Events of the World - a Preview of 2010

* January 1 - Spain takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Sweden.
* January 4 - The Burj Dubai in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is completed. It is already the tallest man-made structure ever built.
* January 15 - Annular eclipse occurs in Indian ocean. It can be seen in Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Maldives, southeastern of India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, central China. Longest annular eclipse in the 21st century.
* January 29 - Mars opposition with Earth will occur.

February

* February 12-28 - The 2010 Winter Olympics will take place in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.

March

* March 12-21 - 2010 Winter Paralympics scheduled in Vancouver and Whistler Canada.
* March 18 - On STS-131, the Space Shuttle Atlantis will use the MPLM Raffaello to deliver science racks to the laboratories of the International Space Station.

April

* April 8 - On STS-131, the Space Shuttle Discovery will carry an integrated cargo carrier, and deliver a Russian Mini Research Module to the Zarya module of the International Space Station.

May

* May 1 - October 30 - 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.
* May 14 - On STS-132, the Space Shuttle Atlantis will carry an integrated cargo carrier to deliver maintenance and assembly hardware, including spare parts for space station systems.

June

* June 6 - Conjunction between Jupiter and Uranus, Jupiter 28' south. First conjunction of triple conjunction Jupiter/Uranus.
* June 11 - July 11 - 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

July

* July 1 - Belgium takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Spain.
* July 11 - Total solar eclipse (visible only in the South Pacific (esp. Easter Island) and southern South America).

August

* August 14-26 - The inaugural 2010 Summer Youth Olympic Games will be held in Singapore.

September

* September 16
o On STS-133, the Space Shuttle Discovery will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC4), a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MLPM) and critical spare components to the International Space Station. Marks the tentative end to the Space Shuttle program.
* September 22 - Conjunction between Jupiter and Uranus, Jupiter 53' south. Second conjunction of triple conjunction Jupiter/Uranus.
* September 29 - Final mission of American Space Shuttle (STS-134) is slated to begin. Space Shuttle Discovery is set to fly one of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometers and ExPRESS Logistics Carriers to the International Space Station and leave them there permanently.

October

* October 10 - The Netherlands Antilles is scheduled to be dissolved and the islands split up into a new constitutional status.

November

* November - The first Peruvian nanosatellite will be launched from Russia.

Unknown dates

* The East African Community will implement a common currency called the East African shilling
* General Motors had expected to produce a commercially viable model of its hydrogen-fueled drive-by-wire concept car, the Hy-wire, as per a 2003 announcement.
* GM expects to release a production model of the Chevrolet Volt electric car.
* Israel will complete its Security Barrier and will use it as the basis for the definitive border between Israel and a Palestinian state.
* JAXA PLANET-C orbiter to Venus.
* The KEO satellite time capsule will be launched, but possibly delayed until 2011.
* MS Queen Elizabeth, a ship ordered by Cunard Line October 2007 will be finished. She will act as sister ship to MS Queen Victoria.
* The International Space Station will be completed.
* The Space Shuttle program will be retired by NASA and replaced by Project Constellation. This project will include new space vehicles called Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles, as well as the Orion capable of traveling to the Space Station, to the Moon, and eventually to Mars.

Major religious holidays

* February 1 - Imbolc, a Cross-quarter day
* February 16 - Shrove Tuesday / Mardi Gras, end of Mardi Gras / Carnival season
* February 17 - Ash Wednesday (first day of Lent)
* March 20 - Spring Equinox, also known as Ostara
* April 4 - Easter
* May 1 - Beltane, a Cross-quarter day
* August 1 - Lammas, a Cross-quarter day
* September 8-September 10 - Rosh Hashanah, "Jewish New Year"
* September 17/18 - Yom Kippur, the holiest holiday in Judaism
* September 23 - Fall Equinox, also known as Mabon
* November 16 - Eid al-Adha, a religious festival in Islam
* December 25 - Christmas