21st century

====2023====
* [[January 1]] – [[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. This is the first enlargement of the Eurozone since [[Lithuania]]'s entry in [[2015]], and the first enlargement of the Schengen Area since [[Liechtenstein]]'s entry in [[2011]].<ref>{{cite web |date=July 12, 2022 |title=Croatia set to join the euro area on 1 January 2023: Council adopts final required legal acts |url=https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022/07/12/croatia-set-to-join-the-euro-area-on-1-january-2023-council-adopts-final-required-legal-acts/ |access-date=July 16, 2022 |website=European Council/Council of the European Union |archive-date=July 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220725212627/https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2022/07/12/croatia-set-to-join-the-euro-area-on-1-january-2023-council-adopts-final-required-legal-acts/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="currency">{{cite web |last=Buckley |first=Julia |title=This popular European country just got a new currency |url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/croatia-joins-euro-zone-schengen/index.html |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=CNN |date=January 2, 2023  |archive-date=January 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230103001950/https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/croatia-joins-euro-zone-schengen/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[January 3]] – Starting from this date, many countries impose travel restrictions on travel from China due to the relaxation of [[Chinese government response to COVID-19|the country's zero-COVID policy]].<ref>{{cite web |date=2023-01-12 |title=COVID restrictions ramp up as international travel from China resumes |url=https://www.euronews.com/travel/2023/01/12/china-resumes-international-travel-which-countries-are-introducing-new-covid-restrictions |access-date=2023-01-16 |website=euronews |archive-date=January 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116223816/https://www.euronews.com/travel/2023/01/12/china-resumes-international-travel-which-countries-are-introducing-new-covid-restrictions |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[January 8]] – Supporters of former [[President of Brazil|Brazilian president]] [[Jair Bolsonaro]] [[2023 Brazilian Congress attack|storm]] the Brazilian [[National Congress of Brazil|National Congress]], the [[Supreme Federal Court]] and the [[Palácio do Planalto|Presidential Palace of Planalto]].
* [[February 1]] – [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] [[quarterback]] [[Tom Brady]] announces his retirement from the [[National Football League|NFL]].
* [[February 3]]: The US announces it is tracking [[2023 Chinese balloon incident|alleged Chinese spy balloons]] over the Americas, with one drifting from Yukon to [[South Carolina]] before being shot down the next day, and a second hovering over Colombia and Brazil. This event is followed by subsequent [[List of high-altitude object events in 2023|detections and shootdowns of high-altitude objects]] elsewhere.
* [[February 6]] – Two [[2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake|earthquakes]] strike southern [[Turkey]], the first 7.8 ({{M|ww|link=y}}) in Gaziantep Province and the other 7.5 {{M|ww}} in Kahramanmaraş Province, causing widespread damage and at least 58,000 deaths in [[Turkey]] and [[Syria]], with more than 120,000 injured.<ref>{{cite news |date=2023-02-06 |title=Earthquake Kills More Than 110 People in Turkey, Syria |language=en |work=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-06/magnitude-7-7-earthquake-strikes-in-turkey-gfz |access-date=2023-02-06 |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206014835/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-06/magnitude-7-7-earthquake-strikes-in-turkey-gfz |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2023-02-06 |title=Powerful quake kills at least 360 people in Turkey, Syria |url=https://apnews.com/article/earthquake-shakes-turkey-b927808f6a5c54bdb669120faa40b7bc |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=AP NEWS |language=en |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206020324/https://apnews.com/article/earthquake-shakes-turkey-b927808f6a5c54bdb669120faa40b7bc |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[February 7]] – [[LeBron James]] breaks the [[List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders|all time NBA scoring record]], scoring 38,388 points. The record was previously held by Hall of Famer [[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar]].
* [[February 21]] – Vladimir Putin announces that Russia is suspending its participation in [[New START]], a nuclear arms reduction treaty with the US.
* [[February 27]] – The United Kingdom and the European Union reach a [[Windsor Framework|new agreement]] surrounding modifications to the [[Northern Ireland Protocol]].
* [[March 4]] –  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.
* [[March 10]]:
** The [[National People's Congress]] unanimously re-elects [[Xi Jinping]] as the [[President of the People's Republic of China]] to an unprecedented third term.
