2010s
Encyclopedia
The 2010s, pronounced "twenty-tens" or "two thousand (and) tens", is the current decade which began on January 1, 2010 and will end on December 31, 2019. The decade is also called the second decade of the 21st century and 3rd millennium
.
The decade began amidst a global financial crisis that started in the late 2000s, after approximately three decades of prosperity, economic growth as well as income inequality, and increased globalization. In particular, the ongoing Eurozone debt crisis, which stemmed from these economic problems, first became pronounced in May 2010 and continues to threaten the possibility of a global recovery. Other economic issues such as inflation, and an increase in commodity
prices, sparked immense unrest in many lower-income countries. In some countries this unrest evolved into socio-economic
crises which set off numerous revolutions, such as in Kyrgyzstan in 2010, and Tunisia
, Egypt
, and Libya
in 2011. This trend continues at present, and is known as the Arab Spring
. The revolutions of 2011 also include the Spanish "Indignants"
, inspired by the Arab Spring, and the Occupy movement
protests in North America and Europe, influenced by both Spanish demonstrations and the Arab Spring.
WikiLeaks
Americas
Europe
Africa
Oceania
poll found that more than half of Americans believe the country is still in a recession. Some economists believe that the 'recession' has not only not ended, but is actually an economic depression much like the one in the 1930s
. There is an energy crisis in the world, partially due to the protests and riots in the Middle East and North Africa, though prices had been rising beforehand. Production of conventional crude oil peaked in 2004 at 74 million barrels per day, and greater records reached since then represent only small increases that are failing to keep pace with demand from growing countries, such as China and India. This is evident because of the relatively small output that was shut off during the Libya civil war, as well as the failure of releases from strategic reserves to stem high prices. The International Energy Agency
has found that global crude oil production reached its apex in 2006, meaning production from currently producing oil fields is forecast to drop and future oil supply projections are uncertain. Another school of opinion attributes the high energy prices in the western world to government regulation.
A sovereign debt crisis in Europe began in early 2010, and the Greek government admitted that it was having difficulties servicing its large sovereign debt. Speculation abounded that it would be unable to make required bond
payments due in 2010. causing the Euro to drop in value versus the US dollar and pushing the Greek/German yield spread
to almost 4%. In May 2010, Eurozone leaders agreed to a £110 billion euro three year rescue package. However, by the following year, the country's fiscal condition had not improved. In July 2011 Standard & Poor's
announced that the second bailout package for Greece
will be defined as a partial default. In the midst of this bond yields for Italy
and Spain spike above 6 percent. China becomes the second largest global economy, surpassing Japan. China currently faces out-of-control inflation, a real estate bubble, and troubling demographics that will lead to a shrinking labor force, all of which could lead to a collapse of the Chinese economy.
Debt struggles plague advanced countries. The crisis in Greece fuels growing fears of contagion. Beyond Greece, European countries such as Ireland, Italy, Spain and Portugal
see their credit rating downgraded. In August 2011, the S&P downgrades the United States' credit rating
from triple AAA to AA-plus. In September 2011 Italy is downgraded by S&P from A+. Japan also sees a rating downgrade due to debt burden. In October 2011 European leaders devised another Greek debt agreement in which private banks that loaned Greece money agreed to voluntarily write down or revalue Greek debt by 50%. The size of the EFSF was increased from €440 billion to €1 trillion. From 2010 to 2011 gold prices rise from $1121.50 an ounce to $1,917.90.
and digital technology make in everyday life, with many young people growing up spending their entire lives exposed to microchip
technology. At the same time, the world is grappling with the Great Recession that began in 2007 and continues into the '10s.
Environmentalism continues to become mainstream, but not as mainstream as it was in the 1990's and 2000's , and with the economic crisis of the late '00s to present, increasingly profitable as well.
In the United States, liberal economic policies decline in popularity, and the public supports more conservative economic policies. Political polarization grows as conservatives and progressives clash over the role of government. Polls continue to show a divided electorate regarding job creation, debt reduction, and taxation.
Acceptance of GLBT people slowly increases across the world, with significantly higher levels of support among younger generations than among older generations. On 20 September 2011, gay and lesbian citizens were allowed to serve in the United States military. For the first time, on 17 June 2011, the United Nations passes a motion in support of GLBT rights across the world.
The aging of populations in the developed countries, most prominently Europe
and Japan, continues as the Baby boomers generation reaches the age of retirement. This has caused a large debate over the Medicare and Social Security programs in the United States. Many popular opinions among Americans are that either the retirement age should be raised, the Social Security and Medicare programs be replaced with another type of pension, or that the Medicare and Social Security should be abolished in its entirety.
The world's major civilizations are now interacting more than ever in history, creating tensions but also bringing new ideas to cultures that previously did not have them. This is radically changing the economic and social fabric in virtually every part of the world. China, considered an emerging power in the 1990's and 2000's, has increasingly been called a superpower in the early 2010's, such as at the 2011 meeting between Hu Jintao
and Barack Obama
.
Individuality continues to be in fashion, but not as strong as it was in the 1990's and 2000's. A well noted example of this are baby names, which have become far more individualized since the 1960's, but especially since the 1990's and the introduction of the Internet.
Long distance relocation declines in the United States, reaching their lowest levels since information began being kept in 1948.
Youth culture such as skateboarding
continues to spread to countries such as Afghanistan
.
AIDS, a pandemic
in the 1980's, 1990's, and 2000's responsible for killing over 30 million people, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, becomes a treatable condition; though only one case has been cure
d, the disease is no longer a death sentence and with good treatment victims can generally expect to live normal lives and lifespans.
Breakfast habits change: among Americans, cereal, a profitable breakfast food throughout the 20th century, declines by the early 1990's and is not nearly as popular by the 2010's. Fast casual restaurants such as Five Guys
and Chipotle
also see an uptick in popularity.
In America, migration to the Sun Belt
, large during the last decades of the 20th century and the 2000s decade, declines; migration in general around the US has been in decline since the beginning of the 1980's.
On 31 January 2010, Avatar became the first film to cross the $2 billion mark in the worldwide box office. It is also one of the first in a trend towards high quality 3D
movies.
In 2010, Kathryn Bigelow
became the first woman to receive the Academy Award for Best Director for the 2009 movie The Hurt Locker
.
In 2010, Toy Story 3
became the first animated film to gross more than $1 billion worldwide.
regarding how people obtain and listen to music including the rise of the MP3 format
, televised national musical contests
, and the declining influence of the recording industry have had major effects on the state of music globally in a relatively short time. According to Nielson Soundscan, by 2009 CDs accounted for 79 percent of album sales, with 20 percent coming from digital, representing both a 10 percent drop and gain for both formats in 2 years.
In terms of popular music
, the heavy use of Auto-Tune
has dramatically changed the landscape of the Top-40 charts. At the same time, electronic dance music
and electropop have gained significant popularity; electronic in general became widespread in the early-2010s mixing elements of Chiptune
, Second Wave synthpop mixed with rap and other various electronic music
, into a sound that differentiates 2010s music from the popular music styles of the early 2000s. In the United Kingdom, Dubstep
is rising in popularity, which is a style that mirrors the electronic-leaning musical trends elsewhere.
and 1990s such as skinny jeans
, leggings, leg warmer
s, aviator sunglasses
, western shirts, baseball jackets, nerd glasses, and high top sneakers
. It is also very popular to wear neon colors such as neon pink, green, teal, black, purple, and yellow, and Military Shirts. At the same time new fashions such as color burn shirts and "boot sandal hybrids" emerged in Europe and the USA.
In Britain there has been a resurgence of Edwardian fashions among indie kids, sloane ranger
s, and college students, including suits with contrasting piping, boots based on US Civil War era Jeff Davis boots, Barbour
jackets, bowler hat
s, tweed jackets, waistcoat
s, thin ties, Ascots
, cricket
-style sweater
s and striped boating
blazer
s, albeit in less loud colors than the type worn by the mod subculture in the 1960s.
2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016 • 2017 • 2018 • 2019
3rd millennium
In contemporary history, the third millennium is a period of time that commenced on January 1, 2001, and will end on December 31, 3000, of the Gregorian calendar. This is the third period of one thousand years in the Anno Domini...
.
The decade began amidst a global financial crisis that started in the late 2000s, after approximately three decades of prosperity, economic growth as well as income inequality, and increased globalization. In particular, the ongoing Eurozone debt crisis, which stemmed from these economic problems, first became pronounced in May 2010 and continues to threaten the possibility of a global recovery. Other economic issues such as inflation, and an increase in commodity
Commodity
In economics, a commodity is the generic term for any marketable item produced to satisfy wants or needs. Economic commodities comprise goods and services....
prices, sparked immense unrest in many lower-income countries. In some countries this unrest evolved into socio-economic
Socioeconomics
Socioeconomics or socio-economics or social economics is an umbrella term with different usages. 'Social economics' may refer broadly to the "use of economics in the study of society." More narrowly, contemporary practice considers behavioral interactions of individuals and groups through social...
crises which set off numerous revolutions, such as in Kyrgyzstan in 2010, and Tunisia
Tunisian revolution
The Tunisian Revolution is an intensive campaign of civil resistance, including a series of street demonstrations taking place in Tunisia. The events began in December 2010 and led to the ousting of longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011...
, Egypt
2011 Egyptian revolution
The 2011 Egyptian revolution took place following a popular uprising that began on Tuesday, 25 January 2011 and is still continuing as of November 2011. The uprising was mainly a campaign of non-violent civil resistance, which featured a series of demonstrations, marches, acts of civil...
, and Libya
2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
in 2011. This trend continues at present, and is known as the Arab Spring
Arab Spring
The Arab Spring , otherwise known as the Arab Awakening, is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began on Saturday, 18 December 2010...
. The revolutions of 2011 also include the Spanish "Indignants"
2011 Spanish protests
The 2011 Spanish protests, also referred to as the 15-M Movement and the Indignants movement, are a series of ongoing demonstrations in Spain whose origin can be traced to social networks and Real Democracy NOW among other civilian digital platforms and 200 other small associations...
, inspired by the Arab Spring, and the Occupy movement
Occupy movement
The Occupy movement is an international protest movement which is primarily directed against economic and social inequality. The first Occupy protest to be widely covered was Occupy Wall Street in New York City, taking place on September 17, 2011...
protests in North America and Europe, influenced by both Spanish demonstrations and the Arab Spring.
Mixed pronunciation
Among experts and the general public, there is some disagreement as to how specific years of the 21st century should be pronounced in English. The year 2010, for example, was referred to by some as "twenty-ten" and by others as "two thousand (and) ten". This mixed pronunciation continues in 2011.Wars
The prominent wars of the decade so far include:International wars
- War on TerrorismWar on TerrorismThe War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
(2001–present) – refers to several ideologicalIdeologyAn ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
, military, and diplomatic campaigns ostensibly aimed at putting an end to international terrorism by preventing groups defined by the US and its allies as "terrorist" (largely IslamistIslamismIslamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
groups such as al-QaedaAl-QaedaAl-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
, Hezbollah and HamasHamasHamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
) from posing a threat to the US and its allies, and by putting an end to state sponsorship of terrorismState-sponsored terrorismState-sponsored terrorism is a term used to describe terrorism sponsored by nation-states. As with terrorism, the precise definition, and the identification of particular examples, are subjects of heated political dispute...
