2012⚡ Event
New Zealand Hot Air Balloon Crash
A hot air balloon flight from Carterton, New Zealand, collided with a power line while landing, causing it to crash and killing all eleven people on board.
disasterexploration
What Happened in 2012?
Explore 58 historical moments from 2012 — 54 events, 4 birthdays, and 0 notable deaths.
Events in 2012(54)
2012⚡ Event
Costa Concordia disaster
The Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground on a reef and capsized off Isola del Giglio, Tuscany.
disasterexploration
2012⚡ Event
Megaupload Shut Down
The Hong Kong-based file-sharing website Megaupload was shut down by the FBI.
technologylaw
2012⚡ Event
Croatia votes to join the European Union
Croatia held a referendum on January 22, 2012, in which citizens voted in favor of joining the European Union.
politics
2012⚡ Event
Port Said Stadium Riot
Following an Egyptian Premier League match, fans rioted and attacked supporters, resulting in 74 deaths.
disastersports
2012⚡ Event
MV Rabaul Queen capsizes
The passenger ferry MV Rabaul Queen capsized and sank in rough conditions in the Solomon Sea, resulting in at least 88 deaths.
disaster
2012⚡ Event
First Vega rocket launch
The first Vega rocket was launched by the European Space Agency from the Guiana Space Centre.
spacetechnology
2012⚡ Event
Mexican drug war prison riot
Forty-four inmates died in a prison riot in Apodaca, Mexico, between members of Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel.
warlaw
2012⚡ Event
Once railway station disaster
A train crashed through a buffer stop at Once railway station in Buenos Aires, resulting in 51 deaths and over 700 injuries.
disaster
2012⚡ Event
Trayvon Martin shooting
African-American teenager Trayvon Martin was killed by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida. The incident sparked nationwide controversy.
lawpolitics
2012⚡ Event
Tokyo Skytree completed
Construction of Tokyo Skytree, the world's tallest tower and third-tallest structure, was completed.
technology
2012⚡ Event
Szczekociny rail crash
Two passenger trains collided near Szczekociny, Poland, resulting in 16 deaths and 58 injuries.
disaster
2012⚡ Event
Brazzaville arms dump blasts
A series of blasts occurred at an arms dump in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, killing at least 300 people and injuring 2,500 others.
disaster
2012⚡ Event
Robert Bales murders civilians in Afghanistan
U.S. Army soldier Robert Bales murdered sixteen civilians and wounded six others in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.
war
2012⚡ Event
2012 Oikos University shooting
A gunman shot at people inside Oikos University, a Korean Christian college in Oakland, California, leaving seven people dead and three injured.
disasterlaw
2012⚡ Event
Azawad Independence Declared
The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad unilaterally declared the region of Azawad independent from Mali.
politicswar
2012⚡ Event
Guinea-Bissau coup d'état
The Guinea-Bissau military seized control in a coup on April 12, 2012, amid a presidential election. Power was later handed to a transitional administration.
politicswar
2012⚡ Event
Sea of Japan Naming Dispute
On April 26, 2012, the International Hydrographic Organization abandoned South Korean-led attempts to rename the Sea of Japan.
politics
2012⚡ Event
Dnipropetrovsk bombings
Unknown perpetrators carried out a series of four bombings in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine.
2012⚡ Event
Sukhoi Superjet crash in Indonesia
A Sukhoi Superjet crashed into Mount Salak in Indonesia after pilots ignored alerts from the terrain warning system. All 45 people on board were killed.
disaster
2012⚡ Event
Northern Italy earthquakes
The first of two major earthquakes struck Northern Italy, resulting in seven deaths.
disaster
2012⚡ Event
SpaceX Dragon Docks with ISS
SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft became the first commercial vehicle to rendezvous and berth with the International Space Station during a test flight.
spacetechnology
2012⚡ Event
Afghanistan Earthquakes and Landslide
Two earthquakes struck northern Afghanistan, triggering a massive landslide that buried a village and killed 75 people.
disaster
2012⚡ Event
Nik Wallenda walks over Niagara Falls
American acrobat Nik Wallenda became the first person to walk a tightrope stretched directly over Niagara Falls.
exploration
2012⚡ Event
First Chinese Woman in Space
Liu Yang, a member of the Shenzhou 9 crew, became the first Chinese woman in space on June 16, 2012.
spacescienceexploration
2012⚡ Event
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud appointed Crown Prince
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was appointed the crown prince of Saudi Arabia.
politics
2012⚡ Event
Julian Assange seeks asylum
Facing sexual assault allegations in Sweden, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange requested asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
politics
2012⚡ Event
The Shard Inaugurated
The Shard in London was inaugurated as Europe's tallest building at 310 meters, though it was surpassed four months later.
technology
2012⚡ Event
Gangnam Style Release
South Korean rapper Psy released his hit single "Gangnam Style".
musicentertainment
2012⚡ Event
Burgas Airport bus bombing
A suicide bomber attacked an Israeli tour bus at Burgas Airport, Bulgaria. This led to Hezbollah's military branch being designated a terrorist organization by the EU.
