The Soviet's Third Choice

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* March 2nd – Venezuela and Ecuador move troops to the Colombian border, following a Colombian raid against FARC guerrillas inside Ecuadorian territory, in which senior commander Raúl Reyes is killed.

* March 4th - Venezuelan President Che Guevara announced that Venezuela will begin sending military aid to FARC.

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* March 6th - Businessman and media personality Donald Trump announced that he is running for the 2008 election under the ~~Republican~~ Party.

* March 6th - Businessman and media personality Donald Trump announced that he is running for the 2008 election under the Reform Party.

* March 8th – Barisan Nasional loses two-thirds majority, for the first time since 1969, to opposition during the 2008 Malaysian general election but still retains control of government. The coalition also loses majority control of five states to the opposition with three was taken by Malayan Communist Party.

* March 14th - Soviet Union announced natural gas and oil embargo on the United States, worsening the 2008 Recession.

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*October 25th - Denmark and Norway agreed to block Soviet ships from leaving Europe through the North Sea.

*November 1st – Satoshi Nakamoto publishes "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System".

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*November 4th - 2008 United States Presidential Election: Republican nominee ~~Donald~~ ~~J Trump~~ defeats Democratic President John Kerry and is ~~elected 47th~~ President of the United States.

*November 4th - 2008 United States Presidential Election: Republican nominee Mitt Romney defeats Democratic President John Kerry and is became President-elect of the United States.

*November 9th - President Arkady Lazarov expressed concerns about the growing polarization of political views in the United States.

*November 21st - Soviet Union sends over 600 million dollars worth of wheat and grains to North Korea.

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2009

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* ~~'''090'''~~January 1st - Japan, Mexico, Turkey, Uganda assume their seats on the United Nations Security Council.

* January 1st - Japan, Mexico, Turkey, Uganda assume their seats on the United Nations Security Council.

* January 1st - Slovakia adopts the euro as its national currency, replacing the Slovak koruna.

* January 3rd – The first ("Genesis") block of the blockchain of the cryptocurrency and decentralized payment system Bitcoin is established by the creator of the system, known as Satoshi Nakamoto.

* January 18th – Gaza War: Hamas announces that they will accept the Israel Defense Forces offer of a ceasefire, ending the conflict.

* January 20th - Mitt Romney is sworn in as the 47th President of the United States.

* January 20th - President Arkady Lazarov became one of the first country leaders to congratulate on Mitt Romney's inauguration.

* January 21st - Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip, officially ending its three-week war with Hamas. However, intermittent air strikes by both sides continue in the following weeks.

* January 24th - Soviet Union declares to open new military bases in Palestine as a safeguard against Israel.

* January 26th - The Icelandic government and banking system collapse. Prime Minister Geir Haarde immediately resigns.

* January 31st - US President Mitt Romney announced several recovery plans to decrease the growing problem of the 2008 Recession.

* February 1st - Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir is appointed as the new Prime Minister of Iceland, becoming the world's first openly lesbian head of government.

* February 9th - Second Korean DMZ War: Over 3,000 North Korean troops attack the DMZ border with South Korea.

* February 18th - US President Mitt Romney announced that the United States would pull out from the 2005 Minsk Agreement, no longer allowing Soviet military bases to be stationed in Eastern Europe.

* March 2nd – The President of Guinea-Bissau, João Bernardo Vieira, is assassinated during an armed attack on his residence in Bissau.

* March 5th - FARC begins huge military offensive with the aid from Soviet Union against Columbia, starting the Columbian Civil War.

[[Category:Timelines]]

On 26th December 1991, the collapse of the Soviet Union was one of the most significant events of the 20th Century. Ever since Mikhail Gorbachev became the General Secretary in 1985, even the biggest critics did not predict the country's collapse just six years later. His radical reforms in terms of politics and economy failed despite his best efforts.

But what if it didn't happen? What if, instead of a reformer like Gorbachev gained power, instead of a hardliner like Grigory Romanov, a conservative leads the Soviet Union? What if Viktor Grishin, the Politburo's third candidate becomes the General Secretary? This timeline will explore an alternate history that was sidelined by many where Viktor Grishin, the third candidate for General Secretary after Chernenko's death in 1985.