** [[Iran]] and [[Saudi Arabia]] agree to resume diplomatic relations which were severed in 2016 at talks meditated by [[China]].
* [[March 17]] – The [[International Criminal Court]] issues [[Vladimir Putin arrest warrant|an arrest warrant]] for Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]], the first against a [[Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council|permanent member]] of the [[United Nations Security Council]].
* [[March 19]] – In a deal brokered by the [[Federal Council (Switzerland)|Swiss government]], investment bank [[UBS]] [[Acquisition of Credit Suisse by UBS|agrees to buy]] [[Credit Suisse]] for {{CHF|link=yes|ISO=yes}} 3 billion ({{USD|3.2 billion}}) in an all-stock deal.
* [[March 20]] – The [[Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change]] (IPCC) releases the synthesis report of its [[IPCC Sixth Assessment Report|Sixth Assessment Report]] on [[climate change]].
* [[March 23]] – [[World Athletics]], the global governing body for athletics, bans [[trans women]] who have gone through male [[puberty]] from competing in female events.
* [[March 26]]:
** [[Honduras]] switches its formal [[One China|diplomatic recognition of "China"]] from the [[Taiwan|Republic of China]] to the [[China|People's Republic of China]].
** [[2023 Israeli judicial reform protests|Large-scale spontaneous protests erupt]] across [[Israel]] in the wake of Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] firing his defence minister who spoke against the government's [[2023 Israeli judicial reform|judicial overhaul plan]].
* [[March 29]]: [[Brazil]] and [[China]] sign an agreement to trade in their own currencies, ceasing the usage of the [[United States dollar]] as an intermediary.
* [[March 30]]:
** Former U.S. president [[Donald Trump]] is [[Prosecution of Donald Trump in New York|indicted]] by a [[New York City]] [[grand jury]], the first such indictment of a former President in U.S. history.
** The [[International Court of Justice]] rules that the [[United States]] violated its [[Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations and Consular Rights|Treaty of Amity]] with [[Iran]] when it allowed its domestic courts to freeze assets held by Iranian companies.
* [[April 4]] – [[Finland]] becomes the 31st member of [[NATO]], doubling the Western alliance's border with Russia.
* [[April 14]] – [[Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer]] (JUICE) is launched by the [[European Space Agency]] (ESA) to search for life in the [[Moons of Jupiter|Jovian system]], with an expected arrival date of 2031.
* [[April 15]]:
** [[Nuclear power in Germany]] ends after the closure of the final power plants and nuclear being a power source for the country for over 50 years.
** [[2023 Sudan conflict|Fighting]] breaks out across [[Sudan]] between the [[Sudanese Armed Forces]] and the paramilitary [[Rapid Support Forces]]. The RSF captures [[Khartoum International Airport]], and the [[Presidential Palace, Khartoum|presidential palace]] in [[Khartoum]].
* [[May 1]] – San Francisco-based [[First Republic Bank]] fails and is auctioned off by the US [[Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation|FDIC]] to [[JPMorgan Chase]] for $10.7 billion The collapse surpasses March's collapse of Silicon Valley Bank to become the second largest in US history.
* [[May 5]] – [[World Health Organization]] declares end of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] global health emergency.
* [[May 6]]: The [[coronation of Charles III and Camilla]] as [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|King]] and [[List of British royal consorts|Queen]] of the [[United Kingdom]] and the other [[Commonwealth realm]]s is held in [[Westminster Abbey]], [[London]].
* [[May 7]] – [[Syria]] is readmitted into the [[Arab League]] after being suspended since [[2011]].
* [[May 9]] – A Manhattan-based federal civil jury finds that former president [[Donald Trump]] [[E. Jean Carroll litigation against Donald Trump|sexually abused and defamed writer]] [[E. Jean Carroll]] in 1996, awarding her $5 million in damages.
* [[May 12]] – The [[Title 42 expulsion]] policy expires at midnight, creating a question about whether a new immigration policy would be formed as a replacement. This comes as a surge of migrants gather at the U.S southern border.
* [[May 25]] – [[Russia]] and [[Belarus]] sign an agreement in [[Minsk]] allowing the stationing of Russian [[tactical nuclear weapon]]s on Belarusian territory.
