2024 in the United States

Federal government

• President: Joe Biden (D-Delaware)
• Vice President: Kamala Harris (D-California)
• Chief Justice: John Roberts (New York)
• Speaker of the House: Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana)
• Senate Majority Leader: Chuck Schumer (D-New York)
• Congress: 118th

The US general elections will be held on November 5 of this year. In the federal government, the offices up for election are president, vice president, all 435 seats of the House of Representatives, and roughly one third of the Senate. In this year's presidential election, Joe Biden is eligible to run for a second term. With former president Donald Trump's declaration to run for the office again, the election is expected by many to be a rematch of the 2020 election. In the Senate, at least seven seats, those of Senators Tom Carper from Delaware, Mike Braun from Indiana, Ben Cardin from Maryland, Debbie Stabenow from Michigan, Bob Menendez from New Jersey, Mitt Romney from Utah, and Joe Manchin from West Virginia, will be open contests; the seat of the late Dianne Feinstein is also expected to be an open contest with Feinstein's immediate successor, Laphonza Butler, expected not to seek a full term.

Concerning state governments, 11 states and two territories will hold gubernatorial elections, and most states and territories will hold elections for their legislatures. Many major cities, including Baltimore, Las Vegas, Honolulu, Milwaukee, Miami, Phoenix, San Diego, and San Francisco will also elect their mayors.

