2010: Bring That Year Back!
Nick Cannon spills more Mariah baby news | Antoine Dodson tops YouTube charts | plus more!
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Haiti Earthquake - On Jan. 12, a huge 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Haiti. The death toll from the quake, the largest in the nation’s history, was over 200,000 people and millions more were left homeless. As a result of the massive tragedy, celebs teamed to raise money for relief through a telethon and in total, nations pledged $5.3 billion in aid to the nation.
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New Orleans Wins Super Bowl - Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints became Super Bowl champions after rallying to beat Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in one of the NFL's most thrilling title games. Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 completions, the last a 2-yard slant to Jeremy Shockey for the winning points with 5:42 remaining. The Pro Bowl quarterback was named Super Bowl most valuable player.
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Beyoncé Wins Big at Grammys - Beyoncé made history at the Grammys in February. The singer picked up six trophies, including Song of the Year for "Single Ladies" and Pop Ballad for “Halo.” In the 52-year history of the show, Bey is the first female to win six awards in one night.
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Shani Davis Wins Gold - Shani Davis stuck his skate across the line and won his second straight Olympic title in the 1,000-meter speedskating competition at this year’s Winter Games held in Vancouver. The win made him the first skater to win this event twice at the Winter Games. "That race depleted me 100 percent," he said. "I never want to leave anything on the track." When he won this race four years ago, Davis became the first African-American athlete to win an individual gold at the Winter Games.
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Jayson Williams Sentenced - In February, former NBA star Jayson Williams was sentenced to a minimum 18 months in prison for fatally shooting a hired driver in 2002, ending an eight-year legal odyssey. Williams avoided a retrial on a reckless manslaughter count by pleading guilty last month to aggravated assault in the February 2002 death of Costas Christofi. Williams was acquitted of aggravated manslaughter in 2004 but convicted of covering up the shooting.
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Mo’Nique Wins Oscar - Earlier this year, actress, comedienne and BET talk show host Mo’Nique joined an exclusive and history-making cohort: Black Academy Award-winning actresses. Her achievement carries on the legacy of former Oscar winners Hattie McDaniel, Whoopi Goldberg, Halle Berry and Jennifer Hudson. "I want to thank Miss Hattie McDaniel for enduring all that she had to, so that I would not have to," Mo'Nique said. "Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey; because you touched it, the whole world saw it."
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Mo’Nique Wins Oscar - Earlier this year, actress, comedienne and BET talk show host Mo’Nique joined an exclusive and history-making cohort: Black Academy Award-winning actresses. Her achievement carries on the legacy of former Oscar winners Hattie McDaniel, Whoopi Goldberg, Halle Berry and Jennifer Hudson. "I want to thank Miss Hattie McDaniel for enduring all that she had to, so that I would not have to," Mo'Nique said. "Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey; because you touched it, the whole world saw it."
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Health Care Bill Signed - U.S. lawmakers made history by passing Obama’s landmark health reform legislation in March. The president signed the bill into law in front of congressional supporters and everyday citizens during a ceremony at the White House.
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Tiger Returns to Golf - Following months of seclusion after details of his several extramarital affairs hit the news, Tiger Woods made his return to golf in April at the Masters tournament. The golf season was a disappointing one for Tiger, who failed to win a single tournament and lost his No. 1 ranking.
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Ken Griffey Jr. Retires - After 22 seasons, Ken Griffey Jr. unexpectedly announced his retirement from Major League Baseball in early June. The 40-year-old outfielder, whose achievements include 13 all-star appearances, 630 homers — fifth on the career list — and 1,836 RBIs, released a statement through his team, the Seattle Mariners. "I feel that without enough occasional starts to be sharper coming off the bench, my continued presence as a player would be an unfair distraction to my teammates,” the statement read.
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Jamaica Nabs Dudus - Jamaican drug kingpin, Christopher “Dudus” Coke, was captured and arrested by police at a highway checkpoint in the nation in June. Coke, referred to as one of the world’s most dangerous drug lords by authorities, was on his way to turning himself in (at the advice of a preacher) when he was stopped. In the previous month, fighting between Jamaican security forces and those loyal to Coke took place in his Kingston neighborhood killing 76 people.
