2012

"MMXII" redirects here. For the albums, see MMXII (Killing Joke album) and MMXII (Mezarkabul album).

This article is about the year 2012. For other uses, see 2012 (disambiguation).

Millennium:	3rd millennium
Centuries:	20th century 21st century 22nd century
Decades:	1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s
Years:	2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

2012 by topic:

Arts

Animation (Anime) – Architecture – Comics – Film (Horror, Science fiction) – Home video – Literature (Poetry) – Music (Classical, Country, Hip hop, Jazz, Latin, Metal, Rock, UK, US, Korea) – Radio – Photo – Television (Australia, Italy, UK, Scotland, US) – Video games

Politics and government

Elections – International leaders – Sovereign states Sovereign state leaders – Territorial governors

Science and technology

Archaeology – Biotechnology – Computing – Palaeontology – Quantum computing and communication – Senescence research – Space/Astronomy – Spaceflight – Sustainable energy research - Weather

Environment

Birding/Ornithology

Climate change

Transportation

Aviation – Rail transport

Sports

American football – Association football – Athletics (sport) – Badminton – Baseball – Basketball – Chess – Combat sports – Cricket – Cycling – Golf – Ice hockey – Rugby union – Swimming – Tennis – Volleyball

By place

Afghanistan – Albania – Algeria – Andorra – Angola – Antarctica – Argentina – Armenia – Australia – Austria – Azerbaijan – Bangladesh – The Bahamas – Bahrain – Barbados – Belarus – Belgium – Benin – Bhutan – Bolivia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Botswana – Brazil – Bulgaria – Burkina Faso – Burundi – Cambodia – Cameroon – Canada – Cape Verde – Central African Republic – Chad – Chile – China – Colombia – Costa Rica – Comoros – Croatia – Cuba – Cyprus – Czech Republic – Denmark – Ecuador – Egypt – El Salvador – Eritrea – Estonia – Ethiopia – European Union – Eswatini – Equatorial Guinea – Fiji – Finland – France – Gabon – Georgia – Germany – Ghana – Greece – Guatemala – Guinea – Guinea-Bissau – Guyana – Haiti – Honduras – Hong Kong – Hungary – Iceland – India – Indonesia – Iran – Iraq – Ireland – Israel – Italy – Ivory Coast – Japan – Jordan – Kazakhstan – Kenya – Kiribati – Kosovo – Kuwait – Kyrgyzstan – Laos – Latvia – Lebanon – Lesotho – Liberia – Libya – Lithuania – Luxembourg – Macau – Madagascar – Marshall Islands – Malawi – Malaysia – Mali – Malta – Mauritania – Mexico – Micronesia – Moldova – Mongolia – Montenegro – Morocco – Mozambique – Myanmar – Nauru – Namibia – Nepal – Netherlands – New Zealand – Nicaragua – Niger – Nigeria – North Korea – North Macedonia – Norway – Oman – Pakistan – Palau – Palestine – Panama – Papua New Guinea – Paraguay – Peru – Philippines – Poland – Portugal – Qatar – Romania – Russia – Rwanda – Samoa – Saudi Arabia – Senegal – Serbia – Seychelles – Singapore – Slovakia – Slovenia – Somalia – South Africa – Solomon Islands – South Korea – South Sudan – Spain – Sri Lanka – Sudan – Sweden – Switzerland – Syria – Taiwan – Tajikistan – Tanzania – Thailand – Togo – Tonga – Tunisia – Turkey – Turkmenistan – Tuvalu – Uganda – Ukraine – United Arab Emirates – United Kingdom – United States – Uruguay – Uzbekistan – Vanuatu – Venezuela – Vietnam – Yemen – Zambia – Zimbabwe

Other topics

Religious leaders

Birth and death categories

Births – Deaths

Establishments and disestablishments categories

Establishments – Disestablishments

Works and introductions categories

Works – Introductions Works entering the public domain

2012 in various calendars

Gregorian calendar	2012 MMXII
Ab urbe condita	2765
Armenian calendar	1461 ԹՎ ՌՆԿԱ
Assyrian calendar	6762
Baháʼí calendar	168–169
Balinese saka calendar	1933–1934
Bengali calendar	1419
Berber calendar	2962
British Regnal year	60 Eliz. 2 – 61 Eliz. 2
Buddhist calendar	2556
Burmese calendar	1374
Byzantine calendar	7520–7521
Chinese calendar	辛卯年 (Metal Rabbit) 4708 or 4648     — to — 壬辰年 (Water Dragon) 4709 or 4649
Coptic calendar	1728–1729
Discordian calendar	3178
Ethiopian calendar	2004–2005
Hebrew calendar	5772–5773
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	2068–2069
- Shaka Samvat	1933–1934
- Kali Yuga	5112–5113
Holocene calendar	12012
Igbo calendar	1012–1013
Iranian calendar	1390–1391
Islamic calendar	1433–1434
Japanese calendar	Heisei 24 (平成２４年)
Javanese calendar	1945–1946
Juche calendar	101
Julian calendar	Gregorian minus 13 days
Korean calendar	4345
Minguo calendar	ROC 101 民國101年
Nanakshahi calendar	544
Thai solar calendar	2555
Tibetan calendar	阴金兔年 (female Iron-Rabbit) 2138 or 1757 or 985     — to — 阳水龙年 (male Water-Dragon) 2139 or 1758 or 986
Unix time	1325376000 – 1356998399

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

Events

January

• January 12 – 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 13 – The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground off the coast of Italy, causing 32 deaths.
• January 17 Sam Moran Left The Wiggles
• January 23 – Iran–European Union relations: the European Union adopts an embargo against Iran in protest of its continued effort to enrich uranium.
• January 27 – Spanair ceases operations after talks with Qatar Airways for a prospective takeover fall through.

February

• February 6 – The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II marks the 60th anniversary of her accession to the thrones of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
• February 19 – Iran suspends oil exports to Britain and France, following sanctions put in place by the European Union and the United States in January.
• February 21 – Greek government-debt crisis: Eurozone finance ministers reach an agreement on a second, €130-billion Greek bailout.
• February 27 – Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh formally transfers power to Vice President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, after a year of mass protests, ending his 33-year-long reign.

March

• March 4 – A series of explosions is reported at a munitions dump in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo, with at least 250 people dead.
• March 5 – Air date of KONY 2012 (viral documentary film) on YouTube
• March 12 – A coach carrying school pupils and teachers crashes while travelling through Sierre Tunnel on the A9 motorway in western Switzerland. Of the 52 people on board, 28 are killed, among them 22 children.
• March 13 – After 246 years since its first publication, the Encyclopædia Britannica discontinues its print edition.
• March 15 – Communist party chief of Chongqing Bo Xilai, well known for his neo-Maoist leanings and policies, is removed from his post after a large scandal involving the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood and an incident involving the Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun.
• March 22 – The President of Mali, Amadou Toumani Touré, is ousted in a coup d'état after mutinous soldiers attack government offices.
• March 22 – Pakistan wins the 2012 Asia Cup cricket tournament.

April

• April 6 – The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad unilaterally declares the independence of Azawad from Mali.
• April 12 – Mutinous soldiers in Guinea-Bissau stage a coup d'état and take control of the capital city, Bissau. They arrest interim President Raimundo Pereira and leading presidential candidate Carlos Gomes Júnior in the midst of a presidential election campaign.
• April 13 – Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3, a North Korean Earth observation satellite, explodes shortly after launch. The United States and other countries had called the impending launch a violation of United Nations Security Council demands. The launch was planned to mark the centenary of the birth of Kim Il-sung, the founder of the republic.
• April 20 – Bhoja Air Flight 213 crashes near Rawalpindi, Pakistan, killing all 127 people on board.
• April 26 – Former Liberian President Charles Taylor is found guilty on 11 counts of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Sierra Leone Civil War.

May

• May 2 – A pastel version of The Scream, by the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, sells for US$120 million in a New York City auction, setting a new world record for an auctioned work of art.
• May 6 – Legislative elections are held in Greece to elect all 300 members of the Hellenic Parliament and the New Democracy party. led by Antonis Samaras, comes out as the largest party winning 108 out of 300 seats.
• May 7 – Vladimir Putin is elected President of Russia.
• May 12 – August 12 – The 2012 World Expo takes place in Yeosu, South Korea.
• May 19 – Chelsea wins the 2011-12 UEFA Champions League held in Munich, Germany by beating the home side Bayern Munich in the final.
• May 20 – An annular solar eclipse was visible from Asia and North America, and was the 58th solar eclipse from 73 solar eclipses of Solar Saros 128.
• May 22 – Tokyo Skytree, the tallest self-supporting tower in the world at 634 metres high, is opened to the public.
• May 22–26 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2012 takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan, and is won by Swedish entrant Loreen with the song "Euphoria".

June

• June 5–6 – The century's second and last solar transit of Venus occurs. The next pair are predicted to occur in 2117 and 2125.
• June 6 – 2012 Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus outbreak first identified.
• June 7 – Morley and Dianella in Perth, Western Australia, have a once in a decade tornado.
• June 8–July 1 – Poland and Ukraine jointly host the UEFA Euro 2012 football tournament, which is won by Spain.
• June 15
  • Masacre de Curuguaty. Nine farmers and six policemen are murdered in a massacre that took place in the city of Curuguaty.
  • Alex Hirsch creates the first episode of Gravity Falls on Disney Channel.
• June 17 – Snap legislative elections are held in Greece, following failure to form a government, to elect all 300 members of the Hellenic Parliament and the New Democracy party, led by Antonis Samaras, comes out as the largest party winning 129 out of 300 seats.
• June 18 – Shenzhou 9, a Chinese spacecraft carrying three Chinese astronauts, including the first-ever female, docks manually with orbiting module Tiangong-1, making this the third country, after the United States and Russia, successfully to perform the mission.
• June 21 - The Congress of Paraguay approves the impeachment of president Fernando Lugo.
• June 22 - Fernando Lugo is removed from power. Vice President Federico Franco becomes the new president of Paraguay.
• June 24 – Lonesome George, the last known individual of the Pinta Island tortoise subspecies, dies in Galápagos National Park, thus making the subspecies extinct.
• June 30 – Mohamed Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, is elected 5th President of Egypt, he became the first elected one by the Egyptian people, sparking mixed reactions and protests throughout the country.

July

The discovery of Higgs boson particles was announced based on collisions in the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.

• July 4 – CERN announces the discovery of a new particle with properties consistent with the Higgs boson after experiments at the Large Hadron Collider.
• July 20 – 2012 Aurora, Colorado shooting: 12 people are killed and 58 are injured in a mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. The shooter, James Holmes, opens fire on a crowd during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises.
• July 21 – Turkish adventurer Erden Eruç becomes the first person in history to complete a solo human-powered circumnavigation of the Earth.
• July 23 – 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 27 – August 12 – The 2012 Summer Olympics are held in London, England, United Kingdom.
• July 30–31 – In the worst power outage in world history, the 2012 India blackouts leave 620 million people without power.

August

• August 6 – Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory mission's rover, successfully lands on Mars.
• August 24 – The House of Representatives of Japan passes a resolution criticizing the President of South Korea Lee Myung-bak's visit to the disputed Liancourt Rocks.
• August 31 – Armenia severs diplomatic relations with Hungary, following the extradition to Azerbaijan and subsequent pardoning of Ramil Safarov, who was convicted of killing an Armenian soldier in Hungary in 2004. The move is also met with fierce criticism from other countries.

September

• September 7 – Canada officially cuts diplomatic ties with Iran by closing its embassy in Tehran, and orders the expulsion of Iranian diplomats from Ottawa, over support for Syria, nuclear plans and human rights abuses.
• September 11–27 – A series of terrorist attacks are directed against United States diplomatic missions worldwide, as well as diplomatic missions of Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. In the US, opinions are divided over whether the attacks are a reaction to a YouTube trailer for the film Innocence of Muslims. In Libya, among the dead is US ambassador J. Christopher Stevens.
• September 22 – The United Kingdom informs the World Health Organization about a novel coronavirus case originating from Saudi Arabia.

October

• October 14 – Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner becomes the first person to break the sound barrier without any machine assistance, during a record space dive out of the Red Bull Stratos helium-filled balloon from 128,000 ft (24 miles (39 km)) over Roswell, New Mexico in the United States.
• October 16 – Seven paintings worth $25 million are stolen from the Kunsthal in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
• October 22 – November 2 – Hurricane Sandy, the largest Atlantic hurricane on record (as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spanning 900 miles (1,400 km)), wreaks havoc, resulting in 233 total deaths and $68.7 billion (2012 USD) damage.
• October 28 – Jorge Lorenzo becomes the World Champion of the 2012 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season.

November

• November 6 – Barack Obama is reelected President of the United States, defeating his Republican challenger Mitt Romney.
• November 13 – A total solar eclipse occurs in parts of Australia and the South Pacific. It is the 45th of 72 solar eclipses of Solar Saros 133.
• November 14–21 – Israel launches Operation Pillar of Defense against the Palestinian-governed Gaza Strip, killing Hamas military chief Ahmed Jabari. In the following week 140 Palestinians and five Israelis are killed in an ensuing cycle of violence. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is announced by Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after the week-long escalation in hostilities in Southern Israel and the Gaza Strip.
• November 25–December 9 – Typhoon Bopha, known as "Pablo" in the Philippines, kills at least 1,067 with around 838 people missing. The typhoon causes considerable damage in the island of Mindanao.
• November 29 – The UN General Assembly approves a motion granting Palestine non-member observer state status.

December

• December 6 – The U.S. state of Washington becomes the first jurisdiction in the modern world to officially legalize the possession of cannabis for personal use.
• December 8 – In Qatar, the UN Climate Change Conference agrees to extend the Kyoto Protocol until 2020.
• December 12 - The DPRK successfully launched the satellite Kwangmyongsong-3 Unit 2. Kim Jong Un gave scientists and technicians his warmest praise for the launch, and many people worldwide hailed the achievement as a major step forward in the DPRK’s outer space program and for peaceful use of outer space as a whole.
• December 14 – Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting: Twenty-eight people, including the gunman, are killed in Sandy Hook, Connecticut.
• December 17 – Grupo Santander announces the acquisition of the remaining 10% of Banesto it did not yet own, effectively absorbing it into Banco Santander.
• December 18 – At least 55 people drown after an overcrowded boat capsizes off the coast of Somalia.

Births

• January 7 – Blue Ivy Carter, American singer
• January 24 – Princess Athena of Denmark
• February 23 – Princess Estelle, Duchess of Östergötland

Deaths

Further information: Category:2012 deaths

January

Main article: Deaths in January 2012

Etta James

Oscar Luigi Scalfaro

• January 1
  • Bob Anderson, English fencer (b. 1922)
  • Kiro Gligorov, 1st President of the Republic of Macedonia (b. 1917)
• January 3 – Josef Škvorecký, Czech writer (b. 1924)
• January 9 – Malam Bacai Sanhá, 4th President of Guinea-Bissau (b. 1947)
• January 10 – Gevork Vartanian, Soviet intelligence officer (b. 1924)
• January 13
  • Rauf Denktaş, 1st President of Northern Cyprus (b. 1924)
  • Miljan Miljanić, Yugoslavian-born footballer (b. 1930)
• January 15 – Manuel Fraga Iribarne, Spanish politician (b. 1922)
• January 19 – Sarah Burke, Canadian Freestyle skier (b. 1982)
• January 20
  • Etta James, American singer (b. 1938)
  • Jiří Raška, Czech ski jumper (b. 1941)
• January 22 – Joe Paterno, American football player and coach (b. 1926)
• January 24
  • Theo Angelopoulos, Greek filmmaker (b. 1935)
  • James Farentino, American actor (b. 1938)
• January 29
  • François Migault, French racing driver (b. 1944)
  • Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, 9th President of Italy (b. 1918)
• January 31 – Leslie Carter, American pop singer (b. 1986)

February

Main article: Deaths in February 2012

Whitney Houston

Davy Jones

• February 1
  • Don Cornelius, American television show host and producer (b. 1936)
  • Angelo Dundee, American boxing trainer and cornerman (b. 1921)
  • Wisława Szymborska, Polish Nobel poet (b. 1923)
• February 3
  • John Christopher, English writer (b. 1922)
  • Ben Gazzara, American actor (b. 1930)
• February 4 – Florence Green, English supercentenarian (b. 1901)
• February 6
  • Peter Breck, American actor (b. 1929)
  • Antoni Tàpies, Spanish artist (b. 1923)
  • Janice E. Voss, American engineer and astronaut (b. 1956)
• February 11 – Whitney Houston, American singer and actress (b. 1963)
• February 12 – David Kelly, Irish actor (b. 1929)
• February 15 – Lina Romay, Spanish actress (b. 1954)
• February 18 – George Brizan, 8th Prime Minister of Grenada (b. 1942)
• February 19 – Renato Dulbecco, Italian-born American Nobel virologist (b. 1914)
• February 25 – Maurice André, French trumpeter (b. 1933)
• February 29 – Davy Jones, English singer and actor (b. 1945)

March

Main article: Deaths in March 2012

F. Sherwood Rowland

Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria

George Tupou V

• March 1
  • Andrew Breitbart, American writer and publisher (b. 1969)
  • Lucio Dalla, Italian singer-songwriter (b. 1943)
• March 3
  • Ralph McQuarrie, American conceptual designer and illustrator (b. 1929)
  • Ronnie Montrose, American guitarist (b. 1947)
• March 6
  • Francisco Xavier do Amaral, 1st President of East Timor (b. 1937)
  • Robert B. Sherman, American songwriter (b. 1925)
• March 7 – Włodzimierz Smolarek, Polish footballer (b. 1957)
• March 10
  • Jean Giraud, French comics artist (b. 1938)
  • F. Sherwood Rowland, American Nobel chemist (b. 1927)
• March 14 – Ċensu Tabone, 4th President of Malta (b. 1913)
• March 16 – Estanislau Basora, Spanish footballer (b. 1926)
• March 17
  • John Demjanjuk, Ukrainian-American Nazi war crimes defendant (b. 1920)
  • Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria (b. 1923)
• March 18 – George Tupou V, King of Tonga (b. 1948)
• March 21 – Tonino Guerra, Italian screenwriter (b. 1920)
• March 23
  • Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, 6th President of Somalia (b. 1934)
  • Chico Anysio, Brazilian actor, comedian, writer, and composer (b. 1931)
  • Naji Talib, 52nd Prime Minister of Iraq (b. 1917)
• March 25
  • Antonio Tabucchi, Italian writer (b. 1943)
  • Edd Gould, British animator and creator of Eddsworld (b. 1988)
• March 27
  • Adrienne Rich, American writer and feminist (b. 1929)
  • Warren Stevens, American actor (b. 1919)
• March 28
  • Alexander Arutiunian, Armenian composer (b. 1920)
  • Earl Scruggs, American bluegrass musician (b. 1924)

April

Main article: Deaths in April 2012

Mike Wallace

Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller

• April 1
  • Giorgio Chinaglia, Italian footballer (b. 1947)
  • Miguel de la Madrid, 52nd President of Mexico (b. 1934)
• April 2 – Elizabeth Catlett, American/Mexican artist (b. 1915)
• April 5 – Bingu wa Mutharika, 3rd President of Malawi (b. 1934)
• April 7 – Mike Wallace, American journalist (b. 1918)
• April 9 – Takeshi Aono, Japanese voice actor (b. 1936)
• April 11 – Ahmed Ben Bella, 1st President of Algeria (b. 1916)
• April 14 – Jonathan Frid, Canadian actor (b. 1924)
• April 15 – Murray Rose, Australian swimmer (b. 1939)
• April 16 – Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller, Danish shipping magnate (b. 1913)
• April 18 – Dick Clark, American television host and producer (b. 1929)
• April 19 – Levon Helm, American musician (b. 1940)
• April 20 – Valeri Vasiliev, Russian ice hockey player (b. 1949)
• April 21 – Charles Colson, American evangelist (b. 1931)
• April 28 – Ervin Zádor, Hungarian water polo player (b. 1934)
• April 29
  • Shukri Ghanem, Prime Minister of Libya (2003–2006) (b. 1942)
  • Joel Goldsmith, American composer (b. 1957)
• April 30 – Alexander Dale Oen, Norwegian swimmer (b. 1985)

May

Main article: Deaths in May 2012

Carlos Fuentes

Donna Summer

Robin Gibb

• May 2 – Junior Seau, American football player (b. 1969)
• May 3 – Jorge Illueca, 25th President of Panama (b. 1918)
• May 4
  • Adam Yauch, American rapper and musician (b. 1964)
  • Rashidi Yekini, Nigerian footballer (b. 1963)
• May 5 – Carl Johan Bernadotte, Swedish prince (b. 1916)
• May 6 – George Lindsey, American actor (b. 1928)
• May 8 – Maurice Sendak, American author (b. 1928)
• May 9
  • Geoffrey Henry, 2-Time Prime Minister of Cook Islands (b. 1940)
  • Vidal Sassoon, British hairdresser (b. 1928)
• May 10 – Carroll Shelby, American automotive designer, racing driver, and entrepreneur (b. 1923)
• May 14 – Taruni Sachdev, Indian actress (b. 1998)
• May 15
  • Carlos Fuentes, Panamanian-born Mexican writer (b. 1928)
  • Zakaria Mohieddin, Egyptian general and politician (b. 1918)
• May 17 – Donna Summer, American singer (b. 1948)
• May 18 – Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, German lyric baritone and conductor (b. 1925)
• May 19 – Bob Boozer, American basketball player (b. 1937)
• May 20 – Robin Gibb, British-Australian musician (b. 1949)
• May 25 – Edoardo Mangiarotti, Italian fencer (b. 1919)
• May 27 – Friedrich Hirzebruch, German mathematician (b. 1927)
• May 29
  • Kaneto Shindo, Japanese film director (b. 1912)
  • Doc Watson, American guitarist and songwriter (b. 1923)
• May 30 – Andrew Huxley, British Nobel physiologist (b. 1917)

June

Main article: Deaths in June 2012

Ray Bradbury

Yitzhak Shamir

• June 2
  • Richard Dawson, British-American actor, comedian, game show host and panelist (b. 1932)
  • Kathryn Joosten, American actress (b. 1939)
  • Oliver, American chimpanzee performer, promoted as a "humanzee" (b. c.1957)
• June 3 – Roy Salvadori, British racing driver (b. 1922)
• June 4 – Eduard Khil, Soviet and Russian baritone singer (b. 1934)
• June 5 – Ray Bradbury, American author (b. 1920)
• June 6 – Manuel Preciado, Spanish footballer and coach (b. 1957)
• June 7 – Bob Welch, American musician (b. 1945)
• June 8 – Frank Cady, American actor (b. 1915)
• June 11
  • Ann Rutherford, Canadian-born American actress (b. 1917)
  • Teófilo Stevenson, Cuban Olympic boxer (b. 1952)
• June 12 – Elinor Ostrom, American Nobel economist (b. 1933)
• June 13 – William Standish Knowles, American Nobel chemist (b. 1917)
• June 14 – Yvette Wilson, American actress and comedian (b. 1964)
• June 16
  • Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia (b. 1934)
  • Susan Tyrrell, American actress (b. 1945)
• June 17 – Rodney King, American criminal and victim of police brutality (b. 1965)
• June 19 – Richard Lynch, American actor (b. 1940)
• June 26 – Nora Ephron, American film director and screenwriter (b. 1941)
• June 30 – Yitzhak Shamir, 7th Prime Minister of Israel (b. 1915)

July

Main article: Deaths in July 2012

Andy Griffith

Ernest Borgnine

Maeve Binchy

• July 1 – Alan G. Poindexter, American astronaut (b. 1961)
• July 3
  • Andy Griffith, American actor (b. 1926)
  • Sergio Pininfarina, Italian automobile designer (b. 1926)
  • Hollie Stevens, American pornographic actress and model (b. 1982)
• July 8 – Ernest Borgnine, American actor (b. 1917)
• July 9 – Terepai Maoate, 6th Prime Minister of the Cook Islands (b. 1934)
• July 10 – Dolphy, Filipino actor and comedian (b. 1928)
• July 12 – Dara Singh, Indian wrestler, actor, and politician (b. 1928)
• July 13
  • Richard D. Zanuck, American film producer (b. 1934)
  • Sage Stallone, American actor, film director, producer, and distributor (b. 1976)
• July 14 – Sixten Jernberg, Swedish cross-country skier (b. 1929)
• July 15 – Celeste Holm, American actress (b. 1917)
• July 16
  • Stephen Covey, American author (b. 1932)
  • Jon Lord, British musician and composer (b. 1941)
  • Kitty Wells, American country music singer (b. 1919)
• July 18 – Rajesh Khanna, Indian actor, producer and politician (b. 1942)
• July 19 – Omar Suleiman, Egyptian general, diplomat, and intelligence officer (b. 1936)
• July 23 – Sally Ride, American astronaut and physicist (b. 1951)
• July 24
  • Chad Everett, American actor (b. 1937)
  • Sherman Hemsley, American actor (b. 1938)
  • John Atta Mills, President of Ghana (b. 1944)
• July 26 – Lupe Ontiveros, American actress (b. 1942)
• July 27 – Jack Taylor, English football referee (b. 1930)
• July 29 – Chris Marker, French writer and documentary filmmaker (b. 1921)
• July 30 – Maeve Binchy, Irish author (b. 1939)
• July 31 – Gore Vidal, American author, playwright, screenwriter, and political activist (b. 1925)

August

Main article: Deaths in August 2012

Bernard Lovell

Phyllis Diller

Neil Armstrong

• August 5 – Chavela Vargas, Costa Rican-born Mexican singer (b. 1919)
• August 6
  • Marvin Hamlisch, American composer and conductor (b. 1944)
  • Bernard Lovell, British physicist and astronomer (b. 1913)
• August 9 – Al Freeman Jr., American actor (b. 1934)
• August 14
  • Svetozar Gligorić, Serbian chess grandmaster (b. 1923)
  • Ron Palillo, American actor and teacher (b. 1949)
• August 15 – Harry Harrison, American author (b. 1925)
• August 16 – William Windom, American actor (b. 1923)
• August 18 – Scott McKenzie, American singer and songwriter (b. 1939)
• August 19 – Tony Scott, English film director (b. 1944)
• August 20
  • Phyllis Diller, American actress and comedian (b. 1917)
  • Dom Mintoff, 8th Prime Minister of Malta (b. 1916)
  • Meles Zenawi, 3rd President and 10th Prime Minister of Ethiopia (b. 1955)
• August 21 – William Thurston, American mathematician (b. 1946)
• August 23 – Jerry Nelson, American puppeteer (b. 1934)
• August 24
  • Pauli Ellefsen, 6th Prime Minister of Faroe Islands (b. 1936)
  • Félix Miélli Venerando, Brazilian footballer (b. 1937)
• August 25 – Neil Armstrong, American astronaut (b. 1930)
• August 31
  • Carlo Maria Martini, Cardinal Archbishop of Milan (b. 1927)
  • Sergey Leonidovich Sokolov, Soviet military commander (b. 1911)

September

Main article: Deaths in September 2012

Michael Clarke Duncan

Santiago Carrillo

• September 1
  • Hal David, American lyricist (b. 1921)
  • Smarck Michel, 6th Prime Minister of Haiti (b. 1937)
• September 3
  • Michael Clarke Duncan, American actor (b. 1957)
  • Sun Myung Moon, Korean religious leader (b. 1920)
• September 5 – Joe South, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer (b. 1940)
• September 8 – Thomas Szasz, Hungarian-American psychiatrist (b. 1920)
• September 11 – J. Christopher Stevens, American diplomat and lawyer (b. 1960)
• September 12 – Sid Watkins, British neurosurgeon (b. 1928)
• September 14 – Stephen Dunham, American actor (b. 1964)
• September 16 – Ragnhild Alexandra Lorentzen, Princess of Norway (b. 1930)
• September 18 – Santiago Carrillo, Spanish politician (b. 1915)
• September 23
  • Pavel Grachev, Russian military commander (b. 1948)
  • Corrie Sanders, South African boxer (b. 1966)
• September 25 – Andy Williams, American singer (b. 1927)
• September 26 – Johnny Lewis, American film and television actor (b. 1983)
• September 27 – Herbert Lom, Czech-born actor (b. 1917)
• September 28 – Michael O'Hare, American actor (b. 1952)
• September 30 – Barbara Ann Scott, Canadian Olympic figure skater (b. 1928)

October

Main article: Deaths in October 2012

Eric Hobsbawm

• October 1 – Eric Hobsbawm, British Marxist historian (b. 1917)
• October 6 – Chadli Bendjedid, 3rd President of Algeria (b. 1929)
• October 10
  • Alex Karras, American football player, professional wrestler and actor (b. 1935)
  • Amanda Todd, Canadian student (b. 1996)
• October 11 – Helmut Haller, German footballer (b. 1939)
• October 13 – Gary Collins, American actor and television host (b. 1938)
• October 14 – Arlen Specter, American politician (b. 1930)
• October 15 – King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia (b. 1922)
• October 17 – Sylvia Kristel, Dutch actress (b. 1952)
• October 20 – E. Donnall Thomas, American Nobel physician (b. 1920)
• October 21
  • Yash Chopra, Indian film director and producer (b. 1932)
  • George McGovern, American politician, historian, and author (b. 1922)
• October 22 – Russell Means, American Sioux actor and activist (b. 1939)
• October 24 – Margaret Osborne duPont, American tennis player (b. 1918)
• October 27 – Hans Werner Henze, German composer (b. 1926)

November

Main article: Deaths in November 2012

Larry Hagman

• November 1 – Mitch Lucker, American singer (b. 1984)
• November 2 – Milt Campbell, American decathlete (b. 1933)
• November 5 – Elliott Carter, American composer (b. 1908)
• November 8 – Lucille Bliss, American actress (b. 1916)
• November 17 – Bal Thackeray, Indian politician (b. 1926)
• November 23 – Larry Hagman, American actor (b. 1931)
• November 25
  • Lars Hörmander, Swedish mathematician (b. 1931)
  • Dave Sexton, English footballer and coach (b. 1930)
• November 26 – Joseph Murray, American Nobel surgeon (b. 1919)
• November 30 – I. K. Gujral, 12th Prime Minister of India (b. 1919)

December

Main article: Deaths in December 2012

Oscar Niemeyer

Norman Schwarzkopf Jr.

• December 4 – Miguel Calero, Colombian footballer (b. 1971)
• December 5
  • Dave Brubeck, American pianist (b. 1920)
  • Oscar Niemeyer, Brazilian architect (b. 1907)
• December 6 – Miguel Abia Biteo Boricó, 5th Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea (b. 1961)
• December 9
  • Jenni Rivera, Mexican-American singer-songwriter, producer and actress (b. 1969)
  • Patrick Moore, British astronomer and broadcaster (b. 1923)
• December 10 – Iajuddin Ahmed, 13th President of Bangladesh (b. 1931)
• December 11
  • Ravi Shankar, Indian sitarist (b. 1920)
  • Galina Vishnevskaya, Russian soprano (b. 1926)
• December 17 – Daniel Inouye, American politician (b. 1924)
• December 24
  • Charles Durning, American actor (b. 1923)
  • Jack Klugman, American actor (b. 1922)
• December 26 – Gerry Anderson, British puppeteer and TV producer (b. 1929)
• December 27
  • Harry Carey Jr., American actor (b. 1921)
  • Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., American general (b. 1934)
• December 30 – Rita Levi-Montalcini, Italian Nobel neurologist (b. 1909)

Nobel Prizes

• Chemistry – Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka
• Economics – Alvin E. Roth and Lloyd Shapley
• Literature – Mo Yan
• Peace – European Union
• Physics – Serge Haroche and David J. Wineland
• Physiology or Medicine – John B. Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka

New English words

• deadname
• hot take
• escape room

See also

• 2012 phenomenon
•  2010s portal