They were oppressed for so long; and then, the needed spark happened ten years ago today, and they said enough is enough.

The Arab Spring is known as a series of anti-government protests throughout the Arab world that brought down giants, Muammar Gaddafi included.

Few know that these protests began from Tunisia and fewer know it began with a young man setting himself ablaze as a statement against state oppression.

Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor who was constantly harassed by local police soon became a hero. The police seized his goods and demanded bribes from him, only that day, he was in no position to pay.

After a failed attempt to get city authorities to intervene, Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest, before many observers who filmed the episode.

His act of protest, though leading to his death a couple of weeks later, exploded into a series of protests across the country that led to the topple of the Tunisian dictator Ben Ali.

Soon, the protests spread throughout North Africa and and the rest of the Arab world which led to political reforms and deeper democracy; although few lasted, Libya, for instance, is in a worse state than it was under Gaddafi.

Nonetheless, December 17 shall not be forgotten by the Arab world.