. The campaigns were launched by the United States, with support from NATO and other allies, immediately following the 11 September 2001 attacks which were carried out by al-QaedaAl-QaedaAl-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
. Today the term has become mostly associated with US/UK-led wars in AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. - War in Afghanistan (2001–present)War in Afghanistan (2001–present)The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
– In 2001, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada invaded AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
seeking to oust the Taliban and find Al-QaedaAl-QaedaAl-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
mastermind Osama bin LadenOsama bin LadenOsama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
. - Iraq War (2003–2011) – On 19 August 2010, the last American combat brigade was moved out of Iraq after more than 7 years of warfare. Though about 50,000 troops remained there throughout 2011, being designated as "advise and assist brigades" assigned to non-combat operations while retaining the ability to revert to combat operations as necessary. They are expected to completely leave Iraq by the end of 2011.
- Arab–Israeli conflictArab–Israeli conflictThe Arab–Israeli conflict refers to political tensions and open hostilities between the Arab peoples and the Jewish community of the Middle East. The modern Arab-Israeli conflict began with the rise of Zionism and Arab Nationalism towards the end of the nineteenth century, and intensified with the...
(Early 20th century–present) - Israeli–Palestinian conflictIsraeli–Palestinian conflictThe Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
(Early 20th century–present) – an ongoing armed conflict in IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and the Palestinian territoriesPalestinian territoriesThe Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
. The conflict is centered between the state of Israel and the PalestiniansPalestinian peopleThe Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
. One side is composed mainly of Israel's military forces and the other side is composed mostly of Palestinian militant or paramilitary forcesPalestinian political violencePalestinian political violence refers to acts of violence undertaken to further the Palestinian cause. These political objectives include self-determination in and sovereignty over Palestine, the liberation of Palestine and establishment of a Palestinian state, either in place of both Israel and...
such as HamasHamasHamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
, the Islamic Jihad MovementIslamic Jihad Movement in PalestineThe Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine known in the West as simply Palestinian Islamic Jihad , is a small Palestinian militant organization. The group has been labelled as a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia and Israel...
, the Popular Front for the Liberation of PalestinePopular Front for the Liberation of PalestineThe Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is a Palestinian Marxist-Leninist organisation founded in 1967. It has consistently been the second-largest of the groups forming the Palestine Liberation Organization , the largest being Fatah...
and the Popular Resistance CommitteesPopular Resistance CommitteesThe Popular Resistance Committees are a coalition of various armed Palestinian factions that oppose the conciliatory approach adopted by the Palestinian Authority and Fatah towards Israel...
(which have all been designated by the United States and European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, Israel and many other western countries as terrorist organisations). The conflict has escalated since the Second Intifada (September 2000) broke out, a period of intensified Palestinian-Israeli violence which has been taking place until the present day. The Second Intifada has caused thousands of victims on both sides, both among combatants and among civilians.
Civil wars, guerrilla wars and political revolutions
- 2011 Libyan Civil War2011 Libyan civil warThe 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
(15 February – 23 October 2011) – a series of demonstrations and riots held against Muammar GaddafiMuammar GaddafiMuammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
's 42-year rule. The widespread demonstrations, which erupted in response to the high unemployment rate in Libya and the lack of development in the country, rapidly escalated into a civil war as Gaddafi used his military force against the Libyan rebels. As a result, fifty thousand Libyans have died. The uprising came to an end when Gaddafi was killed during the liberation of Sirte on 20 October 2011.
- Mexican Drug WarMexican Drug WarThe Mexican Drug War is an ongoing armed conflict taking place among rival drug cartels who fight each other for regional control, and Mexican government forces who seek to combat drug trafficking. However, the government's principal goal has been to put down the drug-related violence that was...
(2006–present) – an armed conflict fought between rival drug cartels and government forces in Mexico. Although Mexican drug cartels, or drug trafficking organizations, have existed for quite some time, they have become more powerful since the demise of Colombia's CaliCali CartelThe Cali Cartel was a drug cartel based in southern Colombia, around the city of Cali and the Valle del Cauca Department. The Cali Cartel was founded by the Rodríguez Orejuela brothers, Gilberto and Miguel, as well as associate José Santacruz Londoño...
and MedellínMedellín CartelThe Medellín Cartel was an organized network of "drug suppliers and smugglers" originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia. The drug cartel operated in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Central America, the United States, as well as Canada and Europe throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It was founded and...
cartels in the 1990s. Mexican drug cartels now dominate the wholesale illicit drug marketWar on DrugsThe War on Drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention being undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade...
in the United States. Arrests of key cartel leaders, particularly in the Tijuana and Gulf cartels, have led to increasing drug violence as cartels fight for control of the trafficking routes into the United States. Roughly more than 28,299 people in total were killed between December 2006 until November 2010.
- War in North-West PakistanWar in North-West PakistanThe War in North-West Pakistan is an armed conflict between the Pakistan Armed Forces and armed religious groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan , Lashkar-e-Islam, TSNM, Arab and Central Asian militants including Al-Qaeda, regional armed movements and elements of organized crime.The armed...
(2004–present) – an armed conflict between the Pakistani Armed Forces and Islamic militants made up of local tribesmen, the Taliban, and foreign MujahideenMujahideenMujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
(Holy Warriors). It began in 2004 when tensions rooted in the Pakistani Army's search for al-QaedaAl-QaedaAl-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
members in PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
's mountainous WaziristanWaziristanWaziristan is a mountainous region near the Northwest of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . The area is entirely populated by ethnic Pashtuns . The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto...
area (in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas) escalated into armed resistance by local tribesmen. The violence has displaced 3.44 million civilians and to more than 7,000 civilians being killed.
- Sa'dah insurgencySa'dah insurgencyThe Shia Insurgency in Yemen, also known as the Houthi rebellion, Sa'dah War or Sa'dah conflict is a civil war in Northern Yemen. It began in June 2004 when dissident cleric Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi, head of the Shia Zaidiyyah sect, launched an uprising against the Yemeni government...
(2004–2010) – a civil war in the Sa'dah GovernorateSa'dah GovernorateSaada is a governorate located in the north of Yemen on the border with Saudi Arabia. As of February 2004, the province had a population of 695,033 inhabitants, around 3.67% of the total population of Yemen and have an area of 11,375 square kilometers.. It is one of the most inaccessible areas of...
of YemenYemenThe Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
. It began after the Shī‘a ZaidiyyahZaidiyyahZaidiyya, or Zaidism is a Shi'a Muslim school of thought named after Zayd ibn ʻAlī, the grandson of Husayn ibn ʻAlī. Followers of the Zaydi Islamic jurisprudence are called Zaydi Shi'a...
sect launched an uprising against the Yemeni government. The Yemeni government has accused IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
of directing and financing the insurgency. Thousands of rebels and civilians have been killed during the conflict.
- War in Somalia (2009–present)War in Somalia (2009–)The 2009–present phase of the Somali Civil War is concentrated in southern Somalia. It began in early February 2009, with the conflict between, on the one hand, the forces of the Somali Transitional Federal Government assisted by African Union peacekeeping troops, and on the other, various militant...
– involved largely the forces of the Somali SomaliSomaliaSomalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
Transitional Federal GovernmentTransitional Federal ParliamentThe Transitional Federal Parliament of the Somali Republic is an interim Parliament of Somalia formed in neighboring Kenya in 2004.The Transitional Federal Parliament has 550 members representing Somalia's clans, Islamist opposition, representatives of citizens' groups and the Somali...
(TFG) assisted by African UnionAfrican UnionThe African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
peacekeeping troops, whom fought against various militant Islamist factions for control of the country. The violence has displaced thousands of people residing in MogadishuMogadishuMogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
, the nation's capital. 1,739 people in total were killed between 1 January 2009 until 1 January 2010.
- Conflict in the Niger DeltaConflict in the Niger DeltaThe current conflict in the Niger Delta arose in the early 1990s over tensions between the foreign oil corporations and a number of the Niger Delta's minority ethnic groups who felt they were being exploited, particularly the Ogoni and the Ijaw...
(2004–present) – an ongoing conflict in the Niger DeltaNiger DeltaThe Niger Delta, the delta of the Niger River in Nigeria, is a densely populated region sometimes called the Oil Rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil...
region of NigeriaNigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. The conflict was caused due to the tensions between the foreignMultinational corporationA multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...
oil corporations and a number of the Niger DeltaNiger DeltaThe Niger Delta, the delta of the Niger River in Nigeria, is a densely populated region sometimes called the Oil Rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil...
's minority ethnic groups who felt they were being exploited, particularly the OgoniOgoni peopleOgoni people are one of the many indigenous peoples in the region of southeast Nigeria. They share common oil related environmental problem with the Ijaw people of Niger Delta, but Ogonis are not listed in the list of people historically belonging to Niger Delta...
and the Ijaw. The competition for oil wealth has led to an endless violence cycle between innumerable ethnic groups, causing the militarizationMilitarizationMilitarization, or militarisation, is the process by which a society organizes itself for military conflict and violence. It is related to militarism, which is an ideology that reflects the level of militarization of a state...
of nearly the entire region which was occupied by militia groups as well as Nigerian militaryMilitary of NigeriaThe Nigerian Armed Forces are the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The military has active duty personnel in three armed services, totaling approximately 85,000 troops and 82,000 paramilitary personnel. Its origins lie in the elements of the Royal West African Frontier Force that...
and the forces of the Nigerian Police.
- Civil war in Chad (2005–present) involved ChadChadChad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
ian government forces and several Chadian rebel groups. The government of Chad estimated in January 2006 that 614 Chadian citizens had been killed in cross-border raids. The fighting still continues despite several attempts to reach agreements.
- Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present)Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present)The Maghreb has been the subject of an insurgency since 2002 waged by the neo-Khawarij Islamist militia, Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, or, GSPC...
– AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
has been the subject of an Islamic insurgency since 2002 waged by the Sunni Islamic JihadJihadJihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
ist militant group Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC). GSPC allied itself with the Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic MaghrebAl-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic MaghrebThe Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb, previously known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat is a radical Islamist militia which aims to overthrow the Algerian government and institute an Islamic state. To that end, it is currently engaged in an insurgent campaign.The group...
against the Algerian governmentAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. The conflict has since spread to other neighboring countries.
- Colombian Armed ConflictColombian Armed ConflictThe Colombian armed conflict or Colombian Civil War are terms that are employed to refer to the current asymmetric low-intensity armed conflict in Colombia that has existed since approximately 1964 or 1966, between the Colombian government and peasant guerrillas such as the Revolutionary Armed...
(1964–present) has changed substantially after the government of Alvaro UribeÁlvaro UribeAlvaro Uribe Vélez was the 58th President of Colombia, from 2002 to 2010. In August 2010 he was appointed Vice-chairman of the UN panel investigating the Gaza flotilla raid....
