The 10 most-read stories of 2014
Tragic, inspiring, fun, controversial. And, yes, Kim Kardashian. These are the most clicked-on stories of 2014.
This is not a subjective list of the top news of the year. This is a look at the stories that you guys, the readers, clicked on the most across USA TODAY's website, and mobile and tablet apps.
Sometimes, what's most amazing about top news is looking at what's left out. You won't see anything below about Ebola. Not a word about gay marriage. No mention of the Islamic State. The Sochi Olympics aren't here, nor is the legalization of marijuana, the two Malaysia Airline disasters, Bill Cosby, Donald Sterling. Did we mention Ebola didn't make the list?
You did the clicking (or tapping) and we measured the page views. Here, the winners:
10. Coke put your name on the label
For its summer campaign, Coca-Cola replaced its iconic logo on limited edition, 20-ounce bottles of Coke, Diet Coke and Coke Zero with one of 250 popular names. Did your name make it on? A website let fans see who made the the cut, and a tour with 500 stops nationwide let those with less-popular names get their own customized mini-cans.
9. Kim Kardashian released naked photos and we all cared enough to click
First, pictures of her butt were released in an effort to "break the Internet." At least that was the headline associated with the images and a story about Kardashian in Paper magazine. And then, just when the buzz had started to die down (who are we kidding, everyone was still sharing those butt pictures), a second batch of photos was released. There was Kim, completely naked except for some pearls around her neck and her shins modestly covered by the gown she wasn't wearing. "We know you came just to read the article," she tweeted.
8. She stopped to rescue ducklings and people died
Emma Czornobaj's good intentions went horribly wrong when she stopped her car on a Canadian highway to herd wandering ducklings off the road. A motorcycle carrying Andre Roy and his daughter, Jessie, crashed into the back of Czornobaj's car, and both Andre and Jessie were killed. Czornobaj was found guilty on two counts of criminal negligence causing death and and two counts of dangerous driving causing death. She was sentenced to 90 days in prison and a 10-year driving ban.
7. Inspiration comes in the form of pirouettes
Misty Copeland was told at age 13 that she was "too old" to be considered for a ballet academy, plus she had the wrong torso length, bust, and Achilles tendons to dance. All of her "flaws" are read aloud by a young girl as we watch Copeland slowly begin to dance. And then, as the music intensifies, Copeland lets go and absolutely owns it. USA TODAY's For the Win blog post sharing Under Armour's inspirational commercial featuring the soloist with the American Ballet Theatre was the seventh most-visited page on USA TODAY digital platforms.
6. Open letter: Here's what Kenny Smith thinks about Charles Barkley and Ferguson
Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley are analysts on TNT's Inside the NBA. They're also friends who have differing opinions on the events in Ferguson, Mo. After Barkley publicly called the people looting in Ferguson "scumbags," Smith responded with an open letter to Barkley via For the Win. Smith wrote that he dislikes Barkley's use of the word "scumbag" to describe looters and civilians burning down businesses. "When you are in 'The Struggle' to not expect that that potential reaction is foolish on our part," he wrote. He also doesn't think Barkley's opinion on race relations should be valued alongside those of lifelong activists. What "I consistently find interesting is how writers and media members view your insights in politics, and now race relations, with the same reverence as your insights in sports," Smith wrote. Barkley and Smith had a civil, face-to-face chat on air the next night during their show.
5. Tony Stewart hits, kills another driver
In a tragic accident that prompted new NASCAR rules, racing star Tony Stewart killed 20-year-old Kevin Ward during a sprint race when Ward got out of his car on a Canandaigua, N.Y., track and was struck by Stewart's car. Ward had angrily approached Stewart's car during a caution lap after he was spun out by Stewart on a previous lap, and Stewart's car ran over Ward, who was then thrown down the track. Stewart did not face criminal charges in Ward's death. Toxicology reports showed that Ward was under the influence of marijuana and at level that could impair judgment.
4. It's a battery commercial, but it brought us (OK, me) to tears
"They told me it couldn't be done. That I was a lost cause. ... But I've been deaf since I was three. So I didn't listen." Seattle Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman shared those words in a moving Duracell commercial in January. There's not much text in the fourth most-read story on USA TODAY's digital platforms, but this For the Win post points readers to the ad, which they then shared more than 2 million times. Coleman was passed over in the 2012 draft, but now plays for the Seahawks. In his first game with the team, he had three catches for 30 yards. Coleman is the first deaf offensive player to ever play in the NFL.
3. Dirty trick in Ukraine infuriates the world
The leaflets distributed to Jewish residents of Donetsk, Ukraine, telling them to register with pro-Russia militants were eventually dismissed as political trickery. But if the purpose of the leaflets was to completely freak out the entire world, it worked. Jews in the town at the center of the Ukraine-Russia territorial fight were emerging from synagogue when a note on official-looking letterhead said to register with the pro-Russia militants who were running Donetsk's temporary government. They were told to provide a list of property and pay a registration fee or face deportation. But the pro-Russian group's leader, Denis Pushilin, said he was not responsible for the leaflets. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time the anti-Semitism card has been played in Ukraine.
2. Robin Williams is gone
The death of a comedic genius caught us all off guard. Robin Williams was found dead in his California home, and early reports pointed to suicide. Across the nation, grieving tweets and statements emerged mourning the actor and reminiscing about his touching and hilarious performances. And then came the facts. Investigators released gruesome, heart-wrenching details about how Williams hanged himself in his bedroom with a leather belt. Fans' attention shifted from the news of his death to the furor over those intimate, uncomfortable details made public.
1. The grand jury makes a decision about officer Darren Wilson
A white police officer will not face charges for fatally shooting an unarmed black teenager. The news of the grand jury's decision – to not press charges against Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. – was the most-read article on USA TODAY digital platforms in 2014. The statement was announced on the evening of Nov. 24, and USA TODAY's Yamiche Alcindor was with Michael Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden, when attorney Benjamin Crump told McSpadden there was no indictment. She began crying and shouting. Her body vibrated with pain as she jumped to her feet. The nation, too, jumped to its feet. Protests, which had somewhat quieted since the Aug. 9 shooting, ignited with a new fury from coast to coast.
