Wikipedia / 2026
Wikipedia / 2026
The early part of the year saw escalating armed conflicts in the Americas and Middle East. In January, the United States launched a military operation in Venezuela that captured sitting President Nicolás Maduro, leading to a blockade of Venezuelan oil exports that contributed to a crisis in Cuba. In Syria, an offensive by the Syrian government led to the Syrian Democratic Forces eventually being integrated into the Syrian Army, while in Yemen, a counteroffensive by the Yemeni government led to the collapse of the Southern Transitional Council. In February, Pakistan launched airstrikes against Afghanistan, leading to an open war between both nations. In Iran, in response to authorities cracking down on protests, the United States and Israel began a war in late February with the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, which resulted in widespread economic grief, fuel shortages and retaliatory strikes on Gulf nations, as well as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and a naval blockade.
The continued release of the Epstein files that began the previous year has influenced scrutiny, media coverage, and in some cases arrests of high profile individuals in politics, business, and academia in the western world. American businessman Elon Musk became the first person to have a verified net worth exceeding $1 trillion upon the initial public offering of his company SpaceX in June.
In politics, a conservative wave spread through Latin America, with right-wing victories in Colombia, Costa Rica and Peru while far right parties in Europe continued to gain ground in the United Kingdom and across the European Union, though the long ruling right wing government in Hungary lost power after ruling since 2010, and Portugal elected a centre-left social democrat over a right-wing populist in their presidential election.
In science and technology, the dominant headline has been NASA's Artemis II flyby of the Moon, the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972, sending the first woman, Black man, and non-American beyond low Earth orbit. Artificial intelligence has continued to advance, with increasing focus on scaling models, infrastructure, and commercial applications. While some high-profile projects such as OpenAI's Sora were discontinued, development of generative AI—including text-to-video models—has continued across the industry.
In sports, the 2026 Winter Olympics were the first Olympic Games to be officially co-hosted by two cities (Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy). The 2026 FIFA World Cup became the first edition to be hosted by three nations (United States, Mexico and Canada) and the first to include 48 teams, in addition to setting the record for the highest attendance in World Cup history; a short time later, a crisis in FIFA erupted following a proposal of creation of a commercial subsidiary, largely rejected by confederations.
In health, an epidemic of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization.
Events
January
Bulgaria adopts the euro, becoming the 21st member state of the eurozone.
Cyprus begins its role as President of the Council of the European Union.
41 people are killed and 116 injured in a fire at a bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
January 2 – Equatorial Guinea moves its capital from Malabo to Ciudad de la Paz.
January 3 – The United States launches several airstrikes on multiple locations across northern Venezuela, capturing Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores.
January 5 – Delcy Rodríguez is formally sworn in as the acting president of Venezuela after the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
The 2025 Jubilee ends.
Fighting between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish armed group Syrian Democratic Forces begins.
January 7 – The United States seizes two shadow fleet tankers, including one under a Russian flag, in the United States oil blockade during Operation Southern Spear.
January 8 – Thongloun Sisoulith is re-elected as the General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party at the 12th Central Committee's first meeting.
January 8–9 – Iran retaliates against nationwide protests, with tens of thousands reportedly killed on the 8th and 9th alone, and many thousands more detained amid a severe government crackdown.
January 9 – 2025–2026 Southern Yemen campaign: The Southern Transitional Council announces its dissolution following territorial losses, including its capital Aden.
January 11 – The 2026 Beninese parliamentary election is held.
January 14 – Operation Arctic Endurance is launched by Denmark, with multiple European countries sending troops to Greenland in response to US President Donald Trump's threats of invasion or annexation of the island.
January 15 – 2026 Ugandan general election: Incumbent President Yoweri Museveni wins reelection amidst protests over allegations of election fraud, leading to deaths of dozens of protestors and the abduction of main opposition candidate Bobi Wine.
