Apple’s smart phone dominated for a third straight year. Rumors of a Verizon deal flew ahead of Macworld. The iPhone 3GS stayed ahead of the pack with a video camera, voice control, and a built-in compass.

On January 20, Obama became the 44th President of the United States. In February, against the backdrop of the worst recession in nearly three decades, he signed the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 into law.

There was no Cinderella story at this year’s NCAA tournament. Perennial favorite UNC Tarheels won the men’s tournament, beating Michigan State 89 to 72 in the final. The UConn Huskies took the title in the women’s tournament.

Love him or loathe him, there is no denying that the King of Pop captured our collective imagination for decades. His death on June 25 - and the investigation that followed - catapulted him back into the spotlight.

In April, the first H1N1 outbreak was identified in Mexico. New outbreaks in the US and elsewhere raised concerns about travel and food safety. In June, the World Health Organization declared the first pandemic since 1968.

Fans of the vampire novels had lots to sink their teeth into in 2009. Twilight sold 3 million copies at its DVD release. In May, it was the talk of the MTV Movie Awards. New Moon, the second film in the series, opened in November.