23: events

Croatia's Eurozone and Schengen Area Membership

Croatia adopts the euro and joins the Schengen Area, becoming the 20th member state of the Eurozone and the 27th member of the Schengen Area. Occurred January 1st.

Travel Restrictions from China

Many countries impose travel restrictions on travel from China due to the relaxation of the country's zero-COVID policy. Occurred January 3rd.

Funeral of Pope Benedict XVI

The funeral of Pope Benedict XVI is held at Saint Peter's Square within the Vatican City. Occurred January 5th.

Beninese Parliamentary Election

The 2023 Beninese parliamentary election is held, with the Progressive Union for Renewal party winning a plurality of seats. Occurred January 8th.

Reopening of China's Borders

China reopens its borders to international visitors, marking the end of travel restrictions that began in March 2020. Occurred January 8th.

Attack on the Brazilian National Congress

Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro storm the Brazilian National Congress, the Supreme Federal Court, and the Presidential Palace of Planalto. Occurred January 8th.

Cold Snap in Afghanistan

A deadly cold snap in Afghanistan kills 166 people and nearly 80,000 livestock. Occurred January 10-17.

Yeti Airlines Flight 691 Crash

Yeti Airlines Flight 691 crashes during final approach into Pokhara, Nepal, killing all 72 people on board. Occurred January 15th.

Withdrawal of Amharan Special Forces from Tigray

Amharan Special Forces withdraw from the Tigray Region in line with an African Union-backed peace agreement between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front. Occurred January 16th.

Resignation of Nguyễn Xuân Phúc as President of Vietnam

Nguyễn Xuân Phúc resigns as President of Vietnam amid several recent scandals in the government. Occurred January 17th.

Helicopter Crash in Ukraine

A helicopter crash in Brovary near Kyiv, Ukraine kills 14 people including Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Denys Monastyrsky. Occurred January 18th.

Election of Christine Kangaloo as President of Trinidad and Tobago

The Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago elects former senate president, minister, and lawyer Christine Kangaloo as president. Occurred January 20th.

Burkina Faso's Request for French Forces to Withdraw

Burkina Faso requests French forces to withdraw from its territory after suspending a military accord that allowed the presence of French troops in the country. Occurred January 21st.

Eritrean Forces Withdrawal from Tigray

Eritrean forces withdraw from Shire and other major towns in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Occurred January 21st.

Chris Hipkins as Prime Minister of New Zealand

Chris Hipkins succeeds Jacinda Ardern as Prime Minister of New Zealand, six days after she announced her resignation. Occurred January 25th.

Unrest in Israel

Widespread unrest erupts in Israel following an Israeli military raid in Jenin, inciting incendiary air balloon attacks and a terrorist attack in Neve Yaakov. Occurred January 27th.

Petr Pavel's Victory in the Czech Presidential Election

The second round of the 2023 Czech presidential election is held, with Petr Pavel declared the winner. Occurred January 27-28th.

Peshawar Mosque Bombing

A Jamaat-ul-Ahrar suicide bombing inside a mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan, kills 84 people and injures over 220 others. Occurred January 30th.

Kiribati's Rejoining of the Pacific Islands Forum

Prime Minister of Fiji Sitiveni Rabuka confirms that Kiribati will rejoin the Pacific Islands Forum after leaving the organization the previous year. Occurred January 30th.

Lebanese Liquidity Crisis

The central bank of Lebanon devalues the Lebanese pound by 90% amid an ongoing financial crisis. Occurred February 1st.

Israel-Sudan Relations Normalization

Israel and Sudan announce the finalization of an agreement to normalize relations between the two countries. Occurred February 2nd.

Interest Rate Increases by European Central Bank and Bank of England

The European Central Bank and Bank of England raise their interest rates by 0.5 percentage points to combat inflation, one day after the US Federal Reserve raises its federal fund rates by 0.25 percentage points. Occurred February 2nd.

Tracking of Alleged Chinese Spy Balloons

The US announces it is tracking alleged Chinese spy balloons over the Americas. Occurred February 3rd.

Norfolk Southern Train Derailment in Ohio

A Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derails in East Palestine, Ohio. Occurred February 3rd.

Nikos Christodoulides' Election as President of Cyprus

The 2023 Cypriot presidential election is held, with Nikos Christodoulides elected president. Occurred February 5th.

