In 54 wide-ranging lists, TIME surveys the highs and lows, the good and the bad, of the past 12 months

Top 10 Numbers

4. 20 Million

By Frances RomeroWednesday, Dec. 07, 2011
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Dylan McCord / U.S. Navy / Reuters

A Japanese home is seen adrift in the Pacific Ocean on March 13, 2011

Estimated weight, in tons, of debris floating across the Pacific Ocean from Japan's March 11 tsunami

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