2011

Events in 2011 80

• 1915 – 2011 Sargent Shriver (1915-2011) Died 18 January 2011, aged 95 The American statesman founded the Peace Corps under President Kennedy and later led the War on Poverty programs of the Johnson administration. He was the Democratic vice-presidential nominee in 1972. He died in Maryland after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease.
• 1918 – 2011 Betty Ford (1918-2011) Died 8 July 2011, aged 93 The former First Lady of the United States, wife of President Gerald Ford, was known for her openness about breast cancer and addiction, later founding the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse treatment. She died in Rancho Mirage, California. Her candor reshaped public discussion of addiction recovery.
• 1919 – 2011 Andy Rooney (1919-2011) Died 4 November 2011, aged 92 The American writer delivered wry commentary in his "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney" segment on CBS's "60 Minutes" for more than three decades. He retired from the broadcast just weeks before his death. He died in New York City from complications following surgery.
• 1921 – 2011 Jane Russell (1921-2011) American actress and sex symbol, discovered by Howard Hughes for The Outlaw.
• 1922 – 2011 Jackie Cooper (1922-2011) American actor and director, the youngest Best Actor nominee ever and later Perry White in Superman.
• 1924 – 2011 Sidney Lumet (1924-2011) Died 9 April 2011, aged 86 The American film director made more than 40 films over five decades, including "12 Angry Men," "Dog Day Afternoon," and "Network." He received an honorary Academy Award in 2005 after four unsuccessful nominations for Best Director. He died in Manhattan of lymphoma.
• 1925 – 2011 Farley Granger (1925-2011) American actor known for two Hitchcock films, Rope and Strangers on a Train.
• 1926 – 2011 Anne McCaffrey (1926-2011) Died 21 November 2011, aged 85 The American-born author was best known for the "Dragonriders of Pern" science fiction series and was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction. She lived much of her later life in Ireland. She died at her home near Dublin.
• 1926 – 2011 Sathya Sai Baba (1926-2011) Died 24 April 2011, aged 84 The Indian guru attracted millions of followers worldwide and founded a network of hospitals, schools, and charitable institutions. He was regarded by devotees as a spiritual leader with miraculous powers, a claim disputed by skeptics. He died in Puttaparthi, India, where his ashram drew huge crowds of mourners.
• 1927 – 2011 John McCarthy (1927-2011) Died 24 October 2011, aged 84 The American computer scientist coined the term "artificial intelligence" and invented the Lisp programming language. He won the Turing Award in 1971 for his contributions to the field. He died in California after a long career at Stanford University.
• 1927 – 2011 Peter Falk (1927-2011) Died 23 June 2011, aged 83 The American actor was best known for playing the rumpled television detective Lieutenant Columbo, a role that won him four Emmy Awards. He died at his home in Beverly Hills after suffering from dementia in his final years. Falk also appeared in films including "The In-Laws" and "The Princess Bride."
• 1932 – 2011 Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011) Died 23 March 2011, aged 79 The British-American actress, a two-time Academy Award winner known for films including "Cleopatra" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", died in Los Angeles of congestive heart failure. She was one of the last major stars of Hollywood's golden age. She was also known for her AIDS activism and jewelry collection.
• 1935 – 2011 Geraldine Ferraro (1935-2011) Died 26 March 2011, aged 75 The American politician became the first woman nominated for vice president on a major party ticket when Walter Mondale chose her as his running mate in 1984. She served in the U.S. House of Representatives representing New York. She died in Boston of complications from multiple myeloma.
• 1936 – 2011 Vaclav Havel (1936-2011) Died 18 December 2011, aged 75 The Czech playwright and dissident led the Velvet Revolution that ended communist rule in Czechoslovakia in 1989 and became the country's first post-communist president. He later served as the first president of the Czech Republic after the country split from Slovakia. He died at his country home in the Czech Republic.
