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2031-2040 (Progress, Decline and Hope)
January 1, 2031: The popular birthday song “Happy Birthday To You” finally passes out of copyright in the US. For years, TV shows and moves had avoided using the song due to the fact that the music company Warnell/Chappel had asked for steep royalties to perform it. To celebrate, several popular shows made episodes with main characters birthdays being the main plot point. Privately, the creative minds behind television and the Internet express relief and joy that they are now free to use the song without “For He's a Jolly Good Fellow” as a substitute for it.
After one year of work, the AIDS Vaccine Distribution Project has inoculated over 2 billion people, an average of over 5 million a day. There are over 350,000 health workers worldwide working full time on the Project, and have set up over 10,000 permanent locations worldwide. Another 6,000 mobile inoculation centers have been moving through rural areas and smaller towns to give shots there.
January 11th, 2031: King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia (b. 1936) dies of heart failure. He is succeed by his half-brother Prince Muqrin bin Abdul-Aziz (b. 1945), the last surviving son of King Abdul-Aziz bin Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia.
January 20th, 2031: Following the holiday recess, Judge Lilah Parvani's nomination to the Supreme Court is approved by the Senate, 54-46. Several Republicans voted against her, as well as many from the Democratic Party. She is inaugurated the next day. The members of the Supreme Court at this time are as follows, ranked by seniority (liberal wing bold, conservative italics):
Chief Justice: Barack Obama Associate Justice: Sonia Sotomayor Associate Justice: Elena Kagan Associate Justice: Theodore Ullyot Associate Justice: Diane Wood Associate Justice: Jeannie Suk Associate Justice: Nicole Stelle Garnett Associate Justice: Theodore Cruz Associate Justice: Lilah Parvani
January 21st, 2031: Hanif Ghaffour, a Kashmiri militant responsible for the previous years attack on an Indian convoy which killed 21 soldiers, is sentenced to life in prison.
January 22nd, 2031: Arabic billionaire Hasan Gafar Abdulrashid founds the Arabic Space Front (ASF), and begins working with the European Space Agency, and other private space groups, to forward the ASF's technology.
January 23rd, 2031: Former President Bill Clinton dies after a fight with a sudden deadly case of pneumonia at a hospital in New York, at the age of 84. His death is mourned across the nation, and a state funeral fallows his death, with President Rubio in attendance. Clinton leaves behind his longtime wife Hillary, as well as his daughter Chelsea and his grandson Jeffory.
February 1st, 2031: Polio is declared eradicated by the United Nations Health Office, making it the third disease after smallpox and rinderpest to be wiped out. The last cases affected a village in Timor-Leste in 2028.
February 14th, 2031: Dr. Zdenek Dvorak of the University of Berlin announces the deciphering of the hitherto unknown alphabet of the ancient Minoans, Linear A. The ancient language of the Minoans is discovered to be related to ancient Etruscan.
February 15th, 2031: Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) declares his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2032. He aggressively portrays himself to be the standard-bearer of the progressives, further exacerbating already-tense relations with the party's moderate-conservative wing.
February 20th, 2031: The Indian Navy commissions the INS Jayant Rama (meaning Rama Victorious), its first supercarrier. Displacing 108,000 tonnes, and carrying upwards of sixty aircraft, the carrier was developed together with Brazil, which is expected to launch the twin ship later in 2031.
March 8th, 2031: Peru announces that it will join the Alliance of Latin America for Development and Commerce (ALADEC). ALADEC was formed in 2016 and currently comprises Brazil, Paraguay, Venezuela, Colombia, Suriname, Guyana, Bolivia, and Uruguay. Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina remain outside of ALADEC; Chile and Argentina because they view its Lulaist economic plan as a threat to free trade, and Ecuador because it does not wish to “surrender sovereignty to Brazil.”
March 9th, 2031: JINR's move to Semipalatinsk in the Union State is completed and the JINR particle accelerator can go into operation again.
March 13th, 2031: Former Senator Harold Ford, Jr. (D-TN) declares his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2032. Ford, who lost his Senate seat after a liberal primary challenge and succumbing to the GOP wave in 2026, immediately becomes the choice of many moderate-conservatives in the party. Crowds are inspired by his aggressive message for “bringing centrism and fiscal sanity back to the Democratic Party”.
April 1st, 2031: A number of Muslim-majority countries announce the creation of Alamem Aleselameyh Men Alheryh (Islamic Nations of Freedom), also known as A'ama. Turkish President Cevdet Yılmaz announces that A'ama is intended to bring together a select group of Muslim democracies in order to spread liberal ideals and cultural interchange, as well as to promote free trade. However, many commentators view A'ama as the creation of a Turko-Egyptian sphere of influence. The two Muslim giants have for years exerted substantial diplomatic influence over many smaller Arab and Turkic nations. The founding members of Alamem Aleselameyh Men Alheryh are Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Azerbaijan, Libya, Jordan, Albania, and Lebanon.
April 7th, 2031: NASA unveils Phase 2 of Project Apollo, the establishment of a permanent facility on the lunar surface, to the American public. The plan calls for the lunar base to be completed by 2037, and will be the jump-off point for the ambitious endeavor to place an American on Mars by 2040.
April 8th-10th, 2031: Legislative elections are held in Chad, returning as sizable majority for the Chadian Democratic Front. They are held as an important step forward for stability in Chad, which has suffered from conflict for many years. Despite some irregularities, the vote is cleaner than the last presidential elections, held in 2030.
April 30th, 2031: A set of car bombs go off in Mogadishu outside of Villa Somalia (the presidential palace) and the Parliament building. These targeted bombings kill the President and Chief of the Deputy Council, along with many parliamentarians. Meanwhile, gunmen launch attacks on the homes of prominent community leaders and businessmen, including the chief of police. Three of these attacks succeed - four fail. Blame for the terrorist attacks is quickly pointed at Al-Shabab, which accepts responsibility.
May 2031: In Somalia, Al-Shabab launches the May Offensive, which seeks to conquer Mogadishu and the federal government. Their forces advance quickly down the coast, and reach Cadale by the 20th. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council has failed to pass a resolution on the issue due to China's veto - China supports Puntland and hopes that they can defeat an overstretched Al-Shabab.
May 2nd, 2031: Detailed data from the 2030 US Census reveals that over 100 counties in the United States have population densities below .2 people/square mile. In 2000, only 27 counties had population densities below .2. Almost entirely mechanized agriculture, combined with the depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer and other water sources, has resulted in virtual “population deserts” in large stretches of the American West and Plains states.
May 6th, 2031: In the 2031 Canadian Federal Election, Prime Minister John Baird manages to lead the Conservatve Party to a majority Government, the first in well over a decade. Liberal and Opposition Leader Justin Trudeau resigns, as is replaced by Adam Giambrone by the end of the year. Also in the election, Benjamin Harper, son of Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, is elected to serve as a Member of Parliament. Prime Minister later appoints Benjamin to serve as the Minister of Transportation, a post Baird once held in the old Harper cabinet.
May 20th, 2031: Representatives of fourteen nations (America, Europe, China, India, Somaliland, Ethiopia, the East African Federation, Turkey, Brasil, Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria, Japan, and Russia) agree to meet on May 25th in Rome in order to address the growing Somali crisis. The group terms themselves “Friends of Somalia.”
May 25-26th, 2031: The “Friends of Somalia” meet in Rome to try and forge a unified strategy to deal with the Somali crisis. However, after two days of fruitless talks, the meeting is disbanded. The United States and Europe wished to fiscally and diplomatically continue to support the federal government, China wanted international recognition transferred to Puntland, India wanted more aggressive action taken to stop Al-Shabab, and Somaliland requested an international naval force to protect its shores from pirate raids. No parties were able to come to any agreement, except to meet again in 25 days, on June 20th, in Cairo.
May 26th, 2031: In a major address, Indian PM Surjaa Chakravorty announces that the situation in Somalia is a direct threat to India's interests, and and that unless the international community intervenes, India may be forced to take “unilateral action.” The East African Federation has been pressuring their close ally India to defend them against Al-Shabab, which has a strong base of support in the EAF's Northern Province.
May 30th, 2031: Al-Shabab troops reach the outskirts of Mogadishu and begin a siege. On the same day, three bombs go off in Northern Kenya, killing 38, in what Al-Shabab says is retaliation for EAF support of the federal government.
June 16th, 2031: Indian Prime Minister Surjaa Chakravorty orders two of India's aircraft carriers into position one hundred miles off the coast of Somalia. The two ships, INS Vikrant and INS Jayant Rama, will arrive on the 20th. China warns that Indian intervention in Somalia will be greeted with trade sanctions. Even the United States, usually India's staunch ally, is worried by the aggressiveness Chakravorty is displaying.
June 17th, 2031: The Chinese-backed Somali state of Puntland launches an offensive in the north of Somalia against Al-Shabab, which they believe is overstretched by their war against the federal government. International commentators speculate that the attack was ordered by the Chinese government in response to India's carrier movements off the Horn.
June 18th, 2031: The city of Mogadishu, under siege by Al-Shabab forces, has become seriously overcrowded. In the face of the Islamist offensive, more than a million people fled into the city, and there are dire food and clean water shortages. Electricity has been cut off, and the government has forced the police to the battle lines, leading to a breakdown in law and order.
June 20-22nd, 2031: The “Friends of Syria” group (America, Europe, China, India, Somaliland, Ethiopia, the East African Federation, and Russia) meet for the second time in Cairo. Here, some of the most frantic diplomacy since the Second Korean War takes place. India wants a limited intervention, and quickly wins the support of the EAF, and Somaliland, which agree to allow Indian planes and troops to be based out of their country. Ethiopia follows the Chinese line, and asks all sovereign nations to transfer their recognition of Somalia from the government in Mogadishu to the one in Puntland. After two days of fruitlessly trying to convince Indian PM Chakravorty not to take unilateral action, US President Rubio is forced to announce acceptance of India's plan, which calls for airstrikes on Shabab forces, and limited Marine and special ops raids throughout Somalia. Neither the United States nor Europe are willing to commit any support (military or financial) besides diplomatic, however.
June 23rd, 2031: Indian air forces from the carrier INS Jayant Rama engage Al-Shabab's air fighter force, which consists of six ancient Panavia Tornado ADVs (later traced back to Saudi Arabia). All six are shot down with no casualties, and Al-Shabab's two bombers are subsequently destroyed on the ground. Indian airstrikes begin along the battle lines outside of Mogadishu, while several Indian cruisers and troop ships arrive in Mogadishu harbor and unload 32 tonnes of food and water aid, along with 4000 paramilitary troops to keep the peace and ensure an orderly distribution. Meanwhile, in the north, Puntland's invasion of Al-Shabab's territory has advanced to within 150 miles of the Islamists' provisional capitol, Galkayo.
June 25th, 2031: In the face of withering Indian airstrikes and commando raids targeting Islamist generals, Al-Shabab orders a unilateral withdrawal from southern Somalia in order to deal with the threat from Puntland - the siege of Mogadishu is broken. Somali President Ahmed Jumale announces pardons for Shabab fighters who surrender and turn in their weapons rather than withdraw - 3000 do so in the first few days.
June 27th, 2031: In the Somali War, the MARCOS Special Amphibious Command of the Indian Navy launches an amphibious takeover of the town of Hobyo, in central Somalia. The town, less than 200 miles from Galkayo, is intended to provide a base for an Indian effort to cut off retreating Shabaab troops, getting between Mogadishu and Galkayo.
June 29th, 2031: The largest Indian force of the Somali War, the elite Sikh Light Infantry, land and begin unloading at Galkayo. They are supplied by airdrops and given air protection by Indian Air Force planes based out of the EAF. Numbering 13,000 troops, they quickly begin to move inland towards Balli Gubat.
June 30th, 2031: Edward, Prince of Wales graduates from Eton and begins a gap year.
China imposes trade restrictions on Indian auto imports in retaliation for India's intervention in Somalia. On the same day, Puntland forces suffer a defeat at the hands of Al-Shabab, and are forced to retreat back behind their borders. Al-Shabab's forces in the north have been reinforced by troops returning from their campaign against the government. India chooses not to respond to the trade sanctions.
July-August 2031: The 2031 heat wave occurs in Western Europe. The heat wave was particularly bad in Spain. According to Spanish officials, there were 1,722 heat-related deaths. Temperatures in Barcelona hit a record 47 °C.
July 1st, 2031: J.K. Rowling releases her weighty Harry Potter encyclopedia, entitled The Encyclopedia of Magic. Containing over 3000 entries and coming in at a hefty 890 pages, the Encyclopedia nonetheless goes on to sell over 5 million copies in the next year. It is credited with sparking a new generation of Harry Potter reading, as sales of those seven books rise considerably over the next few years.
A major car bomb attack in Nairobi's Market Square kills 85 people, including 12 Indians from a military delegation. Al-Shabaab claims responsibility and threatens more retaliatory strikes against any country that hosts Indian military forces. There are currently 82 Indian Air Force planes flying missions out of the EAF.
July 5th, 2031: Indian troops from the Sikh Light Infantry capture the towns of Dhusamareb, Ceelbuur, and Adado in the Mudug region of central Somalia. The capture of the three towns cuts off retreating and remaining Al-Shabab forces in the south of their country from their provisional capitol at Galkayo.
July 7th, 2031: Ethiopian Border Patrol forces in the Ogaden region engage and repel Shabaab fighters attempting to cross the border. Captured fighters reveal that they were attempting to circumvent the Indian blockade by traversing eastern Ethiopia. Five Ethiopian soldiers and an estimated 20-30 Shabaab fighters die in the two-hour battle.
