What happened in 2012
400 entries recorded for 2012, listed by date. That was 14 years ago.
2012 at a glance
- Years ago
- 14 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 21st century
- Decade
- 2010s
- Generation born
- Generation Z
- Entries here
- 400
- Breakdown
- 265 deaths · 131 historical events · 4 births
January
- January 2
William P. Carey
William P. Carey, American businessman and philanthropist, founded W. P. Carey (born 1930)
- January 4
Eve Arnold
Eve Arnold, American photographer and journalist (born 1912)
- January 4
Rod Robbie
Rod Robbie, English-Canadian architect, designed the Canadian Pavilion and Rogers Centre (born 1928)
- January 6
January 2012 al-Midan bombing
Twenty-six people are killed and 63 wounded when a suicide bomber blows himself up at a police station in Damascus.
- January 7
Hot air balloon
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.
- January 7
Blue Ivy Carter
Blue Ivy Carter, American singer and actress
- January 10
2012 Khyber Agency bombing
A bombing at Jamrud in Pakistan, kills at least 30 people and injures 78 others.
- January 12
2012 Romanian protests
Violent protests occur in Bucharest, Romania, as two-day-old demonstrations continue against President Traian Băsescu's economic austerity measures. Clashes are reported in numerous Romanian cities between protesters and law enforcement officers.
- January 12
Artem Kotenko
Artem Kotenko, Ukrainian singer
- January 13
Cruise ship
The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia sinks off the coast of Italy due to the captain Francesco Schettino's negligence and irresponsibility. There are 32 confirmed deaths.
- January 13
Costa Concordia
The Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia (pictured) ran aground on a reef and capsized off Isola del Giglio, Tuscany.
- January 14
Gianpiero Moretti
Giampiero Moretti, Italian entrepreneur and race car driver (born 1940)
- January 14
Arfa Karim
Arfa Karim, Pakistani student and computer prodigy, youngest Microsoft Certified Professional in 2004 (born 1995)
- January 14
Dan Evins
Dan Evins, American businessman, founded Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (born 1935)
- January 14
Rosy Varte
Rosy Varte, Armenian-French actress (born 1923)
- January 14
Txillardegi
Txillardegi, Spanish linguist and politician (born 1929)
- January 16
Mali War
The Mali War begins when Tuareg militias start fighting the Malian government for independence.
- January 18
Protests against SOPA and PIPA
More than 115,000 websites engage in an online protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act in the US.[citation needed] The websites involved viewed the laws as infringing on the right to free speech and many of them temporarily shut down in protest.
- January 19
File sharing
The Hong Kong–based file-sharing website Megaupload was shut down by the FBI.
- January 19
Megaupload
The Hong Kong-based file-sharing website Megaupload is shut down by the FBI.
- January 19
Rudi van Dantzig
Rudi van Dantzig, Dutch ballet dancer and choreographer (born 1933)
- January 19
Sarah Burke
Sarah Burke, Canadian skier (born 1982)
- January 19
Winston Riley
Winston Riley, Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer (born 1943)
- January 19
Peter Åslin
Peter Åslin, Swedish ice hockey player (born 1962)
- January 20
John Levy (musician)
John Levy, American bassist and manager (born 1912)
- January 20
Etta James
Etta James, American singer-songwriter (born 1938)
- January 20
Ioannis Kefalogiannis
Ioannis Kefalogiannis, Greek politician, Greek Minister of the Interior (born 1933)
- January 22
2012 Croatian European Union membership referendum
Croatia held a referendum in which it voted to become a member of the European Union.
- January 22
Simon Marsden
Simon Marsden, English photographer and author (born 1948)
- January 22
Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno, American football player and coach (born 1926)
- January 24
Countess Athena of Monpezat
Princess Athena of Denmark
- January 29
Oscar Luigi Scalfaro
Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, Italian lawyer and politician, 9th President of Italy (born 1918)
- January 29
Ranjit Singh Dyal
Ranjit Singh Dyal, Indian general and politician, 10th Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry (born 1928)
- January 31
Dorothea Tanning
Dorothea Tanning, American painter and sculptor (born 1910)
- January 31
Mani Ram Bagri
Mani Ram Bagri, Indian lawyer and politician (born 1920)
February
- February 1
Egyptian Premier League
Following an Egyptian Premier League match in Port Said, Al Masry fans rioted and violently attacked Al Ahly supporters, resulting in 74 deaths.
- February 1
Port Said Stadium riot
Seventy-four people are killed and over 500 injured as a result of clashes between fans of Egyptian football teams Al Masry and Al Ahly in the city of Port Said.
- February 2
MV Rabaul Queen
The passenger ferry MV Rabaul Queen capsized and sank in rough conditions in the Solomon Sea, resulting in at least 88 deaths.
- February 3
Ben Gazzara
Ben Gazzara, American actor and director (born 1930)
- February 3
Toh Chin Chye
Toh Chin Chye, Singaporean academic and politician, 1st Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore (born 1921)
- February 3
Terence Hildner
Terence Hildner, American general (born 1962)
- February 4
István Csurka
István Csurka, Hungarian journalist and politician (born 1934)
- February 4
Florence Green
Florence Green, English soldier (born 1901)
- February 5
Al De Lory
Al De Lory, American keyboard player, conductor, and producer (born 1930)
- February 5
Sam Coppola
Sam Coppola, American actor (born 1932)
- February 5
Jo Zwaan
Jo Zwaan, Dutch sprinter (born 1922)
- February 5
John Turner Sargent Sr.
John Turner Sargent Sr., American publisher (born 1924)
- February 6
2012 Negros earthquake
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake hits the central Philippine island of Negros, leaving 112 people dead.
