2011 in Review-Drink up!

At midnight, people around the world will celebrate the changing of the New Year from 2011 to 2012. And at the infamous hour, there is no drink quite like Champagne to help celebrate.

I read an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal about Champagne, and it touched a bit on the history. The drink is specific to a region in France; for this reason, Champagne from other areas are not considered “true” Champagne. In essence it is just a sparkling, carbonated wine.

Dom Perignon, a Monk, is said to have invented the drink in the mid 17th Century. In the beginning the drink was red, but today champagne is traditionally white.

A Year in Review Last year I started a tradition by selecting some newsworthy events I thought would be historical. 2011 has certainly been a colorful year; continuing the tradition, here are some events I believe have made history in 2011.

January 2011- Present- The Arab Spring- Beginning in Tunisia, and spreading through the region via social media, people in the Middle East began rebelling against oppressive dictators and protesting for change. Some important dates:
Jan. 14- Ben Ali flees Tunesia
Jan. 23- Protests in Yemen
Jan. 25- Mass protests against Mubarik begin in Egypt
Jan 28- Protestors gather and demand change in Jordan
Feb. 11- Mubarik resigns
Feb. 16- Protest erupt in Libya
Feb. 25- “Day of Rage” in which many protest across the region
March 19- Syrians begin to protest
Oct. 20- Gaddafi killed

March 11, 2011- The Japanese earthquake- At roughly 2:46 p.m. a terrible earthquake struck the northern part of Japan. Aftershock caused a deadly tsunami, destroying parts of the country, and killing thousands. The event left chaos and destruction in its wake, but unlike many naturally disasters the people of Japan banded together, helping those affected rebuild their lives.

April 29, 2011- The Royal Wedding- Women state side celebrated the union of Prince William and Kate Middleton, getting up as early as 2 a.m. to watch the ceremony live. Personally, I slept and watched reruns.

Mat 1, 2011- Osama Bin Laden is killed by U.S. military personnel, almost ten years after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

October 5, 2011- Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple, dies from cancer. Since his death, the man has been controversial, but regardless his ideas and marketing strategies have changed the face of technology.

October 20, 2011- Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi is killed. The brutal footage of his death was leaked online.

December 19, 2011- Kim Jung Il, dictator of North Korea dies.

December 2011- The End of the Iraq War. Troops are in the process of being withdrawn from the country, ending a way started ten years ago.

It is amazing to think it is the end of another year. 2011 has held many personal ups and downs for me, but overall I think I can look back and think fondly on the year. I do know 2012 holds promise of greatness, and promise of my history reported.

Thank you all for reading, and wishing you a Happy New Year!