July 10th, 2031: Somali Crisis: In exchange for immunity from prosecution, the last major Shabaab general in the south of Somalia surrenders his 12,000 troops to government and Indian forces. This ends major conflict in the south of the country, where retreating Shabaab forces had been surrounded by an Indian offensive in the center of the country.
July 13th, 2031: India finishes moving 14,000 troops and equipment into place around Galkayo, preparing for an offensive to begin on July 20th. Prime Minister Chakravorty gives Al-Shabaab leaders until then to surrender peacefully, and guarantees all privates and low-level officers pardons.
The UN General Assembly votes to consider the Chadian Democratic Front as the legitimate government of Chad and successor state to the Patriotic Salvation Movement government.
July 19th, 2031: In the Somali War, an Indian air force jet is shot down by a Shabaab missile, marking the first air combat loss for the Indian Air Force since 1971. So far, 86 Indian troops have died in combat.
July 20th, 2031: The Brazilian Navy commissions the NAe Dom Pedro II, its first supercarrier. Displacing 108,000 tonnes, and carrying upwards of sixty aircraft, the carrier was developed together with India, which launched the twin ship (the INS Jayant Rama) in February. American Secretary of State Gerardo Ramirez says that “the United States welcomes Brazil's assertiveness and commitment to democracy around the globe”, although commentators suggest that America worries about Brazil's overshadowing sphere of influence in Latin America.
In the face of silence from Al-Shabaab leadership, Indian troops begin a large offensive against Islamist positions around Galkayo, their capitol. So far, Indian troops have remained on the front lines, leaving Somali government forces to pacify and occupy towns in their wake. India is hoping to reduce resentment of an “occupying” force - the only Indian troops in an occupation role are the 4000 paramilitaries helping keep law and order in Mogadishu.
July 22nd, 2031: A group of sabotouers manages to poison Mogadishu's central water supply with 80 pounds of cyanide at three distribution plants in the city. Over 180 people (including 32 Indian troops) die before the source of the poisoning is realized. The Indian Air Force begins a massive airlift to bring clean water into the city while the cyanide-tainted fluid is flushed out.
July 25th, 2031: Indian Air Force planes, in a show of logistic incompetence (albeit in the face of a massive challenge), have so far failed to supply nearly enough water to Mogadishu and the approx. 4000 Indian troops stationed there. Embarrassingly for the Indian Army, three soldiers die of thirst, along with over 400 civilians (mostly elderly).
July 28th, 2031: Clean water service is restored throughout most of Mogadishu, although a small airlift continues to guarantee water supplies.
July 29th, 2031: The Al-Shabaab capitol of Galkayo falls to Indian Army forces. In recent days, desertion among Shabaab fighters had been high, and there was only minor resistance. The elderly leader of the Islamist group, Sahal Isku Dhuuq, is killed in battle, while three top aides are captured and two more are believed to have escaped.
August 1st, 2031: In Somalia, Indian forces move into position across from Puntland-controlled territory. Puntland had launched an invasion of Shabaab territory more than a month earlier, and now claimed that it was the legitimate government of all Somalia. A Chinese-backed state, Puntland announces that it will forcibly oppose any attempts by Indian troops to advance further.
August 3rd-5th, 2031: In the face of a stand-off between Indian Army forces in Somalia and the Chinese-trained troops of Puntland, frantic diplomacy occurs at a third “Friends of Syria” meeting, which takes place in Istanbul. Both Prime Minister Surjaa Chakravorty and Premier Liu Yazhou attend, as does President Marco Rubio. President Rubio and Turkish President Sahane Sultan Muftuoglu manage to broker a deal between the two nations, along with representatives of Somaliland, the Somali government, and Puntland. Under the terms of the deal, Puntland will become an autonomous region in Somalia, in exchange for the withdrawal of all Indian troops from Somalia by 2032.
August 6th, 2031: A further set of agreements by the “Friends of Somalia” (America, Europe, China, India, Somaliland, Ethiopia, the East African Federation, Turkey, Brasil, Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria, Japan, and Russia) is signed in Istanbul. These will later be termed the 'Istanbul Accords'.They establish, with the consent of the UN Security Council, an international naval and drone force to prevent piracy off of Somalia (excluding Indian and Chinese forces), a joint development and free trade area between Somalia, Somaliland, and Ethiopia, and an international aid and training fund to aid Somalia in preventing an Islamist insurgency.
August 7th, 2031: Edward, Prince of Wales visits an archaeological dig in Vilcabamba, Peru at the beginning of his gap year and becomes profoundly fascinated by Inca archaeology.
September 1-10th, 2031: Large protests rock Kashmiri cities, with turnout close to 1 million across Kashmir on the peak days. After a protestor is killed by a rubber bullet, some protests turn violent and 25 people are killed in the following days. There are some rumors of Pakistani instigators fueling the protests. In response, PM Chakravorty's government announces that it is suspending the Armed Forces Act, which gave the the Indian army special powers to detain and interrogate in Kashmir. This takes momentum away from the protests, which soon peter out. In addition, the PM creates a committee to provide proposals to improve the standing of Kashmiris in India.
September 15th, 2031: President Rubio declares that the U.S. has exited the 2029-2031 recession, after several months of lowering unemployment and stock market recovery. Unemployment has declined to 5.8%, while Rubio's approval ratings have risen from its low at 43% to a healthy 56%.
September 20th, 2031: The last of the major internet entertainment groups, Awesome Network, is launched after a merger of several different internet entertainment websites, including the now classic Channel Awesome.
September 21st, 2031: Two truck bombs explode in the Somali city of Galkayo, killing 52 people. A remnant of Al-Shabab claims responsibility, led by former political chief Sheikh Hassan Hersi.
October 1st, 2031: In a ceremony in Rabat, Queen Lalla of Morocco marries James Viscount Severn of Great Britain. They had met four years previously at the coronation of Prince Andrea of Monaco. Viscount Severn converts to Islam and moves to Morocco with his wife.
October 8th, 2031: The Nobel Committee announces that Presidents Marco Rubio and Sahane Muftuoglu of the USA and Turkey will receive the Nobel Peace Prize for their “considerable efforts to alleviate the Somali Crisis and avoid potential conflict.” Rubio is the third American president to accept the Peace Prize, while Muftuoglu becomes to the first female head of state to be so honored.
October 17th, 2031: In baseball, the Atlanta Braves win the World Series. The team's star pitcher and batter, Luiz and Paolo Gushiken, Japanese-Brazilian twin brothers, have generated a large following in Brazil. Luiz Gushiken is named Most Valuable Player, and finishes the season with an ERA of 1.98, the lowest since Roger Clemens in 2005.
October 31, 2031: The anti-monarchist Australian Labour Party wins elections by a close margin. Leonidas “Jack” O’Flaherty immediately schedules a March 2032 referendum on whether to abolish the Australian monarchy and substitute a republic in its place.
November 2nd, 2031: In the Nicaraguan General Elections, relative unknown Brunilda Laparra is elected President under the banner of a new political party, Nicaragua Adelante! (es. Nicaragua Advance! or NA, officially Party for the Advancement of Nicaragua, or PPN). Her success is attributed to the extremely poor performance of the FSLN in rebuilding Nicaragua after the 2028 earthquake and tsunami.
November 11th, 2031: Gunmen from Al-Shabaab attack the parliament of Somalia in Mogadishu. One parliamentarian is killed, along with two Indian troops, but all twelve attackers are dispatched.
November 16th, 2031: The Seattle Sounders FC win the Major League Soccer Cup over C.D. Chivas USA, 2-1.
November 18th, 2031: America is taken by surprise when leader of the Apollo Regenesis lunar mission Jake Sky, announces he will be running for the US Senate seat in his home state of Michigan. Although he says he enjoyed being an astrounaut, Sky also says the developments in the Democratic Party have inspired him to try his hand at politics.
November 30th, 2031: Former President of South Africa Nomaindia Mfeketo is elected to the position of United Nations Secretary-General. She will become the first African woman to hold the post, and the third African.
December 1st, 2031: Major League Baseball Commissioner Jon Daniels announces a major expansion of the league. Beginning in the 2033 season, three teams will be based in Mexico. The Monterrey Sultans and Mexicali Vaqueros will join the National League, while the Mexico City Devils will become an American League Team. Daniels says that he is “very excited” about the prospects for baseball in Mexico, and says that MLB, along with private investors, will put forward over $200 million to upgrade and expand the three Mexican ballparks.
December 3rd, 2031: East African Federation and Ethiopian drones attack a camp in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. Newly minted Al-Shabaab leader Sheikh Hassan Hersi is killed, along with his deputies. Analysts believe the strike will deal a body blow to the struggling terrorist organization.
December 8th-12th, 2031: A record 7.3 million Roman Catholics flood into Mexico City to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Juan Diego's famous sighting of the Virgin of Guadalupe. On December 9th, President Luis Iñiguez gives a nationwide address to nearly 100 million Mexicans, as well as millions more in the United States and other parts of the world in her honor, speaking of the Virgin of Guadalupe's “undying love as she has cared for our people through countless trials of misfortune.” In Vatican City Pope George gives his own speech in honor of the Virgin, which is heard by Catholics the world over.
December 9th, 2031: Prime Minister Neil Fraser resigns in an expenses scandal being succeeded by Jonathan Crewe, the Home Secretary.
January 1st, 2032: The Central African Republic changes its official name to the Republic of Ubangi-Shari, widely known simply as Ubangi. The demonym is Ubangan. Ubangi and Shari are the names of the two largest rivers in the CAR, and when it was a French colony, it was known as Oubangi-Chari. Additionally, the largest language group in the former CAR is the Ubangi family.
January 2nd, 2032: The final regiment of Indian paramilitaries leave Mogadishu, completing the Indian withdrawal. Mogadishu police forces are considered “mostly ready” to return to work by American intelligence analysts, but India wants to avoid becoming the target of an insurgency.
January 6th, 2032: Iowa Caucuses; Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) crushes former Senator Harold Ford, Jr. (D-TN) by a 59-40 margin in the Democratic contest. Despite his defeat, Ford vows to continue his campaign, despite polls afterward heavily favoring Murphy's candidacy.
January 19th, 2032: The claimed government of Puntland dissolves, and the Prime Minister becomes Vice-President of Somalia. The 8,000 troops of the Puntland National Army are dispersed throughout the Somali Armed Forces.
February 2nd, 2032: Having seen the success of the CCSR in Ontario and Quebec, the provincial governments of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, announce their own plans to build a high speed rail system to be called the Maritime Provincial Speed Rail, or MPSR. Plans are made to complete the project by 2038.
February 14th, 2032: Taipei Mayor Lo Wu-shih (KMT) defeats Vice-president Kao Chia-yu (DPP) in the Taiwanese presidential election, ending 16 years of DPP rule.
Republic of China legislative election, 2032 Kuomintang 64 Democratic Progressive Party 28 Non-Partisan Solidarity Union 7 Taiwanese Patriotic Party 6 Labor Party 4 Independents 4 Incumber Speaker: Tsai Wu-Hong (KMT)
February 18th, 2032: Elderly Burkinabé dictator Blaise Compaoré dies at the age of 82. Compaoré has been in power since he overthrew his onetime friend Thomas Sankara in 1987, and his Congress for Democracy and Progress Party has been winning rigged elections in Burkina Faso since 1991. His Minister for Security, Jerome Bogouma, steps into the role of President.
March 2nd, 2032: After months of rumbling, the 4,750 meter Kluchevskoy Volcano located in Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula explodes in an eruption so powerful it destroys the mountain itself. With results similar to the eruption of Laki in Iceland in 1783, an estimated 120,000,000 long tons of sulphur are emitted. While only 2717 people die in the initial blast, there is much loss of wildlife on the heretofore pristine Kamchatka peninsula. The poisonous cloud dissipates over the Pacific Ocean before reaching North America although record thick fogs are reported at sea.
The winter of 2032-2033 is one of the most severe on record. While the world enjoyed spectacular sunsets, snowfall over North America was deeper than it had been in decades. Harbors froze from Maine to Charleston, South Carolina, as did the Mississippi River as far south as New Orleans. As a result of weakened monsoon cycles in Asia and Africa, there was much suffering in famine stricken areas on both continents. The lowering of mean temperatures around the world stopped the progress of global warming for several decades and weather patterns returned to mid- 20th Century norms as glaciers again advanced, ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland firmed up, and polar bear populations began to increase. The effects would wear off by 2060 when scientists again began to note record high temperatures and the loss of ice in Antarctica and Greenland.
March 6th, 2032: China announces that it will invest $900 million in Chad over the next few years, building the country a new road connection from N'Djamena to Sarh, Moundou, and Abeche. China will also build an oil pipeline from N'Djamena to Maidguri in Nigeria, sparking criticism that China is only interested in the country's oil and natural gas reserves.
March 15, 2032: Referendum on abolition of the Australian monarchy barely passes with 50.02 percent of the vote.
March 28th, 2032: Gallup releases a poll showing President Rubio's approval rating at 61%, in light of the economic recovery and general approval of his “New Conservative” approach toward government spending, trimming the fat rather than axing entire programs.
April 10th, 2032: Jordan and Morocco resign their membership in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), stating that the GCC has become dangerously undemocratic and radical. They urge the remaining seven members of the council (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE) to implement democratic reforms).
April 27, 2032: Fears and hopes of Jurassic Park increase even more as DNA of Spinosaurus aegyptiacus and, for the first time outside of Africa, Oxalaia quilombensis, shows as First carnivore DNA.
