As we cast our reflective mind’s eye into the sunset this year, we may feel amazed at what has happened. All of our years add up to so much, and this year MMX has seen no less drama and tragedy than we are used to seeing. Perhaps in terms of magnitude, the following ten events can be considered (in reverse ‘countdown’ order of importance) as the biggest and most memorable (so far):
NUMBER TEN – “End of H1N1 Flu”
The World Health Organization (WHO) calls for an end to the H1N1 influenza pandemic on August 10. Illnesses due to influenza are now said to have returned to “typical seasonal patterns”.
NUMBER NINE – “Synthesized genome and ‘alien’ life forms”
A “working” synthetic genome is officially created by scientists on May 20, synthesizing bacteria, yet the Venter group stops short of calling it a breakthrough. Also, on December 2, NASA discovers an arsenic-based life form (bacteria).
NUMBER EIGHT – “World Sport Top Two”
The 2010 FIFA World Cup is played in South Africa between June 11 and July 11 and is won by Spain. Additionally, the 2010 Winter Olympics (21) were held in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28. The home team, Canada, won the most gold.
NUMBER SEVEN – “Repercussions of the global financial crisis”
The depth of the global financial crisis continues to hit some countries hard with Greece (May 2) and Ireland (November 29) being bailed out by monetary funds to the tune of €110 billion and €85 billion, respectively.
NUMBER SIX – “Mining Disasters”
The trapped Chilean miners, all thirty-three, return to the surface on October 13 after 69 days of captivity deep underground. Not so lucky are the twenty-nine New Zealand miners at Pike River coal mine, Atarau, who were trapped on November 19 by an initial explosion, only to almost certainly be killed by a second explosion on November 24.
NUMBER FIVE – “Created Antimatter”
Antimatter is trapped for a sixth of a second, where thirty-eight antihydrogen atoms are temporarily held, at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) on November 17. This is the first time in history that humans have accomplished this.
NUMBER FOUR – “Wikileaks”
The ‘Wikileaks’ scandal leaks nearly 100,000 classified and secret reports on July 25 and the scandal ranges from embarrassed governments to people struggling to damage their reputations. The scandal evolves for the rest of 2010.
NUMBER THREE – “Eyjafjallajökull volcanic ash disrupts air traffic”
The Icelandic volcano initially erupted on March 20, but on April 14 it entered an explosive phase and the resulting ash was launched 30,000 feet into the air, threatening European airspace. It interrupted the travel and homecoming plans of millions of people intermittently during the period from April 15 to May 17 and featured some periods of complete closure of European airspace. Also, it proves the theory that God always has the last word on our plans.
NUMBER TWO – “Deepwater Horizon Disaster”
The Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico is paralyzed by an explosion on April 20, killing eleven workers. It ends up being one of the biggest environmental catastrophes in history. The safety and ethics of offshore drilling is questioned internationally.
NUMBER ONE – “Haiti Earthquake”
The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that shook and shook Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on January 12, devastates a nation ill-equipped to handle such destruction. The world responds with sympathy and help, and the “Helping Haiti” appeal, song and concerts sought hope in a helpless situation. More than 230,000 people died as a result.
Copyright (c) 2010 SJ Wickham.
Recognition: Source information from various pages on Wikipedia.
