Wikipedia:2011 Top 50 Report

Annual Top 50
Based on the Zeitgeist data and prepared with commentary by:

Commentary


 * {| class="wikitable"

! Rank ! Article ! Class ! Image ! About
 * 1
 * Facebook
 * image
 * commentary
 * 2
 * Deaths in 2011
 * image
 * commentary
 * 3
 * Steve Jobs
 * Steve Jobs Headshot 2010-CROP (cropped 2).jpg
 * The co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple died this year.
 * 4
 * YouTube
 * Youtube logo.jpg
 * The online video sharing platform is a consistently popular article, and as such frequently features on the Top 25 Report.
 * 5
 * United States
 * image
 * commentary
 * 6
 * Lady Gaga
 * image
 * commentary
 * 7
 * Justin Bieber
 * image
 * commentary
 * 8
 * Glee (TV series)
 * image
 * commentary
 * 9
 * How I Met Your Mother
 * image
 * commentary
 * 10
 * Adele
 * image
 * commentary
 * 11
 * Eminem
 * image
 * commentary
 * 12
 * The Big Bang Theory
 * image
 * commentary
 * 13
 * Osama bin Laden
 * Osama bin Laden compound1.jpg
 * The killing of the mastermind of #41 was met with mass celebration in the United States and across the world. Bin Laden was killed at his compound (pictured) in Pakistan.
 * 14
 * Mark Zuckerberg
 * image
 * commentary
 * 15
 * Amy Winehouse
 * image
 * commentary
 * 16
 * Selena Gomez
 * image
 * commentary
 * 17
 * Muammar Gaddafi
 * image
 * commentary
 * 18
 * Kim Kardashian
 * image
 * commentary
 * 19
 * Transformers: Dark of the Moon
 * image
 * commentary
 * 20
 * United Kingdom
 * image
 * commentary
 * 21
 * List of Glee episodes
 * image
 * commentary
 * 22
 * Charlie Sheen
 * image
 * commentary
 * 23
 * Elizabeth II
 * Official opening of the Fourth Senedd Assembly, June 7 2011 8 (cropped).jpg
 * Her Majesty attended the wedding of her grandson (#49) this year. Next year will mark her Diamond Jubilee.
 * 24
 * Game of Thrones
 * image
 * commentary
 * 25
 * Adolf Hitler
 * image
 * commentary
 * 26
 * World War II
 * image
 * commentary
 * 27
 * Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
 * All smiles Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton.jpg
 * She married Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (#49) this year. Their engagement on 20 October 2010 was announced on 16 November 2010. The build-up to the wedding and the occasion itself attracted much media attention, being compared in many ways with the marriage of William's parents in 1981. The occasion was a public holiday in the United Kingdom and featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of the state carriages and roles for the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry.
 * 19
 * Transformers: Dark of the Moon
 * image
 * commentary
 * 20
 * United Kingdom
 * image
 * commentary
 * 21
 * List of Glee episodes
 * image
 * commentary
 * 22
 * Charlie Sheen
 * image
 * commentary
 * 23
 * Elizabeth II
 * Official opening of the Fourth Senedd Assembly, June 7 2011 8 (cropped).jpg
 * Her Majesty attended the wedding of her grandson (#49) this year. Next year will mark her Diamond Jubilee.
 * 24
 * Game of Thrones
 * image
 * commentary
 * 25
 * Adolf Hitler
 * image
 * commentary
 * 26
 * World War II
 * image
 * commentary
 * 27
 * Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
 * All smiles Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton.jpg
 * She married Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (#49) this year. Their engagement on 20 October 2010 was announced on 16 November 2010. The build-up to the wedding and the occasion itself attracted much media attention, being compared in many ways with the marriage of William's parents in 1981. The occasion was a public holiday in the United Kingdom and featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of the state carriages and roles for the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry.
 * 25
 * Adolf Hitler
 * image
 * commentary
 * 26
 * World War II
 * image
 * commentary
 * 27
 * Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
 * All smiles Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton.jpg
 * She married Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (#49) this year. Their engagement on 20 October 2010 was announced on 16 November 2010. The build-up to the wedding and the occasion itself attracted much media attention, being compared in many ways with the marriage of William's parents in 1981. The occasion was a public holiday in the United Kingdom and featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of the state carriages and roles for the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry.
 * 27
 * Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
 * All smiles Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton.jpg
 * She married Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (#49) this year. Their engagement on 20 October 2010 was announced on 16 November 2010. The build-up to the wedding and the occasion itself attracted much media attention, being compared in many ways with the marriage of William's parents in 1981. The occasion was a public holiday in the United Kingdom and featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of the state carriages and roles for the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry.
 * All smiles Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton.jpg
 * She married Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (#49) this year. Their engagement on 20 October 2010 was announced on 16 November 2010. The build-up to the wedding and the occasion itself attracted much media attention, being compared in many ways with the marriage of William's parents in 1981. The occasion was a public holiday in the United Kingdom and featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of the state carriages and roles for the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry.

