The world has certainly changed a great deal in the past few months, and it is unknown when we will return to “normal.”
This week, we take a trip back in time and look at what the world was like in May of 2010. There was definitely a lot going on: there was political dissent in numerous countries, the Catholic church was dealing with the ongoing sex abuse scandal, there were tensions in the Middle East, and former Moose Javian and popular TV host Art Linkletter died.
Other major events that took place in 2010 include the devastating earthquake in Haiti and the Chilean mine rescue.
Here are five stories from 10 years ago this month.
Times Square Bomb Attempt
An attempted terrorist attack in New York’s Times Square on May 1 failed after a car bomb ignited but did not explode. Street vendors saw smoke coming from the car and alerted authorities. By May 3, Faisal Shahzad was arrested. He was sentenced to life in prison, which he is serving at a supermax facility in Colorado.
Iceland Volcano Eruption
Volcanic eruptions at Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland caused major air traffic disruptions in April, affecting 20 countries and millions of travelers. Disruptions continued into the month of May, although this time around it was not as severe. Eventually, everything would return to normal.
The BP Oil Spill
This disaster began on April 20 and the well would not be finally sealed until September. During this time, an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. It is the largest marine oil spill in history. In 2015, BP agreed to pay $18.7 billion in fines, which is the largest corporate settlement in the history of the U.S.
David Cameron becomes PM
David Cameron officially became the Prime Minister of the U.K. on May 11. He became the youngest Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool in 1812. Cameron would be in office until 2016; he resigned following the Brexit referendum.
The World of Sports and Entertainment
The top songs in May 2010 include by Nothin’ On You by B.O.B. ft. Bruno Mars, OMG by Usher ft. will.i.am, and by Not Afraid by Eminem. Other major hits throughout the year include California Gurls by Katy Perry, Tik Tok by Ke$ha, Hey Soul Sister by Train, Haven’t Met You Yet by Michael Buble, Mean by Taylor Swift, and Bad Romance by Lady Gaga.
The top box office draw in May was Iron Man 2. Overall, it finished seventh at the box office for the year, behind Toy Story 3, Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I, Inception, Shrek Forever After, and the Twilight Saga: Eclipse. The King’s Speech would go on to be named Best Picture at the Oscars.
The top show on TV was American Idol. Other popular shows that year include The Voice, The Big Bang Theory, Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS, Glee, The Office, and Two and a Half Men.
In sports, the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant won the NBA Championship, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers for their first Stanley Cup in 49 years, the San Francisco Giants won the World Series, the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl, Spain won the World Cup, and Sidney Crosby scored The Golden Goal at the Vancouver Olympics.
There is no doubt that the top story 10 years from now will be COVID-19, but so far this year we have already seen fires in Australia, Iran shooting down Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752, the Pentagon confirming the existence of UFOs, and the uncertainty surrounding Kim Jong Un’s health. Who knows what the rest of the year will bring?