May 12th, 2032: In the United States, the Illinois General Assembly passes the Educational Standards Act of 2032 requiring that all schools throughout the state use metric units alone by 2035. The law is strongly opposed by teachers unions (because of the “undue hassle”) and many social conservatives.
May 17th, 2032: Former Justice Samuel Alito dies from Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma at the age of 82.
May 19th, 2032: In response to internal and external pressure, the Sultan of Oman, Taimur bin Feisal, sets in motion a ten-year process for transition to constitutional monarchy.
June 16th, 2032: King William V grants his uncle Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex his father’s title Duke of Edinburgh, a title promised him during the lifetime of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. The new duke’s son, James, Viscount Severn, the husband of Queen Lalla of Morocco assumes his father’s former title and becomes known as Earl of Wessex.
July 29th - August 14th, 2032: The 2032 Summer Olympic Games are held in Paris, France. The tournament closes with the United States having won the most medals, followed by France.
August 4, 2032: New Republic of Australia constitution ratified by Parliament with the President to be chosen by Parliament for a four year term.
August 7, 2032: Parliament chooses Bernard “Bernie” Bell, a longtime Australian Labour Party MP from Lilley, Queenland as Australia’s first president.
August 19th, 2032: Democratic National Convention; Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Alexander Boone (D-VA) are nominated for President and Vice President, respectively, in Seattle, Washington. Delegates supporting former Senator Ford stage a walkout of the convention, labeling Murphy and Boone as “liberal hacks”.
September 2nd, 2032: President Marco Rubio and Vice President Adam Klinzinger are renominated for President and Vice President at the Republican National Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
September 3rd, 2032: Edward Xifeng of Chicago becomes the first person to have a full spine and spinal-cord transplant.
September 5th, 2032: In a last ditch effort to remain relevant on the national level, moderate-conservative Democrats successfully draft former Senator Harold Ford, Jr (D-TN) to run on an “Independent Democratic” presidential ticket. In his announcement speech, Ford taps Senator Henry Cuellar (D-TX) as his running mate, and calls for “a return to centrist and sensible policies, not liberal and idealistic ones”.
September 9th, 2032: Indonesia signs the Treaty of Tunis, formally joining Brazil and Turkey in what is frequently called the BIT block. The treaty establishes free trade, establishes high and low-level military contact and cooperation, expands cultural exchanges, and removes visa restrictions. The three second-class power nations frequently work together to expand their influence on the world stage. They individually exert their power in their respective regions; North Africa and Central Asia, Aládec in Latin America, and ASEAN.
September 13th, 2032: Prince Nikolai of Denmark establishes a residence in Kigoma near Lake Tanganyika. He comes to love Africa and settles there permanently. He takes East African Federation citizenship and later joins the EAF military.
September 15th, 2032: Under considerable public pressure, the Illinois General Assembly modifies the Educational Standards Act it passed in May. The original bill required all schools to use only metric units by 2035. The revised legislation requires metric units to be used alongside imperial units in school by 2040. Over the next 10 years, fifteen states pass similar laws, including California, Oregon, Georgia, Virginia, and New York.
October 3rd, 2032: Mt. Colima in south-central Mexico, one of the nation's most active volcanoes, erupts violently. 230 fall victim in the event. Pope George dies at the age of 89 when his plane is caught in the ash cloud caused by the eruption of Mt. Colima in Mexico which crashes with no survivors. The ailing Pope was returning to his native Honduras for a private visit.
October 4th, 2032: A 7.1 Magnitude earthquake strikes Gujarat, India, killing over 16,000 people. An international relief effort led by the United States is organized. Among the 16,000 dead in the Gujarat, India earthquake is Sweden's Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Varmland. A convert to Hinduism after the death of his parents King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia in the Goring Hotel bombing of 2029, the prince's body is found in the ruins of the ashram where he was living.
October 11th, 2032: Former Presidents Kirsten Gillibrand and Julian Castro tour Gujarat as a part of the United States' relief effort in the region. While President Rubio is campaigning, he pledges closer relations with India as a counterbalance to a rising China and to increase economic ties.
October 13th, 2032: An attempted military coup against Nicaraguan President Brunilda Laparra is thwarted by loyalist elements of the army. Several hours after the attempt President Laparra suspends the constitution and places the entire country under a state of emergency.
October 19th, 2032: In baseball, the Boston Red Sox win the World Series.
October 22nd, 2032: Cardinal Shelton J. Fabre (b. 25 Oct 1963) the Louisiana-born former Bishop of New Orleans is elected to the papacy on the sixth ballot. He assumes the regnal name Pope John XXIV.
November 2nd, 2032: President Marco Rubio and Vice President Adam Kinzinger are re-elected over the Democratic ticket of Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT)/Senator Alexander Boone (D-VA) and the “Independent Democratic” ticket of former Senator Harold Ford, Jr (D-TN)/Senator Henry Cuellar (D-TX). Former lunar astronaut Jake L. Sky (D-MI) is elected to the US Senate, winning by large margin of 70%. In his victory speech, Sky says one of his key missions in the Senate will be to see the NASA continues to get the funding that it needs.
President Marco Rubio (R-FL) / Vice President Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) - 362 EV - 51.0% PV Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) / Senator Alexander Boone (D-VA) - 176 EV - 37.5% PV Former Senator Harold Ford (I-TN) / Senator Henry Cuellar (I-TX) - 0 EV - 10.2% PV
House of Representatives Republican: 245 seats (+15) Democratic: 168 seats (-18) Independent Democratic: 23 seats (+3)
Senate Republican: 54 seats (+2) Democratic: 41 seats (-1) Independent Democratic: 5 seats (-1)
November 21st, 2032: Japanese general election; the ruling Coalition for National Unity of YP, SCP and LDP is reelected. The election results are as followed: YP 167, DPJ 130, Social Credit Party 92, New Komeito 37, LDP 22, JCP 12, SDP 6, Issuikai 3, Others / non-partisan / independents 11.
November 23rd, 2032: D.C. United wins the Major League Soccer Cup over Real Salt Lake, 3-1.
November 28th, 2032: Reigning Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein dies in his sleep at his residence in Vienna. He is succeeded by his son Hereditary Prince Alois (b. 11 June 1968).
November 30th, 2032: The 10 member states of A'ama, the Islamic democratic league, announce that they have signed a free-trade deal aimed to triple internal trade within five years.
January 1st, 2033: All public schools and accredited private schools throughout the United States are now required to use the International Dating Format of Day/Month/Year, as mandated by the Dating Modernization Act (DMA). Although some conservative states had initially resisted it, by now most of the adult populace of the US, which grew up with the Internet, is used to the format, and it is ultimately accepted.
January 16th, 2033: In Japan, Your Party, Social Credit Party and the LDP merge to form the National Frontier Party.
February 6th, 2033: A vote on the EU in the House of Commons results in the first major defeat of the 2026 government and is a major blow to Prime Minister Crewe.
March 20th, 2033: Former US President Mitt Romeny dies at age 86 of a stroke at his home in New Hampshire. Though his Presidency was a controversial one, due to the rise of S.O.U.L. and his inability to stop the Great Recession, many mourn his death. At Romney's funeral, both current President Marco Rubio, and Romney's Vice-President Bobby Jindal, give passionate speeches about their longtime friend.
March 26th, 2033: The monthlong 2033 World Baseball Classic closes in Seattle, Washington. South Korea emerge as the champions, beating out Japan for the title. In third place are America, and rounding out the heap in fourth place are Cuba.
April 1st, 2033: The Monterrey Sultans lose 6-2 at home to the St. Louis Cardinals in the first MLB game played on Mexican soil. The Sultans are part of a three-team MLB expansion to Mexico, which also includes the Mexico City Devils and the Mexicali Vaqueros.
April 30th, 2033: Prominent atheist, evolutionary biologist, and critic of religion Richard Dawkins passes away at the age of 92. Although his death is celebrated (or at the very least, privately smiled at) by many evangelical Christians, atheists are saddened by the lost of their most prominent representative. Although his legacy will be controversial and a hot topic for debate, he is ultimately recognized as a successful biologist by the scientific community.
May 3rd, 2033: AIDS prevalence in Namibia has been reduced to under 4% of the adult population, following the rise of Erinle, the vaccination project, and better education measures.
May 10th, 2033: Reports indicate increasing numbers of American couples traveling to countries in Europe and Southeast Asia seeking designer children. The babies of the child architect industry are referred to as “scions”, portrayed as the advent of a “perfect” human race, in the U.S. and Europe.
May 28th, 2033: Liu Linzhi, son of late General Liu Yazhou and the new Premier of China, warns that ageing population may create huge social problems in the next 50 years.
May 29th, 2033: Japanese prime minister Shinjiro Koizumi and US President Marco Rubio are shot by Liang Weihua, a Chinese reporter in New York. While President Rubio only sustains minor injuries, Prime Minister Koizumi is severely injured.
July 1st, 2033: Somaliland joins the Islamic Nations of Freedom (A'ama). Somaliland is the poorest and smallest state in the group, and brings total membership to eleven countries.
July 22nd, 2033: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain sign the Treaty of Rome, laying out the timetable for their formal federalisation, to occur by January 1st, 2036.
September 21st, 2033: Apothis is found to be in a distant orbit around Jupiter. It will slowly work it's way towards the gas giant until colliding with the planet some time in the 22nd Century.
October 8th, 2033: The Monterrey Sultans are eliminated from the playoffs in the National League Division Series, losing the 5-game set to the Chicago Cubs 3-2. The Sultans were profitable in their first MLB season, although their companion Mexican teams, the Mexico City Devils and the Mexicali Vaqueros lost money.
October 15th, 2033: NASA unveils Project Hermes, a plan to send a probe to the Jovian moon of Europa and drill through its icy surface to explore the anticipated water ocean in search of possible extraterrestrial life. The probe is expected to be launched in 2038 and reach Europa by 2042.
October 17th, 2033: In baseball, the Chicago Cubs win the World Series.
October 25th, 2033: Following the signing of the Treaty of Rome the previous year, negotiations begin in Brussels on the status of the European Union following the planned establishment of the European Federation in 2036. Germany and France want the EU to remain much as it currently exists, including the common currency, while Britain, Poland and Hungary support a looser economic union. Meanwhile, Italy comes out in favor of EU membership being merely a pathway to eventual accession to Federated Europe. The UK led bloc are eventually able to gain an edge in negotiations due to the Federation's reliance on the rest of the EU to admit it once it forms.
November 1st, 2033: Prince Andrew, the Duke of York passes away from complications of prostate cancer.
November 11th, 2033: Elements 130 and 131 are discovered at the new JINR Semipalantinsk facility in the Union State.
November 21st, 2033: The Chicago Fire win the Major League Soccer Cup over Real Salt Lake, 7-0.
December 8th, 2033: A second round of negotiations over the future of the EU takes place in Brussels. This broader session also includes several Mediterranean nations as part of discussions over the future of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and the Union for the Mediterranean. The North African nations in particular are looking to deepen the Euro-Med Free Trade Area, as well as the question of the involvement of the non-Mediterranean European nations in light of changes to the EU. Israel and the Palestinian Territories are excluded from the discussions on the basis of the continuing conflict while Mauritania and Syria are excluded on the basis of continuing human rights concerns. All other Mediterranean nations are in attendance.
February 5th, 2034: the XXVII Winter Olympiad opens in Quebec City, Canada.
February 17th, 2034: With the core of the EU committed to federalisation in the realisation of a “Multi Speed Europe” the final round of talks on the future of the EU conclude between all member states. The Treaty of Krakow is signed, agreeing that in the event of the creation of the Federation the EU will lose it's competencies in Foreign and Security Policy with the exception of international trade negotiation, military co-operation, intranational competition matters, social affairs, infrastructure, and agriculture. In addition, several other areas will become far more intergovernmental rather than supranational, such as joint energy programs including nuclear fusion research, and justice and home affairs.
The Treaty also includes the “pre-accession” of the European Federation so that it automatically receives membership upon it's creation, and reforms it's institutions, among other things substantially pairing down the size of the European Parliament and establishing Brussels as it's exclusive home. The ECB would be replaced by the Bank of Europe, which would remain as a nominal component of the EU but would have it's means of representation, as with the rest of the institutions, substantially overhauled, and new terms of reference that remove the exclusive focus of inflation as the basis of setting monetary policy.
March 23rd, 2034: At a press conference in San Salvador, Nicaraguan President Laparra and newly elected President of El Salvador Esteban Ortiz announce that their nations “stand united in the task of ridding Central America of squalor and destitution.” The recent outcome of the Salvadorian elections becomes indicative of a conservative, authoritarian resurgence in Central American politics, as Laparrista politicians take power in Guatemala and Honduras in 2035 and 2037 respectively.
March 29th, 2034: Concluding talks on the future of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, the Treaty of Instanbul is signed by Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Jordan, Lebanon, Algeria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Monaco, Montenegro, and Slovenia. The Treaty replaces the Partnership and Union for the Mediterranean with the Union of the Mediterranean. The new Union is stronger than what it replaced, creating it's own “Schengen Area” of borderless travel between it's own members, and increasing co-operation on areas such as the development and protection of the Mediterranean Sea, and creating an integrated energy and transport network.
Crucially, the Treaty is also signed by the signatories of the Rome Treaty granting the European Federation membership upon it's creation, although they will not be part of the borderless provisions, and the European Union, integrating the UM into the EU's single market. Free movement of goods, services, capital and labor, common external tariffs, and harmonised regulations are established between all nations concerned. The Tripartite Arrangement is also established, whereby the Single Market will be jointly run by the Federation, the EU (sans the Federation) and the UM (sans the Federation.) The Treaty is hailed as increasing economic integration between Europe and the Mediterranean while allowing the two regions to pursue separate projects in other areas (such as Europe's continued co-operation on Justice and Security matters and space exploration or the Mediterranean's common infrastructure projects.)
