في عام 2022، كان 45% من سكان العالم يعيشون في ظل "شكل من أشكال الديمقراطية"، بينما لم تتجاوز نسبة من يعيشون في "ديمقراطيات كاملة" 8%. [ 18 ] يُشير هذا الرقم إلى تراجع الديمقراطية العالمية منذ نهاية القرن العشرين، حيث تشهد دولٌ عديدة تراجعًا ديمقراطيًا . وتُقدّر الأمم المتحدة أن ثلثي سكان العالم سيعيشون في المدن بحلول عام 2050. [ 19 ]
يوجد اختلاف في الآراء حول كيفية نطق سنوات محددة من القرن الحادي والعشرين باللغة الإنجليزية. وقد أشار أكاديميون إلى أن السنوات الأولى من القرون السابقة كانت تُنطق عادةً، على سبيل المثال، "ثمانية عشر وخمسة" (لعام ١٨٠٥) و"تسعة عشر وخمسة" (لعام ١٩٠٥). [ ٣٠ ] عمومًا، كانت السنوات الأولى من القرن الحادي والعشرين تُنطق "ألفان وخمسة"، مع حدوث تغيير في النطق حوالي عام ٢٠١٠، حيث تراوحت طرق النطق بين صيغة السنوات الأولى "ألفان وعشرة" والصيغة الأكثر اختصارًا "عشرون وعشرة".
كانت دورة الألعاب الأولمبية في فانكوفر ، التي أقيمت في كندا عام 2010، تُشار إليها رسميًا من قبل منظمي دورة فانكوفر 2010 باسم "أولمبياد العشرة".
مجتمع
شهدت تقنيات مثل الموجات فوق الصوتية ، والحوسبة السحابية ، والفحص الجيني قبل الولادة ، والهندسة الوراثية تطورًا ملحوظًا. وبسبب الإجهاض الانتقائي للجنس ، انخفض عدد المواليد الإناث في القرن الحادي والعشرين (ومنذ أوائل ثمانينيات القرن الماضي) مقارنةً بالقرون الماضية، ويعود ذلك في الغالب إلى تفضيل الذكور في شرق وجنوب آسيا. ففي عام 2014، لم تتجاوز نسبة المواليد الإناث في الهند 47%. [ 31 ] وقد أدى ذلك إلى زيادة عدد العزاب في دول مثل الصين والهند. وفي نوفمبر 2018، وُلد أول طفلين معدلين وراثيًا في الصين ، وسط جدل واسع ، مُدشنًا بذلك حقبة بيولوجية جديدة للبشرية. [ 32 ]
أصبحت الاتصالات في أوائل القرن الحادي والعشرين أكثر تطوراً وانتشاراً بكثير مما كانت عليه في أواخر القرن العشرين. ففي أواخر التسعينيات، لم تتجاوز نسبة مستخدمي الإنترنت ومستخدمي الهواتف المحمولة في العالم نسبة ضئيلة ، بينما بلغت هذه النسبة 67% بحلول عام 2023، [ 23 ] و78% من الأشخاص الذين تبلغ أعمارهم 10 سنوات فأكثر يمتلكون هواتف محمولة. [ 41 ] وفي العقد الثاني من الألفية، ازداد انتشار الذكاء الاصطناعي ، ولا سيما التعلم العميق والتعلم الآلي ، وفي أوائل العقد الثالث من الألفية، مع ظهور الذكاء الاصطناعي التوليدي ، بدأت طفرة الذكاء الاصطناعي. وبحلول عام 2022، كان 8.6% من سكان العالم لا يزالون يفتقرون إلى الكهرباء. [ 42 ]
لا يزال الفقر منتشراً على نطاق واسع عالمياً، لكن عدد الأشخاص الذين يعيشون في أشد أشكال الفقر قسوة قد انخفض. ففي عام 1990، كان 37.9% من سكان العالم يعيشون في فقر مدقع ؛ وبحلول عام 2022، انخفضت هذه النسبة إلى 9% فقط. [ 48 ]
عدد سكان العالم المتوقع بحلول عام 2100 بناءً على سيناريو الأمم المتحدة المتوسط للسكان.
بلغ عدد سكان العالم حوالي 6.1 مليار نسمة في بداية القرن الحادي والعشرين، ووصل إلى 8 مليارات نسمة بحلول نوفمبر 2022. وتشير التقديرات إلى أنه سيصل إلى ما يقرب من 8.6 مليار نسمة بحلول عام 2030، [ 49 ] و9.8 مليار نسمة بحلول عام 2050. ووفقًا لتوقعات الأمم المتحدة بشأن التوسع الحضري العالمي، من المتوقع أن يعيش 60% من سكان العالم في المدن الكبرى والمدن العملاقة بحلول عام 2030، و70% بحلول عام 2050، و90% بحلول عام 2080. [ 50 ]
Climate change remains a serious concern; United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, for instance, has described it as an "existential threat" to humanity.[53] Furthermore, the Holocene extinction event, the sixth-most significant extinction event in the Earth's history, continues with the widespread degradation of highly biodiverse habitats as a by-product of human activity.[54]
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are decentralized currencies that are not controlled by any central bank. These currencies are increasing in popularity worldwide due to the expanding availability of the internet and are mainly used as a store of value.
