Look Back To 2010: What Happened That Year

A hung parliament, a volcano that stopped the planes and the first iPad.

Here's 2010 in full - the music, the news, the screen, the sport and the ordinary details. Good for a birthday card, a party quiz round or a reminiscence session.

In the charts in 2010

• 'Love the Way You Lie' by Eminem and Rihanna was the year's best-selling single.
• Matt Cardle's 'When We Collide' was the Christmas number one.
• One Direction were formed on The X Factor in the summer and finished third.

In the news in 2010

• The general election in May produced a hung parliament and a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition.
• Ash from the Eyjafjallajokull eruption in Iceland grounded flights across Europe in April.
• Thirty-three Chilean miners were rescued in October, watched live around the world.

On screen in 2010

• Downton Abbey and Sherlock both began.
• Toy Story 3 and Inception were the films of the year.
• The Social Network told the Facebook story to people who were already on it.

In sport in 2010

• Spain won the World Cup in South Africa; England lost 4-1 to Germany with a goal wrongly disallowed.
• The vuvuzela became the sound of the summer.
• Graeme McDowell won the US Open.

Everyday life in 2010

• The first iPad went on sale in the UK in May.
• Instagram launched in October.
• The snow before Christmas closed schools and airports across the country.

If you were born in 2010

• Anyone born in 2010 is the same age as the iPad and Instagram.
• They were two at the London Olympics, so they will not remember it.
• Anyone born in 2010 turns 30 in 2040, 40 in 2050, 50 in 2060, 60 in 2070 and 70 in 2080.
• For a milestone card, the strongest line is usually the number one from the week they were born rather than the year's biggest events - it's personal, and it takes two minutes to find.
• For a reminiscence session, read one section at a time and stop on whatever gets a reaction. The point is the conversation, not the facts.

Shop birthday cards

How to write it so it lands

• The number one from the week they were born beats the year's headlines on a card.
• Read one section at a time in a reminiscence session and stop where the conversation starts.
• Use it as a guess-the-year round by reading three facts and hiding the date.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 2013
• Look back to 2012
• Look back to 2011
• 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
• The 2020s so far
• The 2000s: the whole decade
• The 1990s: the whole decade
• The 1980s: the whole decade
• The 1970s: the whole decade
• The 1960s: the whole decade
• The 1950s: the whole decade
• The 1940s: the whole decade
• The 1930s: the whole decade
• The 1920s: the whole decade
• Decade calendar: every year from 1920
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Decade recipes: dishes and food trends by era
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays by era
• Decade tech: gadgets and computers by era
• Decade films: best movies and directors by era
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends by era
• Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
• Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
• Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Nostalgia birthday party by decade
• Nostalgia hamper and gift ideas
• Care home reminiscence quiz
• Reminiscence gifts for grandparents
• Milestone birthday cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What was the Christmas number one in 2010?

'When We Collide' by Matt Cardle.

Why did flights stop in April 2010?

Ash from the Eyjafjallajokull eruption in Iceland closed much of European airspace for several days.

How old is someone born in 2010?

Subtract 2010 from the current year. They turn 40 in 2050, 50 in 2060, 60 in 2070 and 70 in 2080.

Do you sell anything to do with this year?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. This page itself is free to read and free to copy.