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An explosion occurred on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, 52 miles south of Venice, Louisiana. It killed 11 workers.
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After burning for 36 hours, the oil rig sank to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, and started spewing oil into the ocean.
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Officials reveal that 1,000 barrels of oil per day started leaking into the Gulf of Mexico.
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The Coast Guard started burning patches of the oil spill to try to prevent it from reaching Lousiana's coastal wetland habitat.
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Oil started to wash up onto the shores of Louisiana. Wetlands are filled with crude oil.
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BP attempts to cover the leaking well with a giant metal box to contain the leak. This fails when ice forms inside the box. The estimated daily amount of oil spilled rises to 5,000 barrels a day.
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Researchers watching the underwater leak video estimate 70,000 gallons of oil are spilling into the Gulf of Mexico per day.
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The oil spill reaches Texas, affecting all 5 of the Gulf Coast states.
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BP places a cap on the leaking well, which successfully stops the leak.
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The well is sealed and is deemed "effectively dead". The oil spill is finally stopped.