. President Juan Manuel SantosJuan Manuel SantosJuan Manuel Santos Calderón is a Colombian politician who has been the President of Colombia since 7 August 2010. He previously served as Minister of Foreign Trade, Minister of Finance, and Minister of National Defense.-Career:...
took office in 2010 and seeks to continue Uribe's policy about terrorism. The FARC and ELNELNELN may refer to:*Equity-linked note, a financial instrument*Elastin, a protein*Ejército de Liberación Nacional, see**National Liberation Army **National Liberation Army **National Liberation Army...
guerrillas are weaker than ever and divided, with the latter calling for peace talks with the government. Meanwhile, paramilitary forces have demobilized, but irregular drug-trafficking forces called "Bacrim" have gained control over much of the areas that the AUCUnited Self-Defense Forces of ColombiaThe United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia was created as an umbrella organization of regional far-right...
paramilitaries previously held. The "Bacrim" gangs have allied with guerrillas in some regions of the country like ChocóChocóChocó may refer to:*Department of Chocó, Colombian administrative region*El Chocó, Pacific coastal region, extending through Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru*Choco languages, family of Native American languages, in Colombia and Panama...
and Antioquia.
Terrorist attacks
The most prominent terrorist attacks committed against civilian population during the decade include:- 2010 Moscow Metro bombings2010 Moscow Metro bombingsThe 2010 Moscow Metro bombings were suicide bombings carried out by two womenduring the morning rush hour of March 29, 2010, at two stations of the Moscow Metro , with roughly 40 minutes interval between...
(40 killed) - 10 May 2010 Iraq attacks10 May 2010 Iraq attacksThe 10 May 2010 Iraq attacks were a series of bomb and shooting attacks that occurred in Iraq on 10 May 2010, killing over 100 people and injuring 350, the highest death toll for a single day in Iraq in 2010....
(100+ killed) - May 2010 attacks on Ahmadi mosques in LahoreMay 2010 attacks on Ahmadi mosques in LahoreThe May 2010 Lahore attacks occurred on 28 May 2010 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, during Friday prayers. 86 people were killed and more than 120 were injured in nearly simultaneous attacks against two mosques of the minority Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. After the initial attack, a hostage situation...
(86 killed) - Mohmand Agency attackMohmand Agency attackThe Mohmand Agency attack was a suicide bomb attack on July 9, 2010, in a market in Yakaghund, Mohmand Agency, in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. At least 104 people were killed while more than 120 people were wounded...
(105 killed) - September 2010 Quetta bombingSeptember 2010 Quetta bombingThe September 2010 Quetta bombing occurred on September 3, 2010 in Quetta, Pakistan. At least 73 people were killed and 160 injured when a bomb exploded in a Quds Day procession which Shias were carrying out to express solidarity with Palestinians....
(73+ killed) - 2011 Domodedovo International Airport bombing (at least 35 people killed and 180 injured)
- 2011 Norway attacks2011 Norway attacksThe 2011 Norway attacks were two sequential terrorist attacks against the government, the civilian population and a summer camp in Norway on 22 July 2011....
(two separate attacks; 77 deaths) - 2011 Monterrey casino attack2011 Monterrey casino attackThe 2011 Monterrey casino attack was a narcoterrorist attack that took place in city of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, in the country of Mexico, on August 25, 2011. Government sources revealed that 52 people were killed, but local reviews mention that 61 bodies were eventually found after a few days...
(52 killed)
Nuclear weapons controversies
- Since 2005, Iran's nuclear programNuclear program of IranThe nuclear program of Iran was launched in the 1950s with the help of the United States as part of the Atoms for Peace program. The support, encouragement and participation of the United States and Western European governments in Iran's nuclear program continued until the 1979 Iranian Revolution...
has become the subject of contention with the Western world due to suspicions that Iran could divert the civilian nuclear technology to a weapons program. This has led the UN Security Council to impose sanctions against IranSanctions against IranThis article outlines economic, trade, scientific and military sanctions against Iran, which have been imposed by the U.S. government, or under U.S. pressure by the international community through the United Nations Security Council...
on select companies linked to this program, thus furthering its economic isolation on the international scene. The U.S. Director of National Intelligence said in February 2009 that Iran would not realistically be able to a get a nuclear weapon until 2013, if it chose to develop one.
- The United States and Russia sign a treaty to cut nuclear weapons in either nation in Prague in April 2010, a week later U.S. President Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
hosts a Nuclear Security Summit2010 Nuclear Security SummitThe 2010 Nuclear Security Summit was a summit held in Washington, D.C., on April 12 and 13, 2010. The Summit focused on how to better safeguard weapons-grade plutonium and uranium to prevent nuclear terrorism.-Overview:...
where the attending nations decides to lock onto their nuclear arms, to make sure no terrorists get hands on these weapons of mass destruction, also South Korea was selected to hold the second Nuclear Security Summit2012 Nuclear Security SummitAt the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit, American president Barack Obama announced that the next Nuclear Security Summit would be held in South Korea in 2012....
in 2012.
Political events
The prominent political events of the decade so far include:WikiLeaks
- The international new-media non-profit organization WikiLeaksWikileaksWikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
published three massive sets of documents pertaining to the Iraq War, the Afghanistan WarWar in Afghanistan (2001–present)The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
, and US diplomacyUnited States diplomatic cables leakThe United States diplomatic cables leak, widely known as Cablegate, began in February 2010 when WikiLeaks—a non-profit organization that publishes submissions from anonymous whistleblowers—began releasing classified cables that had been sent to the U.S. State Department by 274 of its consulates,...
, which, respectively, were released in April, July, and November 2010. Each of these releases was accompanied by heavy and extensive weeks-long coverage in news media all over the world, and had a strong impact on the global political landscape, with strong reactions from leaders within many major countries.
Americas
- January 2010 – A trial determining the constitutionalityConstitutionalityConstitutionality is the condition of acting in accordance with an applicable constitution. Acts that are not in accordance with the rules laid down in the constitution are deemed to be ultra vires.-See also:*ultra vires*Company law*Constitutional law...
of same-sex marriage in the United StatesSame-sex marriage in the United StatesThe federal government does not recognize same-sex marriage in the United States, but such marriages are recognized by some individual states. The lack of federal recognition was codified in 1996 by the Defense of Marriage Act, before Massachusetts became the first state to grant marriage licenses...
is held in California. - The Obama administration's efforts to implement health care reform in the United StatesHealth care reform in the United StatesHealth care reform in the United States has a long history, of which the most recent results were two federal statutes enacted in 2010: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , signed March 23, 2010, and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 , which amended the PPACA and...
lead eventually to the House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
voting in favor of enacting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care ActPatient Protection and Affordable Care ActThe Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
in March 2010. Republicans are currently making efforts to repeal the bill, debating its constitutionalityConstitutionalityConstitutionality is the condition of acting in accordance with an applicable constitution. Acts that are not in accordance with the rules laid down in the constitution are deemed to be ultra vires.-See also:*ultra vires*Company law*Constitutional law...
. - The late 2000s and early 2010s has seen the rise of the Tea Party movementTea Party movementThe Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
, with figureheads like Glenn BeckGlenn BeckGlenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
and Sarah PalinSarah PalinSarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
, which has acquired a large following in the United States. The movement has become a dominant factor in the Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and has provided a strong political polarization, promoting activism and protests with the goal to reduce federal spending, bailouts, taxes, and regulation. - The New STARTNew STARTNew START is a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation with the formal name of Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms...
, a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation entered into force.
Europe
- The 2010 United Kingdom election resulted in the first "hung parliamentHung parliamentIn a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...
" since 1974United Kingdom general election, February 1974The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
. LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
, under Prime Minister Gordon BrownGordon BrownJames Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
lost its overall majority in the House of CommonsBritish House of CommonsThe House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. The ConservativesConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
led by David CameronDavid CameronDavid William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
became the largest party. For five days, both major parties held negotiations with the Nick CleggNick CleggNicholas William Peter "Nick" Clegg is a British Liberal Democrat politician who is currently the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord President of the Council and Minister for Constitutional and Political Reform in the coalition government of which David Cameron is the Prime Minister...
's Liberal DemocratsLiberal DemocratsThe Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
, resulting in the first peace-time coalition governmentCoalition governmentA coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
since the 1930sFourth National MinistryThe Fourth National Ministry was formed by Neville Chamberlain on his appointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on May 28, 1937. As a National Government it contained members of the Conservative Party, Liberal Nationals and National Labour, as well as a number of individuals who belonged...
. leading to talks for over a week between the Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
and the Liberal DemocratsLiberal DemocratsThe Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
. Cameron became Prime Minister upon Brown's resignation on 11 May. Clegg also became Deputy Prime MinisterDeputy Prime Minister of the United KingdomThe Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a senior member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not a permanent position, existing only at the discretion of the Prime Minister, who may appoint to other offices...
. - The Scottish National PartyScottish National PartyThe Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
win an overall majority in the Scottish ParliamentScottish ParliamentThe Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election under Scotland's First MinisterFirst Minister of ScotlandThe First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
Alex SalmondAlex SalmondAlexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon...
. The SNP's transition from a minority government to a majority government has allowed them to pledge to have a referendum on Scottish Independence from the United Kingdom. - Italian Prime Minister Silvio BerlusconiSilvio BerlusconiSilvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
is indicted for allegedly paying for sex with an underage nightclub dancer, and ordered to stand trial.
Africa
- Between 9–15 January 2011 a referendumSouthern Sudanese independence referendum, 2011A referendum took place in Southern Sudan from 9 to 15 January 2011, on whether the region should remain a part of Sudan or become independent. The referendum was one of the consequences of the 2005 Naivasha Agreement between the Khartoum central government and the Sudan People's Liberation...
was held in Southern Sudan on whether the region should remain a part of Sudan or become independent. In the referendum a majority of 98.83% voted in favour of separation from Sudan and the creation of an independent state. - 14 January 2011 – Amidst anti-government demonstrations, Tunisia's President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali dissolves the government, declares a state of emergency, and resigns from office.
- January–February 2011 – Inspired by the Tunisian demonstrators, thousands of protesters in Egypt call for a resignation or ousting of Hosni MubarakHosni MubarakMuhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
, longtime president of the nation, who many feel has been in power far too long and has no interests of the public. Mubarak resigns on 11 February. - February–October: a popular revolt against Muammar GaddafiMuammar GaddafiMuammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
's 42-year rule over Libya leads to thousands of deaths and UN sanctionsUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 1970United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 was a measure adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council on 26 February 2011. It condemned the use of lethal force by the regime of Muammar Gaddafi against protesters participating in the 2011 Libyan civil war, and imposed a series of...
against the nation's government following a brutal crackdown against protestors.
Oceania
- June 2010 – Julia GillardJulia GillardJulia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
succeeds Kevin RuddKevin RuddKevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
as the Prime Minister of AustraliaPrime Minister of AustraliaThe Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
, thus becoming Australia's 27th and first female Prime MinisterPrime Minister of AustraliaThe Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
.
Assassinations, targeted killings, and assassination attempts
Prominent assassinations, targeted killings, and assassination attempts of the decade so far include:- 8 January 2011 – Gabrielle GiffordsGabrielle GiffordsGabrielle Dee "Gabby" Giffords is an American politician. A Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, she has represented since 2007. She is the third woman in Arizona's history to be elected to the U.S. Congress...