- February 7
Mohamed Nasheed
President Mohamed Nasheed of the Republic of Maldives resigns, after 23 days of anti-governmental protests calling for the release of the Chief Judge unlawfully arrested by the military.
- February 7
Harry Keough
Harry Keough, American soccer player and coach (born 1927)
- February 9
John Hick
John Hick, English philosopher and academic (born 1922)
- February 9
Joe Moretti
Joe Moretti, Scottish-South African guitarist and songwriter (born 1938)
- February 9
O. P. Dutta
O. P. Dutta, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1922)
- February 10
Jeffrey Zaslow
Jeffrey Zaslow, American journalist and author (born 1958)
- February 10
Lloyd Morrison
Lloyd Morrison, New Zealand banker and businessman, founded H. R. L. Morrison & Co (born 1957)
- February 13
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency (ESA) conducted the first launch of the European Vega rocket from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
- February 13
Vega (rocket)
The first Vega rocket was launched by the European Space Agency from the Guiana Space Centre.
- February 14
Péter Rusorán
Péter Rusorán, Hungarian swimmer, water polo player, and coach (born 1940)
- February 14
Tonmi Lillman
Tonmi Lillman, Finnish drummer and producer (born 1973)
- February 14
Mike Bernardo
Mike Bernardo, South African boxer and martial artist (born 1969)
- February 14
Dory Previn
Dory Previn, American singer-songwriter (born 1925)
- February 15
Comayagua prison fire
Three hundred and sixty people die in a fire at a Honduran prison in the city of Comayagua.
- February 15
Cyril Domb
Cyril Domb, English-Israeli physicist and academic (born 1920)
- February 16
John Macionis
John Macionis, American swimmer and lieutenant (born 1916)
- February 16
Elyse Knox
Elyse Knox, American model, actress, and fashion designer (born 1917)
- February 16
Gary Carter
Gary Carter, American baseball player and coach (born 1954)
- February 19
Mexican drug war
Mexican drug war: Forty-four inmates died in a prison riot in Apodaca, Mexico, between members of Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel.
- February 19
Apodaca prison riot
Forty-four people are killed in a prison brawl in Apodaca, Nuevo León, Mexico.
- February 19
Ruth Barcan Marcus
Ruth Barcan Marcus, American philosopher and logician (born 1921)
- February 21
H. M. Darmstandler
H. M. Darmstandler, American general (born 1922)
- February 22
2012 Buenos Aires rail disaster
A train failed to apply its brakes and crashed through a buffer stop at Once railway station in Buenos Aires, resulting in 51 deaths and more than 700 injuries.
- February 22
Rémi Ochlik
Rémi Ochlik, French photographer and journalist (born 1983)
- February 22
Marie Colvin
Marie Colvin, American journalist (born 1956)
- February 22
Sukhbir (writer)
Sukhbir, Indian author and poet (born 1925)
- February 22
Frank Carson
Frank Carson, Irish-English comedian and actor (born 1926)
- February 23
23 February 2012 Iraq attacks
A series of attacks across Iraq leave at least 83 killed and more than 250 injured.
- February 23
David Sayre
David Sayre, American physicist and mathematician (born 1924)
- February 23
William Raggio
William Raggio, American lawyer and politician (born 1926)
- February 24
Oliver Wrong
Oliver Wrong, English nephrologist and academic (born 1925)
- February 24
Agnes Allen (baseball)
Agnes Allen, American baseball player and therapist (born 1930)
- February 25
Louisiana Red
Louisiana Red, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1932)
- February 26
Trayvon Martin
African-American teenager Trayvon Martin was killed by neighborhood-watch coordinator George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida, prompting a nationwide controversy.
- February 26
2012 Burlington Via derailment
A train derails in Burlington, Ontario, Canada killing at least three people and injuring 45.
- February 26
Richard Carpenter (screenwriter)
Richard Carpenter, English actor and screenwriter (born 1929)
- February 27
Tina Strobos
Tina Strobos, Dutch physician and psychiatrist (born 1920)
- February 27
Ma Jiyuan
Ma Jiyuan, Chinese general (born 1921)
- February 27
Helga Vlahović
Helga Vlahović, Croatian journalist and producer (born 1945)
- February 29
North Korea
North Korea agrees to suspend uranium enrichment and nuclear and long-range missile tests in return for US food aid.
- February 29
Tokyo Skytree
Construction of Tokyo Skytree, the world's tallest tower and third-tallest structure, was completed.
- February 29
Davy Jones (musician)
Davy Jones, English singer, guitarist and actor (born 1945)
- February 29
P. K. Narayana Panicker
P. K. Narayana Panicker, Indian social leader (born 1930)
- February 29
Sheldon Moldoff
Sheldon Moldoff, American illustrator (born 1920)
March
- March 1
Germano Mosconi
Germano Mosconi, Italian journalist (born 1932)
- March 1
Andrew Breitbart
Andrew Breitbart, American journalist and publisher (born 1969)
- March 2
Tornado outbreak of March 2–3, 2012
A tornado outbreak occurs over a large section of the Southern United States and into the Ohio Valley region, resulting in 40 tornado-related fatalities.
- March 2
Lawrence Anthony
Lawrence Anthony, South African environmentalist, explorer, and author (born 1950)
- March 2
Van T. Barfoot
Van T. Barfoot, American colonel, Medal of Honor recipient (born 1919)
- March 2
James Q. Wilson
James Q. Wilson, American political scientist and academic (born 1931)
- March 2
Norman St John-Stevas
Norman St John-Stevas, English academic and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (born 1929)
- March 3
Szczekociny rail crash
Two passenger trains collided near Szczekociny, Poland, resulting in 16 deaths and 58 injuries.
- March 3
Ronnie Montrose
Ronnie Montrose, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (born 1947)
- March 3
Ralph McQuarrie
Ralph McQuarrie, American conceptual designer and illustrator (born 1929)
- March 4
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.
