First of all thank you very much for making 2012 meaningful and memorable. Despite all the trials and tribulations that have happened at some points of the year, we have survived and made the most out of a year full of surprises and victories. We all look forward to 2013 so enjoy a happy new year to you all.
Here is the year 2012 in a nutshell.
Entertainment
The year saw PSY's 'Gangnam Style' become the most-viewed YouTube video of all time, while peaking at No. 2 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Top hit singles in 2012 include 'Somebody I Used to Know' by Gotye, 'Call Me Maybe' by Carly Mae Jepsen, 'One More Night' and 'Payphone' by Maroon 5, 'Diamonds' by Rihanna, and 'We Are Young' by Fun.
In film, 'The Avengers', 'The Dark Knight Rises' and 'Skyfall' reigned in the box office. Other significant hits include 'Breaking Dawn Part II', 'Ice Age: Continental Drift', 'The Amazing Spider Man', 'The Hunger Games' and 'Men in Black III'.
In television, 'Chuck', 'Desperate Housewives', 'CSI Miami', 'One Tree Hill', 'House', 'Gossip Girl' and 'Jersey Shore' ended their runs. Ok we miss them, but for the upcoming replacement shows, good luck.
Sports
It was a 'Giant' of a year in sports. The New York Giants of the NFL won the Super Bowl, while the San Francisco Giants in MLB won the World Series. In Japan, the Yomiuri Giants won the Japan Series. Sadly, the NFL Giants won't be able to defend their title in 2013, but high hopes are expected for the baseball Giants next year.
In hockey and basketball, there were some firsts. LeBron James, the self-proclaimed 'king', won his first NBA title with the Miami Heat, while the NHL's Los Angeles Kings won their first Stanley Cup. Sadly, the NHL underwent a labor lockout towards the end of the year, and many would wonder whether another lost season is in the books.
The summer Olympics were held in London, where the United States overwhelmingly dominated the medal tally. The Olympic winners include the U.S. basketball team, Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, and even Andy Murray.
Speaking of Andy Murray, he did won his first tennis major at the U.S. Open. Novak Djokovic played in three major finals, and won the Australian Open, while Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal took home the Wimbledon and French Open, respectively. On the female side, Serena Williams won the Wimbledon and U.S. Open, while Victoria Azarenka took the Australian Open and Maria Sharapova took the French Open.
In golf, Bubba Watson won the Masters, Webb Simpson won the U.S. Open, Ernie Els won the British Open, and Rory McIlroy took the PGA championship. The Ryder Cup was won by Europe in a stunning come-from-behind win over the U.S.
The Formula 1 championship was won by Sebastian Vettel, with Red Bull copping the Constructor's title.
In soccer, Manchester City won their first Premier League title, Juventus won the Serie A, Real Madrid won the La Liga, Borussia Dortmund won the Bundesliga, and the Los Angeles Galaxy won the MLS Cup. Chelsea won a Cup double this year by copping both the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League.
Finally, in the U.S. NCAA, Alabama won the Bowl Championship, while Kentucky won the men's basketball title. On the women's basketball side, Baylor went undefeated en route to the national title.
Epilogue
The world did not end on December 21, 2012, as we suspected. As we look forward to 2013, we hope that greater things will come, and hope that the lessons of yesterday will be applied to tomorrow. Happy New Year to everybody.
