View source for 2011

{{Year nav|2011}}
{{Year in various calendars|2011}}
'''2011''' ([[Roman numerals|MMXI]]) was a [[common year starting on Saturday]] in the [[Gregorian calendar]], the 2011th year of the [[Common Era]] (CE) and ''[[Anno Domini]]'' (AD) designations, {{Year article header/year number|2011}}.

== Events ==
=== January ===
{{Month3|1|5}}
[[File:Solar eclipse Vienna 2011-1-4 a.jpg|thumb|120px|right|Partial [[solar eclipse]] as seen from [[Austria]]]]
* [[January 1]] – [[Estonia]] starts using the [[euro]] currency.
* [[January 1]] – Start of [[Hungary]]'s Presidency of the [[European Union]]
* [[January 1]] – [[Dilma Rousseff]] becomes [[Brazil]]'s first female President.
* [[January 4]] – A [[solar eclipse]] is seen over most of [[Europe]], North [[Africa]] and western [[Asia]].
* [[January 4]] – [[Tunisia]]n fruit seller [[Mohamed Bouazizi]] dies after setting himself on [[fire]] in an act of protest.
* [[January 7]] – The [[2011 AFC Asian Cup]] is held in [[Qatar]], until [[January 29]], won by [[Japan national football team|Japan]].
* [[January 8]] – Twenty people are shot in [[Tucson, Arizona]], six of whom are killed.  One of the victims was [[United States Congress|congresswoman]] [[Gabrielle Giffords]].
* [[January 9]] – [[South Sudan]] holds a referendum on independence.
* [[January 9]] – [[Iran Air Flight 227]] crashes, killing 77 people.
* [[January 10]] – [[Toowoomba, Queensland]], [[Australia]] and the Lockyer Valley [[2010-2011 Queensland floods|flood]] with more than 16 people killed.
* [[January 11]] – More than 480 people are killed in flooding and mudslides in the [[Brazil]]ian state of [[Rio de Janeiro]].
* [[January 14]] – In the wake of anti-government demonstrations, [[Tunisia]]'s President [[Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali]] dissolves the government and resigns from office. Prime Minister [[Mohamed Ghannouchi]] takes over as caretaker-President, before being replaced by [[Fouad Mebazaa]].
* [[January 24]] – A terrorist bombing at [[Moscow]]'s Domodedovo Airport kills at least 35 people.
* [[January 25]] – [[2011 Egyptian protests]]: Pro-democracy demonstrations begin in [[Egypt]] against the rule of President [[Hosni Mubarak]].
* [[January 28]] – [[2011 Egyptian protests]]: [[Hosni Mubarak]] cuts [[internet]] access.

=== February ===
[[File:Ford Falcon ute crushed by a downed tree in Townsville.jpg|thumb|150px|right|[[Tropical Cyclone Yasi]]: a car crushed by a tree in Townsville, Queensland]]
* [[February 1]] – [[2011 Egyptian protests]]: [[Egypt]]ian President [[Hosni Mubarak]] announces his intention to resign after elections in September. The following day, pro-Mubarak and anti-Mubarak protesters clash violently in central [[Cairo]].
* [[February 3]] – [[Tropical Cyclone Yasi]] hits [[Queensland]], [[Australia]].
* [[February 6]] – A [[centennial]] celebration is held all over the [[United States]] to celebrate the 100th birthday of [[Ronald Reagan]].
* [[February 11]] – [[2011 Egyptian protests]]: President [[Hosni Mubarak]] resigns, as the Egyptian government falls.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12433045 |title=BBC News – Egypt crisis: President Hosni Mubarak resigns as leader |work=bbc.co.uk |year=2011 |access-date=11 February 2011}}</ref> [[Egypt]] is left in control of the military until elections can be held.
* [[February 14]] – It is announced that the economy of the [[People's Republic of China]] overtook the [[Japan]]ese economy as the world's second largest.
** Pro-democracy protests begin in [[Bahrain]] and [[Libya]], with violent crackdowns being reported.
* [[February 19]] – [[April 2]] – The [[Cricket World Cup]] is held in [[India]], [[Sri Lanka]] and [[Bangladesh]], and is won by [[India]].
* [[February 22]] – [[2011 Canterbury earthquake|Christchurch, New Zealand]] is struck by an [[earthquake]] measuring 6.3, causing a lot of damage, and killing at least 181 people.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/22/3145320.htm |title=Multiple deaths as quake strikes Christchurch – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |work=abc.net.au |date=22 February 2011  |access-date=22 February 2011}}</ref>
{{-}}