January

• January 1
  • Public Domain Day: Books, films, and other works published in 1928 enter the public domain. The most notable work entering into the public domain is Steamboat Willie, the earliest version of Mickey Mouse, leading to the announcement of multiple works based on this version of the character.
  • Four people, including the perpetrator, are killed in a vehicle attack in Rochester, New York.
• January 2 – Harvard University president Claudine Gay announces her resignation following a contentious house hearing on antisemitism and allegations of plagiarism in her earlier academic career.
• January 3 – A series of documents containing the names of associates of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are made available to the public. A majority of those mentioned are found to not be directly involved in any wrongdoing.
• January 4
  • Criminal proceedings in the January 6 United States Capitol attack: Former Proud Boys member Christopher John Worrell is sentenced to 10 years in prison.
  • Perry High School shooting: Two people are killed and six others are injured in a school shooting in Perry, Iowa. The shooter, a 17-year-old-student at the school, committed suicide at the scene. A principal who tried to intervene and was shot later died from his injuries on January 14.
• January 5 – Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 suffers an uncontrolled decompression after one of the emergency exit doors on the Boeing 737 MAX 9 blows out, resulting in an emergency landing in Portland and the FAA grounding all 737 Max 9s.
• January 7 – Audacy, the largest radio operator in the country, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
• January 8
  • Clashes break out at the World Headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Brooklyn, New York City after construction workers for the synagogue leaders attempted to fill in a tunnel that students had illegally dug beneath the building, resulting in the arrest of nine people. The incident causes antisemitic social media posts by far-right and QAnon figures to spread online.
  • The Michigan Wolverines defeat the Washington Huskies by a score of 34–13 to win the College Football Playoff National Championship.
• January 10 – Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie suspends his 2024 campaign for president.
• January 11
  • The New England Patriots fire longtime head coach Bill Belichick after a notably poor season for the team.
  • The United States seizes control and later sinks [simple] an Iranian dhow, which was transporting supplies to the Houthi movement. The operation resulted in the entire crew of the vessel being captured as well as two US Navy SEALs being lost at sea.
  • The Texas National Guard seizes a park in the border town of Eagle Pass, Texas in response to the growing Mexico–United States border crisis and does not allow Border Patrol agents in the area as they previously used the park to detain migrants and instead places their own barbed wire and barriers.
• January 12
  • Operation Prosperity Guardian: A US-led coalition launches air strikes at Houthi militant locations in Yemen, marking a retaliation to the Houthi's attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
  • Heartland Signal leaks a video of Texas Governor Greg Abbott making controversial comments about Texas shooting migrants who cross the Mexico–United States border on a Dana Loesch Show which lead to condemnations from Democratic party members and Mexico.
• January 13 – Israel–Hamas war protests in the United States: The March on Washington for Gaza takes place on the 100th day since the start of the Israel–Hamas war, the start of South Africa's genocide case against Israel in the ICJ, and a day after the Yemen missile strikes, attracting a crowd believed to be as large as 400,000.
• January 14
  • 2023–24 NFL playoffs
    • The Detroit Lions win their first postseason game since the 1991–92 playoffs with a 24-23 win against the Los Angeles Rams.
    • The Green Bay Packers become the first 7th seed to defeat a 2nd seed in the playoffs since its introduction in the 2020–21 playoffs.
• January 15 – 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries: Ohio businessman Vivek Ramaswamy ends his presidential campaign after securing only 7.7% of the vote in the Iowa caucuses. Former Governor of Arkansas Asa Hutchinson ends his campaign the next day after receiving less than 1% of the vote in the same.
• January 16 – Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse cases: A new lawsuit is filed by Kellye Croft against Madison Square Garden Entertainment chairman James L. Dolan, accusing him of pressuring her into unwanted sex back in 2014. She also files a lawsuit against American former film producer Harvey Weinstein, accusing him of sexually assaulting her.
• January 18 – The United States Congress approves a stopgap bill to extend the deadline for government funding to March 2024, narrowly avoiding a government shutdown, which would have begun at midnight, January 19.
• January 19 – Alec Baldwin is indicted for involuntary manslaughter after an accidental shooting on the set of Rust in 2021 which killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.
• January 20 – At least 60 people are killed across the country after two weeks of winter storms that caused dangerous road conditions and widespread power outages that could take weeks to fix.
• January 21
  • 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries: Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis suspends his campaign for President after a poor showing in Iowa and waning poll numbers in New Hampshire.
  • A series of shootings take place around Joliet, Illinois, killing eight and injuring one. Two days later, the perpetrator takes his own life after being confronted by law enforcement in Natalia, Texas.
• January 24 – During the Standoff at Eagle Pass, part of the broader Mexico–United States border crisis, the Supreme Court rules against Texas for placing barbed wire at the border with Mexico. In response, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announces that his state would not be following the orders of the court. At least 23 states announce their allegiance to Texas, including Florida, who has sent their own National Guard unit to aid the Texas National Guard and Texas Rangers.
• January 25
  • Convicted murderer Kenneth Smith is executed in the Holman Correctional Facility in Alabama, using nitrogen hypoxia, the first death row inmate to die via this method.
  • The United States Department of Commerce issues a $15 million bounty for information on Hossein Hatefi Ardakani, an Iranian businessman accused of procuring parts for drones assembled by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that were later sold to Russia.
• January 26
  • In E. Jean Carroll v. Donald J. Trump, the jury awards Carroll $83.3 million after finding the defendant guilty of defamation.
  • The Justice Department finds former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo liable for sexual harassment.
• January 27 – The US suspends UNRWA funds after claims come out that twelve staff members took part in the October 7 attacks in 2023, which included American victims.
• January 28 – Tower 22 drone attack – An Iranian backed militant group launches a drone attack on a US base in Jordan, killing three and wounding forty-seven. The US launches several missiles at Iraq and Syria in retaliation for the drone attack four days later.

