World Events in 2010
Haiti Earthquake
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck near Port-au-Prince on 12 January, killing over 220,000 people and leaving 1.5 million homeless. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history.
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
An explosion on BP's Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico on 20 April killed 11 workers and caused the largest marine oil spill in history. Nearly 5 million barrels of oil leaked over 87 days.
Eyjafjallajokull Eruption
The Icelandic volcano erupted in April, sending an ash cloud across European airspace and grounding over 100,000 flights. Millions of passengers were stranded for nearly a week.
Chilean Mining Rescue
33 miners were trapped 700 metres underground in the San Jose mine in Chile for 69 days. Their rescue in October was watched live on television by an estimated billion viewers worldwide.
WikiLeaks Releases Classified Documents
Julian Assange's organisation published vast troves of classified US military and diplomatic documents, sparking global debate about transparency, national security, and press freedom.
FIFA World Cup in South Africa
The first World Cup held on the African continent saw Spain win their maiden title, defeating the Netherlands 1-0 in the final. The tournament was celebrated for its atmosphere despite the constant drone of vuvuzelas.
Music in 2010
"Love the Way You Lie"
Eminem ft. Rihanna
This collaboration was one of the biggest songs of the year globally. In the UK, the best-selling single was 'Love the Way You Lie', reflecting the dominance of hip-hop crossovers in the charts.
"TiK ToK"
Kesha
Kesha's debut single opened the year at number one and became the best-selling digital single of 2010 in the US, perfectly capturing the party-pop zeitgeist of the era.
#1 Film of 2010
Toy Story 3
Box Office: $1.07 billion
Pixar's third instalment in the beloved franchise became the first animated film to cross $1 billion worldwide. It made grown adults weep openly in cinemas and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Born in 2010
Prince George's generation
Children born in 2010 would be among the first true 'iPad generation', growing up never knowing a world without touchscreens
Harper Beckham
Daughter of David and Victoria Beckham (born July 2011, often misattributed to 2010)
Lost in 2010
Alexander McQueen
Fashion designer known for dramatic, provocative runway shows
Age 40
J.D. Salinger
Author of The Catcher in the Rye
Age 91
Dennis Hopper
Actor and director (Easy Rider, Blue Velvet)
Age 74
Gary Coleman
Actor (Diff'rent Strokes)
Age 42
Tony Curtis
Actor (Some Like It Hot, Spartacus)
Age 85
Technology in 2010
The iPad launched and created the tablet market overnight. Instagram appeared in October and gained a million users within weeks. Smartphones were mainstream but not yet universal. Netflix was still mainly a DVD-by-mail service in the US. 3D cinema was having a brief renaissance after Avatar.
- ● Apple iPad launched, creating the tablet category
- ● Instagram launched in October
- ● iPhone 4 introduced with FaceTime video calling
- ● Google launched the Nexus One, its first own-brand phone
Cost of Living in 2010
| Item | UK | US |
|---|---|---|
| Average house price | £167,000 | $175,000 |
| Average salary | £25,100 | $50,000 |
| Pint of milk | 46p | $0.85 |
| Loaf of bread | £1.20 | $2.49 |
| Dozen eggs | £1.80 | $1.79 |
| Pint of beer | £2.90 | $3.50 |
| Gallon of petrol/gas | £5.10 | $2.78 |
| Cinema ticket | £6.50 | $7.89 |
Shop 2010 memorabilia on eBay/Amazon
The Zeitgeist of 2010
The hangover from the 2008 financial crisis still lingered, but there was cautious optimism. Skinny jeans and oversized sunglasses dominated fashion. The World Cup in South Africa brought vuvuzelas to global ears. Glee was inescapable on TV, and the indie-folk revival was in full swing.
In the News in 2010
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill became the worst environmental disaster in US history. Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted, grounding flights across Europe for weeks. WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of classified US documents. A devastating earthquake struck Haiti, killing over 200,000 people.