Looking over the following list from the Associated Press, it seems clear that 2011 was quite a life-changing year for millions across the globe, in one way or another. I hope 2012's list of top news stories will be much less astounding.
OSAMA BIN LADEN'S DEATH: In May, the nearly 10-year manhunt ended with a nighttime assault by a helicopter-borne Navy SEAL squad on the terrorist leader's compound in
JAPAN'S TRIPLE DISASTER: A 9.0-magnitude earthquake off Japan's northeast coast in March unleashed a tsunami that devastated scores of communities, leaving nearly 20,000 people dead or missing and wreaking an estimated $218 billion in damage. The tsunami triggered the worst nuclear crisis since
ARAB SPRING: It began with demonstrations in
EU FISCAL CRISIS: The European Union was wracked by relentless fiscal turmoil. In
PENN STATE SCANDAL: In November, former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was accused of molesting 10 boys; two senior Penn State officials were charged with perjury; the longtime president and coaching legend Joe Paterno were ousted.
GADHAFI TOPPLED: After nearly 42 years of mercurial and often brutal rule, Moammar Gadhafi was toppled by his own people in August. Anti-government protests escalated into an eight-month rebellion that culminated in Gadhafi being and killed in the village where he was born.
CONGRESSIONAL SHOWDOWNS: Partisan divisions in Congress led to several showdowns on fiscal issues. A fight over the debt ceiling prompted Standard & Poor's to strip the
OCCUPY
GABRIELLE GIFFORDS SHOT: The popular third-term Democratic congresswoman from