The Buzz Turns One
by Mike KrumboltzFeb 25, 2009
You say it's your birthday? Well, it's our birthday, too. That's right, Yahoo! Buzz is one year old. To commemorate the occasion, we took a look back at four people who made our venture a success. It was hard to pick just a handful of individuals to focus on. After all, this was a year that gave us Sarah Palin, the election of Barack Obama, and Michael Phelps' domination at the summer Olympics. Oh, what the heck, we'll just go with those...
Sarah Palin
The folksy Alaskan exploded onto the scene when Senator McCain picked her to be his running mate. Even now, months after the pair lost the election to President Obama and Vice President Biden, Caribou Barbie still looms large in the Buzz. Two of the Buzz Log's biggest hits: Our recap of Sarah Palin's convention speech in which she uttered the infamous pit bull with lipstick line, and the speculation that she'll make a run for the presidency in 2012 (paging Tina Fey!). Bottom line, if an article mentioned Sarah Palin, her children, her glasses, her love of moose burgers, or her subsidized wardrobe, odds are it was buzzed early and often.
Barack Obama
At times it may have seemed like Yahoo! Buzz was dominated by the new president. That's because it was. Indeed, everything he did and said tended to get buzzed. When Mr. Obama got a new limousine, we wrote about it. When his daughters captured the attention of the world, the clicks came fast and furious. When he mentioned a new puppy for his two girls during his victory speech, it was one of the most talked about stories of the year. And when he shed his shirt for an excursion to the beach, our post drew nearly 20,000 buzzes. Somehow we doubt a shirtless Jimmy Carter would have drawn the same reaction.
Michael Phelps
Amid all the hubbub over Michael Phelps' recent flap with the law, it's easy to forget that this past summer the guy could literally do no wrong (at least in the swimming pool). He competed in eight different events and won gold medals in all of 'em. Some of the most popular stories had to do with his dedicated and emotional mom, who rooted for her son as only a mother can. Also popular -- a Yahoo! Sports story on Michael's father, who was conspicuously absent from the stands.
You
Thanks to you, Yahoo! Buzz has become the Web's best place to get the scoop on what's happening on everything from presidential politics to scandal-ridden swimmers. We'd like to thank all of you for reading, commenting, and buzzing up your favorite stories. Here's to a great (and very buzzy) sophomore year!
