Decade saw rapid, widespread change
As the 2010s come to a close amid news of impeachment proceedings, mass killings, the end of the “Star Wars” Saga, and protests and political upheaval around the globe, recalling the decade-defining moments that came before Marie Kondo taught you to how declutter may prove a struggle.
In retrospect, the decade could be described as a dark one. Many events shook the world and shaped policy and people across geographic boundaries: The Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010; Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011; Edward Snowden leaked documents revealing National Security Agency spying in 2013; ISIS stepped into the national stage with an attack in Paris in 2015.
But it was also the decade that brought us the longest economic expansion in U.S. history, the iPad, the legalization of same-sex marriage, reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba, and a World Series win for the Chicago Cubs — the organization’s first since 1908.
Distilling the decade into a summary fails to capture the nuance of a time of rapid and widespread change. But one thing is certain: The decade leaves big shoes to fill.
Natural disasters
The United States endured everything under the sun during the 2010s. A decade of extreme weather brought powerful beauty, horror amid destruction and, in some cases, offered glimpses into what the future climate
may bring.
Tornado outbreaks in 2011 and 2013 caused mass casualties across the states. In 2011, a four-day event unleashed swarms of tornadoes from Texas to Maryland, produced 362 tornadoes and left more than 320 people dead, hitting Alabama the worst. In 2013, Oklahoma was hit by 63 tornadoes, killing 24 and injuring more than 200.
Hurricanes wreaked havoc, leaving devastating floods and ruin in their wake. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy killed at least 100 people in the U.S. and cost $65 billion. Matthew and Florence hit the Carolinas in 2016 and 2018, respectively, dropping nearly 20 inches of rain each time. Harvey tore across South Texas, breaking the United States’ national rainfall record for a tropical storm. Maria unleashed a violent onslaught that brought about the worst electrical blackout in U.S. history in Puerto Rico, which alone caused nearly 3,000 excess deaths.
Meanwhile fires burned across the west coast, scorching California, including the Camp Fire in 2018. All told, the flames in that fire consumed 153,336 acres, destroyed nearly 14,00 homes and killed 85 people.
Technology
A decade ago, we typed on computers. Now we talk with them. Instagram launched in 2010, helping make photography everyone’s hobby.
Voice assistants Alexa, Siri and rival Google Assistant became robot butlers of our dreams, answering questions and cracking jokes on demand.
Ride-sharing apps such as Uber and Lyft mobilized us in new ways, bolstering a gig economy that saw Favor, InstaCart and DoorDash explode in popularity and use.
Streaming has replaced cable for younger generations, forcing companies such as Disney to adapt to survive.
Apple shaped the industry with the iPad and Apple Watch, putting innovations such as facial-identification technology at our fingertips.
Scandals
As the decade flourished under the ease of sharing information instantly on the internet, so too did scandals seem to break with ease. Former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was found guilty of sexual abuse in 2012 after a long history of cover-ups at the school exploded into the national spotlight.
In 2013, Edward Snowden leaked National Security Agency documents that revealed extensive surveillance programs that collected data on U.S. citizens and included spy missions on some of D.C.’s close allies.
Data breaches dotted the decade from 2013, when Target was hacked, to the more prolific Equifax breach that compromised the personal data of 147 million Americans.
While the #MeToo movement had its birth in 2006, it gained international exposure following widespread coverage of allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein that began as early as 2015. In 2016, it was reported that more than 265 women had accused USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar of sexual assault, becoming one of the largest sex abuse scandals in sports history.
And in 2019, the Houston Chronicle launched its investigation into sex assault within the Southern Baptist Church.
Extremism
The 2010s saw the rise of violent extremism. Possibly most recognizable of the decade is ISIS, which spread fear and violence around the world from the beheading of U.S. journalist James Foley in 2014, to attacks in Paris and San Bernardino in 2015, Orlando and Nice, France, in 2016, and at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, in 2017.