The Union also strengthens co-operation on several areas, particularly in establishing an integrated transport network, energy resource development (principally solar), and developing and protecting the Mediterranean Sea.
April-May, 2034: Parliamentary elections are held in India, with over 770 million people voting. Prime Minister Surjaa Chakravorty is running for a third term; were she to win a third term, she would be the first Indian Prime Minister since Nehru to do so. Her premiership thus far has been popular and successful. The Naxalite threat has completely vanished, and relations with the US are at a high point. The Indian economy has been growing steadily for over 10 years, and India's HDI is now .713, with the 5th largest economy in the world.
The Prakarita Kriya Party (PKP) has been gaining followers in the years since its formation. Its economic policies appeal to a broad swath of Indians, while it's aggressive anti-Pakistani rhetoric has increased the party's following among many scared of Pakistan's military government.
After the election, seats in the Lok Sabha are apportioned as follows:
New Democratic Party of India (NDP): 290 seats Prakarita Kriya Party (PKP): 169 seats Left Front: 51 seats Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): 14 seats Independents: 9 seats Anglo-Indian Representatives: 2 seats
The government is formed by the NDP, the Anglo-Indian Representatives and several independents, controlling 298 seats. Prime Minister Chakravorty, in her victory speech, announces that she will try to end the problem of ghettos and slums in cities, and attempt to enact closer relations with “civil” neighbors; a list that includes Nepal, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Bhutan.
April 5th, 2034: Princess Sofia, daughter of King Felipe VI of Spain and heiress to the throne marries Pedro Tesifon José Marcilla de Teruel-Moctezuma y Palafox, 8th Duke of Moctezuma de Tultengo, a Spanish nobleman and descendent of Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II.
April 25th, 2034: Pledging a plebiscite on dissolution of the Belgian state, the New Flemish Alliance is able to form a government under the leadership of Bart de Wever (b. 21 December 1970).
May 9, 2034: DNA of the first egg-eating dinosaur, Oviraptor philoceratops, is found in Mongolia
Negotiations conclude on the drafting of the Constitution of the European Federation by the committee established under the Treaty of Rome. The proposed final text is formally unveiled to the public and sent to the individual members for ratification. All will do so by popular referenda.
The draft constitution provides for a federal parliamentary republic with a substantial degree of conventionalism. There would be a ceremonial President elected by the Parliament and the legislatures of the component states to 10 year terms, renewable once, who would be Head of State. The Parliament would be composed of the European Assembly as the lower house with 750 members elected by a combination of STV and IRV, and which would form the Government of the Federation by electing a Prime Minister at the start of every Parliament, while the upper House would be the European Council with 10 members per state to begin with, all of whom serving at the pleasure of their respective national legislatures.
June 10th, 2033: Nicaraguan President Brunilda Laparra gives a speech in front of the rebuilt Presidential Residence, praising the “valorous sons and daughters of Nicaragua who made their nation a much better place.” Behind the scenes Laparra begins a slow purge of the political establishment, having already cleared the military of any “disloyal” elements after the attempted coup d'état the previous October.
July 1st, 2034: All Nippon Spacecraft (ANS)'s ANS-1 completes its first manned space mission to the moon.
July 15th, 2034: Boeing's first supersonic aircraft, the SST-8 “Slipstream”, embarks on its first flight from the company's main production facility at Paine Field near Everett, WA. The Slipstream carries 230 passengers in a three-class configuration, cruising at an altitude of 50,000 feet at speeds of Mach 2.1, slightly faster than the Concorde nearly fifty years previously.
July 17th, 2034: Indonesia holds a presidential election. Agung Baratha of the National Mandate Party is elected to the post of President, and will serve until 2039.
July 18th-27th, 2034: A messy coup occurs in Burkina Faso, led by Army Chief Moussa Poitroipa. Poitropa succeeds in overthrowing President Jerome Bogouma, who ruled the country for only two years following the death of long-time dictator Blaise Compaoré in 2032. The coup is rough and unorganized, with fighting in the capitol, Ouagadougou, continuing for five days. Bogouma is able to flee to the town of Nouna, where he is caught and killed in urban fighting on the 27th.
July 20th, 2034: The twenty-fifth FIFA World Cup concludes in the United States of America. Brazil wins the championship 1-0 over defending champions France. The American team placed third, an unexpected but unsurprising showing. Football in America has steadily been growing more popular, and Major League Soccer is well-established as one of the “Big Five” major leagues in America. An estimated 810 million people watch the final match.
July 30th, 2034: American actress Anna Kendrick stars in the film Miracle of Death, about Amanda Adamsson, a woman who joined SOUL and planned several bombings in the 2010s. Adamsson later informed on R.SOUL for the FBI and was sentenced to twelve years in prison. She committed suicide in 2026. The film is a major box-office success.
August 27th, 2034: General elections are held in Namibia. President Percy Montgomery of the RFD Party is defeated in his bid for a second term by Moses Esau of SWAPO. SWAPO will return to power in Parliament as well, after five years as the Official Opposition. President Esau will serve until 2039.
September 2, 2034: DNA of Tyrannosaurus rex is found in Western Idaho. This find is widely publicized and overshadows the simultaneous one of Triceratops horridus. Both increase the hopes and fears of “Cretaceous Park” and “Jurassic Park” becoming reality.
October 13th, 2034: In baseball, the Boston Red Sox win the World Series.
The Méxican state of Nayarit becomes the 16th state to ratify the electoral amendments to the Méxican Constitution, thereby reaching the required majority of states needed for the measure to become law.
October 15th, 2034: Belgians vote to dissolve their nation. Negotiations begin on how to effect the divorce peacefully.
October 16th, 2034: Japanese prime minister Shinjiro Koizumi resigns due to rapidly deteriorating health after the failed assassination attempt a year ago. He is succeeded by Defense Minister Masayoshi Chikafuji.
October 24th, 2034: The Méxican Constitution is officially amended to include new electoral regulations. Namely, the Presidential term is reduced from 6 years to 4 years, with the possibility of reelection once. Borrowing heavily from the American model, Deputy terms are also reduced to 2 years, with unlimited reelection. Senators retain their 6 year terms, though unlike their American counterparts they can only be reelected once. The amendments also stipulate that if no presidential candidate receives a majority of the votes there will be a runoff election between the two runner ups. The new rules are set to be utilized for the upcoming 2036 General Elections.
November 4th, 2034: In Washington, Democratic State Senator Mark Helten defeats Republican Congressman Pete Johnson to become the second openly atheist United States Senator. He replaces outgoing Senator Patty Murray. He is sworn in next January, and at his private swearing-in ceremony, he chooses to place his hand on a copy of the U.S. Constitution.
House of Representatives Republican: 227 seats (-18) Democratic: 195 seats (+28) Independent Democratic: 13 seats (-10)
Senate Republican: 51 seats (-3) Democratic: 45 seats (+4) Independent Democratic: 4 seats (-1)
November 11th, 2034: Spain becomes the last state to vote on the Federation Constitution, with the “Yes” side winning by a popular margin of 57.3% in a national referendum. All signatories of the Treaty of Rome have now successfully ratified to the Treaty and the date for the new state's establishment is set for 2036. Several states concurrently passed amendments to their national constitutions as part of the ratification process to ensure legal compatibility.
November 14th, 2034: The Helena Hunters win the Major League Soccer Cup over the Houston Dynamo, 2-1.
November 28th, 2034:A new poll released by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reveals that 35% of Americans self-identify as non-religious, up from 30% in 2022. Of that 35%, 8% identify as atheists, 10% identify as agnostic, and the remaining 17% are not classified by any (non)belief. Based on current trends, Pew predicts that the United States may become a majority non-religious nation by 2065. This announcement comes as a surprise to many Americans, given America's strong religious history. One of the main factors is the increasing use of technology in people's everyday lives, which has caused many to abandon organized religion in favor of spirituality, New Age beliefs, or atheism/agnosticism. In addition, far-right Christian fundamentalist terrorism caused a sharp decline in religious adherence throughout the nation in the 2010s and 2020s. This trend shocks many social conservatives and evangelicals, already fearful that the religious identity of the USA has been fundamentally altered since 2001.
November 7th, 2034: Pascal Manaloto (D-AK) is elected governor of Alaska, the first nonwhite governor of that state and the second Filipino-American governor in the country. His victory came through uniting Alaskan natives, immigrant cannery workers, and an increasing environmentalist block.
November 10th, 2033: In Hong Kong, 49-year-old former District Councilor Siu Leong-sing is awarded the Nobel Peace Price for “for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights, democracy and self-determination in Hong Kong”. He is unable to attend the ceremony, and China temporarily suspends new trade contracts with Europe as a “punishment”.
December 10th, 2034: UN Secretary-General Nomaindia Mfeketo, along with the leaders of Nigeria and the EAF, win the Nobel Peace Prize for “their efforts to advance democracy and cooperation on the African continent”.
December 11th, 2034: A catastrophic blizzard hits New England and Metropolitan New York, killing 57 and causing over $355 million in damage.
December 21st, 2034: Citing a recent diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease, King Alexander II of Serbia abdicates in favor of his American-born son Peter (born February 1980) who assumes the Serbian throne under the regnal name of King Peter III.
January 1st, 2035: Belgium formally ceases to exist. The Republic of Flanders is established with Bart de Wever as first president. The former Belgian province of Luxembourg rejoins the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg as does German-speaking Eupen and St. Vith. The province of Namur and the rest of French-speaking Wallonia becomes the entirely francophone Kingdom of Wallonia with former Belgian King Philippe of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha as monarch. The city of Brussels, a French-speaking enclave entirely surrounded by the Republic of Flanders becomes a Free City in anticipation of becoming the capital of the proposed FES.
February 1st, 2035: Chinese premier Liu Yazhou announces that the remaining one-child policy would be abolished in all China by January 1 2036.
February 20th, 2035: Brazilian musicians Elia Lobo, Marlos Nobre, and Maysa Monjardim form the band El Aleatorios (The Randoms) in Maceió, Brazil. Inspired by earlier styles like Occidental and bossa nova music, the group quickly becomes a hit in the Maceió club scene.
February 25th, 2035: Former Japanese prime minister Shinjiro Koizumi dies in Tokyo. He was only 53 years old. He is the second post-war prime minister to be given a state funeral after Shigeru Yoshida.
March 18th, 2035: King William V’s daughter, Princess Elizabeth of Great Britain is arrested for disorderly conduct inside a seedy London nightclub. Although quickly released from jail, the paparazzi photograph the entire incident which is all over the internet by morning.
March 24, 2035: President Bernard “Bernie” Bell of Australia is convicted of tax evasion and resigns. Parliament replaces him with Gina Gilman, ALP MP for Page, New South Wales.
April 16th, 2035: In light of recent events in Central America, Mexico begins an immediate upgrading of its military. Amongst the several new planes and amphibious cruisers purchased from the Americans and Europeans, there is talk of Mexico acquiring an aircraft carrier of it's own. The Mexican Navy launches an exploratory commission for the possible purchase of carriers or of possibly building one domestically.
May 5th, 2035: Mt Vesuvius begins to rumble causing an increased number of earthquakes.
May 9th, 2035: Halfway through his third term in office, President Salou Djibo of Niger dies at age 70. Djibo, an extremely popular leader in Niger, managed to maintain the country as a multi-party democracy through many turbulent years. Initially brought to power by a 2010 coup, Djibo then led the country into a brief period of democracy, which was challenged in 2021 by President Ali Zeine. Defeating that attempt in the Nigerien Civil War, Djibo then led his country in peace for 13 years. However, his death opens up a power vacuum in Niger, which is still very impoverished.
May 12th, 2035: In Niger, the Vice-President, Rhissa Boula, accedes to the Presidency, becoming the first female leader of Niger. Popular president Saul Djibo died on May 9th after two and a half terms in office.
May 13th, 2035: Beatle Paul McCartney dies peacefully at the age of 92 in his home surrounded by his loved ones. His last words were reported to be “Linda…John…George…How I've missed you…”
May 16th 2035: The Conservative government are booted out of office by a new Labour Party led by Robert Milligan, who becomes Britain's first black Prime Minister with a majority of 46.
May 20th, 2035: Japanese general election: the ruling National Frontier Party wins a landslide victory, as the nation is still mourning the loss of its former prime minister. The election results are as followed: NFP 318, DPJ 114, New Komeito 24, JCP 8, SDP 6, Issuikai 3, Others / non-partisan / independents 7.
May 29th, 2035: The Ouéme Dam is completed in Benin. The dam, begun in 2039 with significant Indian financing, is expected to provide upwards of 90% of Benin's energy needs. Surplus energy will be sold to Nigeria and Togo. It is the largest and most efficient hydroelectric dam in West Africa, surpassing Ghana's Akosombo Dam.
June 10th, 2035: CRN opens its second phase from New York to Chicago and from New York to Boston. On the west coast, the California High Speed Rail system is upgraded for eastward expansion of CRN from Los Angeles and San Francisco, with a goal of meeting the westward-moving segments in Denver by 2045.
June 15th, 2035: The number of earthquakes under Vesuvius increase Italian authorities begin to put the population of Naples and surrounding areas on notice.
June 20th, 2035: Vice President Adam Klinzinger declares his candidacy for the Republican nomination 2036, seeking to succeed on his boss' coattails.
June 22nd, 2035: An assassination attempt is made on President Rubio as an unknown gunman fires three shots at the presidents motorcade. The next day, the alleged assassin of the President is revealed to be Francis Lifante, a 35 year old man who has been unemployed for over a year.