There is an ongoing impact of technological unemployment due to automation and computerization: the rate at which jobs are disappearing—due to machines replacing them—is expected to escalate.[56] Automation alters the number of jobs and the skills demands of industries. As of 2019, the production output of first world nations' manufacturing sectors was doubled when compared to 1984 output; but it is now produced with one-third fewer workers and at significantly reduced operating costs.[57] Half of all jobs with requirements lower than a bachelor's degree are currently in the process of being replaced with partial- or full-automation.[58]
The World Economic Forum forecasted in 2018 that 65% of children entering primary school will end up in jobs or careers that currently do not yet exist.[59]
A rise in the retirement age has been called for in view of an increase in life expectancy and has been put in place in many jurisdictions.[60][61]
التنوع اللغوي
حتى عام 2009، أحصت موسوعة إثنولوج 6909 لغة بشرية حية. [ 62 ] ويتراوح العدد الدقيق للغات الحية المعروفة بين 5000 و10000 لغة، ويعتمد ذلك عمومًا على دقة تعريف "اللغة"، وعلى وجه الخصوص، على كيفية تصنيف اللهجات .
تُعدّ اللغات العشرون الأكثر شيوعاً، والتي يتحدث بها أكثر من 50 مليون شخص لكل منها، لغةً يتحدث بها 50% من سكان العالم. في المقابل، يتحدث العديد من اللغات الأخرى مجتمعات صغيرة، معظمها لا يتجاوز عدد متحدثيها 10,000 شخص. [ 63 ]
1998-2003 - استمرت حرب الكونغو الثانية حتى مطلع القرن الحادي والعشرين. سرعان ما انهار وقف إطلاق النار الذي أُبرم عام 1999، وعجزت بعثة الأمم المتحدة لحفظ السلام في جمهورية الكونغو الديمقراطية (مونوسكو ) عن السيطرة على القتال. واصلت قوات من رواندا وأوغندا دعم الجماعات المتمردة ضد جمهورية الكونغو الديمقراطية ، وتفاقمت الخلافات بين البلدين حيث تبادلا الاتهامات بدعم جماعات متمردة منافسة. اغتيل لوران كابيلا ، رئيس جمهورية الكونغو الديمقراطية، في يناير/كانون الثاني 2001، وتولى ابنه جوزيف كابيلا السلطة. خلال عام 2002، اتُخذت خطوات نحو السلام، وسحبت رواندا وأوغندا قواتهما من البلاد. في 17 ديسمبر/كانون الأول 2002، أنهت معاهدة ضخمة الحرب رسميًا. مع ذلك، لا تزال جمهورية الكونغو الديمقراطية تسيطر على أقل من نصف أراضيها، حيث لا تزال معظم المناطق الشرقية والشمالية تحت سيطرة الجماعات المتمردة، التي لا تزال تشهد اقتتالًا داخليًا كبيرًا. إضافة إلى ذلك، لا تزال رواندا تدعم المتمردين المناهضين لجمهورية الكونغو الديمقراطية، ويواصل المتمردون المناهضون لرواندا عملياتهم انطلاقًا من جمهورية الكونغو الديمقراطية. أسفرت الحرب عن مقتل ما يقدر بنحو 3.9 مليون شخص، وتشريد نحو 5.5 مليون، وأدت إلى مجاعة واسعة النطاق ومستمرة لا تزال تتسبب في وفيات. ولا تزال تُسجّل انتهاكات جسيمة لحقوق الإنسان. [ 64 ]
2000-2005 - الانتفاضة الثانية ، وهي انتفاضة فلسطينية كبرى ضد إسرائيل ، تشير التقديرات إلى أنها أدت إلى مقتل ما يقرب من 3000 فلسطيني و 1000 إسرائيلي.
اليورو هو العملة الرسمية المعتمدة في دول منطقة اليورو . [ 66 ] وقد توقفت العملات السابقة لجميع الدول التي تستخدم اليورو عن كونها عملة قانونية في 28 فبراير . [ 67 ]
4 فبراير - تم تغيير اسم جمهورية يوغوسلافيا الاتحادية إلى "صربيا والجبل الأسود" (نسبة إلى دولتيها المكونتين) بعد أن أعاد قادتها تشكيل البلاد في اتحاد فضفاض بين الجبل الأسود وصربيا ، منهين بذلك استخدام اسم "يوغوسلافيا" من قبل دولة ذات سيادة لمدة 73 عامًا.
