People flooded into the streets and dictators were toppled. The Globe photo editors pick 2011's best images of the movement
Family members grieve during the funeral procession of anti-government protester Abdul Ridha Mohammed on February 22, 2011 in Malkiya, Bahrain. Abdul Ridha Mohammed had been shot in the head when Bahraini security forces attacked anti-government demonstrators in Pearl roundabout last week.John Moore/Getty Images
Armed Yemeni tribesmen loyal to dissident tribal leader Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar inspect damage at his house in Sanaa on June 7, 2011 while anti-government protesters demanded a swift transfer of power from Ali Abdullah Saleh as his deputy said the veteran Yemeni president would return within days after surgery in Riyadh for blast injuries.Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images
National Transitional Council fighters fire against Moamer Kadhafi's troops in the town of Sirte on October 10, 2011, as they move in for the kill against the strongman's remaining diehards.Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images
A rebel fighter celebrates as his comrades fire a rocket barrage toward the positions of troops loyal to Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi April 14, 2011 west of Ajdabiyah, Libya.Chris Hondros/Getty Images
A girl fleeing the unrest in Bani Walid with her family looks on as an anti-Gaddafi fighter flashing a victory sign is reflected in a car window on the outskirts of Bani Walid September 14, 2011.Youssef Boudlal /REUTERS
Men reach for bread behind barbed wire while waiting to enter Tunisia after fleeing Libya on February 28, 2011 in Ras Jdir, Tunisia.Spencer Platt/Getty Images
A protester takes cover during clashes with riot police in front of the Interior Ministry in Cairo June 29, 2011.Mohamed Abd El-Ghany/REUTERS
A supporter of embattled Egyptian president Hosni Mubarek rides a camel through the melee during a clash between pro-Mubarek and anti-government protesters in Tahrir Square on February 2, 2011 in Cairo, Egypt.Chris Hondros/Getty Images
A rebel fighter looks at burnt bodies at a military encampment in southern Tripoli August 28, 2011. The charred remains of around 53 people have been found in a warehouse in the Libyan capital Tripoli, apparently opponents of Muammar Gaddafi who were executed as his rule collapsed, Britain's Sky News reported on Saturday.Louafi Larbi /REUTERS
An opposition demonstrator prays in front of army soldiers near Tahrir Square in Cairo February 5, 2011.Yannis Behrakis/REUTERS
Anti-government protesters take part in Friday prayers at Tahrir Square in Cairo February 4, 2011.Amr Abdallah Dalsh/REUTERS
An anti-government protestor reacts as he and other demonstrators shout slogans during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen March 1, 2011.Muhammed Muheisen/AP
A man who was shot in a crossfire between forces loyal to Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh and followers of tribal leader Sadiq al-Ahmar reacts while being treated by medics in Sanaa October 23, 2011.Khaled Abdullah/REUTERS
A rebel on crutches fires a rocket propelled grenade while fighting on the front line in Sirte September 24, 2011.Anis Mili/REUTERS
Anti-Gaddafi protesters hanging effigies of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi are reflected in a photo of a youth who was killed in the recent clashes in Benghazi March 6, 2011.Suhaib Salem/REUTERS
Two Egyptian women are seen in voting booths cast their votes on the second day of parliamentary elections in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011.Ahmed Ali/AP
An opposition supporter holds up a laptop showing images of celebrations in Cairo's Tahrir Square, after Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak resigned February 11, 2011.Dylan Martinez/REUTERS