* [[June 6]]: [[Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant|Nova Kakhovka dam]] in the [[Russian occupation of Kherson Oblast|Russian-controlled]] [[Oblasts of Ukraine|region]] of [[Kherson Oblast|Kherson]] is [[Destruction of the Kakhovka Dam|destroyed]], threatening the region with devastating floodwaters.
* [[June 8]] – Former U.S. president [[Donald Trump]] is [[Federal prosecution of Donald Trump (classified documents case)|indicted]] by [[Smith special counsel investigation|Jack Smith's special counsel]] over [[FBI investigation into Donald Trump's handling of government documents|mishandling of classified documents]] found at the [[FBI search of Mar-a-Lago]].
* [[June 12]] – [[Eritrea]] rejoins the [[Intergovernmental Authority on Development]] [[trade bloc]] after suspending its membership in 2007.
* [[June 14]]: Scientists report the creation of the first synthetic [[Human embryonic development|human embryo]] from [[stem cell]]s, without the need for [[sperm]] or [[egg]] cells.
* [[June 18]] – All five crew members of ''Titan'', a deep-sea [[submersible]] exploring the [[Wreck of the Titanic|wreck]] of the [[RMS Titanic|''Titanic'']], are killed following a [[Titan submersible implosion|catastrophic implosion of the vessel]].
* [[June 19]]: The [[United Nations General Assembly]] unanimously adopts the [[High Seas Treaty]], the first [[treaty]] aimed towards [[marine conservation]] in [[international waters]].
* [[June 23]] – The [[Wagner group]] launches a [[Wagner Group rebellion|rebellion]] against the Russian government.
* [[June 27]]:
** [[Nahel Merzouk protests|Riots]] break out across France after the [[Killing of Nahel Merzouk|murder]] of teenager of Algerian descent Nahel Merzoukh by a police officer.
** The Supreme Court rules 6–3 in ''[[Moore v. Harper]]'' against the implementation of the [[independent state legislature theory]].
* [[June 29]] – The Supreme Court rules that [[affirmative action]] in university admissions violates the [[Equal Protection Clause]] in the [[Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|14th Amendment]]. The court rules 6–3 in both ''[[Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina]]'' and ''[[Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard]]''.
* [[June 30]] – The [[United Nations Security Council]] votes unanimously to end [[MINUSMA]], its peacekeeping mission in [[Mali]].
* [[July 4]] – [[Iran]] joins the [[Shanghai Cooperation Organisation]], becoming the organization's ninth member.
* [[July 5]] – [[Meta Platforms]] launches [[Threads (app)|Threads]] as a direct competitor to [[Twitter]].
* [[July 10]]:The [[European Commission]] and the [[U.S. government]] sign a new [[data communication]] [[Multilateral treaty|agreement]] aimed at resolving [[Legal certainty|legal uncertainties]] that European and American companies face when transferring [[personal data]].
* [[July 11]] – [[Leslie Van Houten]], a former member of the [[Manson Family]], is released on [[parole]] after serving more than fifty years in prison.
* [[July 14]] – [[SAG-AFTRA]] announces it will begin [[2023 SAG-AFTRA strike|an ongoing strike]] against the major film and TV studios in protest of low compensation, ownership of work, and [[generative AI]].
* [[August 1]]:
** Former U.S. president [[Donald Trump]] is [[Federal prosecution of Donald Trump (election obstruction case)|indicted]] for a third time by a grand jury for his [[Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election|attempts to overturn the 2020 election]] and the subsequent [[January 6 United States Capitol attack|January 6 attack]].
** The world's [[Ocean temperature|oceans]] reach a new record high temperature of 20.96&nbsp;°C, exceeding the previous record in 2016. July is also confirmed as having been the hottest month on record for globally averaged [[Temperature measurement#Surface air temperature|surface air temperatures]] by a considerable margin (0.3&nbsp;°C).
* [[August 8]] – 13,000 acres of land are burned and 53 people are killed when a series of [[2023 Hawaii wildfires|wildfires]] break out on the island of [[Maui]] in [[Hawaii]].
* [[August 11]] – The [[United States]] recorded its highest number of [[suicide]]s in 2022, with 49,449 people taking their own lives, making it the deadliest suicide rate in the country since [[World War II]].