Point of Divergence

Early in the morning of March 8th 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev, the youngest member in the Politburo, was at home when he felt a sudden pain in the head, followed by a high fever. His wife, Raisa Titarenko, asked her husband to take a day break which he accepted after a short argument. His superior, Andrei Gromyko, who was also the Minister of Foreign Affairs, let him take a break after some persuasion and advice Gorbachev for a one week break. A hesitant Gorbachev agreed to Gromyko's request and moved to his hometown, Privol'noe. Little did he know, his one week break is all that needed to change the course of the Soviet Union itself.

On 15:00, March 10th 1985, General Secretary of the Soviet Union, Konstantin Chernenko, falls into a coma and a few hours later, died without announcing his successor and worrying the entire Politburo. However, Gorbachev wasn't informed about the situation despite a few request from him to deliver reports in and out from the Kremlin and therefore complete clueless about the situation in Moscow. His rival, Grigory Romanov, who was the second youngest member in the Politburo, was informed about the situation but was unable to attend due to him being all the way in Sochi.

On that same day, members of the Politburo were having an important meeting since Andropov's death which saw many picking different sides. Gromyko, who was also highly respected by other members of the Politburo, was forced to stay silent due to him supporting Gorbachev along with many of the Politburo. However, due to his absence, Gromyko was forced to choose another candidate as the General Secretary.

Gromyko was hesitant to be the next General Secretary due to his old age despite some requesting him to succeed Chernenko. Seeing no other options left, he chooses Chernenko's closest ally, Viktor Grishin, an experienced member in the Politburo and a potential General Secretary for a few months now. Grishin had almost little to no allies despite being a conservative but gained favor thanks to his leadership.

On the morning of March 11th 1985, Grishin became the 8th General Secretary without Gorbachev's knowledge. His first public appearance at Chernenko's funeral along with several ministers in the Soviet government. It wasn't until that same night was he informed about the situation in Moscow and how he had just missed a once in a lifetime opportunity for a simple rest. Grishin's conservative views has high support from the Conservative factions in the CPSU despite some disagreements.

And thus, in less than one week, a timeline started to diverge from reality. One that would follow an interesting path of choice.

1985 (March 11th - December 31st)

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

As the 1990s begin, the timeline diverged even further away from our timeline. The Soviet Union is more stable economically and politically, the Warsaw Pact nations are collapsing but peacefully, the United States preforming worse and worse, the continued Communist rule in Burkina Faso and whole lot more. As time goes on, one would wonder what will the 1990s be like with not only the United States as the only global superpower but with also the Soviet Union.

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

As the late 1990s begin, the Soviet Union, although lost it's possession and control on Eastern Europe, is now stronger than ever. Now, with a reformed economy, a demographic miracle in terms of population, the creation of SEZ and reformed military, the Soviet Union remained as one of the two global superpowers. With the 1994 Oil Crisis deeply damaging the US economy as whole, slowly but surely, one would realise how a free-market economy is not only as bad as the formerly planned economy like the Soviets, but also a more change are needed than ever. It is only a matter of time before something minor would change the fate and balance of the world.

All it takes is a single spark to set the fire.

"A destiny is something that wasn't needed; it is something that need to be achieve not only by a single individual, but with others stepping up as well." - General Secretary of the Soviet Union Arkady Lazarov.

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

As the world enters the 21st Century, the two global superpowers of the United States and the Soviet Union are now viewed as the global protectors of their own believes. With still an uncertain years to come, many are still worried of another Cold War between the two countries. However, if it were to happen, the rising status of People's Republic of China and India is still a question by many. Proxy conflicts in Africa and Asia is still common and is viewed as a possible staging grounds. Despite promises from both US and Soviet governments to resolve any conflict diplomatically, only a handful of countries fully trusted them.

There's only one question remain ; Would the world ever be more peaceful? Or would the world inched closer to a total destruction?

"Sometimes, I wonder, what would the world be like if it was always in peace, or rather, what would it be if there is no reason for war?" - United States President Mitchell J. Dawson

"Wouldn't it be interesting if Grishin didn't succeed Chernenko in 1985? I couldn't imagine what would happened if Gorbachev was in control..." - Premier of the Soviet Union Eliza Mirakova

"We need not only the US and NATO but also the Soviet Union for the survival of Europe." - Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

As the second half of the 2000s begin, the United States found itself being blocked as the sole superpower with the Soviet Union continuing to grow stronger than ever. With the recent annexation of Finland by the Communist USSR, the people of the West realised that the elimination of the Soviet Union using diplomatic or military force has long faded. However, many still believe that the containment of Communism is possible.

