NPR: Memorable Moments of 2005

Memorable Moments of 2005 Introduction

2005-12-27

NPR Online editor Bill Chappell introduces the Memorable Moments of 2005 podcast and talks a bit about the stories and how they were selected.

More Tsunami Victims Uncovered in Sri Lanka

2005-01-01

Relief workers and dazed survivors in Sri Lanka continue to uncover bodies of those who died in last week's tsunami -- and estimates of the number of dead continue to rise in Indonesia, Thailand and other nations on the Indian Ocean. NPR's Jason Beaubien reports from the Sri Lankan village of Hambantota.

Johnny Carson, 30-Year 'Tonight' Host, Dies at 79

2005-01-23

Johnny Carson, who hosted The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992, has died at the age of 79. While the Carson family released few details of his death, it was reportedly the result of complications stemming from emphysema.

Ossie Davis: An Appreciation

2005-02-07

Actor, writer, and activist Ossie Davis died last Friday. NPR's Ed Gordon pays tribute to Davis and reflects on his impact with Harry Belafonte, Felicia Rashad, Spike Lee, Roscoe Lee Brown and Sidney Poitier.

Nature Bounces Back on Sri Lanka's Coast

2005-02-25

In a series of reports for Radio Expeditions, Elizabeth Arnold journeys to Sri Lanka with one of the first teams to assess the environmental aftermath of the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami.

The Club From Nowhere: Cooking for Civil Rights

2005-03-04

In the '50s, a group of Montgomery, Ala., women baked goods to help fund the Montgomery bus boycott. Known as The Club from Nowhere, the group was led by Georgia Gilmore, one of the unsung heroes of the civil rights era.

Wounded in War: The Women Serving in Iraq

2005-03-14

In the war in Iraq, no one is truly behind the front lines. A large number of women soldiers are among the wounded, suffering from burns and broken bones, lost limbs and disfiguring scars. We meet three such women at the Brooke Army Medical Center facility in San Antonio, Texas.

Seeking Answers to Dolphin Death Mystery

2005-03-21

The federal government's "go-to guy" for marine mammal post mortems is Bill McClellan. His efforts to solve the mystery of why so many dolphins washed up on the Florida Keys earlier this month.

The Sacred Corn Beer of the Tarahumara

2005-03-25

In Mexico's Sierra Madre range, the religious drama of Easter has been refashioned by indigenous groups into an expression of cultural solidarity, replete with barrels of corn beer called tesguino.

Steroid Scandal Plagues Top Musicians

2005-04-01

Rumors have been circulating for some time that -- just like in the world of sports -- classical musicians are using performance-enhancing drugs. NPR's Tom Goldman talks to NPR's Lisa Simeone about the speculations.

Church Mourns Pope's Death, Celebrates Legacy

2005-04-03

Church leaders and mourners pray for Pope John Paul II, whose body lies in the Clementina Hall at the Vatican. Born Karel Wojtyla in Poland 84 years ago, John Paul died in Saturday after 26 years as pope.

The America I Believe In

2005-04-11

Gen. Colin Powell believes America today is similar to the one that welcomed his immigrant parents 80 years ago -- a country based on openness, freedom and democracy for its citizens and visitors.

For Pianist, Music Unleashes Rainbows of Color

2005-04-18

When pianist Laura Rosser performs, she hears more than sounds. She hears colors -- each note has its own associated hue. Rosser has a rare neurological condition called synesthesia. Stimulation of one sense produces the sensation of another.

Springsteen Goes Soul Searching with 'Devils'

2005-04-26

On his latest album, Devils and Dust, rocker Bruce Springsteen strips down, musically and spiritually: The singer uses his lone voice against a spare acoustic backdrop to explore themes of spirituality, moral uncertainty and loss.

A Gruesome Stroll Through Medical History

2005-05-16

The National Museum of Health and Medicine in D.C. is not for the squeamish. Founded in 1862, the museum displays everything from a large human hairball to skull fragments from Abraham Lincoln.

Be Cool to the Pizza Dude

2005-05-16

We know them. We depend on them. We call them out on cold, rainy nights. Now, NPR listener Sarah Adams tells us why her life philosophy is built around being cool to the pizza delivery dude.

