16.) a miraculous rescue!

For 69 days in Chile, 33 miners were trapped a half-mile underground, with no sunlight or fresh air and very limited access to food, water, and medication.  Loved ones camped out at the mine, sending messages of hope and faith down the small chutes and praying desperately for the safety of the miners as a rescue plan was devised.  Miraculously, all 33 miners survived and were brought to the surface in a tiny capsule by a team of six rescuers.  Cheering erupted literally across the world as people watched the rescues on live television.  Everyone loves a good survival story! (Chileans are typically a very religious group, and some have speculated that the survival of the miners is a testament to the power of prayer.)   It's undeniably a miracle that every single person in the mine (which was damaged after an explosion) not only made it safely to the secure area, but also eventually made it out of the mine entirely after 69 days (two and a half months!) undergound.  Three cheers for the miners, their rescuers, and their families!