Katie Couric's Notebook: Year In Review

It may have had its ups and downs, but 2008 was anything but dull.

We saw an historic primary race between Senators Clinton and Obama, and the election of our first African American president. Governor Sarah Palin captivated fans and foes alike, and Tina Fey's impersonation put SNL back on the map.

Michael Phelps made Olympic history, and T. Boone Pickens told us the answer to our energy crisis was blowing in the windmills.

There were the epic falls from grace: John Edwards, Eliot Spitzer, Rod Blagojevich.

The credit crunch and mortgage meltdown dominated headlines as the nation slipped into a recession.

We endured a seventh year of war as things got a bit better in Iraq and a lot worse in Afghanistan.

We said goodbye to Tim Russert and Paul Newman, among others.

Tonight, we'll say hello to a brand new year, new opportunities, new heartache and new headlines.

From all of us at CBS News, Happy New Year.