2011: A Year In Pictures

Friend of woman&home and one of this year's cover stars, Miranda Hart kicked off her 2011 by sweeping the board at the British Comedy Awards. The queen of UK comedy took home gongs for Best Female Comedy Actress, Best New TV Comedy and the People's Choice Award.

Star of In The Name Of The Father and Brassed Off and once described by director Steven Spielberg as 'probably the best actor in the world today,' the Oscar nominee passed away peacefully in hospital at the age of 64 after a long battle with cancer.

The Arab Spring surfaced in the Middle East when Egyptians gathered in Tahir Square, pushing for a movement for change against the Egyptian President President Hosny Mubarak who had been in power for three decades. After bloody protests and severe unrest, Mubarak finally stepped down on February 11.

Colin Firth looked pleased as punch when he picked up a Best Actor Oscar at this year's biggest movie night. His portrayal of King George VI in The King's Speech proved a runaway hit with audiences both here and in America.

The quirky British actress shared the limelight with Colin Firth for her performance as Queen Elizabeth in the story of the King's impromptu ascension to the throne.

She hit the headlines at the 2010 MTV Awards for her raw meat red carpet arrival and this year Lady Gaga upped the ante, making her entrance incubated inside a transparent egg. Creating a buzz around the world, the singer debuted her single Born This Way at the event.

With a magnitude of 8.9, Japan was rocked by a massive earthquake on March 11 and the ensuing tsunami swamped the Fukushima nuclear plant knocking out cooling systems, causing the reactors to melt down and prompting numerous explosions as engineers tried to release a build up of radioactive hydrogen gas.

The legendary actress, considered one of the greats of Hollywood's Golden Age, passed away at the age of 79.

The biggest celebration in Britain's calendar this year, Kate Middleton married her Prince on 29 April and shared a not-so-intimate kiss with thousands of fans who lined the Mall to congratulate the happy couple.

Kate and William posed for a formal portrait after the pomp and ceremony of their Westminster Abbey nuptials.

Kate's sister, Pippa Middleton, almost stole the show on her big sister's wedding day, cutting quite a figure as she carried Kate's train up the Westminster Abbey aisle.

Royals and celebrities were abundant at the wedding of Prince William and Kate. And whilst it was a veritable fashion feast, there were one or two fashion faux pas: case in point? Princess Beatrice and her hat horror...

Osama Bin Laden, the man who was believed to have ordered the attacks on September 11 2001, was shot by US forces in May. President Obama described the event as 'the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al-Qaeda'.

The Smile singer finally tied the knot with partner Sam Cooper in a traditional church ceremony near Stroud, Gloucestershire. The pop star wore a vintage-style dress designed by Delphine Manivet, featuring long lace sleeves and a sweetheart neckline.

Following in the footsteps of her husband Jay-Z, the Queen of Pop rocked the stage at Glastonbury this year, giving the audience one of the most energetic performances ever seen on the Main Stage.

Norway was in mourning in July after a gunman opened fire at an island youth camp, killing 85 children. Thirty two-year-old Anders Behring Breivik was arrested and charged for the murders.

July saw the Sunday tabloid close after a series of allegations that the paper illegally hacked into mobile phones. Here the paper's owner, Rupert Murdoch, leafs through the final edition.

It was the end of an era for Harry Potter fans everywhere when the film's stars stepped on to the red carpet for the premiere of The Deathly Hallows Part Two.

The rock n'roll supermodel finallly agreed to tie the knot with her beau Jamie Hince in a vintage-style, festival-themed wedding near her country retreat in Gloucestershire.

The troubled singer was found dead at her London flat in July this year. The Back To Black singer was just 27 years of age.

It was the most popular photo gallery on womanandhome.com this year (beating William and Kate's April nuptials!) and Zara looked every inch the princess when she tied the knot in the Scottish July sunshine.

Britain was rocked by the London riots in August this year. Sparked by the police shooting of Mark Duggan in Tottenham, the incident led to two nights of serious unrest across the capital.

In response to the violence and looting that gripped the UK in August, communities reacted to the damage caused by organising street clean-ups via Twitter.

After nearly a year-long battle against Gaddafi's government forces, Libyans celebrated the death of the dictator and the end of a bitter, bloody battle to drive towards a more democratic country.

America remembered those who lost their lives in the September 11 attacks in 2001. Los Angeles marked the day by planting US flags on the university campus of Pepperdine University.

The Beckhams welcomed their first baby girl to the family when Harper Seven was born on 11 July this year.

After a sub-standard summer, Britain basked in extraordinary temperatures with the hottest day ever at the beginning of October.

After a long battle with pancreatic cancer, the revolutionary Apple founder, Steve Jobs, passed away on 5 October. Barack Obama said of Jobs: 'He transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world.'

Millions of Blackberry users experienced a total blackout in October when their devices failed, leaving users across four separate continents without email access.

The world waited with baited breath for news of Amanda Knox, who was cleared of the murder of student Meredith Kercher on October 2. A jury in Perugia, Italy, overturned Knox's 26-year jail sentence and Knox returned to America.

It was third time lucky for the Beatle singer when he married US heiress Nancy Shevell in a simple ceremony at Old Marylebone Town Hall, surrounded by hundreds of waiting fans.

The long-overdue knighthood was finally awarded to Bruce Forsyth in October this year.

The eccentric DJ and TV presenter, who raised millions of pounds for charity throughout his lifetime, passed away at the age of 84. Broadcaster Tony Blackburn said of Saville: 'I've never known anyone quite like him. He was a blunt speaking northerner, but also kind and very respectful.'

After less than nine hours of deliberation a US court found Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

Peaceful demonstrations began outside St Paul's Cathedral as protestors highlighted their anger at the government cuts and banker bonuses.

The first billboards advertising The Iron Lady hit the UK, featuring a very realistic Meryl Streep portraying Margaret Thatcher. The film has already been hotly tipped for an Oscar and is set for release in the UK on January 6.

French President Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel maintained an entente cordiale while David Cameron vetoed a European treaty to save the Euro currency, leaving Britain out in the cold, according to many left-wing UK politicians.