NEWS: 2011

As 2011 begins, it's partly cloudy and 32 degrees F at Baltimore's National Weather Service station at BWI Airport. The wind is calm.

It's the start of the International Year for People of African Descent, the International Year of Chemistry, and the International Year of Forests, as declared by the United Nations.

In Alexandria, Egypt, a suicide bomber kills 21 people outside a church.

The OWN cable-TV network is launched by Oprah Winfrey. OWN stands for Oprah Winfrey Network.

In the Rose Bowl, TCU (Texas Christian University) defeats the University of Wisconsin 21-19. The TCU Horned Frogs have a perfect season, going 13-0.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Partly cloudy, then clear, then becoming cloudy with light rain; breezy at midday (21-mph gust at 12:54 pm); High temp. 59° F; Low temp. 28° F; Precipitation: Trace.  No snow on the ground.

The U.S. Navy agrees to investigate "clearly inappropriate" videos that Captain Owen P. Honors of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise had produced and starred in, and which were shown in 2006 and 2007 aboard the ship's closed-circuit television system. (Captain Honors is later removed as commander of the USS Enterprise as a result of the videos, described as "raunchy," but is allowed to remain in the Navy.)

An earthquake of magnitude 7.1 strikes central and southern Chile. Although people in coastal areas flee to higher ground in anticipation of a tsunami, none is reported. There is little damage and no injuries or deaths as a result of the earthquake.

Anne Francis dies at age 80 in Santa Barbara, California. She was an award-winning actress known for her groundbreaking roles in the science fiction film Forbidden Planet (1956) and the television action drama series Honey West (1965–1966). Forbidden Planet marked a first in color, big budget, science-fiction themed motion pictures. Nine years later, Francis shattered female stereotypes in Honey West, in which she played a perky blonde private investigator who was as quick with body slams as witty one-liners. It was the first weekly TV series that featured a woman in the lead role and was named after her character. She earned a Golden Globe Award and Emmy Award nomination for her performance. Anne Francis was born on September 16, 1930 in Ossining, New York.

Major Richard "Dick" Winters dies at age 92 in Hershey, PA. He was an officer of the U.S. Army and a decorated war veteran. He is best known for having commanded Easy Company of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Division, during World War II. He was eventually promoted to major and put in command of the 2nd Battalion. Later, a book "Band of Brothers" was published about his life, and a TV miniseries of the same title was based on it. He was born on January 21, 1918 in New Holland, PA.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy most of the day, then clearing; a light rain shower early in the morning; breezy in late afternoon and evening (24-mph gust at 6:54 pm); High temp. 60° F; Low temp. 33° F; Precipitation: 0.05 inch.

Jerry Brown becomes the 39th Governor of California. (He earlier had been the state's governor from 1975 to 1983.)

In Dallas, Texas, Cornelius Dupree Jr. is declared innocent of a 1980 conviction for aggravated robbery, which was alleged to have been committed during a rape in 1979. (He was paroled in July 2010 after serving 30 years of a 75-year prison sentence in Texas.) Prosecutors clear him of the crime after a test of his DNA profile does not match traces of semen evidence from the case.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear; breezy at times until early afternoon (22-mph gust at 1:54 pm); High temp. 39° F; Low temp. 24° F; Precipitation: None.

U.S. President Barack Obama signs the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This $1.4 billion bill is considered the first major piece of federal legislation addressing food safety since 1938. It is also the first piece of legislation to address intentional adulteration and Food Defense.

The U.S. Navy fires Captain Owen Honors, the commander of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. More than three years earlier, he had made and shown lewd videos to boost his crew's morale. (Honors is allowed to remain in the Navy and retires in 2012.)

In the Mega Millions lottery, two winning tickets share a jackpot of $380 million.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then partly too mostly cloud, then clear, then partly cloudy; High temp. 45° F; Low temp. 20° F; Precipitation: None.

Robert Gibbs, the White House Press Secretary, announces he will leave the White House to become an outside adviser to the Administration. (He formally leaves the position on February 11, 2011. )

On the first day of the new U.S. Congress, Republican John Boehner of Ohio is elected Speaker of the U.S House of Representatives.

Baseball writers elect Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then partly cloudy to cloudy, then partly cloudy; breezy at midday (23-mph gust at 12:54 pm); High temp. 40° F; Low temp. 22° F; Precipitation: None.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announces his intention to trim the defense budget by $78 billion over the next five years in the wake of the increasing federal deficit.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Clear, then partly cloudy to cloudy, then clear, then becoming cloudy; High temp. 39° F; Low temp. 21° F; Precipitation: None.

