This is an old revision of the document!
2041-2060 (Progress, Decline and Hope)
January 1st, 2041: The beginning of the Halcyon Age, a time of relative peace and significant scientific and technological advancements in the developed world, at the same time “scions” begin emerging in society. Typically viewed as 2041-2057.
For the first time ever, the highest annually grossing movie in America is not an American film. Maybe Someday, an Indian romantic comedy set in India, the UK, and the US grosses $612 million in the North American market.
January 4th, 2041: Under the Consitution of 2038, the People's Republic of China is officially renamed as the United Provinces of China. Meanwhile, the Communist Party of China renames itself as the Union for Development and Prosperity (UDP).
January 12th, 2041: Beginning of the Kazakh crisis. Kazakhstan applies to join A'ama (the Islamic Nations of Freedom). This alarms both Russia and Kazakhstan's Orthodox Christian minority, counted at over 20% in the last census. Kazakhstan has been liberalizing since the death of dictator Timur Kulibayev in 2027.
January 17th, 2041: The ESA pushes back it's Europa lander plans indefinitely, due to financial constraints. The ASF considers designing a similar craft, but will be unable to do so for several years, and labels it “a venture for a future generation”.
January 18th-20th, 2041: Kazakh crisis continues: riots in Almaty by Orthodox Christians. They are worried that Kazakshtan's possible accession to the Islamic Nations of Freedom (A'ama) will be the first step in a restriction of their religious liberties. Meanwhile, the Union State puts considerable pressure on Turkey and Egypt to persuade A'ama to reject the Kazakh application on two grounds - not a fully Islamic nation, and not a liberal nation.
January 27th, 2041: Kazakhstan announces that it will reconsider its application to A'ama in the form of a referendum. In the referendum, to be held on March 1st, every one of Kazakhstan's 14 provinces must return a majority in favor of the application. This is regarded as a compromise solution because two of the provinces have Christian-majority populations, and Christians have been very skeptical of the proposed accession.
February 20th, 2041: Kazakh crisis: The Union State's Caspian Sea Fleet requests permission to dock in Aktau, Kazakhstan. Permission is granted following Union State pressure on the country's government. The move is seen as a not-so-subtle form of intimidation before Kazakhstan's March 1st referendum on whether to join A'ama.
February 21st, 2041: President Boone introduces the American Comprehensive Health Coverage Act to Congress, which aims to establish a single-payer system sponsored by the federal government. It is the most sweeping reform attempted since Kirsten Gillibrand's passage of E-CHIP in 2017.
February 25th, 2041: Congress begins debate on President Boone's American Comprehensive Health Coverage Act, which is seen as a continuation of the work that President Barack Obama started. President Obama's bill is widely viewed as bringing mixed results, succeeding in reducing deficits, but not in bringing down healthcare costs substantially.
March 1st, 2041: Kazakh crisis: Kazakhstan holds its nationwide referendum on whether or not to join A'ama. Every one of the 14 provinces must vote in support of joining A'ama in order for Kazakhstan's application to go forward. Results show that the referendum passes - in North Kazakhstan Province, the closest, 52.8% of voters supported joining A'ama. Analysts believe that Russia's naval intimidation repulsed many Christian voters, who prefer A'ama's open system to Union State domination.
March 4th, 2041: The People's Supreme Court rules that the decision of former President Liu Linzhi to sack Foreign Minister He Minghua in August 2040 was illegal since the reserved powers should only be used either with the consent of the premier under a state of emergency - which should only be declared upon an request by the premier, with the consent of the premier, or in the absence of the premier. In response to the ruling, president Wu Ruiqi declares that she would act only as a figurehead unless under emergency conditions, thus temporarily solving the Chinese Constitutional Crisis. Nevertheless, the People's Supreme Court also rules that the President has independent diplomatic and military duties that the Premier has no right to intervene.
March 17th, 2041: CRN construction at the Continental Divide in Colorado suffers a tragic setback when a tunnel collapses, killing 24 workers. This causes a significant delay in completion of the transcontinental route, with a revised completion date of 2049.
March 18th, 2041: In the match of Energie Cottbus against 1. FC Union Berlin, Energie Cottbus fields 6 women and 5 men, thus making it the first top-flight (Bundesliga) game in which one team plays with a majority of women.
March 20th, 2041: The monthlong 2041 World Baseball Classic closes in Havana, Cuba. Thailand emerges as the surprising champions, beating out Cuba for the title. Thailand owes much of its success to its star Suruchai Suksomkit, who plays for the Hawaii Islanders. In third place are the Americans, and rounding out the heap in fourth place are Japan.
March 22nd, 2041: Element 137 is discovered and immediately, without all the approval processes, named Feynmanium (Fy), after the famed quantum physicist Richard Feynman.
April 10th, 2041: Kazakhstan joins A'ama as the organization's 12th member, a geostrategic defeat for the Union State.
April 12th, 2041: Following a further general election, Robert Milligan loses power as the Conservatives' gain a 60 seat majority with Max Rodgers becoming Prime Minister.
At a West African regional conference, the leaders of thirteen West African nations announce their intention to construct a massive transport line running from Dakar in Senegal to Douala in Cameroon, a distance of approximately 4,800 km. The “transport corridor”, as they call it, would consist of parallel high-speed rail, highway, and power-transmission lines, with branches to major cities en route like Konakry, Monrovia, Kumasi, and Ibadan. The project will be mostly financed by the thirteen West African countries (Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, and Cameroon), although the Joint Development and Free Trade Pact (“Alliance for Democracy) will provide 15% of the funds necessary and Europe and the US will jointly contribute 10%. The countries involved set up a committee, the West African Infrastructure Network Committee (WAINC) to oversee the project.
April 19th, 2041: The Thor Orbital Weapons Station goes online, American 24 hour global response is declared operational by President Boone.
April 28th, 2041: International response to PGS is negative and several countries announce either counters or their own global strike plans.
May 1st, 2041: J.K. Rowling releases The Compendium, a fiction novel focusing on a small town in Scotland. Written for adults, the book sells excellently and is critically well-received.
May 6th, 2041: The last of the Vesuvian refugee camps is finally closed. Naples and several other towns have been rebuilt, although there is a population cap on each one. In addition, all the buildings are designed to withstand at least 2 feet of ash fall. The total population of the area is around 200,000. Naples is capped at 100,000, while most of the land is converted to agriculture. The region will, in the future, be known as the “Farm of Italy” because of its low population and extreme agricultural productivity. A new city, Vesuvio, with a population of around 800,000 former refugees, has sprung up in Northern Italy south of Milan. Other former inhabitants of the Napoli area are spread all over Italy. It is decided that Pompeii will not be re-excavated, in order to keep it preserved within the rock. Rather, the area is well-marked and the location recorded for future generations. A partial replica is built on top of the rock where Pompei once stood.
May 10th, 2041: China tests an anti-satellite missile, destroying a high orbiting defunct communications satellite.
May 29th, 2041: China, Mongolia, and the Philippines recognize Kosovo. Three weeks later, Kosovo is inducted as a UN member, and is recognized by every state except Serbia.
July 11th, 2041: The United States military begins highly-secretive research on genetically engineering viruses for bio-weapons purposes, codenamed the Ivanovski Project (after the Russian biologist who first classified viruses in 1892).
July 20th, 2041: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Barack Obama announces that he will step down at the end of the year, around October. The Obama Supreme Court has produced many important cases in US History, from McToole (legalizing gay marriage) to Jeffries vs. Support America's Future (overturned Citizens United and limited the rights of corporations) to Kidd vs. Utah and several others.
August 5-7th, 2041: The 50th annual Lollapalooza music festival occurs in Grant Park, Chicago, USA. Headlined by Keys, Annie Alanda, and The Black Snakes, the massive event draws approximately seven hundred thousand spectators.
August 30th, 2041: At the 2041 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, Princess Philippa meets Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein, the eldest child and heir of Reigning Prince Alois of Liechtenstein and his wife Princess Sophie. Although twenty years her senior (b. 24 May 1995 in London), and carrying the reputation of a playboy, the princess falls hard for the 46 year old prince.
October 4th, 2041: After months of determined opposition from Republicans and the few Democratic members in Congress, the American Comprehensive Health Coverage Act is signed into law by President Boone. The establishment of a universal health care system would be the landmark domestic achievement of Boone's second term, which was mainly focused on foreign policy.
October 13th, 2041: In baseball, the Arizona Diamondbacks win the World Series.
October 20th, 2041: A Gallup Poll shows that 69% of Americans now use the Day/Month/Year format for dating in everyday use. This switchover from the previously used Month/Day/Year format is viewed as a key success of the Gillibrand Administration in integrating the United States into the global community.
December 1st, 2041: Polish Foreign Minister Józef Adamowicz is elected to the post of United Nations Secretary-General.
December 25th, 2041: On Christmas Day, Maysa Monjardim, the lead singer of Brazilian band El Aleatorios, marries her bandmate Marlos Nobre. The wedding, a huge spectacle for the Brazilian media, costs 40 million reals, and has over three thousand guests.
February 8th, 2042: The XXIX Winter Olympiad opens in Harbin, United Provinces of China.
March 11th, 2042: Perennial Crop Sustainability Project begins in the U.S. and India to genetically modify perennial plants to yield adequate food. If annual crops could be converted to perennial counterparts, fertilizer use would be drastically reduced, as well as the need for vast amounts of land.
April 1st, 2042: Brazilian band El Aleatorios releases their third album, entitled Braguinha. The band also announces that they will tour worldwide in fall 2042, and then no longer perform live; guaranteeing that tickets to their shows are sold out almost immediately. Braguinha, meanwhile, is downloaded 40 million times in April, and reaches #10 on the American downloads list, the highest ever for a Brazilian band.
May 9th, 2042: The Czech Republic joins the Federated States of Europe after a year and a half of negotiations. The accession occurs on Europe Day, which celebrates the Schuman Declaration of 1950, which catalyzed European integration.
May 15th, 2042: With funding from the Gates Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy, the Eden National Fusion Laboratory is founded in Eden, Wyoming. The lab is run by a young husband-and-wife couple, James and Victoria Upendowema. The two were both educated at Harvey Mudd and RPI, and are immigrants from the East African Federation. The goal of the laboratory is to develop affordable nuclear fusion technology within twenty years.
May 20th, 2042: As the final step in a ten-year transition to constitutional monarchy, the Sultan of Oman, Taimur bin Feisal, signs over his executive powers to the Prime Minister, Fahd bin Mahmoud al Said.
In his first major act, Prime Minister al Said declares that Oman will withdraw from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), citing “a disturbing lack of conscience for the rights of millions”. He also introduces legislation to Assembly to grant full citizenship to all residents living within the country's borders by 2044, stating “it's time to correct the mistakes of the past and consider everyone living in Oman as Omanis, regardless of their backgrounds.”
June 4th, 2042: Edward, Prince of Wales graduates from the University of Chicago with an archaeology Ph.d in pre-Columbian South American civilizations.
June 19th, 2042: NASA's Jovian Moon Explorer reaches Europa and descends miles below the icy surface in its search for the theoretical ocean beneath. The ocean is discovered, and the probe releases a submarine robot that discovers both unicellular life and multicellular life beneath the surface of Europa. Simple chemotrophic “bacteria” exist in the water as scarce tufts and mats. Tiny “animals” much like filter-feeding worms line the bottom of the ice, straining the water of free-floating chemotrophs and other animals. The discovery of extraterrestrial life is regarded as one of the single-most important discoveries of all time.
July 21st, 2042: The twenty-seventh FIFA World Cup concludes in Nigeria, marking the second time the World Cup is held in Africa (after South Africa 2010). Nigeria wins the championship 3-1 over Germany. The Nigerian President, John Amarafa, declares July 21st a national holiday, and over seven million Nigerians take part in the victory parade in Lagos on the 25th. An estimated 865 million people watch the final match.
August 5th, 2042: The United Nations Health Office declares that malaria has been fully eradicated, making it the fourth disease made extinct by humans. The last known case killed 3-year old Thomas Nlolo in 2039.
September 17th, 2042: After a two year journey to Mars, Ares Prima returns to NASA's lunar base, and the crew is shuttled back to Earth shortly after.
September 21st, 2042: Ares Prima captain Marc Syter and his team meet with President Boone and Space Secretary Jake Sky. It is a particularly emotional moment for both Syter and Sky, as they were the pioneers of America's return to the Moon and now America's mission to Mars, and are famously photographed embracing each other in hugs as former crewmates on the 2030 lunar mission.
September 30th, 2042: The Pittsburgh Pirates secure the best record in the NL with a 100-62 record. Rookie Pirate pitcher Jay Kelvin will win the NL Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young for going 22-6 with a 2.98 ERA and 201 K's.
October 5th, 2042: Dr. James Kirkland and his associates reveal what is dubbed by the media as “the first robotic soldier”, which can independently analyse a battlefield and fire weaponry. In practice, however, the US military will only contemplate using it as a recon unit and as a self contained heavy weapons support unit under the close supervision of a human operator. The unit relies on adjustable all terrain tracks, with a reliable bipedal unit rigorous enough for battlefield use still being a way off.
October 26th, 2042: The Pittsburgh Pirates s to the Chicago White Sox to win the World Series for the first time in 63 years. They had broken their play off drought in 2015, but even with three NL championships in a total of 10 play-off appearances since then it took until 2042 to win a World Series.
November 3rd, 2042: A Scientific American article discusses the rise of “vertical farming” - urban skyscrapers which grow food for the city they're in. There are now more than 80 large vertical farms worldwide, including 6 in Chicago, which led the way with The Farm to Lake Michigan in 2028. 12 more are under construction across the world, and many cities are planning to incorporate vertical farming into their long-term strategic planning.
December 19th, 2042: British Prime Minister Max Rodgers and Chinese Premier Jian Lo sign the historic Anglo-China Strategic Platform, a landmark step in foreign policy for both nations with shared resources as both nations are in the top 5 of renewable energy markets. In an effort to prevent a new Cold War, both men are keen to stop any kind of arms race. The White House however openly condemns the Platform.
December 27th, 2042: President Boone orders DEFCON 3 for US forces in the Pacific.
December 29th, 2042: In a joint press conference, baseball players and twin brothers Luiz and Paolo Gushiken announce their retirements and return to Brazil, their home country. The two intend to help found a professional league in Brazil. Interest in baseball has picked up across Brazil in recent years, largely due to the stellar careers and large followings of the Gushiken brothers. A recent Folha de S.Paulo newspaper article noted that over 500,000 young Brazilians play in youth leagues across the country. Brazilians frequently play a modified version of the game, called Brazilian ball or beisebol. Major features of beisebol include only seven innings, shorter bases, and a denser ball, which allows for faster pitches for more muscular throwers.
January 2nd, 2043: From London, Prime Minister Rodgers addresses the nation and pledges that the Platform will work. He openly seeks to defy his critics.
January 3rd, 2043: Despite deep reservations on the part of both sets of parents, both Prince Alois of Liechtenstein and King William V of Gr to Britain give their consent for their children Prince Joseph Wenzel and Princess Philippa to wed. Princess Philippa converts to Catholicism.
January 12th, 2043: The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Denis Moreland resigns from Cabinet in protest at the Platform. He is replaced by the Chief Secretary, Catherine Shepherd.
January 15th, 2043: A train is derailed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing 149 passengers. An hour after emergency services and curious passerby arrive, armed gunmen attack from all sides, killing a further 42 people. Known as the Alunguli Massacre, the perpetrators are unknown for several days, until a group called the Soldiers of Christian Zaire takes responsibility. In a statement, the groups' leader, André Lubaya, explains his actions: “Over the past several generations, Muslim proselytizers have entered our land and corrupted our people. Now it is said that almost half of our people are infidels of the murderous faith. This must be rectified. The Soldiers of Christian Zaire will not stop until Zaire is cleansed of this filth.” This is generally marked as the start of the Fourth Congo War (also known as the Third Congolese Civil War).
January 20th, 2043: A summit between the US, UK and China ends with an agreement that the Platform will not affect any areas of US territory on the condition that the US does not seek to arm.
March 8, 2043: Tanya Banilov (b. 1919), believed to be the oldest living person in the world, dies at the astounding age of 133 years. Medical professionals attribute her longevity to a mixture of genetics and her own healthy lifestyle: she was a veteran of World War II (AKA The Gr to Patriotic War) and a factory worker during the Soviet era. Incidentally, she is also the last living Soviet veteran of World War II, and her body is laid to rest in a specially constructed tomb in Red Square after a state funeral.
March 15th, 2043: Japanese general election: the ruling DPJ-Komeito coalition wins a comfortable victory. The election results are as follows: DPJ 289, NFP 127, New Komeito 32, JCP 13, SDP 6, Issuikai 6, Others / non-partisan / independents 7.
April 2nd, 2043: 21 year old power hitting phenom Brian Pollard makes his MLB debut with the Portland Athletics. He ends his rookie year with a .273 average and 150 K's, but hits 36 home runs, good enough for 3rd in the league and to win the AL Rookie of the Year. It is the beginning of a long, successful career.
April 5th, 2043: Vice President Ryan Kirkpatrick of the United States announces his intention to run for President in the 2044 election. The move, although widely anticipated for some time, came as a blow to Republicans, because both the outgoing President and the VP had high approval ratings.
May 12th, 2043: The health reform bill is revoked by the Rodgers government in favour of a watered down proposal, despite his environmental reform and community support legislation questions are arising about the Prime Minister's effectiveness especially as Denis Moreland waits on the backbenches.
May 14th, 2043: Just one month before the Chinese parliamentary election, Chinese premier Jian Lo, British prime minister Max Rodgers, Mongolian prime minister Ja. Askaa and Korean president Son Bae-sook sign the General Agreement on Rare Earth Minerals (GAREM). China and Mongolia agree to allow more exports of rare earth minerals to Korea and the United Kingdom.
June 7th, 2043: In whto journalists call the Wedding of the Year, Prince Joseph Wenzel and Princess Philippa are wed in Westminster Abbey, the Catholic Bishop of London, Alan Rogers presiding.
Princess Elizabeth of Gr to Britain graduates from the King’s College Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery in London fully qualified as a nurse.
June 8th, 2043: A special feature is published in Sports Illustrated entitled “Ten Years of Mexican Baseball”. The article discusses the fortunes of the three Mexican expansion teams (the Mexico City Devils, the Mexicali Vaqueros, and the Monterrey Sultans). All three have become profitable, and Monterrey has reached an average attendance of 34,000 fans. Despite the fact that only 20% of Mexicans describe themselves as baseball fans, the three teams have been able to cultivate a loyal fanbase in their hometowns. The Vaqueros have developed an intense rivalry with the San Diego Padres, who play in the same division.
June 14th, 2043: The ruling coalition between the Union for Development and Prosperity and the Democratic Justice Party wins another term in the Chinese parliamentary election.
Chinese parliamentary election, 2043 UDP-DJP coalition 336,981,225 (48%) 793 (53.1%) [Union for Development and Prosperity (UDP) 190,126,951 (27.1%) 506 (33.9%) Democratic Justice Party (DJP) 146,864,274 (20.9%) 287 (19.2%)] Grand National Party (GNP) 284,834,857 (40.6%) 632 (42.3%) People's Revolutionary Party (PRP) 58,145,971 (8.3%) 55 (3.7%) Others/independents 21,622,101 (3.1%) 14 (0.9%) Total: 701,594,154 (100%) 1494 (100%) Incumbent Pemier: Jian Lo (UDP-DJP coalition)
June 17th, 2043: After several years of enjoying each other’s company after both were brutally shown that life is short, 76-year-old King Willem IV of the Netherlands (b. 27 April 1967), marries the 70-year-old dowager Queen of Wallonia, Mathilde (nee d'Udekem d'Acoz, b. 20 January 1973) in Sedona, Arizona. Queen Mathilde becomes Queen Consort of the Netherlands after previously holding the position as Queen Consort of Belgium and then Queen Consort of Wallonia beside her first husband, Philippe.
August 1st, 2043: The city of Los Angeles announces an ambitious plan to install navigation systems on all city streets to assist with the growing number of automatic piloting vehicles in the US.
August 6, 2043: King William V of Gr to Britain is chosen again by the Australian Parliament as President of Australia.
September 29th, 2043: President Boone declares the North Atlantic Diplomatic Pact, an economic and political alliance between the United States, Federal Europe, and Canada, during a conference with the European President and Canadian Prime Minister. The new alliance effectively makes NATO a powerless entity on the international stage, especially since Britain has moved away diplomatically from Europe and America in the past ten years and closer to China, though the organization will continue to exist primarily as an instrument for humanitarian operations in Europe and parts of Africa. Historians would later view this as the beginning of heightened tensions between the multiple power blocs of the world, known as the Globalization War. British Prime Minister Max Rodgers declares his intentions to move the United Kingdom further away from the powers of Europe, and towards closer relations with China.
September 29th, 2043: The Pittsburgh Pirates win their second consecutive NL Central berth and for the second season have the best record in the NL, going 102-60.
October 5th, 2043: A new form of media is opened up with the release of the DigiGlasses Gamma, by Microsoft. With the power of the glasses now dramatically increased over the 8 years since the development cycle began, the spectacles are now able to process realistic environments. Soon after their release, a program that allows interactive ability with these processed environments. The technology reportedly was first developed by the United States Military in the 2030s. Some call these programs “virtual reality”, but the news media, having long forgotten the dreams of the 1990s, call them “interactives”. The name sticks.