=== March ===
[[File:Distant view of Rikuzentakata.jpg|thumb|180px|right|View of Rikuzentakata, [[Japan]], after the [[2011 Sendai earthquake and tsunami]].]]
* [[March 9]] – [[Enda Kenny]] becomes [[Taoiseach]] of the [[Republic of Ireland]].
**[[Space Shuttle Discovery|Space Shuttle ''Discovery'']] returns from its last space mission before its retirement.
* [[March 10]] – [[Tenzin Gyatso]], the 14th [[Dalai Lama]], announces his intention to stand down from his official powers, and to transfer them to an elected official.
* [[March 11]] – An [[2011 Sendai earthquake and tsunami|earthquake]] of magnitude 9.1 strikes near [[Sendai, Miyagi|Sendai]] on the east coast of the island of [[Honshu]], [[Japan]], causing a lot of damage and triggering [[tsunami]]s, with warnings issued around the [[Pacific Ocean]]. Thousands of people have been killed, and thousands more are missing. A heavy [[nuclear accident]] was also result of the earthquake, prompting fears over radiation levels.
* [[March 17]] – [[2011 Libyan protests]]: The [[United Nations]] resolution for a no-fly zone over [[Libya]] is passed.
* [[March 18]] – [[NASA]]'s ''MESSENGER'' [[spacecraft]] arrives in orbit around [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]].
**[[NASA]]'s [[Pluto]] probe ''[[New Horizons]]'' crosses the orbit of [[Uranus]], after a five-year journey. This is faster than ''[[Voyager 2]]'', which took eight years.
* [[March 19]] – The [[Moon]] makes its closest approach to [[Earth]], by nearly 3,000 miles, in 18 years.
* [[March 19]] – [[2011 Libyan protests]]: [[United Nations]]-authorised military intervention in [[Libya]] begins.
* [[March 23]] – [[Portugal]]'s Prime Minister [[Jose Socrates]] announces his resignation, as a result of the financial crisis.
* [[March 24]] – [[2011 Burma earthquake]]: An [[earthquake]] of magnitude 6.8 centred in [[Burma]] kills 75 people.
* [[March 27]] – [[Bulgaria]] and [[Romania]] fully implement the [[Schengen Agreement]].
* [[March 31]] – After months of crisis following a disputed [[President]]ial election, intense fighting breaks out around [[Ivory Coast]]'s largest city, [[Abidjan]], between forces loyal to [[Alassane Ouattara]] and those loyal to [[Laurent Gbagbo]].

=== April ===
[[File:The royal family on the balcony (cropped).jpg|120px|thumb|right|[[Prince William, Duke of Cambridge]] and [[Kate Middleton]] on the balcony of [[Buckingham Palace]].]]
[[File:2011 Joplin, Missouri tornado damage.jpg|thumb|150px|right|[[Tornado]] damage in Joplin, [[Missouri]].]]
* [[April 7]] – A school shooting in [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[Brazil]], leaves 13 dead, including the gunman.
* [[April 9]] – A gunman opens fire at a shopping centre in Alphen an den Rijn, [[Netherlands]], leaving 7 dead.
* [[April 11]] – [[Ivory Coast]] crisis: [[Laurent Gbagbo]] is arrested in his bunker in [[Abidjan]] by troops from [[France]], the [[United Nations]], and troops supporting [[Alassane Ouattara]].
* [[April 12]] – [[Four]] [[Space Shuttle]]s (including the Endeavor, the Discovery, Enterprise, and Atlantis) are sent to [[Florida]], [[New York (state)|New York]], [[California]], and [[Washington D.C.]].
* [[April 22]] – Hundreds of people are killed as police move in on anti-government demonstrations in [[Syria]].
* [[April 27]] – Hundreds of people are killed in a [[tornado]] outbreak across the southern and central [[United States]].
* [[April 29]] – [[Prince William, Duke of Cambridge]] and [[Kate Middleton|Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge]] marry at [[Westminster Abbey]] in [[London]].