, U.S. Representative from Arizona, was a victim of a shooting near Tucson2011 Tucson shootingOn January 8, 2011, a mass shooting occurred near Tucson, Arizona. Nineteen people were shot, six of them fatally, with one other person injured at the scene during an open meeting that U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords was holding with members of her constituency in a Casas Adobes Safeway...
which was reported to be an assassination attempt on her, at a supermarket where she was meeting publicly with constituents. Giffords was critically injured by a gunshot wound to the head; 13 people were injured and 6 others were killed in the shooting, among them conservative federal judge John Roll. - 2 May 2011 – Osama bin LadenOsama bin LadenOsama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
, the founder and leader of the militant Islamist group Al-QaedaAl-QaedaAl-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
, was killedDeath of Osama bin LadenOsama bin Laden, then head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1 a.m. local time by a United States special forces military unit....
in a targeted killingTargeted killingTargeted killing is the deliberate, specific targeting and killing, by a government or its agents, of a supposed terrorist or of a supposed "unlawful combatant" who is not in that government's custody...
in AbbottabadAbbottabadAbbottabad is a city located in the Hazara region of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in Pakistan. The city is situated in the Orash Valley, northeast of the capital Islamabad and east of Peshawar at an altitude of and is the capital of the Abbottabad District...
, Pakistan in an operation conducted by a team of United States Navy SEAL commandoCommandoIn English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
s from the Naval Special Warfare Development GroupUnited States Naval Special Warfare Development GroupThe United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group , commonly known as DEVGRU and informally by its former name SEAL Team Six , is one of the United States' four secretive counter-terrorism and Special Mission Units .The vast majority of information about DEVGRU is highly classified, and...
(DEVGRU), under the command of the Joint Special Operations Command, in conjunction with U.S. Central Intelligence AgencyCentral Intelligence AgencyThe Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
(CIA) operatives. - 30 September 2011 – Anwar al-AwlakiAnwar al-AwlakiAnwar al-Awlaki was an American and Yemeni imam who was an engineer and educator by training. According to U.S. government officials, he was a senior talent recruiter and motivator who was involved with planning operations for the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda...
, a senior talent recruiter, planner, and spiritual leader of al-Qaeda, was killed in a targeted killingTargeted killingTargeted killing is the deliberate, specific targeting and killing, by a government or its agents, of a supposed terrorist or of a supposed "unlawful combatant" who is not in that government's custody...
in the northern al-JawfAl Jawf GovernorateAl Jawf is a governorate of Yemen.-Districts:*Al Ghayl District*Al Hazm District*Al Humaydat District*Al Khalq District*Al Maslub District*Al Matammah District*Al Maton District*Az Zahir District*Bart Al Anan District*Khabb wa ash Sha'af District...
province of Yemen, in an operation carried out by the US military in which two Predator drones fired Hellfire missiles at a vehicle in which he and other suspected al-Qaeda members were driving, killing them. The strike was carried out by Joint Special Operations Command, under the direction of the CIA. - 21 October 2011 – Muammar GaddafiMuammar GaddafiMuammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
, Libya's ousted leader, was shot to deathDeath of Muammar GaddafiMuammar Gaddafi, the deposed leader of Libya, died on 20 October 2011 during the 2011 Libyan civil war. Gaddafi was captured alive after his convoy was attacked by NATO warplanes as Sirte fell on 20 October 2011. He was then beaten and killed by NTC forces...
in SirteSirteSirte is a city in LibyaSirte may also refer to:* Sirte Declaration, a 1999 resolution to create the African Union* Sirte Oil Company, a Libyan oil companyIn geography:* Gulf of Sirte, alias for Gulf of Sidra on Libya's coast...
, with National Transitional Council forces taking control of the cityBattle of Sirte (2011)The Battle of Sirte was a battle of the 2011 Libyan civil war that began when the National Liberation Army attacked forces loyal to ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi in his hometown and designated capital of Sirte, on the Gulf of Sidra...
.
Aviation disasters
- On 25 January 2010, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 was an international scheduled Beirut–Addis Ababa passenger service that plunged into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after take-off from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport on , killing all 90 people on board.-Aircraft:...
crashes into the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
shortly after take-off from Beirut Rafic Hariri International AirportBeirut Rafic Hariri International AirportBeirut Rafic Hariri International Airport is located 9 km from the city centre in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon and is the only operational commercial airport in the country. It is the hub for Lebanon's national carrier, Middle East Airlines...
, killing all 90 people on board. - On 10 April 2010, Polish President Lech KaczyńskiLech KaczynskiLech Aleksander Kaczyński was Polish lawyer and politician who served as the President of Poland from 2005 until 2010 and as Mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 22 December 2005. Before he became a president, he was also a member of the party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość...
, his wife, and 94 other people, including dozens of government officials, are killed in a plane crash2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crashThe 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash occurred on 10 April 2010, when a Tupolev Tu-154M aircraft of the Polish Air Force crashed near the city of Smolensk, Russia, killing all 96 people on board...
. - On 12 May 2010 Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771 was a scheduled international passenger flight that crashed on 12 May 2010 at about 06:10 local time on approach to Tripoli International Airport...
crashes on a runway at Tripoli International AirportTripoli International AirportThe Tripoli International Airport is an international airport that serves Tripoli, Libya. It is operated by the Civil Aviation and Meteorology Bureau of Libya and is the nation's largest airport...
in Libya, killing 103 of 104 on board. - On 22 May 2010 Air India Express Flight 812Air India Express Flight 812Air India Express Flight 812 was a scheduled passenger service from Dubai to Mangalore which at around 01:00 UTC on 22 May 2010, overshot the runway on landing, fell over a cliff and caught fire, spreading wreckage across the surrounding hillside...
overshoots the runway at Mangalore International AirportMangalore International AirportMangalore Airport, formerly known as Bajpe Airport, is a domestic and customs airport serving the coastal city of Mangalore, India...
in India, killing 158 and leaving 8 survivors. - On 28 July 2010 a Pakistan Airblue Flight 202Airblue Flight 202Airblue Flight 202 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight which crashed on 28 July 2010 near Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, killing all 146 passengers and six crew on board. It is the deadliest air accident to occur in Pakistan to date...
en route from KarachiKarachiKarachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
to IslamabadIslamabadIslamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
crashes in the Margalla HillsMargalla HillsThe Margalla Hills—the foothills of the Himalayas—are a series of small-elevation hills located north of Islamabad, Pakistan. Margalla Range has an area of 12,605 hectares. The hill range nestles between an elevation of 685 meters at the western end and 1,604 meters on its east.- Etymology :Two...
near Islamabad, killing all 152 aboard. - On 26 July 2011 a Royal Moroccan Air Force Lockheed C-130 Hercules2011 Royal Moroccan Air Force Lockheed C-130 Hercules crashOn 26 July 2011, a Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft operated by the Royal Moroccan Air Force crashed near Guelmim, Morocco. A statement by Moroccan authorities claimed that there were 78 fatalities and that the plane was carrying 60 members of the Moroccan Armed Forces, 12 civilians, and...
crashed into Sayyert Mountain while en route to Kenitra Air Base from Dakhla AirportDakhla AirportDakhla Airport is an airport serving Dakhla , a city in Western Sahara.The airport is operated as a Moroccan airport, with public facilities managed by the Moroccan state-owned company ONDA....
with a scheduled stop-over in Guelmim, killing all 80 on board.
Pollution disasters
- On 20 April 2010, an explosion on BPBPBP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
's Deepwater HorizonDeepwater HorizonDeepwater Horizon was an ultra-deepwater, dynamically positioned, semi-submersible offshore oil drilling rig owned by Transocean. Built in 2001 in South Korea by Hyundai Heavy Industries, the rig was commissioned by R&B Falcon, which later became part of Transocean, registered in Majuro, Marshall...
offshore drilling rigDrilling rigA drilling rig is a machine which creates holes or shafts in the ground. Drilling rigs can be massive structures housing equipment used to drill water wells, oil wells, or natural gas extraction wells, or they can be small enough to be moved manually by one person...
, operating in the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
off the coast of LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, left eleven crewmen dead and resulted in a fire that sank the rig and caused a massive-scale oil spillOil spillAn oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially marine areas, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is mostly used to describe marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters...
that became the worst environmental disaster in United States historyDeepwater Horizon oil spillThe Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed unabated for three months in 2010, and continues to leak fresh oil. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry...
. On 18 June 2010, oceanographer John Kessler said that the crude gushing from the well contains 40 percent methane, compared to about 5 percent found in typical oil deposits. Methane is a natural gas that could potentially suffocate marine life and create "dead zones" where oxygen is so depleted that nothing lives. "This is the most vigorous methane eruption in modern human history," Kessler said. On 20 June an internal BP document was released by Congress revealing that BP estimated the flow could be as much as 100000 bbl (4,199,999.8 US gal; 15,898.7 m³) per day under the circumstances that existed since the 20 April blowout. On 15 July 2010, The BP Oil Spill was stopped for the first time, 86 days after oil started leaking into the Gulf of Mexico.
- On 11 March 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Sendai2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunamiThe 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
caused a tsunami that severely damaged the Fukushima Daiichi and Fukushima Daini nuclear power plants. The damage resulted in the worst nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl disasterFukushima Daiichi nuclear disasterThe is a series of equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns, and releases of radioactive materials at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, following the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. The plant comprises six separate boiling water reactors originally designed by General Electric ,...
, contaminating water, soil and crops in the area with Iodine-131Iodine-131Iodine-131 , also called radioiodine , is an important radioisotope of iodine. It has a radioactive decay half-life of about eight days. Its uses are mostly medical and pharmaceutical...
and Caesium-137Caesium-137Caesium-137 is a radioactive isotope of caesium which is formed as a fission product by nuclear fission.It has a half-life of about 30.17 years, and decays by beta emission to a metastable nuclear isomer of barium-137: barium-137m . Caesium-137 is a radioactive isotope of caesium which is formed...
.
Natural disasters
- On 12 January 2010 a 7.0 magnitude earthquake2010 Haiti earthquakeThe 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
hits HaitiHaitiHaiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, causing widespread destruction in Port-au-PrincePort-au-PrincePort-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
. Haitian authorities currently believe that the disaster killed between 200,000 and 250,000 people. Over 2 million people were affected and over 3 million in need of emergency aid. - On 27 February 2010 an 8.8 magnitude earthquake2010 Chile earthquakeThe 2010 Chile earthquake occurred off the coast of central Chile on Saturday, 27 February 2010, at 03:34 local time , having a magnitude of 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale, with intense shaking lasting for about three minutes. It ranks as the sixth largest earthquake ever to be recorded by a...
occurs in ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, triggering a tsunamiTsunamiA tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
over the PacificPacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and killing 497. One of the largest earthquakes in recorded history, this rare megathrust earthquakeMegathrust earthquakeMegathrust earthquakes occur at subduction zones at destructive plate boundaries , where one tectonic plate is forced under another. Due to the shallow dip of the plate boundary, which causes large sections to get stuck, these earthquakes are among the world's largest, with moment magnitudes ...
probably shifts Earth's axisAxial tiltIn astronomy, axial tilt is the angle between an object's rotational axis, and a line perpendicular to its orbital plane...
and slightly shortens its days. Another earthquake2010 Pichilemu earthquakeThe 2010 Pichilemu earthquake , also known as the Libertador O'Higgins earthquake, was a 6.9 MW earthquake that struck Chile's O'Higgins Region on 11 March 2010 at 11:39 local time...
