The year of 2011
Celebrity Losses
Jack Layton: Layton was the leader of the New Democratic Party in Canada from 2003 to 2011. In the 2011 federal election, he led the NDP to a historic 103 seats, making Layton the most successful leader electorally in NDP history. He died on August 22 at the age of 61 from cancer.
Amy Winehouse: Five-time Grammy Award-winner Winehouse was known for her incredible talent and controversial lifestyle. She died from alcohol poisoning on July 23 at the age of 27.
Ryan Dunn: Dunn is best known as a member of the Jackass television show and movies. He died on June 20 at the age of 34 in an alcohol-related car accident.
Steve Jobs: Jobs was the Chairman, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Apple INC. He was known, in part, for his keynote speeches and his iconic status reached far beyond the tech world. Jobs died on October 5 at the age of 46 due to complications from pancreatic cancer.
Elizabeth Taylor: This Academy Award-winning film legend spent over 50 years in the spotlight. She was known for her incredible beauty, devotion to raising awareness for HIV and AIDS research, and her many marriages. The iconic actress died on March 23 of congestive heart failure. She was 79.
Celebrity Divorces
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver: After 25 years of marriage and four children, the two separated on May 9. Shortly after the separation, it was made public that Schwarzenegger had an affair with their housekeeper of 20 years, Mildred Baena, and had father a child with her, Joseph, who is now 14.
Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries: The couple began dating in October 2010, and got engaged in May 2011. Their August 20 wedding was televised as a two-night special on E! and had a combined 10.5 million viewers. After 72 days of marriage, Kardashian filed for divorce.
Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore: After rumours of Kutcher's infidelity spread, Demi Moore announced on November 17 that she was filing for divorce, ending their six-year marriage.
The Royal Wedding
On April 29, two billion viewers around the world tuned in to watch the long-awaited wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Prince William proposed on October 20, 2010, with his mother's engagement ring, and the couple made the public announcement on November 16, 2010. One million people lined the route between Westminster Abbey, where the couple was married, and Buckingham Palace in order to catch a glimpse of the couple and Middleton's highly anticipated wedding gown.
Retirement
Steve Jobs: Jobs virtually touched the lives of everyone who has ever used a computer. He was the Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc., which today makes computers, tablets, cell phones and more. Jobs battled pancreatic cancer from 2003, and resigned as CEO in August.
Oprah: She may be retired, but that's not slowing her down! On May 25, the last episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show aired. It ran nationally for 25 seasons and was the highest-rated talk show in American television history, according to Encyclopedia Brittanica. Her show may be over, but Oprah's got her hand in many other media, including magazines and radio.
Regis Philbin: This beloved media personality ended his tiem on the show, Live With Regis and Kelly (originally Live With Regis and Kathy Lee), with a final episode on November 18.
Pete James: Local radio host James ended his 56-year career as a sports commentator on October 31. Throughout his career, James hosted the opening ceremonies for two huge arenas in London, The London Ice House and the John Labatt Centre, and was the commentator for London Knights Hockey Club games for 40 years.
It Gets Better
This campaign aimed to convey the message that life will improve for gay teens. It was created by author Dan Savage and his husband Terry Miller in response to a rash of suicides by gay teens who had been bullied. Videos with the It Gets Better message were submitted by workers for the Pixar company, Chris Colfer from Glee and more, all showing support for gay teens. London Mayor Joe Fontanna even marched in this summer's local gay pride parade to show his support for gay rights. TV funnyman Rick Mercer took issue with the It Gets Better campaign, creating a video that stated that things need to be better for gay teens now.
Long-Anticipated Releases
From the re-releases of Lord of the Rings and Star Wars to the final Harry Potter film being unleashed on the big screen, 2011 had fans all over the world celebrating. The Lord of the Rings Blu-ray release included high-definition extended editions of the trilogy and over 25 hours of bonus material. The Star Wars Blu-ray collection included all six films of the saga remastered in full high-definition and more than 30 hours of in-depth bonus features. After 10 years of annual Harry Potter releases, the film series was finally completed with the highest-grossing film of 2011, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2. In December, the complete 8-film Blu-ray collection was released.