Jack LaLanne dies at age 96 in Morro Bay, California. He was called the "Godfather of Fitness" and was an American fitness and nutrition guru and motivational speaker. He was born Francois Henri LaLanne on September 26, 1914 in San Francisco, California.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 29° F; Low temp. 12° F; Precip.: None.

Baltimore gets 7.6 inches of snow from a storm that begins in mid-morning and lasts through the rest of the day. This 7.6 inches of snow is the greatest snowfall in one day at BWI Airport (the official Baltimore weather station) in 2011.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Snow (7.6 inches) changing to rain; High temp. 35° F; Low temp. 32° F; Precip.: 1.82 inches (liquid).  5 inches of snow on the ground.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: A trace of snow; High temp. 32° F; Low temp. 25° F; Precip.: Trace (liquid).  5 inches of snow on the ground.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during January 2011 is 2.66 inches, including melted snow and ice, below the normal of 3.08 inches.  The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during January 2011 is 37.8 degrees F, below the normal of 43.2 degrees.  The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during January 2011 is 22.7 degrees F, below the normal of 25.4 degrees.  A total of 10.7 inches of snow falls at Baltimore's official weather station at BWI Airport during January 2011, above the normal amount of 6.4 inches.

The high temperature in Baltimore reaches 97 degrees F, the highest temperature ever recorded in Baltimore on any June 1st (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during May 2011 is 2.42 nches.

In the day game of a day-night doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, the New York Yankees defeat the Orioles 8-3.

In the night game of a day-night doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, the New York Yankees score 12 runs in the first inning, setting a franchise record in a 17-3 win against the Orioles. Pitcher Zack Britton of the Orioles gets only one out -- a strikeout of Derek Jeter to open the first inning -- but then allows 9 consecutive batters to reach base and gives up 9 runs on 7 hits.

Ricky Nolasco of the Florida Marlins scatters 12 hits, Emilio Bonaficio hits a home run, and Florida hands the Atlanta Braves their 10,000th loss in franchise history. With the 3-1 loss, the Braves become only the second Major League Baseball franchise with 10,000 losses. The Philadelphia Phillies reached that mark in 2007.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during July 2011 is 2.77 inches.

Catonsville weather: 69° F at 11:00 PM; Precip: 2.26 inches.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Heavy rain; High temp. 81° F; Low temp. 68° F; Precipitation: 0.65 inch.

Mike Jacobs becomes the first player suspended by Major League Baseball for a positive HGH test under the sport's minor-league drug testing procedures. The 30-year-old minor-league first baseman, who was in the major leagues from 2005 to 2010, receives a 50-game suspension for taking the banned performance-enhancing substance HGH (and is subsequently released by the Colorado Rockies).

Baltimore receives 1.72 inches of rain, the most precipitation recorded in Baltimore on any August 18th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Catonsville weather: Heavy rain; 69° F at 11:00 PM; Precip: 2.01 inches.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Heavy rain; High temp. 78° F; Low temp. 71° F; Precipitation: 3.59 inches.

Catonsville weather: Heavy rain; 61° F at 11:00 PM; Precip: 1.29 inches.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Heavy rain; High temp. 83° F; Low temp. 64° F; Precipitation: 1.10 inches.

Catonsville weather: Rain; 64° F at 11:00 PM; Precip: 0.31 inch.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Heavy rain; High temp. 81° F; Low temp. 64° F; Precipitation: 1.43 inches.

Catonsville weather: Heavy rain; 62° F at 11:00 PM; Precip: 1.02 inches.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Heavy rain; High temp. 78° F; Low temp. 62° F; Precipitation: 1.82 inches.

Catonsville weather: Heavy rain; 73° F at 11:00 PM; 22 mph SSW wind at 11:00 PM; Precip: 3.93 inches.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Heavy rain; High temp. 78° F; Low temp. 63° F; Precipitation: 3.40 inches.

1.44 inches of precipitation falls in Baltimore, the most in Baltimore on any September 8th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Catonsville weather: Heavy rain; 71° F at 11:00 PM; Precip: 1.25 inches.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Heavy rain; High temp. 75° F; Low temp. 64° F; Precipitation: 1.44 inches.

Catonsville weather: Heavy rain; 69° F at 11:00 PM; 20 mph WSW wind at 11:00 PM; Precip: 0.22 inch.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Heavy rain; High temp. 82° F; Low temp. 66° F; Precipitation: 0.43 inch.