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Lakers Win NBA Title - In June, the L.A. Lakers overcame a double-digit deficit to defeat the Boston Celtics at the Staples Center in L.A., 83-79 to win their 16th NBA title. Kobe Bryant was named MVP for the finals. Unfortunately, like last year, the city dealt with rowdy celebrations following the win, with some fans throwing rocks and bottles at officers, setting fires and jumping on vehicles. By the end of the night, according to police, 38 people had been arrested.
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LeBron Makes His Pick - Ending weeks of will-he-or-won't-he speculation, two-time MVP LeBron James announced in July that he's decided to join the Miami Heat and leave the Cleveland Cavaliers after an unsuccessful seven-year quest for the ring he covets. "I can't say it was always in my plans, because I never thought it was possible," James said in a made-for-LeBron live show on ESPN. As a result, LeBron got plenty of flak from his former hometown fans and heard chants such as “Akron Hates You!”
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Ousted USDA Worker Rejects Return Offer - Shirley Sherrod, the former USDA worker who was ousted in July after comments she made in March were misconstrued as racist, rejected an offer to return back to the agency. During a news conference with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack (who, along with President Obama, has apologized to Sherrod numerous times for the misunderstanding), she said that while she can’t accept the job at this point, she may work with the USDA doing consulting work to help with minority outreach.
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Lawrence Taylor Pleads Not Guilty - In July, former NFL star Lawrence Taylor pleaded not guilty to an indictment that alleged he paid to have sex with a 16-year-old prostitute in a New York hotel room. Taylor was arrested May 6, after the girl's uncle contacted New York City police. He could be imprisoned for up to four years if convicted.
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T.O. Signs with Bengals - In July, the Cincinnati Bengals signed WR Terrell Owens, bringing him alongside another popular and vocal receiver, Chad Ochocinco. Owens signed a one-year deal that will pay him $2 million with a chance to earn $2 million more in bonuses. At 4-11, the duo couldn’t help bring the team many wins, though, and the season has been quite disappointing for fans.
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BP Oil Spill - One of the biggest events this year was the BP Oil Spill triggered by an oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico in April. While workers struggled to find solutions to cap the massive oil spill into the Gulf, President Obama met with BP officials and citizens living in the Gulf to try to alleviate the effects of the accident. On July 15, the spill was finally stopped when its wellhead was capped, after over 200 million gallons of crude oil had already spilled.
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Wyclef Jean Announces Candidacy - In front of a roaring crowd of supporters in Haiti in August, Wyclef Jean officially announced his bid to become the nation's next president. 'Clef, who was born in Haiti but raised in Brooklyn, NY, eventually had his candidacy denied, though, due to residency issues.
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Black Gunman Goes on Shooting Rampage - In August at a beer distribution warehouse in Manchester, Conn., former warehouse driver Omar Thornton, 34, lashed out against what he described as a racist work environment. After his bosses confronted him with a tape that they say shows him stealing beer from the company’s supply, Thornton went on a shooting rampage inside the Hartford Distribution Warehouse, killing nine people including himself.
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Willow Smith Bursts onto the Music Scene - Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s daughter Willow Smith made her recording debut this year by releasing the single, “Whip My Hair.” The 9-year-old singer has signed a deal with Jay-Z’s label, Roc Nation. In addition to being a singer, Willow is also an actress, appearing alongside her dad in the movie “I Am Legend” among other projects.
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Bishop Long Scandal - This year, megachurch Bishop Eddie Long came under fire when four young men filed lawsuits against him accusing him of using his authority, along with cash and gifts, to lure them into sexual relationships. After weeks of silence, Long addressed his congregation late in September about the allegations saying that while he’s not “perfect,” he’s not the man being portrayed in the media. Recent reports indicate he’s looking to settle with the young men.
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Bush Gives Back Heisman - In the face of ethics investigations at his alma mater University of Southern California, Saints RB Reggie Bush decided to hand back the Heisman Trophy award he won in 2005 in September. An NCAA investigation, sparking rumors that he would be stripped of the award, found that Bush received hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gifts during his time as a student, making him ineligible that season and therefore ineligible to receive the award. Bush called such speculation “distracting."