Abroad, the U.S. struggled against unrest in the middle east. The 2012 attack on U.S. ambassadors in Benghazi sparked international outrage and spawned an ongoing investigation by congressional Republicans.
But extremism also found footing at home. Places of worship were targeted in several attacks and Jewish community centers and synagogues were especially at risk: There were shooting attacks in Poway, Calif., in 2019; Pittsburgh, in 2018; and in Overland Park, Kan., in 2014. In 2017, a white nationalist rally turned violent when a man drove his car through a group of counterprotesters, killing one and injuring dozens in Charlottesville, Va.
Activism
The decade was marked by a rise in activism at home and abroad. Protests for social change sparked a revolution in Egypt and Occupy Wall Street challenged wealth equity in 2011.
Black Lives Matter marches spread across the U.S. in 2013 in response to the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. The movement continues today as the country continues to call attention to the deaths of black Americans by police.
In 2016, the Dakota Access Pipeline brought the longtime maltreatment of indigenous peoples to the fore as tribes in North and South Dakota protested the project.
And climate change moved to the top of global priorities, and teen Greta Thunberg was chosen as 2019’s Time Person of the Year.
Mass shootings
Mass shootings shook the country’s sense of safety, with targeted places including schools, a nightclub, colleges, a music festival, places of worship and a Walmart. The decade saw six of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in the U.S., of which two were in Texas.
The deadliest shooting in the U.S. came in October 2017, when a gunman sprayed fire on a crowd of 22,000 concertgoers from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, leaving 59 people dead, including the gunman, and injuring more than 500 others.
A little more than a month later, a gunman opened fire on First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, killing 25 people and an unborn child and wounding 20 others.
Then, about six months later, authorities say a 17year-old student walked into an art class at Santa Fe High School and began firing, killing eight students and two teachers. The suspect, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, was arrested and is awaiting trial. Last month, however, Pagourtzis was found by three experts to be unfit to stand trial. Pagourtzis was eventually to be treated at a state mental health facility where he would be evaluated over four to six months, delaying his scheduled Feb. 18 trial in Richmond.
Two other mass shootings in El Paso and Odessa reignited debate over gun control this year. On Aug. 3, 22 people were killed in an El Paso Walmart in a case that’s being treated as domestic terrorism. Police say they found an anti-immigrant document, believed to be written by the suspect, espousing white nationalist and racist views.
Later that month, a gunman fired on multiple people in a spree shooting in Midland and Odessa, killing seven people and injuring 25 as he drove. The suspect was shot and killed by police outside a movie theater.
Notable deaths
Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed by a team of Navy SEALs on May 2, 2011, in a raid on his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Then-President Barack Obama ordered the operation, which administration officials defended as lawful despite critics’ questions about the ethics of killing an unarmed target. The operation marked the culmination of a 10year hunt for bin Laden after his role in the 9/11 attacks.
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died of pancreatic cancer on Oct. 5, 2011, only about six weeks after resigning as the company’s CEO and handing the company off to successor Tim Cook. He was memorialized by Apple along with Pixar and Disney, where he also made significant strides.
South African antiapartheid activist and former President Nelson Mandela died Dec. 5, 2013, after battling a series of illnesses. The country’s first black head of state, he marked an end to the apartheid era with his election in 1994. His state funeral, attended by scores of foreign leaders, was marked by minor controversy as Obama shook hands with Cuban leader Raul Castro.
American actor and comedian Robin Williams died by suicide Aug. 11, 2014, after suffering severe depression, people close to him said. The funnyman rose to prominence on the sitcom Mork & Mindy and was known for his roles in films such as Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji and Good Will Hunting. Tributes flooded in from across the entertainment world, many calling him a national treasure.
Former President George H.W. Bush died Nov. 30, 2018, after years of health issues tied to Parkinson’s disease. He passed only a few months after his wife, Barbara, who died April 17. Both died at their Houston home and were buried at Bush’s presidential library in College Station. Bush was the longest-lived U.S. president at the time of his death and was honored by lying in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda before his burial.