2010

2010 (MMX) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. The year was marked by a combination of natural disasters, political and economic developments, and notable technological and cultural milestones.

In January, a catastrophic earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, causing widespread devastation and an estimated 230,000 deaths, triggering a massive international relief effort. In February, central Chile was hit by a magnitude 8.8 earthquake, resulting in extensive damage and thousands of casualties. The same month, the 2010 Winter Olympics took place in Vancouver, Canada, from February 12 to 28. In April, Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted, sending ash clouds over Europe and disrupting air travel for weeks.

On April 20, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, triggering a long-lasting oil spill that required extensive containment and cleanup efforts. The spill dominated environmental headlines through much of the year. The global economy continued its gradual recovery from the 2008–09 crisis, while Greece received an international bailout in May to address its sovereign debt crisis. In June and July, Spain won the FIFA World Cup held in South Africa (the first World Cup in Africa), a major sporting event in the year.

In technology and science, Apple released the iPad on April 3, popularizing tablet computing, and NASA launched the Solar Dynamics Observatory in February to study the Sun. The year also saw continued international financial regulation reforms with the United States passing the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act in July. The Cancun climate conference, COP16, concluded in December with a framework for future emissions negotiations.