Major Events of January 2017: Key Historical Moments from the Month
Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from January 2017 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.
Major Events of January 2017: Key Historical Moments from the Month
- 01 Jan 2017 Antonio Guterres Becomes UN Secretary-General: Portugal's Antonio Guterres officially began his term as United Nations Secretary-General, succeeding Ban Ki-moon from South Korea and marking a significant leadership transition in the international organization.
- 02 Jan 2017 US House Republicans Attempt to Weaken Ethics Office: US House Republicans initially voted to significantly reduce the powers of the independent Office of Congressional Ethics, but quickly reversed their decision after substantial public backlash.
- 03 Jan 2017 115th US Congress: Ethics Controversy and Speaker Election: The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives canceled plans after widespread criticism, including a tweet from President-elect Trump, regarding potential weakening of the House's independent ethics watchdog. Simultaneously, the House GOP caucus re-elected Paul Ryan as House Speaker, demonstrating internal party unity.
- 04 Jan 2017 Trump White House Staff Nominations: President-elect Donald Trump continued building his White House team by nominating Katie Walsh, former Republican National Committee (RNC) chief of staff, as Deputy White House Chief of Staff. This was part of a broader effort to assemble his initial administrative team.
- 05 Jan 2017 Obamacare Repeal and Planned Parenthood Funding: House Speaker Paul Ryan announced the Republican Party's intention to end federal funding for Planned Parenthood as part of their broader strategy to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
- 06 Jan 2017 Russian Election Interference Report: A classified U.S. intelligence report alleged that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally ordered an operation to influence the 2016 United States presidential election, specifically targeting Hillary Clinton.
- 07 Jan 2017 U.S. Intelligence Agencies Confirm Russian Election Interference: The CIA, FBI, and NSA collectively concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin attempted to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election to benefit Donald Trump's candidacy.
- 08 Jan 2017 Jerusalem Vehicular Attack: A deliberate terrorist attack in East Jerusalem involved a truck ramming into a group of Israeli soldiers, resulting in four deaths and 21 wounded. The perpetrator was a previously convicted terrorist who had been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
- 09 Jan 2017 President Hassan Rouhani lauds Rafsanjani for being a great man in the Iranian Revolution.
- 10 Jan 2017 Chinese President's Historic Davos Appearance: Chinese President Xi Jinping became the first Chinese head of state to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, marking a significant moment in China's global diplomatic and economic engagement.
- 11 Jan 2017 Trump's First Post-Election Press Conference: President-elect Donald Trump held his first press conference in New York City after winning the 2016 United States presidential election, drawing significant media attention and public interest.
- 12 Jan 2017 Obama Awards Biden Presidential Medal of Freedom: President Barack Obama presented Vice President Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom With Distinction, a rare honor that had not been previously given during Obama's presidency.
- 13 Jan 2017 US House Moves to Repeal Obamacare: The United States House of Representatives approves initial legislation to begin the process of repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), signaling a major potential shift in national healthcare policy.
- 14 Jan 2017 Battle of Mosul: Iraqi Forces Advance Against ISIS: Iraqi military forces successfully seized strategic parts of Mosul University and multiple areas along the Tigris River from Islamic State militants, marking a significant progression in the ongoing battle for Mosul.
- 15 Jan 2017 Failed Israeli-Palestinian Peace Summit in Paris: An international peace summit was held in Paris to restart negotiations between Israel and Palestine, aiming to discuss a potential two-state solution. However, the summit was undermined by the absence of representatives from both nations, casting significant doubt on the prospects of diplomatic progress.
- 16 Jan 2017 Syrian Civil War: Deir ez-Zor Offensive: During the Syrian Civil War, ISIL launched its third major attack on Syrian government forces in Deir ez-Zor, reportedly dividing the government-held area in half. The offensive involved an estimated 14,000 ISIL fighters, demonstrating the ongoing complexity and intensity of the conflict.
- 17 Jan 2017 2016 Confirmed as Hottest Year on Record: NASA and NOAA officially announced that 2016 was the hottest year on record, surpassing the previous record set in 2015. This confirmation provides further evidence of ongoing global climate change.
- 18 Jan 2017 2016 Confirmed as Hottest Year on Record: NASA and NOAA jointly announced that 2016 was the hottest year ever recorded, marking the third consecutive year of record-breaking global temperatures. This further underscores the ongoing challenges of global climate change.
- 19 Jan 2017 El Chapo Extradited to the United States: Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman was extradited to the United States to face charges related to his leadership of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel, marking a significant moment in international law enforcement.
- 20 Jan 2017 Inauguration of Donald Trump as 45th US President: Donald Trump was officially sworn in as the 45th President of the United States during a formal ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. administered the presidential oath of office, marking the peaceful transition of power.
- 21 Jan 2017 Donald Trump Inaugurated as 45th U.S. President: Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Chief Justice John Roberts administered the presidential oath of office, officially replacing Barack Obama as president, with Mike Pence simultaneously sworn in as vice president.
- 22 Jan 2017 To select a candidate for this year's presidential elections, voting takes place in round one of the French Socialist Party presidential primaries.
- 23 Jan 2017 Trump Withdraws from Trans-Pacific Partnership and Reinstates Mexico City Policy: In the early days of his presidency, Donald Trump issued executive orders to withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and reinstated the Mexico City Policy, which prohibits U.S. aid to foreign organizations that discuss or perform abortions using non-U.S. funds.
- 24 Jan 2017 UK Supreme Court Brexit Ruling: The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled that the government cannot initiate the formal Brexit process without prior parliamentary approval, a significant legal decision in the Brexit proceedings.
- 25 Jan 2017 Trump's Early Presidential Actions: President Donald Trump initiated two significant executive orders on immigration: one targeting sanctuary cities by removing federal grant funding, and another advancing plans to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Simultaneously, he announced an investigation into alleged voter fraud from the previous election.
- 26 Jan 2017 Doomsday Clock Moves Closer to Midnight: The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists advanced the Doomsday Clock to two and a quarter minutes before midnight, signaling increased global risk.
- 27 Jan 2017 Trump's Immigration Executive Order: President Donald Trump signs an executive order restricting refugee and immigration entry from seven Muslim-majority countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. The order prioritizes vetting Christian refugees from Syria.
- 28 Jan 2017 Trump Travel Ban Executive Order: President Donald Trump's Executive Order 13769 takes effect, prohibiting travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen) from entering the United States, sparking significant international controversy and legal challenges.
- 29 Jan 2017 Trump's Travel Ban Executive Order: President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order banning foreign nationals from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States for 90 days. A federal judge in New York subsequently granted a temporary nationwide injunction blocking deportations under this controversial order.
- 30 Jan 2017 Nationwide Protests Against Immigration Order: Tens of thousands of people rallied at airports across the United States to protest President Trump's executive order restricting entry for people from seven predominantly Muslim nations, demonstrating widespread public opposition to the policy.
- 31 Jan 2017 Alan Turing Law: UK Pardons Gay and Bisexual Men: The United Kingdom posthumously pardons approximately 49,000 gay and bisexual men who were convicted under decades-old sodomy laws in England and Wales. Living individuals can apply for a Statutory Pardon.