The 2020s in crisis history

A measles outbreak occurs in Bangladesh.

Measles outbreak in Bangladesh.

Over 900 wildfires reported across Canada, prompting evacuations.

A strong Mw 7.

Outbreak of the Ebola virus in 2026.

Ebola outbreak reported with 875 confirmed cases and 202 deaths, challenging health officials.

Heatwave conditions in Europe, impacting multiple countries.

A Mw 5.

Armed conflict involving multiple nations, including Israel and Iran.

Leadership crisis within the UK's Labour Party.

Armed conflict involving Israel and Iran, with attacks on southern Lebanon and Beirut.

Armed conflicts between Israeli military and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

A Mw 7.

Wildfires in northern Minnesota, prompting evacuations.

Political crisis in Romania following the rejection of a proposed government.

A crisis in the strategic waterway between Iran and other nations.

Cyclosporiasis outbreak in the United States.

A cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms and distributed through Taco Bell, resulting in over 100 hospitalizations.

Earthquake in Venezuela resulting in significant casualties and missing persons.

Wildfires in the United States and Canada, prompting evacuations.

Flash floods in eastern Afghanistan caused by heavy rains, resulting in casualties and missing persons.

Four people killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Jabalia refugee camp, two others injured.

Two roadside bomb explosions in Bannu District, Pakistan, result in multiple casualties.

A Sudanese man attempts to behead a person in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The Bolivian president declares a state of emergency to clear road blockades.

Ongoing protests in Bolivia demanding the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz, marked by road blockades and supply shortages.

Water levels in the Brazilian Amazon rise to 2.

A plane carrying skydivers crashes in Butler, Missouri, killing twelve people.

A ceasefire agreement is reached between Iran and the United States, with Pakistan's involvement.

Iran and the United States agree to a ceasefire, ending the war.

A ceasefire is declared in the ongoing conflict.

A Mw 6.

A drone attack from Sudanese territory injures civilians and destroys vehicles and several shops in Chad.

Russian cultural center in Chișinău ordered closed due to security concerns.

An investigatory commission in the Chamber of Representatives proposes to suspend the powers of Colombian president Gustavo Petro until election day.

A man is arrested for allegedly threatening Costa Rican president Laura Fernández Delgado during her visit to northern Costa Rica.

A mass shooting in Montreal, Canada, kills a police officer and two others.

An outbreak of cyclosporiasis affecting multiple states, primarily Michigan.

Employees of Czech public broadcasters on strike to protest changes in funding.

A Mw 6.

The European Union and G7 nations pledged funding to combat the ongoing Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in Ituri Province.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's Ebola outbreak spreads to Tchomia health zone in Ituri Province, with 37 new confirmed cases and 12 deaths.

The death toll from the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached past 1,000.

Wreckage of a crashed Pan Am flight from 1952 is located off Puerto Rico.

The Dovzhenko Film Studios in Kyiv, Ukraine are attacked.

A large fire breaks out among terraced houses in Drammen, Norway.

A B-52 Stratofortress crashes shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base, killing eight.

The European Union imposes sanctions against Sudan's gold trade due to its role in financing the civil war.

Two earthquakes strike Euboea, Greece, causing serious damage to buildings and triggering landslides.

France issues red heat wave alerts for multiple departments, including Paris.

Multiple explosions reported in Iranian cities and islands.

Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip result in at least six deaths, including a nine-year-old girl.

The Israel Defense Forces conducted an airstrike in the central Gaza Strip, killing two Hamas militants involved in October 7 attacks.

Hostages from the Kibbutz Nirim attack are still being held by Hamas militants.

Armed conflict breaks out in Gaza, marking a significant escalation in regional tensions.

Former CEO of Autostrade per l'Italia is convicted for his role in the 2018 collapse of Ponte Morandi, which killed 43 people.

A private jet crashes at La Romana International Airport, resulting in two fatalities.

Avian influenza outbreak killing southern elephant seal pups, infecting local bird and penguin populations.

