It was the year when scores of people worldwide were, as the Doobie Brothers song went, taking it to the streets.
The year when a devastating earthquake and tsunami nearly had the land of the Rising Sun into a meltdown.
The year when we had to look to more than just FreeCreditScore.com for our credit rating.
The year when moviegoers liked the last "Harry Potter" film, while those who saw "Mars Needs Moms" or "Cowboys & Aliens" were unfriended.
The year when the whole world raised their glasses to a royal couple who were wed on a day of the week which was musically immortalized by some unknown 16-year-old.
The year when we said goodbye to a multi-wed actress who loved white diamonds and a genius who revolutionized the world by creating things...well, worth hackable to be seen by all.
The year when two hot ladies with big cabooses lost their husbands, while one guy with tiger blood in his brain lost his TV job, but claims to be winning in life.
And yes, it was the year when we finally took out the guy who took out thousands of lives on September 11.
That year was 2011.
Join The AllenBlog for a look back at 52 weeks in the making.
From an earthquake and tsumani that crippled eastern Japan, to the wedding of the century that was watched globally, from the permanant takedown of the man who committed a massive crime in our country ten years ago, to growing numbers of protests that turned public parks into makeshift campgrounds, 2011 was well occupied.
We began the year in Brazil, where a series of floodings and mudslides claimed over 900 lives. But the year's biggest natural disaster would transpire a couple months later in Japan, where a 9.1 magnitude earthquake and tsunami killed around 15,800, resulting in tsunami warnings in over 50 countries including the United States.
In Super Bowl XLV, Aaron Rodgers and his Green Bay Packers routed the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 to claim their fourth Vince Lombardi Trophy. A record 111 million viewers made it the most-watched television broadcast of all time (beating Super Bowl XLIV last year by five million)...well, despite Christina Aguilera's fumble of the national anthem.
Other sports happenings throughout 2011 include: Auburn as college football's national champions, Connecticut and Texas A&M ruling the men's and women's college basketball courts, the Boston Bruins' first hoisting of the Stanley Cup since the Nixon administration, the Dallas Mavericks denying Lebron James and the rest of the Miami Heat the NBA title, the Texas Rangers' second straight attempt at a World Series title foiled this time to the St. Louis Cardinals, Japan beating the U.S. in the FIFA Women's World Cup, John Baker first to Nome in the Iditarod (and thus preventing Lance Mackey from joining the Five-Timers Club), Duke's Mike Krzykewski surpassing Bobby Knight to become the winningest coach in college basketball history, Derek Jeter becoming the real Mr. 3,000, and Dan Wheldon taking his second Indianapolis 500 checkered flag in a heartbreaker over rookie J.R. Hildebrand at the final turn...only to see his life being taken in a violent crash a few months later.
But it was scandals and lockouts that headlined the sports section this year. First, the NBA lockout, as the preseason and all games through November 30 were cancelled with the All-Star Game about to be next. But in early December, a new collective bargaining agreement was ratified, and the rest of the season was saved. Another was at Penn State, as former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested on massive counts of child molestation spanning 15 years; as of publish time, a trial was already continuing. That would cost longtime coach Joe Paterno the job he's had after 60 years, erupting in a riot that was far worse than in Vancouver over their Stanley Cup loss to the Bruins, with a TV news van even toppled by the enraged crowd.
In Arizona, a gunman opened fire on Arizona congresswoman Gabielle Giffords and 18 others in a Tucson shopping center with six of them dead and Giffords hanging on for dear life; her recovery is still progressing.
30 years after his father Prince Charles wed the late Princess Diana, the entire world watched the nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Dignitaries such as Elton John and David and Victoria Beckham were in attendance, but everybody else's eyes would be fixed on Kate sister Pippa, being called "Her Royal Hotness" as she -- and her butt, which a website is devoted to -- became the center of attention. But back here in the States on a far more serious note, the second deadliest tornado outbreak in history claimed 340 lives throughout the Southeast.
