A review of how the year panned out
JANUARY
Thousands of Georgians protest after Mikhail Saakashvili wins election denounced by Russia as a sham.
On his first presidential visit to the Middle East President George Bush says Israel must remove all illegal outposts in the West Bank. US to send 3,200 more troops to Afghanistan.
Six-year ceasefire with Tamil Tigers ends.
Italian prime minister Romano Prodi's coalition collapses.
Peter Hain quits as British minister.
Afghan president Hamid Karzai's veto of Lord Ashdown as UN envoy causes consternation.
FEBRUARY
Egyptian soldiers close the last opening on the frontier with Gaza Strip, ending 11 days of unfettered movement for Palestinians.
US warns Nato could be destroyed if European troops are not prepared to fight in Afghanistan.
Eufor deployment to Chad, under command of an Irish officer, Lieut Gen Pat Nash, resumes after suspensions due to rebel attacks.
Australia's prime minister Kevin Rudd apologises to "stolen generations" of Aboriginal children.
US writers' strike ends after 100 days.
Ecstatic celebrations in Kosovo after independence declared, leaving Serbian minority fearful and angry.
Fidel Castro hands over to his brother Raúl.
Kofi Annan brokers powersharing deal in Kenya after more than 1,000 killings.
MARCH
Dmitry Medvedev wins Russia's presidency in landslide seen in West as a farce.
Tehran condemns UN security council resolution imposing fresh sanctions as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visits Baghdad.
Serbian government collapses over Kosovo and ties with the EU. Protesters shouting "Free Tibet" burn shops and cars in Lhasa in the most violent disturbances in two decades; over 1,000 reported dead.
Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert says Israel will not stop settlement building in East Jerusalem.
German chancellor Angela Merkel tells Knesset the Holocaust fills her countrymen "with shame".
President Bush describes Iraq war as noble, necessary, and just as US death toll rises to 4,000.
Some 5,000 chant "death to Denmark" and "death to The Netherlands" in Kabul, protesting against the reprinting of a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad in Danish newspapers and a Dutch film on the Koran.
APRIL
French president Nicolas Sarkozy charms Westminster with historic address.
UN secretary general calls for comprehensive review of policy on biofuels as a crisis in global food prices threatens global instability.
Nato's European leaders endorse US plans for a missile defence system in Europe but President Vladimir Putin tells President Bush Nato is demonising Russia.
In Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe refuses to concede victory to opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Pope denounces paedophile priests during US visit (and in Australia in July).
Ex US president Jimmy Carter meets Hamas chief and says blockade of Gaza is an atrocity.
Former Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo ends long rule of Paraguay's Colorado party.
Gen David Petraeus named commander of US forces in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
Olympic torch relay draws global protests over Tibet.
Nato invites Croatia and
Albania to join.
Italian centre-right coalition of Silvio Berlusconi wins.
MAY
Boris Johnson elected mayor of London.
Cyclone devastates Burma, killing 78,000 people but ruling junta seizes aid and goes ahead with a constitutional referendum to cement its grip on power.
Earthquakes kill 68,000 in China.
President Medvedev sworn in and parliament elects Vladimir Putin as prime minister.
Osama bin Laden vows to mark Israel's 60th anniversary by continuing the fight against the Jewish state and its western allies. Phoenix Mars Lander beams back spectacular images.
After accusations of an
"armed coup" by Hizbullah, Lebanon's government makes significant concessions to the Shia movement including a new coalition.
Iraqi government and militia led by Moqtada al-Sadr agree to end fighting in Sadr City, Baghdad.
Israel and Syria to talk peace for first time in eight years.
Nepal's Maoist-dominated assembly votes to dissolve the 239-year-old monarchy and form a republic.
JUNE
Poll shows most Turks want EU membership as France restates opposition.
World Food Summit closes in Rome with a final document that is limited in actual proposals.
Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez rescinds new intelligence law forcing citizens to spy on one another.
China and Taiwan agree to set up the first representative offices in each other's territory.
Ireland rejects Lisbon Treaty.
EU agrees to impose tougher sanctions on Iran following Bush visit.
Italian plan to fingerprint Gypsy children condemned.
JULY
Following mediation by French president Nicolas Sarkozy, former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt freed after six years as a Farc hostage in Colombia.
Environmentalists condemn G8 climate change summit deal.
US and Iranian envoys have their highest-level diplomatic contact in 29 years but a seven-nation gathering in Geneva ends abruptly when Iran refuses to say whether it will suspend uranium enrichment.