February

• February 1
  • Israel–Hamas war: The US imposes sanctions on Israeli settlers over the violence in West Bank.
  • Three people are killed when a Beechcraft Bonanza V35 crashes into a waterfront house in Clearwater, Florida. Two of the casualties are on the ground while the third is the pilot. Three other houses are damaged by a fire which results from the crash.
  • The Oregon Supreme Court upholds Ballot Measure 113 by banning ten of the twelve Republican members of the Oregon Senate for refusing to attend six weeks worth of legislative sessions in order to stall Democratic legislation.
• February 4 – The schedule for the 2026 FIFA World Cup which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico is released. A total of 78 games will be played in the US, including the final.
• February 6
  • Social media network Bluesky, seen as a potential rival to X, is opened for public registrations, dropping its previous invite-only format.
  • Presidential immunity in the United States: A three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals rules that former president Donald Trump lacks broad immunity from prosecution for crimes committed while in office.
  • Aftermath of the Oxford High School shooting: Jennifer Crumbley, mother of convicted Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley, is found guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter, becoming the first parent in the nation's history to be held liable for their child's school shooting.
• February 7
  • Self-help author Marianne Williamson ends her presidential campaign after losing three Democratic primaries to President Biden.
  • 2024 East Lansdowne shooting: At least six members of a family are presumed dead in a house fire in East Lansdowne, Pennsylvania following a shooting which injured two police officers.
• February 8
  • Five US Marines are found dead two days after the CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter they were in crashed in the mountains outside of San Diego during a routine training flight from Creech Air Force Base to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
  • Joe Biden classified documents incident: Special counsel Robert K. Hur recommends that no charges be brought against President Biden, though notes in Hur's report regarding Biden's failure to recall events prompts controversy regarding his age and memory.
  • Tucker Carlson conducts The Vladimir Putin Interview in Moscow, where Vladimir Putin shares his reasons for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The interview is accused of promoting Russian disinformation and pro-war propaganda.
  • Sixteen-year-old non-binary Oklahoma student Nex Benedict dies after an incident stemming from repeated bullying due to their gender identity in their high school. This results in backlash towards Ryan Walters, the Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction who has defended Oklahoma's anti-LGBT policies, and calls to investigate Nex's death as a hate crime.
• February 9
  • Six people, including CEO of Access Bank Herbert Wigwe and former chair of the Nigerian Exchange Group Abimbola Ogunbanjo, are killed when their helicopter crashes near Baker, California en route to Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII.
  • Hop-A-Jet Flight 823 suffers a dual engine failure en route from Columbus, Ohio to Naples, Florida and attempts to land on Interstate 75, but this destroys the aircraft and kills the two pilots, though the two passengers and one flight attendant survive.
• February 11
  • The Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers 25–22 in overtime at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the second Super Bowl to go into overtime after Super Bowl LI. The Chiefs are the first repeat champions since the New England Patriots in 2004.
  • Three males go on an apparent random shooting spree in southeastern Los Angeles County, killing four, including a teenager, and wounding another teenager.
• February 12 – A shooting takes place on a 4 Train and at Mount Eden Avenue station in The Bronx, New York City, killing one and injuring five.
• February 13
  • Impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas: Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas is impeached by the House of Representatives.
  • 2024 New York's 3rd congressional district special election: Residents of New York's 3rd congressional district go to the polls to elect a successor to George Santos who was expelled last year on fraud charges. Democrat Tom Suozzi defeats Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip.
