2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Timeline (part 2 of 2): Saturday, May 29 40 days into the spill, the "top kill" method is abandoned because the mixture cannot overpower the pressure of the oil spilling from the leak. June Tuesday, June 1 Outrage ensues when Tony Hayward says, "I'd like my life back." BP shares plunge about 17%, losing $23 billion in market value; BP stock lost about $67 billion over the six weeks since the explosion. The U.S. Justice Department launches a criminal investigation into the initial explosion and the ensuing spill. Fishing restrictions increase to 37% of federal waters in the Gulf. Thursday, June 3 Technicians cut a riser pipe nearly one-mile under the surface and plan to then dome the leak and siphon the oil to a tank on the surface. As a result, the rate of flow increased by 20% beause the oil has less distance to travel to leak. Friday, June 4 President Obama cancels his trip to Australia, Indonesia, and Guam to make his third trip to the Gulf Coast. He voices his outrage at BP for spending millions of dollars on television advertisements. Saturday, June 12 President Obama speaks with British Prime Minister David Cameron about BP oil spill. The U.S. Coast Guard orders BP engineers to increase the rate of containment of the spewing oil; the consequences for failing to do so are not outlined, however. Sunday, June 13 BP officials state that the containment cap captured 15,000 barrels of oil on the previous day, bringing the total number of barrels captured by the device to 119,000. Monday, June 14 President Obama visits the Gulf for the fourth time in eight weeks. Congress and the Obama administration demand that BP halt paying dividends to its shareholders in order to ensure that the company will have money to pay for damages. BP says it will be able to siphon 40,000 to 53,000 barrels a day by the end of June. Tuesday, June 15 Oil executives are summoned to Congress to testify about the safety of offshore drilling and share their response plans for another such disaster. Leak estimates are increased to 60,000 barrels per day; this means 2.5 million barrels a day are spilling into the Gulf. At this rate, the amount of the ExxonValdezspill is reproduced every four days. That night, President Obama delivers a speech about the oil spill from the Oval Office. The speech, his first from the Oval Office, is watched by 32 million viewers. Wednesday, June 16 President Obama meets with top executives and lawyers of BP at the White House. He later announces that BP agreed to create a $20 billion fund to pay claims and damages. The fund will be run by Kenneth R. Feinberg, who oversaw the compensation for victims of Sept. 11. Thursday, June 17 Tony Hayward testifies before Congress. The U.S. Coast Guard reports that containment devices should be able to capture 53,000 barrels per day by the end of June. In the future, the collection of 60,000 to 80,000 barrels a day may take place with the successful implementation of a new, multi-hose well cap. BP recovers 25,290 barrels of oil, the most it has recovered in a single day. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) apologizes to BP for being forced by the Obama administration to create a $20 billion fund, calling it a "shakedown." Under pressure, he later apologizes for his apology. Friday, June 18 Tony Hayward steps away from BP's response efforts and passes the responsibilities to Robert Dudley, the managing director of BP. Hayward still remains the CEO of BP. The Center for Biological Diversity files a lawsuit against BP, seeking monetary penalties for the disaster under the Clean Water Act. The Center calculates that BP's liability will be around $19 billion, assuming the spill continues into August. Saturday, June 19 Anadarko Petroleum, which owns a quarter of the well, denies any responsibility for the disaster. CEO Jim Hackett blames BP for "gross negligence." Sunday, June 20 Photos of Hayward with his son as a yacht race make their way into the US media and cause frenzy throughout the country. Tuesday, June 22 American Bob Dudley assumes control of the spill from Hayward at a major oil industry conference; Hayward is not present. Chief of staff Steve Westwell delivers a speech on Hayward's behalf and is disrupted as two Greenpeace protesters assume the stage. Wednesday, June 23 An underwater robot bumps into the wellhead cap which results in oil gushing unhindered for several hours. Friday, June 25 BP announces the cost of containing and cleaning the oil spill reaches $2.35 billion. Monday, June 28 The Guardian, a widely circulated British newspaper, publishes a protest letter signed by 171 critics, writers, and artists about BP's financial ties to the Tate Britain gallery. Later on, activists dump molasses over the gallery's steps during a party intended to celebrate ten years of BP sponsorship. Wednesday, June 30 Tall waves, created as a result of Hurricane Alex, halt clean-up efforts.

