10 top TODAY stories that viewers buzzed about in January

The results are in! TODAY's 60th anniversary celebration is the story fans interacted with the most on our Facebook page in January.

And perhaps not so shockingly, you guys also loved Matt Lauer and adorable animals (though unfortunately an adorable animal didn't land on Matt's head — that would have caused a major sensation).

We measured our posts via the "Talking About This" metric on Facebook, which adds in the number of people who liked, commented, shared or responded to a question in the 28 days after it's added to the site. 

See below for the top 10 stories that our more than 775,000 Facebook fans buzzed about on our page:

TODAY

1) TODAY marks 60th anniversary with an anchor homecoming
With a ceremony fitting a diamond anniversary, TODAY toasted six decades on the air with an anchor homecoming that brought current and former hosts together. Our fans interacted with our TODAY at 60 coverage more than 21,000 times on Friday alone. One popular piece was this one, about how monuments across the nation lit up in TODAY colors Thursday night.

NBC

2) 15 top Matt moments for his 15th anniversary on TODAY 
TODAY.com listed 15 favorite Matt moments in no particular order. They range from the serious to the silly and highlight Matt's strengths as an anchor. More than 5,000 of his fans wished him a happy anniversary on Facebook.

3) Bald and beautiful...Barbie? Mattel responds to lobbying campaign
A movement is afoot on Facebook to create a "Bald Barbie" as a role model for young girls going through chemotherapy or suffering from hair loss conditions such as alopecia. Rhonda Vodicka Gardner called the move an "awesome idea" on our Facebook page. "After watching my brother and many other children fight this terrible monster and some lose the battle they need to have something that encourages their courage," she wrote.

TODAY

4) Teen in revealing yearbook photo flap: 'It's artistic'
Sydney Spies, 18, found herself embroiled in controversy when her school’s yearbook editors put the kibosh on running a photo of her posing provocatively in a black shawl and short yellow skirt that exposed plenty of skin. More than 250,000 readers voted, and 76 percent said the photos were inappropriate. 


5) Happy birthday to style icon (and first lady) Michelle Obama!
TODAY.com celebrated Michelle's birthday on Jan. 17 by looking back at some of our favorite looks from the past year — and explaining how to steal her style. TODAY Facebook fans also liked Michelle's blue dress from the State of the Union speech.

6) Down syndrome child, 6, becomes Target ad star
For all the controversy surrounding some child models, it gives us great pleasure to dote on the latest pint-size star. His name is Ryan, and he has Down syndrome. TODAY Facebook commenter Kathy Green Fulcher said the child was "adorable," and 18 others agreed with her. "I had a good friend who was in a wheelchair but was utterly gorgeous and I really encouraged her to model," Kathy wrote. "No reason why LOTS of different people, all shapes, sizes, and whatever shouldn't be in ads."

7) Tot sleeps like a baby — and a bookworm, a surfer, an astronaut, an elephant tamer
“When My Baby Dreams,” a new picture book by Adele Enersen, features fanciful photos she took of her sleeping infant daughter, which created an Internet sensation and resulted in a book: “When My Baby Dreams.” More than 2,000 people liked Adele's creativity, and another 750 people shared her story on their own walls.

8) Abandoned pit bull's best pal is a Chihuahua
Unlikely — yet inseparable — canine friends lean on each other for support. Their caretakers say both dogs have been changed forever by their partnership, and are looking for a forever home, together. This story also gave TODAY.com a good excuse to feature our adorable unlikely animal friends slideshow

9) ‘Otter’- this-world cute! Orphaned baby sea otter is thriving in aquarium
A team of aquarium workers are teaching Cayucos, an irresistibly cute 10-week-old, 13-pound bouncing baby sea otter, how to be an otter.

10) Crooner-in-chief: Pres. Obama sings 'Let's Stay Together'
The crooning commander in chief took to the stage at Harlem’s famed Apollo Theater for a fundraising event and surprised the crowd with his take on Al Green's “Let's Stay Together.” Nearly 20,000 of our fans voted, and 60 percent said Obama sings the famous tune better.  

Not following us on Facebook? Head over to our page and click "Like!" You can help weigh in on next month's top stories. 

Steve Veres is an editor for TODAY.com. He's still recovering from toasting TODAY's 60th anniversary.

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