2003-2020 - في 26 فبراير/شباط 2003، اندلع نزاع في دارفور ، السودان ، وتصاعد إلى حرب شاملة . وبحلول عام 2008، تشير التقديرات إلى مقتل ما يصل إلى 400 ألف شخص وتشريد أكثر من 2.5 مليون. في عام 2005، قررت المحكمة الجنائية الدولية محاكمة مجرمي حرب دارفور، وفي 14 يوليو/تموز 2008، وُجهت إلى الرئيس السوداني عمر البشير خمس تهم بارتكاب جرائم ضد الإنسانية وتهمتين بارتكاب جرائم حرب، على الرغم من أن المحكمة الجنائية الدولية لم تكن تملك صلاحية إنفاذ مثل هذه التهم. انتهت الحرب بتوقيع اتفاقية سلام في 31 أغسطس/آب 2020.
2003-2010 - غزا التحالف بقيادة الولايات المتحدة العراق في 20 مارس/آذار 2003، وأطاح بحكومة صدام حسين (الذي أعدمته الحكومة العراقية في 30 ديسمبر/كانون الأول 2006). وبقيت قوات التحالف في البلاد لإقامة حكومة ديمقراطية ومكافحة التمرد المتصاعد. وإلى جانب التمرد ضد الوجود الأمريكي، عانى العراق أيضاً من حرب أهلية استمرت لسنوات عديدة. وسرعان ما اعتبرت العديد من الحكومات هذه الحرب الجبهة المركزية للحرب على الإرهاب، على الرغم من تزايد السخط الدولي عليها. وقُدّر إجمالي عدد القتلى بنحو 150 ألف قتيل، إلا أن هذه التقديرات محل خلاف كبير، حيث تشير إحدى الدراسات المثيرة للجدل إلى أن العدد تجاوز المليون قتيل. [ 82 ] وبعد أن بدأ التحالف بقيادة الولايات المتحدة زيادة قواته في عام 2007، انخفضت أعداد الضحايا بشكل ملحوظ. وانتهى القتال، على الأقل رسمياً، في أغسطس/آب 2010.
في الأول من سبتمبر ، اقتحمت مجموعة من المتمردين الشيشان مدرسة في بيسلان ، واحتجزوا آلاف الرهائن لمدة ثلاثة أيام. أسفرت سلسلة من عمليات إطلاق النار والتفجيرات عن مقتل 334 شخصًا وإصابة 750 آخرين.
في 12 يوليو / تموز، عبر حزب الله الحدود اللبنانية وأسر جنديين إسرائيليين. وردّت إسرائيل بإرسال قوات عبر الحدود وقصف معاقل حزب الله، بينما أطلق حزب الله صواريخ على بلدات في شمال إسرائيل، بمعدل ستة صواريخ يوميًا تقريبًا. في نهاية الحرب، قُتل 1200 مدني لبناني، و500 مقاتل من حزب الله، و44 مدنيًا إسرائيليًا، و121 جنديًا إسرائيليًا. وُقّع اتفاق وقف إطلاق النار في 14 أغسطس/آب ، وبعدها انسحبت القوات الإسرائيلية من لبنان.
في الفترة من 26 إلى 29 نوفمبر، تعرضت مومباي ، العاصمة المالية للهند ، لهجوم شنه عشرة إرهابيين باكستانيين ينتمون إلى جماعة لشكر طيبة ، ما أسفر عن مقتل 175 شخصًا (بمن فيهم تسعة من المهاجمين). ألقت شرطة مومباي القبض على أحد المسلحين، ويدعى أجمل أمير قصاب ، وأعدمته في 21 نوفمبر 2012.
25 يونيو - توفي نجم البوب الأمريكي مايكل جاكسون عن عمر يناهز الخمسين عاماً. أثار رحيله موجة من الحزن العالمي؛ وأدت ردود الفعل على الإنترنت إلى شلّ العديد من المواقع والخدمات الرئيسية، حيث دفع العدد الهائل من الأشخاص الذين دخلوا إلى عناوين الويب حركة مرور الإنترنت إلى مستويات غير مسبوقة وتاريخية. [ 104 ]
تسمح إيران بعمليات تفتيش دولية على سياستها النووية مقابل رفع العقوبات والحق في إنتاج كمية صغيرة من اليورانيوم المخصب منخفض الدرجة، مما يمثل سياسة جديدة واضحة تجاه الأمم المتحدة في عهد رئاسة حسن روحاني .