2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Timeline (part 1 of 2): The following timeline includes the major developments related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The circumstances surrounding the spill, the amount of oil spilled, and the attendant environmental damage are also given. April Tuesday, April 20 Located about 50 miles southeast of the Louisiana coast, British Petroleum's (BP)Deepwater Horizonoil rig explodes around 11 p.m. EST. As many as 15 crew members are reported missing; 98 workers escape without serious injury. Thursday, April 22 The search continues for 11 confirmed missing workers.Deepwater Horizoncontinues to burn. A 30-mile-long plume of smoke emanates from the rig. Effects of the explosion may have been worse if the rig had been in production rather than in exploration mode. The rig later sinks into the ocean. Sunday, April 25 The Coast Guard allows the use of remote underwater robots to activate a blowout preventer to stop the leak. Monday, April 26 Rescue efforts for missing crew members are suspended. Underwater robots discover two leaks that are dumping about 1,000 barrels of oil per day into the ocean. Speculation about the environmental, financial, and personal impact of the oil spill (or more accurately described, oil leak) raises wide concern. Wednesday, April 28 Experts are stumped about how to stop the leaks and effectively clean up the oil already in the ocean. The U.S. Coast Guard suggests a solution to set the oil slick on fire; a contained area is set on fire later in the day. Experts revised their leak rates from 1,000 barrels of oil per day to 5,000. It is confirmed that the oil slick has reached the Mississippi Delta. Thursday, April 29 President Obama pledges all available resources to contain the spill. He also says that BP will be held responsible for the cleanup. Friday, April 30 The Obama administration states that it will not authorize any new offshore drilling until the cause of the rig explosion is fully understood and measures to prevent another such disaster are put in place. BP CEO Tony Hayward says that BP takes full responsibility for the spill and will pay for the cleanup and all legitimate claims. May Saturday, May 1 The leak rate is revised further to 25,000 barrels per day from the previous estimate of 5,000. Sunday, May 2 President Obama visits the Gulf Coast to see the results of the cleanup. BP begins to dig a relief well alongside the failed well, but the project will take several weeks—perhaps months—to complete. A 10-day ban on fishing in affected areas is put into place. Monday, May 3 The oil slick appears to be drifting toward the Alabama and Florida coasts. BP tries to stop one of the leaks by installing a shutoff valve. Tuesday, May 4 News reports reveal that BP had a handful of options to prevent the disaster but did not implement all of them. Aside from a $500,000 acoustic cut-off switch, a deep-water valve could have been placed under the sea floor as another measure to seal any potential leaks. The relaxing of U.S. regulation in recent years allowed BP save money by not employing such preventative measures. Wednesday, May 5 BP succeeds in plugging one of three leaks in the oil line. It plans to lower a 100-ton containment dome over one of the remaining leaks to siphon the oil. Though the leak is plugged, it fails to affect the amount of oil spilling out. Friday, May 7 The containment dome fails. Later, it is speculated that BP may have been able to seal the leak rather than trying to siphon the oil from the leak into a nearby tank. The dome failed due to frozen materials clogging the device. The Fishing ban is extended and expanded. Sunday, May 9 BP reveals a "junk shot" plan that includes plugging the leak by pumping golf balls and shredded tires into the oil well. Tuesday, May 11—Wednesday, May 12 Executives from BP, Transocean, which owns the oil rig, and Halliburton, the company contracted to cement to well, appear at congressional hearings in Washington. Each executive blames the other companies for the disaster and concedes that many errors led to the explosion. Friday, May 14 BP attempts to intubate the bigger of the two oil leaks with a smaller pipe to siphon the oil. President Obama lambasts the involved companies for trying to dodge blame for the disaster. Sunday, May 16 The intubation of the leak succeeds, but it fails to capture a significant amount of oil. Tuesday, May 18 The no-fishing zone is extended to 19% of waters in the Gulf of Louisiana. Monday, May 24 BP further delays a method to clog the well and thus prevent further leaks. The method is called "top kill." Wednesday, May 26 "Top kill" is attempted and seems to succeed—a mixture of cement and mud is pumped into the leak 5,000 feet below the surface in order to clog the well. Friday, May 28 President Obama returns to the Louisiana Gulf for his second visit. Tony Hayward says that the disaster has cost BP $930 million.