, of magnitude 6.9, occurred on 11 March of the same year, minutes before President Sebastián PiñeraSebastián PiñeraMiguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique is a Chilean businessman and politician. He was elected President of Chile in January 2010, taking office in March 2010.- Education :...
was sworn in; it was centered in PichilemuPichilemuPichilemu , originally known as Pichilemo, is a beach resort city and commune in central Chile, and capital of Cardenal Caro Province. It is located southwest of Santiago, the capital of Chile, and comprises an urban center and twenty-three villages, such as Ciruelos, Cáhuil, and Espinillo...
, Cardenal Caro ProvinceCardenal Caro ProvinceCardenal Caro Province is one of the three provinces of the central Chilean region of O'Higgins . The capital of Cardenal Caro is Pichilemu....
. - In early 2010, eruptions of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano2010 eruptions of EyjafjallajökullThe 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull were volcanic events at Eyjafjöll in Iceland which, although relatively small for volcanic eruptions, caused enormous disruption to air travel across western and northern Europe over an initial period of six days in April 2010. Additional localised disruption...
caused unprecedented disruption to international air travelAir travel disruption after the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruptionIn response to concerns that volcanic ash ejected during the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland would damage aircraft engines, the controlled airspace of many European countries was closed to instrument flight rules traffic, resulting in the largest air-traffic shut-down since World War II...
, rendering transatlantic flight impossible and closing the airways over much of Europe. - On 4 April 2010 (Easter Sunday) a 7.2 magnitude earthquake2010 Baja California earthquakeThe 2010 Baja California earthquake was an earthquake of 7.2 magnitude on the moment magnitude scale. It started south of Guadalupe Victoria, Baja California, Mexico, at a depth of . It occurred at 3:40:41 p.m...
hit MexicaliMexicaliMexicali is the capital of the State of Baja California, seat of the Municipality of Mexicali, and 2nd largest city in Baja California. The City of Mexicali has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the population of the entire metropolitan area reaches 936,826.The city...
, Baja CaliforniaBaja CaliforniaBaja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, Mexico killing four and injuring a hundred. The neighboring United States border towns in Imperial ValleyImperial ValleyThe Imperial Valley is an agricultural area of Southern California's Imperial County. It is located in southeastern Southern California, centered around the city of El Centro. Locally, the terms "Imperial Valley" and "Imperial County" are used synonymously. The Valley is bordered between the...
, California were also affected. - On 14 April 2010 a 6.9 magnitude earthquake2010 Yushu earthquakeThe 2010 Yushu earthquake struck on April 14, 2010, and registered a magnitude of 6.9Mw or 7.1Ms . It originated in Yushu, Qinghai, China, at local time. According to the Xinhua News Agency, 2,698 people have been confirmed dead, 270 missing, and 12,135 injured of which 1,434 are severely injured...
occurs in western ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, killing at least 2,200 and injuring more than 12,000. - Early November 2010 – Mount Merapi erupts in Indonesia2010 eruptions of Mount MerapiThe 2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi began in late October 2010 when Mount Merapi in Central Java, Indonesia began an increasingly violent series of eruptions that continued into November. Seismic activity around the volcano increased from mid-September onwards, culminating in repeated outbursts lava...
, killing hundreds and grounding flights to SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, JakartaJakartaJakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
and other Southeast Asian cities. - 2010 Pakistan floods2010 Pakistan floodsThe 2010 Pakistan floods began in late July 2010, resulting from heavy monsoon rains in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan regions of Pakistan and affected the Indus River basin. Approximately one-fifth of Pakistan's total land area was underwater, approximately...
– Began in July 2010 after record heavy monsoonMonsoonMonsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
rains. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
was worst affected. At least 1,600 people were killed, thousands were rendered homeless, and more than thirteen million people were affected. Estimates from rescue service officials suggest the death toll may reach 3,000 victims. - On 11 and 12 January 2011, occurred Brazil's worst natural disaster ever. The January 2011 Rio de Janeiro floods and mudslidesJanuary 2011 Rio de Janeiro floods and mudslidesA series of floods and mudslides took place in in several towns of the Mountainous Region , in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. Casualties occurred in the cities of Nova Friburgo, Teresópolis, Petrópolis, Sumidouro and São José do Vale do Rio Preto. The floods caused at least 903 deaths,...
killed more than 900 people in 7 cities os the state of Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
and left demages that costed more than US$ 1.2 billion dollars. - On 22 February 2011, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit ChristchurchChristchurchChristchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand, killing 181 and leaving 200 more missing. - On 11 March 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunamiThe 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
hit near Sendai, Japan, creating a 10 meter (33 foot) tsunami, leaving over 15,000 now confirmed dead, possibly over 10,000 missing and over 150,000 people displaced into emergency shelters. The earthquake and tsunami also damaged several nuclear reactors in the region, leaving at least one in danger of melting down. This was recorded as the worst earthquake in Japan. Damages could exceed over $300 billion, making it the costliest natural disaster. - The 2011 Super Outbreak happened from 25–28 April 2011, killing 340+ people, injuring thousands and caused $10 billion of damage from the 332 confirmed tornadoes. 27 April was the worst tornado day since the "Tri-State" outbreak in 1925. It is now the deadliest tornado outbreak in the history of the United States of America. Before the disaster occurred, merely two weeks prior, the states affected in the outbreak had also been damaged from the 14–16 April 2011 tornado outbreak, leaving 43 people dead.
- The 21–27 May 2011 tornado outbreak was over a span of seven days in which 183 people were confirmed dead from 180 confirmed tornadoes. After a record active April, May was relatively quiet during the first three weeks until that pattern changed abruptly as a strong low pressure area and associated dry line and cold front tracked eastward towards the Midwest of the United States in late May. More than a third of the deaths is contributed from the EF5 2011 Joplin tornado2011 Joplin tornadoThe 2011 Joplin tornado was a devastating EF5 multiple-vortex tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, USA late in the afternoon of Sunday, May 22, 2011. It was part of a larger late-May tornado outbreak sequence and reached a maximum width of in excess of during its path through the southern part of...
on 22 May, which killed 159, injured 900+ and ranks as the seventh-deadliest single tornado in US history. Damages for the whole outbreak is between $4–7 billion. - Hurricane IreneHurricane Irene (2011)Hurricane Irene was a large and powerful Atlantic hurricane that left extensive flood and wind damage along its path through the Caribbean, the United States East Coast and as far north as Atlantic Canada in 2011...
wreaks havoc across the CaribbeanCaribbeanThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, then makes several landfalls as a major Category 3Saffir-Simpson Hurricane ScaleThe Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
in the Bahamas and threatened over 65 million people in the US East Coast during late August. Irene made three US landfalls in the states of North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and New York over a two-day span. Overall, 55 fatalities and over $10.1 billion in damages were contributed. - The 2011 Van earthquake2011 Van earthquakeThe Van earthquake was a destructive magnitude 7.1 Mw earthquake that struck eastern Turkey near the city of Van on Sunday, 23 October 2011 at 13.41 local time. It occurred at a shallow depth of 20 km , causing heavy shaking across much of eastern Turkey and lighter tremors across neighboring parts...
strikes the Turkish city of Van, leaving over 610 dead and thousands injured. - A rare October snow storm2011 Halloween nor'easterThe 2011 Halloween nor'easter was a large low pressure area that produced unusually early snowfall across the northeastern United States and the Canadian Maritimes. It formed early on October 29 along a cold front to the southeast of the Carolinas...
hits the northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic United States, leaving millions without power, killing 15. - The 2011 Bering Sea superstorm2011 Bering Sea superstormThe 2011 Bering Sea superstorm was an extratropical cyclone that affected western Alaska. On November 8, the National Weather Service began issuing severe weather warnings, saying that this was a near record storm in the Bering Sea. It rapidly deepened from to in just 24 hours before bottoming...
is currently active.
Economics
The Great Recession, which began in the year 2007, officially ended in mid-2009, though unemployment has failed to recover. In the United States, a GallupThe Gallup Organization
The Gallup Organization, is primarily a research-based performance-management consulting company. Some of Gallup's key practice areas are - Employee Engagement, Customer Engagement and Well-Being. Gallup has over 40 offices in 27 countries. World headquarters are in Washington, D.C. Operational...
poll found that more than half of Americans believe the country is still in a recession. Some economists believe that the 'recession' has not only not ended, but is actually an economic depression much like the one in the 1930s
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
. There is an energy crisis in the world, partially due to the protests and riots in the Middle East and North Africa, though prices had been rising beforehand. Production of conventional crude oil peaked in 2004 at 74 million barrels per day, and greater records reached since then represent only small increases that are failing to keep pace with demand from growing countries, such as China and India. This is evident because of the relatively small output that was shut off during the Libya civil war, as well as the failure of releases from strategic reserves to stem high prices. The International Energy Agency
International Energy Agency
The International Energy Agency is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization established in the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 1974 in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis...
has found that global crude oil production reached its apex in 2006, meaning production from currently producing oil fields is forecast to drop and future oil supply projections are uncertain. Another school of opinion attributes the high energy prices in the western world to government regulation.
A sovereign debt crisis in Europe began in early 2010, and the Greek government admitted that it was having difficulties servicing its large sovereign debt. Speculation abounded that it would be unable to make required bond
Government bond
A government bond is a bond issued by a national government denominated in the country's own currency. Bonds are debt investments whereby an investor loans a certain amount of money, for a certain amount of time, with a certain interest rate, to a company or country...
payments due in 2010. causing the Euro to drop in value versus the US dollar and pushing the Greek/German yield spread
Yield spread
In finance, the yield spread is the difference between the quoted rates of return on two different investments, usually of different credit quality.It is a compound of yield and spread....
to almost 4%. In May 2010, Eurozone leaders agreed to a £110 billion euro three year rescue package. However, by the following year, the country's fiscal condition had not improved. In July 2011 Standard & Poor's
Standard & Poor's
Standard & Poor's is a United States-based financial services company. It is a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies that publishes financial research and analysis on stocks and bonds. It is well known for its stock-market indices, the US-based S&P 500, the Australian S&P/ASX 200, the Canadian...
announced that the second bailout package for Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
will be defined as a partial default. In the midst of this bond yields for Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Spain spike above 6 percent. China becomes the second largest global economy, surpassing Japan. China currently faces out-of-control inflation, a real estate bubble, and troubling demographics that will lead to a shrinking labor force, all of which could lead to a collapse of the Chinese economy.
