Tony Hayward
Tony Hayward, the former chief executive of BP, became the human face of an unprecedented environmental disaster in April after the Deepwater Horizon offshore rig exploded and sank in the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The company couldn't stop the flow of crude oil from the wreckage until July — but by then, almost five million barrels worth had seeped out, throwing the region's tourism and fishing industries into disarray.

Before stepping down as CEO in July, Hayward was also plagued by a series of public relations gaffes.

He publicly downplayed the amount of oil being leaked, shrugged off the spill's environmental impacts and said he would "like his life back" from dealing with the crisis — a comment that enraged some, because 11 people were killed in the initial blast.





Chilean miners
The world held its collective breath in October as 33 Chilean miners were pulled to safety in a dramatic rescue effort.

"Los 33," as they are known, had been trapped deep underground since a cave-in at the Copiapo mine site in August.

Television cameras beamed back unforgettable images of the miners, one by one, being winched up from the depths in a metal capsule called the Phoenix.

Juan Illanes (pictured) was the third to emerge from the mine and was greeted by his wife, Carmen.





David Cameron
Britain's Conservative party celebrated the end of more than a decade of Labour rule in May.

But it was a close shave for new Prime Minister David Cameron, who didn't secure an outright majority of seats and entered a coalition government with the left-leaning Liberal Democrats.

Minority government has not made Cameron a meek leader. The 44-year-old has embarked on a bold austerity program, slashing government budgets in order to reduce an estimated $244-billion deficit for the current fiscal year.

Cameron also became only the second U.K. prime minister in modern times to become a parent while in office. His wife, Samantha, gave birth to daughter Florence Rose Endellion in August.