• 1940 – 2011 Wangari Maathai (1940-2011) Died 25 September 2011, aged 71 The Kenyan environmentalist founded the Green Belt Movement, which planted tens of millions of trees across Africa, and became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, in 2004. She died in Nairobi of ovarian cancer. She was also a member of the Kenyan parliament and a prominent democracy activist.
• 1941 – 2011 Kim Jong-il (1941-2011) Died 17 December 2011, aged 70 The North Korean leader ruled the isolated, nuclear-armed state for 17 years, continuing the personality cult and militarized "Songun" policy established by his father, Kim Il-sung. His death was announced two days later and led to the succession of his son, Kim Jong-un. State media broadcast displays of mass public mourning across the country.
• 1941 – 2011 Cesaria Evora (1941-2011) Died 17 December 2011, aged 70 The Cape Verdean singer, known as the "Barefoot Diva," brought morna music to international audiences and won a Grammy Award in 2004. She died in her hometown of Mindelo after years of declining health. She remains Cape Verde's best-known cultural export.
• 1941 – 2011 Dennis Ritchie (1941-2011) Died 12 October 2011, aged 70 The American computer scientist created the C programming language and co-created the Unix operating system at Bell Labs. His work underpins much of modern software and computing infrastructure. He died at his home in New Jersey shortly after the death of Steve Jobs, which drew comparatively little public attention.
• 1942 – 2011 Clarence Clemons (1942-2011) Died 18 June 2011, aged 69 The American saxophonist was a founding member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, known for his solo on "Born to Run" and decades of live performance alongside Springsteen. He died in Florida after suffering a stroke. His towering stage presence made him one of rock's most recognizable sidemen.
• 1942 – 2011 Muammar Gaddafi (1942-2011) Died 20 October 2011, aged 69 Gaddafi, the longtime ruler of Libya, was captured and killed by rebel fighters near his hometown of Sirte during the Libyan Civil War. His death marked the effective end of his four-decade rule and the collapse of his government. Video of his capture and death spread rapidly worldwide.
• 1944 – 2011 Joe Frazier (1944-2011) Died 7 November 2011, aged 67 The American boxer was Olympic and undisputed heavyweight world champion, best remembered for his three fights against Muhammad Ali, including the "Thrilla in Manila." He died in Philadelphia of liver cancer. Frazier remains one of the sport's most celebrated champions.
• 1949 – 2011 Gil Scott-Heron American poet, musician & author Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011) was an American poet, musician and author whose spoken-word recordings — above all "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" — made him one of the most influential forefathers of hip-hop and a defining voice of Black political consciousness in American music.
• 1949 – 2011 Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011) Died 15 December 2011, aged 62 The British-American writer and journalist was known for his combative essays and books, including "God Is Not Great," and for his outspoken atheism. He continued writing and giving interviews after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2010. He died in Houston, Texas.
• 1950 – 2011 Jack Layton (1950-2011) Died 22 August 2011, aged 61 The Canadian politician led the New Democratic Party to become the official opposition in the House of Commons for the first time in the 2011 federal election. He died in Toronto of cancer weeks after the election victory. His death prompted an outpouring of public tribute across Canada.
• 1954 – 2011 Socrates The Doctor Philosopher-footballer who captained the legendary 1982 Brazil team.
• 1955 – 2011 Steve Jobs Apple co-founder Steve Jobs co-founded Apple and pioneered personal computing and the smartphone era with the Mac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad.
• 1967 – 2011 Heavy D (1967-2011) Died 8 November 2011, aged 44 The Jamaican-American rapper, born Dwight Myers, led the group Heavy D and the Boyz and helped bring hip hop into the mainstream in the late 1980s. He later worked as an actor and record executive. He died suddenly at his home in Beverly Hills.