Railroad Accidents (part 2 of 2): 1989 Jan. 15, Maizdi Khan, Bangladesh:train carrying Muslim pilgrims crashed head-on with a mail train, killing at least 110 people and injuring as many as 1,000. Many people were riding on the roof of the trains and between the cars. June 3, Ural Mountains:gas exploded beneath 2 trains, killing 575. Aug. 10, nr. Los Mochis, Mexico:a passenger train traveling from Mazatlán to Mexicali plunged off a bridge at Puente del Rio Bamoa, killing an estimated 85 people and injuring 107. 1990 Jan. 4, Sangi village, Sindh province, Pakistan:overcrowded 16-car passenger train rammed into a standing freight train. At least 210 people were killed and 700 were believed injured in what is said to be Pakistan's worst train disaster. 1993 Sept. 22, nr. Mobile, Ala.:Amtrak'sSunset Limited,en route to Miami, jumped rails on weakened bridge and plunged into Big Bayou Canot, killing 47 people. 1995 Aug. 20, Firozabad, northern India:a speeding passenger train rammed another train that was stalled, killing 358. 1997 March 3, Punjab province, Pakistan:passenger train crashed due to failed brakes, killing 119 and injuring at least 80 people. 1998 June 3, nr. Eschede, Germany:Inter City Express passenger train traveling at 125 mph crashed into support pier of overpass, killing 98. It is nation's worst train accident since WWII.Crash may have been caused by a defective wheel. 1999 Aug. 2, Calcutta, India:2 trains collided north of Calcutta, killing at least 285. Oct. 5, London:outbound Thames commuter train passed a red signal near Paddington Station and collided with London-bound Great Western express, killing 31 people and injuring 245. 2002 Feb. 20, nr. Ayyat, Egypt:361 killed in fire after gas cylinder used for cooking exploded aboard crowded passenger train. Egypt's worst train disaster. May 25, Muamba, Mozambique:192 died and dozens more injured when passenger cars rolled for several miles at top speed into freight cars from which they had been disconnected because of mechanical problems. June 24, nr. Msagali, central Tanzania:runaway passenger train collided with freight train on same track, leaving 200 dead. 2004 Feb. 18, Neishabour, Iran:runaway rail cars, loaded with fertilizer, petrol, and sulfur products, rolled 31 mi down the rails, caught fire, and exploded, killing more than 320 and devastating 5 villages. Mar, 11, Madrid, Spain:Spain's most horrific terrorist attack: 191 people were killed and 1,400 were injured in bombings at Madrid's railway station. A Moroccan affiliate of al-Qaeda claimed responsibility. April 22, Ryongchon, North Korea:2 trains carrying flammable liquids collided, causing a huge explosion near the Chinese border, killing at least 161 and injuring more than 1,300. 2005 April 25, Osaka, Japan:commuter train derailed and hit an apartment building near Osaka, killing at least 107 and injuring 460. It was the worst Japanese train accident since 1963. The accident was allegedly caused by the driver trying to get the train back on schedule. July 13, Ghotki, Pakistan:3 trains collided near Ghotki as the Karachi Express driver misread a signal and rammed the Quetta Express. Derailed carriages were then hit by a third train. At least 133 are killed. 2006 Jan. 23, Bioce, Montenegro:a train derailed and plunged into the Moraca canyon, killing 46 and injuring 19. July 11, Mumbai, India:a series of bombs exploded on commuter trains in Mumbai during the evening rush hour, killing at least 200 people. 