Decade's Happiest Endings

From Barack Obama's victory speech to the tumbling of Saddam's statue

(NEWSER) - Paste looks back on the decade’s 25 best—not necessarily most important—moments on live TV. The top 10:

1. Barack Obama: His victory speech captured the moment when one part of Martin Luther King’s dream came true.
2. Miracle on the Hudson: Pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger became America’s hero when he landed flight 1549 safely.
3. Stephen Colbert: The comedian speech at the White House Correspondent’s Association Dinner proved he has cojones.

And Clinton freed them with pure charm

(NEWSER) - Laura Ling and Euna Lee didn't go quietly when the North Koreans arrested them. In an interview with Larry King on CNN , Ling reveals that the men who arrested them beat them into submission. Though she admits they had crossed, briefly, into North Korean territory, she says they were actually arrested on the Chinese side of the border. “They wanted to get us back to North Korea and do whatever they could to get us back. So they hit me.” More»

Miracle on Hudson pilot says he'll remain a safety advocate

(NEWSER) - Hero pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who safely landed his US Airways jet in the Hudson River last year, is retiring after a final flight today. The captain, 59, says he “will continue to serve as the same kind of advocate I have always been—not only for aviation safety, but for the airline piloting profession,” and continue to remind the industry and regulators of the “sacred duty” pilots have to their passengers. One of the flight attendants on Flight 1549 announced her retirement as well, NPR notes. More»

Used Airbus for sale, some water and bird damage

(NEWSER) - The aircraft that hero pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger safely landed in the Hudson River a year ago has hit the auction block. The insurance company that paid off US Airways' claim in the crash is seeking to unload what's left of the Airbus 320 it took possession of, Wired reports. The badly damaged plane, minus engine and avionics, is being sold as-is, and there's no chance of it ever flying again. More»

It's a Manhattan with a splash, get it?

(NEWSER) - Today’s the first anniversary of Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III’s death-defying Hudson River landing, and if you’d like to raise a glass and celebrate, here's just the thing. Renowned cocktail inventor Dale DeGroff whipped up a cocktail formula worthy of Sully’s name, and the New York Times ordered one. The bartender looked at the recipe and smiled. “It’s a Manhattan—with a splash,” he said. More»