However, with the increasing weakness beginning to show, people in the United States begin to turn either towards the Far-Left or the Far-Right. With increasing troubles for the rising global superpower, Nationalism and Socialism is becoming more and more popular as time goes by.

One would ask themselves: Is "Pax-Americana" still possible with the Soviet Union? Or is it not?

"If we could see a nuclear war unfolding, then the Soviets are to blame..." - Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair

"The dreams of the old Communism is as dead as the black plague." - Former Vice President of the United States George H.W Bush

"I once asked President Lazarov if he could reform the Soviet Union towards a Capitalist nation and do you know what he said? It's downright impossible." - President of China Hu Jintao

2006

October 13th – South Korean Ban Ki-moon is elected as the new Secretary-General of the United Nations, succeeding Kofi Annan.
October 23rd - Soviet Union unveiled new plans to reduce carbon emissions by 2026.
November 5th – Former President of Iraq Saddam Hussein is sentenced to death by hanging by the Iraqi Special Tribunal. He is later executed by hanging for crimes against humanity on December 30.
November 13th - President Lazarov visits Tehran for the first time.
November 22nd – A toxic waste dumping incident occurs in Côte d'Ivoire by a Panama ship sent by Singaporean oil company, causing 3 deaths and the poison treatment of 1500 people.
December 5th – The military seizes power in Fiji, in a coup d'état led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama.
December 11th - Felipe Calderón sends the Mexican military to combat the drug cartels and put down the violence in the state of Michoacán, initiating the Mexican Drug War.
December 24th – Ethiopia admits its troops have intervened in Somalia.
December 29th – UK settles its Anglo-American loan, post-WWII loan debt.