• 1980 – 2011 R.E.M. R.E.M. were an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. They are widely credited as the founding band of American alternative rock -- the first major band to emerge from the college radio underground and achieve mainstream success without compromising their artistic integrity. Their 15 studio albums span jangly post-punk ('Murmur,' 1983), political rock ('Document,' 1987), arena pop ('Out of Time,' 1991; 'Automatic for the People,' 1992) and experimental noise ('Monster,' 1994; 'Up,' 1998). They disbanded amicably in September 2011 after 31 years, releasing a statement: 'To our fans and friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band.'
• 1983 – 2011 Amy Winehouse (1983-2011) Died 23 July 2011, aged 27 The British singer-songwriter, known for the album "Back to Black" and hits including "Rehab," died of alcohol poisoning at her London home. She had long struggled publicly with substance abuse. Her death added her to the "27 Club" of musicians who died at that age.
• 2011 Carmelo Anthony trade New York trades a large package of players and picks to Denver for star forward Carmelo Anthony.
• 2011 Death of Jet Harris Aged 71 Founding bassist Jet Harris died in 2011 at the age of 71, after long struggles with alcoholism in earlier life — the last of the original four-piece lineup to pass away.
• 2011 – present Ed Sheeran The One-Man Band Prolific songwriter known for looping pedals and record-breaking solo stadium tours.
• 2011 Party Rock Anthem -- the number one hit In 2011 Bennett is featured on LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" -- singing the bridge and hook alongside the duo's rapping -- on a track that becomes one of the defining pop songs of the early 2010s. The single tops the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks, reaching number one in more than 20 countries including the UK (four weeks at number one), Ireland (four weeks), Australia, Canada and across continental Europe. It sells over five million digital downloads in the United States alone, making it one of the best-selling digital singles in history at the time. For Bennett, raised in Meopham, Kent, it is the realisation of everything she has worked toward since performing in pub talent contests at 14.
• 2011 – present Party Rock Anthem -- the song that lasts In the 15 years between its release and her death, "Party Rock Anthem" remains one of the most-streamed and most-recognised pop songs of the 2010s -- an inescapable presence in commercials, film trailers, sports arenas and party playlists worldwide. Its combination of LMFAO's absurdist electro-rap persona and Bennett's clean, radio-ready vocal hook gives it a longevity that most number-one singles do not achieve. In Ireland it spends 26 weeks on the singles chart; globally its streaming numbers continue to accumulate for years after its initial release. For Bennett, who sings the hook that most listeners remember, it is the artistic achievement for which she will always be primarily known.
• 2011 – present SZA The R&B Poet Defined the modern R&B sound with "Ctrl" and the record-breaking "SOS".
• 2011 The Artist Best Picture — 84th Academy Awards Michel Hazanavicius's black-and-white silent film about Hollywood's switch to sound, the first French production to win Best Picture.
• 2011 The Party Rock Tour -- on the road with LMFAO Following the release and success of "Party Rock Anthem," Bennett joins LMFAO on the Party Rock Tour, performing the track live alongside the duo across North America and internationally. The tour gives her her first experience of arena-scale performance and consolidates the working relationship with LMFAO that produced the single. She is 21-22 during this period, at the height of the song's global dominance.
• 2011 – 2012 The comeback -- failing to qualify for London 2012 In February 2011 Thorpe announces his return to competitive swimming with the aim of qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics. The comeback attracts enormous media interest. He trains in the United States, hoping a different environment will reinvigorate him. But his times are well below the standard required for London qualification, the 400m freestyle (his signature event) is not even on his event list, and a shoulder injury complicates preparations. At the 2012 Australian Olympic trials, he fails to qualify. The comeback is officially over. He is 29. The failure is painful but honest: some careers cannot be revived, and seven years away from elite competition is too long.
