Breakout stars from 2008 - latimes.com

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<i>By Stephanie Lysaght, Todd Martens, Jevon Phillips and Denise Martin</i>

Clockwise from top left: Robert Pattinson, Sarah Palin, Katy Perry, David Cook

( Clockwise from top left: AP / Getty / EPA / Getty )

By Stephanie Lysaght, Todd Martens, Jevon Phillips and Denise Martin

It took less than a year for the folks on our Breakout Stars of 2008 list to become household names. You may not have known them a year ago, but this year you couldn't get away. Robert Pattinson and his unruly 'do sent "Twilight" fans -- and then some -- swooning. Sarah Palin became the first hockey mom-pitbull to ever run for VP. Katy Perry kissed a girl, and radio liked it. (A lot.) David Cook became the first angsty rocker to win "American Idol."

And that's just a few of them. Check out the rest of our picks for the faces that captured our collective attention of the year that (almost) was.

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