117th United States Congress Alex Padilla of California is officially sworn in as Senator of the United States Senate, as an appointee replacing Kamala Harris.
Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock of Georgia are officially sworn in as Senators of the United States Senate.
Biden administration Biden signs his first executive orders reversing several Trump administration decisions, including rejoining the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization, repealing 2017 travel bans, ending funding for the United States–Mexico border wall, and revoking the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.
The Senate votes to confirm Avril Haines, Biden's nominee for United States Director of National Intelligence (DNI), 84-10. Haines is the first Biden appointee to be confirmed by the Senate, and the first woman to serve in the DNI.
Donald Trump becomes the first outgoing president to refuse to attend his successor's inauguration since Andrew Johnson, who did not attend Ulysses S. Grant's inauguration in 1869.
Kamala Harris is sworn in as the 49th Vice President of the United States, making her the first woman, first Indian American in United States history to hold the office.
China–United States relations The Chinese foreign ministry places sanctions on 28 members of the outgoing Trump administration, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former National Security Advisor John Bolton, and former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon. The sanctions are believed to be in response to Pompeo's announcement on Tuesday that the internment of Muslim Uyghurs constitutes genocide.
2020–21 H5N8 outbreak Iraq reports an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu in the city of Samarra.
COVID-19 pandemic Chile approves the CoronaVac vaccine developed by Sinovac for emergency use in the country.
President Joe Biden signs an executive order mandating face masks on federal property and during interstate travel.
Zimbabwe's International Trade and Foreign Minister Sibusiso Moyo dies due to complications from COVID-19.
Acting Health Director-General Patrick Amoth confirms the first cases of the variant found in South Africa. The patients are two people who had traveled to that country.
Beijing impose a partial lockdown in five neighbourhoods after two cases in Daxing were linked to B.1.1.7 variant found in the United Kingdom.
Lebanon reports a record 61 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 2,084.
Indonesia reports a record 9,755 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 763,703.
The United Kingdom reports a record 1,820 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 93,290.
Spain reports a record 41,576 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,412,318.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund files the registration of the Sputnik V vaccine with the European Medicines Agency with the first review expected in February.
Portugal reports a record 14,647 new confirmed cases and 219 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide totals to 581,605 confirmed cases and 9,465 deaths.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte issues a statement that would ask the parliament to vote regarding a weekend curfew from 8.30 p.m. to 4.30 a.m. in a parliamentary debate that will begin tomorrow.
The Netherlands bans all flights from the United Kingdom, South Africa and all South American countries beginning January 23 in order to reduce the spread of more contagious variants of SARS-CoV-2.
Thermal power plant An explosion caused by coal dust and air in a thermal power plant in Angren, Uzbekistan kills three workers and leaves three others injured.
West Africa A boat carrying migrants from West Africa capsizes in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya, resulting in 43 fatalities.
2021 Madrid explosion An explosion caused by a gas leak at a residence for priests in Madrid, Spain results in four fatalities and injures ten others. It also partially destroys the residence.
COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland Dublin cancels their annual Saint Patrick's Day festival for the second year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will instead be held virtually on a special online TV channel.
War in Afghanistan Three Afghan soldiers are killed and four others are wounded in an attack on their vehicle by unidentified gunmen in Herat Province.