• 2011 – 2012 Working with Robin Antin and the Pussycat Dolls Throughout 2011-2012 Bennett maintains her close working relationship with Robin Antin, the Pussycat Dolls' founder. She is featured in the Pussycat Dolls' second fitness DVD. Antin is in this period rebuilding the Pussycat Dolls brand following the original lineup's dissolution, and is assembling a new group of performers -- the project that will eventually become G.R.L. Bennett is a natural choice for the new group given her history with Antin through Paradiso Girls and her elevated profile from "Party Rock Anthem."
• 2011 Arab Spring Wave of pro-democracy uprisings across Middle East The Arab Spring began in December 2010 in Tunisia and spread across the Arab world in 2011, toppling governments in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen and sparking civil war in Syria.
• 2011 Tucson shooting Attempted assassination of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords A gunman opened fire at a constituent event in Tucson, Arizona, critically wounding U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords and killing six people, including a federal judge and a nine-year-old girl. Giffords survived a gunshot wound to the head after extensive rehabilitation. The attack prompted national debate over political rhetoric and gun control.
• 2011 Chengdu J-20 first flight China's first stealth fighter China's J-20 makes its first flight in Chengdu, making China the third country to fly a fifth-generation fighter.
• 2011 Mubarak resigns Egyptian president ousted after 30 years Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned on February 11, 2011, after 18 days of mass protests in Tahrir Square, ending his 30-year rule.
• 2011 Bahraini uprising Protests for political reform met with a Gulf military crackdown Pro-democracy protesters, largely from Bahrain's Shia majority, occupied Pearl Roundabout in Manama demanding political reform from the ruling Sunni monarchy. Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council troops entered Bahrain in March to help the government suppress the uprising under a declared state of emergency. The unrest highlighted sectarian tensions that continued to simmer for years afterward.
• 2011 Christchurch earthquake Magnitude 6.3 quake devastates New Zealand's second city A shallow magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck near Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 185 people and causing catastrophic damage to the city center. It was more destructive than a larger quake the previous September because of its shallow depth and proximity to the city. Much of the central business district was later demolished and rebuilt.
• 2011 Iditarod 2011 Winner: John Baker — 8 days 18h (record) John Baker, Inupiaq from Kotzebue, set a new course record of 8 days 18 hours 46 minutes that stood for years. He dedicated the win to his village and Alaska Native heritage.
• 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster Worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl The March 11, 2011 tsunami caused three reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl, forcing 154,000 people to evacuate.
• 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami 19,000 killed, Fukushima meltdown A magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Japan's Tohoku coast on March 11, 2011 generated a devastating tsunami killing nearly 19,000 people and triggering the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
• 2011 Syrian Civil War begins Protests in Daraa spiral into nationwide uprising Anti-government protests broke out in the southern city of Daraa after the arrest and torture of teenagers who had painted revolutionary graffiti, quickly spreading across Syria as part of the wider Arab Spring. President Bashar al-Assad's violent crackdown on demonstrators escalated the unrest into an armed insurgency and, eventually, a full civil war. The conflict would go on to kill hundreds of thousands and displace millions over the following decade.
• 2011 NATO intervention in Libya Airstrikes support rebel forces against Gaddafi Acting under a UN Security Council resolution, NATO conducted a bombing campaign against forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi to protect civilians during the Libyan Civil War. The intervention ran from March to October 2011 and was decisive in the rebels' eventual victory. It was one of the alliance's largest combat operations since Kosovo.
• 2011 Larry Page becomes Google CEO Co-founder returns to lead the company he started Larry Page, who had co-founded Google with Sergey Brin in 1998, took over as chief executive from Eric Schmidt, who moved to the role of executive chairman. The leadership change came as Google pushed further into social networking and mobile with products like Google+. Page led the company through its 2015 reorganization into Alphabet.
• 2011 Capture of Laurent Gbagbo Ivorian leader seized after refusing to concede election Forces loyal to Alassane Ouattara, backed by French and UN troops, captured President Laurent Gbagbo in Abidjan after he refused to accept defeat in the 2010 election, ending months of violent crisis in Ivory Coast. More than 3,000 people were killed in the fighting that followed the disputed vote. Gbagbo was later transferred to the International Criminal Court.
