Top 100 news stories of 2010

On April 5, NCAA basketball powerhouse Duke edged hometown underdog Butler 61-59 to win its fourth NCAA title. Butler took a half court, potentially game winning, shot as time expired, but it bounced off the rim.  (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

On March 20, a team of 30 Spanish doctors completed the first ever full face transplant. The patient ‘Oscar’ had been injured in a shooting accident.  (Photo by JOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images)

On September 11, TV Azteca reporter Ines Sainz claimed she was harassed by players from the New York Jets during a practice. Sainz was at the Jets facility to interview quarterback Mark Sanchez, and claims she had footballs purposely thrown in her direction, and later was insulted by players in the locker room. The NFL investigated the situation, but no players were punished.  (Photo by G. Newman Lowrance/Getty Images)

On September 24, Comedy Central funnyman Stephen Colbert raised some eyebrows on Capitol Hill, when he testified to the Subcommittee on Immigration as his character from the ‘Colbert Report’. Colbert was criticized during testimony for cracking jokes and not taking the questions seriously.  (Saul Loeb/Getty)

On September 1, James Jay Lee, a 43-year-old environmental protester, entered the Discovery Channel headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland claiming to be armed with a bomb and two pistols. Lee fired a shot into the air, before taking hostages. After a nearly four hour long standoff Lee was shot and killed by police. No hostages were hurt in the standoff. Lee had previously held protests outside of the building, including one where he through money into the air.  (Photo by JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

On March 10, former child star and troubled celebrity Corey Haim died after an apparent accidental overdose. Doctors were arrested after it was determined Haim had received thousands of fraudulent prescription drugs. Some of Haim’s biggest films from the 1980’s included ‘Lost Boys’ and ‘Lucas’.  (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Wireimage)

On January 7, the Alabama Crimson Tide rolled over the Texas Longhorns 37-21 to capture the school’s first national title since 1992. Game MVP, and Heisman Trophy winning running back, Mark Ingram scored two touchdowns.  (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

On February 22, former Vice President Dick Cheney was admitted to George Washington University Hospital after suffering chest pains. Test results later determined Cheney had suffered a mild heart attack, his fourth. He was fitted in July with a left-ventricular assist device.   (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

On September 22, three young men filed a lawsuit against popular Atlanta Bishop Eddie L. Long, claiming he used his authority to coerce them into having sex with him. Two days later a North Carolina man filed a similar suit. Long denied the allegations before his congregation.   (Photo by John Amis-Pool/Getty Images)

On November 11, the stranded Carinval Splendor cruise ship returned to port after losing power off the California coast. More than 4,500 passengers and crew members were left without power for three days after a fire in the ship’s engine room. Emergency food supplies were delivered, and tug boats were used to bring the boat back into a San Diego port.   (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

On November 5, MSNBC suspended host Keith Olbermann after it was revealed that he had donated money to three democratic campaigns without disclosing it, which is against company rules at MSNBC. Olbermann returned to hosting his cable program ‘Countdown’ the following week, missing just two shows.  (Jeffrey Ufberg/Contributor)

On June 17, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics 83-79 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The championship was the 16th for the franchise. For star Kobe Bryant, it was his his fifth NBA title.  (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images)

On August 25, Terminex released its list of the worst 15 cities for bed bugs. New York City was ranked the worst, with four Ohio cities also making the rankings. One week prior to the list’s release an AMC Movie Theater in New York City was forced to shut down over a bed bug infestation.  (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

On August 17, radio personality Dr. Laura Schlessinger announced on ‘Larry King Live’ that she would be leaving her show in December. The announcement came days after ‘Dr. Laura’ was criticized for ripping a telephone caller she claimed was being too sensitive to race issues. In the conversation Dr. Larua dropped the n-word multiple times.  (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)

On November 9, former President George W. Bush released his first post-presidency book called ‘Decision Points’. In the book Bush explained some of the more difficult points in his presidency, including squabbles between himself and Dick Cheney over Scooter Libby, waterboarding, and being told by Kanye West that he doesn’t care about black people. The former president hit the talk show circuit upon the release, doing interviews with Matt Lauer of the ‘Today Show’ and Jay Leno on the ‘Tonight Show’.  (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