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Acid Attack Hoax ’Victim’ Pleads Not Guilty - Bethany Storro, the Washington state woman who admitted to throwing acid in her own face after she originally stated a Black woman did it back in September, ended up pleading not guilty to charges associated with the incident. Storro allegedly accepted donations following the “attack,” and spent nearly $1,500 of the almost $28,000 donated to her. She is facing second-degree theft charges. Her parents have indicated that all of the donated money will be returned.
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'106 & Park' 10th Anniversary - In October, BET marked the 10th anniversary of "106 & Park" with a huge televised celebration featuring performances by Ashanti, Trey Songz and Fabolous. Jamie Foxx, Bow Wow, Chris Brown and Nelly also made appearances on the show that broadcast from the studio in NYC and across the coast in Los Angeles. The show also reunited all the past show hosts (pictured here).
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Alicia Keys Gives Birth - Alicia Keys and her producer husband Swizz Beatz welcomed their first child together in October. The couple, who tied the knot this summer, named the baby boy Egypt Daoud. This is Keys’ first child and Beatz’s fourth.
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Chilean Miners Rescued - After 69 days trapped in the depths of a Chilean mine, 33 miners were rescued in October. Each man emerged from the 13-foot capsule used to retrieve them to have emotional reunions with family members. "I think I had extraordinary luck. I was with God and with the devil. And I reached out for God," “Super” Mario Sepulveda told reporters after his rescue.
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Obama's Youth Town Hall - In October, President Obama hosted a live televised youth town hall on BET’s Washington, D.C. campus. “A Conversation with President Obama,” a BET and MTV production, was moderated by BET’s April Woodard, MTV’s Sway Calloway and CMT’s Katie Cook and featured a diverse audience of 18- to 29-year-olds who asked the president questions on a variety of topics.
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Juan Williams Fired - NPR news analyst Juan Williams was fired in October after controversial remarks he made on “The O’Reilly Factor.” "When I get on a plane … if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think…they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous," he said. In a statement, NPR said the comments, “undermined his credibility as a news analyst.” Williams was signed to a multiyear deal at Fox News, shortly after.
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Accused Abuser at Oprah’s School is Acquitted - The former school matron at Oprah’s South African school who was accused of abusing teens at the institution was acquitted of the charges in October because the state failed to prove her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. “Tiny” Virginia Makopo had been accused of trying to fondle and kiss the girls shortly after the school opened in 2007. Winfrey released a statement saying she’s “profoundly disappointed” by the outcome of the trial.
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Mariah Carey is Having Twins - In October, Mariah Carey confirmed what many had already assumed – that she and husband Nick Cannon are expecting. And in December, Cannon revealed on his radio show that they are actually expecting twins sometime in the spring.
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T.I. Goes Back to Jail - After his release from federal prison this year, T.I. was ordered to return by Nov. 1 for violating his probation. Since he’s already going to prison, L.A. authorities won’t be pursuing charges against the rapper, who was arrested with wife Tameka “Tiny” Cottle for having drugs in his car. As a result of his 11-month stint, T.I. changed the name of his album from “King Uncaged” to “No Mercy.”
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Election Night - In November, a Republican wave swept through Washington, D.C., turning the House of Representatives over to the GOP and decreasing the Democrats’ majority in the Senate. As a result, President Obama’s focus shifted to compromise and bi-partisanship.
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Kanye West Cancels ‘Today’ Performance - In November, after getting upset with how his interview on the “Today Show” was handled, Kanye West cancelled a scheduled performance on the show. The rapper wasn’t happy when the show played the tape of his infamous Taylor Swift interruption at last year’s VMAs during his interview with Matt Lauer, and took to Twitter to air his frustration: “I don't mess with Matt Lauer or the Today Show ... and that's a very nice way for me to put it!”
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Lil Wayne Released From Prison - After serving eight months for weapons charges, Lil Wayne was released from Rikers Island prison facility in New York in November. The sentence, which was originally a year, was connected to his arrest in 2007 after his tour bus was stopped and searched by police after leaving the performance venue.
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Eva Longoria and Tony Parker Split - After three years of marriage, “Desperate Housewives” actress Eva Longoria filed for divorce in L.A. from her husband Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs in November, citing irreconcilable differences. According to reports, Parker’s numerous “inappropriate” text message exchanges with the wife of Parker’s former teammate, Brent Barry, led to the relationship's breaking point. Later that same week, Parker filed his own divorce petition in Texas.
