The Top 10 Everything of 2011

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

  • Story
  • All Best and Worst Lists

1. Anthony Weiner

Top 10 apologies

Anthony Weiner

Jin Lee / Bloomberg / Getty Images

Anthony Weiner's "Weinergate" denials seemed shaky from the beginning. So on June 6, when the New York Congressman finally fessed up to tweeting a picture of his crotch and exchanging sexually explicit messages with various women, the admission was hardly a shocker. "I don't know what I was thinking," Weiner said. "I am here to fully accept responsibility." He fought back tears throughout the emotional apology, which was notable for his wife Huma Abedin's absence from the stage. Still, he remained irrationally optimistic that both his political career and his marriage would remain intact. Weiner ultimately resigned his congressional seat on June 16; he is expecting his first child with his wife.