Cyclone Freddy and its Impact

Cyclone Freddy forms in the Indian Ocean, causing significant damage and over 1,400 deaths across southeastern Africa. Occurred February 5th.

Earthquake in Turkey and Syria

A 7.8 Mww earthquake strikes southern and central Turkey and northern and western Syria, causing widespread damage and more than 59,000 fatalities. Occurred February 6th.

Bangladeshi Presidential Election

The 2023 Bangladeshi presidential election is held, with Shahabuddin Chuppu of the Awami League elected unopposed. Occurred February 13th.

Ban on Sale of New Petrol and Diesel Vehicles in the EU

The European Parliament approves a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles in the European Union from 2035. Occurred February 14th.

Russian withdrawal from Council of Europe conventions

Lawmakers in the Russian State Duma vote to withdraw Russia from 21 conventions of the Council of Europe. Occurred February 16th.

Joint military exercise in the Indian Ocean

The South African Navy hosts a ten-day joint military exercise in the Indian Ocean with Russia and China. Occurred February 17th.

African Union peace conference for Libya

The African Union announces the organization of a peace conference to address the instability in Libya. Occurred February 19th.

Russia suspends participation in New START

Vladimir Putin announces that Russia is suspending its participation in New START, a nuclear arms reduction treaty with the US. Occurred February 21st.

Oman opens airspace to Israeli airlines

Oman opens its airspace to Israeli airlines for the first time, in an upgrade of bilateral relations. Occurred February 23rd.

Bola Tinubu elected as Nigeria's president

Bola Tinubu is elected as Nigeria's president, defeating former vice president Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi in the 2023 Nigerian general election. Occurred February 25th.

UK and EU agreement on Northern Ireland Protocol

The United Kingdom and the European Union reach an agreement surrounding modifications to the Northern Ireland Protocol. Occurred February 27th.

Train crash in Thessaly, Greece

A train crash in Thessaly, Greece, kills 57 people and leads to nationwide protests and strikes against the condition of Greek railways and their mismanagement. Occurred February 28th.

Võ Văn Thưởng elected as Vietnam's president

The National Assembly of Vietnam declares Võ Văn Thưởng as the country's new president after receiving 98.38% votes from the Vietnamese parliament. Occurred March 2nd.

High Seas Treaty legal framework agreed upon

UN member states agree on a legal framework for the High Seas Treaty, which aims to protect 30% of the world's oceans by 2030. Occurred March 4th.

Burundi deploys troops to fight insurgencies in DRC

Burundi deploys 100 troops to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to help fight insurgencies by militias, including M23, in the Kivu conflict. Occurred March 4th.

Centre-right liberal parties win Estonian parliamentary election

The 2023 Estonian parliamentary election is held, with two centre-right liberal parties gaining an absolute majority for the first time. Occurred March 5th.

ADF jihadist insurgents kill people in North Kivu, DRC

Allied Democratic Forces jihadist insurgents use machetes to kill about 35 people in the village of Mukondi, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Occurred March 8th.

Japan wins the 2023 World Baseball Classic

The 2023 World Baseball Classic is held and won by Japan. Occurred March 8-21st.

Xi Jinping re-elected as Chinese president

The 2023 Chinese presidential election is held with the National People's Congress unanimously re-electing Xi Jinping as the President of the People's Republic of China to an unprecedented third term. Occurred March 10th.

Iran and Saudi Arabia resume diplomatic relations

Iran and Saudi Arabia agree to resume diplomatic relations which were severed in 2016, at talks mediated by China. Occurred March 10th.

Silicon Valley Bank fails, impacting global companies

Silicon Valley Bank, the 16th largest bank in the United States, fails, creating the largest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis, affecting companies around the world. Occurred March 10th.

Angola deploys troops to DRC amid ceasefire failure

Angola announces the deployment of troops to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, following the failure of a ceasefire between government forces and M23 rebels in North Kivu. Occurred March 10th.

OpenAI launches GPT-4 language model

OpenAI launches GPT-4, a large language model for ChatGPT, which can respond to images and process up to 25,000 words. Occurred March 14th.

ICC issues arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin

The International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for Russian president Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russian Commissioner for Children's Rights, marking the first arrest warrant against a leader of a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. Occurred March 17th.

