 2003, was executed by hanging after being convicted for crimes against humanity, marking a pivotal moment in Iraq’s postwar transition.
📍 Baghdad, Iraq
Twitter launched as a microblogging platform, revolutionizing global communication by allowing users to share short messages in real time. It would grow into a major force in news, activism, and culture.
📍 San Francisco, California, United States
Jack Dorsey sent the first tweet on what would become Twitter, marking the beginning of a platform that would revolutionize real-time communication, politics, and social movements worldwide.
📍 San Francisco, California, United States
NASA's Cassini spacecraft entered orbit around Saturn after a seven-year journey, beginning a groundbreaking mission that provided stunning images and vital data on Saturn and its moons.
📍 Saturn Orbit (NASA Mission)
Scientists in South Korea announced the first successful cloning of a human embryo for research purposes, marking a breakthrough in stem cell research and sparking ethical debates worldwide.
📍 Seoul, South Korea
The European Union saw its largest single expansion as ten countries, including Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, officially joined, marking a major step in European integration and post-Cold War reconciliation.
📍 Brussels, Belgium / Across EU
Google launched Gmail on April Fools' Day, offering a shocking 1 GB of free email storage, which revolutionized email services and marked Google's entry into cloud-based software.
📍 Mountain View, California, United States
Facebook was launched by Mark Zuckerberg and fellow Harvard students, beginning as a college networking site and eventually evolving into one of the most influential social media platforms globally.
📍 Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
American forces captured Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, toppling the regime of Saddam Hussein and marking a major turning point in the Iraq War’s early phase.
📍 Baghdad, Iraq
China officially became a member of the World Trade Organization after 15 years of negotiations, marking a turning point in global trade and opening China to the world economy.
📍 Doha, Qatar
The Dutch parliament passed legislation legalizing same-sex marriage, making the Netherlands the first country in the world to enact such a law. It became effective in 2001 and set a global precedent.
📍 The Hague, Netherlands
The Dutch parliament approved legislation legalizing same-sex marriage, making the Netherlands the first country in the world to do so. It marked a pivotal moment for global LGBTQ+ rights.
📍 The Hague, Netherlands
Vladimir Putin assumed the presidency of Russia, marking the beginning of his long-term influence over Russian politics.
📍 Moscow, Russia
Scientists announced the successful completion of the first working draft of the human genome, a breakthrough in genetics that laid the groundwork for modern personalized medicine and genomics.
📍 Washington, D.C., United States
Vladimir Putin won his first presidential election, marking the beginning of a long tenure that would shape Russia’s domestic policies and global influence into the 21st century.
📍 Moscow, Russia
Two students carried out a mass shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, killing 13 people and injuring over 20 before taking their own lives. The tragedy spurred global debates on school safety, gun laws, and youth violence.
📍 Littleton, Colorado, United States
The U.S. House of Representatives approved two articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton—perjury and obstruction of justice—related to the Monica Lewinsky scandal, making him the second U.S. president to be impeached.
📍 Washington, D.C., United States
Google was officially incorporated as a company, marking the beginning of its rise to becoming a global technology giant.
📍 Menlo Park, California, United States
Leaders of Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom signed the Good Friday Agreement, ending decades of sectarian violence known as The Troubles. It established a devolved government and outlined pathways to peaceful cooperation.
📍 Belfast, Northern Ireland
Google.com was registered as a domain by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, marking the beginning of what would become the world's leading search engine.
📍 Menlo Park, California, United States
The United Kingdom handed over sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China, ending over 150 years of colonial rule and launching the ‘one country, two systems’ framework.
📍 Hong Kong, China
Scientists at the Roslin Institute in Scotland announced the successful cloning of Dolly the sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell, sparking global bioethics debates.
📍 Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Carl Sagan, renowned astronomer, planetary scientist, and science popularizer, died at age 62. His legacy includes groundbreaking work on exobiology and the award-winning series 'Cosmos'.
📍 Seattle, Washington, United States
Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) signed the Oslo Accords, marking a historic step towards resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
📍 Washington D.C., United States
The UN established the ICTY to prosecute serious crimes committed during the Yugoslav Wars, marking a historic step in international law and justice for war crimes and genocide.
📍 The Hague, Netherlands
Tim Berners-Lee and CERN released the first full description of the World Wide Web to the public, making the foundational technologies of websites and hyperlinks freely available worldwide.
📍 CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
Cleopatra VII, the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, died by suicide following the defeat of her forces by Octavian. Her death marked the end of Egyptian pharaonic rule and the beginning of Roman control.
📍 Alexandria, Egypt