=== May ===
[[File:Osama bin Laden compound1.jpg|thumb|bin Laden's compound in northern Pakistan in the aftermath of his death]]
* [[May 1]] – [[Military of the United States|U. S. Forces]] capture and kill [[al-Qaeda]] terrorist leader [[Osama bin Laden]] in northern [[Pakistan]].
* [[May 6]] – The [[Scottish National Party]] wins an overall majority in the [[Scottish Parliament]].
* [[May 11]] – Two [[earthquake]]s kill at least nine people in southeastern [[Spain]].
* [[May 12]] – [[John Demjanjuk]] is convicted in [[Germany]] of supervising the killings of thousands of [[Judaism|Jews]] in Concentration Camps.
* [[May 14]] – Ell & Nikki of [[Azerbaijan]] win the [[Eurovision Song Contest]].
* [[May 15]] – Head of the [[International Monetary Fund]] [[Dominique Strauss-Kahn]] is arrested in [[New York City|New York]] on charges of sexual assault. He resigns his post a few days later. He is released in [[August]].
* [[May 17]] – Queen [[Elizabeth II]] of the [[United Kingdom]] makes a state visit to the [[Republic of Ireland]].
* [[May 21]] – The [[Grimsvotn]] [[volcano]] in [[Iceland]] erupts, causing some flight disruption in Northern [[Europe]].
* [[May 22]] – A [[tornado]] kills at least 125 people in [[Joplin]], [[Missouri]].
* [[May 26]] – [[Bosnia]]n [[Serbia|Serb]] general [[Ratko Mladic]] is arrested in [[Serbia]] on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
* late [[May]] – At least 20 people die in an [[E. coli]] outbreak centred in [[Germany]]. It was originally attributed to Spanish [[cucumber]]s, but is suspected to come from bean sprouts.

=== June ===
[[File:ErupcionCaulle.jpg|thumb|130px|right|Eruption of the Puyehue Cordon Caulle [[volcano]] in [[Chile]].]]
* [[June 1]] – [[Sepp Blatter]] is controversially chosen to serve a third term as President of [[FIFA]], amidst a major corruption scandal.
* [[June 4]] – The eruption of the Puyehue Cordon Caulle [[volcano|volcanic]] structure in southern [[Chile]] causes an ash cloud, disrupting flights in southern [[South America]], and as far away as [[Oceania]].
* [[June 5]] – [[Yemen]]'s [[President]] [[Ali Abdullah Saleh]] leaves for [[Saudi Arabia]] to be treated for injuries sustained in an attack on the Presidential Palace. Demonstrators celebrate while powers are temporarily transferred to Vice President Abd al-Rab al-Mansur al-Hadi.
* [[June 12]] – Thousands of [[Syria]]ns flee into [[Turkey]] as Syrian troops lay siege to the town of Jisr-ash Shugur.
* [[June 15]] – [[2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot]]
* [[June 22]] – American fugitive criminal [[Whitey Bulger]] is arrested in [[Los Angeles]].
* [[June 26]] - [[July 17]] – [[2011 FIFA Women's World Cup]] in [[Germany]], won by [[Japan]]

=== July ===
[[File:STS-135 begins takeoff.jpg|thumb|160px|right|Last launch of the [[Space Shuttle Atlantis]]]]
[[File:STS-135 landing.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Last landing of the [[Space Shuttle Atlantis]]]]
* [[July 1]] – Start of [[Poland]]'s Presidency of the [[European Union]]
* [[July 2]] – [[Albert II, Prince of Monaco]] marries [[Charlene Wittstock]].
* [[July 3]] – The [[United Nations]] appeals for aid for parts of East [[Africa]] that are affected by a severe [[drought]].
* [[July 7]] – The world's first synthetic [[organ (anatomy)|organ]] transplant is carried out, using an artificial [[windpipe]] coated in [[stem cells]].
* [[July 8]] – The {{OV|104}} is launched on the last-ever [[Space Shuttle]] launch.
* [[July 9]] – [[South Sudan]] declares independence from [[Sudan]].
* [[July 10]] – British [[tabloid]] [[newspaper]], the ''News of the World'', ends publication, after a major phone-hacking scandal.
* [[July 12]] – [[Neptune]] completes its first full orbit around the [[Sun]] since its official discovery.
* [[July 13]] – Three serial coordinated bomb explosions occur in different locations of [[Mumbai]], the financial capital of [[India]], killing 24 and leaving more than 130 people injured.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/13/mumbai-bomb-blasts-india|title=Death toll reaches 21|date=14 July 2011 |publisher=guardian.co.uk|access-date=23 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{citation|url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/mumbai-blasts-death-toll-rises-to-23-121559|title=Mumbai blasts: Death toll rises to 23|publisher=NDTV|access-date=24 July 2011}}</ref>
* [[July 14]] – The [[United Nations]] admits [[South Sudan]] as the 193rd member nation.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/07/14/un-admits-south-sudan-as-13rd-member/ |title=U.N. Admits South Sudan as 193rd Member |date=2011-07-14 |access-date=2011-07-14 |agency=[[Associated Press]] |work=foxnews.com |publisher=FOX News Network, LLC }}</ref>
* [[July 20]] – [[Goran Hadzic]] is detained in [[Serbia]], being arrested on war crimes charges.
** The [[United Nations]] declares that [[Somalia]] is in a state of famine.
* [[July 21]] – The {{OV|104}} returns to [[Earth]] in the last mission of the [[Space Shuttle]] programme.
* [[July 22]] – Two attacks in [[Norway]] kill 77 people; 8 people at an explosion in the [[government]] quarter of [[Oslo]], and 69 are shot dead at a Summer Youth Camp on the [[island]] of [[Utoya]].
* [[July 23]] – Singer [[Amy Winehouse]] is found dead at her home in [[London]].
* [[July 28]] – [[Ollanta Humala]] becomes [[President]] of [[Peru]].
* [[July 31]] – Because of uncertainties over a clampdown on press freedom, there is believed to be at least 121 people killed in a [[Syria]]n army tank raid on the town of [[Hama]], and over 150 people are reportedly killed in a crackdown in the whole country.

