#1. Knutmania

Baby polar bear Knut made his world debut at the Berlin Zoo in March amid international controversy. The captive-born cub had been rejected by his mother and hand-raised by zookeepers, prompting an animal-rights activist to say that it would have been better to let the newborn die than be treated as a pet. By the time the activist claimed he had been misquoted, Knut was well on his way to becoming the poster-bear for the green movement in general and for the dwindling polar bear population in particular. He even made the cover of Vanity Fair, (superimposed) alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.