* [[August 14]] – Former U.S. president [[Donald Trump]] is [[Georgia election racketeering prosecution|indicted]] in [[Atlanta]] on 13 counts including [[Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act|racketeering]] for his attempts to overturn President Biden's [[2020 United States presidential election in Georgia|victory in Georgia]] during the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 election]]. Indictments are also announced against 18 Trump associates.
* [[August 18]] – The [[United States]], [[Japan]], and [[South Korea]] agree to sign a [[American–Japanese–Korean trilateral pact|trilateral pact]].
* [[August 23]]:
** India's [[Chandrayaan-3]] becomes the first spacecraft to land near the [[Lunar south pole|south pole]] of the [[Moon]].
** [[Wagner Group]] leader [[Yevgeny Prigozhin]] and founder [[Dmitry Utkin]] are killed when their plane [[2023 Wagner Group plane crash|crashes]] outside of Moscow, killing eight others.
* [[August 30]] – In the hours following the announcement of incumbent president [[Ali Bongo Ondimba]]'s reelection as [[President of Gabon|President]] of [[Gabon]] after the [[2023 Gabonese general election|2023 presidential election]], the [[Armed Forces of Gabon|military]] launches [[2023 Gabonese coup d'état|a successful coup d'état]] and creates the [[Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions]] to govern the country, ending the rule of the Bongo family after 56 years in power.
* [[September 2]] – The [[ISRO|Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)]] successfully launches [[Aditya-L1]], India's first solar observation mission.
* [[September 8]] – [[2023 Marrakesh-Safi earthquake|A 6.9 magnitude earthquake]] strikes [[Marrakesh-Safi]] province in western [[Morocco]], killing at least 2,862 people and damaging historic buildings.
* [[September 9]]:
** At the [[2023 G20 New Delhi summit|18th G20 summit]] in [[New Delhi]], the [[African Union]] is announced as the 21st permanent member of the [[G20]].
** [[Coco Gauff]] wins the [[2023 US Open – Women's singles|women's singles]] in the [[US Open (tennis)|US Open]], making her the first teenager to win the title since [[Serena Williams]] in 1999.
* [[September 10]] – [[Storm Daniel]], a [[Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone]] makes landfall in [[Libya]], killing at least 5,000 people, with Libyan authorities announcing between 10,000 and 100,000 missing. In the city of [[Derna, Libya|Derna]] in [[Libya]], two dams collapsed, resulting in a quarter of the city being destroyed.
* [[September 14]] – The [[European Central Bank]] (ECB) raises [[eurozone]] interest rates to an all-time high of 4%, amid ongoing inflationary pressures across the continent.
* [[September 15]] – The [[United Auto Workers]] (UAW) begin [[2023 United Auto Workers strike|a strike]] against the big three American automakers of [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]], [[General Motors]], and [[Stellantis]].
* [[September 19]] – [[Azerbaijan]] launches [[2023 Nagorno-Karabakh clashes|a military offensive]] against the [[Armenia]]-backed [[Republic of Artsakh]].
* [[September 20]] – Archaeologists in [[Zambia]] find the world's oldest wooden structure, dating back to 476,000 years.
* [[September 21]] – [[Rupert Murdoch]] announces his retirement and passes his businesses on to his son [[Lachlan Murdoch|Lachlan]]. Murdoch led [[News Corp]] and [[Fox Corporation|Fox]], and formerly [[Sky Group]].
* [[September 24]]: French President [[Emmanuel Macron]] announces that France will end its military presence in Niger and will remove its ambassador from the country.
* [[September 25]]: The United States recognizes the [[Cook Islands]] and [[Niue]] as sovereign states, establishing formal relations between both Pacific island countries.
* [[September 28]] – [[President of Artsakh]] [[Samvel Shahramanyan]] signs a decree that will dissolve all [[Government of Artsakh|state institutions of Artsakh]] by 1 January 2024, bringing an end to the breakaway state.
* [[September 29]] – Sixty-year-old [[Duane Davis (gangster)|Duane Davis]], a former gang leader, is arrested and charged with the [[Murder of Tupac Shakur|1996 murder]] of famed rapper [[Tupac Shakur]].
* [[October 3]] – [[Kevin McCarthy]] is [[Removal of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House|ousted]] as [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]] via a motion introduced by [[Matt Gaetz]], the first time that a US House speaker is removed by the body.
