In this Nov. 4, 2008 file photo, President-elect Barack Obama, left, his wife Michelle Obama, right, and two daughters, Malia, 7. and Sasha, 10, wave at the election night rally in Chicago.

The epic¹ election that made Barack Obama the first African-American president was the top news story of 2008 — followed closely by the economic meltdown that will test his leadership, according to US editors and news directors voting in The Associated Press' annual poll.

The campaign, with subplots emerging throughout the year, received 100 first-place votes out of 155 ballots² cast for the top 10 stories. Two other political sagas³ — the history-making candidacies of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sarah Palin — also made the list.

The vast economic crisis, plunging⁴ the US into recession and ravaging⁵ many business sectors⁶ worldwide, was the No. 2 story, receiving 49 first-place votes. The precipitous rise and fall of oil prices was No. 3.

The top story of 2007 was the massacre⁷ of 32 people at Virginia Tech University by a mentally disturbed student gunman.

Here are 2008's top 10 stories, as voted by AP members:

_1. US ELECTION: Obama emerged from Election Night as a decisive victor and a symbol for the world of America's democratic promise.

_2. ECONOMIC MELTDOWN: It was the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and will cost the federal government well over $1 trillion in various rescue and stimulus⁸ packages.

_3. OIL PRICES: The price of crude soared as high as $150 a barrel in July before crashing to $33 this month. In the U.S., the average price for a gallon of regular gas peaked at $4.11, then plunged⁹ below $1.70.

_4. IRAQ: The much-debated "surge" of US troops helped reduce violence after more than five years of war, but Iraq is still buffeted¹⁰ daily by bombings, ambushes¹¹, kidnappings and political uncertainty¹². A newly ratified¹³ U.S.-Iraqi security agreement sets a timetable for U.S. troop withdrawal¹⁴ by 2012.

_5. BEIJING OLYMPICS: China hosted the Olympics for first time, drawing praise for logistical mastery. The games themselves were rated a success, highlighted by the record-shattering performances of swimmer Michael Phelps and sprinter¹⁵ Usain Bolt.

_6. CHINESE EARTHQUAKE: A huge quake in May killed 70,000 people in Sichuan province.

_7. SARAH PALIN: Few Americans outside Alaska knew much about its governor when Republican John McCain picked her as his running mate.

_8. MUMBAI TERRORISM: Ten attackers allegedly sponsored by a Pakistan-based Islamic group terrorized India's financial capital in November, killing¹⁶ 164 people in coordinated¹⁷ attacks on hotels, markets and a train station..

_9. HILLARY CLINTON: She didn't win, but Clinton came closer than any other woman in US history to becoming a major party's presidential nominee¹⁸.

_10. RUSSIA-GEORGIA WAR: The two nations waged a five-day war in August ignited by a Georgian artillery¹⁹ barrage²⁰ on the breakaway region of South.

 日前，美联社在全美的新闻主管和编辑中发起了一年一度的“十大新闻”投票活动。票选结果显示，奥巴马在“史诗般的总统大选”中获胜，当选美国首位非洲裔总统，这是2008年度头号热门新闻；紧随其后的便是将考验奥巴马执政能力的经济危机。

今年有关总统大选的新闻层出不穷，在收到的155张选票中，共有100张选票提名总统大选为今年的年度最热门新闻。另外两位政治“传奇人物”——创造了美国历史的女候选人希拉里•罗德姆•克林顿和萨拉•佩林也榜上有名。

第二大热门新闻是眼下让美国陷入衰退，波及全球很多经济领域的大规模经济危机，这一事件共得到49张选票。国际油价暴涨暴跌位列第三。

去年的年度最热门新闻是发生在美国弗吉尼亚理工大学的校园枪杀案，当时一名精神错乱的学生在校园内开枪打死了32人。

美联社评选出的“08年度十大新闻”如下：

1 美国总统大选：大选之夜，奥巴马以决定性优势赢得胜利，成为向世界展示美国民主诺言的象征。

2 经济危机：这是自上世纪“经济大萧条”以来最严重的一次经济危机，美国政府的一揽子经济救援和刺激方案至少将耗资1万亿美元。

3 国际油价：今年7月，国际油价一度飙升至每桶150美元，此后逐渐下滑，本月跌至每桶33美元。美国国内市场的普通汽油均价也由每加仑4.11美元跌至1.70美元。

4 伊拉克：伊战五年来，美国向伊增兵计划饱受争议，美国部队虽然协助减少暴力事件的发生，但伊拉克目前每天仍是爆炸、伏击和绑架事件不断，政治局势动荡不安。按照新签署的美伊安全协议，美国将在2012年之前从伊拉克撤军。

5 北京奥运会：今年中国首次举办奥运会，并因组织得力受到广泛赞扬。本届奥运会大获成功，“泳坛飞鱼”迈克尔•菲尔普斯和“百米飞人”乌塞恩•博尔特连破纪录的不俗表现更是为本届奥运锦上添花。

6 中国汶川大地震：今年5月发生在中国四川省的这场大地震使7万多人遇难。

7 萨拉•佩林：共和党总统候选人约翰•麦凯恩选择其为竞选伙伴之前，除了阿拉斯加州以外，几乎没人知道这位州长。

8 孟买恐怖袭击：声称受巴基斯坦伊斯兰组织支持的10名恐怖袭击者于上月在印度经济中心城市孟买制造了一起恐怖袭击事件。他们袭击了酒店、市场和火车站，致使164人丧生。

9 希拉里•克林顿：虽然希拉里最终未能获胜，但她是离主要政党总统候选人最近的一位女性。

10 俄格冲突：格鲁吉亚炮轰南部分离地区南奥塞梯，导致俄格之间发生持续五天的武装冲突。