Wikipedia:2008 Top 50 Report

Annual Top 50
Based on the Zeitgeist data and prepared with commentary by:

Commentary


 * {| class="wikitable"

! Rank ! Article ! Class ! Image ! About
 * 1
 * YouTube
 * Youtube logo.jpg
 * The online video sharing platform is a consistently popular article, and as such frequently features on the Top 25 Report. It celebrates its third anniversary this year.
 * 2
 * Barack Obama
 * Obama08acceptance.jpg
 * "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."
 * Barack Obama
 * Obama08acceptance.jpg
 * "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."
 * "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."

The Illinois senator has made history as the next President of the United States - and the first African American to hold the office. Obama and his running mate Joe Biden won a decisive victory over John McCain (#14), winning the Electoral College and the popular vote by a sizable margin, including states that had not voted for the Democratic presidential candidate since 1976 (North Carolina) and 1964 (Indiana, Virginia, and Nebraska's 2nd congressional district).

Obama received the largest share of the popular vote won by a Democrat since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 and was the first Democrat to win an outright majority of the popular vote since Jimmy Carter in 1976. Obama's total count of 69.5 million votes stood as the largest tally ever won by a presidential candidate until 2020, when this was surpassed by both major party candidates in a high-turnout election. He was the first Democrat to win without Arkansas and Missouri since those states joined the Union in 1836 and 1821 and the first Democrat to win the presidency without winning West Virginia since 1916.