• February 14 – 2024 Kansas City parade shooting: One person is killed and at least nine are injured after a mass shooting during the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl LVIII championship parade at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri. Two armed suspects were arrested at the scene.
• February 15
  • The US launches six missile-detecting satellites into orbit in response to a "serious national security threat" related to Russia wanting to implement its nuclear capabilities in outer space.
  • Odysseus, the first US lunar lander since the unsuccessful Peregrine Mission One, is launched at the Kennedy Space Center Florida, United States.
• February 16
  • New York civil investigation of The Trump Organization: Judge Arthur Engoron orders Trump and his companies to pay $355 million ($464 million after interest is added) as a result of being found liable for several counts of fraud. Additionally, his sons Donald Jr. and Eric are ordered to each pay $4 million and former chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg is ordered to pay $1 million. Ten days later, Trump files an appeal of the judge's holding in the case.
  • An official committee which was appointed to represent the plaintiffs in the Sandy Hook lawsuits against Alex Jones unanimously votes to liquidate the far right-wing conspiracy theorist's assets.
• February 17 – Former congressman George Santos sues late night host Jimmy Kimmel for $750,000 on charges of copyright infringement, fraud, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment after Kimmel purchased Cameo videos from Santos through fake names then used them on his show.
• February 18 – 2024 Burnsville shooting: Police and medics were fired upon from a home while responding to a domestic incident in Burnsville, Minnesota. Two officers and a firefighter were killed while another officer suffered a gunshot wound. After opening fire on first responders, the shooter fatally shot himself.
• February 19 – The 2024 Daytona 500 is held, with William Byron of Axalta's racing team winning.
• February 20 – Three passengers who were on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 sue Boeing for $1 billion for negligence, claiming the incident caused them physical injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.
• February 21
  • Biden cancels another $1.2 billion of student loan debts for nearly 153,000 people.
  • Capital One announces an agreement to acquire Discover Financial and its namesake credit card network for nearly $35 billion.
  • LePage v. Center for Reproductive Medicine: The Alabama Supreme Court rules that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law.
  • A ransomware attack cripples Change Healthcare's payment system, disrupting insurance claims and making it difficult for patients to get the prescription medicine that they need.
• February 22
  • AT&T suffers from network outages impacting around 71,000 customers, which also affect Verizon and T-Mobile to a smaller degree. The outages were acknowledged but no reason was given for their occurrence. Two days later, AT&T announced affected customers will be credited $5 on their next bill, the "average cost of a full day of service".
  • Houston-based Intuitive Machines' Nova-C lander becomes the first commercial vehicle to land on the Moon.
  • Augusta University student Laken Riley is murdered while out on a jog by Jose Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan citizen who entered illegally in 2022. Her murder sparks media attention and debates about immigration.
• February 23
  • The Biden administration announces over 500 new sanctions on Russian financial institutions, military institutions, sanctions evasion, energy production, and prison officials linked to the death of Alexei Navalny.
  • A high-altitude balloon is detected over Utah, prompting the deployment of fighter aircraft to intercept the object. The origin and purpose of the balloon are unknown, according to US officials.
• February 25 – Israel–Hamas war protests in the United States: An Air Force member, identified as Aaron Bushnell, commits self-immolation in front of the Embassy of Israel in DC, as a protest against American support of Israel's war against Hamas. He later died of his injuries.
• February 26 – The body of Mahogany Jackson is discovered in an illegal dump site in Birmingham, Alabama.
• February 27 – The Smokehouse Creek Fire in the Texas panhandle burns almost 200,000 acres, resulting in a state of emergency for the area.
• February 28 – Mitch McConnell announces that he will step down as Senate Republican leader in January 2025. He's been serving as the Senate Republican leader since 2007.