Within a week in August, the East coast would have their share of natural disasters themselves. First, a 5.9 quake in -- in the rarest of places -- Virginia, which was felt as far away as New York City. And speaking of New York, they survived the brunt of Hurricane Irene, which ran up a $10 billion damage bill.
The 2012 presidential campaign went into full swing this year, as the Republicans have one thing on their agenda: kick President Barack Obama out as our credit rating went from AAA to AA+ and unemployment rates nationwide continue to fluctuate. Herman Cain seemed to be leading the polls thanks to his 9-9-9 plan...but it became 69-69-69 as many ladies who Cain claimed to have sexually harassed over the years came forward, and Herman threw in the towel.
But we were not the only country who had its share of financial problems. All over Europe, there was turmoil as riots and protests broke out throughout troubled Greece, Silvio Berlusconi's reign in Italy over, and France and Germany trying to soften the debt crisis with Britain not wanting any part of it.
"Time" magazine named The Protester as 2011's Person of the Year, and for good reason: Protests of all kinds ranging from political to financial dominated this year's headlines, beginning in Tunisia as demostrations immediately brought their dictator down. What was called the Arab Spring would later spread to Egypt with the ousting of Hosini Mubarak (and putting many journalists, including CNN's Anderson Cooper and CBS' Lara Logan, in the crossfire), then Libya with a civil war ending with Moammar Gadahfi's sudden death after over 40 years of merciful power, and finally in Syria against the Assad regime.
Meanwhile, what started as Occupy Wall Street in New York in mid-September have blossomed into various Occupy (insert city here) protests around the world, as those who call themselves "the 99 percent" wanted a share of the wealth the remaining 1 percent want. But as winter hit, the public parks that were transformed into makeshift camps would be dismantled by local police because most residents considered them eyesores.
But without question, the biggest story of 2011 was ten years in the making.
The mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, Osama bin Laden, would be taken out by what is known as "Seal Team Six" in May after learning he was hunkered in a Pakistani compound. We didn't even know about it until President Obama took to the airwaves late Sunday night on May 1 and made the news official to the world with Bin Laden later buried at sea. For all of us, it was the final chapter of a long "America Fights Back" story that's been written since 9/11.
And we began to end the year with two high points: the death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il, and the official end to military action in Iraq after eight years with U.S. troops out of there for good. Now where did George W. Bush stash that "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" banner?
But as we've published this, it was a very black Christmas on Sunday as seven people were shot dead in a Fort Worth, Texas-area apartment just moments after opening their gifts.
There were some television farewells throught 2011 (which I'll have in the Year in Pop Culture), but there were a lot of natural farewells as well, including: Amy Winehouse, Elizabeth Taylor, Bubba Smith, Dr. Jack Kevorkian, boxing legend Joe Frazier, rappers Heavy D and Nate Dogg, the aforementioned Dan Wheldon, Harry Morgan, 1984 vice presidential candidate Geralidine Ferraro, Jane Russell, Warren Christopher, Sidney Lumet, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, former First Lady Betty Ford, Peter Falk, Cliff Robertson, James Arness, Charles Napier, Andy Rooney, golfer Seve Ballesteros, author Christopher Hitchens, fitness guru Jack LaLanne, and the visionary who changed our lives for the better...Steve Jobs.
What will 2012 bring to the plate? It is an election year, and with Herman Cain now out, the remaining Republican candidates including Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich continue their vendetta against President Obama, who's doing everything in his power to earn four more years of tenancy in the White House. The Summer Olympics will emanate in London, with Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt picking up where they left off in Beijing. And the next time the U.S. goes on another space mission, with the shuttle program no more, they'll have to hitch a ride with the Russians. Of course, who knows what else will happen; the only way to find out is to wait till the clock strikes midnight on January 1.
Next time...pop culture from entertainment to celebrities and gadgets to scandals as the 2011 Year In Review continues.