Catonsville weather: Rain; 63° F at 11:00 PM; Precip: 0.16 inch.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp. 81° F; Low temp. 64° F; Precipitation: 0.68 inch.

3.19 inches of precipitation falls in Baltimore, the most in Baltimore on any September 23rd (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Catonsville weather: Heavy rain; 68° F at 11:00 PM; Precip: 0.64 inch.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy, then mostly cloudy to cloudy; rain (heavy at times) from mid-morning to mid-evening; High temp. 72 F; Low temp. 67 F; Precipitation: 3.19 inches.

At a town hall meeting in Mountain View, California, U.S. President Barack Obama talks about his jobs agenda and answers questions about Social Security, Medicare, the employment outlook, and education.

The U.S. Congress puts forward legislation that avoids a partial U.S. government shutdown.

Catonsville weather: Rain; 69° F at 11:00 PM; Precip: 0.82 inch.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp. 71° F; Low temp. 60° F; Precipitation: 0.76 inch.

The American Jobs Act fails to garner the necessary sixty votes in the U.S. Senate to proceed.

The government of Germany states that national GDP growth in 2012 will be significantly lower than initially predicted, due to the eurozone's ongoing economic crisis.

A man is killed and at least 74 people are injured in major riots in the Greek capital Athens on the second day of a nationwide general strike, as Greeks protest in their thousands against new austerity measures intended to alleviate the country's ongoing debt crisis.

Amid major riots and a genral strike, the Hellenic Parliament approves a highly controversial package of austerity measures aimed at resolving Greece's's ongoing debt crisis. The austerity measures include higher taxes and cuts to public sector wages.

The Prime Minister of Thailand, Yngluck Shinawatra, admits that it is impossible to protect all of the capital Bangkok from ongoing nationwide flooding, describing the floods as a "national crisis".

Deposed Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi is killed in a crossfire between Gaddafi loyalists and rebel fighters in his hometown of Sirte, Libya.

The pro-Gaddafi stronghold of Sirte is captured by National Transitional Council (NTC) forces following a month-long siege.. The fall of Sirte marks the effective consolidation of NTC control across Libya, following the capture of the Gaddafi holdout of Bani Walid on October 17.

n the wake of recent terrorist attacks in southern Turkey, up to 10,000 soldiers of the Turkish Army advance into northern Iraq, pursuing Kurdish separatist PKK militants.

Basque separatist terrorist organisation ETA declares an end to its 43-year campaign of political violence, which has killed over 800 people since 1968.

The diving support vessel DSV Koosha 1 capsizes off the coast of Iran, resulting in the deaths of six comercial divers from India who are trapped in the vessel's diving chamber when the boat sinks.

Baltimore weather: Partly cloudy to mostly cloudy, windy, High temperature 69 degrees F, Low temperature 55 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

Baltimore gets a trace of snow (less than one-tenth of an inch) in the early evening at the end of a mostly-rain storm.

Catonsville weather: Heavy rain with a trace of snow; 34° F at 11:00 PM; Precip: 0.91 inch.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Heavy rain and a trace of snow; High temp. 42° F; Low temp. 33° F; Precipitation: 1.09 inches.

Catonsville weather: Heavy rain; 55° F at 11:00 PM; Precip: 1.39 inches.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Heavy rain; High temp. 61° F; Low temp. 49° F; Precipitation: 1.17 inches.

Catonsville weather: Rain; 47° F at 11:00 PM; Precip: 0.41 inch.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain; High temp. 67° F; Low temp. 48° F; Precipitation: 0.41 inch.

At a private dinner at the U.S. Chief of Mission Residence in Rangoon, Burma,  U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Myanmar (Burma) opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi agree to work together to promote democratic reforms in Myanmar.

Bobby Valentine is named the new manager of the Boston Red Sox, replacing Terry Francona.

Herman Cain, an American businessman and Tea Prty activist within the Republican Party, suspends his presidential campaign after allegations of sexual misconduct that he denies.

In college football, Oklahoma State University wins the Big 12 championship by defeating the University of Oklahoma 44-10. About a dozen fans are injured during victory celebrations on the field.

Baltimore receives 2.38 inches of precipitation, the most in Baltimore on any December 7th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Heavy rain and a trace of snow; High temp. 62° F; Low temp. 37° F; Precipitation: 2.38 inches.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during December 2011 is 4.50 inches, including melted snow and ice.

Total precipitation for Baltimore in 2011 is 56.52 inches, nearly 15 inches above normal.