Debt struggles plague advanced countries. The crisis in Greece fuels growing fears of contagion. Beyond Greece, European countries such as Ireland, Italy, Spain and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
see their credit rating downgraded. In August 2011, the S&P downgrades the United States' credit rating
Credit rating
A credit rating evaluates the credit worthiness of an issuer of specific types of debt, specifically, debt issued by a business enterprise such as a corporation or a government. It is an evaluation made by a credit rating agency of the debt issuers likelihood of default. Credit ratings are...
from triple AAA to AA-plus. In September 2011 Italy is downgraded by S&P from A+. Japan also sees a rating downgrade due to debt burden. In October 2011 European leaders devised another Greek debt agreement in which private banks that loaned Greece money agreed to voluntarily write down or revalue Greek debt by 50%. The size of the EFSF was increased from €440 billion to €1 trillion. From 2010 to 2011 gold prices rise from $1121.50 an ounce to $1,917.90.
Society
The world population is projected to peak at 9 billion by 2050, and many countries reported declining fertility rates in the 2010 census. Society by the 2010's is still being accustomed to the huge changes the Internet, globalizationGlobalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
and digital technology make in everyday life, with many young people growing up spending their entire lives exposed to microchip
Microchip
Microchip can also refer to:* Integrated circuit, a set of electronic components on a single unit.* Microchip Technology, a company that makes popular 8, 16 and 32-bit microcontroller lines.* Microchip implant , a microchip implanted into animals....
technology. At the same time, the world is grappling with the Great Recession that began in 2007 and continues into the '10s.
Environmentalism continues to become mainstream, but not as mainstream as it was in the 1990's and 2000's , and with the economic crisis of the late '00s to present, increasingly profitable as well.
In the United States, liberal economic policies decline in popularity, and the public supports more conservative economic policies. Political polarization grows as conservatives and progressives clash over the role of government. Polls continue to show a divided electorate regarding job creation, debt reduction, and taxation.
Acceptance of GLBT people slowly increases across the world, with significantly higher levels of support among younger generations than among older generations. On 20 September 2011, gay and lesbian citizens were allowed to serve in the United States military. For the first time, on 17 June 2011, the United Nations passes a motion in support of GLBT rights across the world.
The aging of populations in the developed countries, most prominently Europe
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and Japan, continues as the Baby boomers generation reaches the age of retirement. This has caused a large debate over the Medicare and Social Security programs in the United States. Many popular opinions among Americans are that either the retirement age should be raised, the Social Security and Medicare programs be replaced with another type of pension, or that the Medicare and Social Security should be abolished in its entirety.
The world's major civilizations are now interacting more than ever in history, creating tensions but also bringing new ideas to cultures that previously did not have them. This is radically changing the economic and social fabric in virtually every part of the world. China, considered an emerging power in the 1990's and 2000's, has increasingly been called a superpower in the early 2010's, such as at the 2011 meeting between Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
and Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
.
Individuality continues to be in fashion, but not as strong as it was in the 1990's and 2000's. A well noted example of this are baby names, which have become far more individualized since the 1960's, but especially since the 1990's and the introduction of the Internet.
Long distance relocation declines in the United States, reaching their lowest levels since information began being kept in 1948.
Youth culture such as skateboarding
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
continues to spread to countries such as Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
AIDS, a pandemic
Pandemic
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic...
in the 1980's, 1990's, and 2000's responsible for killing over 30 million people, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, becomes a treatable condition; though only one case has been cure
Cure
A cure is a completely effective treatment for a disease.The Cure is an English rock band.Cure, or similar, may also refer to:-Film and television:* The Cure , a short film starring Charlie Chaplin...
d, the disease is no longer a death sentence and with good treatment victims can generally expect to live normal lives and lifespans.
Breakfast habits change: among Americans, cereal, a profitable breakfast food throughout the 20th century, declines by the early 1990's and is not nearly as popular by the 2010's. Fast casual restaurants such as Five Guys
Five Guys
Five Guys is a fast casual restaurant chain focused on hamburgers, hot dogs, and French fries. Originating in Arlington, Virginia, the company's headquarters are now in Lorton, Virginia.-Food:...
and Chipotle
Chipotle
A chipotle , or chilpotle, which comes from the Nahuatl word chilpoktli meaning "smoked chili pepper" is a smoke-dried jalapeño that tends to be brown and shriveled. It is a chili used primarily in Mexican and Mexican-inspired cuisines, such as Mexican-American and Tex-Mex.Varieties of jalapeño...
also see an uptick in popularity.
In America, migration to the Sun Belt
Sun Belt
The Sun Belt or Spanish Belt is a region of the United States generally considered to stretch across the South and Southwest . Another rough boundary of the region is the area south of the 36th parallel, north latitude. It is the largest region which the U.S government does not recognize officially...
, large during the last decades of the 20th century and the 2000s decade, declines; migration in general around the US has been in decline since the beginning of the 1980's.
Science
- The Large Hadron ColliderLarge Hadron ColliderThe Large Hadron Collider is the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. It is expected to address some of the most fundamental questions of physics, advancing the understanding of the deepest laws of nature....
's first high power collisions took place in March 2010. - Scientists announced in May 2010 that they had developed a form of synthetic lifeSynthetic lifeThe creation of synthetic life is a goal of scientists working in the fields of synthetic biology or exploring the origin of life. The term has also been used to describe recent experiments that transferred...
. - Solar aircraft became increasingly popular during the decade spearheaded by the Solar Impulse Project and QinetiQ ZephyrQinetiQ ZephyrZephyr is a lightweight solar-powered UAV which was originally designed and built by the QQ1 "Edge of Space" team who were sponsored by the United Kingdom defence firm, Qinetiq. It is of carbon-fibre construction, and uses sunlight to charge a lithium sulphur battery during the day, which powers...
in 2010. - NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
will launch the James Webb Space TelescopeJames Webb Space TelescopeThe James Webb Space Telescope , previously known as Next Generation Space Telescope , is a planned next-generation space telescope, optimized for observations in the infrared. The main technical features are a large and very cold 6.5 meter diameter mirror, an observing position far from Earth,...
as early as 2014 and replace the Hubble Space TelescopeHubble Space TelescopeThe Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
. - NASA's New HorizonsNew HorizonsNew Horizons is a NASA robotic spacecraft mission currently en route to the dwarf planet Pluto. It is expected to be the first spacecraft to fly by and study Pluto and its moons, Charon, Nix, Hydra and S/2011 P 1. Its estimated arrival date at the Pluto-Charon system is July 14th, 2015...
probe will reach PlutoPlutoPluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...
in 2015, completing its main mission, and continuing into the Kuiper BeltKuiper beltThe Kuiper belt , sometimes called the Edgeworth–Kuiper belt, is a region of the Solar System beyond the planets extending from the orbit of Neptune to approximately 50 AU from the Sun. It is similar to the asteroid belt, although it is far larger—20 times as wide and 20 to 200 times as massive...
. - Both the International Linear ColliderInternational Linear ColliderThe International Linear Collider is a proposed linear particle accelerator. It is planned to have a collision energy of 500 GeV initially, and, if approved after the project has published its Technical Design Report, planned for 2012, could be completed in the late 2010s. A later upgrade to 1000...
and ITERITERITER is an international nuclear fusion research and engineering project, which is currently building the world's largest and most advanced experimental tokamak nuclear fusion reactor at Cadarache in the south of France...
may be completed during the latter half of the decade. - The IPCC Fifth Assessment ReportIPCC Fifth Assessment ReportThe Fifth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , will be the fifth in a series of such reports...
is scheduled to appear in 2014. - On 5 August 2011 NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
announced that its Mars Reconnaissance OrbiterMars Reconnaissance OrbiterMars Reconnaissance Orbiter is a NASA multipurpose spacecraft designed to conduct reconnaissance and Exploration of Mars from orbit...
captured photographic evidenceSeasonal flows on warm Martian slopesObservations from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have revealed possible flowing water during the warmest months on Mars. Research suggests that in the past there was liquid water flowing on the surface, creating large areas similar to Earth's oceans. However, the question remains as to where...
of possible liquid water on Mars during warm seasons. - Scientists at CERNCERNThe European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
declared they have detected neutrinos travelling faster than light which defies the known laws of physics. After modifying the neutrino beam to fire for 3 billionths of a second (160 times shorter than the previous firing) they obtained the same results.
Technology
- By February 2011, the IPv4IPv4Internet Protocol version 4 is the fourth revision in the development of the Internet Protocol and the first version of the protocol to be widely deployed. Together with IPv6, it is at the core of standards-based internetworking methods of the Internet...
internet addresses officially run out. An early period of transition to IPv6IPv6Internet Protocol version 6 is a version of the Internet Protocol . It is designed to succeed the Internet Protocol version 4...
continues during 2011. - SupercomputerSupercomputerA supercomputer is a computer at the frontline of current processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation.Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems including quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling A supercomputer is a...
s are projected to reach exaflop scaleFLOPSIn computing, FLOPS is a measure of a computer's performance, especially in fields of scientific calculations that make heavy use of floating-point calculations, similar to the older, simpler, instructions per second...
in 2019. - By March 2011, more than 2 billion people used the Internet.
- One billion mobile broadband users predicted by sometime in 2011, and 4.6 billion people worldwide were subscribed to mobile phones.
- On 27 January 2010, Apple Inc. launches its first tablet computerTablet computerA tablet computer, or simply tablet, is a complete mobile computer, larger than a mobile phone or personal digital assistant, integrated into a flat touch screen and primarily operated by touching the screen...
called the iPadIPadThe iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
which offers multi-touch interaction with multimedia formats including newspapers, magazines, ebooks, textbooks, photos, movies, TV shows videos, music, word processing documents, spreadsheets, video games. The iPad soon became an immediate bestseller and only months after its release became the best selling tech gadget in history. Multiple competing tablet computers are now on the market. - Mobile phone appsApplication softwareApplication software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...
, introduced in the later 2000s, explode in popularity; In June 2011, Americans spent more time using apps than using the World Wide WebWorld Wide WebThe World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
.
Additional notable world-wide events
- A series of major volcanic events occur at Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland in April 2010. The eruptions led to widespread disruption of air travel across EuropeAir travel disruption after the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruptionIn response to concerns that volcanic ash ejected during the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland would damage aircraft engines, the controlled airspace of many European countries was closed to instrument flight rules traffic, resulting in the largest air-traffic shut-down since World War II...
grounding planes and affecting the travel plans of millions of passengers worldwide. This caused a knock-on effect to many events around the world. Scientists began recording volcanic activity there in 2009 which increased through March 2010 culminating in the second phase eruption in April 2010. It is considered the largest air traffic shut-down since World War II. The International Air Transport AssociationInternational Air Transport AssociationThe International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
(IATA) estimated that the airline industry worldwide would lose or a day during the disruption. - 13 October 2010 – 2010 Copiapó mining accident2010 Copiapó mining accidentThe 2010 Copiapó mining accident, also known as the "Chilean mining accident", began in the afternoon of Thursday, 5 August 2010 as a significant cave-in at the troubled 121-year-old San José copper–gold mine. The mine is located deep in the Atacama Desert, one of the driest and harshest...
: Thirty-three miners near CopiapóCopiapóCopiapó is a city in northern Chile, located about 40 miles east of the coastal town of Caldera. Founded on December 8, 1744, it is the capital of Copiapó Province and Atacama Region....