- March 5
Tropical Storm Irina
Tropical Storm Irina kills over 75 as it passes through Madagascar.
- March 5
2012 Bucharest hair salon shooting
Two people are killed and six more are injured in a shooting at a hair salon in Bucharest, Romania.
- March 5
William O. Wooldridge
William O. Wooldridge, American sergeant (born 1922)
- March 5
Philip Madoc
Philip Madoc, Welsh-English actor (born 1934)
- March 5
Paul Haines (fiction writer)
Paul Haines, New Zealand-Australian author (born 1970)
- March 8
Simin Daneshvar
Simin Daneshvar, Iranian author and academic (born 1921)
- March 9
2012–2014 Salvadoran gang truce
A truce between the Salvadoran government and gangs in the country goes into effect when 30 gang leaders are transferred to lower security prisons.
- March 10
Jean Giraud
Jean Giraud, French author and illustrator (born 1938)
- March 10
F. Sherwood Rowland
Frank Sherwood Rowland, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1927)
- March 11
Kandahar massacre
A U.S. soldier kills 16 civilians in the Panjwayi District of Afghanistan near Kandahar.
- March 11
United States Army
U.S. Army soldier Robert Bales murdered sixteen civilians and wounded six others in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.
- March 11
James B. Morehead
James B. Morehead, American colonel and pilot (born 1916)
- March 12
Michael Hossack
Michael Hossack, American drummer (born 1946)
- March 12
Friedhelm Konietzka
Friedhelm Konietzka, German-Swiss footballer and manager (born 1938)
- March 12
Dick Harter
Dick Harter, American basketball player and coach (born 1930)
- March 13
Sierre coach crash
The Sierre coach crash kills 28 people, including 22 children.
- March 14
Pierre Schoendoerffer
Pierre Schoendoerffer, French director and screenwriter (born 1928)
- March 14
Ċensu Tabone
Ċensu Tabone, Maltese general and politician, 4th President of Malta (born 1913)
- March 16
Sachin Tendulkar
Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar becomes the first batter in history to score 100 centuries in international cricket.
- March 17
Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria
Shenouda III, pope of Alexandria (born 1923)
- March 17
Margaret Whitlam
Margaret Whitlam, Australian swimmer and author (born 1919)
- March 18
William R. Charette
William R. Charette, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (born 1932)
- March 18
Furman Bisher
Furman Bisher, American journalist and author (born 1918)
- March 19
Hugo Munthe-Kaas
Hugo Munthe-Kaas, Norwegian intelligence agent (born 1922)
- March 19
Ulu Grosbard
Ulu Grosbard, Belgian-American director and producer (born 1929)
- March 19
Jim Case
Jim Case, American director and producer (born 1927)
- March 20
20 March 2012 Iraq attacks
At least 52 people are killed and more than 250 injured in a wave of terror attacks across ten cities in Iraq.
- March 22
Joe Blanchard
Joe Blanchard, American football player and wrestler (born 1928)
- March 22
Neil L. Whitehead
Neil L. Whitehead, English anthropologist and author (born 1956)
- March 22
David Waltz
David Waltz, American computer scientist and academic (born 1943)
- March 27
Adrienne Rich
Adrienne Rich, American poet, essayist and feminist (born 1929)
- March 30
Janet Anderson Perkin
Janet Anderson Perkin, Canadian baseball player and curler (born 1921)
April
- April 1
Giorgio Chinaglia
Giorgio Chinaglia, Italian-American soccer player and radio host (born 1947)
- April 1
Lionel Bowen
Lionel Bowen, Australian soldier, lawyer, and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia (born 1922)
- April 2
UTair Flight 120
UTair Flight 120 crashes after takeoff from Roshchino International Airport in Tyumen, Russia, killing 33 and injuring 10.
- April 2
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.
- April 6
Azawad
Azawad declares itself independent from the Republic of Mali.
- April 6
National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad
The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad unilaterally declared the region of Azawad independent from Mali.
- April 10
Raymond Aubrac
Raymond Aubrac, French engineer and activist (born 1914)
- April 10
Luis Aponte Martínez
Luis Aponte Martínez, Puerto Rican cardinal (born 1922)
- April 10
Lili Chookasian
Lili Chookasian, Armenian-American operatic singer (born 1921)
- April 10
Barbara Buchholz
Barbara Buchholz, German theremin player and composer (born 1959)
- April 10
Akin Omoboriowo
Akin Omoboriowo, Nigerian lawyer and politician (born 1932)
- April 11
2012 Indian Ocean earthquakes
A pair of great earthquakes occur in the Wharton Basin west of Sumatra in Indonesia. The maximum Mercalli intensity of this strike-slip doublet earthquake is VII (Very strong). Ten are killed, twelve are injured, and a non-destructive tsunami is observed on the island of Nias.
- April 12
2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état
The Guinea-Bissau military seized control in a coup amid a presidential election, later handing power to a transitional administration under Manuel Serifo Nhamadjo.
- April 13
Shūichi Higurashi
Shūichi Higurashi, Japanese illustrator (born 1936)
- April 13
Cecil Chaudhry
Cecil Chaudhry, Pakistani pilot, academic, and activist (born 1941)
- April 15
Paul Bogart
Paul Bogart, American director and producer (born 1919)
- April 15
Dwayne Schintzius
Dwayne Schintzius, American basketball player (born 1968)
- April 16
Trial of Anders Behring Breivik
The trial for Anders Behring Breivik, the perpetrator of the 2011 Norway attacks, begins in Oslo, Norway.
- April 16
2012 Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize winners are announced. It was the first time since 1977 that no book won the Fiction Prize.