2007

January 1st - Bulgaria and North Macedonia request to join EU.
January 4th – Nancy Pelosi becomes the first female speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
January 12th - US Vice President John Edwards meets President of China Hu Jintao in Chongqing to increase US-China trade relations.
January 25th - President Arkady Lazarov promotes nine new military generals.
February 3rd – A truck bomb explodes in Baghdad, Iraq, killing at least 135 people and injures 339 others.
February 13th – North Korea agrees to shut down its nuclear facilities in Yongbyon by April 14 as a first step towards complete denuclearization, receiving in return energy aid equivalent to 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil.
February 20th - Several Croatian government buildings was bombed by Serbian nationalists, increasing tensions between Serbia and Croatia.
March 4th – The First Ivorian Civil War ends with a peace agreement.
March 11th - Serbia cuts all diplomatic ties with Croatia.
March 12th - US President John Kerry meets Premier Eliza Mirakova in Kiev in a two-day working visit.
March 27th - Project "Pavlov" is declared completed by President Lazarov after a long-term industrialization of Siberia.
April 6th - President Arkady Lazarov visits New Delhi, India in a three-day diplomatic meeting between the Soviet Union and India.
April 18th – 18 April 2007 Baghdad bombings: A series of attacks take place across Baghdad, Iraq, killing nearly 200 people.
April 21st - Portugal reveals several plans to increase security measures on Portuguese waters.
April 26th-28th - Demonstrations in Tallinn, Estonian SSR saw over 20 million dollars in damages.
May 5th – Kenya Airways Flight 507, on a scheduled passenger flight from Doula, Cameroon, to Nairobi, Kenya, crashes after takeoff, killing all 114 crew and passengers on board.
May 10th – As a result of factors including the Blair-Brown pact and falling approval ratings as a result of the Iraq War, British Prime Minister Tony Blair announces his intention to resign as Leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister, triggering the 2007 Labour Party leadership election, in which Chancellor Gordon Brown ran unopposed. Brown would officially replace Blair as Prime Minister on 27 June.
May 10th–12th – The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 takes place in Helsinki, Finnish SSR, and is won by Serbian entrant Marija Šerifović with the song "Molitva".
May 20th – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai makes the largest single charitable donation in modern history, committing €7.41 billion to an educational foundation in the Middle East.
May 24th - Time Magazine named President Arkady Lazarov as the most influential person in Europe.
June 10th–15th - Fatah-Hamas conflict: The victory of the political party Hamas militant wing in Battle of Gaza gains the political party control of the Gaza strip.
June 18th - Poland unveiled plans to build a wall between the Soviet-Polish border, reigniting flashbacks of the Berlin Wall.
June 27th – Gordon Brown succeeds Tony Blair and becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after a Leadership Election.
June 28th – 2007 European heat wave: in the aftermath of Greece's worst heat wave in a century, at least 11 people are reported dead from heatstroke, approximately 200 wildfires break out nationwide, and the country's electricity grid nearly collapses due to record breaking demand.
June 29th – The iPhone, the first modern smartphone, is released in the United States. It was later released in the Soviet Union, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, and Austria, in November 2007.
July 4th – The International Olympic Committee awards Leningrad the right to host the 2014 Winter Olympics.
July 9th - US President John Kerry announced his plan to improve relations with the Soviet Union if he wins the 2008 election.
July 20th - Taiwanese patrol boat sinks after collided with a Chinese destroyer in the Taiwan Strait.
July 31st – Operation Banner comes to an end, thus ending the longest continuous deployment in British military history.
August 9th – The French global bank BNP Paribas in the United Kingdom blocks withdrawals from three hedge funds heavily committed in sub-prime mortgages, signaling the financial crisis of 2007–2008.
August 14th – Multiple suicide bombings kill 572 people in Qahtaniya, northern Iraq.
August 19th - Turkey and Soviet Union agreed to declare free shipping trade between the two countries.
September 6th – Israeli Air Force airplanes attack a suspected nuclear reactor in Syria in an airstrike.
September 13th – The United Nations General Assembly adopts the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
September 20th - Soviet Union begins to reduce trade with Western Europe after several attempts of negotiations.
September 22nd - Serbia announced partial mobilization in response to several bombings in Republika Srpska.
October 1st - Pakistan and India signs the 2007 Islamabad Treaty which saw the end of hostilities and recognises the current border in Kashmir.
October 18th - Norway launches military drills in Oslo, simulating the Soviet Union's invasion.
October 20th - Soviet Union begins sending troops to the Polish border, further escalating tensions.
October 28th – Cristina Fernández de Kirchner becomes the first directly elected female President of Argentina.
November 4th - Vice President John Edwards announced support to President Lazarov on reducing carbon emissions in the Soviet Union.
November 7th – Whistleblower website WikiLeaks leaks the standard US army protocol at Guantanamo Bay.
November 8th - Poland closes all borders with the Soviet Union due to security purposes.
November 11th - Soviet Union urged all Soviet citizens in Poland to leave the country amid escalating tensions.
November 19th - President Arkady Lazarov declares that Poland and the Soviet Union is now in a state of "Cold War".
November 24 – 2007 Australian federal election: The Labor Party led by Kevin Rudd defeats the Liberal/National Coalition government led by Prime Minister John Howard. Rudd would be sworn in on December 3rd.
November 29th – The Armed Forces of the Philippines lay siege to the Peninsula Manila after soldiers led by Senator Antonio Trillanes stage a mutiny.
December 1st – At the age of 81 years, 244 days, Queen Elizabeth II becomes the oldest ever reigning British monarch, surpassing Queen Victoria who was aged 81 years, 243 days upon her death on January 22, 1901.
December 13th – The Treaty of Lisbon is signed by members states of European Union.
December 21st – The Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia join the Schengen border-free zone.
December 22nd - Serbia declares mobilization in Republika Srpska.
December 27th - Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto is assassinated, along with 20 other people, at an election rally in Rawalpindi.

