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Oil rig explodes in flames
An explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig kills 11 workers. Oil begins gushing into the Gulf of Mexico from the blown-out well a mile below -
Oil gushes out of the throbbing pipe
Estimates of the spill's volume leap from 42,000 gallons a day to 210,000. The first oil reaches Louisiana marshes -
Oil is still spilling out
Spill estimates are revised upward to as many as 1 million gallons a day -
Oil hits the shores
Ribbons of mousse-like crude oil reach Dauphin Island, Fort Morgan, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and lower Mobile Bay -
BP oil spill becomes the biggest accident
The spill passes the 140-million gallon mark. That tops the 1979 Ixtoc disaster, making the Deepwater Horizon spill the worst in Gulf history. -
The oil flow is slowed down
After 85 days, BP manages to stanch the leak with a massive cap. -
The well is plugged for good
The well is plugged for good when cement is pumped into it through one of two relief wells -
The gulf coast is dangerous
U.S. Coast Guard faults Transocean's poor safety culture as contributing cause of the spill -
The lawsuit begins
More than 130,000 plaintiffs - including people, businesses and government agencies - join a federal court lawsuit against BP and other companies linked to oil spill. -
Afters years restrictions are lifted
The EPA lifts a suspension barring BP from doing business with the federal government, allowing the company to purchase new oil and gas exploration leases