- April 17
Leila Berg
Leila Berg, English journalist and author (born 1917)
- April 18
René Lépine
René Lépine, Canadian businessman and philanthropist (born 1929)
- April 18
Dick Clark
Dick Clark, American television host and producer, founded Dick Clark Productions (born 1929)
- April 18
K. D. Wentworth
K. D. Wentworth, American author (born 1951)
- April 18
Robert O. Ragland
Robert O. Ragland, American musician (born 1931)
- April 19
Levon Helm
Levon Helm, American musician and actor (born 1940)
- April 20
Bhoja Air Flight 213
One hundred twenty-seven people are killed when a plane crashes in a residential area near the Benazir Bhutto International Airport near Islamabad, Pakistan.
- April 20
Bert Weedon
Bert Weedon, English guitarist and songwriter (born 1920)
- April 21
Amsterdam Westerpark train collision
Two trains are involved in a head-on collision near Sloterdijk, Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, killing one person and injuring 116 others.
- April 21
Doris Betts
Doris Betts, American author and academic (born 1932)
- April 22
George Rathmann
George Rathmann, American chemist, biologist, and businessman (born 1927)
- April 25
San Diego
Daniel Chong is discovered in a holding room in San Diego, having been incarcerated for five days without food or water.
- April 26
Terry Spinks
Terence Spinks, English boxer and trainer (born 1938)
- April 27
2012 Dnipropetrovsk explosions
Unknown perpetrators carried out a series of four bombings in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine.
- April 30
Assam ferry sinking
An overloaded ferry capsizes on the Brahmaputra River in India killing at least 108 people. At least 150 more are missing and presumed dead.
- April 30
Tomás Borge
Tomás Borge, Nicaraguan poet and politician, co-founded the Sandinista National Liberation Front (born 1930)
May
- May 1
James Kinley
James Kinley, Canadian engineer and politician, 29th Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia (born 1925)
- May 1
Mordechai Virshubski
Mordechai Virshubski, German-Israeli lawyer and politician (born 1930)
- May 2
Pastel
A pastel version of The Scream, by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, sells for $120 million in a New York City auction, setting a new world record for a work of art at auction.
- May 5
Roy Padayachie
Roy Padayachie, South African lawyer and politician, South African Minister of Communications (born 1950)
- May 5
Carl Johan Bernadotte
Carl Johan Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg (born 1916)
- May 5
Surendranath (cricketer)
Surendranath, Indian cricketer (born 1937)
- May 5
Aatos Erkko
Aatos Erkko, Finnish journalist and publisher (born 1932)
- May 5
George Knobel
George Knobel, Dutch footballer, coach, and manager (born 1922)
- May 7
Ferenc Bartha
Ferenc Bartha, Hungarian economist and politician (born 1943)
- May 7
United Airlines Flight 232
Dennis E. Fitch, American captain and pilot (born 1942)
- May 7
Sammy Barr
Sammy Barr, Scottish trade union leader (born 1931)
- May 9
Yakovlev SJ-100
The pilots of a Sukhoi Superjet, ignoring alerts from the terrain warning system, crashed the aircraft into Mount Salak in Indonesia, resulting in the deaths of all 45 people on board.
- May 10
10 May 2012 Damascus bombings
The Damascus bombings are carried out using a pair of car bombs detonated by suicide bombers outside a military intelligence complex in Damascus, Syria, killing 55 people.
- May 10
Suicide attack
Suicide bombers detonated two car bombs outside a military intelligence complex in Damascus, killing 55 people.
- May 10
Horst Faas
Horst Faas, German photographer and journalist (born 1933)
- May 10
Gunnar Sønsteby
Gunnar Sønsteby, Norwegian captain and author (born 1918)
- May 10
Carroll Shelby
Carroll Shelby, American race car driver and designer (born 1923)
- May 12
Jan Bens
Jan Bens, Dutch footballer and coach (born 1921)
- May 12
Eddy Paape
Eddy Paape, Belgian illustrator (born 1920)
- May 13
Cadereyta Jiménez massacre
Mexican authorities discovered 49 dismembered bodies in Cadereyta Jiménez.
- May 14
Agni Air Flight CHT
Agni Air Flight CHT crashes in Nepal after a failed go-around, killing 15 people.
- May 15
Arno Lustiger
Arno Lustiger, German historian and author (born 1924)
- May 15
Carlos Fuentes
Carlos Fuentes, Mexican novelist and essayist (born 1928)
- May 15
Zakaria Mohieddin
Zakaria Mohieddin, Egyptian soldier and politician, 33rd Prime Minister of Egypt (born 1918)
- May 17
Patrick Mafisango
Patrick Mafisango, Congolese-Rwandan footballer (born 1980)
- May 17
Gideon Ezra
Gideon Ezra, Israeli geographer and politician, Israeli Minister in the Prime Minister's Office (born 1937)
- May 17
Donna Summer
Donna Summer, American singer-songwriter (born 1948)
- May 19
Brindisi school bombing
Three gas cylinder bombs explode in front of a vocational school in the Italian city of Brindisi, killing one person and injuring five others.
- May 19
2012 Deir ez-Zor bombing
A car bomb explodes near a military complex in the Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor, killing nine people.
- May 20
2012 Northern Italy earthquakes
The first of two major earthquakes struck Northern Italy, resulting in seven deaths.
- May 20
Doug the Pug
Doug the Pug, American celebrity dog
- May 21
Qafa e Vishës bus accident
A bus accident near Himara, Albania kills 13 people and injures 21 others.
- May 21
2012 Unity Day parade rehearsal bombing
A suicide bombing kills more than 120 people in Sanaa, Yemen.
- May 22
SpaceX COTS Demo Flight 2
SpaceX COTS Demo Flight 2 launches a Dragon capsule on a Falcon 9 rocket in the first commercial flight to the International Space Station.