=== August ===
[[File:Hurricane Irene Storm Surge in Greenwich, CT.JPG|thumb|180px|right|Flooding in Greenwich, [[Connecticut]] caused by [[Hurricane]] Irene]]
* [[August 1]] – The [[United States]] narrowly avoids defaulting on its [[debt]].
* [[August 5]] – [[Yingluck Shinawatra]] becomes [[Prime Minister]] of [[Thailand]].
** [[NASA]] announces that its [[Mars]] Reconnaissance orbiter has captured [[photograph]]ic evidence of liquid water on the [[planet]] Mars during warm seasons.
* [[August 5]] – [[Juno (spacecraft)|Juno]], the first [[solar power]]ed spacecraft to be sent to the [[planet]] [[Jupiter]], is launched, from [[Cape Canaveral]].
* August 12 -Francesco Paolo Marra born.
* [[August 13]] – [[Germany]] commemorates 50 years since the building of the [[Berlin Wall]].
* [[August 20]] – [[Hurricane Irene (2011)|Hurricane Irene]] forms. It causes a lot of destruction and flooding in many [[Caribbean]] countries and the Eastern [[United States]] over the following days.
* [[August 22]] – The [[2011 Libyan civil war]] intensifies as rebel forces enter [[Tripoli]].
* [[August 26]] – [[Naoto Kan]] announces his resignation as [[Prime Minister of Japan]].
* [[August 29]] – [[Hurricane Irene (2011)|Hurricane Irene]] dissolves over Eastern [[Canada]].
**[[Yoshihiko Noda]] is chosen as the next [[Prime Minister of Japan]], taking office in [[September]].
* [[August 31]] &ndash; The end of analog television broadcasting in [[Canada]] translation to [[Digital Televisions]].

=== September ===
* [[September 2]] – A [[Chile]]an Air Force plane crashes in the [[Pacific Ocean]], killing all 21 people on board.
* [[September 7]] – [[India]] and [[Bangladesh]] sign an agreement ending their border dispute.
** A plane carrying the [[Lokomotiv Yaroslavl]] [[ice hockey]] team crashes just after take-off near [[Yaroslavl]], [[Russia]], killing 43 of the 45 people on board.
* [[September 9]] - [[October 23]] – The 2011 [[Rugby football|Rugby]] World Cup is held in [[New Zealand]], won by [[New Zealand]].
* [[September 10]] – More than 190 people die when a ferry capsizes off the coast of [[Tanzania]].
* [[September 11]] – Commemorations marking the 10th anniversary of the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] take place.
* [[September 12]] – Around 100 people die after an [[oil]] pipeline explosion in [[Nairobi]], [[Kenya]].
* [[September 18]] – An [[earthquake]] centred near the [[Sikkim]]-[[Nepal]] border kills an estimated 111 people.
* [[September 19]] – The [[United Nations]] launches an appeal for aid after the [[2011 Sindh floods]].
* [[September 20]] – Former [[President]] of [[Afghanistan]] [[Burhanuddin Rabbani]] is killed in a bomb attack.
* [[September 23]] – [[President]] of [[Yemen]] [[Ali Abdullah Saleh]] returns home after being treated in [[Saudi Arabia]] for injuries sustained in an attack on his compound in [[June]].
* [[September 29]] – [[China]] launches the Tiangong 1 space laboratory, its first space station module, from the launch pad in [[Gansu]] province.

