Photos of the Year 2011

A woman jumps from a burning building in Croydon, England, on August 8. Four days earlier, police officers shot and killed 29-year-old Mark Duggan; protests exploded into riots and stores were looted and set ablaze. The violence in greater London left five people dead, hundreds of millions of dollars of damage, and a country scratching its head about its future. Photo: WENN.com Aug 08, 2011

Ash billows from the Puyehue volcano in southern Chile on June 5. The eruption was the volcano's first in 50 years. The huge ash cloud prompted evacuations of some 3,500 people and caused air-travel nightmares as far away as New Zealand. Photo: AFP/AFP/Getty Images Jun 05, 2011

A rare, nocturnal web-footed gecko wipes the morning dew from its eyes in the Namibian desert. These geckos collect water on their eyeballs in the early morning; later, they lick it off to have a drink. Photo: National News/Zumapress.com Jul 07, 2011

The tall ship Alexander von Humbolt cuts through waves and weather during Kieler Woche, the world's largest sailing event in Kiel, Germany, on June. Photo: Eduard Bopp/Imago/Zumapress.com Jun 24, 2011

In a photograph so strikingly improbable that it immediately went viral on the Internet -- and prompted widespread speculation that it was a Photoshopped hoax -- Scott Jones and his girlfriend Alex Thomas appear to be romancing in the midst of a riot in the aftermath of the Vancouver Canucks' Game 7 Stanley Cup loss in June. Turns out, though, that Getty photographer Rich Lam's photo actually captures Jones, a 29-year-old Australian, trying to comfort Thomas after she had been knocked to the ground by police in the chaos that erupted after the Boston Bruins' victory. "I'll always remember those feelings and emotions" from that night, Thomas said in one of the many interviews she and Jones gave in the weeks that followed, "but that there's a photograph that so clearly shows it is just incredible." Photo: Rich Lam/Getty Images Jun 15, 2011

A wild leopard strayed into a village on the outskirts of Siliguri, India, mauling several people -- including this forest guard -- before being caught. Photo: Anonymous/AP Photo Nov 29, 2011

During 2011, residents of Athens, Greece, took to the streets dozens of times to protest austerity measures being considered by the government to prop up the country's failing economy. Sometimes, the demonstrations were peaceful; sometimes, they weren't. Pictured: On October 19, Molotov-cocktail throwing rioters tried to get into the Parliament building but were repelled by police. Photo: Maro Kouri/Polaris Oct 19, 2011

A 22-year-old woman in a wedding gown is rescued after she tried to kill herself by jumping out a window on the top floor of a seven-story building in Changchun, China. According to local media, the woman tried to commit suicide after her boyfriend of four years broke up with her just days before their wedding. She was not physically injured, but her heart was obviously broken. Photo: China Daily/Reuters/Landov May 18, 2011

A car detonates at the very moment that a Thai bomb squad member (seen at left) approaches to check on the suspicious vehicle on July 1 in Narathiwat province, south of Bangkok. The bomb, reportedly planted by separatist militants, wounded the squad member. Photo: Stringer Thailand/Reuters/Landov Jul 01, 2011

Ruins from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, as photographed two months later. The country's Environment Ministry estimates that the three hardest-hit prefectures -- Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima -- have generated 24 million tons of disaster waste. Photo: Steve McCurry/MAGNUM Dec 01, 2011

Spectators stand in front of a Star Wars-themed, partially inflated hot-air balloon before its flight during the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Pampanga on February 10. Photo: NOEL CELIS/AFP/Getty Images Feb 10, 2011

As New York City -- and, indeed, the entire nation -- marked the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the glorious but ephemeral "Tribute in Light" memorial lit up the night sky. Photo: Noam Galai/noamgalai.com Sep 11, 2011

Backdropped by a night time view of the Earth and the starry sky, the Space Shuttle Endeavour is photographed docked at the International Space Station on May 28. The STS-134 astronauts left the station the next day on May 29, after delivering the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and performing four spacewalks during Endeavour's final mission. Photo: NASA Dec 01, 2011

Syria's Sanharib Malki catches a foot in the face during a 2011 Asian Cup soccer match in Doha, Qatar, on January 17. Photo: Fadi Al-Assaad/Reuters /Landov Jan 17, 2011

Brutus, an 18-foot-long saltwater crocodile, rises like a nightmare of mythic proportions from Australia's Adelaide River, lunging for the buffalo meat offered up by cruise operators. (Note that Brutus is missing a front leg -- lost years ago, according to local legend, in a shark attack.) Photo: Katrina Bridgeford/Rex USA Jul 15, 2011

Fountains of gravel erupt at the base of a howitzer as U.S. Army soldiers fire on insurgents in Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, June 12. Photo: Baz Ratner/Reuters /Landov Jun 12, 2011

