biggest headline of 2009

We've been counting down the biggest headlines of 2009, and we'll be revealing more throughout the month of December. We hope you enjoy this look back at some of the stories that created the most buzz throughout the year.

Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson rang in 2009 side-by-side in Miami. The girls were gearing up for another year full of ups and downs in their relationship, though at the end of 2010 it looks like they may have gone their separate ways — at least for now.

Their NYE celebrations included some personal fireworks with a big fight, but LL was quick to deny breakup rumors. The girls headed back to LA, where they were pretty much inseparable. They were soon off for a trip to London and lots of bonding time with Samantha's family. Once they were back in LA only a few weeks later, the girls got into a fight so huge that a window was even broken. All the drama didn't sit well with the Ronsons, and they banned LL from entering a family party in April and were rumored to even be seeking a restraining order to protect Samantha.

To take a look back at the rest of Lindsay and Samantha's year together, just read more

We've been counting down the biggest headlines of 2009, and we'll be revealing more throughout the month of December. We hope you enjoy this look back at some of the posts and stories that created the most buzz throughout the year.

Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady had a big year, with two weddings and a baby! News broke that the duo was engaged in January, and we didn't have to wait long for the actual wedding to occur. They first tied the knot with a small ceremony February in LA, then included more friends and family for a larger event during May in Costa Rica. The happy couple then took some time to enjoy their newlywed status at the beach with Tom's son Jack. They were soon off to NYC, where they showed off her new ring at the Costume Institute Ball.

After months of pregnancy rumors, Gisele and Tom announced in June that they were expecting their first child together. Gisele tried to keep the pregnancy under wraps for a while, but by Fall there was no hiding the bump she sported while out with friends. The parents-to-be found time for date nights in the middle of his busy NFL season, though Tom doesn't need to worry about who's watching his son Jack while he's at work — Gisele is happy to be a stepmom. Jack became a big brother just a few weeks ago, when Tom and Gisele welcomed their first child, Benjamin, at a Boston hospital. Tom opened up about his second son during a press conference, and it was evident that the new dad beamed with pride. It's been a whirlwind twelve months for Tom and Gisele, but they seem perfectly content as husband and wife with a growing family.

It it just me, or was 2009 the year when America ran out of food? From avocados to sugar to pumpkin to wings, it sure seemed like it. With the economy still in the throes of a deep recession, prosperity in the US was lacking in every sense of the world.

Right off the bat, California farmers anticipated having the smallest avocado crop of the last decade or two. A few weeks later, a major wing supplier reported stock levels would be far below average, causing the price of chicken wings to soar nationwide. In August, food companies feared import limitations would lead to a global sugar shortage, and by Thanksgiving, heavy rains were predicted to cause a crunch with canned pumpkin, a holiday favorite. But skeptical, savvy consumers pondered how many of the year's groundbreaking shortages were real issues — and how many were mere marketing ploys.

Despite cautions from the California Avocado Commission, most of us ate guacamole at Cinco de Mayo. Food activist Marion Nestle famously went on The Colbert Report to explain how the sugar shortage was a crisis manufactured by food companies to get the government to drop food tariffs. And that canned pumpkin crunch? It wasn't reflected on supermarket shelves.

While a few of the headlines — like the chicken wing shortage — seemed plausible, I wonder how many of them were exaggerated. What's your take?

With its many marketing efforts, both good and bad, KFC turned out to be the fast food chain that, in 2009, surprised everyone. KFC's groundbreaking year began quite literally when the company filled street potholes, spray-painting them with a stenciled memo that read, "Re-Freshed by KFC." The cause was a good one, yet we questioned whether it took corporate sponsorship too far.

But that was peanuts compared to the Kentucky Grilled Chicken campaign, KFC's biggest product launch in years. To celebrate, the company offered chances to try the chicken for free. A promotion that started out innocently quickly turned sour when media mogul Oprah Winfrey got involved in a giveaway for a free grilled chicken meal. The free promo was the fifth most popular search on Google, but KFC, unable to meet demand, was forced to turn away customers. Winfrey, who famously exposed the cruelty of the factory farming industry, was declared a hypocrite for endorsing Tyson-bred KFC chicken. KFC president then Roger Eaton issued a YouTube apology and raincheck to customers who'd been turned away.

The drama continued when vegetarian advocacy group, PCRM, filed suit against KFC, alleging its grilled chicken contains cancer-causing compounds. To counterbalance the negative media frenzy surrounding grilled chicken, KFC once again refocused on a good cause, this time closing stores to serve free grilled chicken to needy families and braved yet a third giveaway. While it's unclear what the nation's sentiments about KFC are, one thing's for sure: Kentucky Grilled Chicken has become a household phrase.

How did you feel KFC fared in 2009? Is it your favorite fast food chain this year?

Source, Source, and Source