Funniest news stories of past 20 years

Greetings news lovers!

You've probably figured out by now that WND is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

And for die-hards of the site, you're likely aware we've been providing a brief roundup of the funniest news events at the end of each year.

So I thought you might enjoy a quick trip down memory lane to reminisce about some of the oddest events that have occurred since the last millennium.

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Some years were sillier than others, so I'm providing a list of my personal favorites, and I'm jumbling up the order of years, just to keep you on your toes.

RELATED: Trump has 'huge' impact on funniest news of 2017

So here we go:

2012: Ain't nobody got time for that!

There's usually nothing funny about a fire sweeping through someone's home.

But one woman named Sweet Brown in Oklahoma City had the world howling in laughter when she described her horrifying experience to KFOR-TV:

"Well, I woke up to get me a cold pop and then I thought somebody was barbecuing. I said, 'Oh, Lord Jesus it's a fire.' Then I ran out, I didn't grab no shoes or nothin', Jesus. I ran for my life. And then the smoke got me. I got bronchitis! Ain't nobody got time for that!"

Reading the words alone simply do not do justice to the power of Sweet Brown. So here is her original clip in all its glory:

2015: The funniest 'Jeopardy' response in history

A news producer for "All Things Considered" on National Public Radio became a viral sensation after unintentionally scorching liberals during her autumn appearance on the popular game show.

Contestant Becky Sullivan, originally from Kansas City, Missouri, provided a laugh-packed climax during the Oct. 23, 2015, episode, when the Final Jeopardy clue in the category of "Flowers" stated:

"The flower pictured here is called this, also a disparaging term for people on the political left."

While the correct response was "a bleeding heart," Sullivan wrote "What is a pansy?"

The audience erupted in laughter.

Watch the video:

"I think you may have found a way to insult liberals in this country," host Alex Trebek said before and after Sullivan's incorrect answer was revealed to the audience, costing her all of her $6,000 she had earned to that point.

Despite the incorrect answer, Trebek did offer some support, saying, "although I do like pansy."

2011: The wild kingdom

Anyone who has ever had to chase down a wayward pet knows what a pain it can be. Now just imagine your dog getting loose in a park, and sparking a stampede of deer.

That's exactly what happened to this man in Britain, who had a meltdown when his Labrador named Fenton couldn't resist going after the herd.

(Warning: The frazzled man happens to use the name of Jesus amid the mayhem.)

The original video became a news sensation across the world, as journalists could not seem to get enough of Fenton the dog:

And the original phone clip of the chase got a dramatic overhaul in 2012 when it was turned into a comical commercial for a cell-phone network in the United Kingdom:

2007: Mapquest for U.S. Americans

We all need direction in life, and one beauty contestant got a little lost when faced with geography during a nationally televised pageant.

When asked the reason some Americans could not locate the U.S. on a world map, Miss South Carolina Teen USA Caitlyn Upton gave this meandering, grammarless response:

I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don't have maps, and, uh, I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and, uh, the Iraq everywhere like, such as, and I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., er, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future for our children.

ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel couldn't resist the temptation to comment.

"Some people out there in our nation don't have maps," he recalled Upton as saying.

"That's actually true. I had a neighbor that didn't have a map. And I loaned him a map and he never returned it and now I actually don't have a map."

2013: Sum Ting Wong

In perhaps one of the strangest on-air bloopers of all time, a San Francisco TV station identified the four pilots of a fatal Asiana plane crash using bogus and racially offensive names.

KTVU anchor Tori Campbell read the names accompanied by a graphic with the phony names listed alongside a photo of the burned-out plane that had crashed at San Francisco International Airport on July 6, killing three and injuring dozens.

The names were said to be:

• Sum Ting Wong

• Wi Tu Low

• Ho Lee Fuk

• and Bang Ding Ow.

See the newscast for yourself:

2013: Devil looks hauntingly familiar

President Barack Obama, already famous for having flies attracted to his face, including another one in January 2013, became the subject of devilish talk after an episode of "The Bible" miniseries on the History Channel.

Twitter exploded with comments from viewers who noticed an eerie similarity between the face of Mr. Obama and that of the Satan character, played by actor Mehdi Ouzaani.

Media giant Glenn Beck was among the first to make the connection, tweeting, "Anyone else think the Devil in #TheBible Sunday on History Channel looks exactly like That Guy?"

Beck referred to Obama as "that guy," having vowed not to utter the name of the president in all of 2013.