June 27th, 2035: Senator Jared Polis of Colorado declares his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in 2036.
July 1st, 2035: All Nippon Spacecraft's moon tours begin. Japanese former prime minister Seiji Maehara becomes ANS's first customer.
July 8th, 2035: Unemployment in Burma has reached 19.8%, and the ill-health of opposition leader Alexander Aris (son of Aung San Suu Kyi) has sparked unrest. Several government buildings have been subject to arson. General Khin Maung Myint says that “these rabble-rousers are criminals and shall be treated accordingly.”
July 17th, 2035: Princess Elizabeth of Great Britain discretely enters the Betty Ford Center, a residential chemical dependency recovery hospital in Rancho Mirage, California under an assumed name.
July 25th, 2035: Ex-King Alexander II of Serbia dies from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.
August 30th, 2035: Indonesia announces that it intends to build a supercarrier, to enter service in 2039. It will purchase plans and designs from Brazil and India, which jointly developed the Victorious-class four years previously.
September 1st, 2035: A political rally led by opposition leader Alexander Aris in Burma is attacked by government troops. In the fighting, Aris is shot dead by government forces, but his body is recovered by protestors. The news spreads quickly across Burma.
September 2-5th, 2035: Burmese Revolution; The military junta that ruled Burma for 73 years is overthrown in a democratic uprising. On September the 2nd, massive protests, some violent, flare up across Burma after the death of Alexander Aris. Military dictator Khin Maung Myint orders troops of the Tatmadaw to attack and disperse the protestors, but some troops in the Mon north refuse. Rioters seize control of Mandalay and several districts in Yangon, but many are killed in the capitol, Naypidaw.
Over the next few days, massive protests across the country, combined with army defections, cause the government to lose control of most of the country except for Naypidaw, which is under heavy lockdown. On September the 5th, over 1 million Burmese march on Naypidaw from several directions, while 500,000 gather in the city center. They are lead by Kim Aris, brother of Alexander Aris and second son of Aung San Suu Kyi. Faced with certain and swift execution, the military leadership flees to China. Kim Aris declares that “Democracy has come to Burma at last. It is time for all her children to honor Aung San's memory.”
September-October 2035: The new government of Burma goes through a rough transition period. Army loyalists are hunted down and killed summarily, while ethnic rebels in the north attack civillians. However, Kim Aris manages to organize the government efficiently, and elections are scheduled for December. Aris leads the National League for Democracy, which had previously been banned. Than Nyein leads an opposition party, the Democratic Party of Burma, which seeks close relations with China.
September 11th, 2035: Scientists announce an eruption of Vesuvius is imminent and Italian authorities order an evacuation within 25km of the volcano.
September 14th, 2035: Mt Vesuvius erupts in an eruption just as powerful as the Bronze age eruption covering Naples in pyroclastic flow and ash.
September 15th, 2035: The European Space Agency launches JSE (Jovian System Explorer), a Jovian explorer probe that will pave the way for a later Europa lander.
September 18th, 2035: Mount Vesuvius (Monte Vesuvio) stops erupting after 15 hours. The damage is catastrophic; the death toll surprisingly limited. While Naples and the ancient city of Pompei were buried by Pyroclastic flows, and most of the area is covered in a thick layer of ash, only 232 are estimated to have been killed, due to the effective evacuation plan. In the days that follow, massive refugee camps are built for the over 2 million who are now homeless. Some are offered houses in the north of Italy, well away from Vesuvius. Over 10,000 accept the offer within the first 2 weeks, and begin moving what possessions they have to the north.
The DigiGlasses Alpha is released by Microsoft. The glasses operate by utilizing the lenses of glasses to serve as a monitor, and they have the computing power of a 2010s era tablet computer.
September 29th, 2035: Senator Alexander Boone (D-VA) declares his intention to run for the Democratic Nomination for President.
October 9th, 2035: In the 2035 Canadian Federal Election, Prime Minister John Baird is reelected to a minority government. Adam Giambrones Liberal party makes significant gains in traditionally Conservative ridings. Also, voter turnout was at a record low with only 52.1% of the electorate voting.
October 18th, 2035: In baseball, the Minnesota Twins win the World Series.
November 1st, 2035: One year before the highly anticipated 2036 presidential election, Gallup releases a new poll indicating President Rubio's approval rating to be at 63%, in part thanks to the healthy economy and successes in space and on the foreign policy front in India.
November 19th, 2035: The win the Major League Soccer Cup over the San Jose Earthquakes, 3-1.
December 5th, 2035: National polls indicate a slight lead for Senator Alexander Boone (D-VA) over Senator Jared Polis (D-CO), 45-41. While in Iowa, Polis holds a slight lead of 47-44 over Boone.
December 20th, 2035: Elections are held in the newly-democratic Republic of Burma. The National League for Democracy wins 83% of the seats in the Pyithu Hluttaw, while opposition parties take the rest. President Kim Aris' government announces that the size of the Tadmataw (armed forces) shall never again exceed 100,000 personnel. In addition, the country will join the IOIC.
March 5, 2036: President of Australia Gina Gilman resigns after allegations accompanied by photos of an affair with Parliament Speaker James Bettosini surface on the internet. Parliament chooses Jacobo Papagiovanni, ALP MP from Fremantle, Western Australia.
March 8th, 2036: East Africa finishes its high-speed rail link from Kampala to Kigali, marking the completion of its 1300 km high speed rail program. The trains, built in India, run at up to 280 km/hr. The EAF has also expanded and modernized its existing 7000 km of track to ensure gauge standardization across the country. The programs were funded by the 2031 Infrastructure Investment and Improvement Act, which made an outlay of $55 billion to improve East African Rail. The EAF now has the “most advanced rail network in Africa” according to American expert Geoffrey Dijslovec, surpassing even South Africa and Egypt.
March 24th, 2036: The infamous and corrupted family register system (Hukou) is officially replaced by an ID card system. Urban riots against the reform breaks out in Urumqi, Chengdu, Luoyang, Xian, Nanning, Wuhan and Changsha.
March 29th, 2036: Intellectuals stage counterprotests in China, supporting the reforms. Both sides crashed, at least 20 killed.
March 30th, 2036: For the first time since 2009 in Urumqi and 1989 in other cities, the Chinese government declares martial law in Urumqi, Chengdu, Luoyang, Xian, Nanning, Wuhan and Changsha.
May 9th, 2036: The European Federation formally comes into existence on the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, commonly known as Europe Day. Celebrations sweep the new country's cities. Elections to the Parliament and Presidency had taken place the week before.
May 31, 2036: Voters approve new election rules making the presidency elected for a seven year term with possibility of reelection once.
April 3th, 2036: Under pressure from party conservatives, Chinese premier Liu Linzhi resigned. He will be replaced by Deputy premier Jian Lo, a moderate.
May 9th, 2037: Norway, Switzerland and Georgia join the reformed EU. The accession occurs on Europe Day, which celebrates the Schuman Declaration of 1950.
May 12th, 2036: Chinese president Liang Zhengshen, an ultraconservative who was about to anounce the reintroduction of birth control, was assassinated in Shanghai.
May 17th, 2036: In an upset, Liu Linzhi, who was just purged a month ago, was elected President of China in the National People's Congress over conservative candidate Deng Hexie.
May 23rd, 2036: In China, General Li Zuoren was arrested. Chinese president Liu Yazhou declares a state of emergency in all China, claiming that he had spoiled a coup attempt staged by the “reactionary groups led by General Li Zuoren.
May 24th, 2036: Former US Vice President, 2000 Presidential Election candidate, and environmental activist Al Gore passes away in his sleep at the age of 88.
May 26th, 2036: General Wang Yuanan, an ally of Liu in the military, orders troops to storm the offices of Vice President Li Xiongwu and Politburo member Deng Hexie, an ultraconservative. Both Li and Deng “committed suicide”, according to General Wang.
June 1st, 2036: In China, Most party conservatives are purged, being accused of involving in the coup attempt of General Li Zuoren.
June 4th, 2036: Surprising many, Chinese President Liu Linzhi announces the post-houmous rehabilitation of the victims killed in the Tiananmen protests in 1989.
July 6th, 2036: Méxican General Election; the PRI candidate Vicente Izaguirre commands a healthy lead over all the other candidates for President, though he fails to gain the majority of votes. A runoff election is scheduled for August 10th. Elsewhere, up and coming Chihuahuense politician Hiram Romney is elected Senator for his state.
July 11th, 2036: An article in Rolling Stone notes the growing popularity of “mamba” music, which uses African drums and rhythms in a Western pop setting. The best known group are The Black Snakes, an American group originally from Chicago, Illinois.
August 5th, 2036: The Democratic National Convention. After a drawn out primary, the convention selects VA Senator Alexander Boone for President and IL Senator Ryan Kirkpatrick for Vice President. Upon this revelation, Senator Polis gives a heartfelt endorsement speech for Boone.
August 7th, 2036: Under pressure from monarchist restoration groups and led by monarchist MPs who wish to restore the status quo ante, the disgusted Australian Parliament shocks the world by electing King William V of Great Britain as the fourth president of Australia with fifty-five percent of the vote. Reluctant at first to accept again the position of head-of-state from which he had been jettisoned four years earlier by this government, King William accepts after being begged by Prime Minister Jack O’Flaherty who is in serious political trouble after a nearly seven-year-long scandal-ridden administration.
August 8th, 2036: Kyrgyzstan announces that it will apply to join Alamem Aleselameyh Men Alheryh (Islamic Nations of Freedom) in 2037. Kyrgyzstan has held regular democratic elections since 2018, and is considered a relatively liberal state in Central Asia.
August 10th, 2036: Former Governor of Nuevo León Vicente Izaguirre narrowly defeats PAN candidate for President Silvia Alvarado, becoming the first PRI politician since Beatriz Paredes to gain the Presidency.
Juan Vicente Izaguirre Leonardi (PRI): 51.98% Silvia Alvarado Gonzales (PAN): 48.02%
August 11th, 2036: After having quickly flown to Canberra, King William V of Great Britain is sworn in as President of Australia as Mr. William Windsor. Two days later, the government of Jack O’Flaherty falls and President Windsor calls new elections.
August 11th-29th, 2036: The 2036 Summer Olympic Games are held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The tournament closes with China having won the most medals, followed by the United States.
August 18th, 2036: The Republican National Convention selects Vice President Adam Klinzinger for President and MO Senator W. Reade Granger for Vice President.
August 20th, 2036: Following the Republican convention, polls show the Klinzinger/Granger ticket ahead by an average of 15 points in the polls (45-30, with 15 percent undecided). However, the polls also show signs of trouble for the Republicans. Their support rested mainly on President Rubio's great personal popularity, and not upon their own appeal. In addition, voters prefer the Democratic positions on green energy, social issues, foreign policy, and economic issues.
September 2nd, 2036: A quote is leaked by the Huffington Post: a recording of Republican VP candidate W. Reade Granger calling Senator Kirkpatrick “that goddamn immoral atheist.” Granger went on to say that he didn't trust Kirkpatrick to make decisions without religious guidance, and professed his belief that true morality could not exist without spirituality. The comments spark a backlash in American society. Whereas 30 years previously a majority of Americans might have agreed with Granger, by this year the leak causes the Klinzinger/Granger ticket to drop in the polls. For the first time, polls begin to show the Boone ticket out front.
September 21st, 2036: IUPAC confirms both JINR discoveries. Due to the first element being discovered on Kazakhstani territory, the JINR team proposes the name Kazakhium (Kz). For Number 131, Nasarbajewium (Nj) is easily accepted. News that the Symbol Kz is proposed quickly spread to Germany and to Isaac Mandelbaum, chief of the Jewish Central Union (Zentralverband der Juden). Jews all over the world, particularly in Germany and Israel, and many non-Jewish Germans stage massive public outrage because of alleged 'indignifying the victims of the holocaust'.
October 1, 2036: June Westridge’s Liberal Party of Australia wins an absolute majority of seats in the Australian Parliament and President Windsor asks her to form a government. Publicly, the President takes no position on the election but privately tells his wife: “How sweet it is!”
October 15th, 2036: In baseball, the Chicago Cubs win the World Series.
October 21st, 2036: Brazil announces that it has made significant progress in combating drug issues throughout the country. Drug usage rates have dropped, domestic production has been reduced by nearly 80%, and corruption in the police force has been reduced considerably. In the past six years, over 2000 police officers have been jailed on corruption charges throughout Brazil, according to the Departamento de Polícia Federal.
November 2nd, 2036: After a year's worth of delays related to design flaws, the Boeing SST-8 Slipstream enters commercial service with launch customer Intercontinental Air Lines between San Francisco and Beijing. The flight is an immediate success, and the airline exercises its purchase options, calling for a fleet of forty planes within five years. Competitors Airbus of Europe, Bombardier of Canada, and Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) announce plans for their own supersonic designs.
November 7th, 2036: The Democratic ticket of VA Senator Alexander Boone/IL Senator Ryan Kirkpatrick is elected over the Republican ticket of Vice President Adam Kinzinger/MO Senator Reade Granger.
Senator Alexander Boone (D-VA) / Senator Ryan Kirkpatrick (D-IL) - 322 EV - 51.3% PV Vice President Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) / Senator Reade Granger (R-MO) - 216 EV - 47.7% PV
House of Representatives Republican: 216 seats (-11) Democratic: 210 seats (+15) Independent Democratic: 9 seats (-4)
Senate Republican: 50 seats (-1) Democratic: 48 seats (+3) Independent Democratic: 2 seats (-2)
November 23rd, 2036: IUPAC bows to international pressure (many famous scientists were Jews, after all), and changes the symbol of Kazakhium from Kz to Ks (as in German Kasachium).