October 7th, 2043: Prime Minister Max Rodgers makes his infamous “Britain is Global” speech where he outlines a policy of closer relations with Asia and America. After the many economic crises of earlier decades in Europe, the Prime Minister is keen to protect his own economy and avoid being dragged down by what he calls “the tyranny of European federalism”. The Prime Minister is seen as the most Eurosceptic since Margaret Thatcher.
October 28th, 2043: In baseball, the Kansas City Royals win the World Series, beating the rep to attempting Pittsburgh Pirates in 5 games. The Pirates are utterly dominated as their offense falls apart from the stress of a 5 game NLDS and a 7 game NLCS.
November 18th, 2043: Prime Minister Rodgers announces that Britain and Japan have signed a treaty to increase and co-operate on technology production. The UK government wants Britain to lead the West on technology by 2050.
December 31st, 2043: King Muqrin bin Abdul-Aziz (b. 1945) dies of bone cancer. The last surviving son of Saudia Arabia founder King Abdul-Aziz bin Saud, the aged king is succeeded by Prince Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz (b. 1970) as King Faisal II.
January-September, 2044: Uruguay suffers through a deep recession caused by a drought, leading to a fall in cattle production, as well as a deficit in the state-supported welfare system. The recession causes protests in Uruguay against ALADEC. Protestors say that ALADEC's “quasi-socialism” is ruining the economy of export-oriented Uruguay.
January 1st, 2044: Oman grants citizenship to all persons living within its borders, thus giving rights to its 4 million South Asian residents, who are now the majority.
January 12th, 2044: Signs show that the British economy is beginning to pick up with unemployment low, however inflation is still at record levels and housing prices are at an all time low. Rodgers' government takes a hit in public support for this.
January 14th, 2044: NASA releases information regarding terrestrial samples of the Martian surface brought back from the Ares Prima mission, suggesting that life May have existed on Mars in the past, as microbe-like structures were discovered in rocks and contained organic molecules.
January 20th, 2044: The second book in J.K. Rowling's Compendium series, entitled The Assortment, is released. Selling over 10 million copies in its first week, the book cements Rowling's reputation as one of the greatest writers of the last fifty years. Reviewers note that her writing style has improved dramatically in quality from the first of her Harry Potter stories, while “her ability to conjure up enthralling stories remains unparalleled.”
February 2nd, 2044: In probably the most pro-American speech of his Premiership, Prime Minister Rodgers praises the platform and ideals of Vice President Kirkpatrick while not offering an endorsement. The two men are good friends and of similar age, Kirkpatrick being born in 1992 and Rodgers in 1994 and had previously worked together when Rodgers served as British Home Secretary in the Crewe government and Kirkpatrick as the Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
February 21st, 2044: The conservative President of France, Charles Lescalier announces that he is going to propose a law to eliminate bargaining via union rights causing uproar in France.
March 2nd, 2044: With the French controversy over unions, other nations begin to question their own policies which results in political debate in many nations.
April-May, 2044: Parliamentary elections are held in India, with over 815 million people voting. The current Prime Minister, Raj Chouhan, is popular with voters; however, his policies of de-regulation have made him unappetizing to many in the lower classes, who feel they are not being heard. The Left Front has been polling well in poorer districts, and is expected to gain seats. Nevertheless, due to continued anti-Pakistani sentiment, he is expected to be re-elected. In addition, his main opponent, Naboo Singh, is caught on an open mic saying that “Pakistan has always been forthcoming with us.” After the election, seats in the Lok Sabha are apportioned as follows:
Prakarita Kriya Party (PKP): 261 seats New Democratic Party (NDP): 184 seats Left Front: 62 seats Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): 21 seats Independents: 5 seats Anglo-Indian Representatives: 2 seats (Government in bold)
In order to control a majority, the PKP is forced to ally with the BJP and promise to not tolerate any “misbehavior” from Pakistan. The new government, controlling 288 seats and with Chouhan remaining PM, appears to be more radical than the old. The NDP immediately begins to positions itself as the sensible voice of moderation once again, in contrast to the BJP. The BJP's powerful leader, Jayanto Lahiri, warns that there is “a Muslim plot within India to destroy the very fabric of our nation.”
April 2nd, 2044: In Burkina Faso, a seven year old boy and two of his friends are publicly executed by a corrupt police chief for stealing seven apples. While the police chief is quickly arrested by the ruling military junta, the executions spark protests in Ouagadougou and several other cities around the country.
April 4-7th, 2044: General Moussa Poitroipa, leader of Burkina Faso's junta, calls in the Army to crack down on protestors. Over 89 protestors are killed and 115 wounded in the four-day crackdown, which succeeds in stifling protests.
April 9th, 2044: India announces that it will suspend its financial aid to Burkina Faso in the wake of a violent crackdown on protests there.
April 20th, 2044: In Burkina Faso, the Sankarist Pan-African Convention (CPS) party begins an armed struggle against the country's ruling military junta. Led by charismatic young Gnisso Konate, the party pledges to restore the “values of the great Thomas Sankara” to Burkina Faso, and pledges support for democracy and human rights.
April 28th, 2044: Indian and American intelligent agencies jointly make a covert offer to support the Sankarist Pan-African Convention in their violent struggle against the military junta in Burkina Faso. However, party leader Gnisso Konate turns them down, saying that Sankarist principles mean that Africans must work without outside interference to solve their own issues.
April 30th, 2044: Princess Philippa of Gr to Britain gives birth to a son, Prince William Johannes James Alois who is not only a prince of the United Kingdom but heir to the throne of Liechtenstein. The small handful of Jacobites in the world of 2044 rejoice as the baby prince is third in line for the British throne not only by British law but also by Jacobite rules of descent from the House of Stuart, replaced by the House of Hanover in Gr to Britain in 1714.
July 8th, 2044: In a referendum, the people of Lesotho vote to join the Republic of South Africa as a province. 62.8% of the populace, as well as the monarch and Prime Minister, support the annexation. Lesotho has been economically merged into South Africa since the 2020s, but the raging AIDS epidemic destroyed any South African interest in allowing Lesotho to join them. However, since the Project effectively ended AIDS in Lesotho, the idea has become more popular both within Lesotho and within South Africa.
July 8th, 2044: Indonesia holds a presidential election. Ateng Wahyudi of the Indonesian Democratic Party - Struggle is elected to the post of President, and will serve until 2049
In a referendum, the people of Lesotho vote to join the Republic of South Africa as a province. 62.8% of the populace, as well as the monarch and Prime Minister, support the annexation. Lesotho has been economically merged into South Africa since the 2020s, but the raging AIDS epidemic destroyed any South African interest in allowing Lesotho to join them. However, since the Project effectively ended AIDS in Lesotho, the idea has become more popular both within Lesotho and within South Africa.
June 10th, 2044: Mt. Hood in the Cascades Range erupts unexpectedly and violently, in a manner similar to Mt. Saint Helens in 1980. Approximately 120 people fall victim and ash falls over much of the Pacific Northwest. Nicholas Medforth-Mills, a retired executive with the food giant Nestle and heir to the defunct Romanian throne is among the dead; his passing is barely noted in Romania.
July 17th, 2044: The Soldiers of Christian Zaire kidnap Interior Minister Esdras Bahekwa of the Democratic Republic of the Zaire. The 73 year old Bahekwa had been the first Muslim Prime Minister of the DRC, and had “retired” to the Department of the Interior. After being tortured for several days, Bahekwa is personally executed by André Lubaya, the leader of the SCZ. Video of the entire process is released on the SCZ's website, leading to worldwide outrage. Thus far, the Third Congolese Civil War has claimed over 5000 lives.
July 25th-28th, 2044: Democratic National Convention; Vice President Ryan Kirkpatrick is unanimously nominated as the Democratic nominee for President. Kirkpatrick taps California Governor Antonin Solis as his running mate, the first Hispanic vice presidential nominee on the Democratic ticket.
July 31st-August 15th, 2044: The 2044 Summer Olympic Games are held in Tokyo, Japan. The tournament closes with China having won the most medals, followed by the United States.
August 14th, 2044: Popular former Senator from the Mexican state of Chihuahua, as well as devout Mormon Hiram Romney Morales, is elected President of Mexico, becoming the first Protestant President in that country's history, gaining the majority of votes in a runoff election against PRI candidate Guillermo Cazares. The young president is most famously known as a distant relative of former American President Mitt Romney.
Hiram Romney Morales (PAN): 52.33% Guillermo Cazares Cruz (PRI): 47.67%
September 1st, 2044: The Conferência de Beisebol do Brasil (CBB), Brazil's first professional baseball league plays its first game. The Sao Paolo Caçadores win over the Brasilia Senadores, 8-2. The Conferência plays by a Brazilian variant of the game, known as beisebol.The CBB was founded by former MLB stars Luiz and Paolo Gushiken, Japanese-Brazilian twin-brothers. With eight teams across Brazil, the CBB is indicative of baseball's growing popularity in the country. While commentators agree that baseball will never replace football as the most popular sport, it has settled into a comfortable niche and is the second most-watched sport in Brazil.
September 1st, 2044: In an elaborate ceremony, the Kingdom of Lesotho ceases to exist and becomes the Sotho Province of South Africa. The monarchy will be a specially protected subnational institution, while the new province will have some special autonomous powers for 10 years, after which it will become identical to other South African provinces. The annexation was approved by the people of Lesotho in July and by the parliament of South Africa in August.
September 23rd, 2044: The documentary Renegado, Sin Fronteras (Es. Renegade, Without Borders) hit North American theaters to wide acclaim. Directed by Tess Cuarón, the daughter of famed Mexican film director Alfonso Cuarón, the film follows Mexican President-elect Hiram Romney's climb to victory through the 2044 presidential campaign, illustrating him as a candidate for change running against the decrepit PRI and the PAN's conservative elites, as well as his appeal to everyday Mexicans despite his Anglo-Saxon and Mormon heritage. The film does well on opening weekend, especially in the United States, where the Mexican elections were enthusiastically followed there due to Hiram Romney's association to one of the US's own former presidents.
October 28th, 2044: In baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers win the World Series, beating the Minnesota Twins in a fierce 7 game series. The wild card Brewers had shocked the baseball world by sweeping the highly favored Pirates out of the NLCS to advance to the World Series on the strength of their powerhouse lineup.
November 4th, 2044: Incumbent Vice President James Kirkpatrick wins the American presidential election over second-time candidate Kirk T. Wythe of Illinois. Kirkpatrick is the first openly atheistic President, and the first of South Asian heritage. His atheism caused him to lose many states across the Southern US, including several Hispanic states such as Nevada and New Mexico. However, his election also marked the return of the Midwest from the conservative fold. The election leads to a temporary thaw in rapidly cooling relations with Britain as Prime Minister Max Rodgers praises the new President effusively, calling him “a global leader for a global age.” Chinese Premier Jian Lo also praises the new President, but warns that “neo-imperial ambitions in Asia will not be tolerated.”
In addition, Jeffrey Clinton-Mesvinsky (D) is elected as the junior Senator from New York State, while Parke Jeung (R), a young and charismatic Korean American, is elected from Oregon's 3rd District.
Vice President Ryan Kirkpatrick (D-IL) / Governor Antonin Solis (D-CA) - 345 EV - 52.1% PV Senator Kirk Wythe (R-MI) / Governor James Rovenerou (R-OK) - 193 EV - 46.5% PV
December 10th, 2044: Uruguay announces that they will leave ALADEC at the end of the year due to “profound economic differences.” Uruguay, whose economy is based on international exports, suffered a difficult recession earlier in the year.
January 21st, 2045: In his boldest move in regards to his presidential cabinet, newly-inaugurated President Ryan Kirkpatrick appoints Malia Obama, a prominent Chicago lawyer and daughter of former President and Chief Justice Barack Obama, as U.S. Attorney General.
February 16th, 2045: Mexican Senator Carmen Arteaga, formerly an independent, announces the creation of a new political party at a press conference in Mexico City. The new party, named Partido del Progreso Democratico or PPD (en. Progressive Democratic Party), is a center-left party that many see as filling the void of the discredited PRD.
February 17th, 2045: The first major interactive, Camelot Rising, about an uprising of the undead during the time of King Arthur, is released in North America, Europe, India and the Far East.
March 23rd, 2045: The monthlong 2045 World Baseball Classic closes in Monterrey, Mexico. Venezuela emerge as the champions, beating out Japan for the title. In third place are the Dominican Republic, and rounding out the heap in fourth place are Thailand.
May 5th, 2045: Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay form the Latin American Free Trade Association (LAFTA), which will support free-market capitalist policies and oppose the Lulaist economics of ALADEC. However, the three countries stress that LAFTA is not opposed to ALADEC in any sense other than economic. Nevertheless, Argentina and Chile remain close US allies, as opposed to Brazil, which, while friendly with the Americans, has pursued a more independent foreign policy.
May 6th, 2045: The Conservative government of Max Rodgers is re-elected with an increased majority of 89. The re-election is attributed due to the GAREM and Strategic Platform's influence on improvement in productivity, technology and energy levels which has had a positive effect on the economy and the success of his welfare expansion programs. However when polled, the British public feel that health and local government would be better handled by the Labour Party.
May 27th, 2045: British Prime Minister Rodgers and the new US President hold a joint summit to discuss defense, a first as meetings between Rodgers' and Boone were only at international conferences and rarely the White House.
May 31st, 2045: Queen Astrid of Wallonia dies in London from complications resulting from a broken hip. She leaves the throne to her eldest son Prince Amedeo of Wallonia, Archduke of Austria-Este (b. 21 February 1986). King Amedeo, whose father was an Austrian Archduke, now reigns over territory not possessed by the House of Habsburg since 1794.
June 12th, 2045: US Attorney General Malia Obama, the daughter of the former President, announces that the long-serving US military camp Guantanamo Bay will be shut and dismantled by 2047, something her father failed to do.
August 10th, 2045: An American State Department report finds that the economic situation in Burkina Faso has become desperate ever since the cutoff of Indian and Russian aid. Famine has reappeared in some parts of the country, and the military junta redirects what food is grown to the Army bases first before allowing any to reach the civilian population.
August 14th, 2045: German scientists come agonizingly close to achieving practical nuclear fusion on a small scale. Experts predict that it will be a matter of time until the goal is fulfilled.
August 16th, 2045: Just two days after the German team, the Eden National Fusion Laboratory in Wyoming, the United States also comes frustratingly close to achieving controlled fusion. At a joint press-conference, James and Victoria Upendowema, the laboratory heads, say that “nuclear fusion is within our grasp. We need only the will to reach out; and good luck for a few years.”
September 2nd, 2045: Former Prime Minister Nick Herbert dies at the age of 82 from heart failure. He is buried in a private ceremony.
September 16th, 2045: Amid jubilant crowds, Mexican President Hiram Romney christens the recently completed aircraft carrier ARM Lázaro Cárdenas at the Navy shipyard it was built in. American commentators note that this marks a crucial turning point in Mexican foreign policy, as it begins to exert itself beyond it's borders.
October 17th, 2045: The Pirates secure their third NL pennant in four years after a sweep of the San Diego Padres in the NLCS after going 105-57 in the Regular season.
October 27th, 2045: In baseball, the Pittsburgh Pirates win the World Series against the AL Champion Seattle Mariners in 5 games. Pitcher Jay Kelvin wins World Series MVP for going 2-0, throwing 17 innings and only allowing two runs, along with throwing only the third post-season no hitter in baseball history and only the second one in the World Series.
November 17th, 2045: Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein is caught in flagrante delicto by journalists with a young actress in the backseat of a car in Cannes, France. A firestorm of scandal envelops both the royal families of Britain and Liechtenstein.
November 25th, 2045: Pittsburgh Pirate Jay Kelvin wins his 3rd NL Cy Young in 4 years after going 25-5 with a ridiculous 1.97 ERA and 311 K's. His dominate performance is said to start another golden age of pitching after the brief pitcher's age of the 2010's.
December 4th, 2045: Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex knocks out Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein in a London nightclub brawl.
Stockholm police detective Ole Gunnar Andersson, while investigating the grisly murders of five male prostitutes notices similarities to the five classic murders committed by Jack the Ripper in London 150 years previously. A clue left behind at the scene of the last murder erroneously leads him to believe the murderer to be French. Tabloids dub the murderer “Jacques the Ripper.”
December 5th, 2045: Celebrated Bollywood actor Aamir Khan dies at the age of eighty in Mumbai. He was the top-grossing Indian thespian of all time. Particularly of note were his 2009 film 3 Idiots and 2038 epic movie Chandragupta.
December 15th, 2045: Princess Philippa goes to court in London suing her husband Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein for divorce on grounds of adultery.
January 9th, 2046: Prime Minister Max Rodgers announces plans to launch a peace treaty between Iran, Iraq and Pakistan whom have had international tensions in their nuclear race. He is aided in his plans by Chinese Premier Jian Lo and Indian PM Raj Chouhan.
January 19, 2046: Jonathan Michael Preston II of the United Kingdom (b. 1923), the last living veteran of World War II, dies peacefully in his sleep at the ripe old age of 123. He is given a state funeral and a eulogy is delivered by British Prime Minister Max Rogers, saying “the last man of a conflict that tore our civilization apart is gone, and we can so cosign to history this tragic period of history. Never, however, must we forget the mistakes of the past, and above all we must never rep to them.”
January 28th, 2046: Former British Prime Minister Jonathan Crewe dies at the age of 75 from intestinal cancer. He is buried in a public funeral with dignitaries attending.
January 31st, 2046: The XXX Winter Olympiad opens in Helsinki, Finland.
February 1st, 2046: Japanese prime minister Hirobumi Hosono retires, and is succeeded by Foreign Minister Hidenao Maehara.
February 6th, 2046: Despite the endorsement of both ruling coaltion parties, former Foreign Minister of the far-right Grand National Party leads President Wu Ruiqi by 0.4% of votes in the first round of the Chinese presidential election.
Chinese presidential election, 2046 (1st round) Li Aiguo (GNP) 322,875,145 (44.3%) Wu Ruiqi (inpendent, endorsed by UDP and DJP) 321,785,241 (43.9%) Deng Jiankang (PRP) 46,387,251 (6.3%) Kang Chengwu (PoR) 31,758,315 (4.3%) Other candidates 10,135,883 (1.4%)
PRP candidate Deng Jiankang refuses to endorse any candidate, and asks his supporters to boycott the second round. Kang Chengwu of the Party of Regions endorses Wu Ruiqi for reelection and denounces the “militarist platform” of former Foreign Minister Li Aiguo.
February 25th, 2046: Chinese president Wu Ruiqi is elected to a full 6-year term. She would not be eligible to run for another term in 2052 due to that she has served more than half of former President Liu Linzhi's term.
Chinese presidential election, 2046 (2nd round) Wu Ruiqi (INDPT, end. by UDP and DJP) 377,851,934 (51.9%) Li Aiguo (GNP) 349,732,981 (48.1%)
March 12th, 2046: Prime Minister Rodgers and President Kirkpatrick sign a new defense procurement treaty in Washington, the previous one expired in 2042 and was not renewed under the Boone Presidency.
March 28th, 2046: The Anglo-China Strategic Platform and the GAREM are replaced by the Nordic-Asia Strategic Platform (NASP) jointly signed by China, Mongolia, Britain, Korea, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
March 29th, 2046: Japanese prime minister Hidenao Maehara denounces the NASP as the new Warsaw Pact which would effectively drive the world into an “irreversible new cold war”. Ironically, some historians believe that Prime Minister Maehara's “New Warsaw Pact Speech” marked the official beginning of the 2nd Cold War.
March 31st, 2046: Prime Minister Max Rodgers responds to the criticism of the Nordic-Asian alliance from the Japanese and chides that Japan has slowed technologically, questioning it's role in the future.
March 31st, 2046: Chad adopts a new constitution in a referendum, with 67.8% support. The new constitution replaces that of 1996, which had held sway for exactly 50 years. It establishes an independent (albeit weak) judiciary, which had been lacking, and controversially pardons all war crimes which may or may not have occurred in years previous. Most importantly, it moves Chad from a unitary French-model state to a federal structure in order to share power between the Muslim north and Christian south.
April 29th, 2046: The ASF launches it's first Martian orbiter.
May 8th, 2046: A bombing in the capitol of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou, targets the head of the military junta there, General Moussa Poitroipa. Poitroipa escapes unharmed, although several of his aides and staff lieutenants are killed. The Sankarist Pan-African Convention (CPS) claims responsibility for the bombing. Party leader Gnisso Konate says that CPS will never give up their violent struggle until “there is democracy and freedom for all Burkinabé.”
May 9th, 2046: Iceland joins the Federated States of Europe after three years of negotiations, especially over fishing rights. of negotiations. The accession occurs on Europe Day, which celebrates the Schuman Declaration of 1950, which catalyzed European integration.
June 15th, 2046: Decree Absolute granted in British court for divorce of Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein and Princess Philippa of Gr to Britain. Custody of Prince William Johannes granted to Princess Philippa. Princess Philippa abandons Catholicism and returns to the Anglican faith of her childhood.
July 1st, 2046: Mexican Congressional Midterm Elections are held. The PPD makes significant gains in the Chamber of Deputies, gaining 20 seats there, as well as 3 in the Senate.
July 5th, 2046: The twenty-eighth FIFA World Cup concludes in China/Mongolia. Brazil wins the championship 5-1 over the Netherlands. An estimated 910 million people watch the final worldwide.