2016: Jeb gets the clap

Politicians love to be social and popular. But in the 2016 election cycle, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was treated like a social disease by millions of Republicans.

At a February campaign stop in New Hampshire, Jeb actually begged the audience to applaud for him during his speech at the Hanover Inn.

"I won't be out here blowharding, talking a big game without backing it up," he said, and that's when he was met with total silence.

The only thing Jeb could muster up was a defeated-sounding, "Please clap."

Here's the video:

2015: Potty humor

In the classic comedy film "The Naked Gun," actor Leslie Nielsen causes a roar of laughter when he leaves a news conference with his microphone still on, allowing everyone to hear every drop of action when he goes to the restroom.

Now, in a case of life imitating art, Mayor Dale Ross of Georgetown, Texas, made the same mistake as he excused himself from an April 28 council meeting for a quick bathroom break.

Then, as Councilwoman Rachael Jonrowe was speaking during Ross' visit to the men's room, suddenly the whole building echoed with the watery cascade of Ross going No. 1, followed by an electronically amplified flushing sound reverberating through the speakers.

Needless to say, Ms. Jonrowe, who had been involved in serious discussion about antibiotic resistance, began cracking up when she initially heard the mayor doing his business, and then totally lost it when the flushing began.

The New York Daily News noted, "Other politicians are equally amused as Ross, who appeared not to have washed his hands, later returns to this chair."

The YouTube video documenting the event has collected more than 5 million views, with a variety of comments, including:

• "The hilarious part is that they are talking about controlling diseases when the mayor doesn't even wash his hands after a bathroom break!"

• "Why didn't he have diarrhea? I would die laughing."

2010: The tipping point

Politicians are always under a microscope for the silly things they say, but in 2010, there was one congressman who deserved a special tip of the hat.

During a House hearing on sending extra U.S. Marines to Guam, Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., actually suggested the weight of the additional military personnel could make the entire island flip over, as if it were just floating atop the water.

"My fear is that the whole island will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize," the former judge told the Armed Services Committee. His remarks were immortalized on YouTube:

And the brilliant response from Adm. Robert Willard:

"We don't anticipate that."

2005: All the world's a 'stage'

If you ever thought NBC's "Today" show was a bit shallow, now there's proof.

During a live shot about rising waters in Wayne, N.J., reporter Michelle Kosinski appeared in a canoe on a suburban street – attempting to dramatize the severity of the flooding disaster.

A few seconds after she went live, however, a pair of men walked in front of the camera – the waters barely covering the tops of their boots.

"Are these holy men walking on top of water?" asked anchorman Matt Lauer. "What's going on here?"

"Why walk when you can ride, you guys?" Kosinski noted. "When you have ride like this, why would you wanna walk?"

"Have you run ashore yet?" asked Lauer.

"Is your oar hitting ground, Michelle?" asked co-anchor Katie Couric.

"Of course not. It's as smooth as silk," was Kosinski's response.

ABC reporter Cokie Roberts, noted for pretending to be broadcasting from outdoors on a wintry day when actually inside a warm studio, was unavailable for comment.

2016: Unconventional wisdom

Fox News correspondent Jesse Watters dropped in on the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia to tape a series of man-on-the-street interviews for "The O'Reilly Factor," asking people what they thought of Donald Trump.

But when Watters pointed out that Trump wants to defeat the Islamic State known as ISIS, things took an even nuttier-than-usual turn.

One man said he was less interested in Trump's stance than in learning what the terrorists thought about "global warming."

"I don't approve of ISIS tactics but I don't know anything about their ideology, I don't know what ISIS thinks about global warming," he said. "I'd be interested in their views on global warming."

Yes, folks. Some Democrats actually want to know what the ferocious Muslim terrorists known as ISIS think about global warming. You can't make this stuff up.

Watters told Bill O'Reilly, "I don't think ISIS has a position on global warming, and I don't want to know their position."

And when Watters suggested to left-leaning actress Ashley Judd that she looked "like a Hillary girl," Judd snapped back, "Well, I'm past puberty, so I'm a woman."

Watch the interviews here:

2007: You had me at diaper

It was early February 2007 when a lovesick astronaut allegedly drove across the country with adult diapers, eventually pepper-spraying another aviator over the affection of a male astronaut.

Headlines across America went nuts, astronuts that is, over Lisa Nowak with banners such as "Lust in Space" and "Dark Side of the Loon."