Obama flipped nine states that had voted Republican in 2004: Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia, as well as Nebraska's 2nd congressional district. As of 2022, this is the last time Indiana and North Carolina have voted Democratic, the last time that either a Democratic or Republican candidate received fewer than 200 electoral votes, and the last time an incumbent U.S. senator was a major party nominee. This is the only election in American history where both major party nominees were sitting US Senators.
 * 3
 * Facebook
 * image
 * commentary
 * 4
 * Myspace
 * image
 * commentary
 * 5
 * United States
 * Barack Obama Green.jpg
 * (#2) has become the first African American President of the United States, beating (#14) in (#24)
 * 6
 * The Beatles
 * The Beatles members at New York City in 1964.jpg
 * This year, an upcoming game based on The Fab Four in the Rock Band series of music video games was revealed on October 30. The game is being developed with the blessing and critical input of Apple Corps, including the surviving former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, who have both made public appearances promoting the game. George Harrison's son Dhani has helped to bridge discussion between Harmonix and Apple Corps, while Giles Martin, son of the Beatles' music producer George Martin, has ensured high-fidelity versions of the Beatles' songs would be available.
 * 7
 * Deaths in 2008
 * image
 * commentary
 * 8
 * Sarah Palin
 * PalinInDover-cropped2.jpg
 * The Governor of Alaska was nominated for the vice presidency at the 2008 Republican National Convention, shortly after her selection was announced by John McCain (#14)'s campaign. She was the first Republican female vice presidential nominee and the second female vice presidential nominee of a major party, after Geraldine Ferraro in 1984. The McCain-Palin ticket subsequently lost the 2008 election to the Democratic Party's then-U.S. Senators Barack Obama (#2) and Joe Biden. Throughout the race, her public image and experience came under media attention. Although her vice presidential bid alongside McCain was unsuccessful, the 2008 presidential election significantly raised Palin's national profile.
 * 9
 * The Dark Knight (film)
 * image
 * commentary
 * 10
 * Outlook.com
 * image
 * commentary
 * 11
 * Lil Wayne
 * image
 * commentary
 * 12
 * List of Naruto characters
 * image
 * commentary
 * 13
 * Favicon
 * image
 * commentary
 * 14
 * John McCain
 * John McCain official photo portrait-cropped-background edit.JPG
 * The longtime senior U.S. Senator from Arizona lost to Barack Obama (#2) in the presidential election.
 * 15
 * Naruto
 * image
 * commentary
 * 16
 * World War II
 * image
 * commentary
 * 17
 * Heath Ledger
 * image
 * commentary
 * 18
 * Heroes (TV series)
 * image
 * commentary
 * 19
 * China
 * image
 * commentary
 * 20
 * Miley Cyrus
 * image
 * commentary
 * 21
 * Grand Theft Auto IV
 * image
 * commentary
 * 22
 * Cloverfield
 * image
 * commentary
 * 23
 * Adolf Hitler
 * image
 * commentary
 * 24
 * 2008 United States presidential election
 * Barack Obama and Joe Biden 2008 DNC (02) (cropped).jpg
 * The Democratic ticket of Barack Obama (#2), the junior senator from Illinois, and Joe Biden (pictured), the senior senator from Delaware, defeated the Republican ticket of John McCain (#14), the senior senator from Arizona, and Sarah Palin (#8), the governor of Alaska. Obama became the first African American to be elected to the presidency, as well as being only the third sitting United States senator elected president, joining Warren G. Harding and John F. Kennedy. Meanwhile, Biden became the first senator running mate of a senator elected president since Lyndon B. Johnson (who was Kennedy's running mate) in the 1960 election.
 * 25
 * 2008 Summer Olympics
 * image
 * commentary
 * 26
 * United Kingdom
 * image
 * commentary
 * 27
 * World War I
 * image
 * commentary
 * 28
 * Lost (TV series)
 * image
 * commentary
 * 29
 * India
 * image
 * commentary
 * 30
 * Bleach (manga)
 * image
 * commentary
 * 31
 * EBay
 * image
 * commentary
 * 32
 * New York City
 * image
 * commentary
 * 33
 * Internet Movie Database
 * image
 * commentary
 * 34
 * George W. Bush
 * President George W. Bush and Barack Obama meet in Oval Office.jpg
 * The outgoing President will be succeeded by (#2), whom he met in the Oval Office, and has begun the presidential transition of power.
 * 35
 * Britney Spears
 * image
 * commentary
 * 36
 * PlayStation 3
 * Sony-PlayStation-3-CECHA01-wController-L.jpg
 * Sony's newest PLAYSTATION console, which was released last year.
 * 37
 * Gmail
 * image
 * commentary
 * 38
 * Family Guy
 * image
 * commentary
 * 39
 * House (TV series)
 * image
 * commentary
 * 40
 * 2 Girls 1 Cup
 * Chocolate milk.jpg
 * The viral shock video of the year, that anyone who's seen it will know the meaning behind the chocolate milk pictured here. Its popularly has been aided by a series of reaction videos that depict people reacting to watching it.
 * 41
 * Canada
 * image
 * commentary
 * 42
 * Large Hadron Collider
 * image
 * commentary
 * 43
 * List of songs in Rock Band
 * image
 * commentary
 * 44
 * Japan
 * image
 * commentary
 * 45
 * Batman
 * image
 * commentary
 * 46
 * Global warming
 * image
 * commentary
 * 47
 * Jonas Brothers
 * Jonas Brothers 06-03-2008.jpg
 * This is the bottom line, it's true! The American pop rock band formed in 2005, who have gained popularity from their appearances on the Disney Channel television network. They consist of three love bug brothers: Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Nick Jonas. They moved to Little Falls, New Jersey, in 2005, where they wrote their first record that made its Hollywood Records release. This year, the group was nominated for the Best New Artist award at the 51st Grammy Awards and won the award for Breakthrough Artist at the American Music Awards. They may get a little crazy and get a little loud, but that's just the way they roll.
 * 48
 * Guitar Hero World Tour
 * image
 * commentary
 * 49
 * List of Naruto: Shippuden episodes
 * image
 * commentary
 * 50
 * Kim Kardashian
 * image
 * commentary
 * }
 * 35
 * Britney Spears
 * image
 * commentary
 * 36
 * PlayStation 3
 * Sony-PlayStation-3-CECHA01-wController-L.jpg
 * Sony's newest PLAYSTATION console, which was released last year.
 * 37
 * Gmail
 * image
 * commentary
 * 38
 * Family Guy
 * image
 * commentary
 * 39
 * House (TV series)
 * image
 * commentary
 * 40
 * 2 Girls 1 Cup
 * Chocolate milk.jpg
 * The viral shock video of the year, that anyone who's seen it will know the meaning behind the chocolate milk pictured here. Its popularly has been aided by a series of reaction videos that depict people reacting to watching it.
 * 41
 * Canada
 * image
 * commentary
 * 42
 * Large Hadron Collider
 * image
 * commentary
 * 43
 * List of songs in Rock Band
 * image
 * commentary
 * 44
 * Japan
 * image
 * commentary
 * 45
 * Batman
 * image
 * commentary
 * 46
 * Global warming
 * image
 * commentary
 * 47
 * Jonas Brothers
 * Jonas Brothers 06-03-2008.jpg
 * This is the bottom line, it's true! The American pop rock band formed in 2005, who have gained popularity from their appearances on the Disney Channel television network. They consist of three love bug brothers: Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Nick Jonas. They moved to Little Falls, New Jersey, in 2005, where they wrote their first record that made its Hollywood Records release. This year, the group was nominated for the Best New Artist award at the 51st Grammy Awards and won the award for Breakthrough Artist at the American Music Awards. They may get a little crazy and get a little loud, but that's just the way they roll.
 * 48
 * Guitar Hero World Tour
 * image
 * commentary
 * 49
 * List of Naruto: Shippuden episodes
 * image
 * commentary
 * 50
 * Kim Kardashian
 * image
 * commentary
 * }
 * 46
 * Global warming
 * image
 * commentary
 * 47
 * Jonas Brothers
 * Jonas Brothers 06-03-2008.jpg
 * This is the bottom line, it's true! The American pop rock band formed in 2005, who have gained popularity from their appearances on the Disney Channel television network. They consist of three love bug brothers: Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Nick Jonas. They moved to Little Falls, New Jersey, in 2005, where they wrote their first record that made its Hollywood Records release. This year, the group was nominated for the Best New Artist award at the 51st Grammy Awards and won the award for Breakthrough Artist at the American Music Awards. They may get a little crazy and get a little loud, but that's just the way they roll.
 * 48
 * Guitar Hero World Tour
 * image
 * commentary
 * 49
 * List of Naruto: Shippuden episodes
 * image
 * commentary
 * 50
 * Kim Kardashian
 * image
 * commentary
 * }
 * image
 * commentary
 * 50
 * Kim Kardashian
 * image
 * commentary
 * }
 * image
 * commentary
 * }

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