Oman joins A'ama, the Islamic Nations of Freedom, as the organization's twelfth member. The event sends shockwaves throughout the Middle East, as the GCC becomes very worried about the ramifications of successful democratic states right along their borders.
July 24th, 2046: On the day the treaty, named the Mumbai Accords is due to be signed at a ceremony with all UN Security Council members and Iran, Iraq and Pakistan present, Rodgers withdraws from the treaty making allegations of interference from world powers for energy and corruption from diplomatic officials in the Union State and the Middle East about what remains of oil supplies. Rodgers announces his resignation, citing a need for new diplomacy in Britain effective upon election of a new Tory leader.
July 25th, 2046: Enraged about the British PM's speech, Russian President Chyrnin launches an inquiry into the treaty as do the UN.
July 26th, 2046: Former Chancellor Denis Moreland and Foreign Secretary Peter Donovan both launch bids to succeed Rodgers in addition to the bid of Home Secretary Adam Porter
July 30th, 2046: An ballot of Tory MP's eliminates Moreland and places Porter and Donovan to the full Tory membership.
August 2nd, 2046: UN lead negotiator on the Mumbai Accords Claude Denizet confirms that the negotiations had been marred by stalling from the Russians and sides with the outgoing British PM Max Rodgers in accusing Union Foreign Minister Anna Romanov in personally profiting from the oil deal.
August 3rd, 2046: The United Nations releases a report on the Third Congolese Civil War. The report concludes that the rebellion lead by the Soldiers of Christian Zaire has dangerous potency, as they draw considerable support from poor Christians in the country's west. The war has thus far killed more than 20,000 people.
August 4th, 2046: An emergency ballot of Conservative Party members elects Peter Donovan as Leader of the Conservative Party. That afternoon, he is driven to the Palace where he accepts the invitation to form a government thus becoming the new Prime Minister to succeed Rodgers.
August 26th, 2046: Under heavy pressure from members of his family including his father, Prince Alois, Prince Joseph Wenzel gives up his place in the succession of the Principality of Liechtenstein for himself and for his son, Prince William Johannes. The young prince will be raised as a British royal with little contact with his Liechtenstein relatives. King William V deeply protests the loss of his grandson's rights to the throne of Liechtenstein.
August 29th, 2046: Prince Joseph Wenzel commits suicide in the Liechtenstein family castle above Vaduz.
September 1st, 2046: By this time, virtually all vehicles in the United States are free of gasoline engines, with nearly 75% being fully electric. In much of Europe, especially the Federated European States, hydrogen fuel cell technology is becoming a reality as hydrogen fuel stations are being constructed en mass.
September 3rd, 2046: Drummer Elia Lobo announces that he is leaving Brazilian band El Aleatorios, due to “irreconcilable differences” with his two bandmates. The remaining two, husband and wife Marlos Nobre and Maysa Monjardim, pledge to continue writing as El Aleatorios and to continue developing the oeste style.
September 8th, 2046: Elia Lobo sues Marlos Nobre and Maysa Monjardim over their announcement that they will continue to function as El Aleatorios. The Brazilian band, the most popular in Latin America, had broken up five days earlier. Lobo claims the rights to the name and sought to prevent Nobre and Monjardim from using it, on the grounds that he had invented it, and that their financial contracts listed all three as band members. The suit causes a huge media frenzy in Brazil.
September 10th, 2046: Interactives are described as “ultra video games” by Declan Martinez, a former video game developer.
September 14th, 2046: Alexander Rodgers is elected to succeed his resigned father in his parliamentary seat in North West Sussex. Alexander who was born in 2020 is seen as the person who can continue on his father's work.
September 21st, 2046: Future British Prime Minister Rose Daltrey is elected as Leader of the Labour Party at their annual conference in Birmingham after the resignation of Graham Barber, who failed to win the 2045 election.
September 23th, 2046: Japanese general election: the ruling DPJ-Komeito coalition wins its third consecutive victory. The election results are as followed: DPJ 252, NFP 162, New Komeito 30, JCP 16, Issuikai 7, SDP 5, Others / non-partisan / independents 8.
October 19th, 2046: In a stunning turn of events, the Pittsburgh Pirates lose the NLCS to the Chicago Cubs in a dramatic Game 7 that ends with the team blowing a 5 run lead at home in the last two innings to force extra innings, where the Cubs then gain a 4 run lead in the 13th on a grand slam. The loss is considered the end of the Pirates dynasty that dominated the NL for 5 seasons.
October 23rd, 2046: In his first major interview since his resignation, Max Rodgers says the reason he resigned was that he had staked his foreign policy future upon the failed Mumbai Accords and knew any hope of peace in the Middle East couldn't have been achieved while “the same players were at the table.”
October 27th, 2046: In baseball, the Chicago Cubs win the World Series, beating the AL Champion Boston Red Sox in 5 games. The series went to extra innings 3 times, ending in the 10th, 12th, and 14th innings in Games 1, 3, and 4 respectively.
November 1st, 2046: At a joint press conference, Indian Prime Minister Raj Chouhan and Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat announce that Thailand will join the IOIC. This step, a major shift in Thai foreign policy, signals India's increasing influence in Southeast Asia. Some Western analysts have described a “Cold War” for influence developing in Southeast Asia between India and China.
November 2nd, 2046: A UN inquiry states that there were corrupt actions by Middle Eastern officials and the Union State Foreign Minister, Anna Romanov who resigns. President Chyrnin angrily states that “Russia will not tolerate Western interference.”
November 8th, 2046: South Atlantic Tsunami; A 9.2 earthquake in the South Atlantic Ocean creates a powerful tsunami that devastates coastal West Africa, the Antilles, northeastern South America, and to a lesser extent, the east coast of the US. Nearly 120,000 fall victim to the tsunami event.
November 9th, 2046: Awash in money from the Bodden-Hyde fortune, the Barbadian government is able to quickly procure hundreds of aircraft to evacuate most of the population of Barbados before the nation is struck by the South Atlantic Tsunami caused by a 9.2 earthquake in the South Atlantic Ocean. With the population temporarily living primarily in Texas, the island nation is quickly rebuilt using Bodden-Hyde money and most of its residents return by 2050. While living in Austin, Texas while his country is being rebuilt, King Alexander meets Aiyanna Jackson (b. 2011) and marries her in a lavish ceremony.
December 1st, 2046: A warrant is issued for the arrest of former Union Foreign Minister Anna Romanov by the ICC.
December 2nd, 2046: United Nations Secretary-General Jozef Adamowicz is defeated in his bid for a second five-year term. Critics felt that he had been ineffectual in aiding poorer nations, especially the Congo, where a civil war had begun. Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Zillur Rahman is elected instead. Some critics feel that the election of a Bangladeshi “is giving the UN to India”, although Indian and UN officials reject that idea entirely.
December 20th, 2046: The dispute concerning naming rights for Brazilian band El Aleatorios is settled out of court. Elia Lobo, the former drummer for the band, had sued to prevent the remaining two members from using the band name. In the settlement, Lobo agrees to allow Nobre and Monjardim to use the name, provided he receives royalties from all downloads, both past and future.
December 30th, 2046: Anna Romanov is caught fleeing in Ukraine and arrested for corruption by the ICC, Union State President Aleksei Chrynin denounces his former Foreign Minister in an act of renunciation for Russia.
January 1st, 2047: Treaty of Manila; Japan, Philippines, and Vietnam establish the East Asian Treaty Organization (EATO), an economic and political alliance between the three members. The pact was created in response to the recent establishment of the Nordic-Asia Strategic Platform, as well as diplomatic crises involving China, and the member states wanted to protect their economic interests in disputed areas such as the South China Sea.
January 16th, 2047: Reigning Prince Alois of Liechtenstein dies, some say from a broken heart. He is succeeded by his second son, Prince Georg Antonius (b. 20 April 1999).
January 20-27th, 2047: The Soldiers of Christian Zaire seize control of the eastern city of Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once in control, they hunt down the city's two thousand Muslims and massacre them. Three days later, government forces counterattack; however, the Army troops face heavy resistance, and abandon their attack after two days. Instead of attacking again by ground, the government forces call in strike aircraft, which bomb Kisangani to dust over the next two days, killing an estimated 4000 civilians. With over 7,000 casualties, the Battle of Kisangani accounts for almost a sixth of the Congolese Civil War's deaths.
February 1st, 2047: As one of the provisions of the Treaty of Manila, Filipino and Vietnamese negotiators meet in Kyoto, Japan, to try and solve the Spratly Islands dispute. Chinese negotiators refuse to join them, calling the talks “a clear and aggressive violation of China's sovereignty.”
February 20th, 2047: The Philippines and Vietnam sign the Treaty of Kyoto, resolving their dispute over the Spratly Islands. China, however, still disputes both countries' claims to any of the islands. The treaty provides for joint economic rights and combined military bases on the largest three islands “to defend against possible external aggression.” China refuses to recognize the signing of the Treaty of Kyoto, calling it “as useless as if Washington and Cornwallis signed a treaty concerning the French Revolution. The Spratly Islands are Chinese and will remain so.”
March 6th, 2047: After a thorough investigation, Stockholm police detective Ole Gunnar Andersson discovers undeniable DNA proof of the identity of “Jacques the Ripper and arrests Prince Johan, Duke of Västerbotten, the elder son of Queen Victoria of Sweden and her husband Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland for the grisly killings. The prince is ruled insane and sent to an asylum for the mentally ill where he is kept under close supervision for the rest of his life.
April 3rd, 2047: Washington National lefty pitcher Zach Barnett pitches a perfect game, only the 22nd perfect game of the modern era, on Opening day to start the National's season, a good omen of the season to come. While Barnett would play in Washington for only 4 years and have pedestrian numbers, the perfect game would earn him a place in National's lore.
May 1st, 2047: Space Secretary Jake Sky announces the Titan Lunar Explorer project, which aims to place an unmanned probe on Saturn's largest moon. The probe will attempt to dive beneath the surface of the hydrocarbon “oceans” that dot Titan's landscape, in the hope of discovering extraterrestrial life like the ones on Europa and the fossils on Mars.
May 2nd, 2047: Coordinated bombings in Kano (Nigeria), Cairo (Egypt), and Nador (Morocco) kill 41 people and injure 159 more, with the most deaths coming at Gidan Makama Mosque in Kano. The perpetrators are found to be the Soldiers of Christian Zaire, who had not before demonstrated an ability to strike outside of the DRC. André Lubaya, the leader of the SCZ, denounces Nigeria, Egypt and Morocco for “supporting the Muslim oppressors of those of Christ”, and says that his forces will strike again as long as Muslim nations continue to financially aid the government in the fight against the SCZ. In response, the three nations agree to double their aid to the Congolese government.
May 5th, 2047: Jian Lo, the longest-serving Chinese premier since Zhou Enlai, retires. Under the coalition agreement, Jian Lo is replaced by DJP president and Foreign Minister Fang Xiongwen, a moderate.
Average of opinion polls as of June 2047 are as followed: GNP (far-right nationalist) 44.1% UDP-DJP coalition (moderate) 38.6% [DJP* (centre-left) 25.4% UDP* (centrist) 13.2%] PoR (federalist, centre-right) 6.2% PRP (far-left) 4.7% Others 0.8% Not Yet decided 5.6%
Average of opinion polls as of December 2047 are as followed: GNP 45.3% UDP-DJP coalition 37.7% [DJP* 25.8%] [UDP*11.9%] PoR 7.1% PRP 5.5% Others 0.7% Not Yet decided 3.7%
May 9th, 2047: Denmark joins the Federated States of Europe after a years of negotiations. The accession occurs on Europe Day, which celebrates the Schuman Declaration of 1950, which catalyzed European integration. Greenland becomes an autonomous region of the FES.
June 7th, 2047: The American-born Pope John XXIV (b. 25 Oct 1963) dies at Castel Gandolfo from diabetic complications.
June 15th, 2047: The United Nations releases a report on the state of the Fourth Congo War, calling the situation “catastrophic”. The SCZ is reported to have control of most of the vast east of the country. Over 4000 Muslims have been killed “genocidally” (most Muslims in the DRC live in the west), while over 30,000 civillians total have been killed in the four-year war. The report states that “government forces dare not enter the majority of their country”, and that government counter-offensives are “timid, undermanned, under planned, and ineffectual”. However, it cites aid and training from the international community as leading to a few successes in the conflict, and calls on UN members to send military trainers to the Congo.
July 3rd, 2047: Just over a year after his resignation, former Prime Minister Max Rodgers publishes his autobiography “Daring to Dare”, outlying his life and reasoning for his actions in Downing Street.
July 25th, 2047: Chosen as Pope on the 18th ballot by his fellow Cardinals, Joao Luis de Silva, Cardinal Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro (b. 15 September 1995) succeeds to the see of St. Peter with the regnal name of Alexander IX.
July 30th, 2047: For the first time, Brazil's professional baseball league, the Conferência de Beisebol do Brasil, reports a profit. The CBB intends to expands to twelve teams from eight for the 2048-49 season. Brazil is now the third-biggest baseball country in the world, after the United States and Japan. Currently, there are eight Brazilian players in the MLB and eleven in the Nippon Professional League.
August 14th, 2047: An Indian epic film, Hacha Ram, is released on the 100th anniversary of Indian independence. Starring the most notable Indian, Bangladeshi, and even Pakistani actors and actresses of the day, the film details the Indian independence movement and the First Indo-Pakistani war through a series of five connected stories. Over three hours long and eight years in the making, Hacha Ram becomes the highest-grossing film of all time in India. The film also performs admirably in the American, European, and African markets.
August 16th, 2047: After finding fulfillment as a nurse and working for several years in various London hospitals, Princess Elizabeth of Gr to Britain meets Dr. Ygnacio Bocanegra again at a garden party at Buckingham Palace given by her father King William V. After describing his work in the Muslim refugee camps near the eastern Congolese border, the doctor invites the princess to join him in order to publicize the plight of these unfortunate people. The princess considers his request and leaves for the Congo the following week, despite the deep misgivings of her parents. August 18th, 2047: Edward, Prince of Wales, leading his first self-financed expedition discovers the undisturbed tomb of the Inca Emperor Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui (or Pachacutec), the ninth Sapa Inca (1438–1471/1472) near Machu Picchu. Filled with golden artifacts, the tomb is considered one of the premier archaeological discoveries of the 21st Century.
October 19th, 2047: In baseball, the Washington Nationals win the World Series, beating the Seattle Mariners in 6 games. Nationals closer Jerry Long wins MVP honors for recording a win and 3 saves and allowing no runs in his 5 1/3 innings of work.
November 28th, 2047: As celebrations are held in Managua for President Laparra's 60th birthday, she gives a belligerent speech where she states that she would continue to do everything within her power to make Nicaragua “gr to,” and belittles the futile intimidation set forth by the “Yanqui puppets in Mexico City.” Despite the quality of life having improved somewhat in the 15 years Laparra has been in power, observers are quick to note Nicaragua has become the most authoritarian country in the western hemisphere.
December 3rd, 2047: Peter Donovan's government runs into trouble after the economic boom of the Rodgers' era deflates following pressure on energy markets. The Nordic-Asian alliance has cooled with Donovan in charge which is seen as a factor in the pressure.
January 1st, 2048: The production of GVD-players is discontinued.
January 4th, 2048: Taiwan and China begin talks regarding the possible extension of the Shanghai Accords.
January 18th, 2048: Chinese premier Fang Xiongwen visits the United States, the highest-ranking Chinese leader to do so since the formation of GAREM in 2043.
January 20-30th, 2048: In Burkina Faso, the democratic revolutionary part Sankarist Pan-African Convention (CPS) launches surprise attacks on three towns in the country's north; Ouahigouya, Toeni, and Tougan. They manage to rout the Army units based there and seize temporary control of the towns. Military forces directed by junta leader General Moussa Poitroipa counterattack on the 26th and manage to retake Tougan, but are repelled in Toeni and Ouahigouya.
January 31st, 2048: After a reign of exactly 35 years, King Willem IV abdicates in favor of his eldest daughter Princess Catharina-Amalia (b. 7 December 2003). Ex-king Willem and his wife Mathilde purchase property in Sardinia and retire there.
February 9th, 2048: Christmas sales in Britain due to cold weather have seen the country not grow, if this carries on for the next two quarters, Britain will be in recession. Prime Minister Donovan sacks Chancellor Catherine Shepherd in a bitter row about interest rates, replacing her with Adam Porter.
February 11th, 2048: Exhausted and deeply disturbed by the gr to suffering experienced by the Muslim refugees in the camps, Princess Elizabeth of Gr to Britain falls off the wagon and drinks herself into unconsciousness. An alarmed Dr. Bocanegra contacts Buckingham Palace requesting direction on how to handle this disturbing turn of events. He is instructed to put her on the next airplane for London.
Several hours later, with the unconscious princess safely aboard, she and her entourage set out for London. But as they cross the heavily-jungled northeast corner of Congo, their plane is damaged mid-air by a surface-to-air missile fired by forces loyal to Andre Lumbaya of the Soldiers of Christian Zaire. Miraculously, the pilot brings the plane down in a jungle clearing where it is set upon by SCZ fighters. All the men are killed including Dr. Ygnacio Bocanegra and the women are dragged off into the bush and first gang-raped and then also killed. Princess Elizabeth, still unconscious from her drinking binge is dragged into the bush and gang-raped but is thought to be alr tdy dead so she is not killed. All the bodies are dragged back onto the plane and the whole thing is set alight. Somehow her body is forgotten under the underbrush.
When Princess Elizabeth wakes up the next day bleeding and badly bruised but otherwise alive, she stays out of sight. Deciding thto perhaps anonymity might help her survive, she does not reveal her identity to the Pygmy Mbuti tribesmen who find her wandering in the jungle several days later exhausted, hungry and utterly lost
Knowing that she will be killed by the SCZ, the Mbuti hide the princess who several weeks later discovers she is pregnant. Kept in a secret cave known only to the Mbuti, the princess is well taken care of and her location deep in the jungle is not discovered. They discover that she is very knowledgeable concerning medicine and becomes a healer to the tribe. In the meantime, the burnt remains of the plane are discovered by searchers scouring the area. King William and Queen Catherine are notified their daughter has been killed and they and the nation go into deep mourning.
May 8th, 2048: Bestselling British author J.K. Rowling dies at the age of 83 from cancer of the liver at her home in Dundee, Scotland. Her books have sold over 700 million copies, including the highest-selling book series of all time, the Harry Potter books. The third and final book in her Compendium series, called The Collection, is published posthumously and goes on to be a huge bestseller. Prime Minister Donovan calls her “one of the greateso Britons of our time.”
May 8th, 2048: Indonesia passes Japan to become the world's 7th largest economy, with a GDP of nearly 7 billion.
May 9th, 2048: In China, the far-right Grand National Party wins a plurality of votes and seats, but short of a majority. As a result, a new coalition between the DJP, UDP and the Party of Regions is formed. Fang Xiongwen would continue to lead the coalition, while it is agreed that PoR leader Zien Mai (Mai is the surname) would become First Vice-Premier and Foreign Minister. UDP leader Li Jiawen would become Finance Minister.
Chinese parliamentary election, 2048 DJP-UDP coalition 298,248,220 (40.6%) 653 (43.7%) [Democratic Justice Party (DJP) 188,488,569 (25.6%) 351 (23.5%) Union for Development and Prosperity (UDP) 109,759,651 (14.9%) 302 (20.2%)] Grand National Party (GNP) 325,806,250 (44.3%) 668 (44.7%) Party of Regions (PoR) 70,398,251 (9.6%) 130 (8.7%) People's Revolutionary Party (PRP) 28,444,491 (3.9%) 29 (1.9%) Others/independents 12,601,129 (1.7%) 14 (0.7%) Total: 735,498,341 (100%) 1494 (100%) Incumbent Pemier: Fang Xiongwen (DJP-UDP coalition) Premier-elect: Fang Xiongwen (DJP-UDP-PoR coalition)
May 20th, 2048: Pakistan applies to join A'ama (the Islamic Nations of Freedom). The application is viewed as controversial, since Pakistan is still relatively unstable and because A'ama is viewed as a group led by Turkey and Egypt - the addition of populous and economically important Pakistan would upset the balance of the group.
June 12th, 2048: The members of the Indian Ocean International Community (India, Nepal, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Thailand) introduce a shared currency, the Indian Ocean rupee. Based off of the Indian rupee, the new currency has a purchasing power of 20 rs/dollar. In addition, Oman and Pakistan announce they will tag their currencies (called the rial and rupee, respectively) to the Indian Ocean rupee.
June 15th, 2048: Alejandro de la Cruz graduates from the Stanford University School of Medicine with a Ph.D in Genetics. Although offered several prestigious residencies in California and on the East Coast, the independently wealthy young man returns to his native Nuevo Leon where he purchases a ranch on the pine covered slopes beneath Cerro del Potosi west of Galeana which he calls Los Pinos. Dr. De la Cruz establishes the Los Pinos Institute for Genetic Research there and builds a state-of-the-art research laboratory. He then hires some of the greateso genetic researchers of the day including Doctors Olaf and Trygve Magnusson of Norway and Dr. Joaquim Mulémbwè of Mozambique.
July 1st, 2048: All Nippon Spacecraft (ANS)'s S Maehara-1 completes its first manned space mission to Mars.
July 5th, 2048: Mexican President Hiram Romney is resoundingly reelected, gaining over 54% of the popular vote. Despite his affiliation with the PAN, he's very popular with many Mexicans across the board for his advocacy of progressive measures such as universal healthcare as well as his commitment to job growth.
