The New 2010s (Central World)

January

 * January 1 – Czechia takes over the presidency of the Council of the European Community from France.
 * January 1 –Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, becomes the American Capital of Culture and Vilnius and Linz become the European Capitals of Culture.
 * January 1 –Slovakia adopts the euro as its national currency, replacing the Slovak koruna.
 * January 7 –Russia shuts off all gas supplies to most of Europe through Ukraine. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin publicly endorses the move and urges greater international involvement in the energy dispute.
 * January 20 – Hilary Clinton is inaugurated as the 44th, and first Woman, President of the United States.
 * January 22 –Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda is captured by Rwandan forces after crossing over the border into Rwanda.
 * January 26 – The Icelandic government and banking system collapse; Prime Minister Geir Haarde immediately resigns.

February

 * February 1 –Patriarch Kirill I of Moscow is enthroned as the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.
 * February 1 –Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir is appointed as the new Prime Minister of Iceland, becoming the world's first openly lesbian head of government.
 * February 7 – The deadliest bushfires in Australian history begin; they kill 173, injure 500 more, and leave 7,500 homeless. The fires come after Melbourne records the highest-ever temperature (46.4°C, 115°F) of any capital city in Australia. The majority of the fires are ignited by either fallen or clashing power lines or deliberately lit.
 * February 10 – A German and an Japanese satellite collide over Siberia, creating a large amount of space debris.