2012
- Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; the hurricane devasted the Mid-Atlantic region, especially New York City, and killed 254;
- Typhoon Bopha made landfall at its highest intensity and hit Mindanao, Philippines, causing 1,901 deaths;
- NASA's Curiosity Rover lands on the surface of Mars;
- The Higgs boson, an elementary particle, is discovered by CERN and revolutionizes quantum physics;
- K-pop artist Psy performs his hit single "Gangnam Style", which became a cultural phenomenon in 2012;
- A crowd of protesters at the 2012 Sydney Anti-Islamic Film Demonstration protest against the film Innocence of Muslims;
- Tuareg militants, seen driving near Timbuktu, Mali during the Mali war;
- The 2012 Summer Olympics are held in London, United Kingdom.
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2012 (MMXII) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2012th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 12th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 3rd year of the 2010s decade.
2012 was designated as:
- International Year of Cooperatives
- International Year of Sustainable Energy for All