By Clarissa Hamlin
It sure has been a whirlwind of a year. Highs, lows and everything in between. In the following pages, we reflect on the year’s most talked about headlines.
Making History at the Oscars
On Feb. 26, Hollywood’s biggest stars gave a standing ovation to a tearful Octavia Spencer, who garnered a best supporting actress Oscar for her buzz worthy performance in The Help. Though it’s her first Oscar nod, she became the fifth African American woman to win in that category over the 84-year-history of the Academy Awards.
Tragedy of Trayvon
Feb. 26 marked the date of the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, who was killed by an armed 28-year-old neighborhood watchman, George Zimmerman in Sanford, FL. Zimmerman followed the unarmed, hoodie wearing African-American teen who was headed to his home inside a gated community. A scuffle broke out leaving the teen dead and Zimmerman eventually arrested. The highly-publicized case stirred national outcry and awakened a heated debate over racial tensions, gun control and the “Stand Your Ground” law.
Keeping Up with Kimye
Flowers were not the only things abloom come springtime. When Kanye West professed his love on “Theraflu,“ there was no denying his affection for Kim Kardashian. The new power couple known as Kimye finally became official despite the dramatic overcast of Kim’s pending divorce.
Facebook Grows Up, Goes Public
The social media behemoth founded by Mark Zuckerberg has tremendously evolved from its humble beginnings in a college dorm room eight years ago. It has grown up right before our eyes to the tune of almost 1 billion users. Most prominent in its transition was a much hyped about stock market debut on May 18.
Miami Cannibal Attack
It was literally a bite into crime for 31-year-old Rudy Eugene, who attacked 65-year old homeless man Ronald Poppo alongside a South Florida highway on May 26. Eugene, who was reported to be nude and high on bath salts, chewed the top half of Poppo’s face before police shot and killed him. Poppo miraculously survived the gruesome ordeal.
Sandusky Scandal
The sexual abuse charges against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, 68, shook up not only the university, but a proud community and the major college football world. On June 22, Sandusky was charged with sexual assaulting 10 boys, all children from disadvantaged homes. Prosecutors said he used the university’s vaunted football program to befriend and repeatedly violate the youngsters. The case had reverberating effects including the termination of then-football head coach the late Joe Paterno and long time university president Graham B. Spanier.
Independence Day Announcements by Anderson Cooper, Frank Ocean
In consecutive reveals on July 2 and 3, both CNN journalist Anderson Cooper and R & B singer Frank Ocean publicly disclosed their sexuality for the first time. Cooper, 45, came out to Daily Beast Columnist Andrew Sullivan via email, and Ocean – just days prior to the release of his Channel Orange album – said he first loved a man at age 19 on his Tumblr page. Many praised both men for their candidness, and prompted a greater push for acceptance.
A Dark Knight
During a midnight premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises,” tragedy struck during a mass shooting at Century 16 Theater in Aurora, Colorado on July 20. Police arrested and charged 24-year old shooting suspect James Holmes in the heinous crime that left 12 dead and 58 injured.
Going for the Gold
The torch for the London Summer 2012 Olympics burned brightly from July 27 to Aug. 12. Perhaps most notable of the victories was earned by 16-year-old gymnast Gabby Douglas, became a true golden girl on Aug. 2 as the first African American woman to win it in individual all-around gymnastics.
Call Me Pandemonium
As of August 8, the summer anthem you couldn’t get away from – “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepson – hit its ninth week at the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Everyone posted a Youtube parody of the Canadian sensation and by everyone we mean the Olympic Swim Team, Justin Bieber, Cookie Monster, Harvard Baseball Team, plus about a thousand others. You started humming it just now, didn’t you?
This Is It
A judge ended a tough custody shuffle over Michael Jackson’s kids – Prince, Paris and Blanket – with the final word, co-guardianship. Both their grandmother, Katherine and cousin T.J. Jackson were lawfully appointed to jointly take care of the kids in late August. It was a dramatic battle full of some twists, which included a reported infighting between family members.
American Idol’s New Line-Up
Whether they are called a dream team or motley crew, Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban and Mariah Carey captured the nation’s attention as the new AI judges. FOX announced the diverse team to join Veteran Randy Jackson after much speculation. But though the guessing game has ended, the drama kicked off with a highly publicized catfight between Minaj and Carey.
