The death of a bogeyman who haunted a generation. The trial of a mother. A record-magnitude of an earthquake and a tsunami that swept away towns and people. The toppling of decade-old regimes. These are just some of the many breaking news stories that were heard around the world in 2011. The year brought about a torrent of social changes and revolts that can continue to change the world order, as we know it.
Here is a breakdown of the top 7 stories as read online around the world.
1. Arab Spring
The year started off with the
Arab Spring when citizens from Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Syria, and Libya rose up in riots against domineering regimes that had been in control. Each country had its own circumstances and craved particular kinds of freedom; yet the domino effect, combined with social networking, made the Arab Spring appear to be a collective revolt. Women played a major part in the revolts of Arab Spring. They marched with their husbands and children in Tunisia. In Syria, women blocked roads to demand that their husbands and sons be released from jail.
2. Death of Moammar Gaddafi
Gaddafi has been the de facto leader of Libya since 1969 and as a brutal military man, he was known beyond his borders for his roles in terrorists’ acts, such as the Lockerbie bombing. In Libya, citizens witnessed public hangings of students, prison massacres, and endured food stampedes and torture. NATO became involved on March 17th with a no-fly zone, and then the entry of military aircraft and ships from France, Italy, Great Britain, and the US. By August, the Libyan people had suffered from mass hunger and an estimated 50,000 were dead in six months of civil war. On August 23rd, rebels tracked Gaddafi to a drain outside his hometown of Sirte after he had fled from his compound in Tripoli. Accounts differ as to how the 69-year-old leader was killed, but videos were posted online of his gruesome last moments. His son, Muatassim Gaddafi, was also killed, while his other son, Saif al-Islam, was captured a month later and now faces trial.
3. Casey Anthony Trial
In December 2008, the body of 2-year-old Caylee Anthony was found a quarter-mile from her Orlando home. Three years later, Casey Anthony’s murder trial was the courtroom spectacle of 2011. The proceedings spawned a media circus similar to the 1997 OJ Simpson trial and the 1993 Mendez brothers trial. Casey’s astonishing number of lies eroded her faltering credibility and her defense lawyer referred to her as a “lying slut.” The verdict was a reminder that real life is nothing like prime time shows such as “Law and Order.” In the end, Casey Anthony was convicted of nothing more than lying to police and being a terrible mother, but in the court of public opinion, she was guilty of murder.
4. Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
On March 11th, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Tohoku region; it was 900 times greater than the January 2010 tremor that devastated Haiti. The quake rattled the planet on its axis and shifted parts of Japan’s main island 3 to 16 feet. Waves followed, some as high as 30 feet, sweeping 6 miles inland. Tsunami warnings went out to 50 countries and territories, including the US. As a final count, 15,703 people died and nearly 5,000 disappeared in the fires and tsunami. As Japan recovered from the earthquake and tsunami disasters, another danger was apparent in threat of a nuclear meltdown. Fukushima, which was eventually shut down, was the site of the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
5. Death of Osama Bin Laden
On May 1st at 11:35 p.m. Eastern time, an announcement was made that Osama Bin Laden had finally been captured and killed. President Obama spoke at a live press conference at the White House. A small team had infiltrated a compound deep inside Pakistan, which was later identified as Abbottabad. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body. Incredibly, America’s bogeyman was brought down four months shy of the September 11 attacks’ 10th anniversary. America erupted and there were people celebrating outside the White House, Ground Zero, and Times Square.
6. Giffords’ Shooting
Six people were killed and 14 injured when a gunman opened fire January 8th on a crowd gathered to meet U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords at a Safeway near Tucson. Among the dead were 9-year-old Christinia-Taylor Green, born September 11, 2001; federal judge John Roll; and Gabriel Zimmerman, Giffords’ community outreach director. The alleged assassination target, Giffords, was shot in the head at point-blank range. Quick-thinking citizens helped prevent further deaths by knocking the shooter down, pinning him to the ground, and wrestling away his ammunition clip. Amid complicated legal developments, the American public held close to the milestones of Giffords’ recovery, and her struggle to walk became a triumphant return to the House floor. Although she continues to progress, it is unclear how complete her neurological recovery can be.
7. Occupy Wall Street
Adbusters, a Canadian-based nonprofit magazine, wanted Americans to Occupy Wall Street. One editor explained the concept as combining the tactic of the Egyptian uprising and the Spanish Intifada with general assemblies in which people vote using consensus-based decision-making. Adbusters designed the poster of a ballerina dancing atop the Wall Street bull with the slogan “We are the 99%.” The magazine also created all forms of social media to monitor and coordinate developments. On September 16th, protestors took to the streets and went online almost immediately. Encampments, some functioning as mini villages, spread to more than 65 cities. Some encampments still linger, but Occupy did accomplish one thing: it has shown that America’s largest generation is ready to change the conversation.