With only one more day left before the end of Listmas, we thought it would be best to look back at eleven of the more exciting moments of 2011. And in case you missed it, we covered the biggest disappointments of this year, here.
Photo: Al Jazeera English
Arab spring
2011 was certainly the year for revolutions and civil uprisings. With protestors taking to the streets in numerous Middle Eastern countries including Yemen, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Algeria, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman and Morocco, the world witnessed a political awakening occurring in the region. It goes to show us that people, when pushed too far, certainly can make a difference in the world. While it remains to be seen what happens next in many of these former regime-controlled countries, one thing is for sure, we all had a front row seat in witnessing history in the making.
Photo: Defense Images
The royal wedding
With over 2 billion people watching worldwide, the wedding between the future King of England, Prince William, and Catherine Middleton displayed the ultimate in pomp and circumstance for the British Monarchy. No expenses were spared and all the stops were pulled out for this royal nuptial. From antique horse drawn carriages, to royal horsemen, to the historical Westminister Abbey, grandeur at this level is a rare sight and rare treat. Perhaps even more exciting was the unveiling of Catherine’s wedding dress, which was designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. Here’s to a lifetime of happiness and bliss to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Photo: Chicago Geek
The death of Osama Bin Laden
We don’t necessarily like to celebrate or encourage death, but we’re willing to make an exception in this case. 2011 saw the end of America’s (and the rest of the world’s) #1 most wanted terrorist. The founder of Al-Qaeda, and the one-time ally of the U.S., Osama Bin Laden met his demise during a covert op mission into Pakistan carried out by the Navy SEAL Team 6. Ironically, his death came just in time for the 10-year anniversary of 9/11.
Photo: Adam Fagan
Repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
It’s about time DADT was abolished. The repeal now allows American military personnel to serve their country and publicly reveal their sexual orientation without fear of reprisal. Nearly 65,000 gay members currently serve and more than 14,000 have been discharged for publicly admitting their sexual preference. For a country that believes in freedom, independence and individuality, it’s odd that the people who protect those very liberties were not allowed to be themselves while serving this nation. Now, servicemen and servicewomen no longer have to live a lie.
Photo: amadeusrecord
Japan wins women’s world cup soccer
For a country that faced a tremendous amount of hardship this year, Japan deserved a win. Even though the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami brought about severe devastation and destruction to the island, the spirit of the people did not alter. This was clearly seen at the Women’s FIFA World Cup where the Japanese team beat the U.S in the final match on a penalty shoot out. Sure, the match wasn’t THAT intense or necessarily one for the history books, but it was nice to finally see an asian team win for the first time in the history of this tournament.
Photo: United States Army
U.S. troops withdraw from Iraq
After nearly 8 years of military action in Iraq, U.S. troops finally completed withdrawal from the country on December 18. The biggest question that remains is whether or not the Iraqi government will be able to maintain security in the country without the troop’s assistance. Nonetheless, many American families were able to welcome their soldiers home for Christmas this year. Song of the moment: I’ll be home for Christmas.
Photo: Ammar Abd Rabbo
The fall of dictators
This was not a year for dictators of regimes around the world. In 2011, we saw Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fall in Tunisia, Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen, Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, and to a certain extent, Kim Jong-il in North Korea. Will this signal a significant change in geopolitical politics? Are the tides changing? By the looks of it, Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad could be next. Whatever the scenario, one things for sure, the ‘dictator for life’ club is slowly dwindling. We would highly recommend against pursuing the dictator career path if at all possible.
Photo: United Nations
South Sudan gains independence
This year officially welcomed the Republic of South Sudan to the world map. After being plagued by two civil wars and millions dead and displaced, the country held a referendum in early January to declare its independence from Sudan. A staggering 98.8% of the population turned out for the vote. We have high hopes for this new country, but there is a long road ahead. South Sudan is one of the least developed nations with extremely poor maternal mortality rates and widespread illiteracy. In addition, the country must find ways to thwart the actions of several rebel groups that present a security threat to the region and the people.
Photo: James Crindland
World population reaches 7 Billion
It took the world 12 years to get from 6 billion to 7 billion inhabitants. Rack one up for humanity people. But should we consider this an achievement? It’s certainly quite a milestone, but how will this continued population growth impact the global economy, environment, and quality of life? Are we in danger of reaching the threshold of how many people this planet can support? Oh, and if you were wondering, certain experts and groups are predicting we will reach 8 billion in about 14 years.
Photo: Olivier Pacteau
Palestine requests full U.N. membership
President Mahmoud Abbas formally requested full United Nations membership at this years’ opening ceremonies of the General Assembly. Officially recognized by 126 of the 193 members, Palestine made a bold and ambitious move to gain recognition as a state using the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem serving as capital. Though the U.S. signaled a veto in the security council and threatened to withdraw its U.N. funding allocation, Palestine is moving ahead. Palestine was recently accepted as a member state by UNESCO and now has full diplomatic relations with Iceland. This is the kind of stuff Model UN nerds like ourselves live for.
Photo: rushdi13
India wins world cup cricket
How do you get over 1 billion+ people to celebrate around the world at one time? Win the cricket world cup tournament in your own country where the sport is a treasured national pastime. India did just that this year, with an impressive win against Sri Lanka in Mumbai. Cricket, probably one of the most underrated sports in America, is actually the second most popular sport just behind football (a.k.a soccer). India has added a tremendous amount to the sport including world-renowned players and the first private cricket league. Chak de India anyone?
