Facebook's most shared stories of 2011

When they're not invading our privacy and causing relationships difficulties, those guys at Facebook are also providing us with insights we didn't even know we wanted.

As we're fast approaching the end of the year, one of the first retrospective lists has come our way, courtesy of the world's biggest social network.

Researchers have assembled a list of the most shared articles of the year in the US. Looking at the links, it's clear to see that animals, family, parenting and natural disasters are all important topics for users, while CNN and Yahoo are the most read news sites.

The number one piece is a look at Japan before and after the quake and tsunami. It was shared over 600,000 times.

The top 4o articles are below:

1. Satellite Photos of Japan, Before and After the Quake and Tsunami (New York Times)

2. What teachers really want to tell parents (CNN)

3. No, your zodiac sign hasn't changed (CNN)

4. Parents, don't dress your girls like tramps (CNN)

5. Father Daughter Dance Medley (Yahoo)

6. At funeral, dog mourns the death of Navy SEAL killed in Afghanistan (Yahoo)

7. You'll freak when you see the new Facebook (CNN)

8. Dog in Japan stays by the side of ailing friend in the rubble (Yahoo)

9. Giant crocodile captured alive in Philippines (Yahoo)

10. New Zodiac Sign Dates: Ophiuchus The 13th Sign? (The Huffington Post)

11. Parents keep child’s gender under wraps (Yahoo)

12. How to Talk to Little Girls (The Huffington Post)

13. Stop Coddling the Super-Rich (New York Times)

14. Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior (Wall Street Journal)

15. Twin Baby Boys Have A Conversation! (Yahoo)

16. Man robs bank to get medical care in jail (Yahoo)

17. Why You're Not Married (The Huffington Post)

18. A Sister’s Eulogy for Steve Jobs (New York Times)

19. Ryan Dunn Dead: 'Jackass' Star Dies In Car Crash (The Huffington Post)

20. Scientists warn California could be struck by winter ‘superstorm’ (Yahoo)

21. Notes From a Dragon Mom (New York Times)

22. A Message to Women From a Man: You Are Not "Crazy" (The Huffington Post)

23. Obama’s and Bush’s effects on the deficit in one graph (Washington Post)

24. Penn State, my final loss of faith (Washington Post)

25. Golden-Voiced Homeless Man Captivates Internet (Yahoo)

26. The most typical face on the planet (Yahoo)

27. Widespread destruction from Japan earthquake, tsunamis (CNN)

28. Permissive parents: Curb your brats (CNN)

29. A father's day wish: Dads, wake the hell up!(CNN)

30. Laughing Baby Loves Ripping Paper! (Yahoo)

31. Epic Cover Letter: How To Get Hired For Your Dream Job (The Huffington Post)

32. New Zodiac sign dates: Don't switch horoscopes yet (Washington Post)

33. Things Babies Born in 2011 Will Never Know (Yahoo)

34. The Psychology of Revenge: Why We Should Stop Celebrating Bin Laden's Death (The Huffington Post)

35. ‘Where Children Sleep’ (New York Times)

36. Quake moved Japan coast 8 feet, shifted Earth's axis (CNN)

37. Steve Jobs, Apple founder, dies (CNN)

38. China's latest craze: dyeing pets to look like other wild animals (CNN)

39. Grant Hill’s Response to Jalen Rose (New York Times)

40. Steve Jobs’s Patents (New York Times)

[via Facebook]