March

• March 1 – Caitlin Clark breaks the all-time NCAA Division I college basketball career scoring record that had been held by Pete Maravich with 3,685 points.
• March 2 – United States support for Israel in the Israel–Hamas war: The United States military announces plans to begin airdropping humanitarian aid into Gaza.
• March 4
  • In Trump v. Anderson, the US Supreme Court unanimously rules that states can not keep presidential candidates off the ballot, overturning the Colorado Supreme Court's decision in Anderson v. Griswold.
  • 2022–2023 Pentagon document leaks: Jack Teixeira, a 22-year-old former member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, pleads guilty to leaking classified Defense Department documents on his Discord server and is sentenced to 16 years and eight months in prison.
  • A Piper PA-32A crashes on I-40 while attempting to land at John C. Tune Airport in Nashville after suffering a mechanical failure. All five passengers are killed on board.
• March 5
  • The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issues a new rule capping late fees for credit cards at $8, in accordance with Biden's Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy.
  • Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signs a bill that adds nitrogen gas and electrocution as execution methods.
• March 6
  • 2024 United States presidential election: Former UN Ambassador and South Carolina governor Nikki Haley suspends her 2024 campaign for President after a poor showing on Super Tuesday, leaving Trump the presumptive Republican nominee. Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips also ends his campaign for the Democratic nomination after losing several primaries to President Biden.
  • Eight Northeast High School students were shot while waiting at a bus stop after three people in a car pulled up and opened fire on them in Northeast Philadelphia.
• March 7 – President Biden delivers his third State of the Union Address.
• March 8
  • A highway crash near Dewhurst, Wisconsin involving a van and a semi-tractor kills nine people and injures one.
  • A UH-72 Lakota helicopter crashes while conducting an aviation operation 41 miles west of McAllen, Texas, killing one border patrol agent and two National Guard soldiers and injuring another.
  • Former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández is found guilty in a Manhattan court of conspiring with drug traffickers and enabling the transportation of over 400 tons of cocaine from Honduras to the US.
• March 9 – Utah adopts its new state flag, 113 years after the adoption of its former flag.
• March 10
  • Five people are killed during a mass stabbing and murder–suicide in Manoa, Honolulu.
  • An IAI 1125 Astra SP crashes while on approach to Ingalls Field Airport in Hot Springs, Virginia. All five people onboard are killed.
• March 13 – The United States deploys a Marine Corps Security Force Regiment platoon to secure the U.S. embassy complex in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and evacuate embassy staff and other Americans citizens amid the ongoing gang war crisis in the country.
• March 14
  • SpaceX successfully launches the first Starship rocket, the most powerful rocket ever built, at the Starbase launch site in Boca Chica, Texas after two previous failed attempts. However, the vehicle is lost during reentry.
  • Aftermath of the Oxford High School shooting: James Crumbley, father of convicted Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley, is found guilty of four counts of involuntary manslaughter. He is the first father in the nation to be found responsible for his child's school shooting and second parent overall; his wife Jennifer Crumbley was found guilty of the same charges the previous month.
• March 15 – At least three people are killed in Ohio after tornadoes tear through the state.
• March 16 – A gunman kills three people in Falls Township, Pennsylvania and escapes in a stolen car. The suspect subsequently travels to Trenton, New Jersey, where he barricades himself with several hostages.
• March 18 – Jo-Ann Stores files for chapter 11 bankruptcy after accumulating over $1 billion in debt.
• March 19
  • In United States v. Texas, the Supreme Court declines to block a Texas Senate bill allowing officials to arrest and deport migrants.
  • Former Mississippi sheriff's deputy Hunter Edward is sentenced to 20-year term of imprisonment for his role in torturing two African-American men in January 2023.
• March 20 – The Biden administration announces new vehicle emission standards for 2027–2032, as it pushes for wider adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles.
• March 21 – A man identified as Richard Slayma receives a kidney from a genetically engineered pig at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. This medical breakthrough could see the end of dialysis treatment.
• March 25
  • Israel–United States relations: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancels a planned visit to the United States in response to the United States abstaining on a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas.
  • Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun announces he will step down at the end of the year after several incidents involving its planes in the past six years.
• March 26
  • The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore partially collapses after the large Singaporean cargo ship MV Dali collides with it. Six people are reported missing and presumed dead.
  • Abortion in the United States: The Supreme Court announces that it will hear a case on whether to restrict access to mifepristone, a commonly-used abortion pill.
• March 27 – 2024 Rockford stabbings: Four people are killed and seven others are injured during a mass stabbing in Rockford, Illinois.
• March 28
  • In United States v. Bankman-Fried, the defendant is sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of several counts of wire fraud and money laundering after he scammed $8 billion from investors via his company FTX.
  • A bill that would have legalized recreational cannabis sales in Virginia is vetoed by governor Glenn Youngkin.
• March 31 – Millions of AT&T customers are affected by a data breach that leaked onto the dark web.

