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What Happened in 2010?

Explore 68 historical moments from 2010 — 66 events, 2 birthdays, and 0 notable deaths.

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Events in 2010(66)

2010⚡ Event

Pakistan volleyball game bombing

A suicide bomber killed 105 spectators at a volleyball game in the Lakki Marwat District of Pakistan. The attack occurred on New Year's Day.

disasterwar
2010⚡ Event

Burj Khalifa Opens

The Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest structure, officially opened in Dubai.

technology
2010⚡ Event

Nag Hammadi Coptic Christian Massacre

In Nag Hammadi, Egypt, Muslim gunmen opened fire on Coptic Christians leaving church after Christmas Liturgy. Eight Christians and one Muslim bystander were killed.

religion
2010⚡ Event

Togo national football team attack

Gunmen attacked the bus transporting the Togo national football team to the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola. Three people were killed.

sportswar
2010⚡ Event

Assassination of Massoud Ali-Mohammadi

Iranian physicist Massoud Ali-Mohammadi was assassinated while leaving his home for the University of Tehran. He was a professor at the university.

politicsscience
2010⚡ Event

Haiti Earthquake

An earthquake registering 7.0 Mw struck Haiti, causing widespread destruction. The disaster killed more than 100,000 people.

disaster
2010⚡ Event

Jos Riots

The first spate of violence between Muslims and Christians began in Jos, Nigeria, resulting in over 200 deaths.

religiondisaster
2010⚡ Event

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 Crash

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 crashed into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after takeoff from Beirut, Lebanon. All 90 people on board were killed.

disaster
2010⚡ Event

L'Homme qui marche I sold for record price

An edition of Alberto Giacometti's sculpture L'Homme qui marche I was sold for £65 million. This set the record for the most expensive sculpture sold at auction.

artseconomics
2010⚡ Event

Pune bombing

A terrorist bombing at a bakery popular among foreigners in Pune, India, killed 17 people and injured 60 others.

disasterpolitics
2010⚡ Event

Halle Train Collision

Two passenger trains collided in Halle, Belgium, when one driver failed to stop at a red signal. The collision resulted in 19 deaths and 171 injuries.

disasterlaw
2010⚡ Event

2010 Nigerien coup d'état

In a coup d'état, military rebels attacked the presidential palace in Niamey, Niger. They replaced President Mamadou Tandja with a ruling junta.

politicswar
2010⚡ Event

Madeira floods

Severe flooding and mudslides on the island of Madeira, Portugal, killed 51 people on February 20, 2010.

disaster
2010⚡ Event

Eyjafjallajökull eruption begins

Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland began a series of volcanic events on March 20, 2010, which later disrupted air travel across Europe.

disaster
2010⚡ Event

Sinking of ROKS Cheonan

The South Korean warship ROKS Cheonan sank in the Yellow Sea after an explosion, allegedly caused by a North Korean torpedo. 46 sailors lost their lives.

wardisaster
2010⚡ Event

Moscow Metro Bombings

Islamist separatists of the Caucasus Emirate detonated two bombs on the Moscow Metro, killing 40 people and injuring 102 others.

disasterpoliticswar
2010⚡ Event

West Virginia Coal Mine Explosion

An explosion at a coal mine in West Virginia killed 29 miners. This was the worst mining disaster in the United States in 40 years.

disasterlaw
2010⚡ Event

Dantewada Ambush

Insurgents ambushed a Central Reserve Police Force convoy in Dantewada district, India, killing 76 officers.

warpolitics
2010⚡ Event

Yushu Earthquake in China

An earthquake registering 6.9 Mw struck Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, China, killing nearly 2,700 people.

disaster
2010⚡ Event

Deepwater Horizon explosion

An explosion on the Deepwater Horizon offshore rig in the Gulf of Mexico occurred, leading to the largest marine oil spill in history.

disastertechnology
2010⚡ Event

Kharkiv Pact Signed

Ukraine and Russia signed the Kharkiv Pact. This agreement extended the Russian lease on naval facilities in Crimea.

politicswar
2010⚡ Event

Arizona SB 1070 Signed into Law

Arizona governor Jan Brewer signed into law the controversial anti-illegal immigration bill SB 1070. Much of the law was later struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

politicslaw
2010⚡ Event

Flash crash of 2010

Exacerbated by high-frequency traders using strategies that have since been banned, major U.S. stock indices dropped nearly 9 percent and quickly rebounded.

economicstechnology
2010⚡ Event

Neanderthal Genome Draft Published

A draft sequence of the Neanderthal genome was published. It demonstrated that modern humans have Neanderthal ancestors.

sciencetechnology
2010⚡ Event

David Cameron becomes UK Prime Minister

David Cameron took office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats formed the country's first coalition government since World War II.

politics
2010⚡ Event

Stephen Timms murder attempt

British politician Stephen Timms survived a murder attempt by an Islamic extremist during a constituency surgery.

politicslaw
2010⚡ Event

Thai Military Crackdown on Protests

In Bangkok, the Thai military concluded a week-long crackdown on widespread protests by forcing the surrender of opposition leaders.

politicswar
2010⚡ Event

Air India Express Flight 812 crash

Air India Express Flight 812 overshot the runway upon landing in Mangalore. The crash killed 158 of the 166 people on board.

disaster
2010⚡ Event

Cumbria shootings

A gunman carried out a shooting spree in Cumbria, England, killing 12 people and injuring 11 others before committing suicide.

disaster
2010⚡ Event

Afghanistan Wedding Bombing

A child suicide bomber attacked a wedding in Nadahan, Afghanistan, killing at least 40 people and injuring at least 70 others.

