In Order from Least Important to Most Important

Michael Phelps suspended for 3 months

On January 31st, Michael Phelps, who set a record of eight gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was caught with a bong. A picture of Phelps, taken at the University of South Carolina, was printed by a British tabloid. He was suspended for three months by USA Swimming, but other charges were not pressed.

Phelps's suspension is important beacuse he was the nation's Olympic hero until this incident. Many aspiring young people, not just athletes, looked up to him. Also, Phelps lost his Kelloggs sponsorship.

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Tiger Wood's car crash reveals hidden mistresses

Tiger Woods, the world's No. 1 golf pro, was in

a car crash near his mansion on November 27th.

He drove into a fire hydrant, and was hospilitalized with minor injuries. He was charged $164 and was citied for reckless driving. His crash has raised speculations about his personal life, because his injuries and the car crash did not match up. There are suspected marital problems.There are eleven women who claim to have had an affair with Woods. Woods has taken an 'indefinite leave' of golf while more mistresses continue to surface.

This story is one of the more important stories of the year because Tiger Woods is so famous. Problems with his personal life draw attention because he was always very guarded about his life and relationships outside of golf.

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Death of 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson

On June 25th, Michael Jackson died from cardiac arrest while at his home in Holmbly Hills, L.A. His death was ruled a homicide,

and one of the main suspects is Michael's personal doctor. Michael Jackson was 50 years old, and before the time of his death, he was taking powerful drugs.
Michael Jackson's death is one of the major events of the year. Michael Jackson was one most influential and successful entertainers of all time. He started music videos, and the most popular was 'Thriller'. His personal life drew the spotlight; he was accused of child sexual abuse in 1994 and 1996. He was one of the most controversial and famous people of all time.

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Somalian pirates hijack Spanish vessel

The Alakrana, a Spanish tuna boat,

was captured October 2nd by Somilian pirates off the coast of Somilia.

There were 36 Spanish captives held for a ransom of $3.5 million. The pirates also demanded that two of their comrades, captured by the Spanish Navy a day before, were released. The Spanish prisoners were released six weeks later, after Spain paid the ransom.

This story is important because the Spanish aren't the only victims of the piracy. However, the country of Somaila is very poor and has no governmental structure. These piracys raise the question that maybe the rest of the world should help out countries that are in deep trouble and debt before the people have to turn to crime to survive. Also, countries are paying huge ransoms for the release of the hostages; the pirates are making money off of their crimes.

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Mexico's Drug War

The drug war in Mexico, which has gone on since December 11, 2006, has had an increase in violence these last few years. Before September 2009, there were 13,600 drug related deaths. The drug lords in Mexico control the entire drug trade in the United States, and guns are smuggled from the U.S. to Mexico for the drug lords.

This is an important continuing event of this year. Even though the war is between the drug lords and Mexico's government, these drug lords still control the U.S. drug market. They have a lot of power because of the illegal market. The drug lords are also being helped by some Americans who support them by sending guns and weapons to Mexico. There have also been American deaths as a result of this war.

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13 killed in Fort Hood Massacre

12 soliders were killed on November 5th at the military base in Fort Hood, Texas by Nidal Malik Hasan, an army psychiatrist. He was not killed in the shooting, but was in serious condition. Hasan, from a Muslim background, was in contact with terroists overseas. 31 people were wounded.
This story is one of the top stories of the year because the FBI knew that Hasan was exchanging emails Anwar al-Awlaki, who was linked to terriosts. It's also tragic because Hasan turned on the soldiers that he was supposed to be helping. 13 people were killed in the shooting (one was pregnant woman).

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