360World & politics
World affairs, elections and the turning points that shaped nations.
News · 5
- 1 November 2026
US midterms: what is on the ballot on 3 November
Americans vote on Tuesday, 3 November, in midterm elections that decide control of Congress. All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are on the ballot, along with more than 30 governorships. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to win the House. Around 50 million people had already voted early by the final weekend.
- 30 October 2026
Canada and the EU launch an 'Alliance for the Future'
Canada and the European Union launched an 'Alliance for the Future' at a summit in Montreal on 29 and 30 October. They agreed to define, by their 2027 summit, an 'ever-closer association' of Canada to the EU, short of full membership. Prime Minister Mark Carney called it a step towards Canada becoming the EU's first associate member.
- 30 October 2026
Italy's general strike fills more than 40 cities
Tens of thousands of students and workers marched in more than 40 Italian cities on Friday, 30 October, during a 24-hour general strike over living costs and military spending. Most marches were peaceful. In Rome, a breakaway group built barricades and set bins alight near the Colosseum, and police used water cannon. Eight people were detained.
- 26 October 2026
Lula wins Brazil's runoff in a historic comeback
Lula da Silva won Brazil's presidential runoff with about 51.8% of valid votes to Flávio Bolsonaro's 48.2%, a record fourth term after trailing in the first round. Flávio did not concede. After the Supreme Court ordered him to surrender his passports, he left Brazil and landed in Miami on 28 October. He is under investigation for embezzlement and money laundering.
- 25 October 2026
Vučić concedes defeat to Serbia's student movement
Serbia's longtime leader Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat in the 25 October snap parliamentary election, ending his party's 14-year grip on power. His own projection gives the Student List 135 to 140 of 250 seats; 126 are needed to govern. The movement grew from anti-corruption protests after a station canopy collapse killed 16 in 2024. Final results are still pending.
History · 18
- 15 November 2022
The world's population reaches eight billion
The United Nations marked 15 November 2022 as the day the world's population reached eight billion people. It had grown from seven billion in about 11 years, thanks to longer lives, better health care and lower child mortality. Growth is now slowing, and the UN expects the population to peak at around 10.3 billion in the mid-2080s.
- 2020–today
The 2020s so far: the pandemic, AI and Riyadh's global stage
The decade opened with the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines developed in record time. Saudi Arabia hosted the G20 summit in 2020, celebrated its first Founding Day in 2022, won Expo 2030 and was confirmed as host of the 2034 World Cup. The James Webb telescope and AI chatbots marked new eras in science and technology.
- 1900–1999
The 20th century: flight, world wars and the digital age
The 20th century brought powered flight, two world wars, space travel and computers. King Abdulaziz unified the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932, and oil discovered in 1938 transformed it. Antibiotics and vaccines lengthened lives, people walked on the Moon, and the World Wide Web connected the world by the century's end.
- 3 October 1990
Germany is reunified
On 3 October 1990, East and West Germany were reunited as one country, less than a year after the Berlin Wall fell. Germany had been divided since the end of the Second World War. Crowds celebrated in front of the Reichstag in Berlin. Germans now mark 3 October every year as the Day of German Unity.
- 9 November 1989
The Berlin Wall falls
On the night of 9 November 1989, East Germany opened its border crossings, and crowds poured through the Berlin Wall, which had divided the city since 1961. People celebrated on top of the wall and began chipping pieces away. Less than a year later, on 3 October 1990, Germany was reunified.
- 24 October 1945
The United Nations is founded
On 24 October 1945, the United Nations came into existence, with 51 founding members, to maintain world peace and promote cooperation. Saudi Arabia was among the founding nations, and Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz, later King Faisal, signed the UN Charter for the Kingdom. The UN now has 193 member states.
- 1940–1949
The 1940s: the Second World War and the United Nations
The Second World War, the deadliest conflict in history, ended in 1945. Nations founded the United Nations that October to keep the peace. King Abdulaziz met President Roosevelt in 1945, and Saudi oil production grew. Penicillin became a mass-produced medicine, and the first electronic computers and the transistor were built.
- 1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945
The Second World War
The Second World War began when Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939 and ended with Japan's surrender on 2 September 1945. Fought across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, it was the deadliest conflict in history, with an estimated 70 to 85 million deaths. Afterwards, nations founded the United Nations.
- 28 July 1914
The First World War begins
After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in June 1914, a chain of alliances drew Europe's great powers into war. The First World War lasted until 11 November 1918 and killed around 20 million people. It reshaped the world's map and led to the League of Nations.
- 15 April 1912
The Titanic sinks on its first voyage
In the early hours of 15 April 1912, the RMS Titanic, then the largest ship in the world, sank in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg on its first voyage from Southampton to New York. More than 1,500 people died. The disaster led to major new rules for safety at sea.