The first detection of H5N1 avian influenza virus in a wild seabird in Western Australia.

Greek authorities arrest a Palestinian Hamas operative suspected of terrorist activities.

Venezuela reports hantavirus deaths, with no evidence of human-to-human transmission.

An Indian Air Force Antonov An-32 aircraft crashes during landing, resulting in five deaths and one serious injury.

Protesters in New Delhi demand resignation of the education minister over irregularities with the NEET exam.

Fuel shortage crisis linked to the Iran war.

A bus crash in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India resulting in six deaths and 29 injuries.

Coordinated attacks by Al-Qaeda-linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin and Tuareg Azawad Liberation Front on Malian communes.

The Jordanian military intercepted 8 out of 10 projectiles fired by Iran against the country near Aqaba, with two missiles landing in remote areas.

Mass shooting and shootout at the airport in Niamey, Niger, resulting in multiple casualties.

A meningitis outbreak at the University of Kent in England, leading to a vaccination program.

Iranian attacks on Kuwait's power plant and desalination facility, causing fires and disruptions.

Ongoing military conflict in Lebanon.

An Israeli attack on the Dahieh suburb of Beirut kills three people and injures 16.

Armed conflict involving Mali and rebel groups, with ongoing fighting reported.

A tractor-trailer causes a multi-vehicle crash on a highway in Jalisco, Mexico, resulting in nine deaths and injuries.

Armed conflicts and attacks between Iran, the United States, Lebanon, Russia, Ukraine, Sudan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, and other countries in the Middle East.

Armed conflicts and tensions escalate in the Middle East, involving Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A mass shooting at an abandoned veterinary clinic in Midland, Texas, resulting in one death and ten injuries.

A head constable is shot and killed by militants claiming responsibility for the attack.

A tent collapse at a church event in Moneta, Virginia, resulting in one death and twenty-two injuries.

Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, with six people remaining in quarantine.

Ongoing conflict in Myanmar.

A NetJets-operated business jet crashes on Loop 20 highway in Laredo, Texas.

A civilian dies and a police officer is wounded in a shooting incident.

Efforts by Pakistan and Qatar to mediate peace talks during the ongoing conflict.

A Pakistan Army Mil Mi-17 helicopter crashes during takeoff near Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir, killing all 22 personnel on board.

A Palestinian man kills one person and injures five others before being shot by police.

The repatriation of 24 Filipino nationals detained in Russia following a meeting between Philippine and Russian presidents.

Hundreds of people rally in Hezbollah strongholds in southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, supporting Iran and its allies during the war.

An explosion and fire at a gas facility in Ras Laffan, Qatar, resulting in 54 injuries and 18 missing.

Two oil tankers turn back from the Red Sea due to Houthi warnings, heading for Suez Canal instead.

Pastor Jin Mingri, founder of Beijing Zion Church, is released after detention since October 2025.

Two helicopters collide and crash in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, killing five people.

A Russian frigate fires warning shots at a yacht in the English Channel.

Ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Iran launches a ballistic missile at a U.

South Korea issues its first extreme heat warning under a new system for severe weather conditions.

Two American tourists injured in a stabbing attack near the Acropolis.

Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic due to Israel's alleged violations of a ceasefire agreement.

Iran asserts sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and imposes a fee for its use.

Two oil tankers were attacked off the coast of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz.

Cholera outbreak in Sudan with over 800 cases and multiple deaths.

Civil war intensifies in Sudan, with government forces clashing against rebel groups.

A drone strike by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in North Darfur, Sudan, resulting in civilian casualties and a fire at the Um Bayada market.

A cholera epidemic is reported in Sudan.

Ongoing armed conflict in Sudan involving the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and civilian casualties.

The Sudanese pound plunges to a record-low against other foreign currencies amidst the ongoing civil war.

A mass shooting at a secondary school in Tacloban, Philippines, kills three and injures twenty others.

A tanker was attacked by Iran near the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing crew to abandon ship.

Five soldiers and six civilians are injured in a mass shooting by ten unknown gunmen at a security checkpoint in Narathiwat province, Thailand.