• 2011 Foo Fighters release Wasting Light Recorded in a garage Recorded on tape in Grohl's garage — five Grammys.
• 2011 2011 World Snooker Championship John Higgins Title 4 Winner: John Higgins; Runner-up: Judd Trump. Score: 18–15.
• 2011 Royal Wedding — William & Kate 2 billion watch worldwide Prince William married Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, watched by an estimated 2 billion people worldwide. Kate became the Duchess of Cambridge.
• 2011 Osama bin Laden killed US Navy SEALs raid Abbottabad Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed by US Navy SEALs in a raid on his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011, nearly ten years after the 9/11 attacks he orchestrated.
• 2011 Thor Marvel expands its universe Directed by Kenneth Branagh, starring Chris Hemsworth. The arrogant Norse god is banished to Earth and must prove himself worthy.
• 2011 Dominique Strauss-Kahn arrested in New York IMF chief's arrest upends French politics Dominique Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the International Monetary Fund and a leading contender for the French presidency, was arrested in New York on charges of sexually assaulting a hotel housekeeper. He resigned from the IMF days later, and the criminal charges were ultimately dropped, but a separate civil suit and the scandal ended his political ambitions. The case drew intense international media coverage.
• 2011 French Open 2011 Men: Rafael Nadal · Women: Na Li Na Li became the first Chinese Grand Slam singles champion.
• 2011 News of the World phone-hacking scandal Rupert Murdoch closes his top-selling British tabloid Revelations that journalists at the News of the World had hacked the voicemail of murdered teenager Milly Dowler triggered public outrage in Britain, leading Rupert Murdoch to close the 168-year-old tabloid. The scandal led to arrests of senior journalists and a public inquiry into press ethics. It also forced Murdoch to abandon a bid to fully acquire satellite broadcaster BSkyB.
• 2011 Space Shuttle program ends Final flight of Atlantis closes NASA's shuttle era NASA's Space Shuttle Atlantis launched on the program's final mission, STS-135, delivering supplies to the International Space Station before landing at Kennedy Space Center. The flight ended the 30-year Space Shuttle program, leaving the United States reliant on Russian spacecraft to reach the ISS until commercial vehicles came online. Atlantis was the fourth and last orbiter to fly.
• 2011 South Sudan independence World's newest nation South Sudan declared independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011, becoming the world's newest nation after a 2011 referendum in which 98.83% voted for independence.
• 2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 #1 film of 2011 — $1.34bn worldwide Directed by David Yates. The final chapter of the Harry Potter saga. Harry faces Voldemort in the ultimate battle for Hogwarts.
• 2011 Somalia famine UN declares famine amid drought and conflict The United Nations formally declared famine in parts of southern Somalia after the worst drought in the region in decades combined with ongoing civil conflict to cut off food and aid. Tens of thousands of people, many of them children, died before the famine was declared over the following year. The crisis was worsened by the militant group al-Shabaab restricting humanitarian access.
• 2011 Captain America: The First Avenger MCU origin story Directed by Joe Johnston. A frail young man is transformed into a super-soldier to battle the evil HYDRA organisation.
• 2011 Norway attacks Bombing in Oslo and mass shooting on Utoya island A right-wing extremist detonated a car bomb in Oslo's government quarter, then carried out a mass shooting at a Workers' Youth League summer camp on the island of Utoya, killing 77 people in total. It was the deadliest attack in Norway since World War II. The perpetrator, Anders Behring Breivik, was later convicted and sentenced.
• 2011 Amy Winehouse dies in London Aged 27 Dies at her home in Camden.
• 2011 US debt ceiling crisis and credit downgrade Standard & Poor's strips the United States of its AAA rating A prolonged political standoff over raising the U.S. federal debt ceiling was resolved just before a threatened default, but the brinkmanship led Standard & Poor's to downgrade the sovereign credit rating of the United States for the first time in history. Financial markets fell sharply in the following days. The episode intensified partisan gridlock over federal budget policy.
