In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Bank launched a fast-track facility to provide up to $160 billion in financial support to developing countries. This initiative aimed to help countries strengthen health systems, support the poor and vulnerable, and bolster economic recovery efforts during the unprecedented global health crisis.

In 2013, Jim Yong Kim was re-elected for a second term as President of the World Bank. During his tenure, he focused on the Bank's twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity. Kim's leadership emphasized innovation, partnerships, and evidence-based solutions to address global development challenges.

Following the global financial crisis of 2008, the World Bank played a crucial role in the recovery efforts by providing financial support and policy advice to affected countries. The Bank focused on stabilizing financial systems, promoting economic growth, and protecting vulnerable populations from the adverse effects of the crisis.

In 2000, the World Bank played a key role in the launch of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of eight international development goals aimed at addressing poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and discrimination against women. The MDGs set targets for 2015 and were a significant global effort to improve the lives of the world's poorest people.

In 1995, the World Bank joined the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, which was launched to address the debt burdens of the world's poorest countries. The initiative aimed to provide debt relief and promote sustainable economic growth, allowing these countries to redirect resources towards health, education, and infrastructure development.

The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) was established in 1988 as a member of the World Bank Group. MIGA's mission is to promote foreign direct investment in developing countries by providing political risk insurance and credit enhancement to investors and lenders. This initiative aimed to encourage investment in regions that were previously considered too risky.

In 1960, the International Development Association (IDA) was established as part of the World Bank Group. The IDA was created to provide interest-free loans and grants to the world's poorest countries, aiming to boost economic growth, reduce inequalities, and improve living conditions. This marked a significant expansion of the World Bank's mission to include poverty alleviation.

In 1947, the World Bank issued its first loan to France, amounting to $250 million. This loan was aimed at post-war reconstruction and marked the beginning of the World Bank's role in providing financial assistance to countries in need. The loan helped France rebuild its economy and infrastructure after the devastation of World War II.

The World Bank was officially founded on December 27, 1945, following the ratification of the Bretton Woods agreements. Its primary purpose was to provide financial and technical assistance to war-torn and developing countries for reconstruction and development projects, with the goal of reducing poverty and supporting economic development.

The Bretton Woods Conference, held in July 1944, was a gathering of 44 Allied nations in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, United States. The conference aimed to establish a new international monetary order post-World War II. It led to the creation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), which later became part of the World Bank Group.