July 12th, 2048: The Shanghai Accords has become permanent, after the Taiwanese electorate finally votes to join the East Asian Dollar Zone.
July 16th, 2048: The British economy is deemed to be in recession having failed to grow in the last few quarters, this is put down to deflation in energy and consumer markets. The policy of Prime Minister Donovan to invest in these new markets is believed to have back-fired and affects his own position in polls.
August 10th-26th, 2048: The 2048 Summer Olympic Games are held in New York City, USA. The tournament closes with the United States having won the most medals, followed by India.
September 10th, 2048: At the Eden National Fusion Laboratory in Wyoming, the chief scientist, Victoria Upendowema, and 18 other researchers are killed in a massive non-nuclear explosion. The later investigation established that explosives used to set off attempted fusion reactions were overpressured and detonated prematurely. Early in the day, Upendowema had called her husband James and told him that she knew how to control a fusion reaction, and that she would attempt to do so. James, in Washington to secure funding, says, “I will attempt to carry on my wife's work for as long as I still breath. Her ideas will be realized.”
September 12th, 2048: Pakistan's application to join A'ama is denied in a unanimous vote by the Secretarial Council. Pakistani media bitterly attack the decision. Pakistan's president even goes so far as to publicly label it a “Turko-Egyptian power play. They are jealous of what we have here in Pakistan.”
September 30th, 2048: The New York Yankees make a final month push to make the playoffs after 10 consecutive seasons of no playoff appearances. The team goes 20-6 to finished the season, pushing aside the Tampa Bay Rays who had been dominating for the majority of the season.
October 2nd, 2048: At the end of the rainy season, the Congolese government launches a counter-offensive against SCZ rebels. The offensive, named Operation Heavenly Fire, seeks to recapture the southeast of the nation, starting with the city of Kananga and hopefully culminating in the rebel capitol, Kolwezi. In the first few weeks of the offensive, over threescore government troops are killed, but they capture Kananga and begin besieging the city of Kazumba.
October 26th, 2048: In baseball, the New York Yankees win the World Series against the San Fransisco Giants in a 4 game sweep.
November 4th, 2048: The Hope for Change, a humorous but informative bio-pic about former President and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Barack Obama is released, directed by Tyler T. Sullivan and starring Jacob Waters.
November 6th, 2048: President Ryan Kirkpatrick is comfortably reelected over his Republican opponents, Governor Andrew Lee of California and Senator Liz Clark of Texas.
President Ryan Kirkpatrick (D-IL) / Vice President Antonin Solis (D-CA) - 355 EV - 53.1% PV Governor Andrew Lee (R-CA) / Senator Liz Clark (R-TX) - 183 EV - 45.7% PV
November 15th, 2048: Deep in a jungle cave being looked after by Mbuti pygmies, Princess Elizabeth of Gr to Britain gives birth to triplet boys.
November 18th, 2048: Leader of the Opposition Rose Daltrey launches her “Back on Track” campaign, she is in favour of carrying on Max Rodgers' Asian-Nordic alliance which gains her bi-partisan support from some liberal Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
January 25th, 2049: President Ryan Kirkpatrick introduces CRN Plan 2065 to Congress, the largest expansion of the Continental Rail Network since the high speed railway was first built in the 2020s. The legislation calls for:
• The purchase of the California and Florida high speed railways and incorporating them into the overall network, including infrastructure and equipment upgrades. • Development of Los Angeles and Sacramento as west coast hubs, with new lines from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, and Phoenix and Tuscon; from Sacramento to Portland and Seattle. • Development of Denver as a Mountain West hub, with a new line running from Cheyenne southwards via Denver to Albuquerque. • Development of Chicago as the "heart" of the system, with new lines to Milwaukee and Minneapolis/St Paul, Detroit, and Florida via Atlanta. • Bypass of Chicago on the transcontinental route, from Omaha to Nashville via Kansas City and St Louis. • New line from Atlanta to Dallas via Birmingham and Little Rock.
While opposition from the fiscally conservative GOP is high, Plan 2065 is passed the following March at an investment of several tens of billions of dollars.
February 4th, 2049: Daya Bay Disaster; in Daya Bay, Guangdong, China, the 1st reactor of the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant explodes. The disaster is arguably far more severe than Chernobyl in 1986 and Fukushima Daiichi in 2011.
February 5th, 2049: Chinese President Wu Ruiqi declares a state of emergency in Guangdong, and orders biochemical troops and robots to move towards the 1st reactor, but the decision is widely controversial as the 2nd reactor would explode, killing all biochemical troops there.
February 8th, 2049: Mass uprisings and violent protests occur across much of Burkina Faso, organized by the democratic revolutionary movement Sankarist Pan-African Convention (CPS). The charismatic party leader of CPS, Gnisso Konate, calls on the country's ruling junta to flee the country “or suffer the fate of imperialists and tyrants everywhere.” Over a dozen towns fall into CPS control within a week, although Army crackdowns in some towns leave over 200 dead and 400 wounded.
February 11th, 2049: The Chinese government has declared the 50km Daya Bay evacuation ring, which covers half of Shenzhen and most of the New Territories East and Kowloon, Hong Kong, a permanent no-go zone.
In a major battle outside the town of Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso, CPS forces led by Gnisso Konate defeat Army units, thus seizing full control of the southwest of the country. CPS (the Sankarist Pan-African Convention) is fighting the country's junta to restore the principles of Thomas Sankara to Burkina Faso. They claim to stand for democracy, women's rights, anti-imperialism, socialism, and universal healthcare.
February 14th, 2049: The Congolese government ends its offensive, Operation Heavenly Fire, against the Soldiers of Christian Zaire. The counter-offensive failed to capture much territory, with government troops only managing to advance to the cities of Kabinda and Mwene-Ditu at the cost of over 500 casualties. The SCZ announce that they lost over 300 “brave souls” in the campaign.
February 26th, 2049: In Burkina Faso, CPS forces begin advancing on the capitol, Ouagadougou. They have seized control of most of the rest of the country in a series of uprisings and attacks beginning on February 8th. Party leader Gnisso Konate personally leads the main column of CPS troops, which is only 20 miles from Ouagadougou in the town of Bazsiri.
February 29th, 2049: Battle of Ouagadougou: CPS forces attack junta positions in the Burkinabé Civil War from three directions around Ouagadougou, the capital. They advance deep into the heart of the city, hunting for military dictator General Moussa Poitroipa, who has ruled the impoverished country since 2034.
March 1st, 2049: On the same day, the two most powerful leaders in Burkina Faso are killed. Junta leader General Moussa Pointroipa's plane is shot down as he attempts to flee the capitol. Meanwhile, less than two hours later, democratic revolutionary CPS leader Gnisso Konate is shot and killed by an Army sniper while securing the Ministry of Defense.
March 2nd, 2049: Gnisso Konate's second-in-command, Moussa Diakité, takes over the leadership of the Sankarist Pan-African Convention, which has taken control of Burkina Faso. Diakité promises a new dawn for Burkina Faso and Africa in general.
March 9th, 2049: After over 2 years of negotiations, several leftist parties in Mexico agree to merge with the PPD, including the Labor Party, Convergence and the rump PRD.
March 12th, 2049: Backbench Conservative rebels led by former Chancellor Catherine Shepherd and Alexander Rodgers inform Peter Donovan that they will not vote for his Budget unless he protects the social investments in employment, welfare and veteran's affairs that were the cornerstone of the Rodgers Premiership. The Labour Party and Liberal Democrats also make this thr to.
March 16th, 2049: Realizing that he is in an impossible position with right-wing Tories thr toening to vote against the budget if he doesn't cut the social policy and the liberal Tories, Labour and the Lib Dem's thr toening to vote against if he does cut social policy, Prime Minister Donovan calls a snap general election. It is predicted that the Labour Party would win with a narrow majority.
March 28th, 2049: The monthlong 2049 World Baseball Classic closes in Osaka, Japan. Japan emerge as the champions, beating out America for the title. In third place are the Chinese, and rounding out the heap in fourth place are the Europeans, making a strong run near the end of the tournament.
April-May, 2049: Parliamentary elections are held in India, with over 875 million people voting. Over the past several years, India has continued to develop close relations with the members of the IOIC. The two major parties, the PKP and the NDP, have chosen to take very different positions on the major issue; China. The leader of the NDP, Jairam Ramesh, has warned against China's “expansionist policies”, saying that “while they May have abandoned dictatorship, they have not abandoned irredentism and intolerance.” The PKP, on the other hand, has said that China has taken important steps towards democracy and freedom over the last few decades, and that it is important that India works with China to secure freedom for all the world's people. The election is largely seen as a referendum on Indian foreign policy.
After the election, seats in the Lok Sabha are apportioned as follows:
Prakarita Kriya Party (PKP): 162 seats New Democratic Party (NDP): 291 seats Left Front: 48 seats Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): 31 seats Independents: 1 seats Anglo-Indian Representatives: 2 seats (Government in bold)
Jairam Rajesh is inaugurated as the new Prime Minister on May 13th, 2049.
April 1st, 2049: Portland Athletic Brian Pollard smashes 3 home runs on opening day, including a grand slam. The game signals the start of the sluggers magnificent 2049 campaign.
April 10th, 2049: In China, the far-right opposition Grand National Party wins a landslide victory in the Fujian provincial elections, winning 155 seats in the 225-seat-provincial assembly. The newly-formed Green Party becomes the second largest party, follows by the far-left People's Revolutionary Party and the Party of Regions of the ruling coaltion. The DJP and UDP get 4 seats each.
April 11th, 2049: The general election results in a Labour majority of 19 seats with Rose Daltrey becoming Britain's first female black Prime Minister. Peter Donovan immediately resigns as Conservative Leader. In her opening remarks, Daltrey pledges to find a way out of recession while protecting social reforms and launching new reforms for defence and international aid. Support for the new PM is high despite her small majority.
April 25th, 2049: China announces that 85% of nuclear plants in China will be shut down within 10 years.
May 2nd, 2049: Former President and Chief Justice Barack Obama dies at the age of 87. He was the first African-American President (indeed the first President from any racial minority) and the first man to serve in both offices in over 100 years. President Kirkpatrick calls him “one of the great Americans of our time”, while his funeral is attended by over 60,000 people, including 12 foreign heads of state.
May 10th, 2049: British Prime Minister Rose Daltrey visits China, the first foreign leader to do so since the Daya Bay Disaster. Her visits to Hong Kong and Shenzhen win her hugh popularity in China.
May 12th, 2049: British Prime Minister Rose Daltrey and Chinese premier Fang Xiongwen sign the Guangzhou pact, further fostering Anglo-Chinese cooperation in the alr tdy rapid development of non-nuclear renewable resources.
June 1st, 2049: Chinese opposition leader of the far-right Grand National Party Li Aiguo resigns after suggesting opening advocating teenagers to kill Indian prime minister Jairam Rajesh. India recalls its ambassador from China.
June 2nd, 2049: Chinese premier Fang Xiongwen condemns the speech of Li Aiguo, but pointed out that the Indian government was overreacting. China recalls its ambassador from India.
June 4th, 2049: Catherine Shepherd, the former Chancellor is elected as Leader of the Conservative Party. This marks the first time in British politics that two women have been concurrently leaders of the major parties.
June 5th, 2049: The Indian government declares a state of emergency, in order to put down the anti-Chinese riots.
June 7th, 2049: The anti-Chinese riots in India came to the end, more than 700 are arrested. The state of emergency would be deal effective until late August.
June 10th, 2049: Anti-Indian riots break out all across China, killing more than 600, including 70 non-Indian South Asians mistakenly recognized. A state of emergency is extended from areas affected by the Daya Bay nuclear disaster to all China due to the riots.
June 13, 2049: Several Indian lawmakers proposes the Chinese Internment Act.
June 16th, 2049: China recalls its ambassador from the United States, after US condemnation of Anti-Indian riots in China. “President Kirkpatrick said nothing when anti-Chinese riots broke out in India, and he said nothing about the proposed Chinese Internment Act.” said Chinese president Wu Ruiqi.
June 21th, 2049: Mongolia recalls its ambassador from India after Indian prime minister Jairam Rajesh declares President's rule in Nagaland.
July 2nd, 2049: Global stock markets suffer a short panic after Chinese finance minister Zhao Shangzheng suggests that all American assets in China should be frozen. Zhao is forced to resign, and the approval rate of Fang Xiongwen is now at 19%.
July 10th, 2049: At the All-Star break, Pollard has hit 35 home runs. Sports analysts around the country talk of him the first 60 home run season since 2001 and perhaps the first to not involve steroids since Roger Maris's season.
July 10th, 2049: Indonesia holds a presidential election. Ateng Wahyudi of the New Indonesian Party is elected to the post of President, and will serve until 2054. Wahyudi's comprehensive economic reforms in 2044 have made him immensely popular.
July 21st, 2049: The Titan Lunar Explorer is launched from NASA's lunar base for a five year journey to Saturn, with the mission of exploring the largest moon Titan's hydrocarbon seas.
August 12th-13th, 2049: Minor clashes occur in Chad between unarmed supporters of the Sudanese Patriotic Army and the New Vulcan Army, both of which are part of the ruling Chadian Democratic Front (CDF). CDF leaders unanimously deny any tension between them and condemn the protestors for allowing things to get out of hand.
September 1st, 2049: Brian Pollard wins AL Player of the Month for August after hitting 15 home runs and driving in 40 runs. His home run total now sits at 57 with a month left to the season.
September 17th, 2049: Representative Parke Jeung (R) declares his candidacy for the United States Senate seat in Oregon in 2050. Many consider the young Korean-American politician a rising star within the Republican Party.
September 29th, 2049: On the last day of the regular season, Pollard has a two homer game. However, it is only enough to bring his season total to 69. Pollard is still seen by many though as the legitimate single season record holder for home runs, even though Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds had high totals.
October 7th, 2049: German scientists achieve the first short-term control of a nuclear fusion reaction, yielding large amounts of energy from helium. The reaction is only able to be controlled for several minutes before termination.
October 31st, 2049: In baseball, the Arizona Diamondbacks win the World Series, beating the Detroit Tigers in 5 games.
November 25th, 2049: Brian Pollard unanimously wins the AL MVP, recording all first place votes. Pollard hit .303/.412/.705 with 69 home runs, 40 doubles, 123 walks, 161 RBI's, 130 runs scored, and even found time to steal 12 bases. His 447 total bases is tied for third with Lou Gehrig for most in a season.
December 2nd, 2049: After just less than one year in office, Rose Daltrey gets a popularity boost as Britain's recession officially ends attributed to the economic booso given by moderate spending cuts and investment
H.R.H Princess Diana of Gr to Britain wins a Grammy Award for the title track of her fifth album, Buckingham Stomp. Music critic Lionel Daviess of the London Times states, “she stepped to the piano with all the decorum and grace of the royal that she is. But when she began to play, we were shocked to discover she’s in a league not seen since Hazel Scott, Marian McPartland and Diana Krall. This princess can swing!”
December 14th, 2049: Chinese foreign minister Liang Jiawen and Indian Foreign Minister Indira Gavaskar meet during an international conference on renewable resources in Canada, in an attempt to improve Sino-Indian relations. However, the meeting ends with angry arguments.
January 20th, 2050: Chinese economic growth in 2049 was -4.6%, the worst in 74 years. Public pressure for premier Fang Xiongwen to resign increases.
January 25th, 2050: In his State of the Union Address, President Kirkpatrick calls for the advancement of a “Second Manhattan Project” to establish nuclear fusion as the United States' primary energy source within thirty years. Kirkpatrick directs the Department of Energy to put forward plans to construct the first nuclear fusion plant by 2060, as well as for NASA to negotiate with the European, Indian, and Japanese space agencies to establish plans to extract helium-3 from the Moon to power the reactors.
February 1st, 2050: The XXXI Winter Olympiad opens in Anchorage, Alaska, USA.
February 2nd, 2050: Following President Kirkpatrick's speech, ground is broken on the second Eden National Fusion Laboratory in Wyoming. Led by James Upendowema, and dedicated to his wife's memory, the laboratory begins research in July.
February 4th, 2050: CRN achieves its ultimate goal of connecting both coasts of the US when the eastward and westward segments meet in Denver. Transcontinental travel is now possible on high speed rail, and competes heavily with the declining Interstate Highway System. Extensions from Charlotte to Miami and from Atlanta to New Orleans and Houston are also opened.
February 12-18th, 2050: In the Second Congolese Civil War, the rebel Soldiers of Christian Zaire recapture the cities of Kabinda and Mwene-Ditu from the government. The six-day battle kills over 300 civillians.
March 5th, 2050: Chinese premier Fang Xiongwen resigns as Premier of China and DJP leader. PoR leader Zien Mai becomes the new premier, the first female premier in Chinese history.
March 5th-7th, 2050: Battle of Kananga-Kazumba: rebels of the Soldiers of Christian Zaire capture the two cities in days of fierce fighting. After taking control of the cities, the rebels, in a specially built camp in the nearby city of Mwene-Ditu, massacre 90,000 Muslim civillians. The UN Secretary-General, Liah Watts-Weaver, calls for a indictment of André Lubaya (leader of the SCZ) on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.
March 23rd, 2050: Indonesia's GDP surpasses $7 trillion for the first time. The country also has the seventh largest economy in the world, and Jakarta is the financial capital of Southeast Asia, along with Bangkok.
March 25th, 2050: A special report by The New York Times examines the booming economies of Southern Africa. “Since the end of the AIDS epidemic,” the article reads, “the seven big economies of Southern Africa have taken off. South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have lifted over 100 million people out of poverty in the last 15 years.” The average HDI for the region has risen to .635, and every country in the region has democratized. Compared to troubled regions in Central and Sahelian Africa, Southern Africa has become a success story.
April 2nd, 2050: André Lubaya, the genocidal leader of the Soldiers of Christian Zaire, announce that the Soldiers will be launching an offensive aimed at capturing the northern cities of Ikela and Boende. At the same time, he releases his book, Défense De Dieu, which calls for the “eradication” of all followers of Islam, Bahaism, and Paganism, especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
April 5th, 2050: The new Chinese premier Zien Mai visits India and holds bilateral meetings with Indian Prime Minister Jairam Rajesh. Mai and Rajesh acknowledge the importance of Sino-Indian cooperation for the sake of regional stability and economic development.
April 9th, 2050: King William V of Gr to Britain undergoes quadruple bypass surgery to remove severe arterial blockages to his heart. The procedure, performed by cardiac surgeons at the state-of-the-art Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Edinburgh is a complete success.
April 10th, 2050: In Burkina Faso, the new leader Moussa Oedraogo gives a major address laying out his plans for the country. He announces sweeping economic reforms, guaranteeing a job for every Burkinabé, and huge, community-based investments in infrastructure. Saying that “Africans must do their part to build up Africa”, Oedraogo asks for capital and investment from Nigerian and Ghanaian firms, but rejects offers of aid from Europe, the United States, and India. He also says that elections will be scheduled for October 15th, 2050. Oedraogo, who assumed control of Burkina Faso in the chaos following his charismatic friend Gnisso Konate's death in March, describes his party's philosophy as Sankarist. Oedraogo is considered somewhat more radical than Konate, but is still widely popular for his role in Burkina Faso's struggle for freedom. Western governments also support Oedraogo for his “liberal” positions on women, saying that “half the country must not be kept in subservience, or else Burkina Faso will be only half the country it can be.”
April 27th, 2050: Dr. Alejandro de la Cruz and his associates from the newly-formed Los Pinos Institute of Genetic Research arrive in Cuzco, Peru after being invited by the team of the Prince of Wales to analyze the DNA of the recently discovered mummy of Inca Emperor Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, the ninth Sapa Inca (b. 1438).
While in graduate school, Dr. De la Cruz was intrigued by the fact that many of the local people in Galeana including his own mother’s family had autosomal DNA with more affinities with the Athabaskan Indians of Northern Canada and Quechua and Aymara peoples of South America than with other Mexican native populations. His colleagues Doctors Olaf and Trygve Magnusson begin taking extensive DNA samples from Quechua and Aymara tribes people which confirms an ancient link with the Athabaskans and the mountain people of Galeana, Nuevo Leon. The Inca Emperor is discovered to carry a classic Athabaskan Y-DNA C3b lineage.
May 5th, 2050: Seiji Maehara, the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history and the father of Hidenao Maehara, dies in Nara at the age of 88. He is given a state funeral, and Japan announces 2 weeks of national mourning.
May 9th, 2050: Slovakia joins the Federated States of Europe after a year of negotiations. The accession occurs on the 100th Anniversary Europe Day, which celebrates the Schuman Declaration of 1950, which catalyzed European integration.
May 10th, 2050: Wolves are reintroduced to the future site of Buffalo Commons National Park in the United States, beginning with 50 individuals in 10 packs. The population of bison in the park is estimated at 25,000 and rapidly growing. Over 1800 Native Americans and other former farmers have signed on to become employees of the National Park Service, while most people have moved to richer farmlands available in Nebraska and Kansas. About 300 people refuse to move from their farms, and will remain in place for the foreseeable future. The park is an ambitious attempt begun by President Boone to restore part of the American West to its original status.
June 10th-12th, 2050: Free elections are held in Angola for the first time in over 70 years. The military dictator, Licínio Tavares, who succeeded Jose Eduardo de Santos in 2023, had slowly been introducing reforms since 2039 under pressure from the Alliance for Democracy. The opposition Republican Party of Angola routs the ruling MPLA at the polls, and Ana Dias Lourenço is inaugurated as President. She is the first woman to lead Angola in its history.
