September 4 | On the final night of the GOP convention, Saint Paul

"She brought an energy I hadn’t seen before. I was hoping it came through on TV. As the confetti fell, I opened my purse and saved some." — Indiana delegate Brenda Goff

May 2 | Protesting outside Chinese government offices, Hong Kong

As the Olympic torch made its way through the streets of Hong Kong, Farrow lit her own symbolic flame and called on the Chinese government — a Sudan ally — to help end genocide in Darfur. She also criticized Games sponsors for not pressuring Beijing to do its part. "It’s about fear and greed," she said.

March 27 | With her husband during a state visit, London

Nuclear power topped President Sarkozy’s U.K.-France summit agenda, but it was Bruni-Sarkozy’s Christian Dior coat that made headlines. Wrote British reporter Emma Johnson: "As far away as New Zealand and America, [Bruni-Sarkozy] was being hailed as the first lady of fashion."

July 3 | Reuniting with her daughter, Melanie, and her son, Lorenzo, after being held as a hostage for six years; Bogota, Colombia

"What I’m feeling now is something very close to paradise," she told reporters. "It was because of [my children] that I kept up my will to get out of that jungle. The last time I saw Lorenzo, I could carry him around. I’ve told them they’re going to have to put up with me now, because I’m going to be stuck to them like chewing gum."

September 9 | Beneath a portrait of Benazir Bhutto shortly after his swearing-in; Islamabad, Pakistan

A widower carries on his slain wife’s legacy of democracy

"In a way it was a victory for her, but it was also a deep sadness. We felt her very much in the room." — Farah Ispahani, member of Pakistan’s parliament and a girlhood friend of Bhutto