Britney Spears
Frank Micelotta / Getty
People Who Mattered
- Judd Apatow
- Eduardo Arias
- Wesley Autry
- Billiam the YouTube Snowman
- Barry Bonds
- Burmese Monks
- David Chase
- Hugo Chavez
- Miley Cyrus
- Elizabeth Edwards
- Robert Gates
- Alberto Gonzales
- Conn and Hal Iggulden
- Don Imus
- The Jena 6
- Bobby Jindal
- Angela Merkel
- Yue Minjun
- Angelo Mozilo
- Rupert Murdoch
- Obama and Clinton
- Ron Paul
- Erik Prince
- Radiohead
- Nicolas Sarkozy
- John Smeaton
- Britney Spears
- Junying Yu, James Thomson and Shinya Yamanaka
Her career went up like a rocket, selling more albums faster than just about any female pop star in history. This year, it fell back to Earth with a sickening crash. Reeling from rehab to courtroom to nightclub to jail, Spears disintegrated so completely that what once was unimaginable entered the realm of possibility: We almost felt sorry for her.
Afterbirth for Dinner
Ask Your Questions: The New York Times' Bill Keller
Asian Film Fireworks for the Fourth
Pictures of the Week
Canada Spends Big to Save GM, So Why Not Mexico?
Photos: U.S. Marines Open a New Offensive in Afghanistan
The Incredible Shrinking Sheep of Scotland
In Peru Sports, Men Bumble, And Women Shine
Photos: The Real-Life John Dillinger
The Battle Over Michael Jackson's Legacy