- 2 months ago
The world didn't ease into 2026 — it was thrown headfirst into chaos. Join us as we count down the most explosive and world-shaping stories from the opening months of the year, from wars and royal scandals to geopolitical power plays and domestic uprisings that left no corner of the globe untouched!
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00:00It was dark. The lights of Caracas were largely turned off.
00:08Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the stories that shook the world in the opening
00:13months of 2026.
00:15Take away here, the Israelis have killed Iran's supreme leader. That is being confirmed to Fox News by a senior
00:22Israeli official.
00:24Number 11, the Artemis II missions.
00:27Right now, the four-person Artemis II crew is 248,000 miles away from the moon, and if all goes
00:36well, they will fly by it in six days.
00:39On April 1st, 2026, this groundbreaking NASA mission launched and captivated the world from liftoff and beyond.
00:46The Artemis II is the first crewed craft to venture into deep space in over 50 years, and surpassed the
00:52Apollo 13's record for human distance traveled away from Earth.
00:56That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.
01:05Its crew is the most diverse in history, with the first woman, non-American, and black astronaut venturing beyond low
01:12Earth orbit.
01:13This breaks barriers and unites us all through this incredible moment.
01:17This journey paves the way for further lunar exploration, testing key systems and operations that will support the next step
01:24toward future moon landings.
01:26Space travel will forever be awe-inspiring for all humankind.
01:30We'll always remember witnessing that historic takeoff.
01:33Four, three, two, one, booster ignition, and liftoff.
01:40The crew of Artemis II now bound for the moon.
01:43Humanity's next great voyage begins.
01:46Number 10, Iran's protest crackdown.
01:49Thousands of people are feared dead after a brutal crackdown on weeks of anti-government protests in Iran.
01:56One protester has already been charged and sentenced and is expected to be executed tomorrow.
02:03President Donald Trump has called on what he calls Iranian patriots to keep protesting and said help is on the
02:09way.
02:09Iran entered 2026 already on the edge.
02:12And by January, the country was in the grip of its worst domestic unrest in decades.
02:17The protests began in December of 2025, initially over soaring prices, but quickly widened into a broader challenge to the
02:24regime.
02:25Fueled by economic pain, political anger, and long-running social grievances, Tehran responded with a draconian crackdown involving heavy force,
02:33mass arrests, and internet restrictions.
02:36Casualty estimates varied, but rights groups and officials described one of the deadliest waves of repression since the 1979 revolution.
02:44The crackdown later drew international condemnation and sanctions, and it helped set the stage for an even more explosive year
02:51in Iran.
02:52837 mostly young men were going to be on Thursday.
02:58Number 9, the Minneapolis anti-ice uprising.
03:0137-year-old Alex Preddy, a resident in Minneapolis, a U.S. citizen, also a registered nurse, shot and killed
03:08by a Border Patrol agent near 26th and Nicolette this morning.
03:11And today, protests and vigils have been held all throughout the Twin Cities metro.
03:17This is video just in our newsroom.
03:18It's a vigil near Minnehaha and Morris Park honoring Alex Preddy.
03:23Minneapolis became the center of one of the most volatile domestic flashpoints of early 2026.
03:28After the Trump administration escalated immigration enforcement in Minnesota,
03:33the unrest intensified after two U.S. citizens were fatally shot by federal officers.
03:38Rene Good on January 7th and Alex Preddy later that month.
03:42I'm done being told that our local elected officials are solely responsible for turning down the temperature.
03:49How many times must local and national leaders must plead with you, Donald Trump,
03:55to end this operation and recognize that this is not creating safety in our city?
04:01Their deaths triggered mass protests, confrontations with federal agents, and a political backlash that reached Washington.
04:08Vice President J.D. Vance traveled to Minneapolis on January 22nd to defend the operation,
04:13but his visit only deepened the sense that the city had become a battleground.