July 1st, 2050: All Nippon Spacecraft's Mars tours begin.
July 19th, 2050: The twenty-ninth FIFA World Cup concludes in France (Federated European States). England wins the title 2-0 over the defending champions, Brazil. An estimated 907 million people watch the final worldwide.
August 7, 2050: Unable to serve another term as President of Australia, King William is replaced by the Australian Parliament with his brother, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. With his down-to-earth, fun-loving personality, the royal duke is a hit with the Australian public. Parliament elects him with a substantial margin. Unlike his brother, Prince Harry actually takes up residence in Australia and becomes a integral part of Australian political life. Only after serving two terms as President of Australia does he return to Gr to Britain.
August 28th, 2050: Japanese general election; the ruling DPJ-Komeito coalition wins its fourth consecutive victory. The election results are as follows: DPJ 227, NFP 188, New Komeito 28, JCP 15, Issuikai 10, SDP 4, Others / non-partisan / independents 8.
August 30th, 2050: Unemployment in Burkina Faso drops below an estimated 15% for the first time in over a decade. Revolutionary leader Moussa Oedraogo is wildly popular within Burkina Faso for his Sankaraist economic and social reforms. He has put more than 50,000 Burkinabé to work planting trees in the Sahel and many more digging wells, laying irrigation lines, and more.
September 3rd, 2050: A Chinese government delegation visits Ouagadougou, the capitol of Burkina Faso. In their meeting with the country's leader, Moussa Oedraogo, they offend him by suggesting that China will only give economic aid to Burkina Faso if the country uses its UN vote at China's suggestion. Oedraogo expels the trade delegation from the country.
September 26th, 2050: Various American firms file a lawsuit in the European Court against All Nippon Spacecraft on the grounds of monopoly and unfair competition.
October 9th, 2050: Six days before planned elections in Burkina Faso, there is an attempted coup in the country. A high-ranking member of the revolutionary party Sankarist Pan-African Convention, Thomas Dakió, leads troops loyal to him in an attempt to overthrow Moussa Oedraogo. The attempt fails after a huge crowd of Burkinabé gather outside the Presidential Palace and form a human chain to defend Oedraogo. Nevertheless, Oedraogo is shot by one of his bodyguards, who was bribed by Dakió. Oedrago is not seriously wounded, and is expected to survive.
October 10th, 2050: In Burkina Faso, attempted coup leader Thomas Dakió is killed while trying to flee the capitol, Ouagadougou, and his troops are arrested or surrender. On Dakió's person are found a Chinese-made cellphone, several hundred thousand Chinese renmimbi, and two internal Chinese memos describing their African policy.
October 12th, 2050: Burkinabé leader Moussa Oedraogo announces the suspension of elections scheduled for October 15th, following what he believes was a Chinese-backed coup attempt. He says that the elections cannot be held until he is certain that they will be free from “foreign interference,” and that he will serve as President in the meantime. Oedraogo denounces “racist foreign imperialists,” and gives all non-African embassies and aid workers two weeks to leave the country or be forcibly expelled. Oedraogo has grown paranoid and terrified since being shot in the shoulder during the coup attempt led by one of his confidantes. China officially denies all claims that they were involved in Thomas Dakió's failed coup.
October 24th, 2050: The United States evacuates its embassy in Burkina Faso, following President Oedraogo's declaration that all non-African foreigners must leave the country by October 26th. American President Kirkpatrick has been unable to convince Oedraogo to reverse his decision.
October 26th, 2050: Over 2000 Western and Indian aid workers are violently expelled from Burkina Faso. Seven Americans and two Indians die after they did not leave quickly enough for the soldiers loading them into trucks to take them to Nigeria. Five Europeans are also arrested on suspicion of being “imperialist spies.”
October 29th, 2050: The United Nations Security Council passes a joint resolution condemning Burkina Faso for expelling non-Africans from the country and for the unnecessary deaths of several civilians. President Oedraogo denounces the resolution and uses it as evidence that the world's “racist powers” are working together to “keep Africa down”, as he announces to his nation in a speech. Oedraogo still enjoys broad support in Burkina Faso, as his economic policies have brought the country out of extreme poverty and put many to work. Additionally, many Burkinabé viewed the old junta as controlled by Russian, American and Chinese corporate backers.
October 30th, 2050: In baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series.
November 2nd, 2050: US Midterm Elections; The GOP makes massives gains and captures the House of Representatives for the first time since 2036, ending tricameral Democratic rule in Washington. However, they fail to attain a majority in the Senate, where Vice President Solis keeps the Senate under Democratic control. Representative Parke Jeung (R) is elected the junior Senator from Oregon by a comfortable margin over his Democratic opponent.
November 15th, 2050: Chinese premier Zien Mai and Indian Prime Minister Jairan Rajesh end all Sino-Indian border disputes by signing the Manchester Accords in Manchester, England. China gives up claims of the Indian state of Arunchai Pradesh, while India gives up claims of Aksai Chin. The Manchester Accords prompted anti-government riots in both countries. Outraged by his “betrayal of the Indian course”, hawks begin to call for the resignation of Jairam Rajesh.
January 6th, 2051: A report out from the United Nations indicates a steady rise in Nicaragua's HDI over the course of the previous five years. Though hovering around .611, Nicaragua is still much less well off than many of its neighbors. Despite this the existence of a burgeoning middle class is indisputable, with analysts praising the economic management of the country.
February 8th, 2051: Edward, Prince of Wales discretely approaches Dr. Alejandro de la Cruz of the Los Pinos Institute of Genetic Research about a matter of the utmost sensitivity. The British Embassy has been approached by a Quechua woman accusing the prince of fathering her child. He admits that there have been several Peruvian women with the potential to make this claim but he has never heard of this accuser.
Dr. De la Cruz agrees to see what he can do for his friend the prince. Members of his team actually steal a dirty diaper from the garbage at the home of the woman and are able to extract DNA from the contents and prove without a doubt this baby was not fathered by Edward, Prince of Wales. Dr. De la Cruz keeps the prince’s genome on file just in case of a rep to accusation.
February 28th, 2051: President Oedraogo announces that Burkina Faso will build up its military in order to be able to defend itself against “external imperialist aggressors.” He also orders a rewrite of the constitution, to focus not on Sankaraism (“a great philosophy of the past,” Oedraogo says) but on his newly developed Africanism (“our great united vision of the future”). Africanism says that the reason Africa has remained comparatively poor is because non-Africans (whites, Chinese, Indians, and Arabs) have worked together to keep Africa down and keep Africans from reaching “their true potential.” In response, Nigeria ceases investment in Burkina Faso, which has increasingly become an international pariah.
April 5th, 2051: Militiamen loyal to the Soldiers of Christian Zaire cross into the East African Federation and attack a mosque, killing 18 civillians. In response, the EAF announces that it will begin a aerial bombing campaign against the Congolese rebels. Nigeria,, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania, and Namibia agree to contribute planes. India and the United States promise financial aid, with President Kirkpatrick calling the bombing campaign “the worlds chance to stop another Hitler before he takes power.”
April 7th, 2051: the UN Security Council approves the creation of a no-fly zone over the eastern DRC. On April 9th, the bombing campaign begins.
April 19th, 2051: Former President Boone hails the success of his Prompt Global Strike program on the 10-year anniversary of it going online citing that “America is safe because of the world's first non-nuclear deterrent.”
April 22nd, 2051: After former President Boone's declaration about Prompt Global Strike, Alexander Rodgers, now the Shadow Defence Secretary criticizes Boone over his foreign policy while in office sparking an international row over missile defence.
May 9th, 2051: For the first time since the 1970s, there are no new reported cases of HIV infection anywhere in the world. The disease has been nearly wiped out since the 2030s, when a massive inoculation project gave an AIDS vaccine to over 90% of the people in the world.
May 22nd, 2051: In Höhn v. Aldi Süd, the Constitutional court of Germany (Bundesverfassungsgericht) rules that discrimination prima facie on the basis of genetic augmentation is unconstitutional, it being held that under Article 1(1) and 2(1) the Basic Law requires the criminalisation of such. The respondent, Aldi Süd, did not want to employ Mr. Höhn, who felt discriminated against because he was a Scion. The court, however, studiously avoided a blanket prohibition on any discrimination against scions, leaving the door possibly open for legal discrimination in certain areas such as sports.
June 4th, 2051: Despite being very young and only in national office for a few years, Senator Parke Jeung (R-OR) declares his intention to run for President in 2052. However, he faces a uphill battle for the Republican nomination against the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, Senator Meghan McCain (R-AZ).
July 7th, 2051: Pope Alexander IX issues a revolutionary bull making priestly celibacy completely voluntary. He also repudiates 19th Century Pope Pius IX’s doctrine of papal infallibility. This is seen as an attempt to reinvigorate a church which had steadily lost clergy and influence since the pedophile scandals of the early 21st century. Pope Alexander’s own country of Brazil had ceased being a Catholic-majority country in 2031 when Pentecostalism became dominant. Many traditionalist Catholics leave the Catholic Church and several schismatic organizations with their own popes are founded.
July 23rd, 2051: Edward, Prince of Wales discovers the mummy of Túpac Inca Yupanqui the tenth Sapa Inca (1471–93 CE) in a cave near Cuzco, Peru. He dies later that day after being bitten by a poisonous spider.
August 1st, 2051: The nations of the Indian Ocean International Community (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand) introduce a joint currency, the rupee. The decision is approved after each country's legislature approves the action, and after referendums have been held in enough countries that a majority of the population of the IOIC lives in a country that supports the motion. An inflammatory and popular Chinese blogger, who goes by Sun Yat-sen's nickname Zaizhi (載之), calls the introduction of the rupee “pure economic imperialism and oppression” by India. In addition, Zaizhi says that the population-based method for collective decisions in the IOIC, while on the surface more democratic, “is in fact a way for monolithic India to impose its tyrannical will on the smaller and freer nations of South Asia.”
September 9th, 2051: In the race for the GOP presidential nomination, polls show a massive lead for establishment favorite Sen. Meghan McCain (R-AZ) over underdog candidate, Sen. Parke Jeung (R-OR), 48-26. Despite the massive deficit, Jeung refuses to drop out before the Iowa Caucus, declaring “this race isn't nearly finished.”
The All-African Africanist Party - Niger (PATA-N, in French) is founded in Niger by a combination of Nigeriens and Burkinabé veterans. The party, based on the Africanist ideals of Burkina Faso's President, Moussa Oedraogo, seeks to overthrow General Salifou of Niger, who has ruled the country since 2039.
September 21st, 2051: In the Second Congolese Civil War, the African intervention has fared poorly. The SCZ have become adept at hiding in dense foliage where planes cannot hope to find them, despite new heat-seeking technologies. In August, the rebels captured Ikela, and transported the city's 102,000 Muslims to what the UN calls “death camps” in Kisangani. The aerial bombing campaign has had somewhat more success at bombing these “death camps”, but even these are beginning to be built so as to blend in with the dense rainforest. The Soldiers of Christian Zaire control some 70% of the countries land area, and 40% of its population. It is estimated that they have genocidally killed over 1,200,000 Muslims thus far in the 8-year-old civil war.
September 27th, 2051: Knowing that any fighting is miles away and feeling cooped up and needing sunlight and some fresh air, Princess Elizabeth of Gr to Britain ventures from her cave in Eastern Congo with her nearly two-year-old triplets and allows them to play in an open area for half an hour before returning to the safety of her cave. She has no idea that during that half-hour she has been photographed by CIA spy satellites. Analysts at Langley, Virginia who stumble upon the photograph are stunned to see a European woman so deep in the jungle.
October 25, 2051: Debut of the Holyrood Symphony, a symphonic work by H.R.H Princess Diana of Gr to Britain by the Orchestra of St. Martin-in-the-Fields directed by Sir Elrond Perrin. Compared to other jazz performers who successfully enjoyed dual careers in classical music such as Andre Previn and Wynton Marsalis, the performance is well-received.
October 28th, 2051: In baseball, the New York Yankees win the World Series.
October 30th, 2051: A small contingent of EAF Special Forces troops led by Colonel Prince Nikolai of Denmark, attempt to locate the unknown European woman deep in the East Congolese jungle. After several weeks of searching, they find her. Prince Nikolai recognizes his distant cousin immediately and embraces her. But as she begins to express her immense gratitude for her rescue, the location is attacked by SCZ forces. The princess and her children are separated in the fighting. Although it goes against every maternal instinct, she knows that if their existence is revealed to the world, her children’s lives would be thr toened.
November 2, 2051: When news of the survival of Princess Elizabeth of Gr to Britain is released to the press, the world is stunned. Having lost their son, Edward, Prince of Wales the previous July, the grieving King William V and Queen Catherine are astonished to hear their formerly dead daughter is not so dead after all. They have an emotional reunion to Heathrow Airport. Unknown to the rest of the world is King William’s request to the Prime Minister that a top-secret search be started for his three secret grandchildren. November 16th, 2051: During a debate between the Republican presidential candidates, frontrunner Senator McCain (R-AZ) is dealt a serious blow in the polls when Senator Jeung (R-OR) catches her in a bind in her response to a question on human cloning. McCain avoids giving a direct answer, stating “Cloning is a touchy issue, and while I do support it, I don't support what it stands for.” Jeung quickly pounces, stating “Well Senator? Exactly what do you support? It isn't hard to give a direct answer.” Polls afterward show a 20 point drop for McCain, leveling the GOP field for the first time in the campaign.
November 29th, 2051: United Nations Secretary-General Zillur Rahman wins reelection to another five year term. Rahman is credited with organizing international intervention in the Third Congolese Civil War, and with preventing conflict between China, India, and the United States in the diplomatic crisis of 2049-50.
January 4th, 2052: Iowa Caucuses; In the GOP contest, Senator Parke Jeung shocks the political world by trumping Senator Meghan McCain, 44-38. The upset is attributed partly to Jeung's grassroots efforts to tap into the youth vote and McCain's high-profile flop in the November debate. On the Democratic side, Vice President Solis sweeps the caucus with 69% of the vote, blowing away token opposition from Governor Francis Wade (D-IN) and Senator Devin Chang (D-MN).
January 12th, 2052: A series of bombings in Niamey's embassy district claims the lives of 28 Nigeriens and 18 foreigners. Responsibility is claimed by PATA-N, a revolutionary Africanist party supported by Burkina Faso. General Salifou of Niger thr toens Burkina Faso with war if they continue to support PATA-N.
February 10th, 2052: Fujian Governor Zhou Qifan of the far-right Grand National Party defeats Beijing Mayor Hu Qianci of the Green Party, daughter of Hu Jia, who is also endorsed by the Party of Regions, Democratic Justice Party and Union for Development and Prosperity in the first round of the presidential election in China. Zhou says in his victory speech that China seeks peace instead of aggression, and that Anglo-Chinese relationship is “the single most important relationship we have in the world today.”
Zhou Qifan (GNP) 398,420,561 (50.7%) Hu Qianci (Green) 369,120,533 (46.9%) Huang Jiaxi (PRP) 18,704,038 (2.4%)
April 12th, 2052: Eleven years after it was first announced, the final leg of the West African transport corridor is completed. Running 4,792 km from Dakar, Senegal to Douala, Cameroon, the corridor consists of a 8-lane highway, two parallel HSR lines, and several power transmission lines. Its spurs add another 1028 km, connecting all of West Africa's major cities. Overseen by the WAINC committee, the project is expected to booso trade in West Africa to new heights.
April 28th, 2052: Malia Obama resigns from her longtime post as United States Attorney General to run for the United States Senate seat in her home state of Illinois, the same seat once held by her father and by the current President Ryan Kirkpatrick.
May 20th, 2052: According to a report by the World Health Organization, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS has dropped to below 1 million people worldwide, from a peak of over 40 million in 2003. The number is expected to drop to less than 100,000 by 2060, as AIDS patients reach the end of their life and are not replaced.
August 8th-24th, 2052: The 2052 Summer Olympic Games are held in Nairobi, East African Federation, marking the first time the games have been held in Africa. The tournament closes with Russia having won the most medals, followed by the United States.
August 11th, 2052: Former Mexican Senator and long time political activist Carmen Arteaga is elected President of Mexico, becoming the first PPD candidate to win, following a long, hard fought campaign against PAN candidate Eduardo Dávila.
María del Carmen Arteaga Gasco (PPD): 51.86% Eduardo Dávila de la Huerta (PAN): 48.14%
August 13th-16th, 2052: Democratic National Convention; Despite having been in power for sixteen years, the Democratic Party still manages to maintain a highly energetic atmosphere when nominating Vice President Antonin Solis (D-CA) as the presidential nominee in New York City. Solis picks Senator Chris Sparkman (D-NY) as his running mate.
August 20th, 2052: At the 2052 Summer Olympics in Nairobi, East African Federation, Nigerian Margaret Nwoga becomes the first woman to run the 100 meter dash in less than 10 seconds, winning gold with her 9.92 mark.
August 21st-24th, 2052: Republican National Convention; After defying the political odds and his meteoric rise in the primaries, Senator Parke Jeung is nominated as the GOP's presidential candidate. To appease dissatisfied McCain supporters, Jeung taps McCain backer Senator Whitney Sinclair (R-CA) as his running mate.
October 26th, 2052: In baseball, the Honolulu Islanders win the World Series.
November 2nd, 2052: After four terms of Democratic rule, the Republican ticket Sen. Parke Jeung (R-OR)/Sen. Whitney Sinclair (R-CA) defeats the Progressive ticket of Vice President Antonin Solis (D-CA)/Sen. Chris Sparkman (D-NY). Jeung is the youngest elected president to 38 years old, as well as the first Asian American President (Korean descent). Malia Obama is elected Senator from Illinois with 52 percent of the vote as a Democratic candidate, after a highly competitive campaign against the Republican candidate, popular Governor Glenn Forrester.
Senator Parke Jeung (R-OR) / Senator Whitney Sinclair (R-CA) - 272 EV - 49.1% PV Vice President Antonin Solis (D-CA) / Senator Chris Sparkman (D-NY) - 266 EV - 48.7% PV
January 1st, 2053: A 2076 Article on worldwidesci-fi.com pinpoints this date as the start of the '21st century science fiction revival'. Largely a result of renewed interest in space, the science fiction genre, which had largely been discarded in the early 21st century, made a very public comeback with many new internet series and interactives being works of science fiction. Science fiction would once again become fully mainstream in the 2070s during President Cavalier's term as President of the United States.
January 4th, 2053: In China, the Union for Development and Prosperity, the Party of Regions and the Democratic Justice Party merge to form the Anti-Fascist Union for Freedom and Democracy.
January 12th, 2053: In Niger, the Africanist rebels (PATA-N) seize control of Tahoua, using weapons obtained from Burkina Faso. In response, General Salifou of Niger declares war against Burkina Faso.
January 12th-March 23rd, 2053: The First Africanist War occurs between Burkina Faso and Niger in West Africa. Burkina Faso, run by Moussa Oedraogo, has been supporting Africanist rebels in Niger, known as PATA-N. Niger's army is no match for the enthusiastic Burkinabé troops, who have been strengthened by Oedraogo's reforms in Burkina Faso. Combined with the domestic pressure PATA-N places on them, Niger's army quickly crumbles. In late March, Niamey, the capital of Niger, falls to Burkina Faso's army, which hands over control to PATA-N.
January 20th, 2053: In his inaugural speech, President Jeung lays out his idea for America's future. He says America must be a leader for freedom around the globe, and work to hunt down the “last vestiges of tyranny and hatred”. In conjunction with this goal, he announces that the United States Air Force will begin taking part in the international intervention in the DRC, but firmly rejects the use of ground forces. In addition, he calls for closer ties with China, saying that “the differences of the past few years must be discussed and forgiven.”. There are rumors that he and Vice-President Sinclair disagree on both Congo and China, with Sinclair pushing for more aggressiveness in both areas.
February 20, 2053: Elected government of Prime Minister João Gilberto Lopes da Rosa of Guinea-Bissau overthrown by Lt. Col. Mario Mohamed Djalo who installs a brutal military dictatorship in the poor West African country.
March 28th, 2053: The monthlong 2053 World Baseball Classic closes in Houston, Texas. The Americans emerge as the champions, beating out Japan for the title. In third place are the Venezuelans, and rounding out the heap in fourth place are Brazil.
April 18th, 2053: Scion and micro-geneticist Geoffrey Purdue engineers the first customized virus that is designed to rewrite the genetic codes of infected specimens. Purdue's work is closely eyed by the U.S. military, whose research in the Ivanovski Project has taken place for over a decade despite international law against the use of bio-weaponry.
May 4th, 2053: The Labour Party under Prime Minister Rose Daltrey is re-elected to a second term with a landslide majority of 103, this is due to the continuation of the Nordic-Asian pact and sweeping reforms Daltrey has initiated.
May 25th, 2053: In China, the far-right Grand National Party wins a plurality of votes and seats, and forms a coalition government with the newly formed centre-right Liberal Democratic Party.