On August 4, disgruntled employee Omar Thornton opened fire at a beer distribution plant in South Windsor, Conn. Eight employees were killed before Thornton turned the gun on himself. Speaking with a 911 operator Thornton claimed that the company treated him unfairly because he was black.   (Douglas Healey/Getty Images)

On July 13, longtime Yankee’s owner George Steinbrenner died. During Steinbreener’s 37 years as owner of the Yankees the team won seven World Series championships and 11 pennants. Steinbrenner died after suffering a heart attack at his Tampa home at the age of 80. His sons Hank and Hal have been running the team since 2006.  (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

On May 23, after six seasons, ABC aired the series finale of ‘ Lost’. Viewers were expecting the final show would answer all their questions about the plot, however many questions were still left unanswered. 13.5 million viewers tuned in for the series finale.  (Photo by Marc Stamas/Getty Images)

On May 28, ‘Different Strokes’ actor Gary Coleman died after sustaining a brain hemorrhage after an injury at his Utah home. 911 tapes revealed ex-wife Shannon Price made an emergency call about the injury. Her reaction to the injury seemed a bit suspicious, but in October an autopsy revealed that the cause of death was indeed an accident.   (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

On February 24, Sea World trainer Dawn Brancheau was killed when an orca whale grabbed her by the hair during a show and pulled her underwater. The death forced Sea World to halt whale shows at all of its parks. Sea World announced a day after the death it would be keeping the whale, and not destroying it, or setting it free.   (Photo by Matt Stroshane/Getty Images)

On February 17, eight of ten U.S. missionaries were released from Port-au-Prince jail after their arrest on kidnapping charges after attempting to transport 33 Haitian children into the Dominican Republic days after the January 12 earthquake. Most of the missionaries came from two Baptist churches in Idaho. The remaining two missionaries were released in March and May.  (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

On November 16, Prince William and longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton announced their engagement. The two had been dating for eight years. William gave Middleton the ring his mother had worn when she was engaged with Prince Charles. The two will be wed in April of 2011 at Westminster Abbey.   (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

On June 7, Helen Thomas, an 89-year-old White House reporter who had covered all presidents from Eisenhower to Obama retired from her post. Her decision came days after controversial comments she made, where she claimed Jews needed to “get the hell out of Palestine” and return to Poland and Germany. President Obama condemned the comments.   (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

On December 7, Australian Julian Assange, founder of whistleblowing website Wikileaks, was arrested days after Interpol put him on its most-wanted list. Assange, under fire for posting secret military documents online, was arrested for an alleged sexual assault in Sweden and eventually release on December 17.  (Photo by THOMAS COEX/AFP/Getty Images)

On October 30, at the National Mall in Washington, DC, Comedy Central TV hosts Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert hosted a rally dubbed ‘Rally To Restore Sanity And/Or Fear’. The rally, which took place just days before the midterm elections, was intended to tone down the heated dialogue between liberals and conservatives. However the Comedy Central hosts claimed it wasn’t a direct response to Glenn Beck‘s rally two months prior.  (Photo BySAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

On September 14, American hiker Sarah Shourd was released by Iran after being detained for 13 months under allegations of spying for the U.S. Hikers Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal remain detained without trial.   (Photo by MOHAMMED MAHJOUB/AFP/Getty Images)

On November 24, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was convicted of illegally funneling corporate money to Texas congressional candidates in 2002. DeLay was convicted of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.  (Photo by Ben Sklar /Getty Images)

On November 1, the San Francisco Giants won their first World Series since 1954, defeating the Texas Rangers 3-1 in Game 6. Edgar Rentería’s three run homerun in the seventh inning helped him nab the World Series MVP award. It was the first time the Texas Rangers had ever reached the World Series.  (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

On November 26, President Obama was taken to the White House doctor after suffering a cut to his lip. The president was reportedly playing basketball when he was elbowed in the face by Rey Decegera of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. Obama took twelve stitches to the lip.   (Photo by TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images)

On December 7 - Elizabeth Edwards, the former wife of Sen. John Edwards died after a six year battle with cancer. Edwards separated from her politician husband after he revealed earlier in the year that he had fathered a child with a mistress. Her death came just one day after it was announced she would end her cancer treatment, and didn’t have much longer to live. She was 61.   (Photo by Toby Canham/Getty Images)

