The Things Of The Year

DRESS

Kate’s gown spawned a thousand princess dreams

WEAPON

The drone, which killed Anwar al-Awlaki and four other al-Qaeda leaders

PHOTOSHOP

Obama and Hu got to first base in Benetton’s ad

PERCENTAGE

Hint: it wasn’t the 1%

APOCALYPTIC NON-THREAT

The non-Rapture–again–on May 21

DUBIOUS VEGETABLE

Tomato paste, deemed a veggie by Congress

HAIR

The fiery locks of Rebekah Brooks, scorned U.K. tabloid editor. (Sorry, Trump)

DATE

It’s all about the ones

11/11/11

EXHIBITION

Alexander McQueen’s posthumous blockbuster show

ASSISTANT

Siri, what is the meaning of life?

VACCINE CONTROVERSY

HPV took center stage during the GOP presidential debates

PLANET

Kepler-22b, discovered in December

SQUARE

Tahrir Square, center of Egypt’s revolution

ATHLETE

Soccer star and league champion Lionel Messi

DOCUMENT

The long-form birth certificate released by Obama in April

CHILDREN’S BOOK

Go the F–k to Sleep, an anthem for profane parents

TCHOTCHKE

Royal-wedding condoms can cover any prince

BIRTH

Danica May Camacho, earth’s 7 billionth person, born Oct. 31

BAD FRUIT

Contaminated cantaloupes killed more than 20 people in the U.S.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROVERSY

Fracking, which can release natural gas but also contaminate water

AWKWARD MOMENT

Oops!

ELEMENT

Copernicium, created in Germany and named after astronomer Copernicus

Cn

BREAKUP

Demi and Ashton

FASHION LINE

Missoni for Target, which sold out in hours

COMEBACK

NKOTBSB, or New Kids on the Block + Backstreet Boys

COLOR

Pantone Inc. called it honeysuckle. We think it’s pink

ANIMALS

The 56 lions, bears and other animals released in Zanesville, Ohio

BET

Romney wagers $10K on a line from his latest book

PARK

Zuccotti Park, nexus of Occupy Wall Street

HASHTAG

Charlie Sheen’s manic mantra

#WINNING!