Keep reading to find out how the year finally brought us World Peace.
A is for Apple.
The iPad 2 came out in March, selling 500,000 copies the first weekend, and the App Store earned its 100 millionth download in December. The company also faced tragedy: CEO Steve Jobs resigned in August due to poor health, and then died October 5.
Honorable mention: Adele, Air Jordan insanity, Amy Winehouse death, Amanda Knox "Not Guilty"
B is for Bin Laden.
On May 1, President Obama announced that the US had killed the al Qaeda leader, spurring fierce debate over who should be credited with the kill and whether we should ever rejoice over the death of a human.
Honorable mention: Britney Spears, "Black and Yellow", Bruno Mars, Bridesmaids, Beyonce's baby, blogging, Bruins win Stanley Cup
C is for Casey Anthony.
In July, Anthony was found "Not Guilty" of murdering her 2 year-old daughter, Caylee, but that didn't stop the US public from naming her the Most Hated Person in America.
Honorable mention: Christina Aguilera forgets lyrics, colored denim, Cam Newton, coning
D is for Disaster.
2011 brought debilitating natural disasters, particularly to Japan, South America, and Southeast Asia.
The US suffered floods, tornadoes, wildfires, hurricanes, dust storms, and earthquakes.
Honorable mention: Drake, Dallas Mavericks/Dirk, Dubstep
E is for Eminem.
Recovery was released in 2010, but won the Grammy for "Best Rap Album" in 2011 and its singles continued to be played throughout the year. Shady also became the first rapper to have two certified diamond albums and the most-followed person on Facebook.
Honorable mention: Elizabeth Taylor death
F is for Friday.
Rebecca Black's ode to everybody's favorite day of the week immediately went viral; it amassed 30 million views in its first 7 days on YouTube. Unfortunately for Black, though, the video was also the second most-disliked of the year (after Rick Perry's).
Honorable mention: Facebook, fracking
G is for Gabrielle Giffords.
The US Congresswoman was shot in the head in a January assassination attempt that killed six people. Her amazing recovery attracted the public's attention as she has since re-learned to talk, walk, and write.
Honorable mention: Glee, Google+, gay marriage allowed in NY
H is for Harry Potter.
The final film installment, The Deathly Hallows Part 2, was released in June. Worldwide, it is the third highest-grossing film of all time.
Honorable mention: Hope Solo, hashtags
I is for Iraq.
President Obama announced that all of the troops would be withdrawn from Iraq and home for Christmas.
Honorable mention: iPad 2, iPhone 5
J is for Justin Bieber.
Never Say Never came to theaters in February, his second studio album, Under the Mistletoe, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 in November, and he ended 2011 as the most-Googled person of the year.
Honorable mention: Jersey Shore
K is for Katy Perry.
The MTV Artist of the Year spent a record 69 straight weeks in the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100. Teenage Dream became the third album in history to have six singles become top-5 hits.
Honorable mention: Kardashians, Kim's 72-day wedding, Kindle
L is for Lockout.
Both the NBA and NFL seasons were almost lost due to disagreements between owners and players. The NFL lockout was resolved in July, and the NBA owners and players finally agreed to a deal in late November, resulting in a shortened season that began on Christmas Day.
Honorable mention: Lil' Wayne, Lindsay Lohan, LMFAO, Lady Gaga
M is for Miley.
The former Hannah Montana star may have lost the trust of parents of preteen girls, but she is still the richest teen in Hollywood. Between rumors of weed and weight gain, Miley pole-danced her way to the top, becoming my generation's Lindsay Lohan.
Honorable mention: Modern Family, Mac Miller, Miami Heat Finals collapse
N is for Nicki.
One of the most popular Halloween costumes of the year, the rapping sensation was everywhere in 2011. She teamed up with the likes of Weezy and Drake, and her single "Super Bass" reached #3 on the charts. She also launched the career of 8-year-old Sophia Grace.
Honorable mention: NASA's last mission, Netflix
O is for Oprah.
2011 brought the last season for the billionaire talk show host. Her May farewell event included appearances from stars such as Queen Latifah, Beyonce, Tom Cruise, Madonna, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jordan.
Honorable mention: Obama
P is for Penn State.
