January: Ultrasound scanning at the Icelandic Cancer Society began for the 440 women in Iceland who had PIP breast implants. The implants proved to be prone to rupturing and contain industrial silicone instead of the medical variant. 

A string of other health and environmental scandals came to light in January including the discovery that imported fertilizer being used on pastures contained excessive amounts of cadmium and that industrial grade salt was mistakenly being used in food production.

A bomb went off on Hverfisgata, a busy street close to the Government Offices in central Reykjavík. No one was injured and no damage was caused. It was later revealed that the perpetrator, who is in his seventies, did not wish to cause harm but rather convey a certain message to the government. He was later acquitted.

February: The Icelandic ‘lake monster’ or ‘river worm’ Lagarfljótsormurinn caught the attention of the international media after alleged footage of the phenomenon was broadcast on Icelandic television and posted online.

Three new political parties were established.

March: Thieves attempted to blow up the window of a jewelry store in downtown Reykjavík.

The High Court (Landsdómur) convened for the first time in history for the trial of former Prime Minister of Iceland Geir H. Haarde, who was charged with violating the laws on ministerial responsibility.

April: Chinese premier Wen Jiabao visited Iceland to discuss cooperation on marine, polar science and geothermal issues as well as a solar and silicon project in Iceland, among other issues.

The High Court announced its verdict in the trial of Geir H. Haarde. Nine judges out of 15 in the High Court of Iceland (Landsdómur) acquitted Geir in three out of four charges. He was convicted for not having fulfilled his obligations according to the 17th article of the Constitution of Iceland.

May: Chinese investor Huang Nubo considered renting the land at Grímsstaðir á Fjöllum in Northeast Iceland after his application for purchase was rejected.

June: Hollywood actors Tom Cruise and Ben Stiller arrived in Iceland for the filming of Oblivion and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, respectively. Cruise and Stiller were among several Hollywood actors to film in Iceland over the summer. Their time in Iceland was reported on extensively by the Icelandic media.

Iceland’s first female bishop was ordained.

July: An Icelandic man known to police was arrested for drug smuggling at Tom Jobim airport in Brazil. The case involved the largest quantity of ecstasy tablets—46,000—to be seized at the airport.

A group of more than 200 pilot whales ran into difficulty by Innri-Njarðvík in Southwest Iceland.

August: President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson was inaugurated for a record fifth four-year term after defeating his closest opponent by almost 20 percentage points in the elections in June.

September: A state of emergency was declared in North Iceland after a blizzard hit the region. Around 3,000 sheep are thought to have perished. Despite the losses, there was some good news too: sheep continued to be found alive under snow 45 days after the storm.

October: Icelanders voted in an advisory referendum on whether the country should adopt the draft constitution prepared by the Constitutional Council. Two thirds of voters voted in favor of adopting the draft.

An earthquake measuring 5.6 hit North Iceland, the strongest in 34 years.

November: More storms raged across Iceland, including in the capital region. Gusts of up to 187 km/h (51 m/s) were recorded in Kjalarnes, just north of Reykjavík.

December: Around 25,000 to 30,000 tons of herring were found dead in Kolgrafafjörður, West Iceland, due to lack of oxygen.

A young man serving time for attempted murder escaped from prison, later giving himself up on Christmas Eve.

Zoë Robert – zoe@icelandreview.com