- 1910–1919
The 1910s: the Titanic, the First World War and a deadly flu
The Titanic sank on its first voyage in 1912. The First World War, from 1914 to 1918, killed around 20 million people. Henry Ford's moving assembly line changed manufacturing, the Panama Canal opened, Einstein published general relativity, and a flu pandemic swept the world from 1918.
- 18 June 1815
Napoleon is defeated at the Battle of Waterloo
On 18 June 1815, near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, an allied army led by the Duke of Wellington and a Prussian army under Field Marshal Blücher defeated Napoleon Bonaparte. It was Napoleon's final battle. He abdicated days later and was exiled to Saint Helena. The defeat ended more than two decades of war in Europe.
- 1810–1819
The 1810s: Waterloo and the year without a summer
The Napoleonic Wars ended at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, and the Congress of Vienna redrew Europe's map. That year, the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia cooled the planet, bringing a 'year without a summer' in 1816. The stethoscope and an early bicycle were also invented.
- 14 July 1789
The French Revolution begins
On 14 July 1789, crowds in Paris stormed the Bastille, a royal fortress and prison, in the opening days of the French Revolution. Within weeks, the National Assembly abolished feudal privileges and adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. The revolution ended absolute monarchy in France and spread new ideas about rights across Europe.
- 4 July 1776
The United States declares independence
On 4 July 1776, representatives of thirteen American colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing their separation from Britain and the birth of the United States. Largely written by Thomas Jefferson, it stated that all men are created equal with rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Americans celebrate the date as Independence Day.
- 1770–1779
The 1770s: a new nation and a new economics
On 4 July 1776, the United States declared independence from Britain. The same year, Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations founded modern economics, and James Watt's improved steam engines entered service. Captain Cook charted Australia's east coast, and the world's first iron bridge rose in England.
- 2–6 September 1666
The Great Fire of London
In September 1666, a fire that began in a bakery on Pudding Lane burned for four days and destroyed most of the City of London, including more than 13,000 houses and St Paul's Cathedral. London was rebuilt in brick and stone, and the disaster led to new building rules and the growth of fire insurance.
- 1660–1669
The 1660s: fire, plague and Newton's great years
London suffered a great plague in 1665 and a great fire in 1666, then rebuilt in brick and stone. In the same years, a young Isaac Newton developed his first ideas on gravity, light and calculus. Scientific societies were founded in London and Paris, and France's King Louis XIV began transforming Versailles.
On this day · 45
- 31 October 2011
The world's population reaches seven billion
The United Nations marked 31 October 2011 as the day the world's population reached seven billion people. It had taken just 12 years to grow from six billion. Better health care, food and clean water meant people were living longer. The world passed eight billion in November 2022.
- 12 October 1999
The world's population reaches six billion
The United Nations marked 12 October 1999 as the day the world's population reached six billion. It had taken just 12 years to grow from five billion. The world reached seven billion in 2011 and eight billion in November 2022.
- 3 October 1990
Germany is reunified
On 3 October 1990, East and West Germany were reunited as one country, less than a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Germans celebrate the date every year as the Day of German Unity.
- 9 November 1989
The Berlin Wall falls
On the night of 9 November 1989, East Germany opened its border crossings, and crowds poured through the Berlin Wall, which had divided the city since 1961. People celebrated on top of the wall. Less than a year later, on 3 October 1990, Germany was reunified.
- 11 July 1987
The world's population reaches five billion
The United Nations marked 11 July 1987 as the day the world's population reached about five billion people. The date is now marked each year as World Population Day. The world passed eight billion in November 2022 and is expected to peak in the 2080s.
- 21 April 1960
Brasília becomes Brazil's capital
On 21 April 1960, Brasília was inaugurated as Brazil's new capital, built in about four years on an empty high plain in the centre of the country. Planned by Lúcio Costa, with buildings by the architect Oscar Niemeyer, its layout is shaped like an aeroplane or a bird.
- 6 February 1952
Elizabeth II becomes Queen
On 6 February 1952, Princess Elizabeth became Queen of the United Kingdom on the death of her father, King George VI, while she was visiting Kenya. She was 25. She reigned for 70 years, until 2022, the longest reign in British history.
- 9 May 1950
The Schuman Declaration proposes European cooperation
On 9 May 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposed that France and Germany pool their coal and steel industries, to make war between them 'materially impossible'. It led to the European Coal and Steel Community and later the European Union. The date is celebrated as Europe Day.
- 11 May 1949
Siam is renamed Thailand
On 11 May 1949, the Kingdom of Siam officially changed its name to Thailand, meaning 'land of the free'. The name had first been adopted in 1939, then changed back. Thailand, the only Southeast Asian country never colonised by a European power, is now a major tourism destination.
