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Major Events of May 2010: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from May 2010 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

history

Major Events of May 2010: Key Historical Moments from the Month

  • 01 May 2010 Times Square Car Bomb Incident: A potential terrorist attack is thwarted in New York City's Times Square when a car bomb is discovered and successfully deactivated. A portion of the area was evacuated and sealed off as a precautionary measure.
  • 02 May 2010 IMF and Eurozone Bailout of Greece: The International Monetary Fund and the Eurozone agreed to a €110 billion bailout package for Greece, which includes stringent austerity measures designed to address the country's severe sovereign debt crisis.
  • 03 May 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference: At the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton exchange criticisms regarding their respective nuclear policies during the conference opening.
  • 04 May 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Explosion: The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico led to significant economic disruptions, causing slower shipping and driving up prices for gasoline, food, and other products across the United States.
  • 05 May 2010 2010 Greek Debt Crisis Protests: Mass protests erupted across Greece in response to severe austerity measures imposed by the government to address the ongoing Greek government-debt crisis. Approximately 100,000 Greeks participated in a general strike, with three protesters dying from asphyxiation due to fires set during the demonstrations.
  • 06 May 2010 2010 Flash Crash on Wall Street: The financial markets experienced an unprecedented event known as the 2010 Flash Crash, where the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted nearly 1,000 points in just 36 minutes, causing widespread market panic and raising concerns about high-frequency trading algorithms.
  • 07 May 2010 Neanderthal Genome Breakthrough: Scientists conducting the Neanderthal genome project announced a groundbreaking discovery: they had sequenced enough of the Neanderthal genome to suggest potential interbreeding between Neanderthals and humans, revolutionizing our understanding of human evolution.
  • 08 May 2010 Eurozone Financial Bailout for Greece: Eurozone leaders approved a substantial $100 billion loan package to support Greece during its severe economic crisis, aiming to prevent potential default and stabilize the European financial system.
  • 09 May 2010 BP Oil Spill Containment Efforts Fail: BP's initial containment efforts for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico were unsuccessful, prolonging the environmental disaster and increasing ecological and economic damage.
  • 10 May 2010 European Economic Rescue Package: European leaders approved a massive $1 trillion emergency rescue package to stabilize struggling European economies, which immediately boosted American stock market indexes by approximately 4 percent.
  • 11 May 2010 David Cameron Forms Coalition Government in UK: Queen Elizabeth II asks Conservative leader David Cameron to form a new government, which he accepts. Cameron will form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, with Nick Clegg becoming deputy prime minister.
  • 12 May 2010 Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771 Tragic Crash: A Libyan Airbus A330-200 jet crashed while attempting to land at Tripoli International Airport, resulting in the tragic loss of 103 lives. Remarkably, a young Dutch boy aged 10 was the sole survivor of this devastating accident.
  • 13 May 2010 New START Treaty Submission: President Obama submitted the New START Treaty on nuclear arms control, signed with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on April 8, to Congress.
  • 14 May 2010 Space Shuttle Atlantis' Final Planned Flight: Space Shuttle Atlantis completed its last planned flight after more than 25 years of service, marking the end of an era in space exploration.
  • 15 May 2010 Google Wi-Fi Data Collection Admission: Google publicly acknowledges improper collection of data from unencrypted Wi-Fi networks over the past three years and grounds its Street View cars to halt further unauthorized data gathering.
  • 16 May 2010 Massive Oil Plumes Discovered in Gulf of Mexico: Scientists discovered extensive underwater oil plumes from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, with one plume measuring approximately 10 miles long, 3 miles wide, and 300 feet thick. This evidence suggests the oil leakage is significantly more severe than initial estimates by the US government and BP.
  • 17 May 2010 Nuclear Fuel Swap Agreement: Brazil, Iran, and Turkey reached a diplomatic agreement on a nuclear fuel swap, aimed at alleviating Western concerns about Iran's potential nuclear weapons program. This negotiation represented a significant diplomatic effort to reduce international tensions.
  • 18 May 2010 Taliban Suicide Bombing in Kabul: A Taliban suicide bomber attacked a NATO convoy in Kabul, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 Afghan civilians and injuring dozens more, underscoring the ongoing insurgent violence in Afghanistan.
  • 19 May 2010 Cheonan Sinking Investigation Conclusion: An independent investigation confirmed that a North Korean torpedo sank the South Korean warship Cheonan, escalating tensions in the Korean Peninsula.
  • 20 May 2010 First Artificial Lifeform Created: Scientists from the J. Craig Venter Institute achieved a groundbreaking scientific milestone by successfully transplanting a synthesized genome into an existing cell, creating the world's first artificial lifeform named Mycoplasma laboratorium.
  • 21 May 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Update: BP's Chief Operating Officer provided an update on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, suggesting the gushing crude oil well might be contained within a week. However, he cautioned that the plugging operation was unprecedented in such deep waters and extremely complex.
  • 22 May 2010 Air India Express Flight 812 Crash: Air India Express Flight 812, a Boeing 737, crashed over a cliff upon landing at Mangalore International Airport, India, resulting in a devastating tragedy. The aircraft crashed with 166 people on board, killing 158 passengers and leaving only 8 survivors. This incident became the deadliest crash involving a Boeing 737 at the time, prompting a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the accident. The flight's black box was recovered to help determine the factors leading to the crash.
  • 23 May 2010 Freedom Flotilla to Gaza: An international humanitarian mission with 800 people from 50 countries, comprising nine ships from the UK, Ireland, Algeria, Kuwait, Greece, and Turkey, embarked on a journey to Gaza to challenge Israel's blockade. Israel warned they would be stopped for violating Israeli law.
  • 24 May 2010 Andrew Wakefield Banned from Medical Practice: Dr. Andrew Wakefield was struck off the UK medical register by the General Medical Council for publishing discredited research falsely linking the MMR vaccine to autism, found guilty of serious professional misconduct.
  • 25 May 2010 Korean Peninsula Tensions Escalate: Following the sinking of the South Korean warship ROKS Cheran, tensions between North and South Korea dramatically increased, with North Korea severing all communications and expelling South Korean workers.
  • 26 May 2010 Taliban Poison Gas Attack on Girls' School in Afghanistan: In Kunduz, Afghanistan, over 80 girls were poisoned in a gas attack believed to be perpetrated by Taliban terrorists. The incident highlighted the ongoing conflict between extremist interpretations of Islam and girls' education rights.
  • 27 May 2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Disaster Worst in US History: Scientists confirmed that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has become the most significant oil-related environmental disaster in American history, surpassing the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.
  • 28 May 2010 Gaza Flotilla Confrontation: An international flotilla carrying 10,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid attempted to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip, leading to a tense maritime confrontation with the Israeli Navy. This event was seen as a significant international 'public relations battle'.
  • 29 May 2010 BP Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Crisis: BP's attempts to stop the massive Gulf of Mexico oil leakage are failing, marking the worst oil spillage in American history and posing significant environmental threats to marshlands and beaches.
  • 30 May 2010 BP Oil Spill Containment Efforts: BP announced a new strategy to stop the Gulf of Mexico oil leakage, with plans to deploy a containment device that would take between four to seven days to capture the oil, highlighting the ongoing environmental crisis.
  • 31 May 2010 Gaza Flotilla Raid: Israeli Navy Intercepts Aid Ships: Israeli marines intercepted six ships carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, storming a Turkish aid vessel and resulting in the death of at least nine pro-Palestinian Turkish activists. The incident occurred in international waters, with Israeli forces claiming self-defense against potential attacks.