The Replacements
The replacement referees called in during the NFL labor dispute will go down in history for not their skill, but being the media’s punching bag. Football fans were none too pleased in late September, with the bizarre calls on the field. So much so, that their officiating at the now infamous Oct. 1 Green Bay Packers-Seattle Seahawks game was negatively blasted by major news outlets before the NFL and the real referees reached a deal.
Sandy Strikes
The second-costliest storm in U.S. history on Oct. 29 left destruction, displaced people, and at least 125 deaths in its path across the country. Most ravaged areas in heaviest hit New York including Long Island and The Rockaways and New Jersey, along with Pennsylvania, and West Virginia suffered an estimated $62 million in damages. There was also a severe gas shortage, which caused N.Y. and N.J. state officials to implement a rationing system in the days after the storm. As of December, a substantial number of people were still without homes, and President Obama announced plans to ask Congress for $50 billion in relief aid.
Going Green
The marijuana movement kicked into high gear as Colorado and Washington become the first two states to legalize recreational uses for those age 21 and older. But though supporters garnered their most monumental victory at the polls on Nov. 6, they couldn’t pop the champagne yet. Given that marijuana is banned under federal law, many predict that the victory will be met with staunch government challenges.
Ba-rack the Vote, Again
Just after midnight on Nov. 7, President Barack Obama gave an impassioned acceptance speech not only thanking his supporters for re-election, but calling for unity in building a more “generous, compassionate and tolerant” America. Obama had major victories in many of the battleground states including Florida, where time stood still until Nov. 10 when it was declared that Obama led Romney 50 to 49.1 percent (a difference of 74,000 votes).
Petraeus’ Pet Peeve
In an unexpected move, CIA Director David Petraeus stunned the world with his Nov. 9 resignation. Why? The four-star general was apparently very upset with himself for engaging in an extra-marital affair with his biographer, Paul Broadwell. Calling it “extremely poor judgment” in a revealing letter to the CIA, Petraeus aired his dirty laundry to the world. In the same fashion, we also learned that Broadwell is being investigated by the FBI for email hacking and possession of classified information.
Bus Drivers Strike Back
Public transit employees aren’t having it. Any. More. On November 12, a Baltimore bus driver and teen girl were caught on video in a wild tussle, just a few weeks after the uppercut heard around the world – administered by Cleveland driver Artis Hughes who unleashed his right fist on a female passenger who’d choked and spit on him.
Insta-Good Deed
In an instant flash, NYPD officer Larry DePrimo became a minor celebrity. Tourist Jennifer Foster snapped a cell phone picture of DePrimo presenting a homeless man with an expensive pair of boots on the night of Nov. 14. She sent the picture to the New York City Police Department, who posted it online on Nov. 27. Since then, it has received more than 600,000 Facebook likes though later it was reported that the man, 54-year-old Jeffrey Hillman was actually not homeless.
Sesame Street Shocker
By November 27, former longtime Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash, 52, had a trio of child sexual abuse allegations slapped against him. Earlier in the month, his first accuser Sheldon Stephens recanted then renewed his claim that at 16 years old, he had a sexual relationship with Clash, who buckled under the heat and resigned in the midst of the controversy on Nov. 20.
As Luck Would Have It
What was the big deal about 12/12/12? On the last repeating date of the century, there was a boom of weddings – and babies delivered by planned C-sections – by very aware numerology enthusiasts who hoped to feel some of the magic on this lucky day.
Sandy Hook Elementary School
This year’s reports of extreme violence came from as far away as Mexico and as close as Chicago. Particularly bone-chilling was the December 14 massacre of 26 students and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. The victims, mostly 6 and 7 year olds, were shot multiple times by a lone 24-year-old gunman armed with assault weapons. The incident touched a nerve amongst the public, and reignited a seemingly neverending debate about gun control and concealed weapons laws in the U.S.
#26ActsOfKindness
The spirit of giving was on everyone’s mind as the end of the year approached. NBC’s Ann Curry launched the pay-it-forward movement 26 Acts of Kindness which to date has logged over 87,000 likes on Facebook plus thousands of kind acts being reported real-time. Building on this theme, Buzzfeed pulled together a feelgood collection of moments that restored our faith in humanity in 2012…with more to come.