Microblogging website Twitter continued its look back at 2010 by ranking the most powerful tweets of the year, Fox News has reported.
World leaders used it to greet one another, satirists poked fun at current events in real time, and entertainers made announcements directly to their fans without going through publicists.
The most powerful tweet of the year, according to Twitter, came from journalist Ann Curry, who used the service in January to convince the US Air Force to give landing clearance to a plane carrying physicians from Doctors Without Borders to earthquake-stricken Haiti.
When Russian President Dmitry Medvedev joined Twitter, the White House Twitter account immediately replied to his inaugural tweet to welcome him to the site.
Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa used the site in September to declare a state of emergency in the country in response to civil unrest.
Twitter became popular with public figures in 2010, with Prince William's office using its account to announce that he was engaged to Kate Middleton.
Comedian and talkshow host Conan O'Brien decided to follow one single person on his Twitter account, making the young woman from the Midwest instantly famous. O'Brien also used the site to tell fans about his contentious departure from The Tonight Show on CBS.
Former Sun Microsystems CEO not only announced his resignation from the tech giant via Twitter, but bowed out with a haiku: "Financial crisis/Stalled too many customers/CEO no more", Fox News reported.
Perhaps the most powerful single message of the year, however, was delivered not by web 2.0 technology, but by the oldest method of communication known to man - a message scribbled on a scrap of paper.
The message that 33 miners were safe underground came up attached to a drill bit, 17 days after a cave-in at the Copiapo mine in northern Chile: "Estamos bien en el refugio los 33", it said - "33 of us are safe down here".
The 10 Most Powerful Tweets of the Year:
1. @AnnCurry: @usairforce find a way to let Doctors without Borders planes land in Haiti: http://bit.ly/8hYZOK THE most effective at this.
2. @whitehouse: Welcome to @twitter President Medvedev! RT @KremlinRussia_E: Hello everyone! I'm on Twitter, and this is my first tweet.
3. @LeighFazzina: I've had a serious injury and NEED Help! Can somone please call Winding Trails in Farmington, CT tell them I'm stuck bike crash in woods.
4. @BPGlobalPR: Catastrophe is a strong word, let's all agree to call it a whoopsie daisy.
5. @Presidencia_Ec: Gobierno declara estado de Excepción #Ecuador #30S ("Government Declares State of Emergency")
6. @ClarenceHouse: The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton - www.princeofwales.gov.uk
7. @OpenJonathan: Today's my last day at Sun. I'll miss it. Seems only fitting to end on a #haiku. Financial crisis/Stalled too many customers/CEO no more
8. @foster208: Congratulations to Raul Labrador on a hard-earned win, and best of luck as Idaho's next Congressman.
9. @Carles5puyol: Gran ambiente en la rua!!orgulloso de ver a tanta gente feliz. http://twitpic.com/24qkg5 ("Great atmosphere in the street! Proud to see so many people happy." Photo from Spain's World Cup victory celebration.)
10. @ConanOBrien: Hey internet: I'm headed to your town on a half-assed comedy & music tour. Go to http://TeamCoco.com for tix. I repeat: It's half-assed.
- AGENCIES, NZHERALD STAFF
The 10 'most powerful Tweets' of the year
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