04:17Even after ICE operations were formally scaled back, federal officials said a residual force would remain in Minnesota,
04:23stoking fears that the crackdown wasn't really over.
04:26Many people echoing Governor Tim Walz's reaction to the news.
04:30They say they're cautiously optimistic, but they also say the work doesn't end with federal officers departing the state.
04:39Take a listen.
04:40Even if they go, there's a lot to be done.
04:43A lot of it is healing.
04:45A lot of it is a small business.
04:47Number eight.
04:48The Afghanistan-Pakistan war escalates.
04:50Long-simmering tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan erupted into open conflict in late February.
04:56Pakistan had long accused the Taliban government of allowing Tarek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, to operate from Afghan territory.
05:05And after weeks of worsening violence, Afghan-Taliban forces launched retaliatory cross-border attacks on February 26th.
05:12Pakistan answered with air and ground strikes on February 27th, hitting targets in Kabul, Kandahar, and other Afghan locations.
05:20Pakistan's defense minister said there was now a state of open war with Afghanistan.
05:25While the Afghan-Taliban announced a major offensive against Pakistani military posts near the border on Thursday,
05:31it's now saying it wants to solve the dispute through dialogue.
05:34China, a close ally of Pakistan, has called on both sides to exercise restraint and work towards a swift ceasefire.
05:41Islamabad said it wasn't targeting militant positions, while Taliban officials and international observers reported civilian casualties.
05:48Both sides issued conflicting battlefield claims, but the broader reality was clear.
05:54This was no longer a routine border flare-up.
05:56Afghanistan says Pakistani airstrikes have hit a hospital in the capital Kabul, killing at least 200 people.
06:03Number seven.
06:04Three million pages of Epstein files released.
06:07New emails from 2012 and 2013 show billionaire Elon Musk and Epstein coordinating a possible visit to the financier's infamous
06:15island.
06:17Musk asks when the wildest party will be.
06:20In another exchange, Epstein telling Musk there is always space for you.
06:24On January 30th, 2026, the U.S. Justice Department released roughly three million additional pages of records related to Jeffrey
06:32Epstein,
06:33dramatically expanding the already vast public record around the case.
06:36The disclosure came under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed in late 2025,
06:42and instantly reignited scrutiny of the long-running handling of the Epstein investigation.
06:46According to the Wall Street Journal, which revealed audio of the meeting, Gates told employees it was a huge mistake
06:53to spend time with Epstein.
06:55The release featured a number of prominent public figures,
06:58though it should be stressed that appearing in the files doesn't by itself imply criminal wrongdoing.
07:03The sheer volume of material ensured the story wouldn't fade quickly,
07:06and by March, the DOJ's handling of the files had become the subject of a new congressional probe.
07:12Tell us what just happened here, Michael.
07:14Yeah, Chris, so officially the House Oversight Committee has sent a subpoena to Attorney General Pam Bondi,
07:21requesting her testimony as part of the panel's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
07:25This comes after two weeks ago tomorrow, so just under two weeks ago.
07:30The House Oversight Committee had, in a surprise move, voted to subpoena to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
07:36Number six, the Strait of Hormuz energy crisis.
07:39Iran's Islamic revolutionary God-served navy.
07:43From now on, all navigating through the Strait of Hormuz is forbidden.
07:50No ship in every type is not allowed to pass from a Strait of Hormuz till next notice.
07:57The war with Iran quickly triggered a global energy emergency centered on the Strait of Hormuz,
08:02the world's most important oil checkpoint.
08:04As Tehran retaliated for the opening U.S.-Israeli strikes, it effectively shut down most maritime traffic
08:11through a passage that normally carries about 20% of global oil and gas shipments.
08:16Oil prices surged, tanker traffic collapsed, and governments scrambled to respond.
08:21You know, we get less than 1% of our oil from the Strait, and some countries get much more.
08:28Japan gets 95%.
08:29China gets 90%.
08:31Many of the Europeans get quite a bit.
08:35South Korea gets 35%.
