Japan and Germany are granted permanent seats on the UN Security Council.

Quebec separates from Canada, sparking a financial crisis and forcing the Canadian economy into recession.

American Reform party captures 22% of the vote, signalling the creation of a new tri-party dynamic in Congress.

Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Norway and the Czech Republic ascend into the European Union. The EU also begins talks on Political Union during the Vienna Conference.

NATO deploys troops into the Visegrad Four, sparking demonstrations and military sabre-rattling in Russia

International Space Station is completed despite the withdrawal of Russian co-operation.

Chinese and other East Asian economies begin decline after overheated 1990s euphoria subsides.

Airbus Consortium combines with Arianespace and the ESA to form a global corporation called Eurospace.

Almost all European countries now use the Euro as their official currency. The Euro begins to rival the American Dollar in international importance.