2007 Aug. 1, Benaleka, Congo:a passenger train running between Ilebo and Kananga derailed after the brakes failed, killing about 100 people. Dec. 19, Mehrabpurp, Pakistan:a crowded passenger train derailed, killing at least 45 people and injuring over 100 more. 2008 April 28, China:a passenger train running from Beijing to Qingdao city derailed, killing 70 people and injuring more than 400 others. Aug. 8, Czech Republic:a passenger train running from Krakow to Prague crashed into a collapsed bridge, killing six people and injuring about 100 others. Sept. 12, California:a metrolink commuter train collided with a freight train northwest of Los Angeles, killing 25 passengers. 2009 June 22, Washington D.C.:nine people died and over 70 more were injured when a subway train crashed at rush hour. June 30, Italy:a freight train that was traveling from La Spezia to Pisa derailed and crashed into a small Italian town, killing 12 people and injuring at least 50 more. Nov. 27, Russia:26 people are killed when a bomb explodes on a luxury train that runs from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Chechen rebels claim responsibility for the attack.. 2010 March 29, Russia:thirty-eight people are killed after two female suicide bombers enter the Moscow Metro. May 28, India:a passenger train derails in West Bengal to avoid damage on the railway track, hits an oncoming train filled with goods and 148 people are killed.

Railroad Accidents (part 1 of 2): While trains are convenient for travel and for transporting goods, they have become a greater danger over the years as their speed has increased. Sometimes railroad accidents are caused by human error, but other causes include derailment, explosions on board, and bridge collapses. NOTE:Very few passengers were killed in a single U.S. train wreck up until 1853. The early trains ran slowly and made short trips, night travel was rare, and there were not many of them in operation. 1831 June 17, nr. Charleston, S.C.:boiler exploded on America's first passenger locomotive,The Best Friend of Charleston,injuring the fireman and the engineer. 1833 Nov. 8, nr. Heightstown, N.J.:world's first train wreck and first passenger fatalities recorded. A 24-passenger Camden & Amboy train derailed due to a broken axle, killing 2 passengers and injuring all others. Former president John Quincy Adams and Cornelius Vanderbilt, who later made a fortune in railroads, were aboard. 1853 May 6, Norwalk, Conn.:New Haven Railroad train ran through an open drawbridge and plunged into the Norwalk River. 46 passengers were crushed to death or drowned. This was the first major drawbridge accident. 1856 July 17, Camp Hill, nr. Ft. Washington, Pa.:2 Northern Penn trains crashed head-on. Approximately 50–60 people died, mostly children on their way to a Sunday school picnic. 1876 Dec. 29, Ashtabula, Ohio:Lake Shore train fell into the Ashtabula River when the bridge it was crossing collapsedduring a snowstorm; 92 people were killed. 1887 Aug. 10, nr. Chatsworth, Ill.:a burning railroad trestle collapsed while a Toledo, Peoria & Western train was crossing, killing 81 and injuring 372. 1904 Aug. 7, Eden, Colo.:train derailed on bridge during flash flood; 96 killed. 1910 March 1, Wellington, Wash.:2 trains swept into canyon by avalanche; 96 dead. 1915 May 22, Quintinshill, Scotland:2 passenger trains and troop train collided at Quintinshill near Gretna Green; 227 killed. 1917 Dec. 12, Modane, France:nearly 550 killed in derailment of troop train near mouth of Mt. Cenis tunnel. 1918 July 9, Nashville, Tenn.:101 killed in a 2-train collision near Nashville. Nov. 1, New York City:derailment of subway train in Malbone St. tunnel in Brooklyn left 92 dead. 1926 March 14, Virilla River Canyon, Costa Rica:an overcrowded train carrying pilgrims derailed while crossing the Colima Bridge, killing over 300 people and injuring hundreds more. 1939 Dec. 22, nr. Magdeburg, Germany:more than 125 killed in collision; 99 killed in another wreck near Friedrichshafen. 1943 Dec. 16, nr. Rennert, N.C.:72 killed in derailment and collision of 2 Atlantic Coast Line trains. 