2010-2020: A Decade in Review
2020 is here! It has been one heck of a decade filled with historical events that continue to shape human history. Let us remember the events that have shaped this decade.
2010
Natural Disasters:
A devastating 7.0 magnitude Earthquake rocked Hati. Its epicenter was about 25 Kilometers west of the Capital Port-au Prince. Over 316,000 people were killed, and 250,000 were wounded. The damage was catastrophic to infrastructure. To this day that Earthquake is considered the 5th deadliest natural disasters in recorded history.
The most catastrophic environmental disaster occurred in the Gulf of Mexico when the Oil Rig Deepwater Horizon exploded due to mechanical failure. Over 18 workers were killed, and 31 were injured. Over 130 million gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico heavily polluting the ocean, and causing a great loss of life for the organisms of the ecosystem.
The ipad:
Apple hot off the success of the iPhone and iPod launched a marvel in Technology. The IPad. Ipad mania spread across the world like wildfire. More than 3 million tablets were sold in less than 3 months, and apps were being developed like crazy. The Ipad cleared the way for Apple to overclipse Microsoft in market value and total net worth. Now Apple owns a huge share of the global stock market.
2011
Arab Spring:
The Arab Spring was a series of uprisings, anti-government protests, and rebellions that occurred in Arab countries. All across the Middle East and North Africa, oppressive regimes were being overthrown, in the hopes of establishing modern democracies across the Arab world.
Bin Laden killed:
On May 4th, 2011, the man responsible for the 9/11 attacks, Osama Bin Laden, was shot in cold blood. Seal Team 6, under the direction of President Obama, infiltrated his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and shot him in the head. This was a major turning point in the war on terror.
The Royal Wedding:
On April 29th, 2011, a couple got married. Not just an ordinary couple, but another member of the Royal Family. Prince William, the son of the late Princess Diana, and Kate Middleton, officially wed at Westminster Abbey. William is second in line to the British throne, after Prince Charles.
2012
Kim Jong-Un Named Supreme Leader:
On July 18th, Kim Jong Un took power in North Korea, a totalitarian Communist state. He took power after the death of his father Kim Jong Il. Un continues the long dynasty of Kim’s, all started by his Grandfather, Kim Ill Sung the founder of North Korea. Un’s regime has been responsible for the murder, and imprisonment of Political Opponents in Labor Camps. This, in turn, leads to a lot of North Koreans fleeing the country.
Obama Elected to a Second Term:
President Barack Obama, the first African American to hold the office, was re-elected to a second term, defeating Governor Mitt Romney of Utah. Obama campaigned on his major successes, such as the Affordable Care Act, the assassination of Osama Bin Laden, and combating an economic recession. His legacy still lives on today in the American Political arena.
2013
New Pope:
History was made in Rome, as Jorge Mario Bergolio was elected as the 266th Pope of the Holy See. Now known as Pope Francis, Bergolio was the first Jesuit ever elected to be Pope, and the first pope from South America, and Latin America. He is the first “modern” pope, as he actively uses Twitter to spread his message.
Edward Snowden:
Edward Snowden, a former National Security Agency employee (NSA), leaked tons of classified documents to the public. The documents that were leaked, showed how the US government, was actively spying on its citizens via wiretapping, and surveillance. Snowden, not wanting to be captured by the US government, sought Asylum in Russia, and is now currently living there. The chances of him going back to the United States are slim.
2014
MH 370:
Tragedy unfolded over the Indian Ocean, as Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, mysteriously disappeared in the Indian ocean. On a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur, to Beijing, the flight creased all communication and vanished from Radar. A massive search was put together in hopes of finding the wreckage, but the rescue team came up empty-handed. To this day, no wreckage has been found, leaving the cause of the disappearance a mystery.
Invasion of Ukraine:
President Vladimir Putin of Russia, in a bid to establish the old Russian Empire, decided to invade its neighboring country, Ukraine. Russian troops then invaded the Capital of Kiev and ousted Ukrainian President Yanukovych. They established a president who was very loyal to Russia, and this angered the people. To this day, conflict exists between Russia and Ukraine, and the war has inflicted thousands of casualties on both sides.
