Timeline Tuesday 31 August 2010

Events on Tuesday 31 August 2010 3

• 1960 – 2010 Laurent Fignon The Professor Won the Tour twice; famously lost the 1989 Tour by 8 seconds. Winner: 2x Tour de France.
• 2010 Russian heat wave and wildfires Record temperatures spark deadly smog crisis An extreme summer heat wave brought record temperatures to western Russia, sparking widespread peat and forest wildfires. Smog blanketed Moscow for weeks, and the combined heat and pollution were linked to tens of thousands of excess deaths. The heat wave also devastated grain harvests, prompting Russia to ban wheat exports.
• 2010 US combat operations in Iraq declared over Operation Iraqi Freedom gives way to Operation New Dawn President Barack Obama announced the end of US combat operations in Iraq, marking the transition to Operation New Dawn and a reduced advisory role for remaining American troops. Roughly 50,000 US soldiers stayed to train Iraqi forces after more than seven years of war. Withdrawal of all US troops was completed the following year.