The past year was one unlike any other. Among the featured players were a presidential election, the Summer Olympics, unspeakable tragedies, and conflict in the Middle East. Many year-end awards have been given, and I feel it necessary to give my two cents. But instead of handing out individual awards, I decided to name 10 of the biggest topics in 2012. In essence, 10 of the biggest headlines of 2012.
1. Barack Obama- The Commander-in-Chief retained his role in this year's presidential election by defeating former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. TIME Magazine's 2012 Person of the Year won many swing states, including Florida and Ohio. As the economic problems continue, America will turn to their leader to guide them.
2. YOLO- The phrase was made popular by the Canadian singer Drake, who included the phrase in his song "The Motto". The saying, which stands for You Only Live Once, has since been printed on clothing and used to justify bad decisions made by teenagers everywhere.
3. Life of Pi- Yann Martel's 2001 novel was immortalized in a movie that was released in November. Though the acting left something to be desired, the movie was nominated for three Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture (Drama).
4. Aurora, Colorado- In July, a gunman opened fire at a theater in Aurora, Colorado. 12 people were killed, and more than 50 were injured. This tragedy once again sparked the debate over gun control, but no progress has been made yet.
5. The Fierce Five- Team U.S.A.'s women's gymnastics team captured the team gold medal in London. The team members, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, Jordyn Wieber, Gabrielle Douglas, and Kyla Ross were catapulted to international prominence and have become national heroes.
6. Tim Cook- When Steve Jobs died, many people believed Tim Cook's legacy would be succeeding Jobs as CEO of Apple. Instead, Cook has made a name for himself not by being like Jobs, but by being himself.
7. Lebron James- The NBA superstar had an amazing year. First, he was named regular season MVP. In June, he won his first championship after his Miami Heat knocked off the O.K.C. Thunder. James, the series MVP, then led Team U.S.A. to a gold medal at the Olympic Games. To top it off, Sports Illustrated named him their Sportsman of the Year, the first basketball player to be so honored since Dwayne Wade in 2006.
8. Sandy Hook Elementary School- Last month, 26 people, including 20 children, were killed at a school in Newtown, Connecticut. This tragedy was preceded by many others, including the Wisconsin mosque shooting, and has been a central focus in the gun control debate.
9. Manti Te'o- Notre Dame football is relevant again. The Fighting Irish will play in the national title game against Alabama on January 7th. The main reason is their star linebacker, who placed second in the Heisman voting and won the Maxwell Award for Best Player.
10. Trayvon Martin- The Florida teenager's death sparked an outrage across America. The shooter, George Zimmerman, has claimed that he was legally justified, but he has been charged with second-degree murder. He will be put on trial in the summer of 2013.
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