January 17 – A fire at a shopping mall in Karachi, Pakistan, kills 80 people.
January 18 – 46 people are killed and 291 injured after two trains derail in Adamuz, southern Spain.
January 19–23 – The 56th World Economic Forum is held in Davos, Switzerland.
January 20 – The Syrian transitional government captures most of the territory held by the Syrian Democratic Forces following an offensive and subsequent ceasefire.
The United States officially leaves the World Health Organization.
France seizes one shadow fleet tanker, under a Russian flag, in the Mediterranean.
Tô Lâm is re-elected as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam at the 14th National Congress.
Iliana Iotova becomes the first female President of Bulgaria after the resignation of Rumen Radev.
January 24 – At least 70 people are killed and 10 others missing after major landslides in West Java, Indonesia.
January 25 – 2025–26 Myanmar general election: In an election widely considered as neither free nor fair, the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party wins a supermajority of seats in the Pyithu Hluttaw and the Amyotha Hluttaw.
January 26 – The body of Ran Gvili, the last remaining Israeli hostage in the Gaza Strip, is recovered by the IDF from northern Gaza, thus ending the Gaza war hostage crisis.
The India–European Union Free Trade Agreement is signed after nearly two decades of negotiations, eliminating Tariffs on a broad range of products and services between the two regions.
Nvidia shares plummet by 17%, resulting in a loss of nearly 600 billion USD, the largest single-day loss in US history to date.
Sarah Mullally becomes the first female primate of the Church of England and Archbishop of Canterbury.
Successive mine collapses at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo kill more than 600 people.
Storm Kristin causes a catastrophic impact in Portugal and Spain with €6 billion in damage in the central region of Portugal, 15 deaths and 2,000 injuries.
Ethiopian civil conflict: Clashes erupt in the Tigray region in Ethiopia between Tigrayan fighters and Federal Forces.
Insurgency in Balochistan: Fighting between the Balochistan Liberation Army and the Pakistani armed forces in several districts of Balochistan, Pakistan, leaves at least 225 people dead.
January 30 – Three million pages related to the Epstein files are released to the public, mentioning many high-profile public figures worldwide.
February
February 1 – 2026 Costa Rican general election: Laura Fernández Delgado is elected president of Costa Rica, and her party additionally wins a majority in the Legislative Assembly.
February 3 – Boko Haram attacks two villages in Kwara State, Nigeria, killing at least 162 people.
February 5 – The New START treaty limiting strategic nuclear weapons between the United States and Russia expires.
February 6–22 – The 2026 Winter Olympics are held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
February 6 – At least 31 people are killed and another 100 are injured in a suicide bombing at the Khadija Tul Kubra Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan.
The 2026 Men's T20 World Cup held in India and Sri Lanka begins.
The Transitional Presidential Council of Haiti is dissolved, transferring executive power to acting prime minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé.
2026 Japanese general election: Incumbent Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi wins a landslide victory, securing a supermajority in the House of Representatives.
2026 Thai general election and constitutional referendum: Incumbent Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul wins a plurality in the House of Representatives, and the Referendum to begin drafting a new constitution passes.
2026 Portuguese presidential election: Socialist candidate António José Seguro is elected President of Portugal in the second round, beating Chega leader André Ventura.
February 10 – At least nine people, including the perpetrator, are killed, and 27 are injured in a mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and at a residence in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada.
February 11 – 2026 Barbadian general election: Incumbent Prime Minister Mia Mottley wins every seat in the House of Assembly in a landslide victory.
February 12 – 2026 Bangladeshi general election and constitutional referendum: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party led by Tarique Rahman wins a supermajority in the Jatiya Sangsad, and the referendum on the July Charter passes.
February 13–15 – The 62nd Munich Security Conference is held.
February 17 – President of Peru José Jerí is censured by the Congress of Peru, removing him from office. He is succeeded by José María Balcázar.
February 16–21 – The AI Impact Summit takes place in New Delhi, India.