UBS acquires Credit Suisse in all-stock deal

In a deal brokered by the Swiss government, investment bank UBS agrees to buy Credit Suisse for CHF 3 billion (US$3.2 billion) in an all-stock deal. Occurred March 19th.

IPCC releases synthesis report of Sixth Assessment Report

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) releases the synthesis report of its Sixth Assessment Report on climate change. Occurred March 20th.

Trans women who went through male puberty banned from female athletics

World Athletics, the global governing body for athletics, bans trans women who have gone through male puberty from competing in female events. Occurred March 23rd.

Tornado outbreak kills people in Mississippi and Alabama

A tornado outbreak kills at least 26 people in Mississippi and Alabama, including a violent tornado that devastated the city of Rolling Fork and the town of Silver City in Mississippi. Occurred March 24-27th.

Honduras switches diplomatic recognition to China

Honduras switches its formal diplomatic recognition of "China" from the Republic of China to the People. Occurred March 26th.

Israeli judicial reform protests

Large-scale spontaneous protests erupt across Israel in response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu firing his defense minister who criticized the government's judicial overhaul plan. Occurred March 26th.

Brazil-China currency agreement

Brazil and China sign an agreement to trade in their own currencies, eliminating the use of the United States dollar as an intermediary. Occurred March 29th.

Burkina Faso-North Korea diplomatic relations

Burkina Faso formally resumes diplomatic relations with North Korea after suspending them in 2017. Occurred March 29th.

International Court of Justice ruling

The International Court of Justice rules that the United States violated its Treaty of Amity with Iran by allowing its domestic courts to freeze assets held by Iranian companies. Occurred March 30th.

Bulgarian parliamentary election

The 2023 Bulgarian parliamentary election results in a GERB—SDS–PP–DB coalition government led by Nikolai Denkov as prime minister, ending two years of political deadlock. Occurred April 2nd.

Montenegrin presidential election

Jakov Milatović of the Europe Now! movement wins the 2023 Montenegrin presidential election, becoming the first president not from the DPS party since the introduction of a multi-party system in 1990. Occurred April 2nd.

Finnish parliamentary election

The 2023 Finnish parliamentary election is held, with the centre-right National Coalition led by Petteri Orpo receiving the most votes. Occurred April 2nd.

Andorran parliamentary election

The 2023 Andorran parliamentary election results in the ruling Democrats for Andorra, led by Prime Minister Xavier Espot, winning the majority of the seats. Occurred April 2nd.

Finland joins NATO

Finland becomes the 31st member of NATO, doubling the alliance's border with Russia. Occurred April 4th.

Clashes at Al-Aqsa Mosque

Clashes between Palestinians and the Israeli police occur at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Occurred April 5th.

Pentagon document leaks

Two document leaks from the Pentagon detailing foreign military aid related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine are leaked onto the Internet. Occurred April 10th.

Myanmar civil war

At least 165 people are killed by the Myanmar Air Force during the opening celebrations of a People's Defence Force administration office in the village of Pazigyi. Occurred April 11th.

Launch of Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE)

The European Space Agency (ESA) launches the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) to search for life in the Jovian system, with an expected arrival date of 2031. Occurred April 14th.

Nuclear power ends in Germany

Nuclear power in Germany ends after 50 years with the closure of the final power plants. Occurred April 15th.

Sudanese Armed Forces vs Rapid Support Forces fight in Sudan

Fighting breaks out across Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, with the RSF capturing Khartoum International Airport and the presidential palace in Khartoum. Occurred April 15th.

Yemen crowd crush

At least 90 people are killed and another 322 injured in a crowd crush during a Ramadan charity event in Sanaa, Yemen. Occurred April 19th.

SpaceX's Starship rocket launch

SpaceX's Starship rocket, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, launches for the first time in a test flight from Texas but explodes four minutes after launch. Occurred April 20th.

Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans

The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, representing a majority of the global Anglican population, rejects the leadership of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby as the head of global Anglicanism due to his support for same-sex marriage. Occurred April 21st.

Shakahola forest cult suicide

A mass cult suicide is uncovered in Shakahola forest in Kenya, with 429 followers of the Good News International Ministries found in shallow graves and over 613 people missing. Occurred April 25th.

