The Highlights of 2011: A Year That Shaped the Future
2011 (MMXI in Roman Numerals) was the year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2011th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations.
Is 2011 a year special to you? Discover what 2011 was famous for, Key World Leaders of 2011, 2011 Time’s Person of the Year, the #1 song, movie and book in 2011, how old is someone born in 2011 and what Chinese zodiac sign is associated to 2011.
On this page we will address all your questions and curiosities about 2011 to help you enjoy your trip down memory lane.
Table of contents
- What was 2011 known for ?
- Key World Leaders of 2011
- Who was the U.S. President in 2011?
- Who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2011?
- Who was the Pope in 2011?
- 2011: Who was Time's Person of the Year?
- What was the number 1 song in the USA in 2011?
- What was the most popular movie in 2011?
- What was the best selling book in 2011?
- How old is someone born in 2011?
- What was the Chinese Zodiac sign associated with the year 2011?
What was 2011 known for ?
- Set during the third year of Barack Obama’s presidency, 2011 was an important time for the world. It was also the year, per various sources, that the world first reached 7 billion citizens.
- These 365 days introduced things we’ve come to know, love, and that signal the way to a brighter future. It might also be a year that gave birth to many future world-changers. As they were the most popular names of 2011, those who do become celebrities will likely bear the name Jacob or Sophia.
- However, 2011 saw the end of some notable people. These included Frank Buckles, the last surviving American WWI veteran; Osama Bin Laden, the former leader of Al-Qaeda; Elizabeth Taylor, the fashion icon; Steve Jobs, the Apple CEO; and Kim Jong-Il, the former head of North Korea. People were reading The Art of Fielding, State of Wonder, and The Marriage Plot. Meanwhile, on the silver screen, people huddled around Hugo, The Descendants, and War Horse.
- This was a year of many changes in world leadership and an onslaught of new innovations. It was designated by the UN as “The International Year of Forests” and “The International Year of Chemistry”.
- Additionally, 2011 marked the kickoff of what would come to be known as the “Arab Spring”, the 10th anniversary of Wikipedia and the last airing of the Oprah show. One tragedy held the attention of the news for weeks on end: the magnitude 9.0 earthquake that struck Sendai on March 11th of 2011. On the brighter end of the spectrum, however, many homosexual Americans looked upon this year with pride; these twelve months saw the end of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Off the public events stage, and in laboratories the world over, a wide variety of discoveries were being made.
- Scientists discovered the first planet in the “goldilocks” zone that might be habitable for life: Kepler 22-B. Additionally, the theory of the accelerating expansion of the universe was finally proven. The introduction of Siri opened a whole new dimension to human-phone interaction. With the invention of Zero Liquid Discharge, a more efficient way to filter sewage, and lab-grown meat, 2011 might just have set the stage for a more efficient and humane future. So, when you’re yelling at your phone’s to correct “currant” to “current”, you can tip your hat to 2011.
- The world population in 2011 was 7,041,194,301 people according to data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. This figure includes both urban and rural populations. The urban population at that time accounted for 52.0% of the total population, which is roughly 3.7 billion individuals.The annual population change in 2011 was an increase of +84.2 million people, representing a percentage increase of +1.21% over the previous year.The average population density in 2011 was 29 persons per square mile (or 47 persons per square kilometer).
Key World Leaders of 2011
Who was the U.S. President in 2011?
In 2011, Barack Obama (Democrat) was the President of the United States. His term spanned from January 20, 2009 to January 20, 2017. During his presidency, he passed the Affordable Care Act and led efforts to recover from the 2008 financial crisis.
Who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2011?
In 2011 the UK Prime Minister was David Cameron (Conservative). During his premiership, he oversaw austerity measures and called the referendum that led to the UK's decision to leave the European Union (Brexit).
Who was the Pope in 2011?
The leader of the Catholic Church in 2011 was Pope Benedict XVI who had held the papacy since 2005. His papacy emphasized the need to return to traditional Catholic values, and he became the first pope in 600 years to resign from office.
2011: Who was Time's Person of the Year?
The Protester
In 2011, The Protester was named by TIME magazine as Person of the Year. Representing many global protest movements—for example, the Arab Spring, the Indignants Movement, the Occupy Movement, and the Tea Party movement—as well as protests in Chile, Greece, India, and Russia among others.
What was the number 1 song in the USA in 2011?
The number 1 song in the USA in 2011, i.e. the best selling and most popular song of tha year, was Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO
What was the most popular movie in 2011?
The most popular movie and box office hit was Tangled by Nathan Greno, Byron Howard
What was the best selling book in 2011?
How old is someone born in 2011?
Someone born in 2011 is 15 years old this year.
Try out our age, time and generation calculators:
What was the Chinese Zodiac sign associated with the year 2011?
According to the Chinese Zodiac and Astrology 2011 was the Year of the Rabbit.
Discover Zodiac Sign Characteristics and Personality Traits of people born under the Rabbit sign.