Year 2013 has seen loads of controversies surrounding artists, musicians, politicians and thousands of ordinary people. Every country has had its own share of political, social and economic issues, and every individual has had his own share of epic victories and setbacks. Most of these controversies have made it to the headlines and have become the talk of the town for quite some time, but all of these controversies, just like those issues that arose in the past, eventually died down. Most of the issues that dominated newspapers and news television shows this 2013 spoke of politicians being ambushed, impeached or ousted on account of fraud, of artists’ scandals being discovered through the internet, of artists being sued for failure to pay their right taxes, of nations declaring wars against other nations, of terrorists carrying out bombings in certain portions of the world, of celebrity couples splitting up or getting hitched, and a lot more. This year has had several movers and shakers who have made the biggest and most unforgettable headlines over the course of the year. May it be in politics, religion, or show business; there is no doubt about 2013 being a whale of a bumpy ride for one and all. is a list of the top 10 newsmakers this year:

10. Dr. Martin MacNeill

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In November this year, Dr. Martin MacNeill was found guilty by a Utah jury on grounds of drugging and drowning his wife, as well as pursuing an affair with a woman he just met online. The 50 year old doctor was initially found guilty of first degree murder and obstruction of justice six years ago, April 11, 2007 to be exact, as well as for the death of his former beauty queen wife Michele MacNeill who was 50 when she died. Just this month, he got hospitalized after attempting to kill himself in jail with a razor, reported the Utah County Sheriff’s Office where he grabbed the number 10th spot of the newsmakers of 2013.

9. Pope Francis

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October this year, Pope Francis suspended Bishop of Bling, a German clergyman, because of his lavish lifestyle. In early November 2013, before his general audience at St. Peter’s Square, the leader of the Catholic Church shared a compassionate moment with a man whose face was plagued with boils. That same month, he also slammed trickle-down economics and greed at the top. He was also recognized as Time Magazine’s Person of the Year because of his popularity among Catholics and non-Catholics. His fame made him as one of the newsmakers of the year 2013.

8. Rob Ford

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The mayor of Toronto had a series of unfortunate letdowns this 2013, starting with his admission that he smoked crack cocaine in one of his drunken stupors. Days later his admission, a video of him ranting and threatening to kill someone also surfaced on the web. He became all the more controversial in November, when he made sexually explicit comments on live television that placed him on the 8th spot of the top 10 newsmakers 2013. Because of his conduct, he was stripped of most of his mayoral powers in Toronto.

7. George Zimmerman

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In July this year, rapper George Zimmerman proved himself innocent after the Florida jury found him not guilty in the homicide trial for the death of a teenager named Trayvon Martin. In September, however, he was taken again into police custody and then released without charges after his wife called 911 to report that he punched his father in law in the nose and threatened to shoot him and his wife. Also in November this year, the artist was arrested with his girlfriend on account of domestic disturbance, but he was able to walk out of jail the following day after he agreed to surrender his guns and wear an electronic monitor. As the year comes to a close, the girlfriend of the newsmaker 2013, Zimmerman announced that she would no longer press charges against him and that she wanted them to get back together.

6. Edward Snowden

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Another newsmaker 2013 is the 30-year old contractor for the National Security Agency Edward Snowden became one of the most wanted men in the world this 2013 after he leaked thousands of classified documents about the vast foreign and domestic surveillance programs of the secretive agency starting in June. He was found laying low in Russia to escape the charges pressed to him by the government of the United States. To some, Snowden became a hero while to some he served as a traitor because of the leakage. Just on Christmas eve this 2013, Snowden released a Christmas message from Moscow pushing for a better balance between privacy and security. President Obama also issued its recommended reforms for the surveillance programs of NASA, all in the favor of Edward Snowden.

5. Volvo, Jean Claude Van Damme

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This 2013, Jean Claude Van Damme became so popular for her spoofs as an action star, especially on YouTube. The star is said to have performed the most epic of splits in the course of history, which he did between two tractor trailers while they were driving backward. He performed this stunt to exhibit the stability of Volvo steering, and this became the talk of the town for quite a long time this year as it created a huge buzz both for the Swedish vehicle maker and the aging Belgian actor. He dominated the headlines after showing the world that despite his age, he still has the right moves to wow viewers while making fun of himself as he find his way as one of the newsmakers in 2013.

4. Elon Musk

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Year 2013 has been a rollercoaster ride for world renowned billionaire Elon Musk. Tesla Motors, his luxury electric car company, has come under fire many times this year. The company suffered several episodes of public relations setbacks because of fire issues. However, Musk managed to bounce back with great flare through Space X, his space transport company which launched its Falcon 9 rocket and communications satellites after two delays. Because of what he has gone through this year, he has often been compared to fictional billionaire industrialist Tony Stark and is cited on this list of top 10 newsmakers 2013.

3.  Ryan Ferguson

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It was in November this year that Ryan Ferguson finally got freed from prison after spending almost a decade in jail that landed on the list of the newsmakers in 2013. A decade ago, he was sentenced to serve 10 years of imprisonment for a slaying he did not even commit. His murder conviction was overturned by a Missouri State Appeals Court Panel, and this ruled that the prosecution withheld evidence from the defense attorneys of Ferguson which exculpated him while he was still on trial for the death of the sports editor of Columbia Daily Tribune, Kent Heitholt. His freedom dominated newspaper headlines this 2013 as he began to catch up on the things he had missed out during his captivity.

2. Jang Song-Thaek

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The uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was executed early December this year on grounds of corruption, acts of treachery and womanizing that made him part of the newsmakers of 2013. His ousting was all over news magazines at the time after the initial reports made by state news agency KCNA. The state TV also aired footages of Jang Song Thaek being dragged out of a Workers Party Central Committee meeting, which served as a dramatic twist of fate for Jang, considering the power broker behind his name. In the KCNA reports, Jang Song Thaek was labeled as a despicable human scum and ‘worst than a dog.” According to analysts who studied the secretive regime of Jang, the purge might have indicated that the young leader of North Korea was just trying to solidify his power.

1. Miley Cyrus

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The 21-year old pop star made history this 2013 because of her many feats in the music industry. For one, her Wrecking Ball music video turned out to be highly controversial because of its sensuality. She also celebrated the success of her “Bangerz” album, and she released several other racy videos that became hot items among music lovers and fans. This 2013 also marked the year that the pop star broke up with her fiancé Liam Hemsworth, though this breakup made her more confident than ever. In one of her interviews, she told Barbara Walters: “I don’t ever want to have to need someone again, where you feel like, without them, you cannot be yourself.” Indeed, she is the top newsmakers of 2013.