Kim Jong Un is re-elected as the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea at the 9th National Congress.
The 2026 Laotian parliamentary election is held.
2026 Jalisco operation: A military operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco, Mexico, kills 62 people including Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader El Mencho.
February 23 – 2025–2026 Dutch cabinet formation: Rob Jetten is sworn in as Prime Minister of the Netherlands, heading a minority government.
February 26 – 2026 Afghanistan–Pakistan war: The government of Pakistan declares "open war" against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
February 27 – 2026 Zona da Mata floods: Floods and landslides in the Zona da Mata region of Minas Gerais, Brazil leave at least 70 people dead and thousands of others displaced.
February 28 – 2026 Iran war: Israel and the United States launch attacks on Iran, killing many high-profile officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran launches retaliatory strikes against Israel, as well as against US military bases in the Persian Gulf, and closes the Strait of Hormuz by attacking vessels that try to pass.
March
March 1 – Abiemnom massacre: At least 169 people are killed and 50 injured when armed youth from Unity State attack Abiemnom County in South Sudan.
March 2 – 2026 Lebanon war: Hezbollah begins launching strikes against Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
March 4 – 2026 Iran war: The United States nuclear submarine sinks the Iranian warship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, off Sri Lanka with a torpedo, resulting in 140 sailors missing.
March 5 – 2026 Nepalese general election: The Rastriya Swatantra Party led by Balen Shah wins a landslide victory.
March 5–17 – The 2026 World Baseball Classic is held in Japan and the United States.
March 6–15 – The 2026 Winter Paralympics are held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
March 6–7 – 2026 Kenya floods: At least 66 people are killed after floods across Kenya.
2026 Iranian supreme leader election: Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei, is selected as the third Supreme Leader of Iran.
2026 Colombian parliamentary election: President Gustavo Petro's party Historic Pact wins a plurality of seats in the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate.
India beats New Zealand in the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup final and secures its third title.
2026 Iran war: The United States Air Force conducts a large bombing raid on Kharg Island, a key oil export hub off the Persian Gulf coast of Iran.
First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel confirms that Cuba is in talks with the Trump administration to find solutions to the oil blockade in the country.
2026 Kazakh constitutional referendum: The new Constitution of Kazakhstan is accepted with 90% in favor.
2026 North Korean parliamentary election: General Secretary Kim Jong Un's Workers' Party wins a landslide majority in the Supreme People's Assembly.
2026 Vietnamese legislative election: The Communist Party led by General Secretary Tô Lâm wins almost all the seats in the National Assembly of Vietnam.
2026 Republic of the Congo presidential election: Incumbent President Denis Sassou Nguesso wins reelection in a landslide victory.
March 16 – 2026 Kabul hospital airstrike: At least 400 people are killed and more than 250 injured in Pakistani airstrikes on a hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan.
March 17 – 2026 Iran war: Ali Larijani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, is assassinated by an Israeli airstrike.
March 2022 The 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships were held at Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena Toruń in Toruń, BiT City, Kuyavian–Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland.
March 22 – 2026 Slovenian parliamentary election: Incumbent Prime Minister Robert Golob wins a plurality of seats in the National Assembly.
March 22–23 – 2026 Italian constitutional referendum: With a higher-than-expected turnout, voters reject a government-backed constitutional reform that would have separated the career paths of judges and prosecutors and split the High Council of the Judiciary into two bodies.
March 23 – A Lockheed C-130 of the Colombian Aerospace Force crashes near Puerto Leguízamo, Colombia, killing 69 people.
OpenAI announces that their flagship Sora app and API are shutting down. The app is officially shut down on April 26, and the API's termination is scheduled for September 24.
2026 Danish general election: Incumbent Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's coalition loses its majority in the Folketing.
