The year 2024 stands at the door packed and is all set to leave with its luggage of memories. Dubbed by many as the year of elections, 2024 is a year that played with the entropy of the socio-politico world. It brought some of the heartwarming as well as devastating news for the human race. The happenings of 2024 will surely not leave us in 2025 so let us rewind the top 10 important events of this year that had, have or will continue to have large ramifications on the status quo.
1. Assassination Attempt on Donald Trump
In July this year, a failed assassination attempt was carried out on the 45th and upcoming 47th President of the United States Donald Trump during his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The incident unfolded when Trump was at the stage addressing the crowd. Bullets were fired at him which fortunately missed the target given the last second head tilt by Trump. One of the bullets pierced the upper part of Trump’s ear. Security Agents immediately surrounded Trump and escorted him off the stage, with blood visible on his face. The attack claimed the life of one of the supporters who came to hear Trump. For many, Biden’s debate debacle followed by assasination attempt had sealed the deal for the Republican nominee.
2. Donald Trump winning US Presidential Election 2024
The results of the US Presidential Elections were declared on the 6th of November. The results handed victory to Republican Party candidate Donald Trump over Democrat’s Kamala Harris. Political Pundits predicted a close fight between the two Presidential candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, however the results flooded down all prior predictions. The results showcased a one sided victory for the Republican candidate. The Republican party successfully pulled off the presidency, popular vote, swing states, senate majority, house majority, state governor majority, and state legislature majority. Trump pulled 312 electoral votes and conveniently crossed the majority 270 mark with Kamala Harris only fetching 226.
3. Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha
22nd of January, 2024 marked one of the biggest and joyful days to have arrived for the Hindu community in centuries. The day marked the Pran Pratistha of Ram Lalla which the Hindu community struggled and waited for more than 500 years. Sweat and blood of Hindus both contributed to the construction of the Ram Mandir which was previously broken down by the invaders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, marking the fulfillment of a centuries-old promise to restore Lord Ram’s presence in his rightful abode. The city of Ayodhya was lit up no less than the day Bhagwan Shree Ram arrived with Maa Sita after completing Vanvas.
4. BJP winning the 2024 General Elections
This year, the Bharatiya Janata Party led by Narendra Modi successfully retained power for the third consecutive time. The 4th of June declared the result of the India General elections where BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 240 seats. The NDA Alliance led by BJP successfully crossed the majority mark of 272 and formed the government for the third time in 2024 after 2014 and 2019. Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi was again sworn as the Prime of the state.
5. Sheikh Hasina’s Forced Ouster from Bangladesh
The Year 2024 brought along with it negative and instability too. Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on the 5th of August was forced to leave the country following contrived violent protests in the garb of ‘students’ agitation. The democratically elected leader Hasina was replaced by one-of-its-kind-mockery of Democracy, “Interim government” adviser, Mohammed Yunus which was nothing but a politically motivated Islamist protests in the garb of student rebellion. Following the takeover of Bangladesh by Yunus, he unleashed a violent mob of Islamists against the minorities, especially the Hindu community.
Hindus were attacked and persecuted in at least 27 districts of Bangladesh which included mob violence,murders, rapes, the burning of homes and businesses, vandalism of temples, and the desecration of religious idols. Hindu teachers and academicians have been purged on a massive scale with over 100 of them being forced to resign by Islamist mobs who stormed and held them hostage in their offices solely because of their Hindu identity. The Bangladeshi Hindu Genocide continues to unfold.
6. India Lifts T20 World Cup
The Indian Cricket Team on the 29th of June got hold of the T20 World Cup ending the 11 year drought of trophy-less years. It was 2013 when MS Dhoni, India’s former captain lifted the Champions Trophy. Since then, the Indian Cricket Team failed to pull any major ICC Trophy. 2024 ended the long wait as the Indian Captain Rohit Sharma snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and successfully defended 176 in the T20 World Cup finals against Proteas.
7. Gukesh becoming the youngest World Chess Champion
On the 12th of December 2024, history was made by the 18-year-old Indian Grandmaster (GM) D Gukesh defeating reigning champion Ding Liren in the final game of the World Chess Championship to become the youngest world champion in the history of chess. With the monumental victory, Gukesh became the second Indian GM, after the legendary Viswanathan Anand, to claim the coveted title.
8. India’s Performance in Olympics and Paralympics
In 2024 India delivered historical performances at the Olympics as well as in the Paralympics. India secured a total of six medals, one silver and five bronze marking its third-best Olympic performance to date. In the Paralympics, the contingent representing India achieved its best-ever Paralympic performance, winning a total of 29 medals which included seven gold, nine silver, and thirteen bronze. It successfully surpassed the previous tally of 19 medals which it achieved in the 2020 Paralympics.
9. Demise of Ratan Tata
The 9th of October marked the demise of Ratan Tata, the chairman emeritus of Tata Sons. The 86-year-old Ratan Tata was admitted to Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital for treatment of age-related ailments where he took his last breath. Ratan Tata was a known philanthropist who was respected by billions.
10. Normalisation of India-China Relations
Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar announced on October 21, that the disengagement process along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China has been completed. The situation has returned to pre-May 2020 conditions, prior to the Galwan Valley clashes that resulted in casualties on both sides. India has consistently maintained that relations with China would only normalize after restoring the pre-2020 status quo at the LAC. Over the past four years, both nations held multiple rounds of diplomatic and military talks to resolve the issue, culminating in the resolution announced by the Indian Foreign Minister.
