2008: Year in Review

It was a year of dark horses and Dark Knights, of record breakers and history makers. It was a year with fiscal woes and fashion wows, painful tragedies and progressive triumphs. 2008 was a year that changed the world. It was a year to remember. Here's what Youthink readers will remember!

SPORTS:
Non-Stop Summer Action
The whole world tuned in to watch the Beijing Summer Olympics, where Usain ("Lightning") Bolt blasted world records to smithereens in the 100-metre and 200-metre sprint - with a shocking victory dance before reaching the finish line; the American men's all-star basketball "Redeem" Team avenged their loss and took back the gold; the Chinese dominated across the board (but were those gymnasts underage?); human dolphin Michael Phelps collected a record-breaking eight gold medals; and Team Canada came away with a respectable 14 medals. Next stop, the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver!

Championship Highlights
Rafael Nadal dethroned perennial champion Roger Federer to win the Men's Singles title at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Canadians were shut out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs entirely, and the Detroit Red Wings eventually claimed the title. Eli Manning finally stepped out of his older brother's shadow to win Superbowl XLII, upsetting the previously undefeated New England Patriots 17 to 14.

ENTERTAINMENT:
Celeb Gossip
Another year, another string of Spears gossip - except that the biggest story of the year was not Britney's highs and lows, but 16-year-old Jamie-Lynn's shocking pregnancy. In other news, Ellen got married while Madonna and Guy Ritchie split, Brangelina had twins and High School Musical sweethearts Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens remained a couple on and offscreen.

Super Movies
Superheroes were all the rage this year - The Dark Knight and Iron Man dominated the summer box office, and the "Heath Ledger deserves a posthumous Oscar for his performance as the Joker" Facebook group amassed nearly 450,000 members. Animated films Wall-E and Kung Fu Panda also did well at the box office.

Major Music
Coldplay's Viva La Vida topped the charts. Other hits came from Rihanna, Katy Perry and the Jonas Brothers. Feist dominated at the Juno Awards in her hometown of Calgary, including winning the award for "Artist of the Year."

TV's Rich and Fabulous
The fabulously fashionable Gossip Girl was the biggest phenomenon of the year, while its west coast counterpart, 90210, gained popularity. Fan favourites Heroes, House and Ugly Betty all returned from the writers' strike and did not disappoint. In reality land, popular shows included America's Next Top Model (in spite of Tyra Banks' ridiculous antics), So You Think You Can Dance, The Hills and Project Runway.

IN THE NEWS:
Elections
Completely overshadowing the uneventful Canadian federal election (in which Stephen Harper and the Conservatives were re-elected), the US election campaign featured everything from serious debates about the economy and the war, to less serious arguments about how much was spent on designer clothing, lipstick on a pig and “Joe the Plumber." Senator Barack Obama became the first African-American candidate to represent a major party, while Senator John McCain made headlines by selecting Alaskan "hockey mom" Sarah Palin as his running mate. (Palin's uncanny resemblance to Tina Fey also led to many memorable parodies on Saturday Night Live). In the end, however, Obama emerged victorious and will make history as the country's first African-American president.

Are Canadians Extraordinary?
Prime Minister Stephen Harper caused quite a controversy when he suggested in a speech that "ordinary people don't care about art" as an explanation for cutting $45 million from funding for arts and culture.

Disasters
The whole world watched in horror in 2008 as Cyclone Nargis struck Burma in May and killed hundreds of thousands of people; unfortunately, the military government of the city was quite hostile to international aid, so rescue efforts were often delayed or forbidden. An enormous earthquake (around 8.0 on the Richter scale) struck the Sichuan region in China shortly after, and killed nearly 100,000 people.

Economic Ups and Downs
Gas prices rose to unprecedented (and utterly insane) highs before coming back down while the economy suffered. Banks closed, financial scandals were revealed, US companies went bankrupt, stock markets crashed and housing markets slumped. Economists predict the biggest recession since the '80s- if we're lucky.

Zimbabwe Election
Leading up to the general elections in Zimbabwe, it was reported that President Robert Mugabe's supporters were responsible for massacring those who opposed him. Thus, although he "won" the July elections, many refuse to acknowledge Mugabe's legitimacy.

TECHNOLOGY & TRENDS:
Aliens and Protons
The Large Hadron Collider, the world's biggest particle accelerator, was also completed, despite fears that it could lead to world destruction. However, operations were halted when a faulty connection between two of the accelerator magnets resulted in a huge super-cool helium leak.

Apple of my i
Apple's iPods and MacBooks continued to be popular with consumers. The ubiquitous iPhone was also finally (officially) launched in Canada.
Wii can all be superstars!
Top games of the year were music-themed games Guitar Hero and Rockband, as well as updated classics Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the Wii. The ingenious Wii Fit, which allows players to exercise while they game, was a smash hit as well.

Green is the New Black
Celebrities touted green causes, more recycled materials were used in manufacturing and schools and students worked together to save energy and reduce pollution. Environmental friendliness was certainly a trend in 2008! (Let's just hope it stops being a trend and simply becomes a way of life.)

FASHION:
Preppy and Pretty
Thanks to the influence of Gossip Girl and other preppy shows, fashion took a turn for the prim and proper. Bows, shift dresses, cardigans, tights, blazers and plaid prints were all major trends, especially for fall.

Big and Bold
Jewellery and accessories for 2008 were eye-catching, brightly coloured and generally large in size. The "statement necklace" was even crowned the "it" accessory for fall '08. Masculine looks such as tailored vests and trousers were combined with feminine details for bold, contrasting statements. Prep also made its return due in part to the popularity of Gossip Girl.

Fashion with a Mission
Every major designer released their own take on the eco-friendly shopping bag. Clothing was made of bamboo, organic cotton, recycled fabric and more. Political messages were emblazoned across t-shirts. It was the year to not just express yourself - but to declare yourself.