December 2nd, 2036: UN Secretary-General Nomaindia Mfeketo is elected to a second term in her post. Some commentators note that no UN Secretary-General has not won re-election in nearly forty years.
December 29th, 2036: Former Arizona Senator and 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain passes away at the age of 100.
January 1, 2037: After heavy lobbying by the tech industry and internet freedom advocates, the US Congress passes the Intellectual Property Reform Act (IPRA), which reduces copyright term to the classical 28 years, as originally outlined in the Copyright Act of 1790. In addition, the act declares all intellectual property to be jointly owned by the public and the rights holder, and reduces copyright restrictions in the context of the Digital Age. The most popular portion of the bill is the section repealing the infamous Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). As the Millennial Generation grew up, copyright was viewed as a hindrance and annoyance rather than a help, and the calls to reform it ultimately outweighed the lobbying from the remnants of the entertainment industry.
January 11th, 2037: Afghanistan announces it will join the Indian Ocean International Community (IOIC).
February 5th, 2037: The Indo-Pakistani War of 2037 erupts when the military junta in Pakistan orders an invasion of Indian Kashmir and Jammu, seeking to finally settle the issue and garner popularity among the Pakistani populace. While some moderate elements of the government are concerned with India crushing them, the dominant nationalist wing led by General Zahari ignore and repress the opposition. By the end of the month, the Pakistani military captures most of western Kashmir including the city of Amristar.
February 15th, 2037: Princess Sofia of Spain gives birth to a son, Carlos.
February 25th, 2037: China outlaws quantum hacking.
March 1st, 2037: At the Detroit Auto Show, the Ford Motor Company reveals the first automobile fitted with the automatic piloting system, dubbed “Smart Wheels”. The feature quickly becomes a success, and rival companies enable the rapid spread of the technology across the US.
March 18th, 2037: Spring Offensive; The Indian Army launches a counteroffensive against Pakistan in western Kashmir, after suffering a surprise attack the previous month. The superior equipment and tactics of the Indians prove to be lethal against the outdated Pakistani military, and quickly pushes them over the Line of Control by April 10th.
March 20th, 2037: A series of air strikes by the Indian Air Force destroys much of Pakistan's ground-based nuclear arsenal, though a secret few devices are hidden away previously by the military.
March 29th, 2037: The monthlong 2037 World Baseball Classic closes in Chicago, Illinois. The Americans emerge as the champions, beating out Colombia for the title. In third place are the Dominicans, and rounding out the heap in fourth place are the Netherlands. The Netherlands' strong showing is the highest placement ever for a European team.
April 10th, 2037: President Boone creates the Department of Space, complete with a presidential cabinet position and administration over NASA. Former astronaut and Senator Jake Sky (D-MI) is appointed the first Secretary of Space.
June 11th, 2037: India invades Pakistan proper, quickly capturing the cities of Lahore and Gujranwala. While resistance and casualties inflicted upon the Indian Army is high, the Pakistani military is gradually pushed back as India seeks to decisively defeat Pakistan.
June 13th, 2037: British Prime Minister Robert Milligan signs the “EU Agriculture for Tomorrow” treaty advocating a substantial trade level on farming and energy with the EU. Leader of the Opposition Marcus Clarke supports this.
June 26th, 2037: NASA unveils its permanent lunar facility, called Luna, as part of Project Apollo's goal of a manned mission to Mars by 2040.
July 1st, 2037: Indonesia's population surpasses 300 million people.
July 6th, 2037: The Indian Army captures Faisalabad, while an amphibious force captures the port of Karachi, the largest endeavor yet conducted by the Indian Navy.
July 18th, 2037: Encoders, a science fiction action movie starring Lucas Kite, Alex Anderson, and Sophia Lewis is released. Inspired by Japanese mecha anime and science fiction TV shows of the 2000s, the movie is incredibly successful at the box office. 2037, because of this movie and several other releases, is regarded as the end of the “Dark Age of Sci-Fi”.
July 19th, 2037: El Aleatorios, a Brazilian band, releases their first album, Pixinguinha. The band, led by Amerindian singer Maysa Monjardim, is quickly becoming popular in Brazil with their mix of traditional Brazilian styles like bossa nova with a revival of Occidental music.
August 3rd, 2037: In a freak accident, King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Princess Sofia are killed when the king’s yacht strikes a World War II era mine in the waters off Palma de Majorca. Prince Carlos Marcilla de Teruel-Moctezuma y Borbon become the new king of Spain with the reignal name of Carlos V. His father, the 8th Duke of Moctezuma de Tultengo is named regent. The royal family becomes known as Moctezuma-Borbon and American wags call this the ultimate “Montezuma’s revenge.”
August 11th, 2037: J.K. Rowling releases the novel Paper Days, her first book aimed solely at adults. Critically acclaimed, the novel nevertheless fails to meet sales expectations.
August 16th, 2037: Stratos, a collection of exotic resorts around the world owned by a UK-based company, unveils the orbiting Helios resort. It is the most expensive hotel in the world, though is slammed as “nothing more than a glorified turn-of-the-century space station,” as quoted in a NYTimes.com article.
October 4th, 2037: Former Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi dies at the age of 95 in Yokosuka, Kanagawa.
October 13th, 2037: In baseball, the Chicago Cubs win the World Series for the second year in a row.
October 20th, 2037: After the capture of Rawalpindi following a bloody battle, the Indian Army begins the month long seige of Islamabad. General Zahari contemplates detonating a nuclear weapon on the Indian positions in Rawalpindi in order to end the siege.
October 20th, 2037: Effective for the 2046 FIFA World Cup, which is awarded to the Union State, the cup is extended to 64 teams. It will be eight groups of eight, of which four advance (and not sixteen groups of four).
November 3rd, 2037: Minutes before General Zahari gives final orders to detonate a nuclear weapon over Rawalpindi, the Pakistani military led by more moderate members of the junta overthrow the seemingly insane general, afraid of the consequences that India would unleash in such an event. The new military regime then asks for an armistice with India, which is granted until a formal peace can be established.
November 18th, 2037: Obael, a long running science fiction internet series, is launched. It will continue to 2050.
December 12th, 2037: In Niger's vast desert northeast, the Communist Party of Niger (PCN) begins a rebellion against the government. The PCN claim to be fighting for economic rights for all Nigeriens. President Boula of Niger says that her administration is the best economic hope for Nigeriens.
January 1st, 2038: Kyrgyzstan joins A'ama as the group's eleventh member. The country are considered a close Turkish ally and had been considering membership since 2030 before applying in 2037.
January 1st, 2038: By this point, HydroFuel Solutions controls 61% of all hydrogen fuel stations in the country.
January 2nd, 2038: Treaty of New Delhi; Hostilities formally end between India and Pakistan. As punishment for the surprise attack in Kashmir at the beginning of the war, harsh terms are sanctioned on Pakistan. The treaty stipulates:
• Pakistani Kashmir is to be annexed into India, and Pakistan will relinquish all claims to the region. • Pakistan is to relinquish all remaining nuclear weapons to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and is to allow IAEA inspectors to inspect all nuclear facilities in the country. • Pakistan will not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons indefinitely. • India will impose a military occupation of Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, and surrounding regions for a period of five years.
January 2nd, 2038: As midfielder Lassana Touré (Bayern Munich) is severely injured, they buy Shinobu Sawa from FC Utrecht. She is the first woman on their team.
January 12th, 2038: A deeply depressed Princess Elizabeth of Great Britain attempts suicide in her flat at Kensington Palace. Only the intervention of a quick-thinking footman trained in CPR saves her life until medical personnel arrive. While in hospital, the princess is treated by Dr. Ygnacio Bocanegra who describes his work with Médecins Sans Frontières or Doctors without Borders, a humanitarian organization dedicated to providing medical care to the less fortunate around the world. Stirred out of her paralyzing apathy by the doctor's descriptions of his travels, the princess makes tentative inquiries about the nursing profession. The deeply worried King and Queen encourage their daughter to pursue this interest hoping she will decide again to live.
January 18th, 2038: While in Seattle, campaigning for Senate candidate Scott Kimball (D-WA), several shots are fired towards President Alexander Boone's motorcade. One strikes him in the right arm, and lodges itself in his ribs. He is taken to the nearest hospital and saved by quick thinking surgeons who are able to remove the bullet with minimal damage and blood loss. The gunman, Roger Quincy, is taken into custody after fleeing to the Seattle Central Library.
January 29th, 2038: President Boone gives his first speech since the assassination attempt, and greets well-wishers after his speech.
January 31st, 2038: In protest at energy savings, British power workers vote to strike.
February 1st, 2038: A last minute deal by the Milligan government prevents a strike before it is due to go ahead.
February 7th, 2038: The XXVIII Winter Olympiad opens in Malmo, Sweden.
March 13th, 2038: The US Department of Justice files suit against HydroFuel Solutions as being in restraint of free trade and commerce.
March 16th, 2038: Japanese prime minister Masayoshi Chikafuji resigns after 5 of his cabinet members are arrested in a scandal involving JAL. He is succeeded by NFP Secretary General Ichiro Imai.
March 19, 2038: Two years after a Supreme Court ruling legalized online piracy in the United States, the European Parliament passes the Filesharing Legalization and Copyright Reform Act, which legalizes non-profit piracy and retroactively reduces copyright terms to 28 years from publication. Polls show 73% of European citizens support the move.
March 25, 2038: Lichtenstein becomes the first European micro state to join the FES.
April 2nd, 2038: Former President George W. Bush dies at the age of 91 at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. Most historians rank his presidency in the lowest quartile of US Presidents, but the perception among some that he was “The Worst President Ever” has faded. His elder brother Jeb Bush, the former Governor of Florida, dies only a month and a half later, on May 20th.
May 25th, 2038: As the final tracks are being fitted for the AVEMEX line running from Saltillo to Monterrey ahead of schedule, Mexican President Izaguirre unveils AVEMEX Plan 2050 at a press conference in Mexico City. Plan 2050, also known as Corredor Norte, would extend HSR service to the northern Mexican cities of Mazatlán, Durango, Torreón, Monclova, Nuevo Laredo, Culiacán, Los Mochis, Navajoa, Ciudad Obregon, Hermosillo, Chihuahua, Ciudad Juárez, Mexicali and Tijuana. At the same press conference Izaguirre hints at the eventual extending of rail lines north into the United States, in conjunction with the US's own HSR service.
June 2nd, 2038: Sebastian Bodden-Hyde, a principal designer of the Artificial Analytical Unit (ANNA) and close associate of Dr. James Omar dies. A native of Barbados, Mr. Bodden-Hyde left a fortune of 1.8 billion dollars from his profits from ANNA. It is revealed that his fortune will be left to the first British Commonwealth Caribbean country that dethrones King William V and crowns a royal person of African descent as King in place of the British monarch.
Prince Johan of Sweden is inducted into the Swedish Army.
June 3rd, 2038: NASA's Jovian Moon Explorer is launched, bound for Europa in search of potential extraterrestrial life under the moon's subterranean ocean.
June 5th, 2038: Alexandre Éric Stéphane Coste (born 24 August 2003) the illegitimate son of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and Togolese Nicole Coste is summoned from his villa in Villefranche to the Palace in Monaco by his cousin Prince Andrea. The Prince makes the 34 year old Alexandre Coste aware of the bequest and encourages him to seek it out. He offers to tutor him on how to be a proper limited monarch.
June 8, 2038: After a youth spent both in New Zealand and Britain, Winston Lewis, a cousin of King William V graduates Summa Cum Laude from The London School of Economics and Political Science's Law School. While studying in London, the young New Zealander lives with his aged grandparents, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester in Kensington, Palace and sees his royal relatives often.
June 12, 2038: H.R.H Princess Diana of Great Britain graduates with honors from the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music with a BMus. in Piano Performance.
July 6th, 2038: The twenty-sixth FIFA World Cup concludes in England. The USA wins the tournament 2-1 over Poland, marking America's first victory in the World Cup. The final match draws in over 112 million American viewers, making it one of the most-watched telecasts of all time in the United States. Across the world, an estimated 900 million people watch the World Cup. After their win and Captain James J. Gonzalez received the trophy, FIFA President Mogogi Moatihaping (Lesotho) unveils a new FIFA World Cup Trophy. The new model resembles the trophy that was lost before the 1966 Tournament.
July 8th, 2038: President Boone's allies in Congress propose the creation of Buffalo Commons National Park out of parts of Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas within twenty years. Encompassing all or part of 26 counties in those four states, the area set aside for the park has a population of 30,185 and an area of 51,623 square mies, the largest National Park in the United States. Under the plan, farmers and inhabitants of the plan would be paid subsidies at agricultural prices to plant shortgrass prairie plants and remove fences, etc, for ten years. At the end of ten years, most inhabitants would be given economic incentives to relocate, although some could stay and work as rangers or gamekeepers. In addition, the die-hard who refuse to leave would not be forced to go, although they would be required to sign over their property to the Park when they die or move. For the following ten years, scientists would work with the remaining populace to reintroduce bison, wolves, praire chickens, pronghorns, and other flora and fauna, restoring the plains to the way they existed before Native American settlement. Part of the proposed area of the park covers Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Indian Reservations. Tribal representatives agree to the plan, with three conditions. First, tribal sovereignty would continue to be respected, and some land will be retained in a developed state by the tribes. Secondly, tribe members would have priority in park employment, so that Native Americans could act as the caretakers of the land. And lastly, the two reservations will annually receive 4% of park revenue, split evenly.