- 26 June 1945
The United Nations Charter is signed
On 26 June 1945, delegates from 50 countries signed the Charter of the United Nations in San Francisco, at the end of the Second World War. Its aim was to save future generations from war. The UN came into being that October and now has 193 member states.
- 14 August 1945
Japan announces its surrender, ending the Second World War
On 14 August 1945, Japan announced it would surrender, ending the fighting of the Second World War. The formal surrender was signed on 2 September. The war, the deadliest conflict in history, had cost the lives of an estimated 70 to 85 million people.
- 24 October 1945
The United Nations comes into being
On 24 October 1945, the Charter of the United Nations came into force, after most signatory countries had ratified it. The UN was created to keep peace and promote cooperation after the Second World War. The date is marked as United Nations Day.
- 6 June 1944
D-Day: Allied forces land in Normandy
On 6 June 1944, Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy in France, in the largest seaborne invasion in history, with about 156,000 troops on the first day. It opened a new front in western Europe, and within a year the Second World War in Europe was over.
- 13 May 1940
Churchill offers 'blood, toil, tears and sweat'
On 13 May 1940, three days after becoming British Prime Minister in the Second World War, Winston Churchill told Parliament: 'I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.' It was the first of several famous wartime speeches that rallied the British people.
- 1 September 1939
The Second World War begins
On 1 September 1939, Germany invaded Poland. Two days later, Britain and France declared war on Germany. The Second World War lasted until 1945, drew in most of the world's nations and became the deadliest conflict in history.
- 28 March 1930
Constantinople officially becomes Istanbul
On 28 March 1930, a new Turkish postal law officially adopted the name Istanbul for the city long known in many languages as Constantinople. Spanning Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus, Istanbul is Türkiye's largest city and one of the great historic cities of the world.
- 30 December 1922
The Soviet Union is formed
On 30 December 1922, delegates in Moscow approved a treaty creating the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or USSR, from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and the Transcaucasian republic. It became one of the world's largest states and lasted until its dissolution in December 1991.
- 26 August 1920
American women win the right to vote
On 26 August 1920, the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution was certified, giving women in the United States the right to vote. It followed decades of campaigning by women such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The date is marked as Women's Equality Day.
- 18 January 1919
The Paris Peace Conference opens
On 18 January 1919, leaders of the victorious powers met in Paris to settle the peace after the First World War. The conference produced the Treaty of Versailles and other treaties, redrew the map of Europe and created the League of Nations, the forerunner of the United Nations.
- 28 June 1919
The Treaty of Versailles is signed
On 28 June 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, near Paris, formally ending the First World War between Germany and the Allied powers. It also set up the League of Nations.
- 11 November 1918
The First World War ends
At 11 o'clock on 11 November 1918, the armistice signed that morning came into force and the guns fell silent on the Western Front, ending the fighting of the First World War. Around 20 million people had died. Many countries still remember the war's victims each November.
- 28 July 1914
The First World War begins
On 28 July 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, a month after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. Alliances drew in the great powers within days. The war lasted more than four years and cost about 20 million lives.
- 15 April 1912
The Titanic sinks
In the early hours of 15 April 1912, the liner Titanic sank in the North Atlantic on its first voyage, after hitting an iceberg. About 1,500 people died, as there were too few lifeboats. The disaster led to new international rules on safety at sea, including lifeboats for everyone aboard.
- 14 December 1911
Roald Amundsen reaches the South Pole
On 14 December 1911, the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and four companions became the first people to reach the South Pole, using skis and dog sledges. A British team led by Robert Falcon Scott arrived about five weeks later. Amundsen's team returned safely.
- 5 October 1910
Portugal becomes a republic
On 5 October 1910, a revolution in Lisbon ended the monarchy in Portugal, and the country became a republic. King Manuel II went into exile in England. The date is a national holiday in Portugal.
- 4 December 1872
The mystery ship Mary Celeste is found
On 4 December 1872, the crew of the ship Dei Gratia found the Mary Celeste drifting in the Atlantic, east of the Azores. The ship was seaworthy and its cargo nearly untouched, but everyone aboard had vanished, and the lifeboat was missing. What happened has never been explained.
- 8 October 1871
The Great Chicago Fire
On 8 October 1871, a fire broke out in a barn in Chicago and spread through the wooden city for two days, destroying about 17,000 buildings and leaving about 100,000 people homeless. The city was rebuilt quickly, and in 1885 it built one of the first skyscrapers.
- 10 November 1871
'Dr Livingstone, I presume?'
