From austerity measures to stimulus packages, massive protests and crushing economic pressures that threatened the global economy, the Eurozone's meltdown made headlines all through 2011 and has earned the title as CTV's top news story of the year.

The unprecedented Arab Spring uprising and the discovery and killing of Osama Bin Laden, after years on America's most-wanted list, take up the second and third spots respectively.

The Top 10 News Stories of 2011 were chosen by a panel of journalists led by CTV's Chief Anchor and Senior Editor Lisa LaFlamme.

Wendy Freeman, president of CTV News, said there was a vigorous debate among the CTV journalists struggling to agree on the list, but in the end the Eurozone's financial woes rose to the top.

"It is still affecting us today and it really does affect every Canadian and everyone worldwide," Freeman told CTV's Canada AM on Friday.

Each of the stories will be featured on CTV National News every night leading up to New Year's Day, beginning on Dec. 23.

Freeman said in the past, CTV has typically created a list of the Top 10 Canadian stories of the year. But due to the high number of dramatic international stories that made headlines in 2011, the list was widened.

She said there were several stories that came close, but didn't quite make the list.

"There were a few stories that didn't make it -- the Slave Lake fire, people really thought that should be part of the Top 10," Freeman said. "People also thought the end of the shuttle program should be part of the Top 10, so there was a lot of fighting going on in that room, but that's what we do every day really, when we decide on every story."

Following is the complete list of CTV's Top 10 News Stories for 2011:

• Eurozone Economic Meltdown (airing Jan. 1)
• Arab Spring Uprisings (airing Dec. 31)
• Discovery and Killing of Osama Bin Laden (airing Dec. 30)
• Japan Tsunami and Nuclear Meltdown (airing Dec. 29)
• Famine in Africa (airing Dec. 28)
• Rise of the NDP and Death of Jack Layton (airing Dec. 27)
• First Majority for the Harper Conservatives (airing Dec. 26)
• Vancouver Riots (airing Dec. 25)
• A Bad Year For Hockey With Suicides and Concussions (airing Dec. 24)
• Royal Fever - Will and Kate's Wedding and Canadian tour (airing Dec. 23)

The Eurozone story dominated headlines for months as international investors kept a close eye on the possibility that either Greece or Italy would default on their loans -- a move that could trigger a global credit crunch, crash stock markets and send European economies into a severe downward slide.

The story is certain to continue into 2012 as European Union leaders attempt to achieve a closer level of unity with shared tighter fiscal rules for financial management.

"The path is long, longer than we expected," Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council and the chairman of EU summits, said in a video message recently.

"But let there be no doubt, there is a fundamental political will to move forward as a union. We have a moral duty to continue this mission."

All 10 stories will be examined in-depth on CTVNews.ca, on CTV News Channel and CTV's Canada AM beginning on Dec. 23.