Events were held around the Commonwealth to mark the wedding; organisations and hotels held events across Canada, over 5,000 street parties were held throughout the United Kingdom, and one million people lined the route between Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. The ceremony was viewed live by tens of millions more around the world, including 72 million live streams on YouTube. In the United Kingdom, television audiences peaked at 26.3 million viewers, with a total of 36.7 million watching part of the coverage.
 * 28
 * Nicki Minaj
 * image
 * commentary
 * 29
 * India
 * image
 * commentary
 * 30
 * Harry Potter
 * image
 * commentary
 * 31
 * Lil Wayne
 * image
 * commentary
 * 32
 * Jersey Shore (TV series)
 * image
 * commentary
 * 33
 * Rihanna
 * image
 * commentary
 * 34
 * World War I
 * image
 * commentary
 * 35
 * X-Men: First Class
 * image
 * commentary
 * 36
 * China
 * image
 * commentary
 * 37
 * Emoticon
 * image
 * commentary
 * 38
 * Barack Obama
 * Barack Obama annoucing Osama mission crop.jpg
 * A major event for Obama this year was the killing of Osama bin Laden (#13), which Obama masterminded the operation of. He appeared on major television networks to announce the news, opening with the following statement: "Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, and a terrorist who was responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children."
 * X-Men: First Class
 * image
 * commentary
 * 36
 * China
 * image
 * commentary
 * 37
 * Emoticon
 * image
 * commentary
 * 38
 * Barack Obama
 * Barack Obama annoucing Osama mission crop.jpg
 * A major event for Obama this year was the killing of Osama bin Laden (#13), which Obama masterminded the operation of. He appeared on major television networks to announce the news, opening with the following statement: "Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, and a terrorist who was responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children."
 * commentary
 * 38
 * Barack Obama
 * Barack Obama annoucing Osama mission crop.jpg
 * A major event for Obama this year was the killing of Osama bin Laden (#13), which Obama masterminded the operation of. He appeared on major television networks to announce the news, opening with the following statement: "Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, and a terrorist who was responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children."
 * Barack Obama annoucing Osama mission crop.jpg
 * A major event for Obama this year was the killing of Osama bin Laden (#13), which Obama masterminded the operation of. He appeared on major television networks to announce the news, opening with the following statement: "Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, and a terrorist who was responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children."

In his address to the nation, Obama recalled the victims of the September 11 attacks. He praised the nearly ten-year-old war against al-Qaeda, which he said had disrupted terrorist plots, strengthened homeland defenses, removed the Taliban government, and captured or killed scores of al-Qaeda operatives. Obama said that when he took office he made finding bin Laden the top priority of the war. Bin Laden's death was the most significant blow to al-Qaeda so far but the war would continue. He reaffirmed that the U.S. was not at war against Islam and defended his decision to conduct an operation within Pakistan. He said Americans understood the cost of war but would not stand by while their security was threatened.

"To those families who have lost loved ones to al-Qaeda's terror," he said, "justice has been done." This remark book-ended President Bush's statement to a joint session of Congress following the September 11 attacks that "justice will be done."
 * 39
 * Two and a Half Men
 * image
 * commentary
 * 40
 * 2011 in film
 * image
 * commentary
 * 41
 * September 11 attacks
 * Bush Ground Zero.jpg
 * This year marked the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, which coincided with the killing of the mastermind of the attacks (#13) 4 months earlier.
 * 42
 * Michael Jackson
 * Michael Jackson Dangerous World Tour 1993 cropped.png
 * The views for the late King of Pop this year are most likely as a result of the criminal trial of his personal physician, Conrad Murray, who was charged with involuntary manslaughter for the pop singer's death on June 25, 2009, from a dose of the general anesthetic propofol. The trial, which started on September 27, 2011, was held in the Los Angeles County Superior Court in Los Angeles, California, before Judge Michael Pastor as a televised proceeding, reaching a guilty verdict on November 7, 2011.
 * 43
 * Mila Kunis
 * image
 * commentary
 * 44
 * Katy Perry
 * image
 * commentary
 * 45
 * List of How I Met Your Mother episodes
 * image
 * commentary
 * 46
 * Death of Caylee Anthony
 * image
 * commentary
 * 47
 * Dr. Dre
 * image
 * commentary
 * 48
 * The Dark Knight Rises
 * image
 * commentary
 * 49
 * Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
 * All smiles Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton.jpg
 * He married Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (#27) this year. Their engagement on 20 October 2010 was announced on 16 November 2010. The build-up to the wedding and the occasion itself attracted much media attention, being compared in many ways with the marriage of William's parents in 1981. The occasion was a public holiday in the United Kingdom and featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of the state carriages and roles for the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry.
 * Death of Caylee Anthony
 * image
 * commentary
 * 47
 * Dr. Dre
 * image
 * commentary
 * 48
 * The Dark Knight Rises
 * image
 * commentary
 * 49
 * Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
 * All smiles Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton.jpg
 * He married Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (#27) this year. Their engagement on 20 October 2010 was announced on 16 November 2010. The build-up to the wedding and the occasion itself attracted much media attention, being compared in many ways with the marriage of William's parents in 1981. The occasion was a public holiday in the United Kingdom and featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of the state carriages and roles for the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry.
 * commentary
 * 49
 * Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
 * All smiles Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton.jpg
 * He married Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (#27) this year. Their engagement on 20 October 2010 was announced on 16 November 2010. The build-up to the wedding and the occasion itself attracted much media attention, being compared in many ways with the marriage of William's parents in 1981. The occasion was a public holiday in the United Kingdom and featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of the state carriages and roles for the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry.
 * All smiles Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton.jpg
 * He married Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (#27) this year. Their engagement on 20 October 2010 was announced on 16 November 2010. The build-up to the wedding and the occasion itself attracted much media attention, being compared in many ways with the marriage of William's parents in 1981. The occasion was a public holiday in the United Kingdom and featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of the state carriages and roles for the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry.

Events were held around the Commonwealth to mark the wedding; organisations and hotels held events across Canada, over 5,000 street parties were held throughout the United Kingdom, and one million people lined the route between Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. The ceremony was viewed live by tens of millions more around the world, including 72 million live streams on YouTube. In the United Kingdom, television audiences peaked at 26.3 million viewers, with a total of 36.7 million watching part of the coverage.
 * 50
 * Natalie Portman
 * image
 * commentary
 * }
 * commentary
 * }

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