Czech Republic signs "missile defence" deal with the US.
International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor calls for arrest of Sudan president Omar Hassan al-Bashir.
Radovan Karadzic arrested.
Israel swaps five Lebanese prisoners for remains of two soldiers.
Nelson Mandela widely honoured on his 90th birthday.
UN says 14 million people in the Horn of Africa need emergency food aid.
Main Sunni bloc rejoins Iraqi government.
Two-month old Naples rubbish crisis ends.
Global trade talks break down.
Olmert announces he will resign.
AUGUST
Mauritania's elected president and prime minister held in coup.
Spectacular fireworks pageant marks opening of $40 billion Beijing Olympics.
Georgian troops attack South Ossetia starting a war with Russia; Sarkozy brokers peace deal but Russia takes weeks to withdraw.
Bolivian president Evo Morales confirmed in office in landslide vote.
Almost 130,000 people in Philippines flee separatist clashes in Mindanao.
Ukraine imposes restrictions on Russian fleet. Poland and US sign "missile shield" agreement.
US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice urges Israel not to undermine peace efforts with the Palestinians after a report finds it has almost doubled its settlement building in the West Bank this year.
Indian floods leave 2.6 million homeless.
SEPTEMBER
US hands over control of Anbar province to Iraq.
EU observers say Angola's election, giving Popular Movement for Liberation of Angola's president José Eduardo dos Santos a landslide, was an "organisational disaster".
Russia vetoes further Iran sanctions in UN security council.
Lehman Brothers bank collapses as now ongoing global financial crisis intensifies.
Asif Ali Zardari, Benazir Bhutto's widower, becomes Pakistani president.
ANC leader Jacob Zuma walks free from court cleared of corruption charges.
At least 40 people killed and 200 injured after suicide truck bomber destroyed Marriott Hotel in Pakistani capital.
Taro Aso replaces Yasuo Fukuda as Japan's PM.
Kgalema Motlanthe becomes South Africa's caretaker president following Thabo Mbeki's ousting.
OCTOBER
Gordon Brown brings Peter Mandelson back to cabinet.
India launches its first lunar mission.
Tzipi Livni, in her first policy address since being nominated to form Israel's next government, commits to peace negotiations with the Palestinians.
Congo's northeastern region returns to all-out war.
Syria recognises Lebanon's sovereignty.
China allows farmers to buy and sell land.
Turkish court makes precedent by fining prime minister Tayyip Erdogan for anti-secular activities.
Russell Brand resigns from his BBC radio programme after a prank call he made with guest co-presenter Jonathan Ross.
NOVEMBER
Barack Obama wins US presidential election, beating Republican candidate John McCain.
Monks brawl at site of Jesus's tomb in Jerusalem.
Negotiations to end Hamas/Fatah split postponed indefinitely.
Somali pirates capture oil-laden supertanker worth $100 million.
UN security council votes to send 3,000 extra peacekeepers to DR Congo.
Iraqi Shias burn effigy of President Bush in a show of contempt for a deal struck between Washington and the government which keeps US troops in Iraq for another three years.
G-20 summit in Washington agrees to review executive compensation schemes that reward excessive risk-taking and to increase supervision of banks.
Czech Republic's constitutional court clears way for parliament to ratify Lisbon but President Vaclav Klaus has said he may not sign.
Indian commandos end sieges in Mumbai after a chain of attacks by suspected Pakistani terrorists struck the city killing at least 160 people.
DECEMBER
President-elect Obama names former rival Hillary Clinton as secretary of state.
Anti-government protesters end Bangkok airports sit-ins after a court ruling prompts dissolution of the government over election fraud, ending two weeks of protest.
As Zimbabwe faces cholera epidemic, US, EU and the elders group of influential statesmen say President Robert Mugabe must go.
OJ Simpson jailed for kidnap.
China cancels EU summit over Sarkozy/Dalai Lama meeting.
Killing of teenager by police provokes days of riots in Greece.
EU commits to 20 % greenhouse gas emissions cuts.
EU summit agrees to Lisbon Treaty assurances for Ireland on neutrality, social policy, and taxation and accepts principle that each member state should retain a commissioner. In return Cowen commits Ireland to revote on treaty before end of October 2009.
Illinois governor charged with corruption, including attempted sale of vacant Obama Senate seat
Bush and Obama agree to commit further 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.
Iraqi reporter throws his shoes at Bush during vist to Baghdad.
US Fed and ECB cut interest rates to historic lows.