• 2011 Juno spacecraft launched to Jupiter NASA probe begins five-year journey to the solar system's largest planet NASA launched the Juno spacecraft from Cape Canaveral on a mission to study Jupiter's composition, gravity field, and magnetosphere. The solar-powered probe traveled nearly five years before entering Jupiter's orbit in 2016. It was the first spacecraft to operate on solar power at such a great distance from the sun.
• 2011 Fall of Tripoli Rebel forces seize the Libyan capital Anti-Gaddafi rebel forces backed by NATO airstrikes captured Tripoli, ending 42 years of rule by Muammar Gaddafi. The National Transitional Council took control of the city as Gaddafi fled south. The battle marked the turning point of the Libyan Civil War.
• 2011 Steve Jobs resigns from Apple Co-founder steps down as CEO Steve Jobs resigned as Apple's CEO on August 24, 2011, citing his inability to meet the duties of the role due to illness. He died six weeks later on October 5, 2011.
• 2011 Occupy Wall Street begins Protest movement against economic inequality Activists began an encampment in Zuccotti Park in New York City's financial district to protest economic inequality and the influence of money in politics, using the slogan "We are the 99%." The movement spread to hundreds of cities worldwide before the New York camp was cleared by police in November. It reshaped public debate about wealth inequality in the years that followed.
• 2011 Siri launched First mainstream AI voice assistant Apple launched Siri with the iPhone 4S on October 4, 2011, the first mainstream AI voice assistant. It demonstrated that natural language interfaces could work on consumer devices and sparked the voice assistant race.
• 2011 Steve Jobs dies Apple co-founder, age 56 Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, Pixar and NeXT, died on October 5, 2011, aged 56, from pancreatic cancer. He had transformed six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing and digital publishing.
• 2011 – present Nazaré North Canyon The World’s Biggest Waves The site where Garrett McNamara rode the record-breaking largest wave ever surfed.
• 2011 Berlusconi resigns as Italian prime minister Eurozone debt crisis forces political change in Italy Silvio Berlusconi resigned as prime minister of Italy amid a market panic over the country's sovereign debt and a loss of parliamentary majority. He was replaced by economist Mario Monti, who formed a technocratic government to push through austerity measures. The resignation came after nearly two decades of on-and-off dominance of Italian politics.
• 2011 I Wish I Wish -- solo debut Bennett's debut solo single "I Wish I Wish" is released on 21 November 2011 via Interscope Records. Written by Esmée Denters and Billy Mann, and produced by David Schuler, the track attempts to establish her as a solo artist beyond the featured-vocalist role that "Party Rock Anthem" has created for her. The single demonstrates her pop vocal range outside a group context, though it does not achieve the commercial dominance of the LMFAO collaboration.
• 2011 Yemen's Saleh signs power-transfer deal President Ali Abdullah Saleh agrees to step down After months of mass protests demanding his ouster, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh signed a Gulf-brokered agreement to transfer power to his deputy, ending his 33-year rule. The deal followed an assassination attempt on Saleh in June that left him badly burned. The transition did little to stop Yemen's slide toward further conflict.
• 2011 Curiosity rover launched NASA sends its most advanced Mars rover into space NASA launched the Mars Science Laboratory mission, carrying the car-sized rover Curiosity, from Cape Canaveral toward Mars. The rover was designed to search for evidence that the planet could once have supported microbial life. It landed successfully on Mars in August 2012.
• 2011 CERN reports first hints of the Higgs boson Physicists narrow the search for the "God particle" Scientists at CERN's Large Hadron Collider announced tentative signals consistent with the long-sought Higgs boson, a particle theorized to explain how other particles acquire mass. The results were not yet strong enough to claim a discovery. Confirmation followed in July 2012.