1944 March 2, nr. Salerno, Italy:521 suffocated when Italian train stalled in tunnel. 1949 Oct. 22, nr. Nowy Dwor, Poland:more than 200 reported killed in derailment of Danzig-Warsaw express. 1950 Nov. 22, Richmond Hill, N.Y.:79 died when one Long Island Railroad commuter train crashed into rear of another. 1951 Feb. 6, Woodbridge, N.J.:85 died when Pennsylvania Railroad commuter train plunged through temporary overpass. 1952 Oct. 8, Harrow-Wealdstone, England:2 express trains crashed into commuter train; 112 dead. 1957 Sept. 1, nr. Kendal, Jamaica:about 175 killed when train plunged into ravine. Sept. 29, nr. Montgomery, West Pakistan:express train crashed into standing oil train; nearly 300 killed. Dec. 4, St. John's, England:92 killed and 187 injured as one commuter train crashed into another in fog. 1960 Nov. 14, Pardubice, Czechoslovakia:2 trains collided; 110 dead, 106 injured. 1962 May 3, nr. Tokyo:163 killed and 400 injured when train crashed into wreckage of collision between inbound freight train and outbound commuter train. 1963 Nov. 9, nr. Yokohama, Japan:2 passenger trains crashed into derailed freight train, killing 162. 1964 July 26, Custoias, Portugal:passenger train derailed; 94 dead. 1970 Feb. 4, nr. Buenos Aires:236 killed when express train crashed into standing commuter train. 1972 July 21, Seville, Spain:head-on crash of two passenger trains killed 76. 1972 Oct. 6, nr. Saltillo, Mexico:train carrying religious pilgrims derailed and caught fire, killing 204 and injuring over 1,000. Oct. 30, Chicago:2 Illinois Central commuter trains collided during morning rush hour; 45 dead and over 200 injured. 1974 Aug. 30, Zagreb, Yugoslavia:train entering station derailed, killing 153 and injuring over 60. 1981 June 6, nr. Mansi, India:driver of train carrying over 500 passengers braked to avoid hitting a cow, causing train to plunge off a bridge into the Baghmati River; 268 passengers were reported killed, but at least 300 more were missing. 1982 July 11, Tepic, Mexico:Nogales-Guadalajara train plunged down mountain gorge, killing 120.

Space Accidents 1967 Jan. 27,Apollo 1:a fire aboard the space capsule on the ground at Cape Kennedy, Fla., killed astronauts Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White, and Roger Chaffee. April 23–24,Soyuz 1:Vladimir M. Komarov was killed when his craft crashed after its parachute lines, released at 23,000 ft for reentry, became snarled. 1971 June 6–30,Soyuz 11:3 cosmonauts, Georgi T. Dolrovolsky, Vladislav N. Volkov, and Viktor I. Patsayev, found dead in the craft after its automatic landing. Apparent cause of death was loss of pressurization in the space craft during reentry into Earth's atmosphere. 1980 March 18, USSR:a Vostok rocket exploded on its launch pad while being refueled, killing 50 at the Plesetsk Space Center. 1986 Jan. 28,ChallengerSpace Shuttle:exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all 7 crew members. They were: Francis R. Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Judith A. Resnik, Ronald E. McNair, Ellison S. Onizuka, Gregory B. Jarvis, and schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. A booster leak ignited the fuel, causing the explosion. 2003 Feb. 1,ColumbiaSpace Shuttle:broke up on reentering Earth's atmosphere on its way to Kennedy Space Center, killing all 7 crew members. They were: Rick D. Husband, William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, David M. Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Clark, and the first Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon. Foam insulation fell from the shuttle during launch, damaging the left wing. On reentry, hot gases entered the wing, leading to the disintegration of the shuttle. See also Space Shuttle Timelineand Profiles of the Columbia Astronauts