في السابع من يناير /كانون الثاني، ارتكب مسلحان، الشقيقان سعيد وشريف كواشي، مجزرة جماعية في مكاتب صحيفة شارلي إيبدو في باريس ، أسفرت عن مقتل 12 شخصًا. وعقب الهجوم، اجتمع نحو مليوني شخص، من بينهم أكثر من 40 من قادة العالم، في باريس في مسيرة للتضامن الوطني ، وانضم 3.7 مليون شخص إلى المظاهرات في جميع أنحاء البلاد. وأصبح شعار " أنا شارلي" شعارًا شائعًا للدعم في المسيرات وعلى وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي.
في الانتخابات العامة لجمهورية الصين (تايوان) ، حقق الحزب الديمقراطي التقدمي، بقيادة تساي إنغ-وين ، أغلبية في مجلس اليوان التشريعي، مما أدى إلى أول أغلبية يحققها حزب غير تابع للحزب الوطني الصيني (الكومينتانغ)، وأول أغلبية يحققها الحزب الديمقراطي التقدمي. أصبحت تساي الرئيسة الرابعة عشرة لتايوان ، وأول امرأة تتولى منصب رئيسة الصين. [ 116 ]
في 27 يناير /كانون الثاني، وقّع الرئيس الأمريكي دونالد ترامب أمرًا تنفيذيًا يقيد السفر والهجرة من سبع دول ذات أغلبية مسلمة. وقد أوقفت المحاكم الفيدرالية الأمريكية تنفيذ هذا الأمر ، كما أوقفت المحاكم الفيدرالية أمرًا ثانيًا ذا صلة أصدره ترامب. وفي يونيو/حزيران، رفعت المحكمة العليا جزئيًا قرار إيقاف الأمر الثاني، وأعلنت أنها ستعيد النظر في الأمر في أكتوبر/تشرين الأول.
في 31 مارس ، عرض هوراسيو كارتيس على الكونغرس خططه للسماح بإعادة انتخاب رئيس باراغواي لولاية ثانية، مخالفًا بذلك دستور باراغواي ، مما أدى إلى أزمة سياسية انتهت باقتحام نشطاء ليبراليين للكونغرس واغتيال رودريغو كينتانا على يد الشرطة. بعد ذلك، صوّت الكونغرس ضد مشروع إعادة الانتخاب. [ 122 ]
تم توقيع اتفاقية الشراكة الاقتصادية الإقليمية الشاملة (RCEP) من قبل 15 دولة من منطقة آسيا والمحيط الهادئ لتشكيل أكبر كتلة للتجارة الحرة في العالم، والتي تغطي ثلث سكان العالم.
12 ديسمبر - في قمة المناخ COP28 في دبي ، تم التوصل إلى توافق في الآراء بين الدول "للانتقال تدريجياً" من الوقود الأحفوري، وهو أول اتفاق من نوعه في تاريخ المؤتمر الممتد لـ 30 عاماً.
أعلنت إثيوبيا عن اتفاقية مع أرض الصومال لاستخدام ميناء بربرة . كما صرّحت إثيوبيا بأنها ستعترف في نهاية المطاف باستقلال أرض الصومال ، لتصبح بذلك أول دولة تفعل ذلك.
أطلقت شركة أستروبوتيك تكنولوجي بالتعاون مع وكالة ناسا أول مركبة هبوط تجارية على سطح القمر. وبعد سبع ساعات من الإطلاق، حال خللٌ دون استقرار المركبة في اتجاهها بسبب مشاكل في نظام الدفع، مما أدى إلى فقدان كمية كبيرة من الوقود وإلغاء مهمة الهبوط على سطح القمر.
نالت بعض الأقاليم والدول استقلالها خلال القرن الحادي والعشرين. هذه قائمة بالدول ذات السيادة التي نالت استقلالها في القرن الحادي والعشرين واعترفت بها الأمم المتحدة .
ضرب إعصار عنيف المناطق المحيطة بمدينة إل رينو في ولاية أوكلاهوما . [ 293 ] رصد رادار دوبلر الجوي المتنقل RaXPol التابع لجامعة أوكلاهوما ، والمثبت على جسر علوي قريب، رياحًا بلغت سرعتها الأولية، وفقًا للتحليل، أكثر من 476 كيلومترًا في الساعة (296 ميلًا في الساعة) . وتُعتبر هذه الرياح ثاني أعلى سرعة رياح تم قياسها على مستوى العالم، وهي قريبة جدًا من سرعة 486 ± 35 كيلومترًا في الساعة (302 ± 22 ميلًا في الساعة) التي سُجلت خلال إعصار بريدج كريك-مور عام 1999. [ 294 ] [ 295 ]
استمرت الثورة الرقمية حتى أوائل القرن الحادي والعشرين مع نمو استخدام الهواتف المحمولة واستخدام الإنترنت العالمي بشكل هائل، وأصبح متاحًا لعدد أكبر من الناس، مع المزيد من التطبيقات وسرعات أعلى.