- May 22
Tokyo Skytree
Tokyo Skytree opens to the public. It is the tallest tower in the world (634 m), and the third tallest man-made structure on Earth after Merdeka 118 (680.5 m) and Burj Khalifa (829.8 m).
- May 22
Wesley A. Brown
Wesley A. Brown, American lieutenant and engineer (born 1927)
- May 22
Muzafar Bhutto
Muzafar Bhutto, Pakistani politician (born 1970)
- May 23
Paul Fussell
Paul Fussell, American historian, author, and academic (born 1924)
- May 24
Klaas Carel Faber
Klaas Carel Faber, Dutch-German SS officer (born 1922)
- May 25
SpaceX COTS Demo Flight 2
In a test flight, SpaceX's Dragon became the first commercial spacecraft to rendezvous and berth with the International Space Station.
- May 25
SpaceX Dragon 1
The SpaceX Dragon 1 becomes the first commercial spacecraft to successfully rendezvous and berth with the International Space Station.
- May 27
Simeon Daniel
Simeon Daniel, Nevisian educator and politician, 1st Premier of Nevis (born 1934)
- May 27
Friedrich Hirzebruch
Friedrich Hirzebruch, German mathematician and academic (born 1927)
- May 28
Arkankergen massacre
The Arkankergen massacre in Kazakhstan's Alakol District kills 15 people.
- May 29
2012 Northern Italy earthquakes
A 5.8-magnitude earthquake hits northern Italy near Bologna, killing at least 24 people.
- May 30
Liberia
Former Liberian president Charles Taylor is sentenced to 50 years in prison for his role in atrocities committed during the Sierra Leone Civil War.
- May 30
President of Liberia
Former Liberia president Charles Taylor was sentenced to 50 years in prison for his role in atrocities committed during the Sierra Leone Civil War.
June
- June 1
Milan Gaľa
Milan Gaľa, Slovak politician (born 1953)
- June 1
Pádraig Faulkner
Pádraig Faulkner, Irish educator and politician, 19th Irish Minister of Defence (born 1918)
- June 1
Faruq Z. Bey
Faruq Z. Bey, American saxophonist and composer (born 1942)
- June 2
President of Egypt
Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the killing of demonstrators during the 2011 Egyptian revolution.
- June 2
LeRoy Ellis
LeRoy Ellis, American basketball player (born 1940)
- June 2
Kathryn Joosten
Kathryn Joosten, American actress (born 1939)
- June 2
Richard Dawson
Richard Dawson, English-American soldier, actor, television personality, and game show host (born 1932)
- June 2
Adolfo Calero
Adolfo Calero, Nicaraguan businessman and political activist (born 1931)
- June 3
Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant
The pageant for the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II takes place on the River Thames.
- June 3
Dana Air Flight 0992
A plane carrying 153 people crashes in a residential neighborhood in Lagos, Nigeria, killing everyone on board plus six people on the ground.
- June 3
Roy Salvadori
Roy Salvadori, English racing driver and manager (born 1922)
- June 3
Brian Talboys
Brian Talboys, New Zealand journalist and politician, 7th Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand (born 1921)
- June 3
Carol Ann Abrams
Carol Ann Abrams, American producer, author, and academic (born 1942)
- June 5
2012 transit of Venus
Last transit of Venus until the year 2117.
- June 5
Hal Keller
Hal Keller, American baseball player and manager (born 1928)
- June 5
Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury, American science fiction writer and screenwriter (born 1920)
- June 6
Vladimir Krutov
Vladimir Krutov, Russian ice hockey player; together with Igor Larionov and Sergei Makarov, formed the famed KLM Line. (born 1960)
- June 7
Phillip Tobias
Phillip V. Tobias, South African paleontologist and academic (born 1925)
- June 8
Ghassan Tueni
Ghassan Tueni, Lebanese journalist, academic, and politician (born 1926)
- June 8
Charles E. M. Pearce
Charles E. M. Pearce, New Zealand-Australian mathematician and academic (born 1940)
- June 11
2012 Afghanistan earthquakes
Two earthquakes struck northern Afghanistan, triggering a massive landslide that buried a village and killed 75 people.
- June 12
Medin Zhega
Medin Zhega, Albanian footballer and manager (born 1946)
- June 12
Elinor Ostrom
Elinor Ostrom, American political scientist and economist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1933)
- June 12
Margarete Mitscherlich-Nielsen
Margarete Mitscherlich-Nielsen, Danish-German psychoanalyst and author (born 1917)
- June 12
Hector Bianciotti
Hector Bianciotti, Argentinian-French journalist and author (born 1930)
- June 12
Pahiño
Pahiño, Spanish footballer (born 1923)
- June 12
Frank Walker (Australian politician)
Frank Walker, Australian judge and politician, 41st Attorney General of New South Wales (born 1942)
- June 13
13 June 2012 Iraq attacks
A series of bombings across Iraq, including Baghdad, Hillah and Kirkuk, kills at least 93 people and wounds over 300 others.
- June 13
Jože Humer
Jože Humer, Slovenian composer and translator (born 1934)
- June 13
Graeme Bell
Graeme Bell, Australian pianist, composer and bandleader (born 1914)
- June 13
Roger Garaudy
Roger Garaudy, French philosopher and author (born 1913)
- June 13
Sam Beddingfield
Sam Beddingfield, American pilot and engineer (born 1933)
- June 14
Peter Archer, Baron Archer of Sandwell
Peter Archer, Baron Archer of Sandwell, English lawyer and politician, Solicitor General for England and Wales (born 1926)
- June 14
Bob Chappuis
Bob Chappuis, American football player and soldier (born 1923)
- June 15
Phillip D. Cagan
Phillip D. Cagan, American economist and author (born 1927)
- June 15
Israel Nogueda Otero
Israel Nogueda Otero, Mexican economist and politician, 10th Governor of Guerrero (born 1935)
- June 15
Jerry Tubbs
Jerry Tubbs, American football player and coach (born 1935)
- June 15
Barry MacKay (tennis)
Barry MacKay, American tennis player and sportscaster (born 1935)
- June 16
Shenzhou 9
China successfully launches its Shenzhou 9 spacecraft, carrying three astronauts, including the first female Chinese astronaut Liu Yang, to the Tiangong-1 orbital module.