On May 10, Britain elected David Cameron as its new Prime Minister. Cameron took over for Gordon Brown whose approval ratings had been slumping for months.   (Photo by STEFAN ROUSSEAU/AFP/Getty Images)

On May 9, after weeks of Internet buzz, America’s ‘Golden Girl’, Betty White became the oldest host of ‘Saturday Night Live’, at the age of 88. The appearance even earned her a 2010 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series.  (Jason LaVeris/Contributor)

On April 21, the NFL suspended two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger after allegations against the Steelers’ QB of sexual assault by a 20-year-old college student from Georgia. In April the alleged victim claimed she no longer wanted to press charges against Roethlisberger, however NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced he would be suspended six games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. The suspension was later reduced to four games.   (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

On July 29, the House Ethics Committee charged longtime New York Congressman Chrales Rangel with 13 counts of violating ethics rules, including failing to pay taxes and receiving reduced rent. Despite the charges Rangel had no problem winning re-election in November. In December the longtime Congressman was censured before the House of Representatives.  (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

On March 18, after rumors of infidelity, actor Jesse James made a public apology to wife Sandra Bullock. The news came as a surprise to the entertainment industry which had just seen the two celebrating Bullock’s Oscar for ‘The Blind Side’ earlier in the month. One month later Bullock announced she was adopting a baby from New Orleans, a process that began before James’ announcement. The couple was officially divorced June 28.   (Photo by Jordan Strauss/WireImage)

On February 18, Joseph Stack, a 53-year-old software engineer committed suicide by flying a small plane into an IRS building in Austin, Texas. Internal Revenue Service manager Vernon Hunter, who was in the building at the time of the crash, also died. Thirteen others were hurt, two seriously. After the crash police found Stack’s rambling suicide note criticizing the government.  (Photo by Jana Birchum/Getty Images)

On June 1, it was announced through a family friend that former Vice President Al Gore and his wife Tipper had separated. The two had been married for 40 years.   (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

On June 9, the Chicago Blackhawks scored an overtime goal in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals clinching the series over the Philadelphia Flyers. The last time the Blackhawks had won the Stanley Cup was 1961, the longest standing drought in the NHL.   (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

On August 4, U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker struck down California‘s Proposition 8, claiming it violated the federal constitutional rights of gays and lesbians to marry. Proposition 8, which passed in 2008 banned same sex unions in the state. However later that month the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals imposed an emergency stay on Proposition 8, putting a hold on gay marriages in the state.   (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

On August 15, exactly one year after ‘Craigslist Killer’ Philip Markoff was supposed to be married, he was found dead in his cell at Boston’s Nashua Street Jail. Markoff was convicted in 2009 of killing three women whom he solicited from the website Craigslist. Markoff had reportedly attempted suicide several times prior to his death.   (Photo by Mark Garfinkel-Pool/Getty Images)

On September 9, nine people were killed in a neighborhood in San Bruno, California after a pipeline exploded. Homes were destroyed and flames spread throughout the neighborhood. Residents claimed they thought the explosion was an earthquake. The resulting fire took 200 firefighters and a full day to put out.   (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

On September 3, Hurricane Earl reached its closest point to the U.S. shore, coming within 90 miles of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The one time Category 4 storm forced island evacuations, and prompted the federal government to send assistance to the area. However the power of the storm was never realized. As the hurricane spun up the coast it’s major impact was rain, which canceled sporting events, and caused some flooding.  (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

On June 11, South Africa welcomed soccer fans around the world as the World Cup opened for the first time on African soil. The U.S. Men’s Team advanced to the knockout round after tying England and Slovenia, and beating Algeria with a goal by Landon Donovan in stoppage time. Spain defeated The Netherlands in the World Cup Final 1-0, the nation’s first World Cup title.  (Photo by HOANG DINH NAM/AFP/Getty Images)

On January 21, Former presidential candidate, John Edwards and wife Elizabeth officially separated one week after the ex-Senator admitted he had fathered a child with mistress Rielle Hunter. In March, Hunter conducted an interview and photo shoot with ‘GQ’ magazine, explaining details of the affair. In April she appeared on ‘Oprah’.   (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

