2011 Top Stories Promo 1

We can't forget. We won't forget. We will never forget. The 10th anniversary of 9/11 was marked again by the reading of the names of the victims, but mostly the comfort of knowing Osama bin Laden was taken out by U.S. spcial forces on orders of President Obama.

Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head during a Jan. 8 rally outside of Tuscon by a lone gunman who killed six people, including conservative federal Judge John Roll.

Twelve ohers besides Giffords were wounded. The 22-year-old gunman, Jared Lee Loughner, was arrested on scene.

On May 16, Giffords recovered enough to travel to Kennedy Space Center

May 2, 2011, may not be rembered as much as Sept. 11, but Osama bin Laden didn't get to rejoice on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks he masterminded. That's because American Navy Seals took him out. Bin Laden was shot to death. Payback is a son-of a-bitch.

The latest political demonstration fad was born Sept. 17 in Zuccotti Park near New York City's Wall Street and became known as "Occupy Wall Street," a leaderless mass targeting the wealthist 1% of Americans. 

Joe Paterno's longstanding career came to a halt at Penn State at mid-sean when he was fired amid shocking allegations in early November that former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky had sexual contact with at least 10 boys dating back to 1998, including lewd activity in the men's shower.

The 67-year-old Sandusky admitted to showering and horsing around, but maintained his innocence. A Pennsylvania grand jury handed up indictments with 50 charges against him.

2011 will stand out as the year the big 3 were vanquished from the face of the earth. First came the U.S. capture and killing of Osama bin Laden on May 1 in a daring raid across the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan.

The raw power of Mother nature struck Japan's northeast coast in March with a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami. It left 20,000 people dead or missing and $218 billion in damages to infrastructure.

It was the wedding of the new century. William and Kate exchanged their vows in April before a worldwide TV audience in Westminster Abbey, but they didn't kiss until later when they emerged on the Buckingham Palace balcony with not one, but two kisses.