2026 Iran war: Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs addresses in a letter to the United Nations that ships not tied to either the United States or Israel can pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
April
whole April: NASA and the European Copernicus Climate Change Service rated April 2026 as the third-warmest April since weather reporting began in 1850.
April 1 – NASA launches the Artemis II lunar flyby mission, marking the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.
April 6 – The crew of Artemis II breaks the record for the furthest humans have ever been from Earth, reaching a maximum distance of 252,756 miles (406,771km) as they travel around the far side of the Moon.
2026 Vietnamese presidential election: The National Assembly of Vietnam elects General Secretary Tô Lâm as the new president of Vietnam, replacing Lương Cường.
2026 Iran war: Following an ultimatum from Trump regarding the Strait of Hormuz, the United States and Iran agree on a two-week ceasefire.
April 8 – Israel launches a series of airstrikes across Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah infrastructure. More than 300 people are killed and over 1,100 injured.
2026 Djiboutian presidential election: Incumbent President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh is re-elected for a sixth term.
The crew of Artemis II successfully returns to Earth, splashing down safely in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California, United States. The four crew members are extracted from the capsule and taken by helicopter to the USS John P. Murtha.
April 11 – 2026 Iraqi presidential election: The Iraqi Parliament elects Nizar Amidi of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) as the new President of Iraq, winning with 227 votes in the second round.
2026 Hungarian parliamentary election: Incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán loses re-election in a landslide to Péter Magyar's Tisza Party, ending 16 years of Fidesz–KDNP rule.
2026 Beninese presidential election: Independent candidate Romuald Wadagni wins in a landslide with over 94% of the vote.
April 13 – 2026 Iran war: A blockade of Iranian ports by the United States takes effect, with President Trump warning that any Iranian vessels attempting to challenge it will be "immediately eliminated". Maritime authorities advise ships in the region to expect increased military activity and possible interception procedures.
April 16 – 2026 Lebanon war: A US-brokered 10-day ceasefire takes effect between Israel and Lebanon, following ambassador-level talks in the White House.
April 19 – 2026 Bulgarian parliamentary election: The Progressive Bulgaria coalition, led by former President Rumen Radev, wins a landslide victory, securing 44% of the vote and an outright majority of seats.
April 21 – 2026 Iran war: US President Trump announces a further extension of the ceasefire until an Iranian proposal is submitted and conversations are concluded at the request of Pakistan.
April 23 – Tornado outbreak sequence of April 23–28, 2026: An EF4 tornado hits the Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma, injuring one person and damaging or destroying homes.
April 25 – 2026 Mali offensives: The Azawad Liberation Front and JNIM launch several large-scale attacks, targeting major cities across Mali, capturing Kidal and parts of Gao, Mopti, and Sevare.
May
May 1 – The United Arab Emirates leaves OPEC, ending six decades of membership and removing one of the organization's largest oil producers.
An explosion at a fireworks factory in Liuyang, Hunan, China kills 37 people and injures 51 others.
Sudanese civil war: Rapid Support Forces launch drone attacks at several targets in Khartoum, Sudan, including the Khartoum International Airport in Khartoum, Sudan. Drone strikes are also reported at the Signal Corps in Khartoum Bahri and Al-Markhiyat camp in northern Omdurman. Additionally, the Sudan Army's air defenses intercept drone strikes at the airport.
May 12 – 2026 Bahamian general election: Incumbent Prime Minister Philip Davis wins a second term in office.
May 1216 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is held in Vienna, Austria, following their win at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. Bulgarian contestant Dara wins with the song "Bangaranga", marking the first time Bulgaria has won the contest.
May 15 – Gaza war: An Israeli strike assassinates Izz al-Din al-Haddad, commander of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
May 16 – 2026 Ituri Province Ebola epidemic: The World Health Organization declares an Ebola outbreak caused by Bundibugyo ebolavirus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
May 17 – 2026 Cape Verdean parliamentary election: Incumbent Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva loses reelection to PAICV leader Francisco Carvalho.