* [[October 7]]:
** [[Hamas]] militants launch a large-scale [[2023 Israel–Hamas war|attack]] from the [[Gaza Strip]], infiltrating southern [[Israel]] and prompting a full military response from the [[Israel Defense Forces]].
** [[2023 Herat earthquakes|A doublet earthquake]] occurs in [[Herat Province]] in [[Afghanistan]], killing 2,000 people and injuring over 9,000, with tremors felt in [[Iran]] and [[Turkmenistan]]. The earthquake is the deadliest in the country since [[May 1998 Afghanistan earthquake|1998]].
* [[October 8]] – Israel's [[Security Cabinet of Israel|Security Cabinet]] formally [[declaration of war|declares war]] for the first time since the [[Yom Kippur War]] in 1973 on [[Hamas]].
* [[October 9]] – Israel [[October 2023 Hezbollah strike|launches multiple air strikes]] on the Lebanon border, after rockets are fired by [[Hezbollah]] and attempts are made to project the group's power into Israel-occupied positions.
* [[October 15]]: [[Rite Aid]] files for [[Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection]] after losing $3.45 billion attributed to lawsuits related to the [[Opioid epidemic in the United States|opioid epidemic]].
** Twenty-one species in the United States are declared extinct by the [[US Fish and Wildlife Service]]. These are one [[mammal]], ten [[birds]], two [[fish]], and eight [[mussels]].
* [[October 17]] – [[Al-Ahli Arab Hospital explosion|An explosion]] occurs at the [[Al-Ahli Arab Hospital]]. Displaced Palestinians were taking refuge at the hospital, resulting in a number of fatalities and injuries.
* [[October 18]]:
** The [[United States Department of the Treasury|U.S. Treasury Department]] announces an ease of certain oil, gas, and gold [[Sanctions during the Venezuelan crisis|sanctions]] on [[Venezuela]] following the [[Government of Venezuela|Venezuelan government]] and [[Opposition (politics)|opposition]]'s agreement to conduct [[Elections in Venezuela|elections]].
* [[October 21]] – [[Chevron Corporation|Chevron]] announces it will acquire [[Hess Corporation]] for $50 billion.
* [[October 25]]: [[Hurricane Otis]], an [[Pacific hurricane|eastern Pacific tropical cyclone]], makes landfall in [[Mexico]] near [[Acapulco]], leaving at least 48 dead. It is the most powerful hurricane to make landfall in Mexico, with the highest winds reaching 165 mph, surpassing [[Hurricane Patricia]]'s [[Meteorological history of Hurricane Patricia|landfall in 2015]].
* [[October 30]] – The [[United Auto Workers|UAW]] reaches a tentative deal with [[General Motors]] after making tentative agreements with [[Stellantis]] and [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]], officially ending the strike.
* [[November 1]]:
** The first [[2023 AI Safety Summit|AI Safety Summit]] takes place in the United Kingdom, with 28 countries signing a "world first agreement" on how to manage the riskiest forms of [[artificial intelligence]].
** The [[2023 Texas Rangers season|Texas Rangers]] win the [[2023 World Series|World Series]] after defeating the [[2023 Arizona Diamondbacks season|Arizona Diamondbacks]] in five games. This is their first World Series win.
* [[November 2]]: [[FTX]] founder [[Sam Bankman-Fried]] is convicted by a jury on all seven fraud-related counts.
** [[The Beatles]] release "[[Now and Then (Beatles song)|Now and Then]]", the band's last ever song, featuring restored vocals by [[John Lennon]] (1940–1980), as well as guitar tracks by [[George Harrison]] (1943–2001).
* [[November 6]]: [[WeWork]], once the most valuable U.S. startup, files for [[Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 11 bankruptcy]] with liabilities of up to $50 billion.
* [[November 9]]:
** U.S. surgeons at [[NYU Langone Health]] announce the [[Eye transplantation#2023 NYU Langone Health attempt|world's first whole eye transplant]].
** [[SAG-AFTRA]] ends its [[2023 SAG-AFTRA strike|strike]] at 12:01 a.m. PDT following a tentative deal reached the day prior.
