The 10 Least Depressing Stories of 2008

There is no question that 2008 can be considered one of the most depressing years in history. With the collapse of the stock market, the debilitating surge in gas prices, and the general deterioration of the U.S. (and subsequently the world) economy, everywhere television viewers and news readers turn, there is more bad news to be reported.

It is best not to focus on all of the bad events that occurred in 2008, but rather, appreciate the more positive things that happened. This article was written to brighten everyone's day and report the ten least depressing stories of the year. From sports to hip-hop to politics, there was positive news all around...and here they are:

10. #4 Florida knocks off #1 Alabama for the SEC Championship. The anticipated match-up between these two schools for the title of SEC Champion was held December 6, 2008, in Atlanta. Even with the absence of the energetic running back/wide receiver Percy Harvin, the Florida Gators pulled out a 31-20 victory against #1 ranked University of Alabama. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow took charge, and led the Gators to this win, along with another shot at a National Championship.

9. Beyonce and Jay-Z get married. After six long years of dating (and the general public wondering if and when these two will enter into the binding commitment of marriage), the hip-hop and R & B king and queen finally took the plunge on April 4, 2008. The next thing fans are wondering is: will Beyonce ever have a baby?

8. Michael Phelps sets unbelievable records at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. They don't call him "The Baltimore Bullet" for nothing! This Olympian has won 14 career Olympic gold medals, the most by any other competitor. Phelps, who consumes some 10,000 calories per day, won 8 gold medals, setting 7 world records and 1 Olympic record in the 8-day swimming competition in 2008.

7. The Boston Celtics win the 2008 NBA National Championship. The Celtics, whose team was led by the talented Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, were projected to be in the 2008 NBA finals since the beginning of the 2007-2008 season. On June 17, 2008, this dream was realized, as Boston beat the Los Angeles Lakers in a series score of 4-2. This win secured Boston's first NBA title since 1986.

6. Research in Motion launches the world's first touch-screen Blackberry. This is great news for those individuals who always wanted an iPhone, but didn't want to switch to AT&T or worry about their work e-mail and documents not being supported. RIMM released the Blackberry Storm on November 21, 2008.

5. Peace deal ends the Kivu War in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Kivu War has been going on in the Congo since 2004. This was an armed conflict between the military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and rebel forces under the command of Laurent Nkunda, a former general in the armed forces. On January 24, 2008, this war was ended after the parties came to a peace agreement.

4. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (aka Brangelina) have twins. Bringing new life into the world is always a positive thing, but when Hollywood's favorite couple welcomed their babies, we couldn't help but be happy with them. The twins, Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline, were born July 13, 2008.

3. Ratings for Saturday Night Live surged after years of being in the dumps. Thanks to the characters on the campaign trail and all the funny things that happened during the 2008 presidential election, SNL had lots of new material to re-attract viewers. This comedy kept us entertained in times when other news was so bad.

2. The NY Giants Win Superbowl XLII. On February 3, 2008, the NY Giants beat the then-undefeated (in the 2007-2008 season) New England Patriots with a final score of 17-14. Many people were not even expecting the Giants to be in the Superbowl, but weren't we all on the edge of our seats as Plaxico Burress caught the game-winning touchdown? Furthermore, weren't we all excited to see Eli Manning get the recognition he deserves?

1. Barack Obama is elected the 44^th President of the United States of America. It was a long and hard-fought campaign for Barack Obama, but he claimed victory on November 4, 2008. This historic victory is one of the best things we witnessed all year.