London, Ontario Protests
Occupy Wall Street/Occupy London: Occupy Wall Street began on September 17 in New York City, focusing on social and economic inequality, unemployment, and the greed and corruption of corporations. The movement quickly spread globally, with people camping out in tent communities in over 1,500 cities. The movement spread to London on October 22, where occupiers camped out and held meetings in Victoria Park until November 9.
Support Staff: Support staff at colleges across Ontario went on strike from September 1 to 18 after a settlement couldn't be reached during the bargaining process. After an 18-day strike, an agreement was finally reached, and support staff workers returned to work at all 24 Ontario colleges.
Beal Student Tasered: After a 17-year-old H.B. Beal Secondary School student was tasered by a police officer who was breaking up a fight the student was involved in, high school students took to the streets to protest alleged police brutality. On September 27, students took part in a sometimes-rowdy day-long protest.
Trials
Casey Anthony: After the suspicious circumstances were found surrounding her two-year-old daughter Caylee's death in 2008, Anthony was put on trial on May 24. On July 5, she was found not guilty of first degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter of a child, but was found guilty of four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer.
Dr. Conrad Murray: Dr. Murray was Michael Jackson's doctor, and was charged with involuntary manslaughter after Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication in June 2009. According to trial testimony, Jackson, an insomniac, often begged the doctor to give him powerful enough drugs to put him to sleep. Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
Royden Wood: After accusations of sexual misconduct, London Pastor Royden Wood was convicted on November 1 of five counts of sexual assault for long-term and intrusive relationships with female members of his congregation. Wood, who founded the Ambassador Baptist Church operated at Adelaide and King Streets in London until 2007, claimed the convictions were "revenge" by his former flock.
Riots
London, England: Following the shooting of Mark Duggan on August 4, protestors organized by Duggan's friends and relatives took to the streets in a peaceful march two days later. Between 120 and 200 people ended up in front of the Tottenham Police Station, demanding to speak to a senior police officer. As more people got involved, the crowd got out of hand and the riots began, eventually spreading to other boroughs and districts of London. From August 6 to 10, over 3,000 people were arrested and over 1,000 were charged.
Vancouver Stanley Cup: On June 15, when the Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in game seven of the Stanley Cup tournament, citizens of Vancouver took to the streets, setting fires, overturning cars and looting stores. Over 140 injuries were reported during the riot, with at least four people stabbed and nine police officers injured. Over 100 people were arrested the night of the riot, and 16 others were arrested later. The riot caused an estimated $5 million worth of damage to the city.
Change in the Middle East and North Africa
The Arab Spring: This revolutionary wave in the Arab world began on December 18, 2010. Over the past year, demonstrations and protests have occurred in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen and have spread to many more countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The results included the ousting and/or death of many leaders in the area, including ousted leader of Egypt Hosni Mubarak and the death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Osama bin Laden: After nearly a decade of searching, American troops finally found and killed Osama bin Laden on May 2 in Islamabad, Pakistan. bin Laden was the leader of Al-Qaeda, the terrorist organization responsible for the 9/11 attacks in New York City.
Extreme Weather
London Heat Wave: On July 21, temperatures in London broke records by reaching 36°C and soaring over 45°C with humidex.
Tornado in Goderich: On August 11, an F3 tornado passed through Goderich, Ontario, leaving 37 people injured and one dead. The storm saw winds reach 300 km/hr. The tornado destroyed downtown Goderich and left the city in a state of emergency.
Tohoku Earthquake: The magnitude 9 earthquake occurred on March 11 off the eastern coast of Japan, triggering tsunami waves. The earthquake left 15,839 dead, 5,950 injured, and 3,642 missing. A state of emergency was called in Japan after the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant cooling system failed, and surrounding residents had to be evacuated because of high radiation levels. The earthquake was so powerful that tsunami waves even reached parts of California and Oregon.