Chinese parliamentary election, 2053 Grand National Party (GNP) 356,018,255 (45.5%) 732 (49%) Anti-Fascist Union for Freedom and Democracy (AFUFD) 169,527,127 (21.7%) 392 (26.2%) Green Party (GP) 152,019,241 (19.4%) 257 (17.2%) Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 52,819,243 (6.7%) 57 (3.8%) People's Revolutionary Party (PRP) 35,012,843 (4.3%) 35 (2.3%) Others/independents 17,504,832 (2.2%) 21 (1.4%) Results by alliances: [Presidential Majority 408,837,498 (52.2%) 789 (52.8%)] [Anti-GNP Alliance 321,606,368 (38.9%) 649 (43.4%)] Incumbent Pemier: Zien Mai (AFUFD-Green coalition) Premier-elect: Zhao Fangzheng (GNP-LDP coalition)
June 19th, 2053: The DFL rules that scions are not eligible to play in the Bundesliga, 2. Bundesliga, and 3. Liga, because they would be advantaged over “normal” footballers.
July 1st, 2053: A long series of investigative articles in The New York Times explores Niger's rapid transition to an Africanist state. Following Burkina Faso's intervention, Niger has expelled foreign workers and diplomats, strengthened the new Army, put huge numbers of people back to work, and increased women's rights considerably. The two countries are still regarded very warily by their neighbors.
August 9th, 2053: Former President Marco Rubio dies after suffering a massive stroke at his home in Miami, Florida; he was 82 years old. Rubio is remembered as the only two-term Republican president since George W. Bush, though the former is a fonder memory in most Americans' and historians' minds.
October 7th, 2053: The Chemnitzer FC, in a game against Borussia Mönchengladbach, is the first men's football team to field eleven women. Most men in its squad were injured or banned at this time, but Didierinho (Ivory Coast) was brought into the game in the 70th minute.
October 20th, 2053: In baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies win the World Series.
December 15th, 2053: Classical violinist Jeun Bae, one of four known living clones, quietly donates his father/clone Jeun Chul’s research notes to Dr. Alejandro de la Cruz of Los Pinos Institute for Genetic Research. Jeun Chul had passed away on June 1, 2043 in Shanghai, China.
December 29th, 2053: The United Nations Development Office releases a report on the state of Chad, which concludes that Chad's promising political development has not been accompanied by equivalent economic development. Chad has been a relatively stable democracy since 2030, although it is a one-party dominant state and only the Chadian Democratic Front is considered to have any chance of actually winning. On the other hand, Chad's economy is still divided into a highly-corrupt private oil-and-gas sector and a pre-modern subsistence sector which employs a majority of Chadians. Chad's HDI is only .410, a scant improvement from 2010's 0.328.
January 28th, 2054: Senator Jeff Clinton-Mesvinsky (D), regarded as a Democratic star, is elected to be chair of the United States Senate Finance Committee, a powerful position which will gain him increasing influence in Washington in years to come. Up for reelection in 2056 and only 52 years old, the Senator has approval ratings in the mid-70s.
March 5th, 2054: Scientists at the Eden National Fusion Laboratory in Wyoming announce that they have achieved a controllable fusion reaction, producing far more energy than needed to cr toe it. The scientist in charge of the laboratory, James Upendowema, flies to the Netherlands two days later and commits physician-assisted suicide, saying in a press release that “I now want only to rejoin my wife in Heaven.” His wife, a leading nuclear scientist, had been killed in an explosion six years earlier.
Parliamentary elections are held in India. Prime Minster Jairam Rajesh is widely popular, and the intervention in the Congo is supported by all major parties. However, Prime Minister Rajesh lands in hot water when he suggests that he supports the establishment of permanent Indian military bases in the Congo. His main opponent, Susheela Gopalan of the Prakarita Kriya Party, accuses him of neo-colonialism and reminds Rajesh that India was once colonized itself.
After the election, seats in the Lok Sabha are apportioned as follows:
Prakarita Kriya Party (PKP): 169 seats New Democratic Party (NDP): 301 seats Left Front: 41 seats Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): 28 seats Independents: 3 seats Anglo-Indian Representatives: 2 seats (Government in bold)
Prime Minster Rajesh is re-inaugurated on May 12th, 2054.
April 12th, 2054: The Federated European States announces that it will begin contributing planes and drones to the air intervention in the Congolese Civil War. At present, the rebel Soldiers of Christian Zaire control about 2/5 of the country's population, and 3/5 of it's land area. Most of the country's Muslim majority has fled to the west of the DRC to avoid the genocidal maniacs of the SCZ.
May 8th, 2054: Longtime Ubangan leader Mireille Bazizé dies at the age of 72 from a heart attack. Bazizé, known in the West as one of few female dictators, was the granddaughter of former president Francois Bazizé. Madam Bazizé, as she was known in Ubangi-Shari, had led the country since 2026 and won troubled elections in 2027, 2035, 2041, 2047. The 2054 elections, in which she was a candidate, are postponed by her Vice-President, Berangér Bongongo, a Muslim.
May 9th, 2054: Cyprus joins the Federated European States after a year of negotiations. The accession occurs on Europe Day, which celebrates the Schuman Declaration of 1950, which catalyzed European integration.
May 17th, 2054: Former President Julian Castro dies after a long battle with liver cancer at the age of 79; despite significant advances in cancer treatment research and the advent of lab-grown organ and tissues, Castro's cancer was too advanced to tr to effectively. He leaves behind a mixed legacy in many Americans' minds, being the first Hispanic president tnd attempting Social Security reform, but also his highly-publicized clashes with his own party's leadership over the ideological direction of the Democratic Party.
May 23, 2054: King William V gives the Castle of Mey in Northern Scotland to his daughter Princess Elizabeth of Gr to Britain. Princess Elizabeth, uncomfortable with life in London, moves there permanently. She obtains employment as a nurse at the hospital in the nearby town of Thurso where she quickly becomes an accepted member of the community.
June 28th, 2054: Japanese general election: the ruling DPJ-Komeito coalition wins its historic fifth consecutive victory, but with just a one-seat-majority. The election results are as follows: DPJ 218, NFP 200, New Komeito 27, JCP 15, Issuikai 10, SDP 3, Others / non-partisan / independents 7.
July 2nd, 2054: In the Congolese Civil War, the main SCZ army, consisting 40,000 men, is tricked by American intelligence services, and marches openly from the city of Ikela to Boende. While on the open road, the entire 12-mile convoy is set upon by European and African planes, destroying, in the words of the coalition report, “112 tanks, over 1000 technicals, and an estimated 25,000 enemy irregulars.” This military victory, while decried as a war crime in some circles, sets the rebel cause back significantly.
July 5th, 2054: The Lindsey Lohan Story, a semi-biographical drama of Lindsey Lohan's life, is released, covering her fall from grace to her tragic death in 2013. The film ends up being the highest grossing film of the year, earning $1.3 billion internationally, and went on to win several awards. The most notable award was Miranda Cosgrove's netting of Best Supporting Actor or Actress for her role as Lohan's fictional psychiatrist. Cosgrove had a successful career following iCarly's cancellation in 2015, focusing on successful, serious movies, and is increasingly being called the “Helen Mirren of the 21st Century”.
July 11th, 2054: Indonesia holds a presidential election. Kamidia Radisti of the National Awakening Party is elected to the post of President, and will serve until 2059. She is the first Islamist to hold the post since 2024, but her liberal critics are mollified when she declares her intent to separate her personal beliefs from her political positions.
July 18th, 2054: The thirtieth FIFA World Cup concludes in India/Bangladesh, marking the first time the World Cup has been held in the subcontinent. Argentina wins the title 3-2 over Germany (FES). An estimated 1 billion people watch the final match worldwide, making the game second most followed event in human history, after the moon landings.
July 30, 2054: Winston Lewis, prominent New Zealand jurist and cousin to King William V, accepts a position as Professor of Law at Victoria University Law School in Wellington.
September 7th, 2054: In Cissé vs. Eintracht Frankfurt, the DFL rule of the previous year is overridden as unconstitutional. Cissé must be allowed to play.
September 11th, 2054: Eintracht Frankfurt plays against Borussia Dortmund, and Moussa Cissé scores four goals. Dortmund fans whistle whenever he touches the ball, because they feel hard done by, both by Eintracht Frankfurt and the BVerfG.
September 22nd, 2054: Addressing an enthusiastic crowd of Nicaraguan expatriates in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico, noted Nicaraguan-born journalist Abrahán Zúniga vows to return to his native home and run for president tgainst the aging Brunilda Laparra. Family members and friends rep toedly warn Zúniga tgainst doing so due to threats tgainst his life. Zúniga remains resolute in his convictions, and leaves for Nicaragua several days later.
October 8th, 2054: President Parke Jeung starts having a series of severe migraines, which the young president blames on the stresses of the job he occupies. However, after several weeks of trying countless remedies to alleviate the headaches, Jeung's family and doctor pushes him to see a neurologist to check if there is something more concerning causing his condition.
October 12th, 2054: The Titan Lunar Explorer arrives at its destination after a five year trip, and once situating itself in orbit around the moon, sends down its surface probe to explore the moon's oceans in search of extraterrestrial life.
October 18th, 2054: In baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays win the World Series.
October 22th, 2054: Li Shangzhi (李尚志), aka Zaizhi, the popular blogger, is elected Governor of Guangdong under the banner of the ruling far-right Grand National Party, defeating incumbent governor Wu Haozhang of the Greens by 400 votes.
December 24th, 2054: President Jeung is privately notified that the cause of his severe migraines were indeed neurological. After looking over test results, Jeung's doctor tells him and his family that the President has been diagnosed with brain cancer, caused by a malignant tumor, and that it is unknown whether the tumor is operable.
January 3rd, 2055: President Jeung consults his cabinet on the diagnosis with brain cancer. Vice President Whitney Sinclair is personally consulted on the possibility of dealing with a presidential succession if the incumbent were to pass away.
January 5th, 2055: President Jeung announces to the nation of his brain cancer diagnosis. Many are shocked about the youngest president in American history being stricken with a potentially fatal condition.
January 13th, 2055: Doctors at the George Washington Hospital inform President Jeung that his brain tumor is operable, and schedule an operation for the 20th of February.
January 25th, 2055: Japanese prime minister Hidenao Maehara retires, and is succeeded by Foreign Minister Eriko Haytgawa, the first female prime minister in Japanese history.
January 30th, 2055: In his State of the Union address, President Parke Jeung announces that the United States will begin to contribute planes and drones to the international intervention in the Congolese Civil War, citing the recent massacre of 2000 Muslim civilians in Mpandaka. The intervention, while achieving some success, has not destroyed but only delayed the rebels. A humanitarian crisis is brewing in the west of the country, as refugees fleeing the rebels have settled, leading to severe overpopulation and food shortages.
January 31st, 2055: Borussia Dortmund takes revenge on Eintracht Frankfrut by fielding two scions, Carlos Kagelmacher and Emre Götze.
February 20th, 2055: President Jeung emerges from surgery with a full recovery, his malignant brain tumor having been successfully removed.
March 26th, 2055: Guangdong governor Li Shangzhi of the ruling far-right Grand National Party fires 270 civil servants of Indian origins, claiming that they are spying for the Indian government. India recalls her ambassador from China in protest.
March 29th, 2055: Indian communities in Guangzhou stage an initially peaceful protests tgainst Governor Li's “racist actions”. The protest is disrupted by loyal supporters of the ruling GNP, leading to one of the worst race riots in Chinese history. Governor Li declares a state of emergency in Guangdong.
March 30th, 2055: In what would be known as the Rape of Guangzhou, GNP supporters occupy Taojin Road and Hengfu Road, home to Indian communities, burn down shops, murder innocent children and rape innocent women and girls. Some South Asians are mistakenly killed as well, leading to strong protests from Pakistan and Bangladesh. Chinese President Zhou Qifan declares martial law in Guangzhou, and put it under federal control; while denying that mass rape has happened in Guangzhou tgainst foreigners.
March 31st, 2055: India lowers her diplomatic relations with China. The Lok Sabha passes an emergency bill to freeze all assets of the Guangdong provincial government, declaring high-ranking members of the Guangdong provincial government persona non grata.
April 1st, 2055: The Southern Metropolitan Daily headquarters in Guangzhou is shut down by federal troops for violating the martial law. Reporters Without Borders condemns the incident, calling it a serious setback of media freedom in China.
April 2nd, 2055: Yangcheng Morning Post, another anti-government news agent, is “temporarily taken over” by the Guangdong provincial government due to “treason and Indian spying”.
April 5th, 2055: In China, 120,000 journalists join a general strike on Ching Ming Day, “mourning the death of free press”. Several liberal newspapers, including the Shanghai Times, stages a blackout in protest.
April 6th, 2055: Chinese prime minister Zhao Fangzheng announces plans to repeal the collective bargaining rights of unions, leading unions in China calls for a general strike tgainst the “far-right fascist regime”.
April 7th, 2055: In Guangzhou, race riots between Indians and Chinese get out of control again. The Consulate General of Bangladesh in Guangzhou is murdered as angry rioters mistakenly believed that he is Indian. Bangladesh recalls its ambassador from China and calls for United Nations intervention. The Chinese government officially apologizes. Public Security Minister Wen Jiaming resigns to take responsibility, and is replaced by intelligence chief Ma Huihua. Ma promises “strong actions against rioters” and “irresponsible press coverage of riots that triggers the death of innocent South Asians.”
April 8th, 2055: After months of exploring the depths of the hydrocarbon seas, the Titan Lunar Explorer mission concludes that no life exists on the Saturnian moon, much to the disappointment of scientists and enthusiasts. However, NASA does release information hinting at the existence of organic molecules in the oceans, suggesting that life has the potential to develop.
April 9th, 2055: Indian Prime Minister Jairam Rajesh says that while he deplores the recent deaths of Indians in riots in China, he supports the actions the Chinese government as taken, and refers to his “personal trust” in President Zhou Qifan. Many in India, particularly in the opposition Prakarita Kriya Party, criticize his comments. In recent years, a major division has emerged between India's two main political parties. The NDP, a more left-wing party, has taken on internationalist positions, supporting gr toer Indian involvement overseas, militarily, economically, and politically. At the same time, the Prakarita Kriya Party has become more nationalist, supporting a domestic focus, while virulently opposing Chinese “meddling” in international affairs. The Left Front, a smaller, far-left coalition, opposes both international involvement and nationalism.
April 10th, 2055: Major airports in China are forced to shut down, due to the general strike. President Zhou Qifan orders military takeover of airports and convinces leading air companies to fire union leaders, so as to avoid air traffic jam.
April 12th, 2055: In China, the Liberal Democratic Party thr toens to withdraw from the ruling coalition due to irrevocable differences on press control. Blaming the government for indecision and late action on riots, the LDP however criticizes the “hysteria of GNP ministers” and warns against rolling back to pre-UP China press control. Rose Daltrey postpones her visit to China on request of Beijing officials.
April 14th, 2055: Chinese premier Zhao Fangzheng resigns, but at the same time dissolves the parliament. Opinion polls show that the electorate is polarized between pro-GNP and anti-GNP forces. The approval rating of far-right President Zhou Qifan is at 46%, while his disapproval is at 51%.
April 22nd, 2055: All non-GNP parties represented in the Chinese parliament, excluding the LDP, the PRP and a few independent MPs, form the Coalition for Democratic Change to contest the upcoming election. The LDP campaigns as the right-wing alternative of the GNP, and vows not to enter any coalition.
May 30th, 2055: In China, the ruling GNP is defeated in the parliamentary elections, with the highest-ever turnout of 82%. The Liberal Democrats, its former coalition partner, files candidates in various constituencies controlled by a GNP incumbent. The spliting of right-wing votes lead to an unexpected CDC majority in the Chinese parliament. Former premier Zien Mai becomes premier again. Chinese president Zhou Qifan expresses his unhappiness towards the results, but maintains that he would change his leadership style and would be more open to different ideas.
Chinese parliamentary election, 2055 Grand National Party (GNP) 361,223,951 (41.5%) 669 (44.8%) Anti-Fascist Union for Freedom and Democracy (AFUFD) 208,785,193 (24%) 440 (29.5%) Green Party (GP) 169,720,319 (19.5%) 271 (18.1%) Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 74,329,581 (8.5%) 41 (2.7%) People's Revolutionary Party (PRP) 28,062,391 (3.2%) 18 (1.2%) Democratic Labor Party (DLP) 12,590,382 (1.4%) 24 (1.6%) Others/independents aligned with the CDC 10,629,833 (1.2%) 21 (1.4%) Others/independents: 5,772,196 (0.7%) 10 (0.7%) Results by alliances: Coalition for Democratic Change 401,725,727 (46.1%) 756 (50.6%) Grand National Party (GNP) 361,223,951 (41.5%) 669 (44.8%) Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 74,329,581 (8.5%) 41 (2.7%) People's Revolutionary Party (PRP) 28,062,391 (3.2%) 18 (1.2%) Others/independents: 5,772,196 (0.7%) 10 (0.7%) Incumbent Pemier: Zhao Fangzheng (GNP) Premier-elect: Zien Mai (Coalition for Democratic Change)
June 3rd, 2055: Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Royal of the United Kingdom passes away quietly in her sleep at the age of 104 after watching her horse Mario Luigi win at the Epsom Downs Derby earlier that day.
June 28th, 2055: Despite official government polling on the upcoming Nicaraguan elections claiming otherwise, independent pollsters show Abrahán Zúniga leading the incumbent Laparra by 10 percentage points. An independent survey of people in the Nicaraguan capital also demonstrates people's desire for a “change of pace.”
July 18th, 2055: A series of truck bombs in Abeche, Chad, kill 192 people and force the demolition of a seriously damaged mosque. The Soldiers of Christian Zaire claim responsibility, saying the bombing is payback for Chadian support of the African aerial intervention in the Congolese Civil War.
July 27th, 2055: Political infighting begins to spread in Chad, following an intense debate over Chad's small involvement in the Congo. The ruling Chadian Democratic Front is an alliance of six former rebel groups, including the Sudanese Patriotic Army (PAS), the Rally of Democratic Forces (RFD), Union of Forces for Democracy and Development (UFDD) and the New Vulcan Army (VNA). Each group wants to take a different approach - the mostly-Muslim PAS and UFDD wish to step up their involvement in the Congo in order to defeat the Soldiers of Christian Zaire once and for all, while the RFD wants to stay the course and the VNA wishes to pull out entirely. Accusations begin to fly of being “pro-Muslim” and “anti-Muslim”, and the atmosphere is tense.
August 3rd, 2055: A suicide bomber attacks a market inside a mosque in N'Djamena, Chad. 32 people are killed, but the identity of the bomber is unknown.
August 5th, 2055: The Parliament of Chad passes a law calling for increased Chadian involvement in the Congo and authorizes the entire Chadian Air Force to intervene in the conflict. The bill is vehemently opposed by the RFD, the VNA, and their political allies, all of whom are part of the united Chadian Democratic Front, which is now seriously riven along religious lines.
August 7th, 2055: The Chadian government collapses amid coalition tensions, and there is a definite religious overtone to the conflict. Fighting grips N'Djamena, the capitol, which is eventually seized by Christian RFD forces. The Sudanese Patriotic Army and their allies withdraw to Achebe, claiming to be the true government of Chad.
August 9th-11th, 2055: Rallies are held across Chad tgainst the infighting which is gripping the country - Chadians have grown accustomed to some stability over the last 25 years, and do not want to see their country riven by religious and ethnic conflict.
August 18th, 2055: Africanist President Djibo Bakary of Niger announces that his country will intervene in Chad's political crisis in order to install an Africanist government. Bakary claims that “the people of Chad have called us, and they are the ones we respond to. They say that they do not want their country torn by clashes - and we Africanists believe that all Africans, regardless of creed, should be united in the fight tgainst oppression and imperialist cruelty.”
August 20th, 2055: Nigerien forces invade Chad, supported by over 2000 troops from fellow Africanist nation Burkina Faso. This is conventionally dated as the beginning of the Second Africanist War.
September 6th, 2055: Nigerien and Burkinabé forces capture N'Djamena, the capitol of Chad, expelling the Christian militia RFD from the city. The Africanist intervention, legitimized by the cr toion of a Chadian branch of the All-African Africanist Party (PATA-C) has been met with relief from most Chadian citizens, who do not wish to see a religious war in their country.
September 8th, 2055: A Nigerien Army division crosses the Chadian-Cameroonian border into Cameroon. When confronted by Cameroonian border guards, the Nigeriens open fire and eliminate opposition.
September 12th, 2055: Cameroon moves a large part of its army to the border with Chad, and demands an official apology and immediate withdrawal from Niger and Nigerien troops for the deaths of 28 Cameroonian soldiers and “a huge violation of our national sovereignty.”
September 20th, 2055: Following Niger's refusal to apologize, Cameroonian troops launch a limited invasion of Chad, pushing back Nigerien and Burkinabé troops and providing support to the reconstituted Chadian Democratic Front, which has reunited to oppose Nigerien intervention.
September 24th, 2055: Nigeria brokers a peace deal between Cameroon and Niger. Niger agrees to withdraw from Cameroon and officially apologize for the border incursion, while Cameroon pulls its troops back behind its borders, having suffered over 50 casualties in its brief intervention.
October 11th, 2055: In baseball, the Atlanta Braves win the World Series.
November 5th, 2055: PATA-C and Nigerien Army troops defeat the Chadian Democratic Front in Achebe, Chad, ending the Second Africanist War. Chad will become an officially Africanist state, and will adopt a constitution to thto effect on December 20th.
March 2nd, 2056: After funding had been decreased and many had given up on finding new elements, scientists at the ULHC (successor of the LHC) in Geneva announce the discovery of Elements 138 and 140. Feynman's theses have, by that, proven wrong and 138 is namend Zeusium (Zs) and Element 140 Poseidonium (Ps).