- June 16
Liu Yang (taikonaut)
Liu Yang (pictured), a member of the Shenzhou 9 crew, became the first Chinese woman in space.
- June 16
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force's robotic Boeing X-37B spaceplane returns to Earth after a classified 469-day orbital mission.
- June 16
Nils Karlsson
Nils Karlsson, Swedish skier (born 1917)
- June 18
Salman of Saudi Arabia
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was appointed the crown prince of Saudi Arabia.
- June 19
Assange v Swedish Prosecution Authority
Facing allegations of sexual assault in Sweden, Julian Assange (pictured), the founder of WikiLeaks, requested asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
- June 19
WikiLeaks
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange requests asylum in London's Ecuadorian Embassy for fear of extradition to the US after publication of previously classified documents including footage of civilian killings by the US army; he will remain there until 2019.
- June 19
Norbert Tiemann
Norbert Tiemann, American soldier and politician, 32nd Governor of Nebraska (born 1924)
- June 20
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris, American critic (born 1928)
- June 20
LeRoy Neiman
LeRoy Neiman, American painter (born 1921)
- June 20
Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz
Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz (born 1919)
- June 20
Judy Agnew
Judy Agnew, Second Lady of the United States. (born 1921)
- June 21
2012 Indian Ocean migrant boat disaster
A boat carrying more than 200 migrants capsizes in the Indian Ocean between the Indonesian island of Java and Christmas Island, killing 17 people and leaving 70 others missing.
- June 21
Indonesian Air Force
An Indonesian Air Force Fokker F27 Friendship crashes near Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport, killing 11.
- June 21
Abid Hussain
Abid Hussain, Indian economist and diplomat, Indian Ambassador to the United States (born 1926)
- June 21
Sunil Janah
Sunil Janah, Indian photographer and journalist (born 1918)
- June 21
Richard Adler
Richard Adler, American composer and producer (born 1921)
- June 21
Anna Schwartz
Anna Schwartz, American economist and author (born 1915)
- June 22
Paraguay
Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo is removed from office by impeachment and succeeded by Federico Franco.
- June 22
Turkish Air Force
A Turkish Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter plane is shot down by the Syrian Armed Forces, killing both of the plane's pilots and worsening already-strained relations between Turkey and Syria.
- June 22
Juan Luis Galiardo
Juan Luis Galiardo, Spanish actor and producer (born 1922)
- June 23
Ashton Eaton
Ashton Eaton breaks the decathlon world record at the United States Olympic Trials.
- June 23
Alan McDonald (Northern Ireland footballer)
Alan McDonald, Northern Ireland footballer and manager (born 1963)
- June 23
James Durbin
James Durbin, English economist and statistician (born 1923)
- June 23
Brigitte Engerer
Brigitte Engerer, French pianist and educator (born 1952)
- June 24
Lonesome George
Death of Lonesome George, the last known individual of Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii, a subspecies of the Galápagos tortoise.
- June 24
Darrel Akerfelds
Darrel Akerfelds, American baseball player and coach (born 1962)
- June 25
Shigemitsu Dandō
Shigemitsu Dandō, Japanese academic and jurist (born 1913)
- June 25
Campbell Gillies
Campbell Gillies, Scottish jockey (born 1990)
- June 25
George Randolph Hearst Jr.
George Randolph Hearst, Jr., American businessman (born 1927)
- June 25
Lucella MacLean
Lucella MacLean, American baseball player (born 1921)
- June 26
Waldo Canyon Fire
The Waldo Canyon fire descends into the Mountain Shadows neighborhood in Colorado Springs, United States, burning 347 homes in a matter of hours and killing two people.
- June 27
Rosemary Dobson
Rosemary Dobson, Australian poet and illustrator (born 1920)
- June 27
Stan Cox
Stan Cox, English runner (born 1918)
- June 28
Supreme Court of the United States
The United States Supreme Court upholds the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius.
- June 29
Derecho
A derecho sweeps across the eastern United States, leaving at least 22 people dead and millions without power.
- June 30
Michael Abney-Hastings, 14th Earl of Loudoun
Michael Abney-Hastings, 14th Earl of Loudoun, English-Australian politician (born 1942)
July
- July 1
Peter E. Gillquist
Peter E. Gillquist, American priest and author (born 1938)
- July 4
Higgs boson
The discovery of particles consistent with the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider is announced at CERN.
- July 5
The Shard
The Shard (pictured) in London was inaugurated as the tallest building in Europe, with a height of 310 m (1,020 ft), but was surpassed by Moscow's Mercury City Tower four months later.
- July 5
Rob Goris
Rob Goris, Belgian cyclist (born 1982)
- July 5
Ruud van Hemert
Ruud van Hemert, Dutch actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1938)
- July 5
Gerrit Komrij
Gerrit Komrij, Dutch author, poet, and playwright (born 1944)
- July 6
Hani al-Hassan
Hani al-Hassan, Palestinian engineer and politician (born 1939)
- July 7
2012 Krasnodar Krai floods
At least 172 people are killed in a flash flood in the Krasnodar Krai region of Russia.