Jack Layton: Layton was the leader of the New Democratic Party in Canada from 2003 to 2011. In the 2011 federal election, he led the NDP to a historic 103 seats, making Layton the most successful leader electorally in NDP history. He died on August 22 at the age of 61 from cancer.
Amy Winehouse: Five-time Grammy Award-winner Winehouse was known for her incredible talent and controversial lifestyle. She died from alcohol poisoning on July 23 at the age of 27.
Ryan Dunn: Dunn is best known as a member of the Jackass television show and movies. He died on June 20 at the age of 34 in an alcohol-related car accident.
Steve Jobs: Jobs was the Chairman, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Apple INC. He was known, in part, for his keynote speeches and his iconic status reached far beyond the tech world. Jobs died on October 5 at the age of 46 due to complications from pancreatic cancer.
Elizabeth Taylor: This Academy Award-winning film legend spent over 50 years in the spotlight. She was known for her incredible beauty, devotion to raising awareness for HIV and AIDS research, and her many marriages. The iconic actress died on March 23 of congestive heart failure. She was 79.
Celebrity Divorces
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver: After 25 years of marriage and four children, the two separated on May 9. Shortly after the separation, it was made public that Schwarzenegger had an affair with their housekeeper of 20 years, Mildred Baena, and had father a child with her, Joseph, who is now 14.
Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries: The couple began dating in October 2010, and got engaged in May 2011. Their August 20 wedding was televised as a two-night special on E! and had a combined 10.5 million viewers. After 72 days of marriage, Kardashian filed for divorce.
Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore: After rumours of Kutcher's infidelity spread, Demi Moore announced on November 17 that she was filing for divorce, ending their six-year marriage.
The Royal Wedding
On April 29, two billion viewers around the world tuned in to watch the long-awaited wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Prince William proposed on October 20, 2010, with his mother's engagement ring, and the couple made the public announcement on November 16, 2010. One million people lined the route between Westminster Abbey, where the couple was married, and Buckingham Palace in order to catch a glimpse of the couple and Middleton's highly anticipated wedding gown.
Retirement
Steve Jobs: Jobs virtually touched the lives of everyone who has ever used a computer. He was the Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc., which today makes computers, tablets, cell phones and more. Jobs battled pancreatic cancer from 2003, and resigned as CEO in August.
Oprah: She may be retired, but that's not slowing her down! On May 25, the last episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show aired. It ran nationally for 25 seasons and was the highest-rated talk show in American television history, according to Encyclopedia Brittanica. Her show may be over, but Oprah's got her hand in many other media, including magazines and radio.
Regis Philbin: This beloved media personality ended his tiem on the show, Live With Regis and Kelly (originally Live With Regis and Kathy Lee), with a final episode on November 18.
Pete James: Local radio host James ended his 56-year career as a sports commentator on October 31. Throughout his career, James hosted the opening ceremonies for two huge arenas in London, The London Ice House and the John Labatt Centre, and was the commentator for London Knights Hockey Club games for 40 years.
It Gets Better
This campaign aimed to convey the message that life will improve for gay teens. It was created by author Dan Savage and his husband Terry Miller in response to a rash of suicides by gay teens who had been bullied. Videos with the It Gets Better message were submitted by workers for the Pixar company, Chris Colfer from Glee and more, all showing support for gay teens. London Mayor Joe Fontanna even marched in this summer's local gay pride parade to show his support for gay rights. TV funnyman Rick Mercer took issue with the It Gets Better campaign, creating a video that stated that things need to be better for gay teens now.
Long-Anticipated Releases
From the re-releases of Lord of the Rings and Star Wars to the final Harry Potter film being unleashed on the big screen, 2011 had fans all over the world celebrating. The Lord of the Rings Blu-ray release included high-definition extended editions of the trilogy and over 25 hours of bonus material. The Star Wars Blu-ray collection included all six films of the saga remastered in full high-definition and more than 30 hours of in-depth bonus features. After 10 years of annual Harry Potter releases, the film series was finally completed with the highest-grossing film of 2011, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2. In December, the complete 8-film Blu-ray collection was released.