08:38So we want them to come and help us with the Strait.
08:41The International Energy Agency approves the largest-ever coordinated release of emergency
08:47reserves, while Gulf producers raced to reroute exports through pipelines in Saudi Arabia and
08:53the UAE.
08:53The crunch became so severe that Washington temporarily eased some sanctions on Russian
08:59oil, issuing a 30-day waiver for certain shipments already at sea.
09:03I think it's an absolutely shameful, terrible decision.
09:06It doesn't do anything to lower the price of oil, but what it does do is it hands Vladimir
09:13Putin $10 billion in his pocket at a time when he's desperate for cash.
09:18Number five, the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
09:22Police held Andrew for around 11 hours.
09:25He is the most senior royal to be arrested since King Charles I nearly 400 years ago.
09:30Speaking yesterday, President Trump weighed in on these historic developments.
09:35I think it's very sad.
09:37I think it's so bad for the royal family.
09:39It's very, very sad.
09:41The former prince, Andrew, was arrested on February 19, 2026, on suspicion of misconduct
09:47in public office.
09:48The disgraced royal was detained in connection with allegations that he shared confidential
09:53trade envoy material with Jeffrey Epstein, claims that garnered renewed attention after
09:58the January Epstein files release.
10:00Reports tied the case to information allegedly sent after official trips to Hong Kong, Vietnam
10:05and Singapore in 2010.
10:07And the documents also appear to show Andrew forwarded Epstein information on investment
10:12opportunities in gold and uranium in Afghanistan.
10:16So to recap, if you're just joining us, the BBC understands that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
10:20has been arrested.
10:27The arrest took place in Sandringham, and although he was later released without charges, the fallout
10:33was immediate.
10:33The arrest sent the monarchy into damage control mode, as King Charles moved quickly to distance
10:39the crown from his younger brother, all while the Epstein scandal continued to cast another
10:43long shadow over the royal family.
10:45The king says, I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
10:51and suspicion of misconduct in public office.
10:55What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in
11:01the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities.
11:05Number four, the Greenland geopolitical crisis.
11:08It's really a negotiation, but it's infinity.
11:13The time limit is infinity, meaning there is no time limit.
11:17It's forever.
11:20You know, you hear about 99 years, 50 years.
11:23It's forever.
11:25That was discussed.
11:26We can do anything we want.
11:28We can do military.
11:30We can do anything we want.
11:31What began as one of President Trump's old fixations turned into a genuine international
11:36crisis.
11:37The U.S. President's administration revived its push to acquire Greenland, and Trump refused
11:42to rule out the use of force to seize the autonomous Danish territory.
11:45He also threatened tariffs on European countries, rattling allies and triggering one of the most
11:50serious transatlantic confrontations in years.
11:53In response to U.S. plans, several European nations dispatched small numbers of military
11:59personnel to Greenland to strengthen Arctic security.
12:03We are conducting an exercise up here called Arctic Endurance.
12:07It is an exercise that will be running over or throughout the 2026, and also maybe next
12:18year as well.
12:19Greenland's strategic importance was obvious.
12:22Arctic geography, rare earth minerals, new shipping routes, and military positioning against
12:26Russia and China.
12:27As Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney argued in a landmark speech at the World Economic Forum,
12:33the fight over Greenland made one thing clear—sovereignty shouldn't be taken for granted.
12:38But when we only negotiate bilaterally with a hegemon, we negotiate from weakness.
12:43We accept what's offered.
12:46We compete with each other to be the most accommodating.
12:50This is not sovereignty.
12:51It's the performance of sovereignty while accepting subordination.
12:55Number three, Operation Absolute Resolve, the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
13:00Late last night and early today, at my direction, the United States Armed Forces conducted an
13:11extraordinary military operation in the capital of Venezuela.
13:16On January 3, 2026, the United States launched a military operation in Venezuela that ended with
13:23the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores.