* [[November 14]] – [[November 17|17]] – President Biden hosts the [[APEC United States 2023|APEC summit]] in San Francisco which Chinese president [[Xi Jinping]] attends, marking the first time since 2017 that Xi has set foot in the United States.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Martina |first1=Michael |last2=Brunnstrom |first2=David |date=2023-11-15 |title=China's Xi in US for high-stakes Biden summit, APEC |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/veiled-swipe-china-blinken-tells-apec-us-believes-free-region-2023-11-14/ |access-date=2023-11-20}}</ref> Both countries at the conclusion of the summit agree to re-open suspended channels of military communications and to cooperate in their fight against [[climate change]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Hawkins |first1=Amy |last2=correspondent |first2=Amy Hawkins Senior China |date=2023-11-15 |title=China and US pledge to fight climate crisis ahead of Xi-Biden summit |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/14/china-xi-jinping-us-visit-joe-biden-apec |access-date=2023-11-20 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-17 |title=Pandas and partnership: Was Xi's US trip a success? |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231117-pandas-and-partnership-was-xi-s-us-trip-a-success |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=France 24 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[November 22]] – Israel and Hamas agree to a four-day ceasefire, the first pause in fighting since 7 October, during which many Israeli hostages will be released, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
* [[November 24]] – [[Somalia]] is admitted as the eighth member of the [[East African Community]], having applied for membership in 2012.
* [[November 30]] – Brazil announces it will join [[OPEC|OPEC+]] at a meeting of the organization to discuss oil output strategy in 2024. Brazil is the largest oil producer in [[South America]], producing 4.6 million barrels per day of oil and gas.
* [[December 3]]: Venezuela [[2023 Venezuelan referendum|votes]] to annex the [[Guyana–Venezuela territorial dispute|disputed territory of Essequibo]], currently under the control of neighboring [[Guyana]], and incorporate the territory into Venezuela as a new state.
* [[December 6]] – [[Google DeepMind]] releases the [[Gemini (language model)|Gemini Language Model]]. Gemini will act as a [[Foundation models|foundational model]] integrated into Google's existing tools, including [[Google Search|search]] and [[Bard (chatbot)|Bard]].
* [[December 12]] – At the [[2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference|COP28]] climate summit in [[Dubai]], a consensus is reached for countries to "transition away" from fossil fuels, the first such agreement in the conference's 30-year history.
* [[December 16]] – [[Emir of Kuwait]] [[Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah]] dies at the age of 86 and is succeeded by his half-brother [[Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah]].
* [[December 18]]:
** In the [[Red Sea]], one of the world's most important routes for cargo and fuel shipments, a deteriorating security situation is reported due to attacks on vessels by [[Houthi_movement|Houthi]] rebels. A number of shipping companies announce a temporary suspension of their operations, including oil giant [[BP]].
** At least 127 people are killed and at least 20 are missing in an [[2023 Jishishan earthquake|earthquake]] in northwest [[China]].
* [[December 21]]:
** The [[European Court of Justice]] rules that threats by [[FIFA]] and [[UEFA]] to sanction [[football clubs]] that wish to join the [[European Super League]] are unlawful.
** The [[2023 Prague shooting|deadliest mass shooting]] in the [[Czech Republic]]'s history occurs at a Prague university, with 15 killed and 25 others wounded.
* [[December 29]] – [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]]: [[Russian Armed Forces|Russia]] [[29 December 2023 Russian strikes on Ukraine|launches]] the largest wave of [[drone warfare|drones]] and [[missile]]s on [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] cities since the start of the war in a overnight assault, killing at least 39 people and injuring at least 160 others.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-aerial-attack-missiles-drones-fe3fb596cdea0035573a6a677f17070c|title=Russia launches the biggest aerial barrage of the war and kills 30 civilians, Ukraine says|website=AP News|date=December 29, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/12/29/7435141/|title=Ukraine's Interior Ministry reports 30 dead and over 160 wounded in Russian morning attack|date=December 29, 2023|website=Ukrainian Pravda}}</ref> 
* [[December 31]] – [[Margrethe II|Queen Margrethe II]] of [[Denmark]] announces [[Abdication of Margrethe II|her abdication]] effective 14 January 2024, after 52 years on the throne.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-12-31 |title=Princess Mary to become Queen of Denmark as monarch announces surprise abdication |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-01/denmark-queen-margrethe-announces-abdication/103276384 |access-date=2024-01-01}}</ref>