- July 7
Ronaldo Cunha Lima
Ronaldo Cunha Lima, Brazilian poet and politician (born 1936)
- July 7
Dennis Flemion
Dennis Flemion, American drummer (born 1955)
- July 7
Jerry Norman (sinologist)
Jerry Norman, American sinologist and linguist (born 1936)
- July 7
Doris Neal
Doris Neal, American baseball player (born 1928)
- July 8
Muhammed bin Saud Al Saud
Muhammed bin Saud Al Saud, Saudi Arabian politician (born 1934)
- July 8
Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine, American actor (born 1917)
- July 10
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church USA allows same-sex marriage.
- July 12
Syrian civil war
Syrian Civil War: Government forces target the homes of rebels and activists in Tremseh and kill anywhere between 68 and 150 people.
- July 12
List of tank truck fires and explosions
A tank truck explosion kills more than 100 people in Okobie, Nigeria.
- July 15
Psy
South Korean rapper Psy (pictured) released his hit single "Gangnam Style".
- July 15
Boris Cebotari
Boris Cebotari, Moldovan footballer (born 1975)
- July 15
Grant Feasel
Grant Feasel, American football player (born 1960)
- July 15
Tsilla Chelton
Tsilla Chelton, Israeli-French actress (born 1919)
- July 18
2012 Burgas bus bombing
A suicide bomber attacked an Israeli tour bus at Burgas Airport, Bulgaria, resulting in the military branch of Hezbollah being designated a terrorist organization by the European Union.
- July 18
Dawoud Rajiha
Dawoud Rajiha, Syrian general and politician, Syrian Minister of Defense (born 1947)
- July 18
Jean François-Poncet
Jean François-Poncet, French politician and diplomat, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (born 1928)
- July 18
Yosef Shalom Elyashiv
Yosef Shalom Eliashiv, Lithuanian-Israeli rabbi and author (born 1910)
- July 19
Syrian civil war
Syrian civil war: The People's Protection Units (YPG) capture the city of Kobanî without resistance, starting the Rojava conflict in Northeast Syria.
- July 20
James Holmes (mass murderer)
A gunman carried out a mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people and injuring 58 others.
- July 20
Syrian civil war
Syrian civil war: The People's Protection Units (YPG) capture the cities of Amuda and Efrîn without resistance.
- July 20
Alastair Burnet
Alastair Burnet, English journalist (born 1928)
- July 20
Jack Davis (hurdler)
Jack Davis, American hurdler (born 1930)
- July 20
José Hermano Saraiva
José Hermano Saraiva, Portuguese historian, jurist, and politician, Portuguese Minister of Education (born 1919)
- July 21
Erden Eruç
Erden Eruç completes the first solo human-powered circumnavigation of the world.
- July 22
Syrian civil war
Syrian civil war: The People's Protection Units (YPG) captured the cities of Serê Kaniyê and Dirbêsiyê, during clashes with pro-government forces in Al-Hasakah.
- July 22
Ding Guangen
Ding Guangen, Chinese engineer and politician (born 1929)
- July 22
George Armitage Miller
George Armitage Miller, American psychologist and academic (born 1920)
- July 23
July 2012 solar storm
The Solar storm of 2012 was an unusually large coronal mass ejection that was emitted by the Sun which barely missed the Earth by nine days. If it hit, it would have caused up to US$2.6 trillion in damages to electrical equipment worldwide.
- July 23
Margaret Mahy
Margaret Mahy, New Zealand author (born 1936)
- July 23
Sally Ride
Sally Ride, American physicist and astronaut (born 1951)
- July 24
Syrian civil war
Syrian civil war: The People's Protection Units (YPG) capture the city of Girkê Legê.
- July 26
New Irish Republican Army
The New Irish Republican Army was formed from a merger of a number of dissident republican militant groups.
- July 29
Tatiana Egorova
Tatiana Egorova, Russian footballer and manager (born 1970)
- July 29
August Kowalczyk
August Kowalczyk, Polish actor and director (born 1921)
- July 30
Nellore train fire
A train fire killed 32 passengers and injured 27 on the Tamil Nadu Express in Andhra Pradesh, India.
- July 30
2012 India blackouts
A power grid failure in Delhi leaves more than 300 million people without power in northern India.
- July 31
2012 India blackouts
The largest power outage in history occurred across 22 Indian states, affecting more than 620 million people, or about 9 percent of the world's population.
- July 31
Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps breaks the record set in 1964 by Larisa Latynina for the most medals won at the Olympics.
August
- August 2
Gabriel Horn
Gabriel Horn, English biologist and academic (born 1927)
- August 4
Johnnie Bassett
Johnnie Bassett, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1935)
- August 4
Brian Crozier
Brian Crozier, Australian-English journalist and historian (born 1918)
- August 5
Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting
The Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting took place in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, killing six victims; the perpetrator committed suicide after being wounded by police.
- August 5
Implosion of Radio Network House
Radio Network House (pictured), damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, becomes the first building to be demolished by implosion in New Zealand.
- August 5
White supremacy
An American white supremacist carried out a mass shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, killing six people and wounding four others.
- August 6
NASA
NASA's Curiosity rover lands on the surface of Mars.
- August 6
Richard Cragun
Richard Cragun, American-Brazilian ballet dancer and choreographer (born 1944)
- August 6
Robert Hughes (critic)
Robert Hughes, Australian-American author and critic (born 1938)
- August 6
Marvin Hamlisch
Marvin Hamlisch, American pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1944)
- August 9
Shannon Eastin
Shannon Eastin becomes the first woman to officiate an NFL game.
- August 9
Carl Davis (music producer)
Carl Davis, American record producer (born 1934)
- August 10
Marikana massacre
The Marikana massacre begins near Rustenburg, South Africa, resulting in the deaths of 47 people.