2008

January 1st - Malta adopt the euro currency.
January 5th - Serbia, after two weeks of mobilization, launches the invasion of Croatia with over 80,000 Serbian troops begin entering Croatian Bosnia, sparking the Croatian War, the second major European land war in the 21st century.
January 6th - EU and NATO condemns and declares a trade embargo and suspends all diplomatic relations with Serbia in response to the Croatian War.
January 7th - Croatian War: Soviet Union, China, Congo and North Korea announced support to Serbia, escalating tensions between NATO and EU.
January 8th - Croatian War: Serbian troops enters Tuzla with minimal opposition.
January 8th - Croatian War: President John Kerry announced that United States would only send minimal assistance to not escalate tensions with the Soviet Union and China.
January 9th - Croatian War: Backlash from Republican Party and majority in the Democratic Party saw President John Kerry to pull back his statement.
January 12th - Croatian War: Serbian troops enters Sarajevo, beginning the Battle for Sarajevo.
January 15th - Croatian War: NATO begin bombing Serbian airfields in Northern Serbia, destroying over 400 Serbian fighter jets and over 60 Soviet fighter jets.
January 16th - Croatian War: After almost two weeks siege, Dubrovnik falls to Serbian troops.
January 20th - Croatian War: Serbian troops enters Mostar.
January 20th - Croatian War: Croatian troops begin to withdraw from Croatian Bosnia for reorganization purposes.
January 21st - Stock markets around the world plunge amid growing fears of a U.S. Great Recession, fueled by the 2007 subprime mortgage crisis and the Croatian War.
January 22nd - Croatian War: Riots in Zagreb saw over 100,000 protestors demanding to end the War.
January 25th - Croatian War: Croatian Communist Party begins to rise up against Croatia, furthering Croatia's fate into chaos.
January 27th - Croatian War: Croatian government requests for an armistice.
January 31st - Croatian, Serbian, US and Soviet delegations signs the Treaty of Sarajevo. Croatia is forced to accept and recognize Serbian annexation of all of Bosnia and Herzegovina territories, annexation of Dubrovnik and massive war reparations to Serbia for five years.
February 1st - Serbia transformed into the Federal People's Confederation of Yugoslavia.
February 1st - President Arkady Lazarov announced a total trade halt with United States and Western Europe in response of the 2008 Recession.
February 4th – Civic mobilizations in Colombia against FARC, under the name One million voices against FARC. In response, the Soviet Union begin providing FARC with military aid.
February 11th - French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced the end of any French military involvement in NATO in response to the 2008 Recession.
March 2nd – Venezuela and Ecuador move troops to the Colombian border, following a Colombian raid against FARC guerrillas inside Ecuadorian territory, in which senior commander Raúl Reyes is killed.
March 4th - Venezuelan President Che Guevara announced that Venezuela will begin sending military aid to FARC.
March 6th - Businessman and media personality Donald Trump announced that he is running for the 2008 election under the Reform Party.
March 8th – Barisan Nasional loses two-thirds majority, for the first time since 1969, to opposition during the 2008 Malaysian general election but still retains control of government. The coalition also loses majority control of five states to the opposition with three was taken by Malayan Communist Party.
March 14th - Soviet Union announced natural gas and oil embargo on the United States, worsening the 2008 Recession.
March 24th – Bhutan holds its first-ever general elections following the adoption of a new Constitution which changed the country from an absolute monarchy to a multiparty democracy.
March 25th – African Union and Comoros forces invade the rebel-held island of Anjouan, returning the island to Comorian control.
April 2nd - Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger express support for Donald Trump for Republican nomination.
April 29th – Grand Theft Auto IV is released worldwide, selling over 3.6 million units and earning $310 million during the first day, becoming not only the highest grossing video game release of all-time, but also the highest grossing entertainment product release ever.
May 2nd – Iron Man is released in theaters, starting the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
May 3rd – Cyclone Nargis passes through Myanmar, killing more than 138,000 people.
May 9th - 2008 Soviet Victory Day Parade in Moscow was interrupted by a gunman who shot four and injured nine was arrested.
May 20th–24th – The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 takes place in Belgrade, Serbia, and is won by Russian entrant Dima Bilan with the song "Believe".
May 21st - The International Court of Justice awards Middle Rocks and Pedra Branca to Malaysia and none to Singapore, ending a 29-year territorial dispute between the two countries.
May 28th – The Legislature Parliament of Nepal votes overwhelmingly in favor of abolishing the country's 240-year-old monarchy, turning the country into a republic.
June 7th–29th – Austria and Switzerland jointly host the UEFA Euro 2008 football tournament, which is won by Spain.
June 10th - President John Kerry's approval reached an all-time low of just 24%.
June 25th - Soviet Union begins the construction of railway system with China.
July 1st – Riots erupt in Mongolian SSR in response to allegations of fraud surrounding the 2008 legislative elections.
July 2nd – Íngrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages are killed in an attempt of a rescue operation from FARC rebels by Colombian security forces.
July 11th – South Korea suspends all trips to North Korea's Mount Kumgang after a 53-year-old South Korean tourist is shot and killed by a North Korean sentry.
July 21st – Radovan Karadžić, the first president of the Republika Srpska, is arrested in Belgrade, FPC Yugoslavia, on allegations of war crimes, following a 12-year-long manhunt.
August 1st - India and United States sign the historic Civil Nuclear deal.
August 6th – President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi of Mauritania is deposed in a military coup d'état.
August 7th - President Arkady Lazarov declares martial law in the Georgian SSR after separatists in Abkhazia and South Ossetia attempted to declare independence.
August 8th–24th – The 2008 Summer Olympics take place in Beijing, China.
September 5th – Quentin Bryce becomes the first female Governor-General of Australia.
September 15th – Stocks fall sharply Monday on a triptych of Wall Street woe: Lehman Brothers' bankruptcy filing, Merrill Lynch's acquisition by Bank of America, and AIG's unprecedented request for short-term financing from the Federal Reserve.
September 17th - Soviet Union begins funding Iran to build nuclear reactors in the country.
September 21st - US President John Kerry announced signs the revised Limited Economic Stabilization Act into law in an attempt to stabilize the worsening economy.
September 28th – SpaceX Falcon 1 becomes the world's first privately developed space launch vehicle to successfully make orbit.
October 1st - Soviet Union launches "Arkhamov" space shuttle; the first successful manned space shuttle in 21st century.
October 6th – A controversial Peruvian tape regarding a Norwegian oil company causes the 2008 Peru oil scandal, sparking protests which cause Jorge de Castillo to resign from office.
October 7th - Croatia joins NATO, fearing a war between Croatia and FPC Yugoslavia.
October 22nd – The Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launches the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft on a lunar exploration mission.
October 25th - Denmark and Norway agreed to block Soviet ships from leaving Europe through the North Sea.
November 1st – Satoshi Nakamoto publishes "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System".
November 4th - 2008 United States Presidential Election: Republican nominee Mitt Romney defeats Democratic President John Kerry and is became President-elect of the United States.
November 9th - President Arkady Lazarov expressed concerns about the growing polarization of political views in the United States.
November 21st - Soviet Union sends over 600 million dollars worth of wheat and grains to North Korea.
December 11th – Bernard Madoff is arrested for securities fraud after he was turned in by his sons for operating the largest Ponzi scheme in history, later known as the Madoff investment scandal.
December 18th – The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda finds Théoneste Bagosora and two other senior Rwandan army officers guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and sentences them to life imprisonment for their role in the Rwandan genocide.
December 23rd – A military coup d'état deposes the government of Guinea shortly after the death of longtime President Lansana Conté.
December 27th – Israel invades the Gaza Strip, in response to rockets being fired into Israeli territory by Hamas, and due to weapons being smuggled into the area.