Turkey exports a warship to Romania, marking the first such export in Turkish history.

The United States Central Command launches a second round of airstrikes on targets throughout Iran.

The U.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked the U.

Announcement of the withdrawal of all remaining U.

The United Kingdom designates the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.

Drone attack on Moscow, Russia, targeting the Moscow Refinery and damaging residential buildings.

Russian drone attacks in Ukraine kill at least five people, including an Egyptian crew member aboard a Panamanian-flagged vessel.

Outbreak of cyclosporiasis in the United States, affecting multiple states.

A US Navy helicopter crash resulting in fatalities and injuries.

Flash floods in Lai Châu province, Vietnam, result in four deaths and injuries.

An explosion at a steel plant in Visakhapatnam, India, resulting in casualties.

Counterterrorism operation in Wana, Pakistan, results in the death of an insurgent and injuries to five others.

A plane crash in Warsaw, Poland resulting in two deaths and one injury.

Governor Patrick Morrisey declares a state of emergency due to flash floods caused by torrential rains.

Ongoing civil war in Yemen involving multiple factions.

Flooding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, results in at least 189 deaths and dozens of injuries.

The first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season forms near the Leeward Islands.

A Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government helicopter crashes in bad weather, killing five people while carrying relief goods.

An explosion and fire at a gunpowder plant in Shilovsky District, Russia, kills eleven people and injures 130.

Catastrophic wind-driven urban wildfires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena/Eaton; tens of thousands displaced; among costliest U.

A shooting outside a mosque in Örebro, Sweden, results in one death and another injury.

Ongoing power outages in Cuba.

ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware attack on UnitedHealth subsidiary disrupted healthcare claims nationwide for weeks; HIPAA and sector resilience reforms.

Defective CrowdStrike Falcon sensor update caused largest IT outage in history; grounded airlines and disrupted hospitals; drove software-resilience policy debate.

M/V Dali container ship struck and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore; closed Port of Baltimore for weeks; NTSB and DHS-led recovery.

Major hurricane causing catastrophic inland flooding in Western North Carolina; deadliest mainland U.

Major Florida-landfalling hurricane following close on Helene, straining FEMA disaster relief funding.

Norfolk Southern derailment in Ohio releasing vinyl chloride and other hazmats; renewed federal rail-safety legislative push.

Catastrophic wildfires destroying Lahaina; over 100 deaths; emergency-alert and grid-resilience scrutiny.

Category 4-5 hurricane devastating Southwest Florida; among costliest U.

DarkSide ransomware attack shutting down 5,500-mile fuel pipeline; first cyber event to trigger TSA pipeline security directives and emergency fuel waivers.

Category 4 hurricane making landfall in Louisiana on Katrina anniversary; major Northeast flooding from remnants.

Attack on the U.

Partial collapse of 12-story condominium in Surfside, FL; 98 deaths; NIST building-failure investigation.

Cold-weather event collapsed Texas ERCOT grid; 200+ deaths; FERC/NERC cold-weather reliability reforms.

Record wildfire season in California, Oregon, and Washington; San Francisco 'orange sky' day; major air-quality and climate-resilience policy driver.

Catastrophic derecho across Iowa and Midwest causing widespread agricultural and power damage.

SARS-CoV-2 pandemic — largest U.

Russian SVR-attributed supply-chain compromise of SolarWinds Orion affecting 18,000 customers including 9 federal agencies; defining U.

Thailand's criminal court sentences two Uyghur men to death for the 2015 Erawan Shrine bombing.

Legal case filed against health officials over their roles in the measles epidemic.

International Criminal Court investigation into Sudan's Darfur conflict.

French minister resigns over legislation allowing limited use of banned pesticides.

Former Spanish transport minister and others sentenced for bribery related to face mask contracts during the pandemic.

The Sudanese government announces plans to sue the United Arab Emirates in international courts for supporting war crimes by Rapid Support Forces.

American citizen Dena Karari was released from Iran after being detained on espionage charges since 2024.

