From uprisings across the Arab world echoed by the Occupy Wall Street movement worldwide - to the devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan - there was no lack of news in 2011, to say the very least.
At right, this iconic image of a famous placard held by an early Occupy Wall Street protestor in October 2011 symbolizes an international movement that refuses to go away.
2011 in photos around the Web:
How did it go by so fast?
Just up ahead, rewind 2011 with unforgettable photos and images - including those depicting notable people and events at their best, worst and most powerful.
Reuters best photos of the year - Dozens of hi-res images of social unrest, historic events, and slices of life captured throughout 2011.
Yahoo! Year in Review - Photos, videos mashups and overviews of the best, worst, and most inspiring events of the year 2011..
2011 - Wikipedia spans the year with information on notable deaths, births and major events as they happened month by month with photos, related references and resources.