July 17th, 2038: The Prime Minister of Barbados in cabinet, citing his small Caribbean island's moribund economy proposes asking King William V to abdicate the throne of his tiny country and searching for a suitable candidate of African descent to take the King's place. Word of this proposition soon leaks out.
July 20th, 2038: Alexandre Coste's name is brought to the Prime Minister's attention through back channels and he is invited to make a secret visit to Barbados.
July 27th, 2038: Alexandre Coste arrives and the Barbadian cabinet finds him eminently acceptable. In the meantime, the governments of Grenada and Antigua begin discussing proposals of their own.
August 5th, 2038: After calling a snap referendum the week before, Barbados' voters approve asking Alexandre Coste to be their new king.
August 7th, 2038: King William V abdicates as King of Barbados and King Alexander is duly sworn in. Riots break out in Grenada and Antigua and both governments fall because of anger that the Barbadians beat them to the Bodden-Hyde fortune.
August 20th, 2038: Oman holds free elections for the first time in its history, for the 125 seats in the Legislative Assembly. The liberalizing Sultan Taimur bin Feisal, had granted his lawmaking powers to the Assembly in May.
September 17, 2038: Winston Lewis, a great-great grandson of King George V of Great Britain joins the prestigious Wellington law firm of Tahana, Patuawa & Stone specializing in Maori law.
October 3rd, 2038: In the face of rising tensions, President Boone renews plans for Prompt Global Strike, a system that would give the United States a 24-hour strike global strike capability. The system would include the deployment of X-51 Hypersonic Cruise missiles, and an orbital weapons station that would launch satellite guided 20 ft long 1 ft wide tungsten rods from orbit. He announces that the United States should have this system to respond to any imminent threat worldwide by the end of the decade.
October 7th, 2038: San Marino wins 1-0 against Germany in what will later be known as the “Schmach von Mönchengladbach” (Mönchengladbach Scandal).
October 14th, 2038: In baseball, the Minnesota Twins win the World Series.
October 18th, 2038: Prime Minister Robert Milligan calls a snap general election over the issue of unions.
October 21st, 2038: The docking port and refueling station for lunar shuttles is completed at NASA's Luna moon base.
November 8th, 2038: U.S. Midterm Elections…
House of Representatives Republican: 230 seats (-14) Democratic: 205 seats (-5)
Senate Democratic: 50 seats + VP (+2) Republican: 50 seats
November 12th, 2038: The Labour government is re-elected, albeit with a reduced majority of 32. Conservative Leader Marcus Clarke who'd served as Chancellor in the Crewe government, elected after Crewe's resignation announces his own resignation taking the blame for the six point poll lead that the Conservative's lost in the campaign.
December 2nd, 2038: Max Rodgers, the Shadow Foreign Secretary and former Crewe Home Secretary and Fraser Defence & Culture Secretary is elected to lead the Conservative Party.
December 5th, 2038: The first free parliamentary election since 1913 was held in all China. The Communist Party wins a landslide victory, winning a supermajority of seats. Jian Lo remains prime minister.
Chinese parliamentary election, 2038 Communist Party of China (centre-right) 44.1% 1001 (67%) People's Revolutionary Party (ultraconservative) 18.8% 243 (16.3%) Democratic Justice Party (centre-left) 15.4% 132 (8.8%) Grand National Party (far-right) 16.5% 102 (6.8%) Others/independents 18 5.2% (1.2%) Total: 1494 (100%)
January-February 2039: Outbreak of a new, extremely virulent strain of the H1N1 virus in the Wallonian city of Charleroi. The virus (dubbed the Belgian Flu) is quickly identified and the Wallonian government closes all borders and restricts air travel in and out of the country. Although a few cases are reported in Luxembourg and Germany, the spread of the virus is effectively contained to Wallonia. Particularly hard hit is the capital, Namur, which is placed firmly under quarantine. Among the 13,488 Wallonian victims are King Philippe, his four children and five grandchildren. Queen Mathilde contracts the disease but miraculously survives.
January 1st, 2039: The Bodden-Hyde fortune is transferred to the accounts of the Barbadian government. King Alexander becomes a popular and effective monarch. He names his dynasty Grimaldi-Coste.
After eight years, the AIDS Vaccine Distribution Project is partially shut down by the United Nations. It will be replaced by national programs, and will only continue operations in countries which cannot effectively organize their own distribution operations. The Project has given the AIDS vaccine to 8 billion people, nearly the entire human population. Essentially every baby born in the world since 2033 has been inoculated. In 2038, only 819 new cases of HIV infection were reported, thanks to the vaccine, and less than 1000 deaths, thanks to the drug Erinle.
January 2nd, 2039: The Indonesian Navy commissions the KRI Terkenal, its first supercarrier. Displacing 108,000 tonnes, and carrying upwards of sixty aircraft, the carrier was built domestically with plans purchased from Brazil and India. The carrier is seen by many as an indication of Indonesia's growing influence in the Pacific.
At a garden party at Government House in Wellington during a rare visit to New Zealand, King William V introduces his cousin Winston Lewis to Atawhai Paki (b. 15 February 2016), only surviving daughter of King Whatumoana, Eighth Monarch of the Maori, who represents a native dynasty founded on the North Island of New Zealand in the 1850s in response to British land encroachments but not recognized by all Maori tribes. Winston Lewis is instantly attracted to the lovely Maori girl.
January 17th, 2039: Princess Astrid (b. 5 June 1962), sister of King Philippe ascends the Wallonian throne on the death of the king from the Belgian Flu. Vacationing in Palma de Majorca with her husband and five children and their families, the new Wallonian monarch is unable to return to Wallonia until April when the epidemic finally burns itself out.
Spring-Summer 2039: Devastated by the tragic deaths of her entire family during the Belgian Flu epidemic, a profoundly depressed dowager Queen Mathilde of Wallonia contemplates suicide. She finds herself encouraged by visits from an old friend, the widower King Willem IV of the Netherlands who flies to Namur weekly to cheer her up.
April 9th-11th, 2039: Hurricane Roberto strikes the small island nation of Trinidad and Tobago as a Category 5, causing catastrophic flooding. Over 12,000 people die and 70,000 are left homeless in the wake of the storm. The United States, Mexico, and ALADEC collectively pledge over 1 billion dollars in aid over the next two years to help the small country rebuild. The storm goes on to strike Venezuela and Colombia, but ALADEC-constructed storm barriers and shelters keep it at bay and only 29 people die in those two countries.
March 4th 2039: 'Game Change' and an HBO miniseries about the 2008 US presidential election is released.
March 5th, 2039: A leak to the New York Times concerning the Indo-Pakistani War reveals that the CIA had provided to India a list of Pakistani nuclear sites and hiding places, which had enabled the Indians to destroy all but four of Pakistan's nuclear weapons. Had the Indians been acting on their intelligence alone, it is likely that several dozen Pakistani weapons would have remained, as well as functional launch mechanisms. The leak indicates the level of intelligence-sharing between India and the United States, now approaching the level of cooperation between British intelligence and US agencies.
March 8th, 2039: In the Treaty of Jakarta, Malaysia and the Philippines settle their part of the dispute over the Spratly Islands. Malaysia agrees to cede control of the seven islands it controls in exchange for the Philippines reducing trade controls on Malaysian finished goods.
March 15th 2039: By this point, unmanned drones have replaced manned fighters in most aerial roles.
March 21st, 2039: Chinese premier Jian Lo and Mongolian prime minister Borjigin Narantsetseg jointly proposes the formation of a new East Asian Community.
April-May, 2039: Parliamentary elections are held in India, with over 810 million people voting. In the wake of the Fourth Indo-Pakistani War, the Prakarita Kriya Party (PKP) has gained widespread support due to their strong anti-Pakistani stance. In addition, charismatic and popular NDP Prime Minister Surjaa Chakravorty is not running for a fourth term, instead choosing to retire as a party elder at the age of 51. Her successor, Bharat Agnihotri is seen as stuffy and ineffective. Nevertheless, most of the NDP's policies continue to be popular, and the election is predicted to be close. Raj Chouhan, the PKP standard-bearer, is quoted as saying “The people of India have two excellent choices; but only one warned us about Pakistan's treachery from the beginning.”
After the election, seats in the Lok Sabha are apportioned as follows:
Prakarita Kriya Party (PKP): 268 seats New Democratic Party (NDP): 198 seats Left Front: 44 seats Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): 15 seats Independents: 8 seats Anglo-Indian Representatives: 2 seats
The government is formed by the PKP and several independents, controlling 272 seats. Newly-inaugurated Prime Minister Chouhan, in his victory speech, announces that he will attempt to enact a “no problems with neighbors foreign policy”, modeled after Turkey's policy decades earlier. However, he says he continues to support very close ties with the United States. Lastly, he says he will attempt to completely revamp India's regulatory system and de-nationalize many Indian banks and industrial corporations.
April 28, 2039: Performing under the stage name Diana Middleton, H.R.H Princess Diana of Great Britain releases her first jazz album titled Kensington Nights with her group, the Kensington Big Band. Skeptical critics are prepared to pan the offering as the work of a royal dilettante but are pleasantly surprised at the freshness of the arrangements and sheer virtuosity of the performers. Performing mid-20th Century jazz standards, the group reinterprets them using mid-21st Century sonorities and the result is eminently listenable.
April 30th, 2039: Ringo Starr, the last surviving Beatle, passes away at the age of 98.
May 7th, 2039: A bombing at a school in Godhulpur, India, kills seventeen people, including eleven children. The perpetrators are found to be Pakistani-based terrorists, with weak links to the ISI (Pakistani Intelligence). In response, Prime Minister Chouhan threatens Pakistan's government with a extended Indian occupation, and warns that India may “take all necessary action” unless the Pakistani government cracks down on militants.
May 8th, 2039: In Niger, the rebellious Communist Party (PCN) seizes control of the desert town of Agadez, home to nearly 100,000 people. The PCN have been in rebellion since 2037, drawing support from Niger's vastly impoverished population.
May 10th, 2039: Pakistan's government, under intense pressure from India, announces that it is disbanding the ISI, and Army troops surround the ISI headquarters in Islamabad. However, the ISI refuses to disband, and in the late afternoon of May 10th, the troops close in. In the ensuing fighting, 123 troops are killed, while over 300 ISI agents die. Around 1000 former-ISI are captured, while most of the top leadership flees to the tribal areas. The remnants of the ISI's networks will be a major security problem for Pakistan in the years to come, as they work directly with Islamic militants. Vice President Kirkpatrick of the USA compares the bloody end of the ISI to the destruction of the Janissary Corps in the Ottoman empire a century and a half earlier, saying that “the loss of life is regrettable, but this action was necessary if Pakistan is to truly rejoin the world community.” The Pakistani government, meanwhile, plans to replace the intelligence function of the ISI with the Intelligence Bureau, an old, weak organization.
May 15th, 2039: Japanese general election: the opposition DPJ-Komeito coalition wins a landslide victory. The election results are as follows: DPJ 310, NFP 105, New Komeito 33, JCP 12, SDP 8, Issuikai 6, Others / non-partisan / independents 6.
May 20th, 2039: Taiwanese president Lin Yu-chun proposes the formation of the Greater Chinese Economic Sphere between China, Taiwan and Singapore. His approval rate jumps down from 64% to 49% within a week.
May 21st, 2039: A coup occurs in Niger. Democratically elected President Rhissa Boula is overthrown by the military and placed under house arrest, while General Ibrahim Salifou takes control of Niamey and most of the rest of the country. Salifou charges that Boula has not been doing enough to defend the country against communist rebels in the north, and argues that a military administration will be better suited to defend Niger.
May 28th, 2039: Gonzaguinha, the second studio album by Brazilian band El Aleatorios, is released. Downloaded more than 12 million times in the first two weeks of its release, Gonzaguinha is the best-selling album of the last twenty years in Brazil. El Aleatorios announce that they intend to go on a concert tour of the Americas in the summer, showcasing their unique music. Rolling Stone magazine, in a review of the album, coins the term Oeste Brasileiro to describe it, meaning Brazilian Occidental. Several other bands and singers have mimicked the oeste style.
June-July, 2039: The Ricketts family, which owns the Chicago Cubs, makes plans to tear down Wrigley Field and move to the western suburb of Libertyville, citing “irreversible structural damage and wear”. A massive outcry results from fans, building preservationists, and Wrigleyville business owners. After consideration, the Ricketts family abandons its plan and instead invests $80 million in an extensive renovation plan. The plan rebuilds the bleachers according the original plan (while keeping the classic scoreboard) and replaces the upper section on the left-hand side.
June 1st, 2039: Hirobumi Hosono becomes Prime Minister of Japan.
June 22, 2039: On the heels of Europe and the United States, Canada passes the Copyright Act, which reduces copyright terms to 28 years from publication and legalizes non-profit filesharing.
July 7th, 2039: Indonesia holds a presidential election. Agung Baratha of the National Mandade Party is reelected to the post of President, and will serve until 2044.
July 12th-15th, 2039: The Nigerien Army retakes control of the town of Agadez from Communist Party of Niger rebels (PCN). The PCN captured Agadez in May. Later in May, the Nigerien Army led by General Salifou took over Niger in a coup in order to go on the offensive against the PCN.
July 20th, 2039: Pakistan's government launches the July Offensive against militants in the districts of Swat, Chitral, and Upper Dir. In the first two weeks of fighting, the government reports that 41 militants have been killed (as well as 4 captured and over 100 wounded), while 11 soldiers have died. However, the government has made very slow progress against the well-embedded and financed militants.
