- February 21
- American scientists use a 3D printer to create a living lab-grown ear from collagen and animal ear cell cultures. [1208]
- February 28
- Benedict XVI resigns as pope, becoming the first to do so since Gregory XII in 1415, and the first to do so voluntarily since Celestine V in 1294. [1111.10] [1208]
- March 5
- Death of Hugo Chávez, President of Venezuela (born 1954). [1208]
- March 10
- Death of Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland, (born 1915). [1208]
- March 13
- Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina is elected the 266th pope, whereupon he takes the name Francis and becomes the first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, and the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere. [1208]
- March 24
- Central African Republic President François Bozizé flees to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, after rebel forces capture the nation's capital, Bangui. [1208]
- March 25
- The European Union agrees to a 10 billion euro economic bailout for Cyprus. The bailout loan will be equally split between the European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism, the European Financial Stability Facility, and the International Monetary Fund. [1208]
- March 27
- Canada becomes the first country to withdraw from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. [1208]
- April 2
- The United Nations General Assembly adopts the Arms Trade Treaty to regulate the international trade of conventional weapons. [1208]
- April 6
- Goldin auctions a 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card for US$2.1 million, a record for a baseball card at auction. [1225.32]
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- April 15
- Two bombs explode near the finish line of the Boston Marathon in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, killing 3 and injuring 264 others. Two Chechen Islamist brothers are suspected of planting the explosives. [1208]
- April 24
- An eight-storey commercial building collapses in Savar Upazila near the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, leaving 1,129 dead and 2,500 injured. [1208]
- At the Central States Numismatic Society 74th Annual Convention in Schaumburg, Illinois, Heritage Auctions conducts the Platinum Night sales.
- $1000 Treasury note, Series 1891, EF45 Premium Paper Quality PCGS Currency: $2,585,000.
- $1000 Treasury note, Series 1890, "Grand Watermelon" AEF34? PCGS Currency: $1,527,500.
- $100 gold certificate, Series 1863, 1 of 3 known, AEF40 PCGS Currency: $2,115,000.
These are the highest prices ever realized at auction for US papar money. [1619.1]
- May 10
- Guatemala's former ruler General José Efraín Ríos Montt (1982-83) is sentenced to 80 years in prison for genocide and crimes against humanity. [1203.40]
- May 11
- Twin car bomb explosions in Reyhanli, Turkey, killing at least 51 people. [1203.58]
- Election in Pakistan: Nawaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League(N) is re-elected President winning 124 of 272 seats. [1203.15]
- May 12
- General election in Bulgaria: GERB party 41 percent, Bulgarian Socialist Party 27 percent, DPS 11 percent, Alaka 7 percent. [1203.60]
- May 23
- In Cali, Colombia, presidents of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, all members of the Pacific Alliance, sign an agreement removing tariffs on 90 percent of their merchandise trade. [1203.38]
- May 25
- About 100 members of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army ambush a convoy of 17 cars of Indian politicians in Jagdalpur, India, killing 28, including state opposition leader and state politician Mahendra Karma. [1201.41]
- May 27
- Valeant Pharmaceuticals of Canada announces deal to acquire Bausch and Lomb of the USA for US$8.7 billion. [1201.67]
- May 29
- Chinese meat company Shuanghui International announces deal to acquire American meat company Smithfield Foods, world's largest pork producer, for US$4.7 billion. [1201.66]
- June 6
- American Edward Snowden discloses operations engaged in by a U.S. government mass surveillance program to news publications and flees the country. [1208]
- June 14
- Iran election of president: Hassan Rohani 50 percent, Muhammad Baqer Qalibaf 17 percent, Saeed Jalili 11 percent. [1204.51]
- June 28
- News Corporation splits off 21st Century Fox. [1204.65]
- (month unknown)
- The UK's Royal Mail receives 239,374 entries in a children's design competition for Christmas stamps. This breaks the Guiness world record for largest postage stamp design competition. [1484.16]
- July 1
- Croatia becomes the 28th member of the European Union. [1208]
- July 3
- Amid mass protests across Egypt, President Mohamed Morsi is deposed in a military coup d'état. [1208]
- August 21
- 1,429 are killed in the Ghouta chemical attack during the Syrian Civil War. [1208]
- September 21
- al-Shabaab Islamic militants attack the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, killing at least 62 civilians and wounding over 170. [1208]
- October 10
- Delegates from some 140 countries and territories sign the Minamata Treaty, a UNEP treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds. [1208]
- October 18
- Saudi Arabia rejects a seat on the United Nations Security Council, making it the first country to reject a seat on the Security Council. [1208]
- November 5
- Mangalyaan (AKA Mars Orbiter Mission) is launched by India from its launchpad in Sriharikota. [1208]
- November 8
- Typhoon Haiyan ("Yolanda") hits the Philippines and Vietnam, causing devastation with at least 6,241 dead. [1208]
- November 12
- Three Studies of Lucian Freud, a series of portraits of Lucian Freud by the British painter Francis Bacon, sells for US$142.4 million in a New York City auction, setting a new world record for an auctioned work of art. [1208]
- November 21
- Euromaidan pro-EU demonstrations begin in Ukraine after President Viktor Yanukovych rejects an economic association agreement between the European Union and Ukraine in favor of closer ties to Russia. [1208]
- November 24
- Iran agrees to limit their nuclear development program in exchange for sanctions relief. [1208]
- December 7
- Ninth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization delegates sign the Bali Package agreement aimed at loosening global trade barriers. [1208]
- December 14
- Chinese spacecraft Chang'e 3, carrying the Yutu rover, becomes the first spacecraft to "soft"-land on the Moon since 1976 and the third ever robotic rover to do so. [1208]
- December 15
- Fighting between ethnic Dinka and Nuer members of the presidential guard breaks out in the capital city of South Sudan. [1208]
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