The Economy: 2011 Ends As it Began Economically 2011

was a terrible year for many around the world, and the eurozone was far from an exception. Months of uncertainty, bailouts and political crisis came to something of a head in October and November, when the leaders of both Greece and Italy were forced to stand down in order to pass financial reforms. A ferret looks out of the jacket of an activist of the Frankfurt Occupy movement at the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011.

Natural Disasters: New Zealand, Japan And Africa

Three major natural disasters also struck at the start of 2011. In New Zealand February saw a powerful earthquake strike close to Christchurch, resulting in widespread damage and the deaths of 172 people. In a terrible portent of what was to come just a few weeks later, 28 Japanese students were killed in the disaster.

The Royal Wedding: Wills And Kate Get Hitched

Happier scenes were recorded in London in April as Prince William married Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey on 22 April. Their lavish ceremony was a truly global event, and was witnessed by an estimated 2bn people worldwide.

Osama Bin Laden: Death Of The World's Most Wanted Man

Al Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden was killed by American special forces in Afghanistan on 2 May in Pakistan. Bin Laden had been sought by the US since 1998 for his involvement in the bombing of US embassies in two African cities, but had been hunted even more relentlessly after he led the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

The Last Shuttle And New Scientific Horizons

pace shuttle Atlantis is seen as it launches from Launch Pad 39A July 8, 2011, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fl, USA, July 8, 2011. If the closure of the News of the World represented the end of an era, so did the launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis a day after its final edition. As Nasa's last shuttle flight in a 30-year program, the Atlantis landed safely on 21 July.

Death And Tragedy: Norway And The London Riots

A rioter walks through a burning barricade on Smithdown Road in Liverpool, as around 200 missile-throwing youths gathered in the Toxteth area of Liverpool causing disorder and damage. England exploded into riots in August after a series of protests over the fatal shooting by police of a man in Tottenham on 6 August spiralled out of control.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi

is seen in a video, as he is arrested and lynched by an angry crowd of rebels, in Sirte, Libya, on October 20, 2011. Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi's regime finally fell in August after relentless pressure from rebel fighters, aided by the continuous support of Nato bombers. Gaddafi's regime came to an effective end on 23 August after the rebels stormed his Tripoli compound, revealing his luxurious lifestyle.