the buzz log

If a story is on the front page of Yahoo!, chances are it's a pretty big deal. We dove into a year's worth of data and tracked down the ten most popular articles from our front page in 2008. It's an intriguing mix. There are beautiful women (of course), sudden tragedies, and minor mysteries. The Olympics were huge, but so was Christian Bale's scratchy voice. Take a look and revisit the stories you clearly couldn't get enough of. And a small caveat — not all of the URLs are still around. If we couldn't find the original story, we linked to Yahoo! search. Enjoy!

1. Barack Obama wins!
The biggest story of the year didn't happen until November. Barack Obama, a junior senator from Illinois, became the first African American president of the United States. Yahoo! updated its coverage throughout Election Day, and readers kept coming back for more. Especially popular: Obama's acceptance speech and his mention of a puppy in the White House.

2. The death of Heath Ledger
The Oscar nominee died of an accidental overdose in January, at age 28. Millions of Yahoo! visitors clicked on the story, a testament to the tragic and shocking nature of the news. Interest in Mr. Ledger surged again during the summer when "The Dark Knight" hit theaters. Moviegoers couldn't stop talking about (and imitating) his frightening performance as the Joker. Why so serious?

3. Why do Olympic divers shower?
The Olympics were huge on Yahoo!. One of the biggest stories out of Beijing concerned the mysterious showers in the WaterCube. Viewers wanted to know why the divers make a beeline for the showers after getting out of the pool. The answer: To keep muscles warm between dives. Washing away the chlorine is just a bonus.

4. Who is Michael Phelps' dad?
The summer Olympics were owned by Michael Phelps. His father's notable absence from the bleachers was an even bigger story. Phelps' Mom was in the stands, cheering her heart out, but Papa Phelps was nowhere to be seen. According to a hugely popular piece from Yahoo! Sports, Fred Phelps is a retired Maryland trooper and has little contact with his son.

5. Hollywood's Employee of the Year awards (aka "The Oscars")
There are dozens of award shows. Only the Oscars are among our ten most popular stories. "No Country for Old Men" won Best Picture, while Diablo Cody took home the trophy for her hipper-than-thou "Juno" screenplay. Jon Stewart hosted for the second time and George Clooney looked particularly dashing on the red carpet. As always.

6. Dim the lights while swimming
Here's a phrase you don't hear about every day: electric swimsuits. The Spanish synchronized swimming team was banned from using their battery-powered suits when officials determined they would give Spain an unfair, if sparkly, advantage.

7. Super Tuesday fails to solve anything
2008's Democratic primary race was one for the books. Some thought the race might be settled, or at least become a little clearer, on Super Tuesday. Nope. Clinton won California, while Obama won Georgia, Colorado, and a handful of other states. The stalemate continued for several more months.

8. Batman needs a bat-lozenge
Both critics and audiences loved "The Dark Knight." If only the same could be said for Christian Bale's raspy voice. Folks wondered why Christian Bale, who played Batman, sounded more like Laryngitis Man. Time will tell if Bale raises his vocal register for his next Batman outing or continues to pump out the bass à la Barry White.

9. Who's that javelin thrower?
26-year-old Laryn Franco finished second-to-last in the Olympic javelin throw, but nobody seemed to mind. Indeed, the Paraguayan athlete/model was one of the biggest stars of the Games. A blog from Yahoo! Sports offered some juicy details, including the revelation that she never expected to win a medal. She simply wanted "to win the hearts of men and women worldwide." Mission accomplished.

10. Hurricane Ike hits land
The tremendously powerful storm hit land in September, causing hundreds of deaths and billions of dollars in damage. Yahoo! News covered the natural disaster and continues to provide links to articles, photos, and news on how victims can receive assistance.