| Many news stories captivated the world in 2011, but these are the eleven most-important stories that everyone was talking about. 11) The most powerful publishing man in the world, Rupert Murdoch, took a series of hits in 2011 as it was revealed that his News Corporation employees' illegal phone hacking scandal was much more widespread than previously believed. Public outrage in Britain forced the closure of the 168 year-old News of the World and the British and American governments launched full-scale investigations. 10) The tragic Tucson, Arizona shooting targeting congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her incredible story of survival. 9) NASA retired its shuttle fleet, choosing instead to focus its budget on missions to Mars and more powerful telescopes. It will now rely on private companies and the space agencies of other nations to shuttle astronauts on near-earth missions. 8) The Norway attacks - the deadliest in the country since World War II - were carried out by a right-wing extremist, challenging the notion that is prevalent in the United States that the most significant threat of terrorism is from outsiders. 7) As many Americans continue to struggle with the concept that we are causing our climate to change, mother nature made her most forceful argument yet: for the first time in history there were more than 10 natural disasters each causing more than $1 billion in damages in 2011. 6) The death of iconic Apple founder Steve Jobs is a huge loss for the world and ... |
