| 121 | January 1 | Event | 1989 – The Montreal Protocol comes into force, stopping the use of chemicals contributing to ozone depletion. |
| 122 | January 1 | Event | 1990 – David Dinkins is sworn in as New York City's first black mayor. |
| 123 | January 1 | Event | 1992 – The Russian Federation is formally established. |
| 124 | January 1 | Event | 1993 – Dissolution of Czechoslovakia: Czechoslovakia is divided into Slovakia and the Czech Republic. |
| 125 | January 1 | Event | 1993 – A single market within the European Community is introduced. |
| 126 | January 1 | Event | 1994 – The Zapatista Army of National Liberation initiates twelve days of armed conflict in the Mexican state of Chiapas. |
| 127 | January 1 | Event | 1994 – The North American Free Trade Agreement comes into effect. |
| 128 | January 1 | Event | 1995 – The World Trade Organization goes into effect. |
| 129 | January 1 | Event | 1995 – Sweden, Austria, and Finland are admitted into the European Union. |
| 130 | January 1 | Event | 1995 – The Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe becomes the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. |
| 131 | January 1 | Event | 1995 – The Draupner wave in the North Sea in Norway is detected, confirming the existence of freak waves. |
| 132 | January 1 | Event | 1996 – Curaçao gains limited self-government, though it remains within free association with the Netherlands. |
| 133 | January 1 | Event | 1997 – Zaire officially joins the World Trade Organization. |
| 134 | January 1 | Event | 1997 – Ghanaian diplomat Kofi Annan is appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations. |
| 135 | January 1 | Event | 1998 – Russia begins to circulate new rubles to stem inflation and promote confidence. |
| 136 | January 1 | Event | 1998 – The European Central Bank is established. |
| 137 | January 1 | Event | 1999 – The Euro currency is introduced in 11 countries - members of the European Union (with the exception of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece and Sweden). |
| 138 | January 1 | Event | 2002 – Euro banknotes and coins become legal tender in twelve of the European Union's member states. |
| 139 | January 1 | Event | 2002 – Taiwan officially joins the World Trade Organization, as Chinese Taipei. |
| 140 | January 1 | Event | 2002 – The Open Skies mutual surveillance treaty, initially signed in 1992, officially comes into force. |
| 141 | January 1 | Event | 2004 – In a vote of confidence, General Pervez Musharraf wins 658 out of 1,170 votes in the Electoral College of Pakistan, and according to Article 41(8) of the Constitution of Pakistan, is "deemed to be elected" to the office of President until October 2 |
| 142 | January 1 | Event | 2007 – Bulgaria and Romania officially join the European Union. Slovenia joins Eurozone. |
| 143 | January 1 | Event | 2007 – Adam Air Flight 574 disappears over Indonesia with 102 people on board. |
| 144 | January 1 | Event | 2008 – Cyprus and Malta join the Eurozone. |
| 145 | January 1 | Event | 2009 – Sixty-six people die in a nightclub fire in Bangkok, Thailand. |
| 146 | January 1 | Event | 2009 – Slovakia joins the Eurozone. |
| 147 | January 1 | Event | 2010 – A suicide car bomber detonates at a volleyball tournament in Lakki Marwat, Pakistan, killing 105 and injuring 100 more. |
| 148 | January 1 | Event | 2011 – A bomb explodes as Coptic Christians in Alexandria, Egypt, leave a new year service, killing 23 people. |
| 149 | January 1 | Event | 2011 – The Kallikratis plan becomes the new administrative system of Greece. |
| 150 | January 1 | Event | 2011 – Estonia becomes the 17th member of the Eurozone. |