Some of the stories that made compelling images in 2008: A magnitude 7.9 quake rocked China's Sichuan province. Georgian cities came under attack by Russian troops. The citizens of Nepal cast votes in national elections. The poor residents of Dharavi, the largest slum in India, struggled to hold on to their valuable land.

The run for the White House dominated the news and the nation choose Barack Obama - the first African American to be elected president. Alaska gov. Sarah Palin vaulted into the national spotlight when she was picked as John McCain's running mate and Pope Benedict XVI visited the US, offering Mass in front of 46,000 at Nationals Park in Washington D. C.

Once again, a devastating wildfire engulfed Southern California, destroying more than 800 homes from Montecito to Orange County. On the political front, the Proposition 8 debate brought out passionate views from both sides, with the controversial measure banning gay marriage now up to the courts.

Join us on a visual journey of where Times photographers went this year, to places like Mango's Tropical Cafe in Miami's South Beach, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and the rugged Na Pali Coast in Kauai.

The stars shined bright this year in The Envelope with Johnny Depp, "Changeling" star Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, star of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Also see Mickey Rourke, who is quite the comeback story.

Sports had its share of memorable moments in 2008, with the world’s athletes coming together for the Beijing Olympics. The Dodgers enjoyed some rare postseason success, sweeping the Chicago Cubs in the National League division series. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers mixed it up once again with the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals and Shane Mosley knocked the sweat off Ricardo Mayorga in a boxing match at the Home Depot Center.

This year our Health section touched on numerous issues, including frozen embryos. (An estimated 500,000 embryos are in cryopreservation in the United States.) We also showed how cancer patient Kevin Carlberg received a personalized type of medical care at UCLA, in which doctors created a vaccine from his tumor.

The Oscars, Grammys, Golden Globes ... the list goes on. The Times' coverage in 2008 of the Arts & Entertainment world produced compelling images of all its stars.

From tequila bars to coffee shops, squash veloute soup to pear-blackberry pie, our Food section touches on the staples, as well as on the eclectic. It also profiled a young couple who decided to grow their own. They ventured into farming and selling their mix of vegetables at local farmers markets.