This year has been huge for Slate. Not only did we have several record-breaking traffic months, we also had our biggest story of all time— the Adele Dazeem name generator, which went viral after John Travolta’s infamous Oscar gaffe. A range of stories made it into our top 10 this year, from a thoughtful essay on growing up unvaccinated to an unforgettable Dear Prudence letter. Two of the most popular stories in Slate in 2014 were actually from years past. Both Farhad Manjoo’s classic takedown of putting two spaces after a period and Amy Webb’s essay on why she and her husband don’t post about their daughter online caught a second wind this year on social media. If you missed any of these great stories, we hope this gives you a chance to find some new favorites. (And if for some reason you still haven’t Travoltified your name, what are you waiting for?)
10. “Finally, a Bachelor Contestant Exposes the Show’s Weird Sex Issues,” by Willa Paskin, Feb. 4
9. “Help! Kids From Poorer Neighborhoods Keep Trick-or-Treating in Mine,” by Emily Yoffe, Oct. 23
8. “The Secret Dual Lives of People Living With Mental Illness,” by David Rosenberg, Oct. 28
7. “The Problem With That Catcalling Video: They Edited Out the White Guys,” by Hanna Rosin, Oct. 29
6. “Why We Post Nothing—Nothing—About Our Kid Online. You Should Do the Same for Your Kids,” by Amy Webb, Sept. 4, 2013
5. “Stop Dumping Ice on Your Head. Just Give Money,” by Will Oremus, Aug. 12
4. “Two Spaces After a Period: Why You Should Never, Ever Do It,” by Farhad Manjoo, Jan. 12, 2011
3. “Rob Lowe on Sending His Son Off to College,” by Rob Lowe, May 5
2. “My ’70s Health-Nut Parents Didn’t Vaccinate Me. This Is What My Childhood Was Like,” by Amy Parker, Jan. 6
1. “Now You Can Generate Your Own Travoltified Name, Like ‘Adele Dazeem,’ ” by Jim Festante and Chris Kirk, March 3
