Jan. 3: Harvard University’s President Claudine Gay resigns on the heels of allegations that she plagiarized elements of her thesis and a controversial hearing in Congress with several Ivy League presidents about the rise of anti-Semitic incidents on college campuses. Gay’s resignation follows the December resignation of the University of Pennsylvania’s President Liz Magill.

Jan. 3: Lakeside faculty, led by coaches Mia B. ’24 and Augie K. ’24, beat the seniors in the annual students vs. faculty basketball game.

Jan. 5: A door plug in an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 plane falls out mid-flight, exposing a gaping hole in the plane and forcing an emergency landing. Several passengers are injured, and four passengers sued the airline on Jan 16.

Jan. 8: The Michigan Wolverines beat the Washington Huskies 34–13 in the College Football National Championship, played in Houston, Texas.

Jan. 10: Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll parts ways after 14 seasons, two consecutive appearances at the Super Bowl, and 1 Super Bowl ring after victory against the Denver Broncos. The move came after the Seahawks finished the 2023–2024 season with 9 wins and 8 losses, subsequently missing out on the playoffs for the second time in the last three seasons.

Jan. 10: Ecuadorian president Daniel Noboa declares a state of emergency and national curfew amid a spike in violence as the leader of the country’s largest gang escapes from prison. Armed gang members storm a state-owned TV studio during a live broadcast.

Jan. 11–12: Public hearings take place in the International Court of Justice for South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide in its invasion of Gaza.

Jan. 15: The Iowa caucuses, the first primary elections of the 2024 presidential race, take place. Donald Trump wins the Republican primary with 51% of the vote; Ron DeSantis takes second place with 21% of the vote and drops out of the race six days later.

Jan. 18–19: Frigid temperatures grip Seattle and create icy conditions on Lakeside’s campus, leading to the cancellation of after-school programs on Jan 18 and of school on Jan 19.

Jan. 22: The U.S. and United Kingdom strike eight Houthi targets in Yemen following the militia group’s drone and missile attacks against commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea.

Jan. 26: The International Court of Justice orders Israel to “take all measures within its power” to avoid genocide in Gaza.