March 19th, 2056: Jamie Gray, pastor of an Ohio mega church, announces the cr toion of Christian Progress, a christian-based anti-poverty movement that aims to work world-wide to fight poverty in all areas.
May 8th, 2056: At President Jeung's urging, the United States Congress passes the Nuclear Fusion Development Act, which provides funds to build twelve fusion plants across the United States. Once fully operational, the twelve plants will provide approximately 15% of the electric consumption in the United States. The Act, passed two years after the first viable fusion reaction occurred, was delayed by Congress' safety concerns.
July 5th, 2056: Tajikistan announces that it will join the Indian Ocean Inter-national Community, with plans to join the common currency (the rupee) by 2059. China denounces Tajikistan's declaration, implying that Tajikistan will be nothing more than an Indian puppet.
August 1st-17th, 2056: The The 2056 Summer Olympic Games are held in Warsaw, Poland, marking the first time the Summer Games have been held in Eastern Europe. The tournament closes with the United States having won the most medals, followed by China.
August 11th, 2056: In Japan, the Haytgawa government is defeated by a no-confidence motion.
September 3rd, 2056: Japanese general election: neither side could win a clear victory, since the far-left JCP and the far-right Issuikai makes substantial gains during the election. The election results are as followed: DPJ 203, NFP 198, Issuikai 25, JCP 23, New Komeito 22, Others / non-partisan / independents 9.
September 17th, 2056: After talks between the DPJ and the opposition NFP, a grand coalition is formed. Since the ruling DPJ won the popular vote and the highest number of seats, Eriko Haytgawa would continue to serve as Prime Minister, while NFP leader Shintaro Kiyomizu is appointed Foreign Minister. The far-right Issuikai condemns the grand coalition as an ignorance of the Japanese people.
October 13th, 2056: In baseball, the Detroit Tigers win the World Series.
November 4th, 2056: President Park Jeung and Vice President Whitney Sinclair are re-elected over the Democratic ticket of North Carolina Governor Ann Blumenthal/Indiana Governor Francis Wade. The election is reflective of the mainly positive mood of voters in response to the relatively prosperous economic climate and perceived calm of foreign affairs, tnd attribute it to the mostly uneventful Jeung presidency.
President Parke Jeung (R-OR) / Vice President Whitney Sinclair (R-CA) - 360 EV - 53.3% PV Governor Ann Blumenthal (D-NC) / Governor Francis Wade (D-IN) - 178 EV - 44.9% PV
November 5th, 2056: After early exit polls in the Nicaraguan general election indicate Abrahán Zúniga the winner for the presidency, there is a sudden loss of communications with the National Electoral Committee counting the ballots. Roughly 36 hours later the incumbent Laparra is declared President-elect.
November 7th, 2056: Mass demonstrations erupt in Managua. Abrahán Zúniga, addressing a crowd of nearly 50,000 in the capital's Revolution Square, calls for a recount of ballots, on the condition it be done by independent observers. President Laparra rejects any such proposals, calling the results “free and fair.”
November 10th, 2056: As protest continue to grip Nicaragua, a series of explosions rip apart the facade of the Intercontinental Hotel in Managua, killing 114 people, many of them foreigners. Laparra lays blame on the protesters demanding her removal from power, while Zúniga, who is now the face of the Nicaraguan opposition, points the finger at Laparra's radical supporters.
November 12th, 2056: Using the bombing of the Intercontinental as a pretext, Laparra orders elements of the Nicaraguan Army to quell the protesters “by any means necessary.” By the evening much of Managua is pacified, with several thousand reported dead. Reports also surface that Zúniga was killed by the military in all the chaos.
November 13th, 2056: Suspicions are confirmed when video is leaked of Abrahán Zúniga's blood-soaked corpse being paraded by overzealous soldiers through the streets of Managua. Protest boils over into full scale rebellion, as the cities of León, Mattgalpa, Chinandega and Jinotega are overrun by enraged citizens who refuse to recognize the Managua government. In Managua itself citizens protest any way they can, many resorting to long night time chants of “muerte a la perra!”, among the relative safety of their rooftops, along with other less savory names for the Nicaraguan leader.
December 4th, 2056: For the first time in its history, an American is elected to lead the United Nations. Former American President Ryan Kirkpatrick will be sworn in on January 1st. Many view this as a sign that America is no longer powerful enough that them holding the post of Secretary-General is a thr to to global stability.
December 8th, 2056: President Jeung is afflicted with a second bout of migraines, despite the brain tumor that caused them previously having been removed a year earlier. After an immediate visit with his doctor, Jeung is notified that his cancer has relapsed, with a more malignant but still operable tumor.
December 11th, 2056: After conferring with his advisors, cabinet, and Vice President Sinclair, President Jeung announces to the American public he will be undergoing surgery once more to remove the relapsed brain tumor. During the one month period where Jeung will stay in the hospital under supervised care, he relinquishes his duties to Sinclair, who becomes Acting President.
December 28th, 2056: During surgery to remove the cancerous tumor from President Jeung, the surgical team accidentally severs a major artery, causing a cerebral hemorrhage. Doctors struggle to stop the bleeding, but the trauma from the mistake is too much, and the young president dies on the operating table. The nation is completely shocked by the situation, and Vice President Sinclair is sworn in as the 52nd President of the United States.
December 29th, 2056: President Whitney Sinclair declares a national week of mourning for the late President Jeung, stating, “America has lost a gr to leader, one with a vision that promised to take the nation forward into a new era. We must not let that vision die with President Parke Louis Jeung… we will strive, we will move forward.”
January 20th, 2057: President Whitney Sinclair nominates Governor Ike Davis (R-OH) to fill the vacancy in the Vice Presidency. The former Major Leaguer is later confirmed by the Senate.
January 29th, 2057: A coup occurs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ba'hai generals, lead by Baha Esdne, overthrow the government in Kinshasa and declare their intention to “purge the DRC of the Christians who began this war; they must be eliminated to secure our future.” The prior government, lead by Gaswigo Goma, flees to the city of Boma, and takes control of Congo's access to the Atlantic.
February 1-10th, 2057: Due to the confusion and infighting caused by the coup in the DRC, government forces are falling back rapidly or being routed by SCZ rebels. The cities of Bandundu and Kikwit fall, and in each town, the Muslim and Ba'hai populations are exterminated. A further 32 million civilians are at risk in the small western portion of the country, and due to massive refugee overcrowding, starvation has set in in Kinshasa. It is estimated that 100,000 have died in the last month in the Third Congolese Civil War.
February 5th, 2057: Due to continual violence from within Nicaragua, Mexican President Carmen Arteaga addresses Congress on it's first day of session for the year to lift immigration restrictions on Nicaraguans seeking political asylum in Mexico. In response President Laparra declares Mexican ambassador to Nicaragua Sergio Aceves persona non grata, demanding his immediate departure from the country. The next day Mexico follows suit and severs diplomatic relations with Nicaragua.
February 11th, 2057: A joint-speech by four world leaders (President Sinclair of the United States, Prime Minister Supré of Europe, Prime Minister Rajesh of India, and President Kiongozi of the EAF) announces that they have committed over 300,000 soldiers to an invasion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Their goals are to eliminate all genocidal and rebel forces, establish a new government, hold elections within eight years (as PM Rajesh says, “We're in for the long haul, and our commitment will not waver”), and to establish a precedent of humanitarian intervention. Or, as President Sinclair famously puts it, “We'd like it if they'd bloody well stop killing each other, and we're going to put a stop to it!”. Troops from South Africa, Nigeria, Brazil, and Egypt, and twenty-two other allies will also be joining the invasion force. André Lumbaya, leader of the SCZ, says that he will resist the “infidel invasion with all available force, and God shall rain strikes upon the sinners as he did at Sodom and Gomorrah!”.
February 14th, 2057: On Valentine's Day, the coalition invasion of the DRC commences on three fronts. American, Brazilian, and EAF troops launch an amphibious takeover of the first 100 miles of the Congo River, advancing up to Luozo and seizing Matadi, a city of 2 million people. This is accomplished with the aid of the anti-coup Boma government, although the coalition has made clear this government will be dissolved and a new one formed. Meanwhile, South African, Nigerian, and other assorted forces, having assembled in the Central African Republic over the last month, invade in the north, capturing Gbadolite, Binga, and Bondo. Finally, EAF and Indian troops invade in two regions in the south, defeating massed SCZ forces at Goma and capturing Lubumbashi.
February 16th, 2057: Facebook co-founder and longtime CEO Mark Zuckerberg dies of a heart attack at the age of 73. A multi-billionaire, Zuckerberg pioneered several social networking technologies, including “virtual rooms” (where you can walk into a simulated room and talk with friends) and interlinked sites. At the time of his death, Facebook is the world's largest social network with about 30% market share, just ahead of Google Friends and Mirrors.
February 20th, 2057: Kinshasa is captured by American forces, and the Ba'hai military government falls. Most of their troops surrender to European and American forces, although several groups continue slaughtering Christians until they are hunted down and killed. It is estimated that the junta, despite being in power for only 22 days in a small part of the country, were nevertheless able to kill over 100,000 Christians in mass murders. Baha Esdne, the leader of the junta, attempts to flee to the Congo, but is captured.
February 25-30th, 2057: Coalition forces surround Kolwezi, the capitol of the genocidal Soldiers of Christian Zaire. André Lumbaya, their leader, announces that he will slaughter every woman and child in the city if coalition forces do not halt their advance. For five days, fighting practically freezes as the coalition leaders consider how to best deal with Lumbaya. Then, on the 28th, the largest paratroop operation since Operation Market Garden commences. Over 25,000 troops are dropped in selected locations throughout the city. With a “live-stick landing” rate of 98.8%, the operation is spectacularly successful, except that André Lumbaya escapes. His whereabouts remain unknown.
February 28th, 2057: Mexican President Carmen Arteaga gives a speech near the skeletal hull of Mexico's second yet to be completed aircraft carrier at Naval Shipyard 18 in Acapulco, reiterating her commitment to ensure hemispheric peace and security, not being shy of blasting the Laparra regime in Nicaragua. American President Sinclair, who was in Mexico on a state visit, stresses the United States commitment as well, vowing to work closely with her Mexican counterpart.
March 10th, 2057: The United Nations officially issues economic sanctions against Nicaragua, as the violence from the election protests that previous January continue to escalate.
March 20th, 2057: Coalition forces announce that the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been pacified. They have formed a unified command, PEACECOM, which will run the occupying forces. Troops will be from twenty-two countries: the United States (90,000), Canada (8000), Gr to Britain (12,000), Europe (46,000), Poland (9,000), Turkey (13,500), Finland (840), Estonia (800), Gr ece (2400), Nigeria (32,000), Ethiopia (29,000), the EAF (41,750), South Africa (36,200), Angola (16,000), Ghana (9000), Brazil (2100), Argentina (1200), India (24,500), Sri Lanka (210), Thailand (1000), Japan (2500), and Australia (4000). Totaling 382,000 troops, the coalition forces have in place a clear exit strategy which depends on eliminating all guerrilla forces being eliminated by 2059 and free elections held by 2062, with a final exit in 2065.
March 27th, 2057: The Army for a Democratic Nicaragua (FAND), an insurgent group formed from defected Nicaraguan Army units and regular citizens bearing arms, leaks video stating that they aim to overthrow Brunilda Laparra and her government. The men speaking in the video all wear masks and do not disclose their location.
The monthlong 2057 World Baseball Classic closes in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Cuba emerge as the champions, beating out Brazil. for the title. In third place are the Dominican Republic, and rounding out the heap in fourth place are Haiti.
March 29th, 2057: The Nicaraguan Departments of León, Mattgalpa, Jinotenga, Nueva Segovia, Madriz, Estelí and Chinandega all declare their allegiance to the Free Nicaraguan forces. The governors of all the renegade Departments meet in Mattgalpa where they proclaim the Council for a Free Nicaragua (CNL), claiming to represent the legitimate government. The elected Chairman of the CNL and governor of Mattgalpa Alfredo Zamudio issues a statement, declaring that the people of Nicaragua “deserve good government and piece of mind, something Managua has yet to deliver.”
April 1st, 2057: PEACECOM civilian leaders give speeches in their countries declaring their plans for the former DRC. The country will be renamed the Federal State of the Congo (FSC), and power will be transferred to a provisional government of democratic activists in 2059.
April 5th, 2057: With much of northwest Nicaragua in a state of rebellion tgainst her authority, President Laparra orders military units still loyal to her to reign in the “traitorous provinces, by any means necessary!” As if to push her point further, Laparra begins aerial bombardments of Mattgalpa, León and Chinandega.
May 10th, 2057: Tr toy of Guadalajara: considered a landmark step in South American politics, all 13 nations of South America (including Trinidad and Tobago) sign a tr toy pledging to never tgain fight t war between themselves. As concrete steps towards this goal, all final customs barriers in South America are abolished, they agree to double joint military exercises, reduce total domestic military spending by 10% apiece by 2060, cr toe three joint naval task forces to patrol the Caribbean, Atlantic, and Pacific, and cr toe a common Office of Economic Integration to ease barriers between the ALADEC and LAFTA blocs.
May 27th, 2057: A report issued by Amnesty International claims that civil war in Nicaragua has displaced as many as 3 million people, with tens of thousands of refugees rushing into Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico and the United States.
June 2nd, 2057: The Labour government is returned to power for a third term with a reduced majority of 58 following infighting over the issue of Europe and a resurgent opposition led by newly installed Tory Leader Priya Shamal. However, this does mean that Rose Daltrey is the first Labour Leader since Tony Blair in 2005 to win three terms for Labour.
June 12th, 2057: An ambush/suicide attack on an Argentinian convoy within PEACECOM moving to its occupation location kills over 112 coalition troops, including 92 Argentinians (almost 1/10th of their troop contribution). The SCZ claim responsibility in a video made by their leader, André Lubaya, who is believed to be hiding in the dense Congolese jungle.
June 13th, 2057: Argentina announces that it will be withdrawing from PEACECOM. In response, Jairam Rajesh, the Indian Prime Minister, gives a speech before Parliament that very night. Known as the “Human Imperative” speech, Rajesh lays out a philosophy of humanitarian intervention, calling it our “human imperative to aid others, no matter their creed or the crimes of their country”. He announces additionally that three countries (Egypt, Korea, and New Zealand) will be joining PEACECOM, more than making up for the missing Argentinian troops. This unprecedented show of resolve from the international community redoubles coalition morale.
July 14th, 2057: An intense shootout ensues in Mexico City's Chapultapec Park between six heavily armed gunmen and Federal Police. Two of the gunmen are killed, while the survivors are arrested and taken into custody. Later identified as Laparrista agents, they are purported to have gone on to try and assassintoe Mexican President Arteaga. A firestorm erupts among nationalist circles, questioning the rationality of allowing so many Nicaraguan refugees into the country.
July 25th, 2057: In Mexico's Chamber of Deputies, a furor is roused over a proposed measure that would strictly reduce and control immigration into Mexico. Co-sponsor to the relating congressional bill, Deputy from Guanajuato David Fuentes of the PAN is not shy of his dislike for the surge of Nicaraguans entering the country. At a press conference at Los Pinos the following day, President Arteaga makes it clear that she would veto any immigration bill that made it to her desk that was designed to harm the political refugees entering the country.
August 21st, 2057: A report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees finds that of 33 million pre-war Congolese Muslims, only 11.5 million remain within the FSC. 12.5 million are refugees in neighboring countries, especially the Republic of the Congo and Angola. Another 9 million are dead, massacred by the SCZ in what is known as the Muaji (“murder” in Swahili”). Overall, 16 million people were killed in the Third Congolese Civil War, a staggering 12.3% of the population, including 35% of men between ages 15 and 40.
August 24th, 2057: At a reception given by President Arteaga, recent Nobel Prize winner Dr. Alejandro de la Cruz meets Professor Porfiria Sepulveda de Villalobos of the Universidad Nacional Autonimo de México. The daughter of Mexico City Mayor Nezahualcóyotl “Neza” Sepúlveda, Dr. Sepulveda is the author of a recently published scholarly biography of the Emperor Maximilian of Mexico (1832-1867). Two interesting events came from the conversation at the reception between Dr. De la Cruz and Dr. Sepulveda, her father the Mayor of Mexico City, Neza Sepulveda, and the Russian Ambassador to Mexico, Vladimir P. Chernomyrdin.
The four discussed the mystery of whether Tsar Paul Romanov (1754 – 1801)was the true son of Tsar Peoer III (1728 – 1762) or, as his mother Catherine the Gr to heavily implied, her lover Sergei Saltykov (1726 – 1765) . “Easily solved,” stated Alejandro de la Cruz confidently and described the techniques he would use to accomplish it. A year and half later, Dr. De la Cruz and his team from LPIGR are invited to Russia by the brother-in-law of the Russian Ambassador, Prime Minister Igor Danilov himself. Permission is granted to exhume the bones of Tsars Paul and Peoer III and Sergei Saltykov. Dr. Alejandro de la Cruz soon announces that without doubt, Tsar Peoer III was the actual father of Tsar Paul and that Catherine the Gr to lied about her marriage never having been consummated.
A second historic occurrence resulted from the conversation of the four guests at President Arteaga’s party. The subject of cloning came up and Dr. Sepulveda wistfully described her difficulty conceiving children. She and her husband had rejected using a sperm donor or adopting. They had also considered cloning. The Russian ambassador made the observation that cloning some living person was all well and good but wouldn’t it be something if someone could clone a famous dead historic personage. “Someone like Maximilian von Habsburg!” exclaimed Porfiria Sepulveda. “I would love to be the mother of the clone of the man I have studied and written about for so many years!”
After the party was over, Alejandro de la Cruz was thoughtful as his privtoe jet cruised through the warm Mexican night, its destination Saltillo. By the time the plane had landed and he began the long drive southeast of the city toward Galeana, he had formulated a theory. The next week, after consulting his colleagues, Dr. De la Cruz discreetly contacted Neza Sepulveda and his daughter. A few days later, a package arrives at Los Pinos which contains the bloody shirt that the Emperor Maximilian wore when he was shot dead on June 19, 1867.
Over the next few months, using techniques first developed by Korean geneticist Jeun Chul, Alejandro de la Cruz’s team expands them and extracts viable DNA from the 190 year old shirt. Using one of Porfiria Sepulveda’s own eggs with the DNA of the emperor Maximilian inserted, the author and professor of history becomes pregnant with the first clone of a historic personage. The circumstances of the conception of her son remains a closely guarded secret.
September 23rd, 2057: After nearly six months of continuous seige and aerial bombardment, Mattgalpa is overwhelmed by elements of the Nicaraguan military. Many members of the CNL tr k north into Honduras, as the Laparristas close in from the south and the coast. Meanwhile, the FAND retr tos into the dense jungle of eastern Nicaragua. Supreme Commander of the FAND General Abel Barajas releases a statement early the next day, vowing to “bury Laparra in due time.”
October 8th, 2057: Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded to Dr. Alejandro de la Cruz for discovering a method to speedily grow cloned organs.
October 10, 2057: Upon his arrival in London as he returned home to Mexico from Scandinavia after receiving the Nobel Prize in Medicine, Dr. Alejandro de la Cruz receives an unexpected invitation to tea from King William V. Planning to overnight in London anyway, the surprised geneticist nervously accepts the king‘s invitation.
Arriving at Buckingham Palace later that afternoon, the king expertly makes him feel comfortable tnd at ease. After congratulating the Nobel prize winner, the British Monarch mysteriously closes the door to the room where they are seated and they are alone. Thanking Dr. Cruz for his discretion, the king reveals that his son had told him the entire business about the woman in Peru who claimed the prince had fathered her child. Since the geneticist had proven himself discreet, the king asks if he could enlist his help with another matter that is not only sensitive but dangerous and demands absolute discretion.
When Dr. Cruz assures him that he would help in any way he could, King William divulges the complete story regarding his daughter’s ordeal in the Congo including the existence of his three grandsons who had been separated from their mother the princess in the fighting.
“My daughter is desperate for the return of her children,” exclaims the king. “There is barely a moment that goes by that she doesn’t think of them. I can’t bear to see her so upset all the time. And I also can’t bear the fact that I have three grandsons who are probably living in dangerous and unbelievably squalid conditions when in fact their grandfather is yours truly. Our agents have searched for them all across the Congo with no success. Of course, you understand the Congo is t war-torn mess at the moment.”
The king sipped his tea.
“I thought of you,” he continued, “when I read in the Times that your associate, Dr. Joaquim Mulémbwè of Mozambique was heading up a new DNA project. Something about the Bantu diaspora or some such? When I saw that he intended to go to the refugee camps and take thousands of samples of the kind of DNA which passes, I understand, through the female line, I instantly thought that perhaps my grandsons could be found in this manner. Since you already have my son‘s DNA on file perhaps your associate could keep an eye out for it? Something tells me there won‘t be many African refugee children with Ktoe Middleton‘s DNA,” he laughed.
October 14th, 2057: In an act of political craftsmanship, Shadow Chancellor Alexander Rodgers announces he will adopt the Labour policy of middle class tax relief which effectively ends Labour's advantage over taxation.
October 24th, 2057: In baseball, the New York Mets win the World Series.
October 30th, 2057: Nicaraguan President Brunilda Laparra proclaims victory in what had been dubbed the Nicaraguan Civil War of 2057, claiming that the entire country was under her firm control once again. In reality, large swaths of eastern Nicaragua's Autonomous Territories are under Rebel control.