April

• April 1
  • The Supreme Court of Florida rules that the Florida Constitution does not confer a right to abortion, allowing the 15-week abortion ban to remain in effect. The Court's decision also allowed six week abortion ban, which had been halted by the Court until a decision was made, to proceed. As a result, the ban would take effect 30 days after the ruling. In the same opinion, the Supreme Court also approved Florida Amendment 4 to proceed to the November 2024 ballot, which would enshrine a constitutional right to abortion before fetal viability.
  • Jacob Flickinger, a dual American-Canadian World Central Kitchen aid worker is killed by an Israeli drone strike alongside six other volunteers while delivering aid to the Gaza Strip amid its humanitarian crisis. The attack sparks outrage from the White House and prompts more criticism towards aid worker casualties stemming from Israel's operations.
• April 2
  • A tornado outbreak affects 35 million people in areas of central Kentucky, southern Ohio, West Virginia, and southern Indiana, causing widespread property damage and leaving 275,000 people without power.
  • General Electric finalizes split into three independent companies: GE Aerospace, GE Vernova and GE HealthCare.
• April 3 – The United States Army Corps of Engineers begins dredging the San Juan Bay in Puerto Rico to open space for a new natural gas terminal that is expected to add $400 million to the local economy.
• April 4
  • Bird flu spreads to cattle herds in at least six U.S. states, while a dairy farm worker is infected in Texas, becoming the second person to ever become infected with the virus in the United States.
  • Researchers at the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument in Arizona release the largest 3D map of the universe featuring more than six million galaxies.
• April 5
  • A magnitude 4.8 earthquake strikes New Jersey, causing tremors throughout the East Coast.
  • Commerce, California based 99 Cents Only Stores begins closing all of its 371 stores in the United States.
• April 6 – 2024 Doral shooting: Two people are killed and seven others are injured in a mass shooting in Doral, Florida.
• April 7 – In women's college basketball, South Carolina wins the national championship to complete their perfect 38–0 season, only the 10th perfect season in NCAA women's basketball history.
• April 8
  • A total solar eclipse is viewable in the central and northeastern US, with the path of total eclipse over parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
  • In men's college basketball, Connecticut repeats as national champions, becoming the first program to do so since the Florida Gators did so in 2006 and 2007.
• April 9
  • Aftermath of the Oxford High School shooting: James and Jennifer Crumbley, parents of convicted Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley, are each sentenced to 10-15 years in prison after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter earlier this year.
  • Abortion in Arizona: In Planned Parenthood Arizona v. Mayes, the Arizona Supreme Court upholds an 1864 law that disallows most types of abortions.
• April 10 – At least one person is killed by flooding in Mississippi as severe storms hit the South.
• April 12 – 2024 Texas Department of Public Safety building truck crash: A man crashes a semi-trailer truck into a Texas Department of Public Safety building, killing one person and injuring thirteen others.
• April 13 – 2024 Iranian strikes in Israel: The United States intercepts several Iranian drones targeting Israel.
• April 17
  • Impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas: The United States Senate votes to dismiss both impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, by a vote of 51-48 on the first article and 51-49 on the second article.
  • The Biden administration announces that it will reimpose oil sanctions on Venezuela.
  • Students at Columbia University begin a pro-Palestinian occupation protest on campus. Hundreds are arrested after New York City leadership orders the protests to disperse, and the protesters are accused of Antisemitism. The arrests marked the first time the university has allowed police to suppress campus protests since the 1968 demonstrations against the Vietnam War.
• April 18