On September 30, an event in North Korea featuring the youngest son of leader Kim Jong-Il, named Kim John-Un, appeared to show the announcement of the eventual successor in the country. It is believed that Kim Jon-Il’s health is failing, however the government has not stated that formally.  (Photo byJUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images)

On November 23, Bristol Palin, daughter of former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, finished third in the reality TV show ‘ Dancing With the Stars’. ‘Dirty Dancing’ star Jennifer Grey won the competition, but Palin stole the headlines as she continued to move on week to week despite lesser scores by the judges. Critics claimed supporters of Palin’s mother were clogging phone lines and casting votes for her. Those allegations were never proven. Disney Channel’s Kyle Massey finished second.  (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

On October 8, the website deadspin.com revealed alleged e-mails sent by longtime NFL quarterback Brett Favre to a then New York Jets employee named Jenn Sterger when Favre played with the Jets. The messages included nude pictures and voice mail messages of Favre allegedly inviting Sterger to his hotel room. Favre was investigated by the league for the allegations. On December 29, Favre was fined $50,000 for failing to comply with the investigation.  (Photo by Jim Prisching/Getty Images, Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for PR/PR)

On August 9, a single-engine Turbo Otter plane carrying former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, former NASA administrator Sean O’Keefe, and six other passengers crashed north of Dillingham, Alaska. Sen. Stevens was one of five people killed. Poor weather hampered rescue efforts. Stevens was buried at Arlington National Cemetery one month later.   (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

On November 23, North Korea fired dozens of military shells at the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong, killing two soldiers. The attack came as South Korea was conducting military drills. The United States condemned the attack.   (Photo by STR/AFP/Getty Images)

On July 21, President Barack Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The measure was the most sweeping financial reform in the U.S. since the 1930s, and promised Americans would no longer have to pay for Wall Street mistakes.   (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

On February 27, an 8.8-magnitude earthquake shook the Maule Region of Chile, triggering a tsunami. The death toll from the two natural disasters reached 800. Aftershocks were felt for nearly a month after the initial quake. On March 11, a 6.9-magnitude aftershock killed one more person.   (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

On January 19, Republican Senate candidate Scott Brown shocked the political world, upsetting Democrat Martha Coakley in a special election for Sen. Ted Kennedy’s seat. Brown’s victory tipped the Senate away from a Democratic Super Majority.  (Photo by TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images)

On August 28, a rally at the Lincoln Memorial in the National Mall of Washington, DC drew thousands as conservative radio and TV talk show guru Glenn Beck hosted a rally called ‘Restoring Honor’. The rally included several conservative speakers, but Beck insisted it was not meant to be political.  (Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

On June 27, nine Russian spies were arrested and deported from the U.S. after an FBI sting dubbed ‘Illegals Program’. Among the nine arrested was a 28-year-old red head named Anna Chapman, who after her arrest was portrayed as a sexy spy. Photos later released of Chapman revealed her wearing cocktail dresses. Her attractive figure even prompted comments from Vice President Joe Biden who said he wasn’t the one who ordered her deported.   (Photo by DMITRY KOSTYUKOV/AFP/Getty Images)

On July 6, Lindsay Lohan was sentenced to 90 days in jail for violating her probation in two 2007 drunk driving cases. She was released on August 2, 14 days into her sentence. Lohan was ordered back to rehab on October 22.  (Photo by DAVID MCNEW/AFP/Getty Images)

On February 28, the Canadian men’s hockey team scored a game-winning overtime goal to beat the United States 3-2, giving the home team its 14th overall gold, the most golds of any nation. The United States lead all countries in medals with 37.  (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

On June 3, Joran van der Sloot, suspected in the murder of American Natalee Holloway in 2005 was arrested in Peru following the murder of Tatiana Flores Ramírez. Ramírez’s body was found beaten to death in a Peruvian hotel room paid for by van der Sloot. Security camera video caught Joran entering the room with Ramírez, and leaving without her. According to police he admitted to Ramírez’s death on June 7, but later took the confession back.  (Photo by MARCEL ANTONISSE/AFP/Getty Images)

On April 1, the United States government began distributing 10 question Census forms to all U.S. residents. By August the Census Bureau claimed a 72% return rate. According to federal officials the cost of the nationwide survey was $1.6 billion less than projected.  (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