, Chile, trapped 700 metres (2,300 ft) underground in a mining accident2010 Copiapó mining accidentThe 2010 Copiapó mining accident, also known as the "Chilean mining accident", began in the afternoon of Thursday, 5 August 2010 as a significant cave-in at the troubled 121-year-old San José copper–gold mine. The mine is located deep in the Atacama Desert, one of the driest and harshest...
in San José MineSan José MineThe San José Mine is a small copper-gold mine located near Copiapó, Atacama Region, Chile. The mine is mostly known for its 2010 collapse which trapped 33 miners underground. Its workings are reached by a long sloping roadway with many spiral turns , not by a vertical mineshaft.-History:The San...
, are brought back to the surface after surviving for a record 69 days. - 29 April 2011 – A television audience of an estimated two billion people watch the weddingWedding of Prince William and Catherine MiddletonThe wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton took place on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London. Prince William, the eldest son of Charles, Prince of Wales, first met Catherine Middleton in 2001, when both were studying at the University of St Andrews. Their...
of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine Middleton at Westminster AbbeyWestminster AbbeyThe Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
in London.
Film
- Oscar winners: The King's Speech (2010)
On 31 January 2010, Avatar became the first film to cross the $2 billion mark in the worldwide box office. It is also one of the first in a trend towards high quality 3D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
movies.
In 2010, Kathryn Bigelow
Kathryn Bigelow
Kathryn Ann Bigelow is an American film director. Her best-known films are the cult horror film Near Dark , the surfer/bank robbery action picture Point Break , the science fiction/film noir Strange Days , the historical/mystery film The Weight of Water and the war drama The Hurt Locker...
became the first woman to receive the Academy Award for Best Director for the 2009 movie The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker is a 2009 American war film about a three-man United States Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team during the Iraq War. The film was directed by Kathryn Bigelow and the screenplay was written by Mark Boal, a freelance writer who was embedded as a journalist in 2004 with a US bomb...
.
In 2010, Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3 is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated comedy-adventure film, and the third installment in the Toy Story series. It was produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Lee Unkrich. The film was released worldwide from June through October in Disney Digital...
became the first animated film to gross more than $1 billion worldwide.
Music
The early 2010s have musically been dominated by a variety of styles and artists. Globalization and the internet have erased political borders providing musicians to have their material to be heard all over the globe. The shrinking of the music industry due to the internet has also localized music, as there are fewer artists who become big enough to be internationally famous. Musical paradigm shifts in the previous decade2000s in music
For music from a year in the 2000s, go to 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09This article includes an overview of the major events and trends in popular music in the 2000s....
regarding how people obtain and listen to music including the rise of the MP3 format
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
, televised national musical contests
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
, and the declining influence of the recording industry have had major effects on the state of music globally in a relatively short time. According to Nielson Soundscan, by 2009 CDs accounted for 79 percent of album sales, with 20 percent coming from digital, representing both a 10 percent drop and gain for both formats in 2 years.
In terms of popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
, the heavy use of Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune is a proprietary audio processor created by Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances. It is used to disguise off-key inaccuracies and mistakes, and has allowed singers to perform apparently perfectly tuned vocal...
has dramatically changed the landscape of the Top-40 charts. At the same time, electronic dance music
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
and electropop have gained significant popularity; electronic in general became widespread in the early-2010s mixing elements of Chiptune
Chiptune
A chiptune, also known as chip music, is synthesized electronic music often produced with the sound chips of vintage computers and video game consoles, as well as with other methods such as emulation. In the early 1980s, personal computers became cheaper and more accessible than they had previously...
, Second Wave synthpop mixed with rap and other various electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, into a sound that differentiates 2010s music from the popular music styles of the early 2000s. In the United Kingdom, Dubstep
Dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in south London, England. Its overall sound has been described as "tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals"....
is rising in popularity, which is a style that mirrors the electronic-leaning musical trends elsewhere.
Architecture
- Burj Khalifa becomes the tallest man-made structure ever built, standing at 828 m (2,717 ft), after it officially opened on 4 January 2010.
- One World Trade Center, an environmentally integrated structure which is set to become the tallest building in the United States, is expected to open in April 2013. By December 2010, it had reached half of its designed height.
- China's Three Gorges DamThree Gorges DamThe Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in the Yiling District of Yichang, in Hubei province, China...
is scheduled to be fully operational in 2011. - The Gotthard Base TunnelGotthard Base TunnelThe Gotthard Base Tunnel is a new railway tunnel beneath the Swiss Alps, expected to open in 2016. With a route length of and a total of of tunnels, shafts and passages, it is the world's longest rail tunnel, surpassing the Japanese Seikan Tunnel....
, the world's longest railway tunnel, is scheduled to be completed in 2017 or 2018.
Events held
- 2010 UEFA Champions League Final2010 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2010 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid, on Saturday, 22 May 2010, to determine the winners of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. It was the first Champions League final to be played on a Saturday, rather than the...
was held at Santiago Bernabéu StadiumSantiago Bernabéu StadiumThe Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an all-seater football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and is owned by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. It has a current capacity of 85,454 spectators....
in Madrid, Spain. - 2010 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
was held in South Africa - 2010 Commonwealth Games2010 Commonwealth GamesThe 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
was held in New Delhi, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... - 2010 Summer Youth Olympics2010 Summer Youth OlympicsThe 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, officially known as the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games , were an international multi-sport event for youths that took place in the city-state of Singapore from 14 to 26 August 2010, in the XXIX Olympiad. They were the inaugural Summer Youth Olympics, a major...
held in SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the... - 2010 Asian Games2010 Asian GamesThe 2010 Asian Games, also known as the XVI Asiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Guangzhou, China from November 12 to November 27, 2010. Guangzhou was the second Chinese city to host the Games, after Beijing in 1990...
held in GuangzhouGuangzhouGuangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, China - 2010 Winter Olympics2010 Winter OlympicsThe 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
were held in VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia, Canada - 2010 Winter Paralympics2010 Winter ParalympicsThe 2010 Winter Paralympics, officially the X Paralympic Winter Games, or the 10th Winter Paralympics, were held in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada from March 12 to 21, 2010. The Opening Ceremony took place in BC Place Stadium in Vancouver and the Closing Ceremony in Whistler...
were held in VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia, Canada - 2011 Super Bowl was held at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas
- 2011 Cricket World Cup2011 Cricket World CupThe 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It was Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup...
was held in IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Bangladesh and Sri LankaSri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the... - 2011 UEFA Champions League Final2011 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2011 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played on 28 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium in London that decided the winner of the 2010–11 season of the UEFA Champions League. The winners received the European Champion Clubs' Cup...
was held at Wembley StadiumWembley StadiumThe original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
in London, England - 2011 SEA Games was held in JakartaJakartaJakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
and PalembangPalembangPalembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being a capital of a maritime empire. Located on the Musi River banks on the east coast of southern Sumatra island, it has an area of 400.61 square... - 2011 FIBA EuroBasketEurobasket 2011EuroBasket 2011 was the 37th men's European Basketball Championship, held by FIBA Europe. The competition was hosted by Lithuania. This was the second time Eurobasket had been held in Lithuania, the country having also hosted the 1939 championship. FIBA Europe asserted that Lithuania managed to...
was held in LithuaniaLithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark... - 2011 Rugby World Cup2011 Rugby World CupThe 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
was held in New Zealand.
Planned
- 2011 Pan American Games2011 Pan American GamesThe 2011 Pan American Games, officially the XVI Pan American Games, was an international multi-sport event that was held from October 14–30, 2011 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Some events were held in the nearby cities of Ciudad Guzmán, Puerto Vallarta, Lagos de Moreno and Tapalpa...
to be held in GuadalajaraGuadalajaraGuadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...
, Mexico. - 2012 Super Bowl to be held at Lucas Oil StadiumLucas Oil StadiumLucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to...
in IndianapolisIndianapolisIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana - 2012 UEFA Champions League Final2012 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2012 UEFA Champions League Final will be the final match of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League, the 57th season of the UEFA Champions League football tournament and the 20th since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup...
to be held at Allianz ArenaAllianz ArenaThe Allianz Arena is a football stadium in the north of Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The two professional Munich football clubs FC Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 München have played their home games at Allianz Arena since the start of the 2005–06 season...
in Munich, Germany. - 2012 UEFA European Football Championship2012 UEFA European Football ChampionshipThe 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2012, will be the 14th European Championship for national football teams sanctioned by UEFA. The final tournament will be hosted by Poland and Ukraine between 8 June and 1 July 2012...
to be held in PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and UkraineUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia... - 2012 Summer Olympics2012 Summer OlympicsThe 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
to be held in London, England, United Kingdom - 2012 Summer Paralympics2012 Summer ParalympicsThe 2012 Summer Paralympic Games will be the fourteenth Paralympics and will take place between 29 August and 9 September 2012. The Games will be held in London, United Kingdom after the city was successful with its bid for the Paralympics and Summer Olympic Games.Even though 2012 will be London's...
to be held in London, England, United Kingdom - 2012 Winter Youth Olympics2012 Winter Youth OlympicsThe 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games, officially known as the I Winter Youth Olympic Games , will be an international multi-sport event for youths that will take place in Innsbruck from 13 to 22 January 2012. They will become the inaugural Winter Youth Olympics, a major sports and cultural festival...
to be held in InnsbruckInnsbruck- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, Austria - 2013 Super Bowl to be held at Louisiana SuperdomeLouisiana SuperdomeThe Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
in New Orleans, Louisiana - 2013 Rugby League World Cup to be held in England, United Kingdom
- 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup2013 FIFA Confederations CupThe 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup will be held in Brazil in 2013, as a prelude to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The tournament is expected to be held from 15–30 June 2013...
to be held in BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... - 2014 Super Bowl to be held at MetLife Stadium in East RutherfordEast Rutherford, New JerseyEast Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
, New Jersey - 2014 FIFA World Cup2014 FIFA World CupThe 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014....
to be held in BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... - 2014 Winter Olympics2014 Winter OlympicsThe 2014 Winter Olympics, officially the XXII Olympic Winter Games, or the 22nd Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event scheduled to be celebrated from 7 to 23 February 2014, in Sochi, Russia with some events held in the resort town of Krasnaya Polyana. Both the Olympic and...
to be held in SochiSochiSochi is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated just north of Russia's border with the de facto independent republic of Abkhazia, on the Black Sea coast. Greater Sochi sprawls for along the shores of the Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains...
, Russia - 2014 Winter Paralympics2014 Winter ParalympicsThe 2014 Winter Paralympics, officially known as the XI Paralympic Winter Games, will be held from March 7 to March 16, 2014 in Sochi, Russia...
to be held in SochiSochiSochi is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated just north of Russia's border with the de facto independent republic of Abkhazia, on the Black Sea coast. Greater Sochi sprawls for along the shores of the Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains...
, Russia - 2014 Summer Youth Olympics2014 Summer Youth OlympicsThe 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games is the second of the Summer Youth Olympics, a major international sports and cultural festival to be celebrated in the tradition of the Summer Olympic Games from 16 to 28 August 2014, during the XXX Olympiad...
to be held in NanjingNanjing' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, China - 2014 Commonwealth Games2014 Commonwealth GamesThe 20th Commonwealth Games in 2014 will be held in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. The winning city was announced by the Commonwealth Games Federation on 9 November 2007 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Games will run over 11 days of competition from 24 July to 3 August 2014...
to be held in GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland, United Kingdom - 2015 Super Bowl which as of 18 December 2010 is not yet final who will host the event.
