No. 9: Real Runaway Bride (aka Earthquake Bride)
A woman attempting a secret marriage had her plans altered in an earth-shaking manner, and a photographer was there to capture the moment. So much for the secret part. The “earthquake bride,” Valerie Shevchenko, and her husband, Dmitriy Grif, 19, have been adjusting to married life since the 5.8 tremor…
No. 8: “Extreme Makeover” family under scrutiny
A family featured in the tear-jerking ABC series “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” became the focus of national attention in May during an Oregon court case that questioned the family’s need for intensive medical care. Because of that court case, it became natural to wonder whether the show itself — and…
No. 7: Brain-Eating amoeba kills
Just the words “deadly brain-eating amoeba” can create enough panic to cause a national stir. Still, health officials know that 2011’s death toll of four attributed to the Naegleria fowleri is not uncommon. “That’s pretty typical,” Jonathan Yoder of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Yahoo!. Yoder is the…
No. 6: Unsettling On-Air Episode Raises Questions
Live shots are supposed to be routine for broadcast journalists, especially for those who have won Emmy awards and have years of experience. But a shot outside the Grammy Awards on February 13 was anything but routine for CBS Los Angeles correspondent Serene Branson. Instead of giving viewers a recap…
No. 4: ‘Wonder Woman’ costume changed after outcry
Bad fashion and bad TV pilots: Is that any way to treat our favorite Amazon warrior princess, who turns 70 this month? (Unless you count October 25 as her “real-world” debut, or January as her independent premiere.) Wonder Woman fans revolted in March when they caught a glimpse of the…
No. 3: Elusive Lake ‘Monster’ Caught on Film?
The sighting of a Loch Ness monster lookalike in England made quite a splash this year. Tom Pickles and Sarah Harrington told The Telegraph they saw an “enormous snake” the size of three cars speed past them on a kayaking outing at Lake Windermere. “Each hump was moving in a…
No. 2: Shocking Tragedy at End of HS Game
The Fennville Blackhawks‘ team motto is “Never Forgotten.” A two-word tribute to a 16-year-old athlete in the small western Michigan town of Fennville. Wes Leonard hit a game-winning shot in overtime to end a perfect season — only to collapse moments later on the basketball court and die from sudden…
No. 1: Identity of Famous Couple Revealed
On June 15, 2011, Vancouver burned. The riots that followed Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final turned parts of the British Columbia city into chaotic scenes of looting, arson, violence, and clashes with overwhelmed police. It was there, amid the anarchy, that Alex Thomas fell to the ground and…
Where Are They Now?
In between the breaking news and the celebrity hijinks, which stories resonated on Yahoo! in 2011? Where Are They Now? Identity of Famous Couple Revealed Shocking Tragedy at End of HS Game Elusive Lake ‘Monster’ Caught on Film? ‘Wonder Woman’ costume changed after outcry McDonald’s Worker Fired Over NFL Star…
No. 5: McDonald’s Worker Fired Over NFL Star
The year started with a bit of bathroom humor when, in the wee hours of a Minnesota morning, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson needed to, well, wee. And just as he couldn’t make it to the end zone 12 hours earlier, in a loss to the Detroit Lions, Peterson apparently…