Songs and Sounds of South Africa

2005-05-18

As part of Performance Today's continuing series celebrating the folk roots of classical music, South African a cappella group Ladysmith Black Mambazo offers a performance in Studio 4A and the Kronos Quartet performs Kevin Volans' White Man Sleeps.

How Is It Possible to Believe in God?

2005-05-23

In considering the glories of the world around him, writer and conservative commentator William F. Buckley, Jr. finds it easier to believe in a divine creator than in the vagaries of nature.

Unknown Bach Aria Discovered in Germany

2005-06-09

A previously unknown composition by Johann Sebastian Bach has been discovered by a classical music scholar in Germany. The two-page, handwritten aria was composed in 1713 for soprano, strings and basso continuo.

Civil War Historian Shelby Foote Dies at 88

2005-06-28

Novelist and historian Shelby Foote died Monday night. He was 88. The native Mississippian gained a sort of celebrity when he lent his gravelly voice to Ken Burns' PBS documentary series The Civil War.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

2005-07-04

At 27, Andrew Sullivan became The New Republic's youngest editor, a position he held for five years. The English-born writer and commentator finds his beliefs rooted in America's Declaration of Independence.

PTSD Among Poor Soldiers: Herold's Story

2005-07-07

For many young men and women, joining the military is a path out of poverty. But those who return to impoverished neighborhoods with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder can find it especially hard to recover. We profile Herold Noel, a veteran of the Iraq war who ended up homeless before getting help.

A Hippo and Tortoise Tale

2005-07-17

Owen the hippo and Mzee the giant tortoise are survivors. Owen braved a tsunami, and Mzee is 130 years old. They hang out at a sanctuary in Kenya. Dr. Paula Kahumbu tells a true tale of unlikely pals.

Science Explores Meditation's Effect on the Brain

2005-07-26

People who meditate say it induces well-being and emotional balance. Neuroscientists have begun investigating the practice, exploring the hypothesis that meditation can actually change the way the brain works.

Always Go to the Funeral

2005-08-08

As a child, Deirdre Sullivan learned from her father to always pay her respects at funerals. Now, this NPR listener believes those simple acts of human kindness are as important as the grand heroic gestures.

Of 'A Million Ways' to Be Popular, OK Go Finds One

2005-08-30

OK Go's dance video for the song A Million Ways has become a sensation on the Internet... and it was never intended for public release. Robert Siegel talks with singer/guitarist Damian Kulash and his sister Trish Sie, who choreographed the dance.

U.S. Aid Effort Criticized in New Orleans

2005-09-01

Days after Hurricane Katrina made landfall east of New Orleans, thousands are still stranded in the city. And the city's mayor has issued what he called an Urgent SOS for help. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is overseeing the biggest recovery operation in U.S. history.

Singer Matisyahu, Keeping It Kosher

2005-09-01

He's the world's first Hasidic Jewish reggae star. His rap and beat-box skills can be heard on his truly unique album, Live At Stubb's.

Katrina Timeline: Unexecuted Plans

2005-09-09

Just days before Hurricane Katrina hit, officials from state, local and federal agencies were hearing that this could very likely be the big one -- the one they knew could devastate the city. But National Guard troops still waited for an official plan and a chain of command to be established.

Katrina Timeline: Misdirected Aid

2005-09-09

As the extent of Hurricane Katrina's threat to New Orleans became evident, trucks with water and ice were not positioned as planned. And when they were finally told to move, they were sent hundreds of miles away from most of the people in need.

Returning Home to New Orleans, if Briefly

2005-09-09

After an evacuation to Mississippi and Baton Rouge, commentator Chris Rose finally found his way back to New Orleans this week. He describes a bittersweet homecoming to a city that will forever be altered.

A Family of Artists Picks Up the Pieces

2005-09-18

Among Katrina's victims was Shearwater, an art and pottery complex. The belongings of the Anderson family, known for the late watercolor painter Walter Inglis Anderson, were badly damaged.

Mrs. Parmeter's Klan Quilt

2005-09-27

A blue-and-white quilt at a Washington state museum has an unusual and mysterious story behind it. Made in 1928, the quilt includes cloth from discarded Ku Klux Klan masks.

The mystery of ‘Sweet Caroline' and the Red Sox

2005-09-30

As a stadium anthem, it's not exactly "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Susan Orlean visits Boston's Fenway Park to unlock the secret connection between the Red Sox, their loyal fans and singer Neil Diamond's 1969 hit.

