On April 20, 2010, an explosion rocked the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers and sending oil gushing into the water. By the time the well was sealed months later, about 5 million barrels of oil had spilled into the Gulf. Here are five key facts about the oil spill and its aftermath:

 

1) Support for offshore drilling plummeted after the 2010 spill, but has largely recovered since. 

2) The months-long BP story was one of the two biggest stories of the year in terms of news interest. 

3) Public interest went hand-in-hand with the vast amount of news coverage of the spill.

4) The public trusted news organizations more than the federal government and far more than BP for information about the leak.

5) While support for offshore drilling has largely rebounded, many Americans also support investments in alternative energy.