Looking Back at 2011 The Year in Pictures
Popular uprisings, financial crises, terrorism and a fairy-tale wedding: 2011 was an eventful year. SPIEGEL ONLINE revisits some of the year's most memorable moments.
The first part of the year was dominated by demands for democracy in the Arab world. In January, after the popular uprisings in Tunisia and Algeria, the people of Egypt also took to the streets for gatherings like the one shown here of a protest in the now world-famous Tahrir Square in Cairo.
By mid-February they had managed to oust long-time President Hosni Mubarak. Egypt became the first country that was part of the Arab Spring to put its former ruler on trial in early March. Here, Mubarak faces the court from a hospital bed inside a cage.
The Arab revolution also reached Libya in February, where dictator Moammar Gadhafi brutally cracked down on demonstrations. As the revolt gained strength, Gadhafi continued a series of bizarre appearances like this one.
On March 1, conservative German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg resigned after weeks of mounting pressure surrounding accusations that he plagiarized significant portions of his doctoral dissertation.
Then on March 11, Japan was struck with a triple catastrophe when an intense earthquake off the island country's coast triggered a powerful tsunami that claimed 10,000 lives and set off a nuclear catastrophe.
Images of the disaster at the Fukushima power plant shocked the world and sparked renewed debate about nuclear power, prompting Chancellor Angela Merkel to do an about-face on the issue in Germany, where now the plan is to phase out the use of atomic plants by 2022.
Berlin Zoo's polar bear star Knut died suddenly in March, drowning in his enclosure after a seizure caused by encephalitis.
Also in March, Syrians began protesting the regime of President Bashar Assad, as shown in this video still from the 25th. Assad's forces have brutally cracked down on the uprising despite threats of sanctions from abroad.
As the Arab Spring continued, NATO forces began air strikes in Libya on March 19 in an effort to stop dictator Moammar Gadhafi's brutal offensive against rebels there.
Also in March, Germany's environmentalist Green Party celebrated an historic election victory and appointed its first-ever state governor in Baden-Württemberg. It was hailed as the start of a new political era in Germany.
Amid all the turmoil, a welcome breath of fresh air came with the fairy-tale wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on April 29 in London.
Nearly 10 years after his organization masterminded the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, US forces found and killed al-Qaida founder Osama bin Laden on May 2 in Pakistan. This official government image shows President Barack Obama and other US officials following the operation.
In early May Chinese artist and human rights activist Ai Weiwei was arrested for alleged tax evasion, sparking worldwide protest. He was released in late June.
Later that month, International Monetary Fund head and likely French Socialist Party presidential candidate Dominique Strauss-Kahn was arrested in New York , accused of sexually assaulting a maid in his hotel room. He stepped down from the IMF as a result, but charges were later dismissed after the prosecution cited serious doubts over the credibility of the alleged victim.
In late May an aggressive new strain of E. Coli sparked an outbreak in Germany and neighboring countries, eventually claiming nearly 40 victims.
In June, basketball star Dirk Nowitzki accomplished what no other German athlete has ever been able to. He became an American hero by leading the Dallas Mavericks to become the NBA champions.
In July, Germany hosted the Women's World Cup , working hard to inspire more international support for the sport. Japan became the first Asian team to win a title in the event, beating the US 3-1 on penalties.
A massive scandal over alleged phone hacking at British tabloid newspapers owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch's company News Corporation also broke in July.
On July 22, Anders Behring Breivik set off a bomb in Oslo, Norway and went on a killing spree on the nearby island of Utoya. In the end some 77 people were killed, many of them teenagers. The suspect, apparently motivated by right-wing extremist views, was later declared unfit to face trial due to his psychological state.
In August, riots hit several districts in London and other English cities as police struggled to contain violence and looting. Sparked by a demonstration that escalated into violence in the district of Tottenham, the riots engendered considerable debate about the social situation in England.
In September a new protest movement emerged in New York, demanding more social and economic equality. Claiming to represent the "99 percent" of people who are not top earners, the Occupy Wall Street demonstraters were critical of the financial system's dominance in capitalist society.
In late September Pope Benedict XVI visited Germany, his country of origin, addressing the German parliament and sparking debate about religion's place in society and the state of the Catholic Church across the country.
On Oct. 5, Apple founder and one of the great inventors of his time Steve Jobs died of cancer at age 56.
On Oct. 20, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was captured and killed after months of battling the insurgency. His death marked a new chapter for the Libyan people, who are now led by the National Transitional Council.
Marking another major success for the Arab Spring, Tunisians voted in a democratic election for the first time in late October after ousting longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January.
Amid ongoing turmoil over financial reforms in Greece, Greek Prime Minister Giorgios Papandreou resigned on Nov. 11.
Also in November, suspects in a bizarre case turned out to be an alleged neo-Nazi terror cell now suspected of at murdering at least 10 people over several years. The investigation, which has revealed the group's ties with the neo-Nazi NPD, has renewed debate over banning the controversial political party.
Amid pressure from markets and leaders across Europe, controversial Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi resigned in November, ending a lengthy political career full of scandals.
In the ongoing battle to save the euro, a new fiscal pact made at an important European Union summit in Brussels on Dec. 9 signalled a shift in the currency union's policy, creating what some called a two-speed Europe .
In mid-December Europe mourned the death of Czech dissident Vaclav Havel , leader of the 1989 Velvet Revolution that helped bring down communism in his country and beyond.
On Dec. 17 North Korean leader Kim Jong Il died at age 69 after 17 years in power. The succession of his largely unknown son, Kim Jong Un, has propelled the region into uncertainty.
