Soyuz TMA-21 crew (L-R): Ronald Garan, Aleksandr Samokutyavey, Andrei Borisenko
Soyuz TMA-21, launched April 4, 2011, carried members of Expedition 27 to the International Space Station. Its crew consisted of Commander Aleksandr Samokutyayev, Andrey Borisenko, and Ronald Garan (NASA). They participated in Expeditions 27-28, before returning to Earth in September 2011.
On June 17, 2011, the United Nations passed a resolution endorsing the rights of gay, lesbian, and transgender people, expressing "grave concern" about abuses suffered by people because of their sexual orientation. It was herald as a remarkable shift on the LGBT issue, which has divided the entire world for decades.
Then-Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton stated that "This represents a historic moment to highlight the human rights abuses and violations that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people face around the world based solely on who they are and whom they love."
The incomparable, irreplaceable Betty White won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for her role as Elka Ovstrovsky.in Hot in Cleveland at the 17th annual ceremony January 30, 2011. It was the second of three SAGs for Betty. The year before, she was awarded a Lifetime Achievement from the Screen Actors Guild.
Awesome and spectacular Shaolin, released January 27, 2011 in Hong Kong, is a martial arts movie set in China in the early 20th century. A ruthless warlord (played by the multi-talented Andy Lau) is betrayed by his second-in-command and flees to the refuge of a shaolin, seeking redemption.
The movie also stars Jackie Chan in a minor but entertaining role.
Shaolin was released on January 19 in China, and September 9 in the US. It was a major box office hit in Hong Kong and China. Being released in Mandarin and Cantonese helped boost its popularity.
It was nominated for four Hong Kong movie awards, including a nomination for Best Song, co-written and performed by Andy Lau, who is also a successful singer in Asia.
Beyonce released her single Love On Top from her album 4, September 12, 2011. It went to #1 on the US Hot Dance Club Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Beyonce was inspired by Etta James and the song includes elements of old school R&B and disco.
It won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance.
Soyuz TMA-03M crew (L-R): Donald Pettit, Oleg Kononenko, Andre Kuipers
Mission patch
Soyuz TMA-03M, launched December 21, 2011, carried members of Expedition 30 to the International Space Station. Its crew consisted of Commander Oleg Kononenko (Roscosmos), Andre Kuipers (ESA), and Donald Pettit (NASA). They returned to Earth July 2012, which marked the end of Expedition 31 and the beginning of Expedition 32.
Dame Maggie Smith won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie September 18, 2011 at the 63rd Awards Ceremony. It was for her role as Violet Crowley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham on Downton Abbey. It was her second Primetime Emmy.
Juno, launched August 5, 2011, is currently orbiting Jupiter sending back tons of data on the largest planet in our solar system. It reached Jupiter in July 2016 and its mission has been extended into July 2021.
Juno is the first probe to use solar panels instead of radioisotopoe thermoelectric generators (RTG) used by previous missions.
It also carries a plaque dedicated to Galileo Galilei, provided by the Italian Space Agency.
I enjoyed this movie despite all the negativity surrounding it. Cowboys and Aliens was released into theaters July 29, 2011. It starred Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell and Olivia Wilde. Jon Favreau. Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard were among the producers.
Based on a comic book, the story is about an alien invasion in 1873 New Mexico. It received mixed reviews but was nominated for several awards for its animation effects in a live action film and for its stunt ensemble.
Captain America: The First Avenger was released into theaters July 22, 2011. The comic book hero was played by totally sexy Chris Evans, with Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Stanley Tucci and Samuel L. Jackson.
The movie showed the beginning of Captain America as Steve Rogers is desperate to fight for his country in WWII, but is too small. He is injected with a serum that turns him into a super-soldier. The scientist who concocted the serum (played by Stanley Tucci) is killed just after the experiment is shown to be a success.
Captain America goes on to fight Nazis in WWII.
It opened to mostly positive reviews and made $65.1 M, the second highest-grossing opening weekend for a superhero film in 2011, behind Thor.
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, born March 17, 1970, is the second African-American woman to serve as mayor of Baltimore, Maryland. In 1995, she became the youngest person elected to the Baltimore City Council, representing Districts 5 and 6.
She became President of the Council in January 2007 and became acting mayor when Sheila Dixon resigned from office in February 2010.
Rawlings-Blake sought a full-term mayor in 2011 and won, getting 84% of the vote. After criticism of her handling of the 2015 Baltimore Riots, she announced that she would not seek re-election in the 2016 race.
Green Lantern, starring Ryan Reynolds in the title role, opened June 17, 2011. I enjoyed the movie despite so many people, including Reynolds, hating it. I think in Reynold's case, it had more to do with him not getting along at all with the director Martin Campbell. Campbell reportedly blamed the movie's non-success on interference from Warner Brothers.
