As the year 2010 winds down to an end, no one can say it was a dull year for news.
From the stories that made you chuckle to ones that pushed your buttons, we’ve narrowed down the year’s stories to a list of the top 10 national and international stories that we saw in our newsroom.
10. Mel Gibson's abusive racist rant towards girlfriend caught on tape
On July 9, Hollywood gossip website radaronline.com released the first of a series of audio tapes of actor Mel Gibson allegedly yelling and threatening his ex-girlfriend and mother of his eight-month-old daughter, Oksana Grigorieva .
In the tapes, Gibson told Grigorieva that he hoped she got raped, and used a racial slur to refer to black men. He called Grigorieva a whore in addition to other racy names, telling her she was an embarrassment. The audio tapes sparked an investigation by the L.A. County Sherriff’s Department into possible domestic violence.
9. Wikileaks creator arrested on rape charges
Wikileaks creator Julian Assange was arrested on December 7, arrested days after Interpol put him on its most-wanted list.
Australian born Assange, who was in hot water for publicizing military documents online, was arrested for an alleged sexual assault in Sweden.
8. Stewardess quits by jumping out of plane
On August 9, JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater was so frustrated, he literally jumped ship, quitting his job by jumping out of a flying plane.
Slater reportedly got on the public address system, claimed he had just been called an obscenity by a passenger, grabbed two beers, and deployed the emergency shoot.
He was arrested at his Queens home hours later. Slater avoided jail by coming to a plea deal in October.
7. Prince William proposes to Kate Middleton
On November 16, Prince William and longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton announced their engagement.
The two, who met in school, had been dating for eight years. William gave Middleton Princess Diana’s ring which she wore when she was engaged to Prince Charles. The couple will get hitched April 29 at Westminster Abbey.
6. Gainesville pastor gains international attention over Quran burning plans
On September 9, after nearly a month of debate nationwide, Gainesville pastor Terry Jones called off a planned burning of Qurans on the anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks.
The congregations' plans sparked international outrage, and even spurred warnings from President Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, fearing that his Quran plans could possibly put American soldiers in harm’s way.
5. Tiger Woods publicly apologizes after multiple accusations of infidelity
It all started when Tiger’s SUV crashed into a tree near his Orlando home. After word of Tiger Woods cheating on his wife Elin Nordegren broke in November of 2009, his wholesome image came tumbling down. Woods went into hiding and the public didn’t hear from him for months, until he made his public apology in February of 2010, a press conference that his estranged wife did not attend.
"I know I have bitterly disappointed all of you," Woods said. "For all that I have done, I am so sorry.”
4. Arizona's immigration law causes uproar
On April 23, despite disapproval from the White House, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed SB 1070, a largely controversial immigration law, requiring police officers to detain people they suspect are in the country illegally, and makes it a misdemeanor crime to not carry immigration papers.
The law drew criticism from the Hispanic community, saying that this method encouraged racial profiling. Governor Brewer claimed the federal government had waited too long for immigration reform.
3. 33 Chilean miners survive mine collapse
On Aug 7, 33 miners were reported missing in a Chilean mine collapse. On October 13, after nearly 70 days trapped below the earth in a Chilean mine, all 33 miners were rescued through a tiny capsule taken like an elevator up a narrow shaft.
All 33 were deemed in good condition, one man got treated for pneumonia. The miners became instant celebrities. A publishing house plans to print their story and a movie may be in the works.
2. Haiti's earthquake kills hundreds of thousands, over 1 million homeless
The Haitian Earthquake that occurred at the beginning of the year on January 12, devastated the island with a 7.0 magnitude that shook the nation to its core.
In a few hours, the Port Au Prince capital was dilapidated and more than a million people became homeless; an estimated 230,000 died in the disaster.
Sacred buildings were reduced to rubble, and a lack of resources affected the population’s health, contributing to a massive outbreak of Cholera.
Humanitarian aid began flowing into the country within hours of the quake, however it was not enough to prevent rioting in the economically ravaged nation and the country has a long road ahead to restoration.
1. Deep water Gulf Coast oil rig explosion
On April 20, an offshore floating oil rig exploded, killing 11 workers. The explosion sparked a three month oil leak that reached the shores in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The spill effected wild life, killing sea creatures and spurred animal rescue missions to clean birds and other animals that were covered in oil.
Many industries including seafood restaurants, hotel tourism and others lost business because of the fear associated with the oil spill and contamination in food supply. The leak was not stopped until July 15, and studies on the effect of the oil spill are ongoing.
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