warpoliticslaw
2012⚡ Event
Aurora movie theater shooting
A gunman opened fire at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people and injuring 58 others.
disaster
2012⚡ Event
New Irish Republican Army formed
The New Irish Republican Army was formed from a merger of a number of dissident republican militant groups.
politicswar
2012⚡ Event
Train fire on Tamil Nadu Express
A train fire killed 32 passengers and injured 27 on the Tamil Nadu Express in Andhra Pradesh, India.
disaster
2012⚡ Event
India Power Outage
The largest power outage in history occurred across 22 Indian states, affecting more than 620 million people. This impacted about 9 percent of the world's population.
disastereconomics
2012⚡ Event
Radio Network House demolition
Radio Network House in Christchurch, damaged by an earthquake, was demolished by implosion. This was the first such demolition in New Zealand.
disastertechnology
2012⚡ Event
Oak Creek Sikh Temple shooting
An American white supremacist carried out a mass shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, killing six people and wounding four others.
lawreligion
2012⚡ Event
Earthquakes near Tabriz, Iran
At least 306 people were killed and 3,000 others injured in a pair of earthquakes near Tabriz, Iran.
disaster
2012⚡ Event
Tana River District clashes
A series of ethnic clashes between the Orma and the Pokomo in Kenya's Tana River District resulted in at least 52 deaths.
politicslaw
2012⚡ Event
Voyager 1 Enters Interstellar Space
On August 25, 2012, the NASA space probe Voyager 1 became the first man-made object to enter interstellar space.
spacesciencetechnology
2012⚡ Event
Discovery of Richard III's Skeleton
On August 25, 2012, the skeleton of King Richard III of England was discovered under a car park in Leicester.
exploration
2012⚡ Event
Benghazi attack
The American consulate and CIA annex in Libya were attacked by a heavily armed group, resulting in the deaths of U.S. ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three others.
politicswar
2012⚡ Event
Somali Civil War Offensive
Somali National Army forces, alongside AMISOM and Raskamboni allies, launched an offensive against Al-Shabaab in Kismayo.
warpolitics
2012⚡ Event
Malala Yousafzai Assassination Attempt
Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai was severely injured by a Taliban gunman in a failed assassination attempt.
politics
2012⚡ Event
Felix Baumgartner's Stratospheric Jump
Felix Baumgartner became the first person to break the sound barrier without vehicular power by jumping from the stratosphere.
sciencespacetechnology
2012⚡ Event
Hurricane Sandy Makes Landfall
Hurricane Sandy, the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, made landfall in New Jersey causing nearly $75 billion in damages.
disaster
2012⚡ Event
Tammy Baldwin Elected to U.S. Senate
Tammy Baldwin became the first openly gay politician elected to the United States Senate.
politics
2012⚡ Event
Xi Jinping becomes General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party
Xi Jinping replaced Hu Jintao as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, succeeding as the paramount leader of China.
politics
2012⚡ Event
Tel Aviv Bus Bombing
A remote-controlled bomb exploded on a bus in Tel Aviv, Israel, injuring at least 28 people.
disasterpolitics
2012⚡ Event
UN General Assembly grants Palestine non-member observer state status
The United Nations General Assembly voted to accord the status of a non-member observer state to Palestine in resolution 67/19.
politics
2012⚡ Event
"Il Canto degli Italiani" becomes Italy's national anthem
"Il Canto degli Italiani" officially became the national anthem of Italy. It was provisionally chosen 66 years prior following the birth of the Italian Republic.
politicsmusic
2012⚡ Event
North Korea launches satellite
North Korea made its first successful satellite launch, as Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2 reached orbit.
spacetechnology
2012⚡ Event
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
A 20-year-old gunman shot twenty children and six adult staff members in a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
lawdisaster
2012⚡ Event
Delhi gang rape and murder
A woman was gang-raped and fatally assaulted on a bus in Delhi, generating protests across India against inadequate security for women.
lawdisaster
2012⚡ Event
Maya civilization calendar cycle ends
Countries that were part of the Maya civilization celebrated the end-date of a 5,126-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar.
Born in 2012(4)
Deaths in 2012(0)
No deaths recorded for 2012.
Dates in 2012
January 7January 12January 13January 19January 22January 24February 1February 2February 13February 19February 22February 26February 29March 3March 4March 11April 2April 6April 12April 26April 27May 9May 20May 25June 11June 15June 16June 18June 19July 5July 15July 18July 20July 26July 30July 31August 5August 11August 22August 25September 11September 28October 9October 14October 29November 6November 15November 21November 29December 4December 12December 14December 16December 21
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened in 2012?
- 2012 saw 58 notable historical moments, including 54 events, 4 famous birthdays, and 0 notable deaths.
- What were the biggest events of 2012?
- Key events of 2012 include: New Zealand Hot Air Balloon Crash, Costa Concordia disaster, Megaupload Shut Down.
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