2009

January 1st - Japan, Mexico, Turkey, Uganda assume their seats on the United Nations Security Council.
January 1st - Slovakia adopts the euro as its national currency, replacing the Slovak koruna.
January 3rd – The first ("Genesis") block of the blockchain of the cryptocurrency and decentralized payment system Bitcoin is established by the creator of the system, known as Satoshi Nakamoto.
January 18th – Gaza War: Hamas announces that they will accept the Israel Defense Forces offer of a ceasefire, ending the conflict.
January 20th - Mitt Romney is sworn in as the 47th President of the United States.
January 20th - President Arkady Lazarov became one of the first country leaders to congratulate on Mitt Romney's inauguration.
January 21st - Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip, officially ending its three-week war with Hamas. However, intermittent air strikes by both sides continue in the following weeks.
January 24th - Soviet Union declares to open new military bases in Palestine as a safeguard against Israel.
January 26th - The Icelandic government and banking system collapse. Prime Minister Geir Haarde immediately resigns.
January 31st - US President Mitt Romney announced several recovery plans to decrease the growing problem of the 2008 Recession.
February 1st - Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir is appointed as the new Prime Minister of Iceland, becoming the world's first openly lesbian head of government.
February 9th - Second Korean DMZ War: Over 3,000 North Korean troops attack the DMZ border with South Korea.
February 18th - US President Mitt Romney announced that the United States would pull out from the 2005 Minsk Agreement, no longer allowing Soviet military bases to be stationed in Eastern Europe.
March 2nd – The President of Guinea-Bissau, João Bernardo Vieira, is assassinated during an armed attack on his residence in Bissau.
March 5th - FARC begins huge military offensive with the aid from Soviet Union against Columbia, starting the Columbian Civil War.