2011 brought us a barrage of news stories that took our emotions on a roller coaster ride. From senseless deaths to justices served, 2011 was certainly a year to remember. Here are my picks for the top stories in 2011 in order by when they occurred.
January 8, 2011 brought America the shocking news of a Tucson, Arizona shooting that seriously wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed six others by a lone gunman with serious mental health problems. Giffords at one point was reported to have died, but those reports were premature. She survived and is still fighting to regain the physical and mental capabilities she lost due to being shot in the head during the attack.
On March 11, 2011 an 8.9 earthquake, followed by a devastating Tsunami, struck Japan. It cost over 18,000 people their lives and caused $210 billion in damage. The world responded immediately to help Japan, but it will take many years for the country to recover.
On April 29, 2011 Prince William and Kate Middleton married in a fairy tale wedding that reminded many of the marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Dianna. Watching William grow from a sweet little blonde haired boy and into a respectable and compassionate young man could only remind us of how proud Princess Di would have been. Kate and William have both shown that they wish to continue the humanitarian efforts of the late Princess.
On May 2, 2011 Osama Bin Laden was finally located and killed in a gun fight in the town of Abbottabad, Pakistan by U.S. Special Forces. Osama Bin Laden was long wanted for masterminding the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on U.S. soil. His death caused spontaneous celebrations across America.
In May, 2011 actor Charlie Sheen was fired from CBS’ Two and A Half Men. Charlie Sheen seemed to go off the deep end before and after his entrance into a drug rehab in January. Sheen felt he was “winning”, spoke about tiger blood and his erratic behavior had many fearing he would not live through 2011. Alas, the 46-year-old actor is thankfully still with us and hopefully 2012 will be a better year for him.
In July 2011, Borders book stores announced that nearly 400 stores would be closed and 11,000 people were to be laid off after the company failed to find a buyer. It was a devastating blow to the already fragile U.S. economy and left many wondering how long Barnes and Noble would survive in this current climate.
On September 20, 2011 the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy of the U.S. Military was repealed for good. The DADT policy had been around since the Bill Clinton days and was longed seen as a complete violation of the civil rights of gay soldiers.
In October of 2011 American Amanda Knox’s retrial set her free. In a case that galvanized many Americans who felt Amanda Knox did not receive a fair trial in her first conviction for murdering her roommate in Italy, she got her wish for a retrial. Though her innocence is still up for debate, the Italian court released the 24-year-old American in October after she spent had4 years in an Italian prison.
On October 5, 2011 the death of Steve Jobs was announced. Steve Jobs co-founded Apple Computer in 1976 and was just 56 when he died. His contributions to the world included an early version of the personal computer as well as creating the iPod, the iPad and the iPhone. He was one of the most respected men and pioneers ever.
On December 18, 2011 the last American troop left Iraq. It was the official end of a nearly nine year old war. Over 4,500 U.S. soldiers were killed in the war and tens of thousands were wounded. We are grateful for their service.
If you enjoyed this article and would like to subscribe to receive notification of future National Generation X Examiner articles, simply add your email address to the "Subscribe" button at the top of the page. Comments are always welcome. Please feel free to join our discussions on The National Generation X Facebook fan page by clicking on this link and "liking" the page!
Comments