May 20 – Former First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Raúl Castro is indicted by the United States over the 1996 shootdown of Brothers to the Rescue aircraft.
The 2026 European heatwaves begin, bringing record-breaking temperatures to several European countries and causing thousands of deaths over the next several weeks.
A gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi, China, kills 82 people.
May 24 – 2026 Cypriot legislative election: The Democratic Rally led by Annita Demetriou wins a plurality of seats.
May 30 – 2026 Maltese general election: The Labour Party led by incumbent Prime Minister Robert Abela wins their fourth consecutive election.
2026 Guinean parliamentary election: Parties supporting incumbent President Mamady Doumbouya win the election.
Flamingo Revolution: Following small protests in the village of Zvërnec, major protests erupt in Albania over a proposed luxury development involving Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and his firm Affinity Partners, as well as broader discontent with Prime Minister Edi Rama's government.
June
June 1 – 2026 Ethiopian general election: The Prosperity Party, led by incumbent Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, wins reelection.
June 6 – 2026 Delhi Jantar Mantar protests: A series of demonstrations takes place in Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, initiated by the Cockroach Janta Party, an Indian youth-based satirical political movement, along with other student organisations.
2026 Armenian parliamentary election: The Civil Contract, led by incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, wins reelection.
2026 Kosovan parliamentary election: Amid the ongoing political deadlock, Vetëvendosje, led by incumbent Prime Minister Albin Kurti, wins a plurality of seats.
2026 Peruvian general election: Popular Force leader Keiko Fujimori narrowly defeats Together for Peru leader Roberto Sánchez in the presidential runoff. Left-wing parties gain a majority in the Chamber of Deputies but tie in the reestablished Senate.
June 8 – A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake strikes the Philippines, the strongest in the country since 1976. 107 are killed and 1,319 injured.
June 9 – Turkey and Saudi Arabia sign an agreement to revive the 19th century Hejaz railway.
June 10 – In Barcelona, Spain, the blessing ceremony of the Sagrada Família's tallest tower by Pope Leo XIV is held, exactly 100 years after the death of architect Antoni Gaudí. Pope Leo XIV consecrates and opens the central tower of Jesus Christ. The Sagrada Família is the world's tallest church.
June 11 – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declares the onset of an El Niño event in the tropical Pacific, and forecasts a 63% chance that it will rank among the largest since records began in 1950.
June 11 – July 19 – The 2026 FIFA World Cup is held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and is won by Spain.
June 12 – Elon Musk becomes the first US dollar trillionaire with the initial public offering of SpaceX.
June 12 – July 5 – The 2026 Women's T20 World Cup is held in England and Wales, and is won by Australia.
June 13–14 – The 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans is held in Le Mans, France.
June 14 – A mid-air collision between two helicopters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, kills six people, including American singer-songwriter Oliver Tree, Argentine YouTuber Gaspi, Argentine director and screenwriter Lucas A. Vignale and Brazilian music producer Lucas Frota.
June 15–17 – The United States and Iran announce and sign the Islamabad Memorandum, a 14-point agreement to end the 2026 Iran war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, lift the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, and begin a 60-day negotiation period on Iran's nuclear programme; Israel says it will not withdraw from territory it has seized in southern Lebanon.
June 21 – 2026 Colombian presidential election: Right-wing outsider Abelardo de la Espriella wins the election in a runoff against left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda.
June 22 – Keir Starmer announces his resignation as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, prompting a leadership election.
June 24 – Two consecutive earthquakes with magnitudes of , and shake western Venezuela. At least 6,300 people are killed, with thousands injured or missing and widespread damage across the country.
July
July 1 – 2026 Écône consecrations: Members of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) in Écône, Switzerland, consecrate four bishops against the direct orders of Pope Leo XIV, triggering a religious schism between SSPX and the Catholic Church.
July 2 – The 2026 Algerian parliamentary election is held.