=== October ===
[[File:Occupy London Tent.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Protest camp in [[London]], supporting the 'Occupy' campaign]]
* [[October 3]] – The winners of the [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine]] are announced as [[Bruce Beutler]], [[Jules Hoffmann]] and [[Ralph Steinman]]. Steinman had died three days earlier, unknown to the Nobel committee. It was later announced that he could remain as a Nobel laureate.
* [[October 3]] – [[Helle Thorning-Schmidt]] becomes [[Prime Minister]] of [[Denmark]].
* [[October 4]] – 139 people are killed in a car bombing in [[Mogadishu]].
* [[October 4]] – Major floods affect parts of [[Thailand]] and [[Cambodia]].
* [[October 7]] – The [[Nobel Peace Prize]] is shared between [[Liberia]]n President [[Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf]], Liberian activist [[Leymah Gbowee]] and [[Yemen]]i activist [[Tawakel Karman]].
* [[October 15]] – Occupy campaign: In cities around the world, many people protest against [[Economy|economic]] mismanagement, also in support of the Occupy [[Wall Street]] campaign.
* [[October 18]] – Israeli soldier [[Gilad Shalit]] is released after five years of captivity. In return, [[Israel]] releases 1,027 [[Palestine|Palestinian]] prisoners.
* [[October 20]] – [[2011 Libyan civil war]]: Forces loyal to the National Transitional Council take control of [[Sirte]], the last pro-Gaddafi stronghold. [[Colonel]] [[Muammar al-Gaddafi]], who ruled [[Libya]] since [[1969]], is captured and killed.
* [[October 23]] – A magnitude 7.2 [[earthquake]] strikes eastern [[Turkey]], near the [[City of Van]], killing at least 575 people, and damaging many buildings.
* [[October 27]] – [[Michael D. Higgins]] is elected to succeed [[Mary McAleese]] as [[President of Ireland]].
* [[October 27]] – [[EU]] leaders hold an emergency meeting in [[Brussels]] on the [[Europe]]an Sovereign [[Debt]] Crisis, where they decide to write off 50% of Greek bonds, [[Capitalism|recapitalisation]] of European [[bank]]s, and an increase of the bailout fund of the European Financial Stability Facility, totalling a [[1000000000000 (number)|trillion]] [[Euro]]s.
* [[October 31]] – According to the [[United Nations]], the world [[population]] reaches 7 [[billion]].

=== November ===
* [[November 7]] – Dr. [[Conrad Murray]] is found guilty of involuntary [[manslaughter]] in relation to the death of [[Michael Jackson]].
* [[November 10]] – [[Lucas Papademos]] is chosen to lead a caretaker [[government]] in [[Greece]].
* [[November 11]] – [[Michael D. Higgins]] becomes [[President of Ireland]].
* [[November 12]] – As the result of an economic crisis, [[Silvio Berlusconi]] resigns as [[Prime Minister]] of [[Italy]].
* [[November 13]] – [[Mario Monti]] is chosen to become [[Prime Minister]] of [[Italy]].
* November 18 - the release of minecraft
* [[November 19]] – [[Muammar al-Gaddafi]]'s son [[Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi]] is captured in southern [[Libya]], near the border with [[Niger]].
* [[November 19]] – [[2011 Egyptian protests]]: Protestors demonstrate in central [[Cairo]] against the military rulers, and several are killed when police open fire.
* [[November 20]] – [[Mariano Rajoy]]'s [[Partido Popular]] score a landslide victory in [[Spain]]'s parliamentary election. Rajoy is therefore elected to become the next [[Prime Minister]] of [[Spain]].
* [[November 22]] – The [[American Samoa national football team]] scores its first-ever official win, defeating the [[Tonga national football team]] 2-1 in the [[Oceania]]n [[FIFA World Cup]] qualifiers.
* [[November 26]] – [[John Key]] is elected to a second term as [[Prime Minister of New Zealand]].
* [[November 26]] – The [[Mars Science Laboratory]] is launched on board an [[Atlas V]] rocket from Cape Canaveral, [[Florida]], and is set to arrive on [[Mars]] in [[August]] [[2012]].

