It is almost seven weeks since the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and oil is still spewing into the Gulf of Mexico. There are now concerns that the loop current could carry oil around Florida and north along the Atlantic coast over the next few months. Some believe that the oil won’t be contained until Christmas. The damage will last for decades. Below, a timeline of events since the disaster began on April 20.
April 20 An explosion on BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, 52 miles southeast of the Louisiana port of Venice, kills 11 crew members.
April 22 After extinguishing the fire on the sinking rig, most believe environmental damage to be minimal because the Deepwater Horizon was an exploration rig, not a production rig.
April 25 The Coast Guard approves a plan to have remote underwater vehicles activate a blowout preventer and stop the leak. Efforts to activate the blowout preventer fail.
April 26 Underwater robots discover at least two leaks that are dumping an estimated 1,000 barrels of oil per day in the Gulf. Shrimpers and oyster farmers begin to fear for the season's catches.
April 28 U.S. Coast Guard suggests the best possible solution is to set the oil slick on fire. Later, they do so, releasing a huge plume into the sky.
April 29 The original leak estimate of 1,000 barrels of oil per day is raised to 5,000. By end of day, the oil slick has reached the Mississippi Delta.
April 30 Obama puts a halt on any new offshore drilling.
May 1 The leak estimate is revised again to 25,000 barrels a day.
May 3 BP tries to install a shutoff valve on one of three underwater leaks. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the oil slick appears to be drifting toward the Alabama and Florida coasts.
May 5 BP says it succeeded in plugging one of the three leaks. Their plan to lower a 100-ton metal containment dome to stop one of the other leaks fails three days later.
May 12 Executives from BP, Transocean and Halliburton appear at congressional hearings and blame each other for the disaster.
May 27 A "top kill" operation that could potentially plug the oil well and stop the flow is attempted, and at first appears to be working. But after a few days of efforts, the "top kill" is abandoned.
May 28 Obama tours the Louisiana Gulf coast on his second visit - "I am the president and the buck stops with me," he says.
June 1 U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says the Justice Department has launched a criminal and civil investigation into the rig explosion and the spill.
June 2 BP uses robot submarines to cut off what is left of the leaking riser pipe, then lowers a containment cap over the wellhead assembly and is ultimately able to capture about 30 percent of the oil. U.S. authorities expand fishing restrictions to cover 37 percent of U.S. federal waters in the Gulf.
June 3 After sharp declines, BP shares rise more than 3 percent on hopes that the latest plan to control the leaking well may make some progress. The six-week-old crisis has reduced BP's market cap by a third.
June 4 BP CEO Tony Hayward tries to reassure shareholders about the company’s future.