The Virtues of the Quiet Hero

2005-10-17

As a Naval aviator, congressman and parent, John McCain has been guided by a belief in honor, faith and service. They are values he tries to model for his children and future generations of Americans.

Paul McCartney Tries to Recapture a Fresh Sound

2005-10-20

For his latest CD, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, Paul McCartney sought the help of producer Nigel Godrich. Though McCartney normally keeps a tight hold on the creative process, he allowed Godrich to take the album in unexpected directions.

A Family of 'Vows': The Son of a Priest and a Nun

2005-10-24

Peter Manseau's mother is a former nun; his father is a priest who remains under suspension. Manseau tells of their marriage -- and his upbringing -- in a new memoir, Vows.

Civil Rights Icon Rosa Parks Dies

2005-10-25

Rosa Lee Parks, the woman known as the mother of the civil rights movement, turned the course of American history by refusing in 1955 to give up her seat on a bus for a white man.

John Hope Franklin Puts a 'Mirror to America'

2005-10-30

Historian John Hope Franklin has spent much of his life -- 90 years, so far -- investigating the legacy of slavery in America. Now he has investigated his own life through the biography Mirror to America.

Geography of Heaven: Vrindavan

2005-10-31

Reminders of the Hindu faith are everywhere in Vrindavan -- countless temples line the streets and pilgrims march in devotion. There is also stark, third-world poverty and suffering. But for the faithful, the city is a manifestation of heaven, here on Earth.

'Elements of Style' Goes Beyond Words

2005-11-02

The Elements of Style, E.B. White and William Strunk's classic manual on writing and usage, can now be seen and heard. A new edition features illustrations by Maira Kalman, while composer Nico Muhly offers a musical adaptation.

A Former President Warns of 'Endangered Values'

2005-11-04

Blurring the line between church and state threatens civil liberties and privacy, says former president Jimmy Carter. That's the case he makes in his new book, Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis.

'Hungry Planet: What the World Eats'

2005-11-09

The authors of a new book, Hungry Planet, set out to see how families in 24 feed themselves each week. They wanted to see how globalization, migration and other factors affected the diets of communities around the world.

'My Lobotomy': Howard Dully's Journey

2005-11-16

Over the past two years, Howard Dully, 56, has embarked on a quest to discover the story behind the procedure he received as a 12-year-old boy: a transorbital or ice-pick lobotomy.

There Is No God

2005-11-21

As half of the magic act Penn and Teller, Penn Jillette enjoys challenging his audiences with the unconventional. In stating his personal credo, Jillette finds liberation in believing there is no God.

Dan Savage on 'The Commitment'

2005-11-21

Host Steve Inskeep talks to Dan Savage, sex columnist and author of The Commitment, a book about gay marriage. Savage describes his own decision to marry his partner, and how his young son has brought a kid's perspective to the debate.

A Wounded Soldier Struggles to Adapt

2005-11-29

Many of the men and women who returned from Iraq with traumatic brain injuries may never fully recover. As part of our Span of War series, we continue our story of one soldier's attempt to grasp his new limitations and ultimately head home to his wife and family in West Virginia.

To Generate Buzz, Clap Your Hands on the 'Net!

2005-11-29

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! is but one of scores of bands making music without the help a record label, pressing CDs themselves and selling them at concerts and on the Internet.

Return to New Orleans: Pontchartrain Park

2005-12-03

Weekend Edition Saturday editor Gwendolyn Thompkins delivers the second part of her report on returning to New Orleans. Thompkins grew up in a neighborhood called Pontchartrain Park. When the levees failed after Hurricane Katrina, Lake Pontchartrain reclaimed every house as far as the eye can see.

Tonle Sap: The Flowing Heart of Cambodia

2005-12-06

Much of Cambodia's psyche is connected to water -- the Water Festival is a national holiday -- and fish supplies as much as 70 percent of the protein in the nation's diet. But there are fears the world's most productive fishery may be on the decline.

Concern Grows over Iraqi 'Honor Killings'

2005-12-07

Women's rights in Iraq are a subject of growing alarm for activists and some secular groups. The widely accepted and seldom prosecuted practice of honor killings -- in which family members of women who have had extramarital sex have a right to kill her -- is of particular concern.