- 2015 Cricket World Cup2015 Cricket World CupThe 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup will be the 11th ICC Cricket World Cup, and will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand. The location of the games will be evenly split, with the location of the final yet to be decided....
to be held in Australia and New Zealand - 2015 Pan American Games2015 Pan American GamesThe 2015 Pan American Games, officially the XVII Pan American Games or the 17th Pan American Games, will be a major international multi-sport event that will be held from July 10–26, 2015 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Ajax, Barrie, Brampton, Caledon, Hamilton,...
to be held in Toronto, Canada. - 2015 Rugby World Cup2015 Rugby World CupThe 2015 Rugby World Cup is scheduled to be the eighth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial rugby union world championship. The tournament is scheduled to be hosted by England from 4 September to 17 October 2015. In addition, Cardiff's 74,500-seater Millennium Stadium in Wales will also be used...
to be held in England, United Kingdom - 2016 Super Bowl which as of 18 December 2010 is not yet final who will host the event.
- 2016 UEFA European Football Championship to be held in France
- 2016 Summer Olympics2016 Summer OlympicsThe 2016 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, are a major international multi-sport event to be celebrated in the tradition of the Olympic Games, as governed by the International Olympic Committee...
to be held in Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Brazil - 2016 Summer Paralympics2016 Summer ParalympicsThe 2016 Summer Paralympic Games will be the fifteenth Paralympics and will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016. The host city of the Games was announced at the 121st IOC Session held in Copenhagen, Denmark, on October 2, 2009.-Barra Cluster:* Olympic Aquatics Stadium - Swimming* Olympic...
to be held in Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Brazil - 2016 Winter Youth Olympics2016 Winter Youth OlympicsThe 2016 Winter Youth Olympics is a major international sports and cultural festival to be celebrated in the tradition of the Youth Olympic Games in the Winter of 2016 during the XXXI Olympiad....
scheduled, location to be announced in May 2011 - 2017 Super Bowl which as of 18 December 2010 is not yet final who will host the event.
- 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup2017 FIFA Confederations CupThe 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup is expected to be held in June 2017, as a prelude to the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The host will be Russia as announced on 2 December 2010.- Qualified Teams :...
to be held in RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... - 2018 Super Bowl which as of 18 December 2010 is not yet final who will host the event.
- 2018 FIFA World Cup2018 FIFA World CupThe bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups was the process by which the locations for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups were selected. The process began officially in March 2009; eleven bids from thirteen countries were received, including one which was withdrawn and one that was...
to be held in RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... - 2018 Winter Olympics2018 Winter OlympicsThe 2018 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXIII Olympic Winter Games, is a winter multi-sport event scheduled to take place in Pyeongchang, South Korea, between 9 and 25 February 2018. The elected host city was announced on 6 July 2011 by the International Olympic Committee , after the...
to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea - 2018 Winter Paralympics2018 Winter ParalympicsThe 2018 Winter Paralympics, officially known as the XII Paralympic Winter Games, will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea , and is an international winter sports athletic event that has yet to be organized by the International Paralympic Committee . The International Olympic Committee , received...
to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea - 2018 Summer Youth Olympics2018 Summer Youth OlympicsThe 2018 Summer Youth Olympics will be the third Summer Youth Olympic Games, a major international multi-sport event and cultural festival to be celebrated in the tradition of the Olympic Games, in 2018 during the XXXI Olympiad. It will be the fifth Youth Olympic Games overall, with the Winter...
scheduled, location to be announced. - 2019 Super Bowl which as of 18 December 2010 is not yet final who will host the event.
- 2019 Cricket World Cup2019 Cricket World CupThe 2019 Cricket World Cup will be hosted by England and Wales. This will be the twelfth Cricket World Cup competition, and the fifth time it will be held in England, following the 1975, 1979, 1983 and 1999 World Cups....
to be held in England and WalesEngland and WalesEngland and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
, United Kingdom - 2019 Rugby World Cup2019 Rugby World CupThe 2019 Rugby World Cup is scheduled to be the 9th edition of the Rugby World Cup. At a special IRB meeting held in Dublin on 28 July 2009, Japan was announced as the host for the competition. This will be the first time this tournament to be held in Asia. Hong Kong and Singapore are expected to...
to be held in Japan.
Video gaming
- The OnLiveOnLiveOnLive is a cloud gaming platform: the games are synchronized, rendered, and stored on remote servers and delivered via the Internet.The service is available using the OnLive Game System, PCs running Microsoft Windows and Intel-based Macs with OS X 10.5.8 or later...
console is released becoming the first massively-produced cloud gamingCloud gamingCloud gaming, also called gaming on demand, is a type of online gaming that allows direct and on-demand streaming of games onto a computer, similar to video on demand, through the use of a thin client, in which the actual game is stored on the operator's or game company's server and is streamed...
-based gaming device. (2010) - NintendoNintendois a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
released the Nintendo 3DSNintendo 3DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
, the successor to the immensely popular Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
line of handhelds, and introduced a new interface that does not require special glasses to observe stereoscopic 3D visuals during gameplay. (2011) - Dead Space 2Dead Space 2Dead Space 2 is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Visceral Games and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is the sequel to Dead Space. Unlike its predecessor, Dead Space 2 has a multiplayer mode. A Collector's Edition is...
is released on 25 January 2011 and sells over 2 million copies in it's first week, more than double the sales of the original Dead SpaceDead Space (video game)Dead Space is a survival horror third-person shooter video game, developed by EA Redwood Shores for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was made available on Steam on October 20, 2008...
up to that point in time. - The Playstation Network went down temporarily on 21 April 2011 due to a security breach caused by hackers, which received international attention.
- SonySony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
is set to release the handheld game console PlayStation Vita in fall 2011. - NintendoNintendois a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's tablet based video game console, WiiU, is scheduled to be released in 2012. - Duke Nukem ForeverDuke Nukem ForeverDuke Nukem Forever is a 2011 first-person shooter video game for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 developed by 3D Realms and Triptych Games and finished by Gearbox Software and Piranha Games...
is released in 2011, 15 years after development began in 1996. Before its release, it had been considered vaporwareVaporwareVaporware is a term in the computer industry that describes a product, typically computer hardware or software, that is announced to the general public but is never actually released nor officially canceled. Vaporware is also a term sometimes used to describe events that are announced or predicted,...
. - MinecraftMinecraftMinecraft is a sandbox-building independent video game written in Java originally by Swedish creator Markus "Notch" Persson and now by his company, Mojang, formed from the proceeds of the game. It was released as an alpha on May 17, 2009, with a beta version on December 20, 2010...
, a popular Indie gameIndie gameIndependent video game development is the process of creating video games without the financial support of a video game publisher. While large firms can create independent games, they are usually designed by an individual or a small team of as many as ten people, depending on the complexity of the...
, sells three million copies. - The Sims 3The Sims 3The Sims 3 is a 2009 strategic life simulation computer game developed by The Sims Studio and published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to the best-selling computer game, The Sims 2. It was first released on June 2, 2009 simultaneously for Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows...
is one of the most popular games of the 2010s. The game adds open neighborhoods and other features. The game has sold 10 million copies worldwide since its release. - Kinect Microsoft releases the first ever motion sensing input device allowing for completely hands free game, for its Xbox 360 console.
Fashion
The early 2010s, so far, have seen many recycled fashions from the 1940s, 1950s and 1980s1980s in fashion
In the 1970s, the silhouette of fashion tended to be characterized by close fitting clothes on top with wider, looser clothes on the bottom. This trend completely reversed itself in the early 1980s as both men and women began to wear looser shirts and tight, close-fitting trousers.Men wore power...
and 1990s such as skinny jeans
Skinny jeans
Slim-fit pants or skinny jeans have a snug fit through the legs and end in a small leg opening that can be anywhere from 9" to 20" depending on size. Other names for this style include pegs, drainpipes, stovepipes, Asian tight-pants, cigarette pants, skinny pants,insolent pants or skinnies...
, leggings, leg warmer
Leg warmer
Leg warmers are coverings for the lower legs, similar to socks but thicker and generally footless. They were originally used as dancewear by ballet and other classic dancers in order to keep the leg muscles warm and to prevent cramping or other muscle injuries....
s, aviator sunglasses
Aviator sunglasses
Aviator sunglasses are a style of sunglasses that were developed by Bausch & Lomb and branded as Ray-Ban. They are characterized by dark, often reflective lenses having an area two or three times the area of the eye socket, and metal frames with bayonet earpieces or flexible cable temples that hook...
, western shirts, baseball jackets, nerd glasses, and high top sneakers
High-top
The high-top is a shoe that extends significantly over the wearer's ankle. It is commonly an athletic shoe, particularly for basketball. It is sometimes confused with the slightly shorter mid-top. Examples of basketball shoes that are high-tops are Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars; Nike Air Forces...
. It is also very popular to wear neon colors such as neon pink, green, teal, black, purple, and yellow, and Military Shirts. At the same time new fashions such as color burn shirts and "boot sandal hybrids" emerged in Europe and the USA.
In Britain there has been a resurgence of Edwardian fashions among indie kids, sloane ranger
Sloane Ranger
The term Sloane Ranger refers to a stereotype in the UK of young, upper class or upper-middle-class women, or men who share distinctive and common lifestyle traits...
s, and college students, including suits with contrasting piping, boots based on US Civil War era Jeff Davis boots, Barbour
J. Barbour & Sons
J. Barbour & Sons Ltd is a British clothing manufacturer and importer, founded in South Shields, best known for making waterproof and outdoor clothing...
jackets, bowler hat
Bowler hat
The bowler hat, also known as a coke hat, derby , billycock or bombin, is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown originally created in 1849 for the English soldier and politician Edward Coke, the younger brother of the 2nd Earl of Leicester...
s, tweed jackets, waistcoat
Waistcoat
A waistcoat or vest is a sleeveless upper-body garment worn over a dress shirt and necktie and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear, and as the third piece of the three-piece male business suit.-Characteristics and use:...
s, thin ties, Ascots
Ascot tie
An ascot tie, or ascot, is a narrow neckband with wide pointed wings, traditionally made of pale grey patterned silk. This wide, formal tie is usually patterned, folded over, and fastened with a stickpin or tie tack. It is usually reserved for wear with morning dress for formal daytime weddings and...
, cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
-style sweater
Sweater
A sweater, jumper, pullover, sweatshirt, jersey or guernsey is a garment intended to cover the torso and arms. It is often worn over a shirt, blouse, T-shirt, or other top, but may also be worn alone as a top...
s and striped boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
blazer
Blazer
A blazer is a type of jacket. The term blazer occasionally is synonymous with boating jacket and sports jacket, two different garments. A blazer resembles a suit coat cut more casually — sometimes with flap-less patch pockets and metal buttons. A blazer's cloth is usually durable , because it is an...
s, albeit in less loud colors than the type worn by the mod subculture in the 1960s.
Timeline
The following articles contain brief timelines which list the most prominent events and predicted prominent events of the decade:2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016 • 2017 • 2018 • 2019