=== December ===
[[File:2011 Washi.jpg|thumb|130px|right|[[Satellite (artificial)|Satellite]] image of Tropical Storm Washi over the [[Philippines]]]]
* [[December 4]] – [[Zoran Jankovic]]'s party wins the most seats in the [[Slovenia]]n [[Parliament]].
* [[December 4]] – 45,000 people in [[Koblenz]], [[Germany]], are evacuated in order for a [[World War II]] bomb to be defused.
* [[December 5]] – [[NASA]] announces the discovery of the [[earth]]-like [[planet]] [[Kepler 22-b]] orbiting around another star.
* [[December 6]] – [[Elio Di Rupo]] becomes [[Prime Minister]] of [[Belgium]]. Prior to this, [[Belgium]] did not have an official [[government]] for 589 days.
* [[December 9]] – [[Croatia]] signs an agreement that will allow it to become a member of the [[EU]] on [[July 1]], [[2013]].
* [[December 12]] – [[Moncef Marzouki]] becomes [[President]] of [[Tunisia]].
* [[December 13]] – At least 5 people are killed and 124 wounded at a [[grenade]] and [[gun]] attack in [[Liege]], [[Belgium]]. The gunman, [[Nordine Amrani]], commits suicide shortly after.
* [[December 15]] – The [[United States]] ends its [[military]] involvement in [[Iraq]].
* [[December 17]] – Tropical [[typhoon]] Washi hits [[Mindanao]] in the southern [[Philippines]], killing over 1,000 people, with many more reported missing.
* [[December 19]] – [[North Korea]]n state [[television]] announces the death of [[Kim Jong-il]], who had led the country since [[1994]]. His son, [[Kim Jong-un]], is designated as his successor.
* [[December 19]] – [[Liechtenstein]] implements the Schengen Agreement.
* [[December 22]] – Several [[suicide]] bombings occur in [[Baghdad]].
* [[December 23]] – Around 40 people are killed in a [[bomb]] attack in [[Damascus]].
* [[December 25]] – Four churches across [[Nigeria]] are hit by bombs, killing at least 40 people. The [[Islam]]ist group Boko Haram claims responsibility.
* [[December 29]] – [[Kim Jong-un]] is installed as [[North Korea]]'s leader at the end of a two-day state funeral for [[Kim Jong-il]].
* [[December 29]] – The [[International Date Line]] is shifted to the west of [[Samoa]] and [[Tokelau]], both of which do not observe [[December 30]], 2011 as a result. The change is made to improve trade with the main partners of [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]].

== Deaths ==
{{main|Deaths in 2011}}

* January 2 - [[Pete Postlethwaite]], English actor (b. [[1946]])
* January 4 - [[Gerry Rafferty]], Scottish singer-songwriter (b. [[1947]])
* February 28 - [[Jane Russell]], American actress (b. [[1921]])
* March 23 - [[Elizabeth Taylor]], English-American actress (b. [[1932]])
* April 9 - [[Sidney Lumet]] American movie director (b. [[1924]])
* May 3 - [[Jackie Cooper]], American actor and director (b. [[1922]])
* May 27 - [[Gil Scott-Heron]], American poet and musician (b. [[1949]])
* June 23 - [[Peter Falk]], American actor (b. [[1927]])
* July 8 - [[Betty Ford]], First Lady of the United States (b. [[1918]])
* August 15 - [[Russell Armstrong]], American attorney and venture capitalist (b. [[1963]])
* August 29 - [[David Honeyboy Edwards]], American blues guitarist and singer (b. [[1915]])
* September 25 - [[Wangari Maathai]], Kenyan environmentalist and political activist (b. [[1940]])
* October 5 - [[Steve Jobs]], American businessman, investor and philanthropist (b. [[1955]])
* November 8 - [[Valentin Kozmich Ivanov]], Russian footballer (b. [[1934]])
* December 18 - [[Johannes Heesters]], Dutch-born actor, singer and entertainer (b. [[1903]])

