Strange Bankruptcies of 2011
Bailouts and copouts aren’t just for Wall Street. Nations, celebrities, cities, the United States Post Office, major sports franchises, and perhaps some of your neighbors teetered on the brink in 2011. Leagues of nations wagered their own economic stability and frantically pooled money to keep Greece from defaulting as it…
Video: Astounding Moments of 2011
Skydiving military dogs, giant solar flares, and a surfer riding down the face of a 90-foot wave: These are just a few of the most astounding moments of 2011. Video produced by Allison Louie-Garcia, Jennie Josephson, and Mary Haynes. Post-production by Rob Page and John Adams. Graphics by Howard Kim…
Video: Inspiring Moments of 2011
From the volunteers who worked tirelessly to rebuild Joplin, Missouri, and the Miyagi prefecture in Japan; to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to ensure their country’s freedom; to Gabrielle Giffords and Austin Whitney, who triumphed in the face of adversity: 2011 has shown us that inspiration can spring from…
No. 4: Operation Beautiful
The catalyst: Caitlin Boyle was writing environmental compliance documents for a land developer. But writing legal docs and analyzing the development’s environmental impact from the confines of her home office was too technical for her taste — and too solitary. “I typically had little interaction with team members or other…
10 Worst Trends of 2011
We have 2011 to thank for new trends like the fascination with the iPhone’s virtual assistant, Siri. But let’s take a moment to consider what we could happily do without in 2012. Our experts take on the diet, fitness, hair, and wardrobe malfunctions that were among the worst fads of…
No. 4: Death of Osama bin Laden
When the announcement came May 1 at 11:35 p.m. ET about the death of Osama bin Laden, much of the East Coast was likely in bed. The timing was curious on two levels — not for how late the news came, because news like this couldn’t wait. Only a few…
How to Review a Year: Methodology and Credits
What does it take to put together a Yahoo! Year in Review? Algorithms and brainpower. Our look back is an old newsroom tradition with a new-media twist: We combine editorial instincts with audience behavior metrics. That’s not as easy as it sounds — it takes quite a team to come…
Upheavals, Uprisings, and the Upside: A Look Back at 2011
The Arab spring, a Tiger Mom, and Charlie Sheen. That was just January. Welcome to the 2011 edition of the Yahoo! Year in Review, a look back at the year’s stories, passing fancies, and outsized newsmakers, as determined through online searches, article views, and other signals. (Curious about our methodology?…
The Misery of Brad Pitt
The first role that Brad Pitt won an award for, he hated. Maybe hate is a strong word, but Pitt describes his experience as the brooding, self-loathing Louis de Pointe du Lac in the 1994 film “Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles,” as “miserable.” In a nicely self-deprecating cover…
9/11 observances across the U.S., around the world
An American flag is unfurled during a commemoration at the Trocadero plaza in Paris, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011. (AP … Americans honored the places where terrorism struck 10 years ago with memorials and commemoration ceremonies Sunday. But beyond Manhattan, Shanksville, Pa., and Washington D.C., people in communities across the country and…