The wave of protests and uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa that began in late 2010 was the Arab Spring.
The first major protests began in Tunisia in December 2010 after Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor in Sidi Bouzid, set himself on fire following repeated harassment and the confiscation of his goods by officials. His death helped galvanize anger over corruption, unemployment, police abuse, and authoritarian rule.
The Tunisian Revolution forced President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali from power in January 2011. Demonstrations then spread to Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria, Bahrain, and other countries. Some governments fell, while elsewhere protests were suppressed or developed into prolonged conflict, including civil wars in Libya, Syria, and Yemen.
“Arab Spring” is the standard quiz answer, although “Arab uprisings” and “Arab Awakening” are also used by historians and journalists. The term does not describe one single organization or identical movement; it refers to connected waves of unrest with different local causes and outcomes. A common mix-up is the Jasmine Revolution, which specifically refers to Tunisia’s uprising.