On February 7 the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts to win Super Bowl XLIV. The Super Bowl was the team’s first in franchise history. Saints’ QB Drew Brees was named Super Bowl MVP.   (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

On January 22, twelve days after NBC confirmed it would be returning Jay Leno to host the ‘Tonight Show’, Conan O’Brien officially ended his reign as show host, leaving NBC after a bitter dispute. O’Brien announced later in the year that he would be reappearing with his own late night show on TBS called ‘Conan’.  (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

On October 4, an accident at the Ajkai Timföldgyár alumina plant in Western Hungary caused a reservoir break, allowing a surge of toxic waste to flood into seven towns. Nine people died, 122 people were injured. The accident was Hungary’s worst ever ecological disaster.   (Photo by STR/AFP/Getty Images)

On April 10, Polish President Lech Kaczyński, his wife, and several other top government officials were killed when their Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft crashed near Smolensk, Russia. All 96 people aboard the plane were killed in the crash. Heavy fog may have played a factor it it going down.  (Photo by NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/Getty Images)

On August 13, Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa conducted a nationwide voluntary recall of eggs that it had shipped after sickening several hundred people with symptoms of salmonella. The eggs were sold in 22 states under several different brand names.  (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

On July 25, the website Wikileaks releases thousands of classified military intelligence documents dating from 2004-2009. The documents revealed startling information on what the U.S. knew about the Taliban, Iran and Pakistan’s involvement in the insurgency, and the amount of civilian casualties. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange (pictured) would not reveal the source of the leaked documents. The Wikileaks website continued several more ‘document dumps’ through the year.  (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)

On September 22, it was reported 26-year-old Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg would donate $100 million to the Newark Public Schools. Zuckerberg later made the official announcement on Oprah. The timing of the announcement was a bit peculiar, as it came just weeks after a movie allegedly about Zuckerberg called ‘Social Network’ was released. Facebook was heavily criticized in 2010 for allegedly allowing outside sources to pull personal information from its users, but Zuckerberg was later named ‘Time Person of the Year’ on December 16.  (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was cleared of 23 of 24 federal counts of corruption, including trying to sell the U.S. Senate Seat vacated by President Barack Obama. Blagojevich’s only conviction was of making false statements to the FBI.  (Photo by John Gress/Getty Images)

On September 21, Republican members of the Senate blocked a bill that would have repealed the 17-year-old ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy. Repealing the measure would allow gay and lesbian service members to serve openly. Senate leaders again pushed for the repeal and succeeded during the lame duck session on December 18. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates defended the repeal, claiming surveys showed removing the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy would have little impact on the military institution. Sen. John McCain is leading the charge of continuing the policy.  (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

On September 9, after nearly a month of debate nationwide, Florida pastor Terry Jones called off a planned burning of Qurans on the anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks. The congregations’ plans sparked anger worldwide, and even spurred warnings from President Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates for fear that such an act would put U.S. soldiers at risk.  (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

On May 1, an attempted bomb plot shut down New York‘s Times Square. Security cameras showed a man walking away from a smoking SUV. The SUV was found to have explosive materials, but never detonated. Two days later the U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced the arrest of Faisal Shahzad while reportedly attempting to board a plane to Pakistan. Shahzad was sentenced on October 5th to life in prison without parole.   (Photo by JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

On June 23, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who headed up the war in Afghanistan, was removed from his position after a ‘Rolling Stone’ article in which McChrystal was quoted making unflattering comments about several government officials including National Security Advisor James L. Jones, and Vice President Joe Biden. McChrystal resigned two days before the article was released to the public. He was replaced by General David Patreaus.  (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

On October 29, two U.S.-bound cargo planes were grounded after suspicious packages were found aboard. Both packages were reportedly heading to a Jewish synagogue in Chicago from Yemen. The planes were intercepted in Dubai and England . According to U.S. and British officials the packages included wires and explosives. One of the packages was reported to have enough explosives to bring down the plane. Government officials in Yemen reportedly arrested a woman in connection with the mailings.  (Photo by KARIM SAHIB/AFP/Getty Images)