Happy Becomes Number One Hit:
Happy a song by Pharrell Williams exploded onto the music scene, in the spring and summer of 2014. This song was popularized with the hit movie Despicable Me 2. This happy family-friendly song dominated the top International charts, as it brought positive energy and spirits for all people worldwide.
2015
Hamilton Comes Alive!:
Lin Manuel Miranda, a well known, playwright, came out with a musical based on the life of one of our founding fathers: Alexander Hamilton. This play was groundbreaking with a one of a kind hip hop track and diverse cast members. According to Miranda, It helps tell “the stories of old dead white men.”
2016
Trump elected:
On November 6th, after a polarizing election campaign US businessman, and billionaire, Donald Trump, was elected as the 45th President of the United States. The election of 2016, contested by Trump and Hillary Clinton, was ripe with partisan, and personal attacks, that both candidates seemed equally repugnant. No one was expecting Trump to win, as many polls predicted that Clinton would be the clear winner, but the polls proved to be wrong.
Paris Climate Accord:
In Le Bourget France, over 195 nations came together to sign the Paris Climate Accord. This monumental legislation, proposed in simple terms that each country should make a push to stop using Fossil Fuels, and move towards Renewable Energy. Its legacy is in jeopardy, however, as the United States and 10 other countries have pulled out of the accord.
The Death of Many Famous Stars:
Throughout 2016, the world lost many stunning pop artists, actors, and celebrities. These iconic figures throughout music, Hollywood, and Pop history sought to be men and women of the people opening a gateway for unity amongst all humankind. We will never forget stars like David Bowie, Alan Rickman Prince, Muhammad Ali, and Carrie Fisher just to name a few.
Pokemon Go Becomes a Global Phenomenon:
Nintendo released an app that had epic proportions across the world. That was Pokemon Go! Tapping into the nostalgia shared by adult ’90s kids, their parents and a new generation of Pokémon trainers alike, the new mobile game became a sensation within hours of its release for an entire month, people scoured the streets in search of classic Pokemon like Pikachu and Charizard. A lot of people got too carried away, however, as some people have got into major freak accidents just from being too addicted.
2017
Hurricane Irma:
The massive storm of the century appeared on Weather Radar, across the globe. Hurricane Irma, a category 5 storm appeared in the Carribean, poised to strike Hispaniola, Cuba, and other islands. It caused great deviation across the Island to the human population, as well as to Infrastructure. 134 people were killed, and thousands more were displaced from their homes.
Las Vegas Massacre:
On the night of October 1st, 2019, a shooter opened fire from a hotel room on a crowd of Harvest Music festival-goers on the Vegas Strip. The shooter killed over 58 people and wounded 413. During the ensuing panic, the number of injured was pushed to 863 people as many people were trampled on.
Me Too Movement:
After the multiple allegations of sexual assault against Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein entered the spotlight, the Me too movement was born. It is a social movement against sexual violence and sexual assault that advocates for sexual assault survivors. It is a powerful movement seeking to change the current social order across the world.
2018
Summit with Trump:
History was made in Singapore, as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and US President Donald Trump met for the first time in Kuala Lumpur. It was the first-ever meeting between the leaders of North Korea and the United States. As they had been bitter enemies for over 70 years blooming as a result of the Korean war. The Purpose of the talks was to open relations and smooth tensions between the two nations, particularly over North Korea’s Nuclear weapon program.
Tik Tok Explodes:
A new app called Tik Tok quickly became a widespread phenomenon across the world. This app developed for both Apple and Android, and its main purpose is for people to create lip sync videos, short comedy sketches, or events to showcase the greatest talent. Tik Tok has allowed our society to become more connected.
2019
Impeachment Proceedings:
The Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, announced a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump. This investigation began, on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of justice. This is the first step of impeachment, and if these proceedings succeed, Trump will become the 4th president to become Impeached.
Avengers Endgame Toppels Avatar:
Hollywood history was made, as Avengers Endgame, overtook Avatar as the highest-grossing film in history. By the end of its theatrical release, Endgame took in a whomping 2.79 billion dollars, beating Avatar’s record by one million dollars! The movie, marks the culmination of all 22 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, as we see one great final battle occur between the Avengers, and the main villain of the series, the Mad Titan, Thanos!