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Period: to
1 Jan 2010 - 31 Dec 2010
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U.S. And U.K. Close Embassies in Yemen
The United States and the United Kingdom close their embassies in Yemen, due to the ongoing security threat by Al-Qaeda. -
Burj Khalifa Officially Opens
The tallest man-made structure to date, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is officially opened. -
Togo National Football Team Withdraws from Africa Cup of Nations
The Togo national football team is involved in an attack in Angola, and, as a result, withdraws from the Africa Cup of Nations. -
An Enormous Earthquake Devastates Haiti
A 7.0-magnitude earthquake occurs in Haiti, devastating the nation's capital city, Port-au-Prince. With a confirmed death toll of over 230,000 people, it is one of the deadliest earthquakes, in recorded history. -
Longest Annular Solar Eclipse of the Millennium Occurs
The longest annular solar eclipse of the 3rd Millennium occurs. -
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 Crashes
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 crashes into the Mediterranean Sea, shortly after take-off from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, killing all 90 people, on-board. -
L'Homme qui marche I Sets A New World Record
The sculpture L'Homme qui marche I by Alberto Giacometti sells in London for 65 million pounds (US$103.7 million), setting a new world record, for a work of art sold at auction. -
The 2010 Winter Olympics Are Held In Canada
The 2010 Winter Olympics begin, in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada. They last until February 28. -
Nigerian President Overthrown
The President of Niger, Tandja Mamadou, is overthrown, after a group of soldiers storms the presidential palace, and form a ruling junta, the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy, headed by the chef d'escadron, Salou Djibo. -
A Huge Earthquake Occurs In Chile
An 8.8-magnitude earthquake occurs in Chile, triggering a tsunami over the Pacific, and killing at least 525 people. The earthquake is one of the largest in recorded history. -
The Kasubi Tombs Are Destroyed In A Fire
The Kasubi Tombs, Uganda's only cultural World Heritage Site, are destroyed by fire. -
A South Korean Navy Ship Sinks
The ROKS Cheonan, a South Korean Navy ship carrying 104 personnel, sinks off the country's West Coast, killing 46 people. In May, an independent investigation later blames North Korea, which then denies the allegations. -
The President of Kyrgyzstan Resigns
Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev flees Bishkek, amid fierce rioting, sparking a socio-political crisis. Former foreign minister Roza Otunbayeva is placed at the head of an interim government, as the opposition seizes control. -
Polish President Lech Kaczynski Dies in a Plane Crash
The Incumbent President of Poland, Lech Kaczynski, is among 96 people, who are killed, when their airplane crashes, in Western Russia. -
A Deadly Earthquake Occurs In China
A 6.9-magnitude earthquake occurs in Qinghai, China, killing at least 2,000 people, and injuring more than 10,000 people. -
Volcanic Ash Begins To Disrupt Air Traffic In Europe
Volcanic ash from one of several eruptions beneath Eyjafjallajokull, an ice cap in Iceland, begins to disrupt air traffic, across Northern and Western Europe. -
The Worst Oil Spill In U.S. History Occurs
The Deepwater Horizon oil platform explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers. The resulting Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, one of the largest in history, spreads for several months, damaging the waters and the United States coastline, and prompting international debate, and doubt, about the practice and procedures of offshore oil drilling. -
Greece's Sovereign Credit Rating Downgraded To "Junk"
Standard & Poor's downgrades Greece's sovereign credit rating to "Junk", four days after the activation of a 45-billion-Euro EU-IMF bail-out, triggering the decline of stock markets worldwide and of the Euro's value, and even furthering a European sovereign debt crisis. -
The Eurozone And The International Monetary Fund Agree To A Bail-out Package For Greece
The eurozone and the International Monetary Fund agree to a 110-billion-euro bail-out package, for Greece. The package involves sharp Greek austerity measures. -
Nude, Green Leaves and Bust Sets A New World Record
Nude, Green Leaves and Bust by Pablo Picasso sells in New York for US$106.5-million, setting another new world record, for a work of art, sold at an auction. -
Scientists Announce That Neanderthals And Modern Humans May Have Interbred
Scientists conducting the Neanderthal Genome Project announce that they have sequenced enough of the Neanderthal genome to suggest that Neanderthals and modern humans may possibly have interbred, in the past. -
Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771 Crashes
Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771 crashes at a runway, at Tripoli International Airport in Libya, killing 103 of the 104 people, on-board. -
A Military Crackdown Ends Protests In Bangkok, Thailand
Protests in Bangkok, Thailand, end with a bloody military crackdown, killing 91 people, and injuring more than 2,100 people. -
Scientists Create A Synthetic Genome
Scientists announce that they have finally created a functional synthetic genome. -
Five Paintings Are Stolen From A French Museum
Five paintings worth 100 million euros are stolen from the Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. -
Air India Express Flight 812 Crashes
Air India Express Flight 812 overshoots the runway, at Mangalore International Airport, in India, killing 158 people, and leaving 8 survivors. -
Nine Activists Are Killed In Israel