زلزال غوجارات 2001 - تسبب زلزال ضرب ولاية غوجارات في الهند في 26 يناير 2001 في مقتل ما يقرب من 20000 شخص.
زلزال السلفادور في يناير 2001 - ضرب زلزال بقوة 7.9 درجة السلفادور بأكملها في 13 يناير 2001، مما تسبب في انهيار أرضي مدمر، أسفر عن مقتل المئات وإصابة الآلاف وتشريد الكثيرين. وبعد شهر، في 13 فبراير 2001، تعرضت البلاد لزلزال ثانٍ بقوة 6.7 درجة.
موجة الحر الأوروبية عام 2003 - قُتل ما يقرب من 70 ألف شخص في جميع أنحاء أوروبا في موجة حر استمرت طوال فصل الصيف.
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami – On 26 December 2004, a massive undersea earthquake resulted in a massive tsunami striking southeast Asia killing approximately 230,000.
2005 Hurricane Katrina – The hurricane killed 1,836 in southeast Louisiana and Mississippi (mostly in New Orleans) and South Florida. A significant portion of the city, most of which sits below sea level, was submerged. Damages reached US$81.5 billion, making Katrina the costliest tropical cyclone ever recorded in the U.S.
2008 Cyclone Nargis – lead to catastrophic storm surge, leading to a death toll in excess of 100,000 and making millions homeless.
2008 Sichuan earthquake – An earthquake between 7.9 and 8.0-magnitude struck Sichuan, China, on 12 May 2008, killing 68,712, with 17,921 missing.
2009 Black Saturday bushfires – The Black Saturday bushfires were a series of bushfires that ignited or were burning across the Australian state of Victoria, Australia on and around Saturday, 7 February 2009. The fires occurred during extreme bushfire-weather conditions and resulted in Australia's highest ever loss of life from a bushfire; 173 people died and 414 were injured.
2009 L'Aquila earthquake – A 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes near L'Aquila (Italy) on 6 April 2009, one of the worst in Italian history. 308 were pronounced dead and more than 65,000 were made homeless.
2010 Haiti earthquake – At least 230,000 are killed in Haiti after a massive earthquake on 12 January 2010. Three million people were made homeless.
2010 Chile earthquake – A massive earthquake, magnitude 8.8, strikes the central Chilean coast on 27 February 2010.
2010 Yushu earthquake – A large 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the Yushu region of China in Qinghai near Tibet, on 14 April 2010, killing over 2,200 people.
2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull – A massive ash cloud is formed by the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull, on 14 April 2010, grounding flights across northwest Europe. Scientists began recording volcanic activity there in 2009 which increased through March 2010 culminating in the second phase eruption in April.
2010 Pakistan floods – Began in July 2010 after record heavy monsoon rains. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan was worst affected. At least 1,600 people were killed, thousands were rendered homeless, and more than thirteen million people were affected.[309][310][311][312][313] Estimates from rescue service officials suggest the death toll may reach 3,000 victims.[314]
2011 Queensland floods – Began in December 2010 primarily in Queensland. The flood causes thousands of people to evacuate. At least 200,000 people were affected by the flood. The flood continued throughout January 2011 in Queensland, and the estimated reduction in Australia's GDP is about A$30 billion.
Cyclone Yasi – A category 5 (Australian Scale) cyclone hits North Queensland with winds as strong as 290km/h (197 miles/hr) and devastates the residents of North Queensland.
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami – On 11 March 2011, a catastrophic undersea earthquake of magnitude 9.0 occurred offshore of eastern Japan, the greatest in the country's history and created a massive tsunami which killed 15,894; it also triggered the Fukushima I nuclear accidents. The overall cost for the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accidents reached up to US$235 billion, making it the costliest natural disaster on record.
2011 Super Outbreak – Regarded as the deadliest tornado outbreak ever recorded, a catastrophic tornado outbreak on 25–28 April affected the Southern United States and killed over 330 people, most of whom were in or from Alabama. Damages are expected to be near or over $10 billion.
2011 Joplin tornado – On 22 May 2011, a devastating EF5 tornado struck Joplin, Missouri, resulting in 159 casualties, making it the deadliest tornado to hit the United States since 1947.
2013 Bohol earthquake – An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 that killed 22 people and destroyed a total worth of ₱2.25 billion,
Typhoon Haiyan 2013 – kills more than 6,000 people in central Philippines. Considered to be one of the strongest storms ever, it brought major damage and loss of life to the Philippines, especially the islands of Leyte and Samar. A worldwide humanitarian effort began in the aftermath of the typhoon.
