Hurricanes, earthquakes and terrorist bombings were big news in the past year. So was the White Sox World Series win. But 2005 also was filled with fun and frightening stories that involved kids, or were of particular interest to you. Here’s a look at the stories that caught kids’ attention in 2005:
Jan. 1: American Girl releases Marisol Luna, a limited-edition doll with a storybook. The doll offends some residents of Pilsen because the character moves from that Chicago neighborhood to suburban Des Plaines. Protesters claim the story misrepresents their neighborhood as dangerous.
Jan. 17: At the Lincoln Park Zoo, 55-year-old elephant Peaches dies. The elephant is the first of many animals to die at the zoo this year. Two gorillas, a baby primate and three monkeys died within six months of Peaches. Another elephant, Wankie, died after being transferred to Utah.
May 19: “Star Wars: Episode III–Revenge of the Sith” hits theaters. Kids flock to the movie, and it rakes in more than $380 million.
May 28: Illinois bans the sale or rental of violent video games to minors. The bill passes the Illinois General Assembly and is supposed to take effect Jan. 1. But early in December, a U.S. District Court judge strikes down the law and says it violates the 1st Amendment.
July 16: Just after midnight, bookstores start selling the sixth Harry Potter book, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” The book’s release is a big deal, and Amazon.com pre-orders 800,000 copies. Around Chicago, thousands of kids head to Potter Parties.
July 20: Four-year-old Jack Roberts dances in front of the podium while President Bush nominates his father, John Roberts, to the Supreme Court. Jack performs his dance moves throughout the president’s speech. His father is sworn in as chief justice on Sept. 29.
Aug. 29: New Orleans is devastated by Hurricane Katrina, a Category 3 hurricane that causes several lake levees to burst. About 80 percent of the city is flooded, and thousands must evacuate to different cities. Illinois enrolls 400 New Orleans kids into school just two weeks after the storm.
Sept. 15: Students at Kellenberg Memorial High School in Uniondale, N.Y., find out prom has been canceled for good. The principal sends a letter home to parents saying the annual dance is too wild and expensive.
Sept. 28: Kids get their own nutritional guidance plan as the government releases the “My Pyramid for Kids.” Like the grown-up version, the kids’ food pyramid recommends what kinds of foods a person should eat each day.
Oct. 4: For the first time, Disney releases “Cinderella” on DVD. The film hasn’t been released since 1987.
Oct. 12: The new video iPod is announced and plays MP3 tunes, movies and television shows.
Nov. 6: Two 10-year-old friends near Cary are attacked by pit bulls while going door-to-door for a fundraiser. Four other people are injured trying to stop the attacks. Both kids are hospitalized, and the attacks spark debates among lawmakers about banning dangerous dogs.
Nov. 7: Hartford High School in Connecticut begins fining students for swearing on school property. The cost of cussing? A steep $103.
Nov. 8: Science classes spark serious controversy across the country. In Kansas, the state school board votes that science classes must include intelligent design, the belief the world was created by a higher power. The same day in Pennsylvania, all but one member of the Dover Area School Board are voted out because they also decided freshman science classes should be taught ID. On Dec. 20, a federal judge bars the Dover school district from teaching ID, saying it violates the constitutional separation of church and state.
Nov. 21: Michael Sessions, an 18-year-old high school senior from Hillsdale, Mich., is sworn in as the town’s mayor. He is the youngest mayor in the United States, and ran his campaign on $700 he made at his summer job. Sessions’ win unseated 51-year-old mayor Doug Ingles. The teen will take care of his government business after school, as the job pays $3,600 a year, the only income the mayor says he has.
Nov. 23: A 15-year-old Canadian girl with a peanut allergy dies after kissing her boyfriend, who had just finished a peanut-butter snack.
Nov. 28: A Kansas City, Kan., student is suspended for speaking in Spanish during his lunch break. Zach Rubio, a high school junior, was sent home midday and received a one-day suspension. The school dropped the punishment after his father complained. Two weeks later, Rubio’s father filed a lawsuit against the school district.
Dec. 15: Sorry snackers–the Illinois State Board of Education is one step closer to kicking junk food out of schools. The board already banned junk food and soda from being sold in vending machines between breakfast and lunch. Soon, Illinois middle and grammar schools will not be able to sell non-nutritious snacks during the school day.
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Compiled by Emilie Le Beau and Marcia Borucki