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Mario Cleared of Charges - Singer Mario, who was arrested in September for allegedly pushing his mother into a wall at the home they share, was cleared in November after prosecutors dropped the misdemeanor assault charges. His mother, Shawntia Hardaway, changed her story on the witness stand, saying that she was under the influence of drugs and alcohol when she called police on her son and that he had never laid a hand on her, said a spokesman for the Baltimore state’s attorney office.
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Gov. Appoints State’s 1st Black Chief Justice - Early in November, Massachusetts’ newly re-elected Gov. Deval Patrick nominated Roderick L. Ireland to be the first African-American chief justice of the state’s Supreme Judicial Court. If confirmed, Ireland would replace retiring Justice Margaret Marshall, who had served as the court’s first female chief justice.
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Dance Judge Shane Sparks to Face Trial - Choreographer Shane Sparks, who appeared as a judge on MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew,” was ordered in November to go to trial on eight sex counts involving an underage girl in the 1990s. Following a preliminary hearing, the judge ruled that there was enough evidence for Sparks to stand trial for six counts of lewd acts on a child and two counts of oral copulation of a person under 16. He was arrested last year and released on $590,000 bail. Sparks’ lawyer says he’s innocent.
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Rangel is Censured - In late November, the House of Representatives voted 333-79 that veteran Harlem lawmaker Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) should be censured for ethics violations, becoming just the 23rd member of the House ever to receive such a punishment. The misconduct includes failing to pay all of his taxes and improperly seeking corporate money for a college center bearing his name. Before being formerly censured by House Speaker Pelosi, Rangel appealed for leniency.
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Snipes Ordered to Federal Prison - In November, the U.S. Marshal’s Office ordered Wesley Snipes to surrender voluntarily at a Pennsylvania federal prison by noon on Dec. 9 to start his three-year sentence for not paying taxes. In 2008, Snipes was convicted of willful failure to file income tax returns in 1999, 2000 and 2001. He was acquitted of other charges which included felony tax fraud and conspiracy. Lawyers for Snipes asked for a new trial last month but were denied by a judge.
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Cam Newton Wins Heisman Trophy - Amidst some controversy, Auburn University star quarterback Cam Newton received college football’s biggest award, the Heisman Trophy, in December in a landslide win. "Honestly, it's a dream come true for me,” Newton said. “I'm living testimony that anything is possible." His win, though, is shrouded in some controversy, as his father, Cecil, (not in attendance) stands accused of breaking NCAA rules for trying to get another school to pay him $180,000 to have his son play there.
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Reports: Aretha Franklin Has Cancer - In early December, Detroit media outlets reported that legendary songstress Aretha Franklin has pancreatic cancer. The previous week, Franklin, who has been mum about the nature of her illness, had “highly successful surgery.” In October, she cancelled all of her upcoming concerts due to doctors’ orders.
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Waka Flocka’s House Raided, Gucci Mane Arrested - In December, Atlanta authorities raided the home of rapper Waka Flocka Flame while they detained fellow rapper Gucci Mane. Waka was not home at the time of the raid. According to TMZ, the investigation was centered on prostitution and drugs, and weapons were found on the premises. But Deb Antney, Waka’s mom and Gucci’s manager, says most of the drugs were prescription and the weapons were licensed. Gucci was later released.
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Michael Vick’s Comeback Season - After serving 18 months for dogfighting charges, quarterback Michael Vick officially made his return to the NFL last season; but it wasn’t until the 2010 season when he shined. After taking over the starting position for the Philadelphia Eagles, Vick has put up MVP-type numbers with 20 touchdowns and only five interceptions, leading his team to the top of the NFC East.
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The ‘Bed Intruder’ Song is a Hit - A song featuring Alabama resident Antoine Dodson’s angry TV interview about a person who broke into his home and attempted to rape his sister, shot up the iTunes chart this year. "Y'all need to hide your kids, hide your wife and hide your husband, 'cause they raping everybody out here," is played throughout the hit song. Dodson, 24, made enough money from the song to buy a home and performed at the BET Hip Hop Awards.