July 3–9 – The state funeral of Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran assassinated during the 2026 Iran war, is held.
July 4–18 – The inaugural Nations Championship – Southern Hemisphere Series, an international rugby union tournament, is held. The Northern Hemisphere Series will take place in November.
July 6 – Hamas announces the resignation of its civil administration under the Gaza peace plan.
July 7 – The International Olympic Committee lifts the ban on the Russian Olympic Committee, allowing its athletes to participate in future Olympic Games.
July 7–8 – The 2026 NATO summit is held in Ankara, Turkey.
July 8 – 2026 Iran war: The Islamabad Memorandum between the United States and Iran breaks down, with U.S. President Trump saying the agreement is "over" following renewed U.S. strikes on Iranian targets.
July 12 – A fire at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao live-music venue in Chatuchak district, Bangkok, kills 34 people and injures more than 70 others.
July 18 – The world record for the mile run is broken by British runner Josh Kerr at the London Athletics Meet, with a time of 3:42.66 surpassing the previous record held by Hicham El Guerrouj since 1999.
2026 São Toméan presidential election: Incumbent President Carlos Vila Nova is reelected for a second term.
2026 FIFA World Cup final: Spain beat defending champions Argentina 1–0 during extra time to win a second FIFA World Cup title after 16 years. Spanish forward Ferran Torres scores the only goal in the 106th minute.
Andy Burnham is appointed by King Charles III as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, succeeding Keir Starmer.
2026 Iran war: The Houthis announce a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia on the Bab-el-Mandeb strait.
Nicaraguan co-president Daniel Ortega announces an end to elections within Nicaragua.
July 22–30 – European heatwaves: Wildfires in France, Portugal and Spain force 300,000 people to evacuate their homes. French officials call it the worst wildfire emergency in decades, while officials in Madrid describe it as the worst the region has ever experienced.
July 23–August 2 – The 2026 Commonwealth Games are held in Glasgow, Scotland.
July 28 – An earthquake strikes Kumamoto Prefecture in southern Japan with a magnitude of () at a depth of , killing at least 30 and injuring over 60.
2026 Iran war: Saudi Arabia announces the establishment of a 14-nation military alliance to restore and protect freedom of navigation through the Red Sea amid the Iran conflict and ongoing crisis in the area stimulated by the Houthis.
2026 Ceuta migrant crisis: Approximately 80,000 people illegally enter Ceuta, Spain with smaller numbers attempting to cross into Melilla, having swam from Morocco. This follows a Supreme Court of Spain decision prohibiting the hot return of migrants arriving by sea. At least 111 people are killed.
An avalanche on Broad Peak in the Karakoram range of Pakistan kills ten climbers, including Nirmal Purja, Pur Bahadur Gurung, Nadhira Al Harthy and Kili Pemba Sherpa.
The Republic of Nauru officially changes its name to the Republic of Naoero.
August
August 2 – Poland wins the 2026 FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League, held in Ningbo, China, defeating the United States 3–2 in the final.
August 7 – Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey sign the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, a mutual defence pact, amid the 2026 Iran war.
August 10 – A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes Colombia, killing 240 and injuring over 1,248 people.
Prosecution of Syrian civil war criminals: A court in Damascus sentences nine Syrian former officials, including ousted president Bashar al-Assad; his brother Maher; his defense minister Fahd Jassem al-Freij; and Atef Najib, former head of the Political Security Directorate in Daraa and Assad's first cousin, to death for premeditated murder, torture and crimes against humanity committed during the Syrian civil war. Except for Najib, all the others were tried in absentia.
A ferry capsizing on Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe, kills at least 97 people, becoming the deadliest boat disaster in the country's history.
August 12 – A total solar eclipse occurs in parts of Europe, the first in continental Europe since 1999.
August 13 – 2026 Zambian general election: Incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema wins reelection, and the UPND wins a majority in the National Assembly.
