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Major Events of January 2018: 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 2018 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

history

Major Events of January 2018: Key Historical Moments from the Month

  • 01 Jan 2018 Trump-Pakistan Diplomatic Tension: U.S. President Donald Trump tweets criticism of Pakistan, accusing the country of being a 'safe harbor' for terrorists and questioning the effectiveness of billions in U.S. assistance.
  • 02 Jan 2018 Korean Peninsula Diplomatic Overture: South Korean President Moon Jae-in responded to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's New Year's address by proposing a meeting to discuss the Winter Olympics and North Korea's nuclear program, signaling potential diplomatic engagement.
  • 03 Jan 2018 Major Computer Security Vulnerabilities Discovered: Security researchers revealed two significant hardware vulnerabilities: Spectre, affecting most modern processors, and Meltdown, primarily impacting Intel chips, raising serious cybersecurity concerns.
  • 04 Jan 2018 North and South Korea Agree to High-Level Talks: North Korea accepted South Korea's offer for formal talks, scheduled for January 9th to discuss potential participation in the 2018 Winter Olympics. These discussions marked the first high-level dialogue between the Koreas in over two decades.
  • 05 Jan 2018 Publication of 'Fire and Fury': Michael Wolff's controversial book 'Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House' was published by Henry Holt and Company, offering an insider's perspective on the early Trump administration.
  • 06 Jan 2018 Sanchi Oil Tanker Disaster: A catastrophic maritime collision between the Iranian oil tanker MV Sanchi and the Chinese cargo ship CF-Crystal off China's east coast resulted in 32 sailors' deaths. The oil tanker, carrying 136,000 tonnes of cargo, was ignited during the collision, creating a significant environmental and human tragedy.
  • 07 Jan 2018 Malaysian Election Dynamics: In a surprising political development, the Pakatan Harapan alliance nominated 92-year-old former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad as their candidate. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, set to be released from prison on June 8, will join forces with Mahathir for the upcoming general elections.
  • 08 Jan 2018 India's Supreme Court Reviews Anti-LGBTQ Law: The Supreme Court of India initiated a review of Section 377, a colonial-era law criminalizing consensual sexual relations between men. This review followed the Court's 2017 landmark ruling on privacy rights, signaling potential progress in LGBTQ+ rights.
  • 09 Jan 2018 Inter-Korean Diplomatic Meeting: First inter-Korean meetings in two years were held at Panmunjeom's 'Truce Village' in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Both nations agreed to ease tensions, discuss military talks, and North Korea committed to participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
  • 10 Jan 2018 Korea Tension Reduction Talks: North and South Korea agreed to hold talks on reducing military tensions and cooperate during the Winter Olympics. The two nations restored military communication lines, marking a potential diplomatic breakthrough.
  • 11 Jan 2018 Trump's Controversial 'Shithole Nations' Remark: In a private meeting, President Donald Trump reportedly referred to El Salvador, Haiti, and African countries as 'shithole nations', causing international diplomatic controversy and sparking widespread criticism.
  • 12 Jan 2018 India Launches 100th Satellite: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its 100th satellite, along with 30 additional satellites, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, showcasing India's growing space capabilities.
  • 13 Jan 2018 Trump Extends Iran Nuclear Deal Sanctions Relief: U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would extend sanctions relief to Iran one more time, seeking to allow Europe and the U.S. to address what he called 'terrible flaws' in the nuclear agreement. Iran's Foreign Ministry firmly rejected any potential modifications to the existing deal.
  • 14 Jan 2018 Israel-Gaza Border Tunnel Conflict: The Israel Defense Forces reported destroying an underground tunnel dug by Hamas beneath the Kerem Shalom border crossing. In response, Israel closed the crossing after bombing the tunnel's opening.
  • 15 Jan 2018 North Korea Crisis Meeting in Vancouver: A high-stakes diplomatic meeting in Vancouver brings together senior officials from countries that supported South Korea during the Korean War. The primary objective is to discuss enhanced sanctions implementation to pressure North Korea into abandoning its nuclear weapons program. Notably, China and Russia, historical supporters of North Korea who have since accepted UN sanctions, will not be attending this critical meeting.
  • 16 Jan 2018 Mueller Subpoenas Steve Bannon in Russia Investigation: Special Counsel Robert Mueller subpoenaed Steve Bannon to testify before a grand jury. After Bannon's testimony, the House Intelligence Committee issued a second subpoena, with the White House directing Bannon not to answer questions about his White House tenure.