disasterwar
2010⚡ Event

Abby Sunderland rescue

Sixteen-year-old Abby Sunderland was rescued after her boat was dismasted in the Indian Ocean while attempting to become the youngest sailor to circumnavigate the globe.

explorationdisaster
2010⚡ Event

Longest tennis match concludes

John Isner defeated Nicolas Mahut at the Wimbledon Championships, concluding the longest match in tennis history. The match lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes over three days.

sports
2010⚡ Event

G20 Summit in Toronto

A G20 summit began in downtown Toronto, marking the largest and most expensive security operation in Canadian history.

politicseconomics
2010⚡ Event

Kampala bombings

The Islamist militia group Al-Shabaab carried out multiple suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, killing 74 people and injuring 85 others.

warreligion
2010⚡ Event

Spain wins FIFA World Cup

Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 after extra time to win their first FIFA World Cup title.

sports
2010⚡ Event

One Direction formed

The English-Irish boy band One Direction were formed while auditioning for the 2010 series of the British singing competition The X Factor.

musicentertainment
2010⚡ Event

Mummified remains found in Tokyo

Police in Tokyo found the mummified remains of Sogen Kato, thought to have died in 1978. This led to inquiries into the status of isolated elderly people in Japan.

law
2010⚡ Event

Airblue Flight 202 crash

Airblue Flight 202 crashed into the Margalla Hills north of Islamabad, killing all 152 aboard. This was the deadliest air accident in Pakistan's history.

disaster
2010⚡ Event

2010 Ladakh floods

Flash floods, mudslides, and debris flows across the Ladakh region of Indian-administered Kashmir left at least 255 people dead on August 6, 2010.

disaster
2010⚡ Event

Gansu mudslide kills over 1,400

A devastating mudslide in China's Gansu province resulted in the deaths of at least 1,471 people. The disaster occurred on August 8, 2010.

disaster
2010⚡ Event

MV Sun Sea Incident

The MV Sun Sea docked in British Columbia after being boarded by Canadian authorities. The 492 Sri Lankan Tamil refugee claimants on board were placed into detention.

lawpolitics
2010⚡ Event

Youth Olympic Games Begin

The inaugural edition of the Youth Olympic Games opened in Singapore for athletes aged between 14 and 18.

sportsentertainment
2010⚡ Event

The Bill broadcast its final episode

The last episode of The Bill, a British police drama, was broadcast. It was the longest-running police drama in British television history.

entertainment
2010⚡ Event

Canterbury earthquake

A magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck the Canterbury Region of New Zealand, causing two deaths and significant damages.

disaster
2010⚡ Event

China-Japan fishing trawler collision

A Chinese fishing trawler collided with Japan Coast Guard patrol boats near the Senkaku Islands. This incident sparked a major diplomatic dispute between China and Japan.

politicslaw
2010⚡ Event

San Bruno pipeline explosion

A natural-gas pipeline in San Bruno, California, exploded, killing eight people. The explosion sent a fireball more than 1,000 feet into the air.

disaster
2010⚡ Event

Teresa Lewis Executed in Virginia

Teresa Lewis became the first woman executed by Virginia since 1912. She was also the first woman in the state to be executed via lethal injection.

law
2010⚡ Event

Linda Norgrove Kidnapping

Scottish aid worker Linda Norgrove and three Afghan colleagues were kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

politicswar
2010⚡ Event

Mount Merapi eruption

Mount Merapi in Central Java, Indonesia, began an increasingly violent series of eruptions that lasted over a month.

disaster
2010⚡ Event

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

American comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert hosted the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear in Washington, D.C. on October 30, 2010.

politicsentertainment
2010⚡ Event

Qantas Flight 32 engine failure

In the first aviation incident involving an Airbus A380, Qantas Flight 32 suffered an uncontained engine failure and made an emergency landing in Singapore with no casualties.

disastertechnology
2010⚡ Event

Sebastian Vettel Wins Drivers' Championship

Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel won the Drivers' Championship after winning the final race of the season, becoming the youngest Formula One champion.

sportstechnology
2010⚡ Event

Pike River Mine disaster

The first of four explosions occurred at the Pike River Mine in the West Coast of New Zealand, marking the country's worst mining disaster in nearly a century.

disastertechnology
2010⚡ Event

IKAROS Spacecraft Flies by Venus

The Japanese spacecraft IKAROS successfully flew by Venus, demonstrating solar-sail technology. The mission objective was met.

spacesciencetechnology
2010⚡ Event

Arab Spring begins in Tunisia

Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor, set himself on fire in protest against police harassment. This act triggered the Tunisian revolution and the wider Arab Spring.

politics
2010⚡ Event

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Repealed

On December 22, 2010, the United States repealed its "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding gay, lesbian, and bisexual people in the military.

politicslaw

Born in 2010(2)

2010🎂 Birth

Sophia Reid-Gantzert born

Sophia Reid-Gantzert, a Canadian actress and dancer, was born on January 18, 2010.

entertainment

Deaths in 2010(0)

No deaths recorded for 2010.

Dates in 2010

January 1January 4January 7January 8January 12January 17January 18January 25January 27February 3February 13February 15February 18February 20March 11March 20March 26March 29April 5April 6April 14April 20April 21April 23May 6May 7May 11May 14May 15May 19May 22May 28June 2June 9June 12June 19June 24June 26July 11July 23July 25July 27July 28August 6August 8August 13August 14August 31September 3September 4September 7September 9September 23September 26October 25October 30November 4November 14November 19December 8December 17December 22

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened in 2010?
2010 saw 68 notable historical moments, including 66 events, 2 famous birthdays, and 0 notable deaths.
What were the biggest events of 2010?
Key events of 2010 include: Pakistan volleyball game bombing, Burj Khalifa Opens, Nag Hammadi Coptic Christian Massacre.

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