India's Prime Minister praises the offensive as a necessary second step for Pakistan after the disbandment of the ISI, but refuses to involve India's forces in any way, recognizing that this would be a huge recruiting boost for the militants.
August 3rd, 2039: NASA's long awaited mission, the Ares Prima spacecraft, lifts off from Cape Carnaveral for a short hop to Luna. On board the craft are a team of five led by lunar astronaut Marc Syter, bound for a two year round-trip endeavor to the red planet.
August 29th, 2039: At Naval Shipyard 6 in Guaymas, Sonora, construction commences on Mexico's first aircraft carrier. The expected time of completion is slated for 2045.
September 29th, 2039: Human Rights Watch releases a study on conditions in Burkina Faso, which has been under a military junta headed by General Moussa Poitroipa since 2034. The report calls the state of human rights in Burkina Faso “deplorable”, noting that the country has no free press or independent judiciary. Military tribunals are frequently used in lieu of civilian trials, and many democracy activists and journalists receive no trials at all. However, Burkina Faso still continues to receive support from Russia and India for its strong stance against Islamic extremism and favorable trade deals with those countries.
October 17th, 2039: In baseball, the New York Yankees win the World Series.
January 1st, 2040: The worldwide life expectancy for developed nations (HDI > 0.9) surpasses 90 years for the first time in history. New medical technologies, assisted greatly by effective long-chain protein modeling have allowed for great improvements in the lifespan and quality of life of those past the age of 60 in the last 20 years. Life expectancy in the developing world remains decades below that of the the developed world.
January 3rd, 2040: Both India and Russia announce their recognition of Kosovo, bringing the total number of countries recognizing the breakaway region to 119. In the wake of the announcement, Burma, Pakistan, Georgia, Nepal, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia also recognize Kosovo. The UN begins to make plans to induct Kosovo into the United Nations.
January 19th, 2040: Jeun Bae, the Korean clone baby, now 18, has shown no signs of health problems or abnormalities in puberty. In the last decade, very few clones other than Bae have been known to exist. Human cloning is still widely illegal.
February 4th, 2040: President Liu Linzhi fails to win over 50% of votes in the first round of the first ever presidential election in China. He would face Zhang Jinting of the People's Revolutionary Party in the second round.
Chinese presidential election, 2040 (1st round) Liu Linzhi (CPC) 312,426,460 (48.1%) Zhang Jinting (PRP) 102,380,759 (15.8%) Li Aiguo (GNP) 102,121,811 (15.7%) Tan Xiaomeng (DJP) 92,587,847 (14.3%) Other candidates 39,434,627 (6.1%)
February 25th, 2040: President Liu Linzhi was reelected with over 65% of votes in the second round of the Chinese presidential election.
Chinese presidential election, 2040 (2nd round) Liu Linzhi (CPC) 453,695,032 (67.3%) Zhang Jinting (PRP) 238,562,613 (32.7%)
March 26th, 2040: All Nippon Spacecraft (ANS) announces that space tours to Mars would begin before 2050.
March 29th, 2040: Prime Minister Robert Milligan passes the Policing, Counter Terrorism and Security Act, more commonly known as the “Safer Britain Act” which grants never seen before powers to the security services to stop terrorism. Milligan is compared to Tony Blair for his keen interest in counter-terrorism and a second “War on Terror” is rumoured with the support of President Boone.
May 7th, 2040: Agents from IFE (Mexico's electoral commission) uncover a major voting fraud scheme undertaken by members of the PRD, including the party president, in various states in Mexico's south. Despite the resignation and subsequent arrest of the party president and secretary-general, the party loses massive support, and in a matter of months is reduced to minor party status, leaving the PRI and PAN as the two main political parties in the country.
May 9th, 2040: Slovenia and Croatia join the Federated States of Europe after a year of negotiations. The accession occurs on Europe Day, which celebrates the Schuman Declaration of 1950, which catalyzed European integration.
May 19th, 2040: After a nearly seven month trip from Earth, Ares Prima lands on the surface of Mars, marking the first visit by humans to another planet. Astronaut Marc Syter takes the first step on the red planet, famously declaring “humanity's first steps into into the universe.” Norwegian astronaut Col. Marius Borg Høiby, (born 13 January 1997); the son of Queen Mette-Marit and stepson of King Haakon VIII of Norway becomes the second man to step on the surface of Mars becoming a Norwegian national hero.
May 20th, 2040: President Boone speaks to the Ares Prima team via satellite communication after their arrival on Mars, congratulating them on their “endeavor to pursue the frontiers of humanity's imagination.”
May 25th, 2040: It is agreed that by January 1, 2043, China, Mongolia and Taiwan will use a new currency, the East Asian Yuan (EAY).
June 23, 2040: English royal Winston Lewis marries Maori royal Atawhai Paki in a simple ceremony in Huntly, New Zealand with King William V and Queen Catherine in attendance.
June 25th, 2040: In United States v. HydroFuel Solutions, the Supreme Court of the United States rules 6-3 against HydroFuel Solutions as being in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act by coercively maintaining it's dominant market position. The court held that where the primary purpose of an action, as was HydroFuel's aggressive strategy of purchasing start up chains, was to eliminate competitors or potential competitors without regard to ordinary functional requirements of business (many of the acquisitions were loss making with HydroFuel never intending to credibly make them profitable) then that was enough to have such deemed as a coercive rather than innocent monopoly.
June 26th, 2040: Mongolian prime minister Borjigin Narantsetseg is nearly assassinated in Tsetserleg.
June 30th, 2040: Talks begin among members of the Indian Ocean International Community (IOIC) on creating a unified currency, the South Asian rupee. Currently, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and the Maldives already use currencies called rupee. In addition, the Bhutanese ngultrum and both the Nepalese and Maldivian rupee are pegged to the Indian rupee. Thus, it is hoped that the South Asian rupee can be introduced within 10-15 years.
July 1st, 2040: For the first time in over a century, Mexicans vote for the reelection of their President, giving incumbent Vicente Izaguirre the majority of votes required to forestall a runoff election. He is largely credited with bringing Mexico back from the grips of recession, maintaining a healthy 70% approval rating among Mexicans. His victory was also made possible by the PRD's fall from grace as a viable political force, as many former PRD voters throw their lot in with the PRI.
July 26th, 2040: Mongolia expels the American ambassador, claiming that he was involved in the assassination attempt against him. The United States responds by doing the same.
August 1st, 2040: In a constitutional crisis, Chinese President Liu Linzhi uses his “reserved power” and dismisses Foreign Minister He Minghua without the approval of fellow Communist Premier Jian Lo.
August 3rd - 19th, 2040: The 2040 Summer Olympic Games are held in Chennai, India. The tournament closes with India having won the most medals, followed by the United States.
August 4th, 2040: Chinese President Liu Linzhi appoints Li Aiguo, Chairman of the far-right Grand National Party the new Foreign Minister of China. Jian Lo refuses to recognise the legitimacy of the appointment.
August 5th, 2040: President Alexander Boone and Vice President Ryan Kirkpatrick are renominated at the Democratic National Convention in New York City.
August 15th, 2040: On the 96th Anniversary of the Japanese surrender in the Second World War, Chinese President Liu Linzhi delivers the “New Huanggutun” speech, comparing the United States to militarist Japan, and calls on East Asian countries to be united against the rise of American neoimperialism. In the speech, Liu Linzhi said the assassination attempt on Borjigin Narantsetseg is the modern Huanggutun Incident. US President Alexander R. Boone angrily denies US involvement in the Tsetserleg Incident.
August 17th, 2040: Michigan Senator Kirk Wythe and Oklahoma Governor James M. Rovenerou are nominated for President and Vice President, respectively, at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
August 18th, 2040: Republican senators call for the immediate suspension of all diplomatic ties with China, but President Boone maintains that the United States is willing to solve all disputes with China and Mongolia through diplomacy.
August 20th, 2040: Mongolia announces to expel all Americans from Mongolian borders.
September 1st, 2040: Violating the Shanghai Accords, China deploys missiles in Fujian province. Taiwan threatens to withdraw from the East Asian Dollar zone.
September 2nd, 2040: Princess Philippa, eldest daughter of British King William V and Queen Catherine wins the title of World Reigning Champion at the 2040 FEI World Equestrian Games in Punchestown, Ireland with her horse Beedlebomb. After attending Marlborough College as a girl and graduating from the University of Exeter, the princess followed in the footsteps of her father’s first cousin Zara Tindall and pursued a career in horse racing.
September 11th, 2040: It is reported that Chinese president Liu Linzhi claims that the September 11th incident 29 years ago was an inside job.
September 12th, 2040: In all major cities in China, huge demonstations against a possible new Cold War and the presidency of Liu Linzhi break out.
September 14th, 2040: Liu Linzhi breaks the silence and denies having said that September 11th was an inside job. However, 483 Communist MPs, along with the Democratic Justice Party and the People's Revolutionary Party, calls for the impeachment of President Liu Linzhi.
September 15th, 2040: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Indonesia recognize Kosovo's sovereignty.
September 16th, 2040: In an appeal hearing, former MI5 Director General Nicholas Randall, having served 15 of his 39 year sentence admits that he had been recruited by the FSB in 2002 and had served as a mole for 23 of his 28 years in MI5. He is denied release by a panel of judges and by the Milligan government.
September 17th, 2040: In China, Chengdu Mayor Tan Xiaomeng of the opposition Democratic Justice Party is assassinated by a Mongolian.
September 24th, 2040: In China, Acting DJP President Fang Xiongwen accuses President Liu Linzhi of being behind the death of Tan, intensifying calls to impeach President Liu.
September 30th, 2040: The Chinese parliament begins impeachment procedures against President Liu Linzhi.
October 1st, 2040: President Liu Linzhi orders General Wang Yuanan to storm the parliament, General Wang refuses and secretly recorded the order.
October 7th, 2040: After the release of tapes that President Liu Linzhi had ordered General Wang to storm the parliament, the Communist Party of China expels President Liu Linzhi. President Liu announces to join the far-right Grand National Party. The approval rating of President Liu is at 42%, while 54% disapprove the way he handles the presidency.
October 8th, 2040: Icebreaking between China and the United States - Chinese premier Jian Lo and US President Alexander R. Boone meet in Tokyo, Japan. Premier Lo officially apologizes for President Liu's “New Huanggutun” speech and 9-11 inside job accusation. Both sides agress to resume talks on further cooperation in the development of renewable energy.
October 10th, 2040: In China, 430 pro-Liu MPs leave the Communist Party and joins the Grand National Party, the CPC now has 571 MPs, while the GNP has 532 MPs. The CPC forms an alliance with the Democratic Justice Party, and Jian Lo remains Premier. Riots between the supporters and opponenets of President Liu break out throughout the country.
October 13th, 2040: “Judicial coup”; In China, the Supreme People's Prosecutorate orders the arrest of President Liu Linzhi, charging him with high treason.
October 14th, 2040: Despite apparently having enough votes to escape impeachment in the parliament, Chinese President Liu Linzhi seeks political asylum in Mongolia, and is replaced by Vice President Wu Ruiqi, the first female head of state in China since Wu Zetian in 690. President Wu announces that she is invited by President Bronne to visit the United States, and she favours the end of Sino-American hostility.
October 16th, 2040: Chinese President Wu Ruiqi sacks Foreign Minister Li Aiguo, and appoints DJP leader Fang Xiongwen Foreign Minister on the request of Premier Jian Lo. At the same time, China removes all missiles in Fujian province targeting Taiwan.
October 18th, 2040: After it is revealed that the ruling Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party has received illegal funding from former Chinese President Liu Linzhi, the government of Mongolian prime minister Borjigin Narantsetseg is defeated by a no-confidence motion. He is replaced by Jalair “Askaa” Arslandorj, a close ally of the United States, of the Mongolian Democratic Party.
October 19th, 2040: In baseball, the Cleveland Indians win the World Series.
October 20th, 2040: A CNN poll finds that 57% of the American public favor stronger relations with Europe, India, Indonesia China, and Japan. This is largely seen as a victory for the Boone Administration's championing of Globalization.
October 22nd, 2040: Mongolia and the United States restore diplomatic relations.
November 3rd, 2040: In the US Presidential Election, incumbent President Alexander Boone (D) manages to defeat Senator of Michigan Kirk Wythe (R) to win a second term.
President Alexander Boone (D-VA) / Vice President Ryan Kirkpatrick (D-IL) - 398 EV - 55.1% PV Senator Kirk Wythe (R-MI) / General John McIntyre, Ret. (R-OK) - 140 EV - 42.9% PV
House of Representatives Democratic: 219 seats (+14) Republican: 216 seats
Senate Democratic: 52 seats (+2) Republican: 48 seats (-2)
November 11th, 2040: Mongolian president Gantulga Sanjaagiin (PRP) and prime minister Ja. Askaa (MDP) visits China and hold a meeting with Wu Ruiqi, the newly-sworn in Chinese president and premier Jian Lo.
November 12th, 2040: Despite Ja. Askaa's previous engagement with the United States, China and Mongolia agree to share and jointly develop the remaining rare earth minerals in both countries. Citing the “scarcity of rare earth minerals”, China and Mongolia both decide to limit the exports of rare earth minerals to any other countries.
November 13th, 2040: In response of the Sino-Mongolian agreement, US President Alexande Boone and Japanese prime minister Hirobumi Hosono urge China and Mongolia to ensure the stable supply of rare earth minerals.
December 22th, 2040: Outraged by the Sino-Mongolian decision, the Taiwanese electorate votes to withdraw from the proposed East Asian Dollar Zone in a referendum.