April 2015 Nepal earthquake – An earthquake of 7.8 magnitude kills almost 9,000 people, injures another 22,000 and leaves nearly 3 million people homeless in Central Nepal. The earthquake was so strong it was felt in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
2016 Taiwan earthquake – An earthquake of 6.4 magnitude kills 117 people, injures 550, and 4 people were left missing. The earthquake resulted in 3 executives of the Weiguan developer being arrested under charges of professional negligence resulting in death.
2018 Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami – A shallow, large earthquake struck in the neck of the Minahasa Peninsula, Indonesia, with its epicentre located in the mountainous Donggala Regency, Central Sulawesi. The magnitude 7.5 quake was located 70km (43mi) away from the provincial capital Palu and was felt as far away as Samarinda on East Kalimantan and also in Tawau, Malaysia.
2020s
Unprecedented flooding displaces millions and threatens famine in Sudan and South Sudan in 2020–2021.[318][319]
On 12 January 2020, the Taal Volcano erupted for the first time in 43 years.
At least 20 people are killed in 2021 Henan floods in China after heavy rainfall (at least 20c per hour) exacerbated by the approach of Typhoon In-fa breaks existing records.
The 2021 European floods kill over 188 people and devastate Belgium, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Croatia, Switzerland, Italy and Luxemburg. Floods in Germany prove to be the deadliest since the North Sea Flood of 1962.
In September 2022, Hurricane Ian hit the west coast of Florida as a Category 4 Atlantic hurricane, becoming the deadliest hurricane to hit Florida since the 1935 Labor Day hurricane.
Towards the end of the month of September 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida at category 4 strength, causing catastrophic damage. Towards the end of its life, Helene hit the states of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, becoming the fifth costliest tropical storm on record with estimates up to $78.7 billion (in 2024 USD).
In October 2025, Hurricane Melissa, after peaking as one of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes on record, with winds up to 190mph (305km/h) and a pressure of 892 mbar, tying Hurricane Allen with the most intense windspeeds in the Atlantic, made landfall as the most intense hurricane to ever hit Jamaica, with winds up to 185mph (295km/h) and a pressure of 897 mbar, killing 95 people in total, and an estimated $8.82 billion in damages.
Human-made disasters
Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling unit in the Gulf of Mexico on fire in 2010
On 27 July 2002, a Sukhoi Su-27 fighter crashes at an air show in Ukraine, killing 77 and injuring more than 100, making it the worst air show disaster in history.
The Black Saturday bushfires – the deadliest bushfires in Australian history took place across the Australianstate of Victoria on 7 February 2009, during extreme bushfire-weather conditions, resulting in 173 people killed, more than 500 injured, and around 7,500 homeless. The fires came after Melbourne recorded the highest-ever temperature (46.4°C, 115°F) of any capital city in Australia. The majority of the fires were ignited by either fallen or clashing power lines or deliberately lit.
On 10 April 2010, Polish President Lech Kaczyński, his wife and 94 other people, including dozens of government officials, are killed in a plane crash.
On 20 April 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig, operating in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana, left eleven crewmen dead and resulted in a fire that sank the rig and caused a massive-scale oil spill[320] that may become one of the worst environmental disasters in United States history.[321] On 18 June 2010, oceanographer John Kessler said that the crude gushing from the well contains 40 percent methane, compared to about 5 percent found in typical oil deposits. Methane is a natural gas that could potentially suffocate marine life and create "dead zones" where oxygen is so depleted that nothing lives. "This is the most vigorous methane eruption in modern human history", Kessler said.[322] On 20 June an internal BP document was released by Congress revealing that BP estimated the flow could be as much as 100,000 barrels (4,200,000 US gallons; 16,000 cubic metres) per day under the circumstances that existed since 20 April blowout.[323][324]
Several epidemics and pandemics have defined the early century. In 2013, an epidemic of the Ebola Virus began in West Africa. After cases reached their peak in October 2014[325] and the epidemic was over by 2016,[326] the infection count had reached 28,646 cases and 11,323 deaths – an extraordinarily high case-fatality rate (40%).[327]
There have been two epidemics and pandemics involving severe acute respiratory syndrome: the 2002–2004 outbreak with the variant SARS-CoV-1 that began in China, leading to 8,000 infections and 774 deaths worldwide;[328] and in 2020, the virus strain SARS-CoV-2 caused an outbreak of the coronavirus disease.[329] Its societal impacts were numerous: lockdowns were imposed, which contributed to economic stagnation.[330] The death toll from the pandemic could be as high as 33 million,[331] and it is widely considered to be in the top five deadliest pandemics. Modern medical advancements and superior hygiene prevented the pandemic from being any deadlier than it was, and the pandemic was over by 2023. No other epidemic or pandemic in the century compared to the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of mortality or societal impact. Nonetheless, other epidemics and pandemics in the century included the worldwide 2009 swine flu pandemic, an uptick in global H1N1 influenza cases.[332] The pandemic resulted in possibly up to 1.4 billion cases and 284,000 deaths.[333][334]
In the early 2010s the European debt crisis caused major effects on European politics and contributing to power shifts and the introduction of austerity policies in different countries.
The recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic forced many governments and economic sectors to heavily invest and restructure, especially through widespread introduction of remote work.
Economic restructuring was pursued in many economies due to global climate change.
Sports
Association football is the most popular sport worldwide with the FIFA World Cup being the most viewed football event. Other sports such as rugby, cricket, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, tennis, and golf are popular globally. In cricket, the emergence of the Twenty20 format and the creation of the Indian Premier League led to changes in the nature of the sport. American swimmer Michael Phelps won an Olympic record setting 8 Gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Quarterback Tom Brady played in 10 Super Bowls, the most ever.
In the National Football League, the New England Patriots were the dominant franchise of the first two decades of the 21st century, winning six Super Bowls between their first, in 2001, and their most recent, in 2018 and appearing in an additional three others. Head Coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady led the team during the stretch, with Brady also leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to an additional Super Bowl following the 2020 season. Other teams with multiple Super Bowl appearances over that time period include the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, and Carolina Panthers. Besides Brady, who also won three Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player Award (MVP), other highly recognized players include quarterback Peyton Manning, who won five MVP awards, the most in history, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers who won three MVPs, who in 2011 set the NFL record for season passer rating. Successful offensive players at other positions include wide receiver Randy Moss, who set the record for most receiving touchdowns in a season with 23 in 2007, wide receiver Michael Thomas, who set the NFL record for most receptions in a season with 149 in 2019, tight end Rob Gronkowski, who became the first tight end to lead the league in receiving touchdowns in 2011, and running back Adrian Peterson, who set the all-time NFL record for rushing yards in a game with 296 in 2007, his rookie year. Key defensive players of the century include safety Ed Reed, who led the league in interceptions three times, linebacker Ray Lewis, who set the career tackles record when he retired in 2012, and linebacker J. J. Watt, who is the only player to record more than 20 quarterback sacks in two different seasons.
In American college football, the sport saw the creation of the College Football Playoff, the first playoff for NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, the highest level of college football in the U.S. The series was dominated by two teams, the Clemson Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide, at least one of which has played in every Playoff since its inception in 2014 and between them have won all but one of said championships. Prior to 2014, the method of determining the champion was done via the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), a single championship game that attempted to match the top two teams in the country using a series of polls and computer rankings to choose the top two teams. In the BCS era, the top teams were Alabama, which won three BCS Championships, and Florida State, LSU, and Oklahoma, which won two BCS Championships each. Nick Saban, who led both LSU and Alabama to one and seven national championships respectively, was the most dominant coach of his era, while quarterbacks dominated the Heisman Trophy, winning 16 of 20 during the first two decades of the 21st century. Several controversies over the payment of athletes dominated the sport, with Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush being forced to return his award over receiving improper benefits while maintaining amateur status, while officials and media continued to debate the possibility of paying athletes at all levels of college athletics.
In Canadian football, the league opened the 21st century facing an uncertain financial future, suffering from the failures of the experiment of trying to field Canadian football teams in the United States and having to contract a large number of teams at the end of the 20th century. The league fluctuated between eight and nine teams as two different Ottawa-based franchises failed during the first decade of the 21st century. The league found stability during the 2010s, and showed surprising parity between the teams, with all nine teams appearing in at least one Grey Cup during the 2000s and 2010s, and with only the Montreal Alouettes winning back-to-back titles during those two decades, in 2009 and 2010. Quarterback Anthony Calvillo of the Alouettes was the face of the league during his career, winning three Most Outstanding Player Awards and setting several passing records in the process.
Golf
Tiger Woods was the most successful male golfer of the first two decades of the 21st century.
The 2002 Ryder Cup was won by Europe 15 and a half to the USA's 12 and a half.
The 2004 Ryder Cup was won by Europe 18 and a half to the USA's 9 and a half.
The 2006 Ryder Cup was won by Europe again 18 and a half to the USA's 9 and a half.
The 2008 Ryder Cup was won by the USA 16 and a half to Europe's 11 and a half.
The 2010 Ryder Cup was won by Europe 14 and a half to the USA's 13 and a half.
The 2012 Ryder Cup was won by Europe 14 and a half to the USA's 13 and a half.
The 2014 Ryder Cup was won by Europe 16 and a half to the USA's 11 and a half.
