4. Madonna appears on The Oprah Winfrey Show to set the record straight regarding Her adoption of David Banda. October 25, 2006.

So much had been said and written about Her journey to the impoverished African nation of Malawi and Her trip-defining adoption of a 13-month old boy. The story would prove to be one of the most covered entertainment industry news items of the year.

Barely back home in London and adjusting to life with a new baby, Madonna brought Her case to Oprah to debunk inaccurate reporting, explain the adoption process and Her other charitable efforts, and describe David's acclimation to his new custodians. Oprah was egregiously supportive of Madonna and, with her softball questions, may not have conduced an unequivocally balanced perspective on the issue.

Still, the grand arbiter of all things media circus, the audience, got to hear Madonna sincerely - or "sincerely," depending on your view of the proceedings - make Her plea for understanding. And despite a few lingering bumps in the road, the Queen of Pop's sit-down with the Queen of Talk (Her most earnest of the four such interviews this decade) pretty much swayed public opinion back into Her favor with respect to the case at hand.