Selected events scheduled during 2023 include crucial elections in Nigeria, Spain, Turkey, Pakistan, and D.R. Congo and the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Croatia adopts the euro, King Charles III is crowned at Westminster Abbey, and the Walt Disney Company marks its centenary. Sporting highlights include the FIFA Women's World Cup, the Rugby World Cup, Pan American Games, and the Asian Cup.
JANUARY
1. Croatia adopts the euro and becomes part of the Schengen visa-free travel area.
2. Chinese New Year celebrations begin with the Year of the Rabbit.
3. The U.S. marks the 50th anniversary of Roe v Wade, the abortion rights ruling overturned by the Supreme Court last June.
FEBRUARY
4. One year after Russia invaded Ukraine, thousands have been killed, millions displaced, and entire cities destroyed.
5. Nigerians vote in presidential and parliamentary elections.
6. Egyptologists mark the centenary of Tutankhamun's burial chamber unsealing.
MARCH
7. Xi Jinping will be confirmed as president for a third term at the annual meeting of China's National People's Congress.
8. A life-size cast of a Titanosaur, the largest ever dinosaur, goes on show at London's Natural History Museum, the first such display in Europe.
9. The 95th Academy Awards take place in Los Angeles.
APRIL
10. India is set to surpass China as the world's most populous country.
11. Australia aims to launch Eris, its first homegrown orbital spacecraft.
12. The 50th anniversary of Pablo Picasso's death is marked by worldwide exhibitions.
MAY
13. King Charles III is crowned at London's Westminster Abbey.
14. Spain's local elections are likely to give pointers ahead of a general election expected to occur by the year's end.
15. Liverpool hosts the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of 2022 winners Ukraine, where it is not safe to stage the event.
JUNE
16. Turkey holds parliamentary and presidential elections.
17. Qatar hosts the Asian Cup, a quadrennial football competition with 24 competing teams.
18. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the fifth movie in the Jones saga, is released.
JULY
19. The FIFA Women's World Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand.
20. NATO's summit in Vilnius will be just 200km from the Russian border.
21. "First light" is expected at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a powerful telescope in Chile.
AUGUST
22. India's delayed space probe, Chandrayaan-3, aims to deliver a lander and a rover to the lunar surface.
23. The UCI Cycling World Championships combine all cycling championships in a new quadrennial tournament.
24. Pakistan's National Assembly is set to be dissolved before a general election within 90 days.
SEPTEMBER
25. OSIRIS-REx, the first NASA mission to collect samples from an asteroid, returns to Earth.
26. The Rugby World Cup kicks off in France.
27. Around 30 heads of state and government are expected to attend the G20 summit in New Delhi, India.
OCTOBER
28. The Pan American Games begin in Santiago, Chile.
29. The Walt Disney Company, founded by brothers Walt and Roy Disney, marks its centenary with a year-long celebration – Disney 100 Years of Wonder.
30. Endurance athletes head to South Africa for the Adventure Racing World Championship – involving mountain biking, trail running, kayaking, and other challenges.
NOVEMBER
31. The COP28 climate conference takes place in the UAE.
32. Non-EU citizens will have to pay €7 to enter the European Union under the new ETIAS system.
33. Dune: Part Two, the sequel to the 2021 movie adaptation of the sci-fi classic, is released.
DECEMBER
34. D.R. Congo elects a new president.
35. Japan's largest combined offshore wind and power storage facility opens in Hokkaido.
36. Mexico is due to complete the 1,550km Maya Train project, encircling the Yucatan.