- August 11
2012 East Azerbaijan earthquakes
At least 306 people were killed and 3,000 others injured in a pair of earthquakes near Tabriz, Iran.
- August 12
Jerry Grant
Jerry Grant, American race car driver (born 1935)
- August 12
Jimmy Carr (gridiron football)
Jimmy Carr, American football player and coach (born 1933)
- August 14
Phyllis Thaxter
Phyllis Thaxter, American actress (born 1919)
- August 14
Vilasrao Deshmukh
Vilasrao Deshmukh, Indian lawyer and politician, Chief Minister of Maharashtra (born 1945)
- August 14
Svetozar Gligorić
Svetozar Gligorić, Serbian chess player (born 1923)
- August 15
Bob Birch
Bob Birch, American bass player and saxophonist (born 1956)
- August 15
Altamiro Carrilho
Altamiro Carrilho, Brazilian flute player and composer (born 1924)
- August 15
Harry Harrison (writer)
Harry Harrison, American author and illustrator (born 1925)
- August 16
South African Police Service
South African police fatally shoot 34 miners and wound 78 more during an industrial dispute at Marikana near Rustenburg.
- August 16
Princess Lalla Amina of Morocco
Princess Lalla Amina of Morocco (born 1954)
- August 17
Aase Bjerkholt
Aase Bjerkholt, Norwegian politician, Minister of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion (born 1915)
- August 17
Victor Poor
Victor Poor, American engineer, developed the Datapoint 2200 (born 1933)
- August 19
Ivar Iversen
Ivar Iversen, Norwegian canoe racer (born 1914)
- August 19
Tony Scott
Tony Scott, English-American director and producer (born 1944)
- August 19
Donal Henahan
Donal Henahan, American journalist and critic (born 1921)
- August 20
2012 Yare prison riot
A prison riot in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, kills at least 20 people.
- August 22
2012–2013 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.
- August 22
Nina Bawden
Nina Bawden, English author (born 1925)
- August 23
2012 Ljubljana Marshes hot air balloon crash
A hot-air balloon crashes near the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, killing six people and injuring 28 others.
- August 23
Jerry Nelson
Jerry Nelson, American puppeteer and voice actor (born 1934)
- August 23
Josepha Sherman
Josepha Sherman, American anthologist and author (born 1946)
- August 24
Anders Behring Breivik
Anders Behring Breivik, perpetrator of the 2011 Norway attacks, is sentenced to 21 years of preventive detention.
- August 24
Pauli Ellefsen
Pauli Ellefsen, Faroese surveyor and politician, 6th Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands (born 1936)
- August 24
Steve Franken
Steve Franken, American actor (born 1932)
- August 24
Dadullah (Pakistani Taliban)
Dadullah, Pakistani Taliban leader (born 1965)
- August 24
Félix (footballer)
Félix Miélli Venerando, Brazilian footballer and manager (born 1937)
- August 25
Richard III of England
The skeleton of King Richard III of England was discovered under a car park in Leicester.
- August 25
Voyager 1
Voyager 1 spacecraft enters interstellar space, becoming the first man-made object to do so.
- August 25
NASA
The NASA space probe Voyager 1 became the first man-made object to enter interstellar space.
- August 27
Ivica Horvat
Ivica Horvat, Croatian footballer and manager (born 1926)
- August 27
Neville Alexander
Neville Alexander, South African linguist and activist (born 1936)
- August 27
Malcolm Browne
Malcolm Browne, American journalist and photographer (born 1931)
- August 27
Art Heyman
Art Heyman, American basketball player (born 1941)
- August 27
Richard Kingsland
Richard Kingsland, Australian captain and pilot (born 1916)
- August 28
Rhodes Boyson
Rhodes Boyson, English educator and politician (born 1925)
- August 29
Xiaojiawan coal mine disaster
At least 26 Chinese miners are killed and 21 missing after a blast in the Xiaojiawan coal mine, located at Panzhihua, Sichuan Province.
- August 29
2012 Summer Paralympics
The XIV Paralympic Games open in London, England, United Kingdom.
- August 29
Ruth Goldbloom
Ruth Goldbloom, Canadian academic and philanthropist, co-founded Pier 21 (born 1923)
- August 29
Sergei Ovchinnikov (volleyball)
Sergei Ovchinnikov, Russian volleyball player and coach (born 1969)
- August 29
Les Moss
Les Moss, American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1925)
- August 29
Shoshichi Kobayashi
Shoshichi Kobayashi, Japanese-American mathematician and academic (born 1932)
- August 29
Anne McKnight
Anne McKnight, American soprano (born 1924)
- August 29
Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke
Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, English historian and author (born 1953)
September
- September 3
Harold Dunaway
Harold Dunaway, American race car driver and pilot (born 1933)
- September 3
Griselda Blanco
Griselda Blanco, Colombian drug lord (born 1943)
- September 5
2012 Afyonkarahisar arsenal explosion
An accidental explosion at a Turkish Army ammunition store in Afyon, western Turkey kills 25 soldiers and wounds four others.
- September 6
September 2012 Baradan Bay, Turkey, migrant boat disaster
Sixty-one people die after a fishing boat capsizes off the İzmir Province coast of Turkey, near the Greek Aegean islands.
- September 7
Canada–Iran relations
Canada officially cuts diplomatic ties with Iran by closing its embassy in Tehran and orders the expulsion of Iranian diplomats from Ottawa, over nuclear plans and purported human rights abuses.
Questions about 2012
What happened in 2012?
This site records 400 entries for 2012, including William P. Carey on January 2. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 2012?
14 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 2012 turns 14 this year.
Which century is 2012 in?
2012 falls in the 21st century, in the 2010s.
Which generation was born in 2012?
Generation Z (1997–2012). First generation raised with smartphones and social media.
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