  • 17 Jan 2018 Two Koreas to March Together at 2018 Winter Olympics: The South Korean Ministry of Unification announced that North and South Korea would march together under the Korean Unification Flag at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics, symbolizing a potential diplomatic breakthrough in inter-Korean relations.
  • 18 Jan 2018 Macron-May Diplomatic Meeting: French President Emmanuel Macron met with British Prime Minister Theresa May at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, likely discussing bilateral relations and potential post-Brexit cooperation strategies.
  • 19 Jan 2018 The fourth SBIRS satellite was successfully launched by an Atlas V rocket for the United States Air Force. This launch completes SBIRS' geosynchronous segment and provides a global missile detection platform for the United States.
  • 20 Jan 2018 U.S. Federal Government Shutdown: The U.S. federal government shut down at midnight EST due to legislative gridlock over immigration policy, specifically disputes surrounding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and border wall funding.
  • 21 Jan 2018 Turkish Military Intervention in Afrin: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a military ground operation in Afrin, Syria. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim stated the objective was to establish a 30-kilometer safety zone, marking a significant escalation in the Syrian conflict.
  • 22 Jan 2018 U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem Announcement: U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence announced plans to open the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem in 2019, earlier than initially expected, solidifying the United States' recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and potentially escalating regional diplomatic tensions.
  • 23 Jan 2018 Marshall County High School Shooting: A tragic school shooting at Marshall County High School in Draffenville, Kentucky, leaves two people dead and 19 others injured. The suspect was promptly arrested, drawing national attention to ongoing issues of school violence in the United States.
  • 24 Jan 2018 Larry Nassar Sexual Abuse Sentencing: Former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to 40-175 years in prison after being found guilty of systematically sexually abusing hundreds of female gymnasts over decades, many of whom were minors. His actions represented a profound betrayal of trust within the athletic community.
  • 25 Jan 2018 Doomsday Clock Update: The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the Doomsday Clock to two minutes before midnight, the closest to potential global catastrophe since 1953, citing unaddressed nuclear tensions and climate change risks.
  • 26 Jan 2018 Turkey's Military Offensive in Syrian Civil War: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced an expanded military offensive in Syria, declaring that operations would shift eastward towards Manbij and extend to the Iraqi border, signaling escalating Turkish involvement in the complex Syrian conflict.
  • 27 Jan 2018 2018 Kabul Ambulance Bombing: A devastating suicide bombing occurred in Kabul, Afghanistan, where a bomber detonated an explosive-laden ambulance near the former interior ministry building, resulting in at least 102 fatalities and 158 injuries. This tragic terrorist attack highlighted the ongoing security challenges in Afghanistan.
  • 28 Jan 2018 Russian Opposition Protests and Navalny's Arrest: During the 2017-2018 Russian protests, police arrested Alexei Navalny, a prominent opposition politician, at a Moscow protest rally. The arrest followed a police raid on the headquarters of his unregistered Progress Party, which appeared to be an attempt to disrupt online opposition rallies against Vladimir Putin. Police claimed they were searching for a bomb. Navalny was released from police custody late Sunday but was required to appear in court.
  • 29 Jan 2018 Andrew McCabe Resigns from FBI: Andrew McCabe, Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, resigned amid escalating tensions with President Donald Trump. His departure highlighted the significant political pressures and internal conflicts within the U.S. federal law enforcement and executive branches during the Trump administration.
  • 30 Jan 2018 Trump's First State of the Union Address: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural State of the Union address to the 115th United States Congress in the House of Representatives, marking a significant moment in his presidency.
  • 31 Jan 2018 Afghanistan War Territorial Control: A BBC study revealed the extensive territorial influence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, with the insurgent group controlling or having a presence in 70% of the country's territory. Specifically, they fully control 14 districts (4% of Afghanistan) and maintain an open militant presence in 263 additional districts.