2010s History: Key Events, Politics And Culture
Austerity, the London Olympics, the referendums, and life moving onto the phone.
Below: the key events of the 2010s, the politics of the decade, the social changes that came with them, the culture people still talk about, and what ordinary life looked like.
Written for quizzes, reminiscence sessions, school projects and anyone working out what a relative lived through.
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Key events of the 2010s
- The 2011 riots in August, after the shooting of Mark Duggan.
- The London Olympics and Paralympics in summer 2012.
- The Scottish independence referendum in September 2014.
- The EU referendum on 23 June 2016 and the vote to leave.
- The Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017 kills 72 people.
- Three general elections in five years: 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Politics and government
- The coalition government of 2010-15 under David Cameron and Nick Clegg.
- Austerity: spending cuts, benefit reform and Universal Credit rolled out slowly.
- Same-sex marriage becomes law in England and Wales in 2013 and Scotland in 2014.
- Theresa May then Boris Johnson wrestle with Brexit and parliamentary arithmetic.
- The Windrush scandal breaks in 2018 over wrongful deportations.
Social change: rights, work and family life
- Same-sex marriage became law in England, Wales and Scotland in 2014.
- Austerity cut council budgets, and food bank use rose year after year.
- Universal Credit rolled out from 2013, slowly and controversially.
- The 2016 EU referendum split the country by age, education and place.
- Grenfell Tower in 2017 forced a national reckoning over building safety and social housing.
Culture and entertainment
- Streaming takes over: Netflix originals from 2013, Spotify as the default radio.
- Game of Thrones, Bake Off moving channels, and Strictly as the winter fixture.
- Adele, Ed Sheeran, Stormzy and grime reaching number one.
- Marvel films as the reliable centre of the cinema calendar.
- Instagram, then TikTok from 2018, reshaping what a picture is for.
Everyday life
- Smartphones become universal; food banks expand at the same time.
- Deliveroo, Uber and Airbnb turn spare capacity into an industry.
- Contactless payment overtakes cash for most small purchases.
- Renting for longer, buying later, and the deposit becoming the barrier.
Years covered in the 2010s
- 2010 - A hung parliament, a volcano that stopped the planes and the first iPad. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2010
- 2011 - The royal wedding, the riots and Adele's 21. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2011
- 2012 - The Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics in one extraordinary summer. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2012
- 2013 - A royal baby, Andy Murray at Wimbledon and the horsemeat scandal. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2013
- 2014 - The Scottish referendum, the ice bucket challenge and streaming joining the chart. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2014
- 2015 - The Queen's record reign, Leicester's title run beginning and Adele's return. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2015
- 2016 - Leicester won the league, Britain voted to leave and a lot of people died. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2016
- 2017 - Grenfell, the Manchester Arena attack and a snap election that went wrong. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2017
- 2018 - A royal wedding, a heatwave and England reaching a World Cup semi-final. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2018
- 2019 - A cricket World Cup final nobody could believe and a December election. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2019
- That is every 2010s year we have written up so far: 2010 to 2019.
How to use this
- Quiz round: read an event and ask for the year, or read a year and ask for the prime minister.
- Reminiscence: ask where they were for one of the events above. The answers are always better than the facts.
- School project: pair this page with the decade calendar for a year-by-year timeline.
- Anyone born in 2010 turns 50 in 2060, 60 in 2070 and 70 in 2080.
Found your words? Now find the card
Shop prints and posters Look back to 2010 Look back to 2011 Look back to 2012
How to write it so it lands
- Pair this with the decade calendar if you need the events in year order.
- For a reminiscence session, read one event and let the conversation go wherever it goes.
- Politics and everyday life rarely moved at the same speed. Both sections are here for that reason.
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Where to shop next
- Look back to 2010
- Look back to 2011
- Look back to 2012
- Look back to 2013
- Look back to 2014
- Look back to 2015
- Look back to 2016
- Look back to 2017
- Look back to 2018
- Look back to 2019
- 2010s calendar: year by year
- 2010s trivia: fun facts
- 2010s art and artists
- 2010s films and directors
- 2010s music: albums and artists
- 2010s fashion: clothes, hair and accessories
- The 2010s: the whole decade
- 2010s party playlist
- Phone party games
- How to run a quiz night
- Decade music round questions
- Guess the year quiz
- Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
- Decade art: artists, styles and trends by era
- Decade films: best movies and directors by era
- Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
- Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
- Decade calendar: every year from 1920
- Decade trivia: fun facts by era
- Decade trivia game: play for points
- Decade quiz: test your memory
- Nostalgia gift shop
- Milestone birthday cards
- Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
- How to make a balloon arch
- Photo booth prop ideas
- Wedding cards
- Wedding cards guide
- All guides
Frequently asked questions
What were the most important events of the 2010s?
The 2011 riots in August, after the shooting of Mark Duggan. The full list above covers the events that defined the decade.
What was happening politically in the 2010s?
The coalition government of 2010-15 under David Cameron and Nick Clegg. The politics section above covers the governments, laws and arguments of the decade.
How did society change in the 2010s?
Same-sex marriage became law in England, Wales and Scotland in 2014. The social change section above lists the laws, rights and shifts in work and family life that defined the decade.
What was life like in the 2010s?
Smartphones become universal; food banks expand at the same time. The everyday life section above covers homes, money, work and shopping.
What was popular culture like in the 2010s?
Streaming takes over: Netflix originals from 2013, Spotify as the default radio. There are fuller guides to the decade's music, films, television and fashion linked from this page.
Can I use this for a quiz or a school project?
Yes, freely. Print it, read it out, copy it - no permission needed. We make greeting cards and prints; these pages are free.