2016

Events

January

• January 6: Epiphany celebrations are held in Smyrna for the first time since 1922.
• January 6: Epiphany celebrations are held in the occupied city of Ammochostos, Cyprus, for the first time since 1974.
• January 10: Kyriakos Mitsotakis is elected leader of the New Democracy party.
• January 22: S&P raises Greece's credit rating to B- (from CCC+).
• January 27: PM Alexis Tsipras visits Israel and meets with PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
• January 28: Twenty-four migrants drowned off the Greek island of Samos near Turkey after their boat capsized.

February

• February 2: Greek academics and members of the Hellenic Olympic Committee sent a letter to put forward two Greek islanders from Lesvos (85 year-old Emilia Kamvysi and 40-year old fisherman Stratis Valiamos) and one American actress and activist (Susan Sarandon) as candidates for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, lauding their work to help alleviate the hardships of refugees reaching Greece's shores on their way to Europe. Because the Nobel Peace Prize must go to an individual or organization, the experts chose three individuals as representatives of the wider volunteer effort.
• February 4: Greece's largest private and public sector unions (GSEE and ADEDY) stage a general strike to protest against the government's planned pension reforms.
• February 8: Values on the Athens Stock Market drop 7.87%.

Deaths

January

• January 6: Makis Psomiades, businessman - served as President for AEK FC