Oh, well.
I enjoyed the movie because Green Lantern is one of my favorite DC superheroes. It did manage to take the #1 spot the weekend it opened, but everything went south right after.
NASA's Dawn probe, launched in 2007, entered orbit around the "protoplanet" Vesta in the asteroid belt July 16, 2011. It is the first spacecraft to visit Vesta and Ceres, a dwarf planet where Dawn is currently orbiting.
A protoplanet is a large planet embryo that originated...you know what? Here's the description on Wikipedia and you can figure it out, because I sure can't.
Vesta is the second-largest and second-most-massive object in the asteroid belt behind Ceres. It has an elliptical shape with diameters from 550 km x 462 km and its year is 3.6 Earth-years.
In September 2012, Dawn left Vesta and is now in orbit around Ceres.
STS-134 crew (L-R): Andrew Feustel, Michael Fincke, Mark Kelly, Greg H. Johnson, Greg Chamitoff, Roberto Vittori
Mission patch
Endeavour launched its final mission (STS-134), May 16, 2011. It was the next to last shuttle flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program. Originally thought to be the last flight, NASA decided in February 2011 that STS-135 would fly regardless of the funding situation.
Its crew was Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Greg H. Johnson, Michael Fincke, Roberto Vittori, Andrew Feustel and Gregory Chamitoff. Four EVAs were completed by three astronauts during the flight. Drew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff and Michael Fincke spent a total of 28 hours and 44 minutes outside the ISS.
From left to right: Alvin Drew, Nicole Stott, Eric Boe, Steven Lindsey, Michael Barratt and Steve Bowen
Mission Patch
Space Shuttle Discovery took off February 24, 2011, NASA's 133rd shuttle mission to the International Space Station and the last flight of Discovery. Its crew consisted of Commander Steven Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe, Nicole Stott, Alvin Drew, Michael Barratt, Stephen Bowen
It was originally slated to launch in September 2010, but moved back to October 2010 and then February 2011. It also took several attempts to land, scrubbing the first five tries.
A masterpiece in cinematic accomplishments just like Friday the 13th Part VII: New Blood, Mega Python vs. Gatoroid exploded onto the television screen on the Syfy Channel, January 29, 2011.
It pitted 80's divas Tiffany and Debbie Gibson against each other. Unlike most campy, stupid movies, this one did NOT take itself seriously. One of the best gags came at the expense of the audience, who could not hear the difference between "monkey" and "Monkee". Until Micky Dolenz appeared.
There were enough pop music references to make anyone cheer!
L-R: Daniel C. Burbank, Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoli Ivanishin
Mission patch
In the midst of a snow storm, Soyuz TMA-22 blasted off November 14, 2011 with two Russians and one American on their way to the International Space Station. It was the first manned mission to the ISS since NASA had ended the space shuttle program in July with STS-135.
Soyuz TMA-22's crew consisted of Commander Anton Shkaplerov, Flight Engineer Anatoli Ivanishin and Flight Engineer Daniel Burbank (from Connecticut).
It is the first known flight in which an Angry Bird was a passenger.
The Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-135) launched on July 8, 2011 on the last mission of the Space Shuttle program. Four astronauts, the first four person crew in 28 years, delivered a payload to the International Space Station. They returned to Earth July 21, closing the chapter on the Space Shuttle program.
Crew: Commander Christopher Ferguson, Pilot Douglas Hurley, Mission Specialist 1 Sandra Magnus, Mission Specialist 2 Rex Walheim
World Down Syndrome Day, observed March 21, was started in 2011 to raise public awareness and advocating for rights, inclusion and well being of people with Down Syndrome, a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all orpart of a third copy of chromosome 21. People affected with DS experience physical growth delays, characteristic facial features and mild to moderate intellectual disability but this can vary widely.
Education and proper care have shown to improve quality of life. People with Down Syndrome have been making great strides in advances in all aspects of life, which were formerly off-limits.
As with Black History Month, I decided to feature someone with Down Syndrome who has made history. Jamie Brewster is best known for her roles in the anthology American Horror Story with Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates and Angela Bassett.
I've liked her since the first season, because of her starring in non-stereotypical roles. Her characters aren't written for characters with DS, showing her versatility and broad talent, playing a suburban daughter, a witch and wife to Neil Patrick Harris' character.
In February 12, she became the first model with Down Sydrome to walk the runway during New York Fashion Week.
My favorite super-hero finally gets his own movie! "Thor", starring the gorgeous Chris Hemsworth as the title role, premiered May 6, 2011. It stayed true to the comic books by having Thor as arrogant and brash, and being thrown out of Asgard by his father Odin, until he learns some humility.
Here is a moving scene where Thor sacrifices himself for the residents of Midgard (Earth).