By summer, Nowak was jettisoned from NASA, and announced she would claim she was insane at the time of the incident.

Comedian Conan O'Brien clowned, "Yeah, when they heard about Nowak's insanity defense, the jury said, 'Please. You had us at diaper.'"

The male astronaut in this love triangle was Bill Oefelein, who wrote steamy e-mails to Colleen Shipman, the other woman.

"Will have to control myself when I see you. First urge will be to rip your clothes off, throw you on the ground and love the hell out of you."

"I need to see you — I am having Colleen withdrawals. Must see Colleen."

Obviously, Oefelein gave new meaning to the term "Rocket Man."

2014: The fun is in the chase with the Adventures of Lois Lerner

For those who might not know her name, Lois Lerner is the retired IRS honcho who allegedly targeted conservative groups, and then all her emails were said to mysteriously vanish. She famously took the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions about the IRS scandal.

Then on Sept. 29, 2014, author Jason Mattera tracked her down and chased her as she was walking her dogs in Bethesda, Maryland, only to find Ms. Lerner apparently doesn't like being targeted herself.

Lerner quickly sought refuge at a neighbor's house, but the neighbor refused to let her in.

"These guys are the press and they're not leaving me alone. I just want to come in for a second," Lerner pleaded.

When the neighbor's husband showed up on the front lawn, he said, "I don't want her in the house."

"I wouldn't blame you. I wouldn't want her in my house either," Mattera responded. "She might bring the government after you."

Here's the classic video:

Former U.S. Congressman Allen West chimed in about the video, saying, "All we want is the truth, but all we get in return is what Lois was carrying in that little plastic bag from her dog."

2015: Trump flowers

We all know that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is looking to construct a giant wall on the border to stop unwelcome visitors from coming into the country.

But on one glorious September morning, it took a lot less than that to preclude an uninvited protester from delivering a special "gift" to him.

Stephanie Mercades attempted to deliver hundreds of yellow dahlias, the national flower of Mexico, to the billionaire businessman at his office as part of a protest of Trump's policies on illegal immigration. Here's the video:

"She was carrying 1,000 flowers, each with a note from a Latin immigrant sarcastically thanking Trump for his views on immigration," TMZ reported.

But it wasn't a giant border wall that stopped her. It wasn't even security. It was the revolving door that Mercades had a serious problem with, as she ended up dropping the flowers on the ground.

"Can someone help me pick up the flowers?" the woman cried, asking for help from onlookers.

"It looks like something Lucy Ricardo would do," TMZ noted.

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Security then got involved, picking up the flowers and putting them in a clear, plastic trash bag.

"Can I keep the flowers?" Mercades asked.

"No," replied a security guard.

"Why can't I keep the flowers?" she wondered aloud.

"I'm throwing them away," the guard told her, as he dragged the bag of flowers down the street.

One bloom was left on the sidewalk, and that's when a second security guard picked it up and handed it to the lone protester, saying, "You can keep this one."

2012: Caught in a binder

Mitt Romney's remark about "binders full of women" in the second presidential debate of 2012 took on a life of its own, with some people objecting to his effort to find qualified women to serve with him in Massachusetts.

Of course, this led to instant comedy artwork across the Net, including:

2009: Can't bear the news

If you're one who thinks local TV news stories are full of you-know-what, you'll probably enjoy what some are calling "the single greatest news report ever."

It was aired in Cleveland, where WJW reporter Todd Meany re-enacted a bear-sighting by an Ohio woman. The report starts off looking like any typical news story, but takes a bizarre turn midway through.

With a real bear unavailable for re-creating the incident, Meany actually uses a cardboard cut-out, and proceeds to show how the creature would look scampering through the woods and climbing trees, explaining, "This is what the bear probably looked like. Except real:"

With more than 600,000 views on YouTube, people can bearly contain themselves with both positive and negative thoughts:

• "Did the bear [poop] in the woods?"

• "If this is actually real, we – as a people – need to organize and violently revolt against the media. We can't take this [expletive] any more."

• "Absolutely hilarious! I would have so much more respect for local newscasts if more stories were like this."

• "I'm soooo glad they had these diagrams to show me how the bear moves, what they may look like if they climb trees, and what they'd look like if they were plywood cut-outs."

• "This man deserves an Emmy for taking something that'd usually put you to sleep and making it memorable. Well done."

• "This is the most amazing thing ever."

2004: Sock it to me

One of the the most disturbing  stories of 2004 was, ironically, also one of the funniest.