Wing walker Todd Green falls to his death after losing his grip while performing a stunt during an air show in Harrison Township, Mich., on Aug. 21. Green was trying to move from the plane to a helicopter above it just before he fell. Photo: David Angell/AP Photo Aug 24, 2011

Bahara Golestani

Bahara Golestani personifies quintessential Persian beauty. Her experience extends to modeling for Low Rider for 3 years and Hot Import Nights for 2 years; Modeled for Capstal New York, Gino Green, Dullards, Marven’s, music videos and lots of fashion shows.
Height: 5′ 7″ (170cm) |Eye Color: Brown |Date of Birth: June 1, 1989 |Place of Birth: Moscow, Russia
Bahara was born in Russia, but raised in Scottsdale Arizona. Her parents are of Persian descent. She has been modeling for five years now, and loves to be in front of a camera and it shows as one of the Ladies of Lingerie Nights on Lingerie Nights DVD Magazine.

Claudia Lynx

Claudia Lynx (Shaghayegh) was born on June 8th in Tehran, Iran. She was the daughter of Bijan, a professional photographer/ TV producer, and Sherry, a dental Hygienist.
She first entered the entertainment business with a baby commercial at the age of 3, in Oslo Norway. later she was known all around Europe as the “adorable diaper baby”. Claudia became a professional model at the age of 15 and continued working efficiently as a teenage actress and model, traveling all around Europe. After making many magazine covers, her career expanded into singing, and at the age of 20 she released her first Persian album “Shaghayegh”
She became the favorite in world wide Persian industry as the youngest performing artist, and is referred to as “The Goddess of Persia“. During that same year, Claudia moved to Los Angeles. she recently continues her career as a model, singer, and actress living in the beautiful “City of Angeles” California.

Leyla Milani

Leyla Milani (born April 2, 1982) is a Canadian model, actress, TV host and fashion designer of Persian descent.
Milani, daughter of Iranian parents, has appeared in the World Wrestling Entertainment Diva Search 2005, Deal or No Deal, Sleeper Cell, Las Vegas, Rules of Engagement, Attack of the Show!, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, Stacked, Desire, Wanted, Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Extra and in the films Wrestlemaniac, Boys & Girls Guide To Getting Down, Dr. Chopper. Maxim magazine features Milani and her fellow Deal or No Deal briefcase models in their online Girls of Maxim gallery.

Nadia Alexandra Björlin

Nadia Alexandra Björlin (credited as Bjorlin; born August 2, 1980) is an American actress and singer of Swedish and Iranian descent.
Björlin was born in Bethel, CT but lived in Sweden until the age of 7. Her father was the Swedish composer and conductor Ulf Björlin (1933–1993).^[1] Her mother, Fary, is an interior decorator from Iran.
Nadia speaks Swedish, Persian, English and can sing in other languages as well. She is also renowned for her soprano voice. When her family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, she attended the Palm Beach County School of the Arts (now Dreyfoos School of the Arts) along with her brothers Ulf and Jean Paul, where she excelled in music and theater. All three siblings have found success in show business since graduation.
Björlin once competed in pageants. In 1998, she placed as Second Runner-Up in Miss Florida Teen USA.

Personal life

Bjorlin was previously engaged to Daniel Sadek, a subprime lending company CEO who wrote and financed the film Redline. She was also romantically attached to actor James Stevenson. She is currently in a relationship with actor Brandon Beemer.

Samantha tajik

Samantha was born in Iran. At age 2 she moved to Canada. Samantha grew up in Vancouver with her parents and younger brother. She then moved to Toronto, where she commenced her modeling career and studied cosmetology. Samantha has achieved great success in the world of pageantry and feels at home on the stage.

Throughout all of her great achievements she has always managed to maintain a close relationship with her family and friends. She has recognized that the accomplishments that she has embarked on were for the keen and devoted support her friends and family have shown her.

Aahoo Jahansouzshahi (Sarah Shahi)

Aahoo Jahansouzshahi, also known as Sarah Shahi (born January 10, 1980) is an American actress of Iranian and Spanish descent. A former NFL Cheerleader, Shahi was named #90 on the Maxim magazine “Hot 100 of 2005″ list; she moved up to #66 in 2006. She also ranked Rank No. 5 on the AfterEllen.com hot list in 2007.She has starred in The L Word and Life.

Shahi speaks English, Persian, and some Spanish. She lived with her mother after her parents divorced and has a brown belt in karate.

Shahi was married to actor Steve Howey, whom she met when she guest starred on Reba. They were engaged in June 2007 while vacationing in Hawaii, and married on February 6, 2009 in Las Vegas. On July 9, 2009, their first child, William Wolf Howey, was born, weighing 8 lbs, 6oz and measuring at 21 inches in length.^[14] Shahi gave birth during an at-home water birth. According to Shahi’s official myspace, she is single and she and Howey are no longer together.

Shahi has an older brother and a younger sister, Samantha Jahansouzshahi. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California.