Limitation-of-liability action by Dali's owner/manager after the Key Bridge collapse.

EPA/DOJ $310M civil penalty + $25M criminal-investigation reservation arising from the East Palestine derailment.

Mass-tort consolidation following the 2023 Lahaina wildfires.

Five Proud Boys leaders convicted of seditious conspiracy and other felonies arising from January 6.

Federal indictment of former President Trump on four counts arising from January 6 election-certification efforts.

Companion to NFIB v.

SCOTUS stayed OSHA's COVID-19 large-employer vaccine-or-test emergency temporary standard, holding it exceeded the agency's statutory authority.

First federal conviction of a corporate CISO for concealing a data breach from federal investigators.

First seditious-conspiracy convictions arising from January 6.

Consolidated victim-and-survivor litigation for the 2021 Surfside, FL condominium collapse.

Per curiam SCOTUS opinion enjoining New York's COVID-19 worship attendance caps under the Free Exercise Clause.

CSRB review faulting Microsoft security culture after PRC-attributed intrusion into U.

CSRB review of Lapsus$ extortion campaign; identified MFA-bypass and SIM-swap risks.

USGCRP comprehensive U.

First CSRB report; reviewed Log4Shell vulnerability response and recommended SBOM and open-source security investments.

Final report of the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack.

House Select Subcommittee report on federal COVID-19 response and oversight findings.

Bipartisan commission recommending layered cyber deterrence; many recommendations enacted into FY21-FY23 NDAAs and CIRCIA.

Semiconductor and R&D investment; treated as critical-infrastructure supply-chain resilience policy.

Required covered critical infrastructure entities to report substantial cyber incidents to CISA within 72 hours and ransomware payments within 24 hours.

Largest U.

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First major federal COVID-19 response statute: paid sick leave, free testing, expanded FMLA.

Wildfires burning across the United States, notably in Colorado and Utah.

Ongoing attacks in Crimea during the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Influenza outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base leads to mandatory vaccinations.

Doublet earthquake strikes Venezuela, causing severe damage and casualties.

Under-construction warehouse collapses in West Bengal, India, killing five and injuring twenty.

Superseded PPD-21; modernized 16-sector CIP framework, designated DHS/CISA as National Coordinator, codified risk-management framework.

Comprehensive AI executive order with critical-infrastructure, biosecurity, and incident-response dimensions.

Cross-government climate strategy; created climate task force; embedded climate risk in federal disaster, infrastructure, and security policy.

Directly responsive to SolarWinds: required zero-trust, SBOM, EDR, incident reporting, and creation of the Cyber Safety Review Board.

Created the Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity Initiative; voluntary CISA performance goals.

Statutory White House office (PAHPAIA codification) for pandemic preparedness coordination; replaced ad-hoc COVID-19 Response Team.

Public-private review board modeled on NTSB to investigate significant cyber incidents (e.

CISA-led public-private operational collaboration for cyber-defense planning and shields-up coordination.

Statutory White House office established by the FY21 NDAA to coordinate national cybersecurity policy and strategy.

Failure to activate sirens, delayed evacuations, and inadequate utility shutoff during Lahaina wildfire.

ERCOT generation failures during Storm Uri exposed inadequate winterization and market-design flaws.

Documented gaps in early testing capacity, PPE stockpile readiness, interagency coordination, and risk communication.

CISA national cyber alert and preparedness campaign launched in advance of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

FEMA pre-disaster mitigation program established by DRRA, replacing PDM with set-aside funding from federal disaster cost-share.

HHS/DoD/BARDA public-private partnership that delivered COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics at unprecedented speed.

EO 14008 + IIJA + IRA embedded climate adaptation into federal preparedness, FEMA mitigation, FFRMS, and DOT/EPA resilience programs.

Largest peacetime mobilization of FEMA + HHS; Stafford emergency declarations applied to a biological event; PPE/vaccine distribution at federal scale; redefined public-health emer…

Russian anti-war activist Maxim Kruglov is convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison.