Donald Trump was inaugurated for a second non-consecutive term as U.S. President on January 20, alongside Vice President J.D. Vance. His administration implemented sweeping changes, including mass deportations, tariffs on imports (starting with a 10% blanket tariff in April, escalating to higher rates on China), dismantling federal agencies like USAID and the Department of Education, and firing hundreds of thousands of government workers through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk. Trump also deployed the National Guard to cities for crime and immigration control, restricted entry from 19 countries, and renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America," drawing international criticism. These actions sparked widespread protests, including the "No Kings" rallies in June and October with millions participating globally.
Pope Francis died on April 21 at age 88, leading to the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV on May 8—the first American-born pope. He emphasized support for the poor, migrants, and the environment while addressing conservative concerns.
Other notable changes included Friedrich Merz becoming Germany's chancellor on May 6, Mark Carney as Canada's prime minister on March 14 (following Justin Trudeau's resignation), Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as Namibia's first female president on March 21, and Sanae Takaichi as Japan's first female prime minister on October 21. Gen Z-led uprisings toppled leaders in Nepal (Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli) and Madagascar (President Andry Rajoelina), with protests against corruption and censorship spreading across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Conflicts and Wars
The Russia-Ukraine war entered its fourth year with heavy Russian advances, record missile strikes, and high casualties (Russia losing ~1,000 soldiers daily). Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb in June targeted Russian air bases, but peace talks, including U.S.-mediated summits, stalled amid accusations of bias toward Moscow. Anti-corruption protests erupted in Ukraine in July.
The Israel-Hamas war saw temporary ceasefires in January and a more comprehensive U.S.-brokered one in October, involving hostage releases, aid increases, and plans for Hamas demilitarization—though implementation faltered with ongoing strikes. The conflict's death toll reached ~70,000, with UN findings of genocide acts in Gaza.
Escalations included Israel's "Twelve-Day War" with Iran in June, involving airstrikes on nuclear facilities, U.S. assistance in defense and bombings (Operation Midnight Hammer), and a ceasefire on June 24. India-Pakistan clashed in May over Kashmir with missile strikes, ending in a U.S.-mediated ceasefire on May 10. Sudan's civil war persisted with up to 400,000 deaths and 12 million displaced, risking famine and partition. Border clashes occurred between Cambodia and Thailand in July, and a peace accord ended the DRC-Rwanda conflict in June. U.S. strikes on Yemen Houthis in March led to a May ceasefire, while operations against Venezuelan drug vessels from August killed dozens, heightening tensions.
Technology and Science Advances
The AI race intensified with releases like OpenAI's GPT-5 in August, Google's Gemini 3 in November, and China's DeepSeek models matching U.S. capabilities. Investments hit $1.5 trillion, amid concerns over misinformation, job losses, and a potential bubble. The U.S. announced a $500 billion "Stargate" AI project. Meta ended fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram in January.
Space milestones included NASA's astronauts returning from a prolonged ISS stay in March, Firefly Aerospace's lunar landing on March 2, Axiom Mission 4 launch in June (with first Indian and Polish astronauts in decades), and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's first images in June. Discoveries featured interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS in July and the first filmed colossal squid in March. Medical breakthroughs: FDA approved in-home cervical cancer tests in May; first pig-to-human kidney transplant in February; Ozempic/Wegovy developers won a $3 million prize in April.
Natural Disasters and Climate Events
Record-breaking weather included wildfires in Los Angeles (January, 50,000 acres burned, 30 deaths, $76-150 billion damage), central Texas floods (July, 135+ deaths, $18-22 billion costs), and a magnitude-7.7 earthquake in Myanmar (March, 3,600+ deaths). Typhoons ravaged the Philippines and Vietnam (e.g., Kalmaegi in November, 200+ deaths); Hurricane Melissa hit the Caribbean; Europe saw extreme heat and wildfires; Ireland faced Storm Éowyn with 183 km/h gusts. A glacier collapse in Switzerland's Blatten village occurred in May.
Attacks, Crimes, and Social Incidents
Terrorist attacks: New Orleans vehicle ramming on January 1 (14 deaths); Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney on December 14 (16 deaths); Brown University shooting in December (2 deaths). Political violence: Assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September; shootings of Minnesota lawmakers in June. Aviation incidents: Mid-air collision over Potomac in January; Air India crash in June (242+ deaths).
High-profile crimes: Louvre jewel heist in October (€88 million stolen); release of Epstein files in November exposing associations with figures like Trump. Social policies: Australia banned social media for under-16s in December; TikTok's U.S. ban was postponed indefinitely. Hungary left the ICC in April.
Economy and Trade
Trump's tariffs sparked a global trade war, with retaliations from China (halting rare-earth exports), the EU, and others. Deals mitigated some impacts, but economic disruptions raised U.S. living costs, leading to tariff rollbacks on food imports. A U.S. government shutdown from October to November (45 days) cost $11 billion in GDP.
Culture, Sports, and Entertainment
Beyoncé won Grammys for Cowboy Carter in February, becoming the most-awarded artist. Taylor Swift announced her engagement to Travis Kelce in August. Films like Ne Zha 2 (highest-grossing) and Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters topped charts; BTS reunited in July. Sports: Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl; Florida Panthers repeated Stanley Cup; Oklahoma City Thunder NBA Finals; Los Angeles Dodgers World Series; India women's cricket World Cup. Other: Carlo Acutis canonized as first millennial saint in September; Grand Egyptian Museum opened in November.