* Markus Weimer, The Peace Dividend: Analysis of a Decade of Angolan Indicators, 2002 – 2012

* 2012 – The Independent State of Azawad is declared.

* 1919 – István Anhalt, Hungarian-Canadian composer ( d. 2012 )

* 1983 – Anthony Sedlak, Canadian chef ( d. 2012 )

* 2012 – NASA's Curiosity rover lands on the surface of Mars.

* 1916 – Dom Mintoff, Maltese politician and journalist, 8th Prime Minister of Malta ( d. 2012 )

* 1935 – Fortunato Baldelli, Italian cardinal ( d. 2012 )

* 1942 – Byard Lancaster, American saxophonist ( d. 2012 )

* 1945 – Aleksandr Gorelik, Russian figure skater ( d. 2012 )

* 1963 – Whitney Houston, American singer-songwriter, actress, and producer ( d. 2012 )

* 1914 – Big Walter Price, American singer-songwriter and pianist ( d. 2012 )

* 2012 – Ekrem Bora, Turkish actor ( b. 1934 )

* 2012 – Lionel Bowen, Australian politician ( b. 1922 )

* 2012 – Giorgio Chinaglia, Italian footballer ( b. 1947 )

* 2012 – Miguel de la Madrid, Mexican politician, President of Mexico ( b. 1934 )

* 2012 – Leila Denmark, American pediatrician ( b. 1898 )

* 2012 – Jamaa Fanaka, American director, producer, and screenwriter ( b. 1942 )

* 2012 – Jerry Lynch, American baseball player ( b. 1930 )

* 2012 – N. K. P. Salve, Indian politician ( b. 1921 )

* 1933 – Pierluigi Vigna, Italian magistrate ( d. 2012 )

* 1921 – Richard Adler, American songwriter and composer ( d. 2012 )

* 1923 – Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria ( d. 2012 )

* 1928 – Henning Moritzen, Danish actor ( d. 2012 )

* 2012 – John Berry, English motorcycle racing promoter and manager ( b. 1944 )

* 2012 – Martin Fleischmann, Czech-English chemist ( b. 1927 )

NASA's planned Space Interferometry Mission ( SIM PlanetQuest ) ( now cancelled ) was to utilize astrometric techniques to detect terrestrial planets orbiting 200 or so of the nearest solar-type stars, and the European Space Agency's GAIA ( due to launch in 2012 ), which will be applying astrometric techniques in its stellar census.

An under sea water supply tunnel with a length of, named the Bosphorus Water Tunnel, was constructed in 2012 to transfer water from the Melen Creek in Düzce Province ( to the east of the Bosphorus strait, in northwestern Anatolia ) to the European side of Istanbul, from a distance of.

By 2012, 26 varieties herbicide-resistant GM maize were authorised for import into the European Union ,.

In June 2012 the Cypriot finance minister Vassos Shiarly stated that the European Central Bank, European commission and IMF officials are to carry out an in-depth investigation into Cyprus ' economy and banking sector to assess the level of funding it requires.

Charlton then lifted the League One trophy on 5 May 2012, having been in the top position since 15 September 2011, and after recording a 3 – 2 victory over Hartlepool United, recorded their highest ever league points score of 101, the highest in any professional European league that year.

Dublin will be European Capital of Science in 2012.

In 2012, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize, an annual award for a person who has made an exceptional contribution to European culture, society or social science, " for his ability to translate the cultural significance of science and technology to a broad audience.

The President of the European Parliament ( Parliament's speaker ) is currently Martin Schulz ( S & D ), elected in January 2012.

In Eurobarometer 77 ( fieldwork in Spring 2012 ), 41 % of Finns trusted the European Union ( EU-27 average: 31 %), 51 % trusted The European Parliament ( average: 40 %), and 74 % were in favor of the euro currency ( average: 52 %).

GDP per capita is similar to the average European economies but the economy is critically dependent upon substantial support from the Danish government, which supplies about half the revenues of the home rule government who in turn employ about 8, 000 Greenlanders out of a labor force of 40, 156 ( Jan. 2012 ).

In July 2012, the European Medicines Agency recommended approval of a gene therapy treatment for the first time in either Europe or the United States.

On 17 January 2012, the European Commission launched legal action against Hungary over the new central-bank law, judicial reforms, and the independence of the new data ombudsman.

The European Commission launched legal proceedings against Hungary on 17 January 2012.

In 2012 Sarkozy ran for re-election but was defeated by François Hollande who advocated a growth policy in contrast to the austerity policy advocated by Germany's Angela Merkel as a way of tackling the European sovereign debt crisis.

from: 1995 till: 2012 shift :(,- 5 ) text: European Union member state 1995 –

As a result of austerity measures passed in December 2010, Italy is targeting a public budget deficit of 3. 9 % in 2011 and 2. 7 % in 2012, both among the lowest in the European Union.

In April 2012, at the European Court of Human Rights, Patrick Stuebing lost his case that the conviction violated his right to a private and family life.

However, in the wake of the economic crisis of 2008, Greek government debt crisis, 2008 – 2012 Spanish financial crisis and European sovereign debt crisis, thinkers such as Terry Eagleton, David Harvey, and David McNally have given renewed impetus to the debate on whether Marx was right that capitalism inherently tends towards crisis ( which Marx discussed as the " contradictions of capital ").

Among the various free trade agreements that Morocco has ratified with its principal economic partners, are The Euro-Mediterranean free trade area agreement with the European Union with the objective of integrating the European Free Trade Association at the horizons of 2012 ; the Agadir Agreement, signed with Egypt, Jordan, and Tunisia, within the framework of the installation of the Greater Arab Free Trade Area ; the US-Morocco Free Trade Agreement with United States which came into force on 1 January 2006, and lately the agreement of free exchange with Turkey.

* European Tour ( 2012 )