Nine activists are killed in a clash with soldiers when Israeli Navy forces raid and capture a flotilla of ships, attempting to break the Gaza blockade. -
Ethnic Riots In Kyrgyzstan Kill Hundreds Of People
Ethnic riots in Kyrgyzstan between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks results in the deaths of hundreds of people. -
The 2010 FIFA World Cup Is Held
The 2010 FIFA World Cup is held, in South Africa, and is won by Spain. It started on June 11, 2010, and it lasted until July 11, when Spain won the World Cup. -
The First-Ever 24-Hour-Flight By A Solar-Powered Plane Occurs
The first-ever 24-hour flight by a solar-powered plane is completed by the Solar Impulse. -
Over 90,000 Internal Reports About The Afghan War Are Leaked
WikiLeaks, an online publisher of anonymous, covert, and classified material, leaks to the public over 90,000 internal reports about the United States-led involvement in the War in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2010. -
Heavy Monsoons Cause Widespread Flooding In Pakistan
Heavy monsoon rains begin to cause widespread flooding in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Over 1,600 people are killed, and more than one million are displaced, by the floods. -
World Health Organization Declares H1N1 Pandemic Officially Over
The World Health Organization officially declares the H1N1 ("Swine Flu") influenza pandemic over, saying that worldwide flu activity has returned to their typical seasonal patterns. -
The Netherlands Antilles Are Dissolved
The Netherlands Antilles are dissolved, with the islands being split up, and given a new constitutional status. -
33 Trapped Chilean Miners Are Brought To The Surface
Thirty-three miners near Copiapo, Chile, trapped 700 meters underground in a mining accident in San Jose Mine, are brought back up to the surface, after surviving underground, for a record 69 days. -
The International Space Station Sets A New World Record
The International Space Station surpasses the record for the longest continuous human occupation of space, having been continuously inhabited, since November 2, 2000 (3,641 days). -
Finance Ministers Of The G-20 Agree To Reform The International Monetary Fund
In preparation for the Seoul summit, finance ministers of the G-20 agree to reform the International Monetary Fund, and shift 6% of the voting shares to developing nations, and countries with emerging markets. -
An Earthquake And Tsunami Occur Off The Coast Of Sumatra
An earthquake and consequent tsunami off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, kills over 400 people, and leaves hundreds more missing. -
Repeated Eruptions Of Mount Merapi In Central Java Kill 300
Repeated eruptions of Mount Merapi volcano in Central Java, Indonesia, and accompanying pyroclastic flows of scalding gas, pumice, and volcanic ash descending the erupting volcano kill three hundred people, and force hundreds and thousands of residents to evacuate. -
Aero Caribbean Flight 883 Crashes
Aero Caribbean Flight 883 crashes in Central Cuba, killing all 68 people on-board. -
The G-20 Summit Is Held In South Korea
The G-20 Summit is held, in Seoul, South Korea. Korea becomes the first non-G8 nation to host a G-20 leaders' summit. The summit started on Nov 11, and it lasted until the following day, Nov 12. -
Aung San Suu Kyi Is Released From House Arrest
Burmese opposition politician Aung San Suu Kyi is released from her house arrest. -
Scientists Successfully Trap Anti-matter
Researchers at CERN trap 38 anti-Hydrogen atoms, for a sixth of a second, marking the first time in history that humans have successfully trapped antimatter. -
The Lisbon Summit Declaration Is Issued
Participants of the 2010 NATO Lisbon summit issued the Lisbon Summit Declaration. -
Eurozone Countries Agree To A Rescue Package For Ireland
Eurozone countries agree to a rescue package for the Republic of Ireland from the European Financial Stability Facility, in response to the country's financial crisis. -
A Stampede In Cambodia Kills 347 People
A stampede during Bon Om Thook (Khmer Water Festival) celebrations in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, kills 347 people. -
North Korea Shells Yeonpyeong Island
North Korea shells Yeonpyeong Island, prompting a military response, by South Korea. The incident caused an escalation of tension on the Korean Peninsula, and prompted widespread international condemnation. The United Nations declared it to be one of the most serious incidents, since the end of the Korean War. -
WikiLeaks Releases More Than 250,000 American Diplomatic Cables
The website WikiLeaks releases a collection of more than 250,000 American diplomatic cables, including 100,000 marked "secret", or "confidential". -
The European Union Agrees To A Rescue Deal For Ireland
The European Union agrees to an 85-million-euro rescue deal, for Ireland, from the European Financial Stability Facility, the International Monetary Fund, and bilateral loans, from the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Sweden. -
The 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference Is Held
The 2010 United Nations Climate Chanfe Conference is held, in Cancun, Mexico. It begins on this date, and it lasts until December 10th. Also referred to as the 16th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 16), it served, too, as the 6th meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 6). -
The Arab Spring Begins
A Tunisian street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi sets himself on fire, in protest of unemployment, and economic difficulties, that are plaguing the country. This self-immolation then triggers numerous protests, and revolutions, across the Middle East. This phenomenon would later be called the Arab Spring. -
A Rare Lunar Eclipse Occurs
The first total lunar eclipse to occur on the day of the Northern Winter Solstice and the Southern Summer Solstice, since 1638, takes place.