It was summer when former President Clinton adviser Sandy Berger happened to stroll out of the National Archives with classified documents relating to national security and the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

He didn't just have the papers in his portfolio, he stuffed the top secrets down his own "secrets" inside his pants and socks.

What did Berger have to say about this?

• "I inadvertently took a few documents from the Archives."
• "I immediately returned everything I had except for a few documents that I apparently had accidentally discarded."
• "I deeply regret the sloppiness involved."

In response to Berger's shenanigans, radio host Rush Limbaugh noted, "They should have sent Hillary instead because she could have stuffed eight times the papers down her pants."

Some other remarks from the public posted on the Internet are priceless:

• "This is believable because it's common practice for the Clinton Administration to have their hand down their pants while doing official business."
• Given that the documents spent considerable time inside Sandy's rather ample pants and socks, does the National Archives really want them back?
• "I am curious. Is it Sandy Berger's habit to put things in his pants? How do you inadvertently put anything in your pants?"
• "How do you 'inadvertently' put anything in your socks?!"
• "Let's review: –He had secret documents in his pants! And in his socks! Pants, socks. If this isn't suspicious and he did do it innocently then perhaps he needs the help of a therapist."
• "When questioned over the whereabouts of the 'still missing' classified documents, Berger grabbed his crotch and responded, 'Classified documents? I got yer classified documents right here, pal!'" (Broken Newz)

2006: Snorer in the court

It has been said justice is blind.

In 2006, it was proven that the eyes of justice are closed for a more practical reason: cranky, old lady in need of her afternoon nap.

I give you the case of Justice Ruth Bader Snoozeburg – I mean, Ginsburg – who was caught nappin' on the job while listening to arguments.

Her trip to dreamland was apparently the highlight of the workday, as a court artist sketched an image of the infamous doze as Ginsburg's head became one with the bench.

Apparently, sawing wood at the high court is little cause for concern, as the Associated Press reported: "Justices David Souter and Samuel Alito, who flank the 72-year-old, looked at her but did not give her a nudge."

But the 2006 nap was just the beginning of the field of dreams for Ginsburg.

She famously fell asleep on national television in 2010 during a State of the Union address by Barack Obama:

And, then once again, she completely crashed at another Obama State of the Union in 2015:

Perhaps Justices Souter and Alito knew what many Americans already suspect: America may be better off when Ginsburg is out like a light.

2003: Color my hurricane

For the color-conscious zealots in America, you'll be proud to know at least one member of Congress has been fighting for your concerns.

The Hill reported U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, felt the names for hurricanes were too "lily white," and demanded the storms be given names that sound "black."

"All racial groups should be represented," Lee said, according to the Hill. She hoped federal weather officials "would try to be inclusive of African-American names."

Reactions poured in from all over the country.

"You know nobody's very excited when a hurricane's heading their way, and yet here she is demanding that hurricanes be named after black people," opined Rush Limbaugh.

Others wrote WND suggesting the storms be named for gang members and infamous criminals, or perhaps even the French so no one would ever fear a hurricane again.

1999: 'Maddie' Albright mistaken for hotel maid

Finally, one of the most memorable moments came just before the start of the new millennium, as Madeleine Albright, who was then serving as U.S. secretary of state under President Bill Clinton, was mistaken for a hotel maid in Europe.

According to reports by ABC News, the New York Daily News and other agencies, "When a bunch of Albanians mistook Madeleine Albright for a hotel cleaning lady, the secretary of state spewed a most-undiplomatic, and untranslatable, stream of invective."

A State Department spokesman wouldn't comment on the Daily News report that Albright was mistaken for a maid during peace negotiations for Kosovo in Rambouillet, France.

Albright at first wasn't recognized by the Albanian delegation when she walked into their room, the paper said.

"One member of the delegation, who didn't realize who she was, and probably thinking she was some cleaning lady because it was after midnight, simply said to her, 'Give us five minutes and please go away,'" recalled Albanian diplomat Dugagjin Gorani in "War on Europe," a British TV program.

Instead, Albright exploded in rage, swearing at the group, according to the reports.

Another member of the delegation, Veton Surroi, classicly noted: "Mrs. Albright started using explicit language which the translators never could translate into Albanian."

Maddie the maid Albright F-bombing European diplomats.

These are the moments that truly make me proud to be an American.

Follow Joe Kovacs on Twitter @JoeKovacsNews