Michael Schumacher broke many records in the first few years of the century, including the record for most races won (91), most World Championships (7), and most pole positions (68) by the time he retired in 2006. In 2010, he announced his comeback to Formula One after three years out of the sport, retiring again in 2012.
Sebastian Vettel broke numerous records on his way to becoming Formula One's youngest ever world champion, in 2010 at age 23, and then the youngest ever double world champion, in 2011 at age 24.
Sébastien Loeb became the most successful rally driver ever, winning the World Rally Championship a record 9 consecutive times between 2004 and 2012. He also set new records for the most wins, podium finishes and points scored.
Casey Stoner won his second MotoGP world title (2007 and 2011), and announced his retirement from the sport at just 27 years of age, citing disagreement with the direction of the sport and a desire to spend more time with his family. His retirement became effective at the end of the 2012 MotoGP season. Stoner has won every MotoGP-branded race at least once.
Roger Federer won 20 Grand Slam titles (6 Australian Opens, 1 French Open, 8 Wimbledons, and 5 US Opens) to surpass Pete Sampras' record of 14.
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic each completed a Career Grand Slam, winning the singles championships in the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open; Nadal also won the Olympic Singles gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics to complete a Golden Career Slam.
At the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut completed the longest tennis match ever. Isner won 6–4, 3–6, 6–7(7), 7–6(3), 70–68.
In 2019, Rafael Nadal became the first male player to win a single Grand Slam tournament (French Open) 12 times.
Tennis (Women)
Serena Williams won 23 Grand Slam titles (7 Australian Opens, 3 French Opens, 7 Wimbledons, and 6 US Opens) in the 21st century, to add to her 1999 US Open title. Including a 2017 Australian Open win whilst 8 weeks pregnant
Maria Sharapova became the first female Russian player to reach No.1 on 22 August 2005. She also retired in 2020.
China's Li Na won the 2011 French Open, becoming the first player, male or female, from that country to win a Grand Slam.
At the beginning of the century, the compact disc (CD) was the standard form of music media, but alternative forms of music media started to take its place such as music downloading and online streaming. A resurgence in sales of vinyl records in the 2010s was driven by record collectors and audiophiles who prefer the sound of analog vinyl records to digital recordings. In 2020, for the first time since the 1980s, vinyl surpassed CDs as the primary form of physical media for consumers of music, though both were still surpassed by online streaming, which by the 2020s became the predominant way that people consumed music.[337] As of 2024, the most active music streaming services were YouTube (2 billion monthly music users, 100 million premium subscribers), Spotify (615 million monthly users, 239 million premium subscribers), Tencent Music (576 million monthly users, 106.7 million premium subscribers), NetEase Cloud Music (205.9 million monthly users, 44.1 million premium subscribers), Gaana (185 million monthly users), SoundCloud (175 million monthly users), JioSaavn (100 million monthly users), and Apple Music (60 million subscribers).[338]
Television
As with music, the story of the first three decades of the 21st century was the growth of streaming television services in competition with older forms of television, such as Terrestrial television, cable television, and satellite television. The first major company to dominate the streaming service market was Netflix, which began as a DVD-delivery service in the late 1990s, transitioned into an online media streaming platform initially focused on delivering content produced by studios, then began to produce its own content, beginning with the popular and critically acclaimed series House of Cards in 2013. Netflix's success encouraged the creation of numerous other streaming services, such as Disney+/Hulu (Disney), YouTube Premium (Google), Amazon Prime Video, and HBO Max (WBD), the latter of which, within a year of its launch, overtook Netflix as the most downloaded television streaming application.[339]
Population: The world's population demographics will shift considerably, with the population of Europe and East Asia predicted to decline considerably and the population of Africa, and to a lesser extent South Asia, to grow considerably, unless there are policy changes. The United Nations estimates world population will reach 9.7 billion by 2050, and peak at nearly 10.4 billion in the 2080s.[343]
Poverty: Poverty remains the root cause of many of the world's other ills, including famine, disease, and insufficient education. Poverty contains many self-reinforcing elements (e.g. it can make education unaffordable, which results in continuing poverty) that aid groups hope to rectify. Progress has been made in reducing poverty, especially in China and India, but increasingly in Africa as well.[346]
Intellectual property: The increasing popularity of digital formats for entertainment media such as movies and music, and the ease of copying and distributing it via the Internet and peer-to-peer networks, has raised concerns in the media industry about copyright infringement (piracy). Much debate is proceeding about the proper bounds between protection of copyright, trademark and patent rights versus fair use and the public domain, where some argue that such laws have shifted greatly towards intellectual property owners and away from the interests of the general public, while others say that such legal change is needed to deal with a perceived threat of new technologies against the rights of authors and artists (or, as some put it, against the outmoded business models of the entertainment industry).[351][352]
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