On 10 November 1871, by the most common account, the journalist Henry Morton Stanley found the Scottish explorer David Livingstone at Ujiji, on Lake Tanganyika, after Livingstone had not been heard from for years. Stanley's greeting, 'Dr Livingstone, I presume?', became one of the most famous lines in the history of exploration.
- 30 March 1867
The United States agrees to buy Alaska
On 30 March 1867, the United States agreed to buy Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, about two cents an acre. Critics called it 'Seward's Folly', after the Secretary of State who arranged it. Gold, fish and later oil proved its value. Alaska became a US state in 1959.
- 1 July 1867
Canada becomes a self-governing dominion
On 1 July 1867, the British North America Act came into force, uniting the colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick into a new self-governing country, the Dominion of Canada. Other provinces joined later. Canadians celebrate the date every year as Canada Day.
- 18 December 1865
Slavery is abolished in the United States
On 18 December 1865, the US Secretary of State proclaimed the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution in force, abolishing slavery throughout the United States. About four million people had been enslaved in the country at the start of the civil war.
- 22 August 1864
The first Geneva Convention is signed
On 22 August 1864, 12 nations signed the first Geneva Convention, agreeing to protect wounded soldiers and the medical staff caring for them, and adopting the red cross on a white background as a protective symbol. Later conventions extended protection to prisoners and civilians.
- 19 November 1863
Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address
On 19 November 1863, US President Abraham Lincoln gave a short speech at the dedication of a military cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In about 270 words and two minutes, he described government 'of the people, by the people, for the people'. It became one of history's most famous speeches.
- 6 November 1860
Abraham Lincoln is elected US president
On 6 November 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th president of the United States. He led the country through its civil war and issued the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States, shortly before Lincoln's assassination that April.
- 24 June 1859
A battle inspires the founding of the Red Cross
On 24 June 1859, the Swiss businessman Henri Dunant saw thousands of wounded soldiers left without care after the Battle of Solferino in northern Italy. His book about it led to the founding of the Red Cross in 1863 and the first Geneva Convention. Dunant shared the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901.
- 20 June 1837
Victoria becomes Queen
On 20 June 1837, 18-year-old Victoria became Queen of the United Kingdom on the death of her uncle, King William IV. She reigned for almost 64 years, a period of industrial growth, railways and scientific progress now known as the Victorian era.
- 7 September 1822
Brazil declares independence
On 7 September 1822, Prince Pedro, the son of Portugal's king, declared Brazil's independence from Portugal, by the Ipiranga brook near São Paulo. He became Emperor Pedro I of Brazil. Brazilians celebrate the date as Independence Day.
- 18 June 1815
The Battle of Waterloo
On 18 June 1815, near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, British-led and Prussian armies defeated the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. His defeat ended more than two decades of war in Europe. Napoleon was exiled to the remote island of Saint Helena, where he died in 1821.
- 2 December 1804
Napoleon is crowned Emperor of the French
On 2 December 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned Emperor of the French in Paris, placing the crown on his own head. His armies went on to dominate much of Europe until his defeat at Waterloo in 1815. His legal code still influences laws in many countries.
- 14 July 1789
The storming of the Bastille
On 14 July 1789, crowds in Paris stormed the Bastille, a royal fortress and prison, at the start of the French Revolution. The revolution ended the absolute monarchy in France and spread ideas of liberty and equality. The French celebrate 14 July as their national day.
- 17 September 1787
The US Constitution is signed
On 17 September 1787, delegates in Philadelphia signed the Constitution of the United States, setting up a federal government with separate branches. It came into force in 1789 and is the oldest written national constitution still in use.
- 16 December 1773
The Boston Tea Party
On 16 December 1773, American colonists in Boston boarded three ships and threw 342 chests of British tea into the harbour, protesting against a tax imposed by the British Parliament. The protest became a step on the road to the American Revolution and independence in 1776.
- 14 September 1752
Britain changes its calendar and skips 11 days
In 1752, Britain and its colonies switched to the Gregorian calendar used by much of Europe. To catch up, 2 September was followed directly by 14 September 1752, so 11 days were skipped. The change meant the calendar matched the seasons more accurately.
- 2 September 1666
The Great Fire of London begins
In the early hours of 2 September 1666, a fire broke out in a bakery on Pudding Lane in London. Fanned by strong winds, it burned for four days and destroyed about 13,000 houses and old St Paul's Cathedral. The city was rebuilt in brick and stone.
- 6 September 1522
The first voyage around the world is completed
On 6 September 1522, the ship Victoria, with 18 survivors aboard, returned to Spain, completing the first voyage around the world. The expedition had set off in 1519 under Ferdinand Magellan, who died on the way. It proved that the oceans were connected and the Earth could be circled by sea.