10 striking images that tell the stories of the decade

As the second decade of the century draws to a close, Reuters has released its Pictures of the Decade. These images show some of the people, places and events that have shaped our recent history.

This selection, based on Reuters’ 142 Pictures of the Decade, marks some of the highs and lows of the past 10 years.

1. The Northern Lights are seen above the ash plume from the Eyjafjallajӧkull volcano in Iceland, 22 April 2010.

2. Britain’s Prince William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, kiss on the balcony at Buckingham Palace following their wedding in London’s Westminster Abbey, UK, 29 April 2011.

3. Usain Bolt of Jamaica looks at Andre De Grasse of Canada as they compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Men’s 100m Semi-Finals at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 14 August 2016.

4. Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban for campaigning for girls’ education, signs a copy of her book before an event launching her memoir at the Southbank Centre in London, UK, 20 October 2013.

5. Smoke billows as fire engulfs the spire of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, 15 April 2019.

6. A tree in the Amazon rainforest burns as the area is cleared by farmers in Rio Pardo, Rondȏnia, Brazil, 15 September 2019.

7. An aerial view of a coastal town devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan in Samar province, Philippines, 11 November 2013.

8. Lone activist Ieshia Evans stands her ground while offering her hands for arrest as she is approached by riot police during a protest outside the Baton Rouge Police Department in Louisiana, USA, 9 July 2016. (REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman)

9. US President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea, in Panmunjom, South Korea, 30 June 2019. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

10. Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg joins French Youth for Climate campaigners at the “questions to the government” session at the National Assembly in Paris, France, 23 July 2019. (REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer)