Explore 2012

2012

• January 13: A powerful earthquake strikes near the city of Kanto in Japan.
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• February 11: Whitney Houston, iconic American singer and actress, found dead at age 48.
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• March 6: The United States officially recognizes the Syrian opposition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.
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• April 2: A new and dangerous species of caterpillar is discovered in Australia.
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• May 16: Facebook goes public with an IPO that raises $16 billion.
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• June 5: The United States Supreme Court upholds the Affordable Care Act.
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• July 27: The London Summer Olympics officially open, featuring over 10,000 athletes from 204 countries.
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• August 5: NASA's Curiosity rover successfully lands on Mars.
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• September 11: The U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, is attacked; U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens is killed.
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• October 29: Hurricane Sandy devastates the East Coast of the United States, causing widespread damage.
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• November 6: Barack Obama is re-elected as President of the United States.
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• December 14: A mass shooting occurs at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, resulting in 26 deaths.