World Events in 2011
Arab Spring Revolutions
Beginning in Tunisia in late 2010 and spreading to Egypt, Libya, Syria, and beyond, popular uprisings toppled long-standing dictators. Hosni Mubarak was ousted in Egypt after 18 days of mass protest in Tahrir Square.
Osama bin Laden Killed
US Navy SEALs killed the al-Qaeda leader in a raid on his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan on 2 May. The operation, codenamed Neptune Spear, came nearly ten years after the September 11 attacks.
Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
A magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck Japan on 11 March, killing nearly 20,000 people. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant suffered meltdowns, creating the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
Royal Wedding of William and Catherine
Prince William married Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey on 29 April. An estimated 2 billion people watched the ceremony worldwide, and the UK enjoyed an extra bank holiday.
Death of Muammar Gaddafi
The Libyan dictator was captured and killed by rebel forces in October, ending his 42-year rule. NATO had intervened with airstrikes earlier in the year to support the uprising.
England Riots
Following the police shooting of Mark Duggan in Tottenham on 4 August, rioting and looting spread across London and other English cities over five nights, causing widespread destruction and five deaths.
Music in 2011
"Someone Like You"
Adele
Adele's heartbreak ballad from the album 21 became the best-selling single of 2011 in the UK. Her raw performance at the BRIT Awards turned it into an overnight sensation and launched her into global superstardom.
"Rolling in the Deep"
Adele
Adele dominated both sides of the Atlantic. 'Rolling in the Deep' spent seven weeks at US number one and was the year's best-selling single, driven by her powerhouse vocals and universal themes of heartbreak.
#1 Film of 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Box Office: $1.34 billion
The final instalment of the Harry Potter franchise became the highest-grossing film of 2011, giving a beloved series an epic and emotional send-off. It set opening-weekend records worldwide.
Born in 2011
Harper Beckham
Daughter of David and Victoria Beckham, born July 2011
Blue Ivy Carter
Daughter of Beyonce and Jay-Z (born January 2012, announced in 2011 at the VMAs)
Lost in 2011
Steve Jobs
Co-founder and CEO of Apple
Age 56
Elizabeth Taylor
Actress (Cleopatra, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?)
Age 79
Amy Winehouse
Singer-songwriter (Back to Black, Rehab)
Age 27
Vaclav Havel
Playwright, dissident, and first President of the Czech Republic
Age 75
Kim Jong-il
Supreme Leader of North Korea
Age 69
Technology in 2011
Smartphones overtook feature phones in sales for the first time. Siri launched with the iPhone 4S. Snapchat appeared. Spotify was expanding across Europe. The Kindle was making ebooks mainstream, and physical book sales were declining sharply. Steve Jobs passed away, marking the end of an era.
- ● Apple launched Siri with the iPhone 4S
- ● Snapchat launched as a disappearing photo app
- ● IBM's Watson won Jeopardy against human champions
- ● Spotify expanded to the United States
Cost of Living in 2011
| Item | UK | US |
|---|---|---|
| Average house price | £167,500 | $170,000 |
| Average salary | £25,500 | $50,500 |
| Pint of milk | 47p | $0.88 |
| Loaf of bread | £1.24 | $2.55 |
| Dozen eggs | £1.85 | $1.88 |
| Pint of beer | £3.00 | $3.60 |
| Gallon of petrol/gas | £5.60 | $3.52 |
| Cinema ticket | £6.70 | $7.93 |
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The Zeitgeist of 2011
The Arab Spring dominated the global conversation, giving a sense that the old order was crumbling. In the UK, the royal wedding of William and Catherine brought bunting and street parties. Dubstep crossed into the mainstream, and vintage fashion was everywhere. Game of Thrones premiered and began its conquest of television.
In the News in 2011
The phone hacking scandal brought down the News of the World. Riots erupted across English cities in August after the police shooting of Mark Duggan. The Occupy Wall Street movement spread globally. Japan suffered a triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown at Fukushima.