London, Ontario Protests
Occupy Wall Street/Occupy London: Occupy Wall Street began on September 17 in New York City, focusing on social and economic inequality, unemployment, and the greed and corruption of corporations. The movement quickly spread globally, with people camping out in tent communities in over 1,500 cities. The movement spread to London on October 22, where occupiers camped out and held meetings in Victoria Park until November 9.
Support Staff: Support staff at colleges across Ontario went on strike from September 1 to 18 after a settlement couldn't be reached during the bargaining process. After an 18-day strike, an agreement was finally reached, and support staff workers returned to work at all 24 Ontario colleges.
Beal Student Tasered: After a 17-year-old H.B. Beal Secondary School student was tasered by a police officer who was breaking up a fight the student was involved in, high school students took to the streets to protest alleged police brutality. On September 27, students took part in a sometimes-rowdy day-long protest.
Trials
Casey Anthony: After the suspicious circumstances were found surrounding her two-year-old daughter Caylee's death in 2008, Anthony was put on trial on May 24. On July 5, she was found not guilty of first degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter of a child, but was found guilty of four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer.
Dr. Conrad Murray: Dr. Murray was Michael Jackson's doctor, and was charged with involuntary manslaughter after Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication in June 2009. According to trial testimony, Jackson, an insomniac, often begged the doctor to give him powerful enough drugs to put him to sleep. Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
Royden Wood: After accusations of sexual misconduct, London Pastor Royden Wood was convicted on November 1 of five counts of sexual assault for long-term and intrusive relationships with female members of his congregation. Wood, who founded the Ambassador Baptist Church operated at Adelaide and King Streets in London until 2007, claimed the convictions were "revenge" by his former flock.
Riots
London, England: Following the shooting of Mark Duggan on August 4, protestors organized by Duggan's friends and relatives took to the streets in a peaceful march two days later. Between 120 and 200 people ended up in front of the Tottenham Police Station, demanding to speak to a senior police officer. As more people got involved, the crowd got out of hand and the riots began, eventually spreading to other boroughs and districts of London. From August 6 to 10, over 3,000 people were arrested and over 1,000 were charged.
Vancouver Stanley Cup: On June 15, when the Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in game seven of the Stanley Cup tournament, citizens of Vancouver took to the streets, setting fires, overturning cars and looting stores. Over 140 injuries were reported during the riot, with at least four people stabbed and nine police officers injured. Over 100 people were arrested the night of the riot, and 16 others were arrested later. The riot caused an estimated $5 million worth of damage to the city.
Change in the Middle East and North Africa
The Arab Spring: This revolutionary wave in the Arab world began on December 18, 2010. Over the past year, demonstrations and protests have occurred in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen and have spread to many more countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The results included the ousting and/or death of many leaders in the area, including ousted leader of Egypt Hosni Mubarak and the death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Osama bin Laden: After nearly a decade of searching, American troops finally found and killed Osama bin Laden on May 2 in Islamabad, Pakistan. bin Laden was the leader of Al-Qaeda, the terrorist organization responsible for the 9/11 attacks in New York City.
Extreme Weather
London Heat Wave: On July 21, temperatures in London broke records by reaching 36°C and soaring over 45°C with humidex.
Tornado in Goderich: On August 11, an F3 tornado passed through Goderich, Ontario, leaving 37 people injured and one dead. The storm saw winds reach 300 km/hr. The tornado destroyed downtown Goderich and left the city in a state of emergency.
Tohoku Earthquake: The magnitude 9 earthquake occurred on March 11 off the eastern coast of Japan, triggering tsunami waves. The earthquake left 15,839 dead, 5,950 injured, and 3,642 missing. A state of emergency was called in Japan after the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant cooling system failed, and surrounding residents had to be evacuated because of high radiation levels. The earthquake was so powerful that tsunami waves even reached parts of California and Oregon.