13:27The mission began in the early hours of the morning, and included strikes designed to suppress
13:31Venezuelan defenses before U.S. forces moved on Maduro's compound in Caracas.
13:48Maduro and Flores were taken into U.S. custody to face federal charges, while Venezuelan
13:53officials denounced the operation as a kidnapping.
13:55In the aftermath, Vice President Delce Rodriguez was formally sworn in.
14:00The government opened the door to foreign and private oil investment, and Venezuela was left
14:04balancing between transition, continuity, and deep internal tension.
14:08Well, you use the word cautious, and I think that's what oil company executives have been
14:13trying to get across to the administration in private conversations, and then today,
14:17even on camera, particularly Darren Woods from Exxon did a really good job at that.
14:21Number 2.
14:22The Killing of Ali Khamenei.
14:24Yes, Sandra, we just got this in literally two minutes ago, but Fox News can confirm that
14:30Iran's supreme leader, the Ayatollah Khamenei, is dead following Israeli strikes against his
14:36compound and location earlier today.
14:39One of the most consequential moments of 2026 came in the opening strikes of the Iran war,
14:45when Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, was killed.
14:48The strike happened on February 28th, and his death was confirmed the next day, ending
14:52more than three decades at the top of the Islamic Republic.
14:55In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote,
14:59Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history, is dead.
15:03This is not only justice for the people of Iran, but also great Americans, and those people,
15:08many countries throughout the world, that would have been killed or mutilated.
15:13The killing was part of a broader assault by the US and Israel, and it immediately plunged
15:17the country deeper into a political crisis, while dramatically escalating the conflict.
15:21However you choose to look at it, the death of Khamenei was a geopolitical earthquake,
15:26and perhaps the clearest sign that things had moved beyond proxy confrontation into total war.
15:31He goes on to say the heavy pinpoint bombing, however, will continue uninterrupted throughout
15:38the week or as long as necessary to achieve our objective of peace throughout the Middle East
15:43and indeed the world.
15:45Trump also encouraged Iranians to take back their country.
15:55Before we continue, check out this single from Sound Mojo's Adia, Songs from Iran, reimagining
16:01Persian melodies as modern rock, metal, and pop songs.
16:05Check out the full track and album below.
16:21Number one, the Iran war.
16:24At Tehran University, rows of pencil cases and brightly colored rucksacks now hang on display.
16:30Each one represents a child who never came home from school.
16:33It's unquestionable that the biggest story of the first 100 days of 2026 was the outbreak
16:39of a full-scale war involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
16:43The conflict began on February 28th with a massive wave of coordinated strikes on Iranian
16:49leadership, missile systems, air defenses, and military infrastructure.
16:53Those opening attacks killed the aforementioned Ali Khamenei and other senior officials.
16:57One strike may have also hit a girl's school in Manab, causing heavy civilian casualties.
17:03The day after the strike, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Dan Kaine, said the U.S.
17:08had been conducting air strikes in southern Iran in those early hours of the war where
17:12the school was located, with Israel striking in the north.
17:16Sources now telling ABC that it's possible the U.S. hit the school by mistake and U.S.
17:21forces were operating in the area.
17:23Iran retaliated with large drone and missile barrages against Israel and against U.S.
17:28interests and allied targets across the region.
17:31At the same time, the conflict quickly spread into Lebanon and the wider Gulf.
17:35Within days, the war had sent oil prices soaring, disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,
17:41triggered retaliatory strikes across multiple countries, and forced governments around the
17:45world to start choosing sides.
17:47NATO forces shot down an Iranian missile heading toward Turkey.
17:50Were you trying to hit Turkey?
17:53Not at all.
17:55By the way, we want to have best of relations with all of our neighbors in the southern,
18:00in the Persian Gulf area, as long as all other neighbors, including Turkey.
18:04With Turkey, we have best of relations.
18:07Which 2026 moment shocked you the most?
18:09Are there any we missed?
18:11Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
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