Former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was charged with 42 counts of child molestation, tarnishing the image of one of the most storied football programs in the nation. Beloved head coach Joe Paterno, 84, was fired, as was the university's president, vice-president, and athletic director. The investigations are ongoing.
Honorable mention: Pippa, Pujols, planking, Pitbull, Philadelphia Eagles supposed "Dream Team"
Q is for Quotes.
This year's best celebrity quotes were 140 characters or less. Here's a brief sample of the best tweets:
6. @ConanOBrien: Just taught my kids about taxes by eating 38% of their ice cream.
5. @oliviawilde: in a thousand years archaeologists will dig up tanning beds and think we fried people as punishment.
4. @ParisHilton: Just landed back in LA, so happy to hear the news of Osama bin Laden's death. He was the face of terrorism and such ...
3. @Pink: Out of Myself, Britney, and Christina- didn't everyone think I was gonna be the troublemaker? LOOK MA!!! No CUFFS!!!
2. @JohnStamos: contrary to the rumors, i am not replacing charlie sheen on two and half men. however, martin sheen has asked me to be his son.
1. @alyankovic: BTW, Christina Aguilera, nice job at the Super Bowl, but changing the words to songs is MY gig.
R is for Royal Wedding.
Kate and William crossed the Atlantic and stole the spotlight in the States. The wedding was the 6th-most popular internet event ever, spurring more traffic than even the 2008 election of President Obama.
Honorable mention: Rapture (May 21st), Rory McIlroy
S is for Sequels.
Eight of the top 10 films of the year were sequels. The latest installments from the Harry Potter, Transformers, and Pirates of the Caribbean franchises each earned over 1 billion dollars.
Honorable mention: Scandal, snapbacks, skinny jeans, Shaq's retirement
T is for Tebow.
The QB sensation was perhaps the most-hyped athlete of the year. His unorthodox play, outspoken beliefs, and unearthly penchant for late-game highlights have made the "Mile-High Messiah" a cult hero.
Honorable mention: Tea Party, Tyler the Creator
U is for US Women's Soccer.
Hope Solo, Abby Wambach, and Alex Morgan brought women's soccer to the forefront of American culture for the first time since Brandi Chastain's 1999 sports-bra celebration. The US lost in a shootout to underdog Japan, but its three star players still could be found in advertisements for Nike, Gatorade, and Sportscenter,
Honorable mention: Unemployment stays high, USPS struggles, UConn Men win NCAA championship
V is for Violence.
The "Arab Spring" wrought violent protests from Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, and dozens of other nations.
W is for #Winning.
Charlie Sheen's breakdown gave us some of the most memorable quotes and catchphrases of the year.
Quick Top 5:
5. "Can't is the cancer of happening."
4. "They picked a fight with a Warlock."
3. "Clearly I have deleted this earthworm with my words—imagine what I would have done with my fire-breathing fists."
2. "I am on a drug. It's called Charlie Sheen. It's not available because if you try it, you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body."
1. "I will not believe that if I do something, then I have to follow a certain path because it was written for normal people. People who aren't special. People who don't have tiger blood and Adonis DNA."
Honorable mention: Wiz Khalifa
X is for Xzibit.
The rapper and former host of MTV's Pimp My Ride may have benefitted from a weak roster of words beginning with X, but he made headlines by putting down one of the weirdest trends of the year.
X tweeted, "#Planking was a way to transport slaves on ships during the slave trade, its not funny. Educate yourselves."
Honorable mention: X-Factor
Y is for YouTube.
The video-sharing site was the fifth most-visited of 2011.
Z is for Zuccotti Park.
The Manhattan park was home to the original Occupy Wall Street movement. The protest began on September 17, and soon spread to every major city in the US. Using the slogan, "We are the 99%," the protesters camped out in makeshift tent communities in response to the nation's economic inequality.
And as for that World Peace? LA Laker Ron Artest formally changed his name to "Metta World Peace."
2011 was a good year. Beyoncé got pregnant, the Bruins won the Stanley Cup, and the troops came home from Iraq. Things were starting to look up. It's really too bad the world's going to end in 2012.
What do you think were the biggest events/trends/names of 2011?
The biggest event, by far, is definitely the unveiling of The Hobbit advertisements and footage...I project that when it comes out next year it will soar past all other films (including, of course, that latest Harry Potter film in third place) as the most grossing movie of all time.
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