2011 in Flickr Photos, the Most Important Pics of the Year

Flickr has unveiled its regular Year in Photos gallery. In 2011, 18 hand-picked pics, all posted by Flickr users, highlight the big events of the year around the world and in the US.

It starts with the Arab revolutions of the spring and goes through natural disasters like the Japan earthquake and tsunami or a tornado in the US, big international events like the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the death of Osama Bin Laden and South Sudan's independence.

The final Space Shuttle flights are marked as well, with one particularly spectacular photo from space, published by NASA.

Overall, the photos serve as a good reminder of the year that is almost over and of the fact that Flickr still has some life in it, even with Yahoo owning it.

You can check out some of the photos in the gallery below and all of them in Flickr's selection.