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A look back at the main business events of 2009. Global output actually fell for the first time since the 1930s depression. Authorities' cut interest rates, boosted money supply and increased public spending. The UK government bailed out the Royal Bank of Scotland, while RBS brought in new boss, Stephen Hester, to clean up its business. However, the largest banks in the UK and US have once again announced big bonuses for their traders, to the outrage of the general public. Some economists called for banks to be broken up so that savings of ordinary citizens are kept separate from banks' riskier trading divisions. China achieved a strong 9% annual growth rate, adding to the sense that the worst of the global crisis has passed. Twitter was all the rage this year with US President Barack Obama among the many who started sending out regular 140 character updates.

(Picture: The Twitter desktop homepage in July 2009. Credit: Getty Images)