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

Top 10 Quotes

7. The Arab Spring Begins

By Frances RomeroWednesday, Dec. 07, 2011
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Christophe Ena / AP

"What happened here is going to affect the whole Arab world."

—Zied Mhirsi, a Tunisian demonstrator, after the fall of President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali in January; Ben Ali had ruled Tunisia for 23 years (New York Times)

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