Shocking moments of 2008

The stock market tumbled. A black man was elected President of the United States. The Tampa Bay Rays made it to the World Series. Financial institutions crumbled, and once-proud automobile manufacturers went to Washington, seeking bailout money to survive.

Some genuinely unusual things happened in 2008, too.

As always, People magazine was keeping track of such offbeat events. Here’s the publication’s list of the most shocking moments of the year just completed:

1. Man gives birth

2. Britney held in psych ward

3. Heath found dead

4. Governor’s call girl scandal

5. Patrick (Swayze) cancer diagnosis

6. Mariah secretly weds

7. Jennifer (Hudson) family murder

8. Travis and DJ AM survive crash

9. Golden Globes canceled

10. Eddie and Tracey suddenly split

11. Clay: I’m a gay dad

Personally, our most shocking moment in 2008 was opening our 401k statement in November. But, we digress…

To read more about all these choices, and to see a slideshow, visit People.