August 15 – At least 103 people are killed and nearly 1,300 injured when a magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes the island of Flores, Indonesia.
August 18 – 2026 Zamboye mine collapse: More than 100 people are killed in a landslide at an artisanal gold mining site in Zamboye, Nana-Mambéré, Central African Republic, near the border with Cameroon.
August 20 – Rojava Revolution: The Syrian Democratic Forces announces its integration into the Syrian Army, resulting in the dissolution of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria in favor of the Syrian government under Ahmed al-Sharaa.
August 23 – 2026 Kazakh legislative election: Pro-Tokayev party Ädilet wins a supermajority in the newly established Kurultai.
August 24 – Aftermath of the Syrian civil war: The US removes Syria and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham from its list of designated state sponsors of terrorism, lifting restrictions on foreign investments in the country and allowing services like VISA to work in Syria. Syria has been on the list since 1979.
August 26 – 2026 Nepal floods: At least 1,000 people are killed and nearly 4,500 reported missing in Tibet Autonomous Region after a flash flood strikes between Tibet and Nepal.
August 28 – King Harald V of Norway dies and is succeeded by his son, King Haakon VIII.
2026 Icelandic European Union membership negotiations referendum: A referendum to continue negotiations for Iceland to join the European Union is rejected.
2026 Nigerien coup attempt: A mutinous faction of the Niger Armed Forces called the Armed Forces for the Restoration of the Fatherland attempt a coup against president Abdourahamane Tiani.
August 30 – NASA launches the flagship Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Designed to study dark energy, dark matter and exoplanets, the observatory has a field of view at least 100 times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope's.
September
September 2 – The 2026 Estonian presidential election is held.
Predicted and scheduled events
September 413 – The 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup is scheduled to be held in Berlin, Germany.
September 527 – The 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup is scheduled to be held in Łódź, Katowice, Sosnowiec, and Bielsko-Biała, Poland.
September 8 – The Eighty-First session of the United Nations General Assembly is scheduled to be held.
September 13 – The 2026 Swedish general election is scheduled to be held.
September 18–20 – The 2026 Russian legislative election is scheduled to be held.
September 19October 4 – The 2026 Asian Games is scheduled to take place around Aichi Prefecture in Japan.
September 23 – The 2026 Moroccan general election is scheduled to be held.
September 27 – The 2026 São Toméan parliamentary election is scheduled to be held.
October 3 – The 2026 Latvian parliamentary election is scheduled to be held.
The 2026 Brazilian general election is scheduled to be held.
The 2026 Bosnian general election is scheduled to be held.
October 24 – The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is scheduled to be held in Attard, Malta.
The 2026 Bulgarian presidential election is scheduled to be held.
If not triggered earlier, the 2026 Serbian parliamentary election will occur no later than this date.
October 27 – The 2026 Israeli legislative election is scheduled to be held.
October 31–November 13 – The 2026 Summer Youth Olympics will be held in Dakar, Senegal.
November 3 – The 2026 United States elections will be held.
November 7 – The 2026 New Zealand general election is scheduled to be held.
November 10–12 – The 2026 ASEAN Summit is scheduled to be held in the Philippines.
November 14 – The inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia is scheduled to be held in Bangkok, Thailand.
November 15 – Voyager 1 will be one light-day from Earth.
November 15 – The 2026 Cape Verdean presidential election is scheduled to be held.
November 28 – The 2026 Palestinian legislative election is scheduled to be held.
December 320 – The 2026 European Women's Handball Championship is scheduled to be held in the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey.
December 5 – The 2026 Gambian presidential election is scheduled to be held.
The 2026 Guinea-Bissau general election is scheduled to be held.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is scheduled to be held.
December 13 – The 2026 Haitian general election is scheduled to be held.
December 22 – The 2026 South Sudanese general election is scheduled to be held, the first since the country's independence in 2011.
See also
References
External links