3rd millennium in the context of 2024

2025 (MMXXV) is the current year, and is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2025th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 25th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 6th year of the 2020s decade.

So far, the year has seen an escalation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began peace negotiations involving Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. The Gaza war, including a famine and humanitarian crisis, as well as the Sudanese civil war, also continued throughout the year. Internal crises in Armenia, Bangladesh, Ecuador, France, Georgia, Germany, Haiti, Peru, Somalia, and South Korea continued into this year, with the latter leading to President Yoon Suk Yeol's arrest and removal from office. The year has also seen a wave of protests predominantly led by Generation Z, with some, like those in Nepal and Madagascar, resulting in the overthrow of governments. Several brief conflicts out of longstanding tensions emerged mid-year—India–Pakistan in May, Iran–Israel in June, and Cambodia–Thailand in July, in which a leaked phone call involving Thai prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodian senate president Hun Sen resulted in the removal of the former.

The 21st century is the current century in the Anno Domini or Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. It began on 1 January 2001 (MMI), and will end on 31 December 2100 (MMC). It is the first century of the 3rd millennium.

The rise of a global economy and Third World consumerism marked the beginning of the century, along with increased private enterprise and deepening concern over terrorism after the September 11 attacks in 2001. The NATO intervention in Afghanistan and the United States-led coalition intervention in Iraq in the early 2000s, as well as the overthrow of several regimes during the Arab Spring in the early 2010s, led to mixed outcomes in the Arab world, resulting in several civil wars and political instability. The early 2020s saw an increase in wars across the world, including a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian war and the Gaza war. Meanwhile, the war on drugs continues, with the focus primarily on Mexico and the rest of Latin America. The United States has remained the sole global superpower, while China is now considered to be an emerging superpower.

The millennium celebrations were a worldwide, coordinated series of events to celebrate and commemorate the end of 1999 and the start of 2000 as well as the end of 2000 and the start of 2001 in the Gregorian calendar. The celebrations were held as marking the end of the 2nd millennium, the 20th century, and the 200th decade, and the start of the 3rd millennium, the 21st century, and the 201st decade (although the start and end points of such periods had been disputed). Countries around the globe held official festivities in the weeks and months leading up to the date, such as those organised in the United States by the White House Millennium Council, and most major cities produced firework displays at midnight. Equally, many private venues, cultural and religious centres held events. and a diverse range of memorabilia was created, including souvenir postage stamps.

As with every New Year's Eve, many events were timed with the stroke of midnight in the time zone of the location. There were also many events associated with the dawn on 1 January. An international television broadcast called 2000 Today was produced by a consortium of 60 broadcasters, while an alternative program Millennium Live was cancelled two days before the event.

Hung Ga Kuen (Cantonese) or Hongjiaquan (Mandarin) (Chinese: 洪家拳, meaning "fist of the Hung family") - alternatively shortened as either Hung Ga (洪家) or Hung Kuen (洪拳) - is an ancient southern Chinese martial art, which roots lie in the Southern Shaolin kung fu. During the turn of the 3rd millennium, Hung Ga was one of the most widely practiced styles of kung fu from southern China in the world.

It is best known for its low and stable positions, its powerful attacks mainly developed with the upper limbs, many blocks and also the work of internal energy. Its techniques are influenced by Bak Fu Pai (White Tiger Kung Fu) as well as Fujian White Crane. In addition, the style takes up postures that imitate the other five classic animals of Shaolin quan: the tiger, the crane, the leopard, the snake and the bear, as well as hand forms of the dragon style qi-gong and it's simultaneous double strikes.

2021 (MMXXI) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2021st year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 21st year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 2nd year of the 2020s decade.

Like the year 2020, 2021 saw the year by the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, due to the emergence of multiple COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued in 2021. Most major events scheduled for 2020 that were postponed due to the pandemic were hosted in 2021, including the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (held in Glasgow, Scotland), Expo 2020 (held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates), and sporting events such as UEFA Euro 2020 (held across 11 European countries), the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics (both held in Tokyo, Japan), as well as the 2021 Copa América (held in Brazil).

2027 (MMXXVII) is the upcoming year, which will be a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2027th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 27th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 8th year of the 2020s decade.

2022 (MMXXII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2022nd year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 22nd year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 3rd year of the 2020s decade.

The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw the removal of most COVID-19 restrictions and the reopening of international borders in the vast majority of countries, while the global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines continued. The global economic recovery from the pandemic continued, though many countries experienced an ongoing inflation surge; in response, many central banks raised their interest rates to landmark levels. The world population reached eight billion people in 2022. The year also witnessed numerous natural disasters, including two devastating Atlantic hurricanes (Fiona and Ian), and the most powerful volcano eruption of the century so far. The later part of the year also saw the first public release of ChatGPT by OpenAI starting an arms race in artificial intelligence which increased in intensity into 2023, as well as the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX.

2033 (MMXXXIII) will be a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2033rd year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 33rd year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 4th year of the 2030s decade.

2023 (MMXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2023rd year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 23rd year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 4th year of the 2020s decade.

Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy, the longest-lasting recorded tropical cyclone in history in the Indian Ocean, which led to over 1,400 deaths in Malawi and Mozambique; Storm Daniel, which became the deadliest tropical cyclone worldwide since Typhoon Haiyan after killing at least 5,300 people in Libya; a major 6.8 magnitude earthquake striking western Morocco, killing 2,960 people; and a 6.3 magnitude quadruple earthquake striking western Afghanistan, killing over 1,400 people. The year also saw a decline in the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the WHO (World Health Organization) ending its global health emergency status in May.

2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2004th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 4th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 5th year of the 2000s decade.

2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).

2032 (MMXXXII) will be a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2032nd year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 32nd year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 3rd year of the 2030s decade.

2016 (MMXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2016th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 16th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 7th year of the 2010s decade.

2028 (MMXXVIII) will be a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2028th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 28th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 9th year of the 2020s decade.

2012 (MMXII) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2012th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 12th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 3rd year of the 2010s decade.

2018 (MMXVIII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2018th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 18th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 9th year of the 2010s decade.

2029 (MMXXIX) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2029th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 29th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 10th and last year of the 2020s decade.

2019 (MMXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2019th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 19th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 10th and last year of the 2010s decade.

This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.

2030 (MMXXX) will be a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2030th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 30th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 1st year of the 2030s decade.