Look Back To 2011: What Happened That Year
The royal wedding, the riots and Adele's 21.
Here's 2011 in full - the music, the news, the screen, the sport and the ordinary details. Good for a birthday card, a party quiz round or a reminiscence session.
Milestone birthday cards, drawn and printed by us
Funny and warm birthday cards, blank inside, printed in the UK with kraft envelopes. Order on a working day and it usually goes out the same day.
Happy Birthday Papa (Happy Birthday Card) (Multiple designs)
£3.87
Happy Birthday Bab (Happy Birthday Card) (Multiple designs)
£3.87
Yoda Best Multi-Occasion Greeting Card
£3.87
Happy Birthday Handsome (Happy Birthday Card) (Multiple designs)
£3.87
You Old Bastard (Funny Birthday Card)
£3.87
Happy Birthday Card For The World's Best Sister-in-Law
£3.87
In the charts in 2011
- Adele's 21 was the best-selling album of the year and went on to be the decade's biggest.
- 'Someone Like You' and 'Rolling in the Deep' were everywhere.
- Military Wives' 'Wherever You Are' was the Christmas number one.
- Amy Winehouse died on 23 July.
In the news in 2011
- Prince William married Catherine Middleton on 29 April, and the day was a public holiday.
- Riots spread across English cities in August.
- The phone hacking scandal closed the News of the World in July.
On screen in 2011
- Game of Thrones began in April.
- The final Harry Potter film was released in July.
- The Only Way Is Essex and Made in Chelsea made structured reality a genre.
In sport in 2011
- Manchester United won a nineteenth league title.
- Rory McIlroy won the US Open.
- Barcelona beat Manchester United at Wembley in the Champions League final.
Everyday life in 2011
- Snapchat launched in September.
- Tuition fees in England were raised to up to £9,000 a year from 2012.
- Royal wedding bunting, mugs and street parties returned for the first time since the Jubilees.
If you were born in 2011
- Anyone born in 2011 shares a birth year with the royal wedding and Game of Thrones.
- They started school around the time of the 2016 referendum.
- Anyone born in 2011 turns 30 in 2041, 40 in 2051, 50 in 2061, 60 in 2071 and 70 in 2081.
- For a milestone card, the strongest line is usually the number one from the week they were born rather than the year's biggest events - it's personal, and it takes two minutes to find.
- For a reminiscence session, read one section at a time and stop on whatever gets a reaction. The point is the conversation, not the facts.
How to write it so it lands
- The number one from the week they were born beats the year's headlines on a card.
- Read one section at a time in a reminiscence session and stop where the conversation starts.
- Use it as a guess-the-year round by reading three facts and hiding the date.
Where to shop next
- Look back to 2014
- Look back to 2013
- Look back to 2012
- Look back to 2010
- The 2010s: the whole decade
- 2010s party playlist
- Phone party games
- How to run a quiz night
- Decade music round questions
- Guess the year quiz
- The 2020s so far
- The 2000s: the whole decade
- The 1990s: the whole decade
- The 1980s: the whole decade
- The 1970s: the whole decade
- The 1960s: the whole decade
- The 1950s: the whole decade
- The 1940s: the whole decade
- The 1930s: the whole decade
- The 1920s: the whole decade
- Decade calendar: every year from 1920
- Decade trivia: fun facts by era
- Decade trivia game: play for points
- Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
- Decade recipes: dishes and food trends by era
- Decade travel: destinations and holidays by era
- Decade tech: gadgets and computers by era
- Decade films: best movies and directors by era
- Decade art: artists, styles and trends by era
- Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
- Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
- Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
- Nostalgia gift shop
- Retro party supplies
- Nostalgia birthday party by decade
- Nostalgia hamper and gift ideas
- Care home reminiscence quiz
- Reminiscence gifts for grandparents
- Milestone birthday cards
- Shop birthday cards
- Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
- How to make a balloon arch
- Photo booth prop ideas
- Wedding cards
- Wedding cards guide
- Pin badges
- All guides
Frequently asked questions
When did William and Catherine get married?
29 April 2011, at Westminster Abbey, on a public holiday.
What was the Christmas number one in 2011?
'Wherever You Are' by the Military Wives with Gareth Malone, recorded for service charities.
How old is someone born in 2011?
Subtract 2011 from the current year. They turn 40 in 2051, 50 in 2061, 60 in 2071 and 70 in 2081.
Do you sell anything to do with this year?
We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. This page itself is free to read and free to copy.