Niuean general election

The 2023 Niuean general election is held, and incumbent Dalton Tagelagi is re-elected as Premier of Niue. Occurred April 29th

Paraguayan general election

The 2023 Paraguayan general election results in the Colorado Party candidate Santiago Peña becoming the president-elect of Paraguay, winning in a plurality. Occurred April 30th.

French Polynesian legislative election

The second round of the 2023 French Polynesian legislative election is held, with the Tāvini Huiraʻatira party winning a majority of seats and Moetai Brotherson being elected President of French Polynesia. Occurred April 30th.

First Republic Bank collapse

San Francisco-based First Republic Bank fails and is auctioned off by the US FDIC to JPMorgan Chase for $10.7 billion, becoming the second-largest collapse in US history. Occurred May 1st.

School shooting in Belgrade

A school shooting occurs in Belgrade, Serbia, followed by a second mass murder near Mladenovac and Smederevo, leaving 19 people dead and leading to increased regulations on gun ownership and mass anti-government protests. Occurred May 3rd.

Floods and landslides in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

A series of floods and landslides strike villages in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, resulting in over 400 deaths. Occurred May 4th.

Covid-19 No Longer ‘Global Health Emergency’

The World Health Organization ends its declaration of COVID-19 being a global health emergency, but continues to refer to it as a pandemic. Occurred May 5th.

United Kingdom Coronation of Charles III and Camilla

The official ceremony in which Charles III and Camilla are crowned as King and Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms. Occurred May 6th.

Readmission of Syria to Arab League

Syria is readmitted into the Arab League after being suspended since 2011. Occurred May 7th.

Cyclone Mocha

A cyclone that formed in the Indian Ocean and caused significant damage and loss of life in Myanmar and Bangladesh. Occurred May 9th.

Eurovision Song Contest 2023

An international singing competition held in Liverpool, UK, in which Swedish contestant Loreen won with the song "Tattoo." Occurred May 9-13th.

Mpox No Longer Global Health Emergency

World Health Organization ended its declaration of mpox as a global health emergency. Occurred May 11th.

Thai general election 2023

A national election held in Thailand, resulting in pro-democratic parties gaining a majority of seats in the House of Representatives. Occurred May 14th.

49th G7 summit held in Japan

A meeting of the leaders of the seven largest advanced economies in the world, held in Hiroshima, Japan. Occurred May 14th.

Greek legislative election 2023

A parliamentary election held in Greece, with the ruling New Democracy party winning a plurality of seats in the Hellenic Parliament. Occurred May 21st.

East Timorese parliamentary election 2023

An election held in East Timor, resulting in the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction and Fretilin parties receiving the most votes. Occurred May 21st.

Canada-Saudi Arabia diplomatic relations

An agreement between Canada and Saudi Arabia to restore full diplomatic relations after a breakdown in relations in 2018. Occurred May 24th.

Russian-Belarusian agreement

An agreement signed in Minsk allowing the stationing of Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory. Occurred May 25th.

Mauritanian parliamentary election 2023

The second round of a parliamentary election held in Mauritania, with the ruling El Insaf Party receiving the most votes. Occurred May 27th.

Turkish presidential election 2023

The second round of a presidential election held in Turkey, resulting in Recep Tayyip Erdoğan winning a third term as president. Occurred May 28th.

Latvian presidential election 2023

A presidential election held in Latvia, resulting in Edgars Rinkēvičs being elected as the President of Latvia. Occurred May 31st.

Train collision in India

A train collision in Odisha, India, resulting in a high number of deaths and injuries. Occurred June 2nd.

Guinea-Bissau legislative election 2023

A legislative election held in Guinea-Bissau, with the coalition Inclusive Alliance Platform – Terra Ranka winning a majority of seats. Occurred June 6th.

Kuwaiti general election 2023

A general election held in Kuwait, following the annulment of the results of the 2022 snap elections by the Constitutional Court. Occurred June 6th.

Russian Destruction of Ukrainian Dam

The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the Russian-controlled region of Kherson, posing a threat of devastating floodwaters. Occurred June 6th.

New York City air quality declared worst due to wildfires

New York City in the United States declared to have the worst air quality due to smoke from wildfires in Canada. Occurred June 6th.

Honduras embassy in Beijing

Honduras opens its first embassy in Beijing, China, after breaking off relations with Taiwan. Occurred June 11th.