In 2011, "Rolling in the Deep" topped the charts, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 packed theaters, a stamp cost 44¢, the average home went for about $227,200.
🎵 Top songs of 2011
"Rolling in the Deep" — Adele
"Party Rock Anthem" — LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock
"Firework" — Katy Perry
🎬 In theaters
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
What things cost in 2011
$3.52
Gallon of gas
44¢
Postage stamp
$7.93
Movie ticket
$3.57
Gallon of milk
$227,200
Average home
$25,500
New car
$50,100
Household income
Gas averaged a steep $3.52 in 2011, about $5.10 in today's dollars, making it one of the priciest years at the pump in memory even after inflation. The $7.93 movie ticket works out to roughly $11.50 now.
The biggest moments of 2011
Prince William married Kate Middleton in a royal wedding watched by millions around the world.
NASA's Space Shuttle program ended after 30 years with the final flight of Atlantis in July.
Adele's album 21 dominated the music charts all year long.
IBM's Watson computer defeated Jeopardy! legends Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter in February, a televised glimpse of the AI age to come.
Oprah Winfrey ended her talk show in May after 25 years and 4,561 episodes, closing a television era.
The Green Bay Packers won Super Bowl XLV behind Aaron Rodgers, capping an underdog playoff run as a sixth seed.
Toys, TV & trends of 2011
Minecraft had its official full release, and its blocky worlds captivated kids everywhere.
Angry Birds was the game on every phone and tablet, spawning plush toys and t-shirts.
The Nintendo 3DS launched, showing off 3D games with no glasses needed.
Skylanders launched in October with toy figures that came to life inside the video game, inventing the toys-to-life craze.
Temple Run had everyone sprinting from demon monkeys on their phones, one swipe-jump at a time.
Planking, the deadpan fad of lying face-down in odd places for a photo, swept social media feeds worldwide.
The music scene
Spotify finally arrived in the United States in July, planting the streaming seed that would eventually replace downloads entirely. Thirteen-year-old Rebecca Black's homemade video "Friday" became the year's unlikeliest sensation, racking up hundreds of millions of views and proving virality was the new radio. In August, Katy Perry tied Michael Jackson's long-standing record of five number-one singles from a single album.
At the movies
The boy wizard's finale didn't just top 2011; it became the third-highest-grossing film ever released up to that point, a fitting send-off after a decade of premieres. Then awards season delivered a delightful twist: The Artist, a black-and-white, nearly silent French film, charmed its way to Best Picture. The Muppets also made a triumphant big-screen comeback, complete with an Oscar-winning song.
Cartoons kids loved
Adventure Time
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
The Amazing World of Gumball (debuted in 2011)
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, relaunched by animator Lauren Faust, shocked everyone by winning a devoted fandom far beyond its target audience. The Amazing World of Gumball was quietly revolutionary too, mixing 2-D characters, puppets, and CGI against real photographed backgrounds in a collage style no show had tried before.
The world in 2011
World population: about 7.0 billion
U.S. President: Barack Obama
The United Nations announced that world population passed 7 billion people on October 31, 2011.
A devastating earthquake and tsunami struck northeastern Japan in March, and the world responded with an outpouring of aid and admiration for Japan's resilience.
South Sudan celebrated its independence in July, becoming the world's newest nation.
NASA launched the car-sized Curiosity rover toward Mars in November, beginning an eight-month journey to the Red Planet.
2011 birthday questions
How old is someone born in 2011?
Someone born in 2011 turns 15 in 2026 (14 if their birthday has not come round yet).
What was the number one song in 2011?
"Rolling in the Deep" by Adele was among the biggest hits of 2011.
What movie came out in 2011?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 was one of the films packing theaters in 2011.
How much did gas cost in 2011?
A gallon of gas ran about $3.52 in 2011, and a postage stamp cost 44¢.
How much did a house cost in 2011?
The average home went for roughly $227,200 in 2011, against a typical household income of about $50,100.