== Nobel Prizes ==
* [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine|Physiology or Medicine]]: [[Bruce Beutler]], [[Jules Hoffmann]], [[Ralph Steinman]]
* [[Nobel Prize in Physics|Physics]]: [[Saul Perlmutter]], [[Adam G. Riess]], [[Brian P. Schmidt]]
* [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry|Chemistry]]: [[Dan Shechtman]]
* [[Nobel Prize in Literature|Literature]]: [[Tomas Transtromer]]
* [[Nobel Peace Prize|Peace]]: [[Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf]], [[Leymah Gbowee]], [[Tawakel Karman]]
* [[Nobel Prize in Economics|Economics]]: [[Christopher A. Sims]], [[Thomas J. Sargent]]

== Major religious holidays ==
* [[January 6]] – [[Epiphany (holiday)|Epiphany]], Three Kings Day ([[Christianity]])
* [[January 7]] – [[Christmas]] ([[Eastern Christianity]]) (on [[January 6]] in [[Armenia]])
* [[January 14]] – [[Makar Sankranti]], [[Hinduism]]
* [[February 1]] – [[Imbolc]], a [[Cross-quarter day]]
* [[February 3]] – [[Chinese New Year]]
* [[March 8]] – [[Shrove Tuesday]]/[[Mardi Gras]], end of [[Carnival]] season ([[Christianity]])
* [[March 9]] – [[Ash Wednesday]] and beginning of [[Lent]] ([[Christianity]])
* [[March 17]] – [[Saint Patrick's Day]]
* [[March 21]] – (Northern hemisphere) Vernal [[Equinox]], also known as [[Ostara]]
* [[April 17]] – [[Palm Sunday]] ([[Christianity]])
* [[April 18]] – Beginning of [[Passover]] ([[Judaism]])
* [[April 22]] – [[Good Friday]] ([[Christianity]])
* [[April 24]] – [[Easter]] ([[Christianity]])
* [[May 1]] – [[Beltane]], a [[Cross-quarter day]]
* [[June 7]] – [[Shavuot]] begins ([[Judaism]])
* [[June 24]] – [[John the Baptist|Saint John]]'s Day, northern [[Summer|Midsummer]] celebrations
* [[August 1]] – [[Lammas]], a cross-quarter day
* [[August 1]] – Beginning of [[Ramadan]] ([[Islam]])
* [[August 31]] – [[Eid ul-Fitr]] ([[Islam]])
* [[September 23]] – Northern [[Autumn]]al [[Equinox]], also known as [[Mabon]]
* [[September 28]] – [[Rosh Hashanah]] begins at sundown ([[Judaism]])
* [[October 7]] – [[Yom Kippur]] begins at sundown ([[Judaism]])
* [[October 26]] – [[Diwali]] ([[Hinduism]])
* [[November 1]] – [[All Saints Day]]
* [[November 6]] – [[Eid al-Adha]] ([[Islam]])
* [[November 26]] – [[Islam]]ic New Year
* [[November 27]] – First [[Sunday]] of [[Advent]] (Western [[Christianity]])
* [[December 20]] – [[Hanukkah]] ([[Judaism]])
* [[December 25]] – [[Christmas]] (Western [[Christianity]])

== In fiction ==
=== Movies ===
* The [[Taiwan]]ese movie ''[[Millennium Mambo]]'' (2001) where a woman narrates from 2011 about her life 10 years earlier.
* The movie ''[[Revengers Tragedy]]'' (2003) is set in a [[dystopian]] [[Liverpool]] in the year 2011, following the aftermath of a natural disaster which has destroyed the southern half of [[Great Britain]].

=== Television ===
* The ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]'' television series visits 2011 in several different potential futures.
* In the ''[[Aeon Flux]]'' television series and movie, 99% of the world's population is wiped out by a mysterious virus in the year 2011.

=== Computer and video games ===
* ''[[Call of Duty: Black Ops]]'' (2011)
* ''[[S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Persona 4]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Fallout 3]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising]] '' (2009)
* ''[[Max Payne 3]]'' (2010)
* ''[[Heavy Rain]] (2010)
* ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]] (2010)
* ''[[Homefront]] (2011)''

=== Literature ===
* In [[K. A. Applegate]]'s ''[[Remnants]]'' book series, 2011 is the year life on [[Earth]] becomes extinct after a 73-mile-wide [[asteroid]] nicknamed "The Rock" impacts [[Portugal]]. Eighty other humans are placed in a shuttle named the ''Mayflower'' mere hours before impact and put into artificial hibernation, while a handful of humans in shelters survive the impact on Earth.
==References==
{{Commonscat|2011}}
{{reflist}}

[[Category:2011| ]]