  • In ice hockey, the National Hockey League board approves the relocation of the Arizona Coyotes to Salt Lake City, Utah. The team will play home games at the Delta Center, home of the National Basketball Association's Utah Jazz, until a new arena is complete.
  • The United States vetoes a UN Security Council resolution supporting the State of Palestine joining the United Nations.
• April 19
  • Maxwell Azzarello, a 37-year-old man from St. Augustine, Florida self-immolates in front of the New York Supreme Court in New York City where the New York state criminal trial against Trump is set to begin. He died early the next day.
  • The US agrees to withdraw American troops from Niger.
  • Taylor Swift releases her new double album The Tortured Poets Department. It breaks the record for most-streamed album in a single day and she becomes the most-streamed artist in a single day.
  • Tesla recalls thousands of Cybertrucks due to "safety concerns" involving the truck's accelerator pedals.
  • The U.S. Department of Education releases revisions to Title IX expanding protections to LGBTQ+ students.
• April 20 – The House passes a series of bills that would provide $95 billion in military aid to countries including Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
• April 23
  • After five months with communication problems, NASA receives decipherable data from Voyager 1.
  • The Federal Trade Commission issues a rule which bans non-compete clauses across nearly all industries and professions, prompting a lawsuit over the new rule from the US Chamber of Commerce and its allies the next day.
  • The Department of Justice agrees to pay $138.7 million to those who were sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar for the mishandled investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
  • A Douglas DC-4 crashes into the Tanana River in Alaska, shortly after takeoff from Fairbanks, killing two people on board.
• April 24 – Restrictions on TikTok in the United States: Biden signs the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, requiring that ByteDance sell TikTok to an American company in nine months or face the app being banned in the US. In response, ByteDance sues the U.S. government on First Amendment grounds two weeks later.
• April 25–27 – The NFL Draft is held in Detroit with the Chicago Bears taking former USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. Over 700,000 people attend the three day event, breaking the record held by the 2019 draft in Nashville by 100,000.
• April 25
  • Film producer Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction is overturned by the New York Court of Appeals by a vote of 4–3, and a new trial is ordered. However, Weinstein will still remain in prison on a 2022 conviction in California for rape.
  • The Federal Communications Commission votes to restore net neutrality rules implemented by the Obama administration after their repeal in 2017.
  • The University of Southern California cancels its main commencement ceremony due to safety concerns stemming from Israel–Hamas war protests on their campus.
  • The Arabic language spokesperson of the U.S. State Department resigns in opposition to U.S. Gaza policy.
• April 26
  • A series of tornadoes hit at least six states, putting at least 20 million people in the Plains on alert and killing at least five.
  • The Louisiana Supreme Court rules 4-3 in favor of predominantly White St. George, Louisiana leaving Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
• April 29
  • Mexico–United States border crisis: The United States and Mexico agree to clamp down on illegal immigration; Presidents Joe Biden and Andrés Manuel López Obrador agree to a plan to reduce illegal crossings.
  • 2024 Charlotte shootout: Four law enforcement officers and one gunman are killed and four others are wounded during a shootout in Charlotte, North Carolina.
  • Cheng “Charlie” Saephan, 46, of Portland, Oregon, an immigrant from Laos who has had cancer for eight years and had his latest chemotherapy treatment last week, wins the Powerball, valued at $1.3 billion.
  • Texas Governor Greg Abbott sends a letter to the Texas Education Agency instructing it to ignore U.S. President Joe Biden's revisions to Title IX adding protections for LGBTQ+ students.
• April 30 – Judge Juan Merchan fines Donald Trump $9,000 for contempt of court, and threatens him with jail if he continues to violate his gag order.

