In 2019, the world saw significant political events, protests, natural disasters, and notable cultural moments. Key occurrences included:
- Juan Guaidó becoming interim president in Venezuela, challenging Nicolás Maduro's regime and gaining recognition from the U.S. January also saw North Macedonia's parliament ratify the Prespa Agreement, resolving a long-standing dispute with Greece over its name.
- Around the globe, widespread protests marked 2019 as "The Year of Protests," with notable movements in Hong Kong against an extradition bill, Algeria forcing a president to resign, and major protests in Sudan, Chile, Lebanon, Iraq, and others demanding political reforms and social justice.
- In U.S. politics, President Donald Trump was impeached in December, making him the third U.S. president in history to face such charges.
- Natural disasters included a deadly 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Albania killing 51 people, widespread prison riots in Brazil and Venezuela, and major demonstrations highlighting human rights abuses in Chile.
- Cultural highlights included Sanna Marin becoming the world's youngest serving prime minister in Finland, important political resignations and elections, and advances like China's first domestically built aircraft carrier entering service.
- Other major international developments involved Brexit upheavals, U.S.-China trade tensions, and the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi by U.S. Special Forces.
2019 was a year of intense political change, social movements, and significant global events shaping contemporary history.