On April 14, Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull erupted for a second time, causing a massive plume of smoke and ash. In just one week the cloud had forced the cancellation of 95,000 flights over Europe.  (Photo by Heidar Kristjansson/AFP/Getty Images)

On July 8, LeBron James ended years of speculation by announcing he would be leaving Cleveland and would join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat. The announcement came as shock to Cleveland fans, some of which took to the streets burning James jerseys. ‘The Decision’ raised $2.5 million for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.  (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Estabrook Group)

On March 15, the TSA began testing new body scanners at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. The scanners show a full body X-ray through clothing, and is meant to check for metallic and non-metallic threats including explosives. Passengers who chose not to go through the security scanners have to go through a pat down inspection.  (Photo by Michael Nagle/Getty Images)

On April 23, despite opposition from the White House, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed SB 1070, one of the most stringent immigration laws in the country. The new law requires 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, which claimed it would encourage racial profiling. Governor Brewer claimed the federal government had waited too long for immigration reform.  (Photo by MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)

On January 27th, after months of speculation, Apple Inc. CEO, Steve Jobs, unveiled the company’s first tablet computer, the iPad. The mobile tablet provided the functionality of a MacBook laptop and the mobility of an iPhone. The iPad hit shelves in April of 2010 and sold more than 3 million units in just 80 days.  (Photo by Ryan Anson/AFP/Getty Images)

On August 13, President Barack Obama entered into the Ground Zero Islamic center debate. Polls showed a majority of New Yorkers opposed the placement of a mosque within blocks of the former site of the World Trade Towers. In a speech following a dinner celebrating the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, President Obama said, “Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country. And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances.”  (Photo by DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)

On December 6, President Barack Obama announced he had reached a deal with Republican leaders to extend Bush era tax cuts for all Americans for two more years. In exchange the president received an extension of unemployment benefits. The president had been fighting the tax cuts for most of 2010, and the deal angered most liberal Democrats, but signed the bill into law on December 17.  (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

On April 5, an underground explosion at the Upper Big Branch coal mine at Montcoal in Raleigh County, West Virginia left 29 people dead. High methane levels where detected in the mine. It was the worst coal mining disaster in the U.S. since 1970 when 38 workers died.   (Photo by Kayana Szymczak/Getty Images)

On August 31, President Barack Obama spoke in a prime time address formally declaring an end to combat operations in Iraq. However 50,000 American troops remained in the country.  (Photo by Brendan Smialowski-Pool/Getty Images)

On January 28, Toyota instituted its second recall after reports of pedals sticking to floor mats, causing people to accelerate without being able to use their break. The recall included 2.3 million vehicles sold in the U.S. and 1.8 million sold in other countries. An addional 1.1 million more Toyota vehicles were recalled a week later. After several Congressional hearings and testimony, Toyota deemed the recall repairs had been effective in solving the issue.  (Photo by KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images)

On October 13, after nearly 70 days trapped below the earth in a Chilean mine, 33 miners were rescued through a tiny capsule taken like an elevator up a narrow shaft. All 33 miners were in good condition. The miners became instant celebrities and each was greeted by Chile’s president upon their rescue.  (Photo credit should read JUAN MABROMATA/AFP/Getty Images)

On November 2, a GOP tide rolled through Washington as Republicans won full control of the House and picked up six seats in the Senate. Most called the sweeping change a statement against the Obama agenda, including health care and rising deficit. Nancy Pelosi lost her position as House speaker. That job will be filled in 2011 by House Minority Leader John Boehner.  (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

On March 23, after months of debate, President Obama signed into law the the one of the most sweeping pieces of social legislation ever passed by Congress. It ensured medical coverage for almost all Americans. The legality of the law was challenged in several states. Much of the bill will not go into effect until 2014.  (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

On April 20, The Deepwater Horizon, an offshore floating oil rig exploded, killing 11 workers and forcing other workers onto life boats. The explosion set off a three month oil leak that reached American shores in Louisiana, Missisippi, Alabama and Florida. The leak was not stopped until July 15.  (Photo by MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)

On January 12, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake shook Port-au-Prince, Haiti, toppling buildings and destroying most of the country’s infrastructure. The Haitian government estimated 230,000 people were killed, more than 300,000 injured, and more than one million people left homeless. 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.   (Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)