May

• May 1
  • A six-week abortion ban takes effect in Florida.
  • U.S. federal judge Catherine Eagles blocks several of North Carolina's restrictions on abortion pill mifepristone, striking down a requirement that the drug only be prescribed by doctors in-person, as well as a requirement for patients to have an in-person follow-up appointment.
  • The United Methodist Church votes 692–51 to repeal a longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy. The vote also forbids superintendents from forbidding a same-sex wedding.
  • Pro-Israel counter-protestors attack the pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles, throwing objects and attempting to destroy barricades. Mass arrests begin the next day.
• May 2
  • Florida becomes the first state in the United States to ban cultured meat.
  • Abortion in Arizona: Arizona governor Katie Hobbs signs a bill that will allow abortions up to 15 weeks into the pregnancy, reversing the state Supreme Court's decision in Planned Parenthood Arizona v. Mayes from last month.
  • Clothing retailer Rue21 files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after accumulating $194.4 million in debt and announces it will close all of its 540 stores after 54 years in business.
• May 3
  • Representative Henry Cuellar is indicted for accepting nearly $600,000 worth of bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled company and a Mexican bank.
  • More than 2,000 people have been arrested for involvement in the pro-Palestinian university campus protests. In response, the Houthis offer American students who have been suspended education at Sanaa University in Yemen.
  • The Federal Trade Commission gives ExxonMobil approval in the acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources for $60 billion.
  • The United States tells Qatar to evict Hamas if the latter obstructs an Israeli hostage deal.
• May 4 – The 150th edition of the Kentucky Derby is held, with American thoroughbred racehorse Mystik Dan winning in a photo finish.
• May 5
  • 2024 Formula One World Championship: McLaren driver Lando Norris wins his first Formula One race after winning the Miami Grand Prix.
  • 2024 NASCAR Cup Series: Kyle Larson defeats Chris Buescher to win the AdventHealth 400 at the Kansas Speedway in the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history, winning a photo finish by one-thousandth (0.001) of a second.
• May 6
  • Reactions to 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses: Columbia University cancels its main graduation ceremony due to ongoing the pro-Palestinian protests and occupation on its campus.
  • A radical group identifying as "Rachel Corrie's Ghost Brigade" claims responsibility for setting fire to 15 vehicles belonging to the Portland Police Bureau on May 1. The group stated this act was intended to preemptively prevent the police from dismantling a pro-Palestinian encampment at Portland State University.
  • Steward Health Care System, a for-profit hospital chain, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
  • The 2024 Met Gala in New York City takes place with the theme "The Garden of Time," celebrating the Met's exhibit Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.
  • Severe storms in Oklahoma damage dozens of houses and power lines, and tornadoes kill at least one person in Barnsdall.
  • The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opens an investigation into a gender identity policy of Katy Independent School District, Texas, which board members passed on August 28, 2023 and requires district employees to disclose to parents if a student requests the use of different pronouns or identifies as transgender.
• May 7
  • Russia declares American nonprofit organization Freedom House an "undesirable organization," effectively outlawing the group, after accusing it of "discrediting the Russian Army" and advocating sanctions against Russia.
  • A FedEx warehouse in Portage, Michigan is destroyed by a tornado.
  • The Boy Scouts of America announces the renaming of the organization to Scouting America on February 8, 2025, in an effort to make youth members of all genders feel more welcome.
• May 8
  • A statue of the late African American civil rights leader Daisy Bates is unveiled at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., representing the state of Arkansas.
  • Dozens of tornadoes strike the United States, killing five.
  • Researchers at Google DeepMind announce the development of AlphaFold 3, an AI model that can predict the structures of almost all biological molecules and model the interactions between them.
  • Healthcare chain Ascension announces it has been the target of a cyber attack on its computer systems.
  • A class action lawsuit is filed against New York City for allegedly discriminating against gay male city employees, by only covering the costs of IVF treatments for women and heterosexual couples.
  • Following a similar April 29 letter to the Texas Education Agency, Texas Governor Greg Abbott sends a letter to Texas public university systems and community colleges directing them not to comply with U.S. President Joe Biden's revisions to Title IX adding protections for LGBTQ+ students.
• May 9
  • A record annual increase in atmospheric CO2 is reported from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, with a jump of 4.7 parts per million (ppm) compared to a year earlier.
  • President Joe Biden threatens to withhold weapons from Israel if it launches a major invasion of Rafah.
• May 10
  • The UN general assembly voted overwhelmingly to back an Palestinian bid for full UN membership to join the United Nations, they voted by 143 to nine, with 25 abstentions, they called on the UN security council to allow full membership to the State of Palestine, while improving its current status with a range of new rights and privileges.
  • Solar cycle 25, a geomagnetic storm, is predicted to hit Earth, reaching G4 intensity and likely causing widespread aurorae, with NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center issuing its first G4-level storm watch since 2005.
  • Shenandoah County Public Schools votes to reverse its 2020 decision and restores Confederate military leaders' names to schools.
• May 11 – Minnesota adopts its new state flag to coincide with the 166th anniversary of its date of statehood.

• July 15–18 – The 2024 Republican National Convention will be held at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
• August 19–22 – The 2024 Democratic National Convention will be held at the United Center in Chicago.
• November 5 – The 2024 United States presidential election will take place.

  Media related to 2024 in the United States at Wikimedia Commons