November 11th, 2057: The Labour government of Rose Daltrey votes to disestablish the Church of England. Membership in the state church of Gr to Britain had waned steadily since the last half of the 20th century. With the repeal of the requirement of priestly celibacy for Roman Catholic clergy in 2051, most remaining Anglicans had returned to the Roman church in droves. Pope Alexander IX allowed them to continue Anglican traditional services in English Rite congregations in full communion with Rome.
January 1st, 2058: On the New Year, a leaked PEACECOM report from the Congo finds that the occupation is faring poorly. In the nine months since the occupation began, 456 coalition troops have been killed (including 126 Americans) and 2120 have been wounded. Cities and entire regions of the FSC have become self-segregated by religion. The report recommends serious consideration be given to splitting the country apart. A new religious urban militia, Ba'hai-oriented, has formed in Kinshasa and nearby cities and caused 10% of coalition fatalities. Muslims have engaged in 82 separate revenge acts of mob violence tgainst Christians. Finally, over 100 Muslims have been crucified in Eastern Congo by the SCZ over the last year, in what the report calls “a brutal modern version of lynching. In one particularly horrifying case, a pregnant mother and her three children (all under 10) were kidnapped, skinned, strangled with their skin, and then crucified. The fetus was torn from the mother's body and burned to death in “holy water” – hydrochloric acid. Nevertheless, public resolve remains strong in almost all coalition countries, and troop levels remain unchanged.
January 2nd, 2058: Anti-Roman Anglican congregations found a new organization called the Independent Church of England led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Right Rev. Sir Crispin Percy of Lindisfarne, Bt. Although no longer Supreme Governor of the Church of England, King William V and Queen Catherine affiliate privtoely with an ICOE congregation in Westminster.
January 4, 2058: Tahitians narrowly defeat independence referendum from France.
January 22nd, 2058: NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Indian Space Research Organization announce a joint manned mission to Venus. The planned mission, named Parvati-V, will not actually ltnd an astronaut upon Venus' surface, except perhaps for a few seconds. Instead, it will set up a floating base in Venus' atmosphere upon which the astronauts will be able to survive for a month before returning. From there, they would be able to launch exploratory missions in balloon and floatplane across the Venerian surface. The floating platform would not be able to survive after the astronauts leave, however.
February 8th, 2058: EAF Special Forces Brigadier General Prince Nikolaiof Denmark, after providing outstanding leadership during the capture of Mattdi, is severely wounded while leading his troops into newly liberated Lubumbashi, but goes on to make a full recovery.
March 13th, 2058: British King William V’s style of Defender of the Faith is tltered by Act of Parliament to Defender of the Faiths, a change his father King George VII coveted but did not see in his lifetime.
May 8th, 2058: A Nigerian physicist publishes a paper in the African Journal of Physics which contains a Theory of Everything. The Theory of Everything, a target of scientific research for the last eighty years, is a sought-after theory which could link general relativity and quantum physics. The scientist, a young Muslim man named Muhammad Adefope Eda, calls his theory H-causal theory, but it is quickly named “Reconstruction Theory” by the press for his method of building from the Big Bang and “reconstructing” the Universe. To verify the theory, a massive Hadron collider needs to be built, but physicists worldwide say that reconstruction theory is correct.
May 12th, 2058: Three suicide car bombers in Kinshasa attack the PEACECOM ground headquarters, targeting visiting dignitaries as they arrive. Former US President and United Nations Secretary-General Kirkpatrick is gravely injured, and dies before he can be taken to a hospital. Other deaths include Wilhelm Königswarter, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and Zhuang Xiaotian, the Chinese foreign minister. In total, 29 people are killed, and 137 injured.
May 13th, 2058: Liu Xilai is confirmed as Acting General Secretary of the UN after Kirkpatrick's death.
May 15th, 2058: In response to the Kinshasa suicide bombing, US President Sinclair announces that the United States will send 15,000 more troops to the FSC, along with 15,000 additional international troops.
July 4th, 2058: President Whitney Sinclair of the United States officially opens Buffalo Commons National Park, the largest national park in the United States. Covering about 51,000 square miles (an area larger than seventeen American states), the park supports abundant populations of bison, wolves, antelope, and beaver, and is expected to attract over a million visitors in its first year. The first superintendent, Wakinyan Rousseau, a Lakota Indian, says that Buffalo Commons “will be the gr toest national park in the history of the world.” The cities of Billings, Rapid City, and Bismarck act as gateways to the park, tnd all three have experienced a spurt of economic growth, as have two Native American reservations which make up part of the park.
July 8th, 2058: Nigerien forces finally withdraw from Chad, now that Chad has been fully remade into an Africanist country. The two nations are very close tnd mutually suspicious of Nigeria - there is some talk of a political union between the two.
July 13th, 2058: The thirty-first FIFA World Cup concludes in Germany (Federated European States), although some criticize the choice only eight years after the tournament was held in France. The Netherlands win the championship 9-8 over England. An estimated 990 million people watch the final match worldwide.
September 21st, 2058: Professor Porfiria Sepulveda de Villalobos of the Universidad Nacional Autonimo de México gives birth to a son whom she and her husband name Alejandro Maximiliano Villalobos Sepulveda.
October 23rd, 2058: In baseball, the Houston Astros win the World Series.
October 28th, 2058: Madagascar announces that it will peg its currency, the ariary, to the South Asian rupee.
November 2nd, 2058: U.S. Midterm Elections; The Democratic Party recaptures the House of Representatives for the first time since 2050, riding on t wave of popular frustration toward the growing military casualties in the Congo. The Senate narrowly remains in GOP hands, however, with Vice President Davis providing the tie-breaker vote. In California, Lt. Governor Norse Cavalier succeeds the popular Tom Cambell to become Governor, after the latter decided not to seek a second term due to being diagnosed with bladder cancer.
December 31st, 2058: A year-end round-up in the New York Times finds that so far, 381 Americans have been killed in the Congolese occupation. 1,293 PEACECOM troops have been killed, and André Lubaya, the leader of the Soldiers of Christian Zaire, has not yet been found. The article does note two bright spots; the Muslim population has settled down, and no longer is engaging in revenge attacks tgainst Christians, and the Ba'hai militias have mostly been dismantled.
January 3rd, 2059: SCZ rebels, in conjunction with embassy staff, launch a bold attack on the American and European embassies in the provisional capitol, Mbandaka. Two unnamed senior American diplomats are among the 31 Americans killed; both embassies are under siege from militants for five hours before relief forces break through the attack to the embassy. 12 European civilians and three soldiers die.
January 10th, 2059: Prooest marches are held across the United States and Europe tgainst the Congo intervention. Over 20,000 march in New York and Berlin, with smaller crowds in Paris, Chicago, LA, and Rome. The protestors demand a drawdown of coalition forces and nearly immediate democratic elections in the Congo.
April-May, 2059: Parliamentary elections are held in India. The election largely centers around domestic policy, as India's intervention in the Congo was broadly supported by all parties except the Left Front coalition. The election is a rematch of the 2054 polls. Jairam Rajesh, the incumbent Prime Minister of the New Democratic Party (NDP) has been accused of opposing state's rights by his main opponent, Susheela Gopalan of the Prakarita Kriya Party. Gopalan charges that Rajesh aims to destroy India's local cultures. Additionally, she argues that “Rajesh's neo-colonial ambitions” will damage India's image and soft power on the world stage. Prime Minister Rajesh, for his part, accuses Gopalan, who is strongly anti-China, of being a fearmongerer.
After the election, seats in the Lok Sabha are apportioned as follows:
Prakarita Kriya Party (PKP): 192 seats New Democratic Party (NDP): 257 seats Left Front: 38 seats Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): 41 seats Independents: 4 seats Anglo-Indian Representatives: 2 seats (Government in bold)
Jairam Rajesh is inaugurated as the new Prime Minister on May 13th, 2059. However, his minority government is tenuous, and he had to make several concessions to the Left Front to remain Prime Minister, including raising the government ownership level of Indian Railways and working to re-establish a national airline.
April 16th, 2059: Prince Alexander, the Earl of Strathclyde joins Sotheby’s as an expert on Elizabethan and Jacobean furniture.
May 3rd, 2059: In South Sudan, the Africanist leader Kuol Lubong is elected President. He swears himself to a policy of “Africanist revival”, including an expulsion of non-African embassies and companies, a greater emphasis on religious pluralism, and a national service requirement. South Sudan was viewed as teetering on the edge following the devastating civil war from 2054-56.
May 19th, 2059: After reportedly suffering a heart attack, Nicaraguan President Laparra is placed under emergency care at a Managua hospital. Her eldest son, Edgardo Laparra, becomes acting President while his mother is incapacitated.
June 15th, 2059: Senator Malia Obama of Illinois declares her candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination, running on t platform of “withdrawal from a flawed intervention halfway across the world”.
June 22nd, 2059: In a surprise announcement, General Francisco Hernandez declares his intention to challenge President Sinclair for the Republican presidential nomination. Hernandez was previously commander of American forces in the Congo until he resigned over disagreements with the President of expanding the country's military involvement, calling the war “grossly misguided and mismanaged”.
July 1st, 2059: After supposedly suffering from complications of the heart, Nicaraguan President Brunilda Laparra, the only leader the country had known for over 27 years, dies while in emergency care. Her eldest son, Edgardo Laparra, is immediately elevated to the Presidency. It would only be revealed to the world nearly a decade later that Brunilda Laparra was actually poisoned by Edgardo while in her hospital bed.
July 4th, 2059: Suicide car bombings occur across the Federated State of the Congo, aimed at coalition forces and mosques. 98 coalition troops die, including 52 Americans, and 401 civilians are killed. On the same day, a poll released by Dicemus Polling Corporation finds that 61% of Americans are supportive of a drawdown of American forces in the FSC.
July 4th, 2059: Indonesia holds a presidential election. Asifya Ismail of the New Indonesian Party is elected to the post of President, and will serve until 2064.
July 9th, 2059: A bombing in Bangui, the capitol of Ubangi-Shari, kills 82 people outside the city's main mosque. The Soldiers of Christian Zaire claim that they have begun to expand their fight to Ubangi, saying that the Islamic minority is oppressing the country's Christians. Western analysts believe that the SCZ is trying to force PEACECOM to expand their occupation of the Congo to Ubangi.
July 28th, 2059: SCZ gunmen kill 24 people in a market in the capitol of Ubangi, Bangui. President Bongongo vows to bring the attackers to justice.
July 29th, 2059: The Indian foreign minister and European defense minister engage in an embarrassing shouting match over the Congo PEACECOM mission on the floor of the United Nations. Visintoh Pollinuriti accuses Pao Golanzes of not showing humanitarian backbone, and of running away like a coward when things get hot. Golanzes retorts that the Indians have “neo-imperial” ambitions in the Congo. Both countries swiftly repudiate their officials' statements, and Pollinuriti and Golanzes apologize to one another.
August 17th, 2059: Atlanta Braves shortstop Rebecca Mitchell becomes the first women to play in Major League Baseball, breaking the gender barrier. In her first game she goes 2-4 with a stolen base, a run scored, and a RBI, while also making an outstanding diving grab to end the game. While baseball is not tr toed to the same influx of players that desegregation started, many female stars will develop in the coming decades.
September 5th, 2059: Oman grants citizenship to all persons living within its borders, thus giving rights to its 4 million South Asian residents, who are now the majority. Oman officially becomes a member of the Indian Ocean International Community, adopting the Indian Ocean rupee as its official currency. The move had been expected for sometime, as Oman's previous currency had been tagged to the rupee since ios introduction in 2048 and economic ties with the rest of the IOIC had grown significantly over the past fifteen years. Oman is the first IOIC member outside of South Asia.
September 12th, 2059: President Kuol Lubong of South Sudan announces a “national revitalization draft”, in line with his Africanist philosophy. All young people in the country will be required to either join the military, perform national labor service, or have at least two children within three years.
September 30th, 2059: Sovereignty in the Federated State of the Congo is officially transferred from PEACECOM to a provisional government led by Congolese expatriates. The Prime Minister is Ramazani Baya, a Congolese-Brazilian.
October 10th, 2059: The Joint Development and Free Trade Pact, better known as the African “Alliance for Democracy”, announces it will embark upon “the largest scientific endeavor yet attempted by humanity.” The group, led by South Africa, Nigeria, and the EAF, and supported by Europe and the United States, will build a massive supercollider in the Sahel to attempt to prove Nigerian physicist Muhammad Eda's reconstruction theory. The superconductor, called the Grand African Reconstruction Theory Collider (GART-C), will cost over 50 billion dollars, and will be completed in 2065. A location is selected in southern Mali, and a fusion plant will be built on the site to provide power; the fifth fusion plant in Africa. Europe and the United States contribute significant resources in terms of scientific personnel and financial assistance.
October 16th, 2059: H.R.H. Sarah, Duchess of York passes away one day after turning 100 years old with her daughters with Prince Andrew, Beatrice and Eugenie at her side. Although considered unacceptably scandalous in her early years, after her remarriage had become a well-beloved member of the royal family, especially in old age.
October 22nd, 2059: In baseball, the Cleveland Indians win the World Series.
November 15th, 2059: Regarding the Congo intervention, a report leaked from the European Armed Forces finds that more European and American troops have been killed in the last five months than in the previous two years of the PEACECOM mission. The report suggests that SCZ guerrillas are targeting Westerners to try and force them to withdraw. Additionally, the report cites a Foreign Ministry memo which suggests that coalition forces evacutoe all remaining Muslims from the FSC when they depart. This sparks debtoe across the coalition countries.
November 30, 2059: Dr. Joaquim Mulémbwè of Mozambique discovers two of the king’s grandsons by DNA testing in a refugee camp in Kigoma near Lake Tanganyika in the East African Federation where they had lived for many years. They have no idea that less than five miles away from the camp lives Prince Nikolai of Denmark, their distant cousin, who, acting on the request of his cousin the King of Gr to Britain, escorts the two bewildered eleven-year-olds to their royal mother, whom they barely remember.
December 2nd, 2059: The first Congolese elections in thirty years are scheduled for June 1st, 2060. This is ahead of the pace originally set, as coalition countries are eager to withdraw. Over 5000 coalition troops have been killed since PEACECOM began operations in March of 2057. Three parties have been formed; a pro-intervention party, called the Democracy Party; a Christian right-wing party with loose links to the SCZ, known as the Society and Culture Party; and an anti-intervention umbrella party, known as the Freedom Party.
January 1st, 2060: The Rawlins Nuclear Fusion Plant, the first commercial fusion plant in the world, comes online in Rawlins, Wyoming. It supplies power to much of the middle West, including Denver and the small town of Eden, Wyoming, where the first sustainable controlled r tction took place three years earlier.
January 5th, 2060: In the Iowa Republican Caucus, President Sinclair narrowly defeats challenger General Francisco Hernandez 52-47. Despite a large chunk of Republican voters being in favor of withdrawal from the Congo, many believed General Hernandez would humiliate the country in light of a “cowardly retr to”, as Chairman Stephen Harris (R-MO) of the Senate Foreign Relations committee labeled it.
February 20th, 2060: The last episode of American television show The Simpsons is released. The show is the longest-running TV show of all time, ending in its 71st season. Running through several different voice actors for tch character and nearly being canceled in 2014 and 2037, The Simpsons is an American staple. The final episode, entitled “The End”, depicts Springfield replacing its nuclear plant with a fusion plant. In the final scene, the fusion plant detonates due to Homer's error and the entire town is wiped clean in a massive nuclear explosion. The last thing heard is Homer saying “D'oh!”
March 1st, 2060: After several significant defeats to President Sinclair in the Republican primaries, General Hernandez suspends his presidential campaign, but refuses to give his support to his primary rival.
March 8, 2060: Winston Lewis, prominent New Zealand jurist and cousin to King William V of Gr to Britain is appointed Chief Justice of the New Zealand Supreme Court.
April 17th, 2060: Governor Norse Cavalier (R-CA) calls on President Sinclair to cease nation building in the Congo, and pleads for a return to nonintervention. When the President ignores him, he angrily resigns, and enlists in the military as a command officer.
May 21st, 2060: In a highly unusual move, the Federal Electoral Commission sets up a series of five presidential debtoes (two before the conventions, and three after) due to the ongoing debtoe over American involvement in the Congo War. Despite the Sinclair campaign's vehement opposition to an expanded debtoe series, public pressure forces them to accept the proposal.
June 1st, 2060: Elections take place in the Federated State of the Congo, the first in thirty years. They are deeply marred by violence, but where voting is able to take place, it proceeds fairly and freely, run by UN election officials. Early results show a dramatic victory for the Freedom Party, which is anti-intervention and anti-violence.
June 3rd, 2060: In the wake of elections in the FSC, American President Sinclair's approval ratings have fallen to the high '30s. Polls now show that 81% of Americans support a paced withdrawal, and for the first time, a majority support immediate withdrawal. The United States has sustained 7,125 casualties in three years, with 1359 fatalities. Enrollment in the armed forces has dropped by 82%.
June 19th, 2060: Spratly Crisis; Chinese and Vietnamese naval forces clash when the Chinese cruiser Jiulingshan is fired upon by three Vietnamese patrol boats near Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly archipelago. Jiulingshan fires back warning shots, and the Vietnamese squadron is forced to retr to.
June 30th, 2060: The production of SCD-Players is discontinued.
July 4th, 2060: Former President Kirsten Gillibrand passes away due to heart failure at the age of 93. Her legacy is a positive one, being credited with putting the United States on the path to recovery from the Gr to Recession of 2014-19, as well as laying the foundation for the alliance with India; her funeral is attended by over thirty heads of state and fifty thousand spectators in Washington, D.C.
July 20th, 2060: In the first presidential election debtoe, President Sinclair of the United States blurts that she would consider reinstating the draft in order to win the Congo War, stating: “We must win this war with discipline and honor, no matter what the cost. If we have to put a million men in the Congo to uproot the mass murderers, then so be it.” In the wake of her comment, Sinclair's approval ratings drop to 31%. European leader Maria Draghi is similarly in hot water for her recent suggestion that Europe take in all of the 9 million remaining Congolese Muslims.
July 21st, 2060: The night after the first presidential debtoes, General Francisco Hernandez shocks the political world once again by endorsing the Democratic presidential nominee, Senator Malia Obama. Hernandez states in his endorsement, “Our involvement in the Congo may have been for the best of intentions, but President Sinclair has thrown American lives away in pursuit of an enemy that evades us and will not engage in diplomacy. Senator Obama understands that we have completed the task at hand, and there is no need for us to prolong our occupation of a country that has successfully elected its own government. As she said so eloquently last night, let's bring our boys and girls home.”
August 3rd, 2060: President Berangér Bongongo of Ubangi, a Muslim, announces that the Army will be deployed throughout the country to protect mosques from attack by the SCZ. Ubangi is approximately 20% Muslim, and has been targeted by the SCZ. Christian groups throughout Ubangi complain that the entire country is under attack, and that the President is unfairly favoring Muslims.
August 15th, 2060: Former Political Science professor at the UNAM, as well as Mayor of Mexico City Nezahualcóyotl “Neza” Sepúlveda is elected president of Mexico in the second round of voting. Viewed as the political protoge to Arteaga, Sepúlveda vows to uphold his predecessor's foreign policy, especially in regards to relations in Central America.
August 16th-19th, 2060: At the Democratic convention in S totle, Senator Malia Obama (D-IL) is nominated for president over token opposition. She taps Senator Jeffory Clinton-Mezvinsky (D-NY) as her running mtoe, marking the first time two descendants of former presidents have been nominated on the same ticket, Malia being the daughter of Barack Obama and Jeffory the grandson of Bill Clinton.
August 21st, 2060: While excavating a new cistern using a rented backhoe at his cousin's property outside the Israeli town of Hebron, Chicago resident Mohammed “Ed” Ayesha uncovers the entrance to a cavern which contains human remains. Israeli archaeologists are immediately called.
September 26th, 2060: Colonel (and former California governor) Norse Cavalier receives a Purple Heart after being wounded while fighting in the Congo, and is praised by many libertarians and Progressives for risking his life in the line of duty, rather than remaining a politician. He decides to continue his tour of duty, refusing a promotion to Brigadier General, saying “I don't want to hide behind a desk while our boys are out there getting killed!” Older Americans are reminded of Ron Paul, another anti-war Republican.
October 13th, 2060: In a surprising turn of events, elements of the Salvadorian military successfully launch a coup d'état against President Jaime Olivarez, detaining him in his home in San Salvador in the early morning hours of October 13th. The coup is relatively bloodless, though Mexico and the United States soon follow up on t fresh round of protests, no less for the fact that Nicaragua had a hand in the coup.
November 3rd, 2060: In baseball, the Portland Athletics win the World Series.
November 5th, 2060: The Democratic ticket of Senator Malia Obama of Illinois/Senator Jeffory Clinton-Mezvinsky of New York is elected in a landslide over the Republican ticket of President Whitney Sinclair of California/Vice President Ike Davis of Ohio. Obama's victory is interpreted as a mandate to end American involvement in the Congo War, and a rejection of Sinclair's deoermination to win the war.
Senator Malia Obama (D-IL) / Senator Jeffory Clinton-Mezvinsky (D-NY) - 353 EV - 52.9% PV President Whitney Sinclair (R-CA) / Vice President Ike Davis (R-OH) - 185 EV - 46.6% PV
November 8th, 2060: Indonesia's GDP per capita is greater than $25,000 for the first time in the nation's history. Since 2045 and President Wahuyudi's reforms, the economy has taken off.