What Happened in Baby’s World 2012

The world is constantly changing, and 2012 certainly was no exception to this everlasting march towards a better future! But for some of us, this article will be much less about retrospection and more about documenting the moments most relevant to our history that coincided with the birth year of someone very special: a beloved child! So without further delay, BabySakes.com presents…What Happened In Baby’s World, 2012 Edition!

Influential Heads of State in 2012

• USA: President Barack Obama
• UK: Prime Minister David Cameron
• Canada: Prime Minister Stephen Harper
• North Korea: Kim Jong-un
• China – President Hu Jintao
• France: President Nicolas Sarkozy
• Germany: President Christian Wulff
• Italy: Prime Minister Mario Monti
• Russia: President Vladimir Putin
• Iran: President Mahmoud Ahmajinedad
• Afghanistan: Hamid Karzai

 Major News Stories of 2012 (in no particular order)

Source: Time.com,

1. Syria’s Civil War – The end of 2012 marks the second year that the Syrian people have been involved in a civil war between government and civilian rebels. The war was incited in February 2011 after a peaceful uprising against their leader of government, President Bashar Assad. Many parts of the country are now under rebel control with estimates of 40,000 dead after two years of conflict.
2. Re-election of President Obama – After a long campaigning season, President Obama was re-elected to another term in office, beating out Republican candidate Mitt Romney and smaller party candidates. Looming over his continued presidency were the“fiscal cliff” that could trigger spending cuts and increased taxes at the New Year, the idea of ObamaCare, and wars overseas.
3. The Eurozone Crisis – Citizens in countries across Southern Europe, including Greece, Italy, and Spain, protested in 2012 against austerity measures (spending cuts that proportionally cut back on funding for public services and benefits) imposed as conditions for bailouts from other countries due to growing debt. Unemployment reached nearly 25% in Spain. Citizens began turning against political parties associated with those who would be bailing them out.
4.  Hurricane Sandy – In October, Hurricane Sandy hit portions of the Caribbean and proceeded to ravage the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern US, and parts of Eastern Canada. A Category 2 storm at its peak and the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, the storm took out power for millions of residents, flooding streets and destroying infrastructure, resulting in $60 billion in damages and 131 dead.
5. Crisis in Mali – After being deemed a Democractic success, Mali descended into political turmoil in 2012. A military coup ousted the democratically-elected government in March, turning the northern regions of Mali into areas of rebel control by multiple ethnic/ideological groups. The relocated government is currently working on strategies to reclaim the land.
6.  NASA on Mars – NASA’s rover, Curiosity, landed on Mars in August, taking stunning photographs of the planet’s surface. It is currently searching for environments suitable for microbial development – a primitive form of life.
7. Afghanistan Moving to a Close – After an 11-year war, the US has plans to withdraw troops at the end of 2014. 2012, however, saw the reduction in troops from allies, such as the French, who withdrew their troops at the end of the year. Drone strikes were also ramped up by the Obama Administration.
8. Amnesty for Undocumented – President Obama signs an executive order that provides relief from deportation to undocumented immigrants under the age of 30 who have been brought into the US before the age 16. While providing amnesty to 1.7 million youths, this sparked a discussion between both parties about creating more comprehensive immigration reform.
9. Focus on Gay Marriage – President Obama announces his support for gay marriage and nine states in the United States pass gay marriage as a legal right: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Maine, Maryland, and Washington State.
10. Red Bull Stratos Jump – Felix Baumgartner of Austria, sponsored by Red Bull, performed a near-space skydriving feat (at 128,100 feet), breaking the sound barrier AND the record for the highest and fastest jump in history. He also became the first man to break the sound barrier outside of a vehicle.

 Stock Market and Economy

Source: Time.com

The housing market bottomed out in 2012 and slowly began to climb up. Improvements were made – the number of foreclosures hit 57,000 in September, a sharp contrast from double that number in 2010. The Federal Reserve reports that outstanding debt is increasing, although student debt surpassed credit card debt this year.

In September, the Dow reached its highest level since the start of the recession in 2007 and it has gained more than 20% this year alone.

Top Selling Music Albums of 2012

Source: Billboard

1. “Red,” Taylor Swift
2. “Les Miserables – Highlights from the Motion Picture Soundtrack,” Various Artists
3. “Take Me Home,” One Direction
4. “Unorthodox Jukebox,” Bruno Mars
5. “Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head,” T.I.
6. “Night Visions,” Imagine Dragons
7. “Unapologetic,” Rihanna
8. “Babel,” Mumford & Sons
9. “The Lumineers,” The Lumineers
10.  “Pitch Perfect,” Various Artists

 Top Grossing Movies of 2012

Source: Box Office Mojo

1. Marvel’s “The Avengers” ($623.3 mil)
2. “The Dark Knight Rises” ($448.1 mil)
3. “The Hunger Games” ($408.1 mil)
4. “Skyfall” ($293.7 mil)
5. “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2” ($287.8 mil)
6. “The Amazing Spiderman” ($262 mil)
7. “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” ($246.3 mil)
8. “Brave” ($237.3 mil)
9.  “Ted” ($218.8 mil)
10. “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” ($216.4 mil)

 Highest Paid Actors of 2012

Source: Forbes

1. Tom Cruise $75 million
2. Leonardo DiCaprio $37 million
2. Adam Sandler $37 million
4.Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson $36 million
5. Ben Stiller $33 million
6. Sacha Baron Cohen $30 million
7. Johnny Depp $30 million
8. Will Smith $30 million
9. Mark Wahlberg $27 million
10. Taylor Lautner $26.5 million

Top Books of 2012
Source: Goodrreads.com

1. “Gone Girl,” Gilian Flynn
2. “The Fault in Our Stars,” John Green
3. “Fifty Shades Freed,” E.L. Jamse
4. “Insurgent,” Veronica Roth
5. “The Casual Vacancy,” J.K. Rowling
6. “Bared to You,” Sylvia Day
7. “City of Lost Souls,” Cassandra Clare
8. “Cinder,” Marissa Meyer
9. “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail,” Cheryl Strayed
10. “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” Susan Cain

Top 10 Highest Rated Television Shows of the 2011-2012 Season

Source: Deadline.com

1. NBC Sunday Night Football
2. American Idol
3. The Voice
4. Modern Family
5. The Big Bang Theory
6. Two and a Half Men
7. X Factor
8. Two Broke Girls
9. Grey’s Anatomy
10. New Girl

 Top Technology Trends of 2012 (in no particular order)

Source: Forbes

1. Instagram
2. Focus on camera quality on mobile phones
3. Rise of free online education (sometimes with support by public universities!) (e.g. Kahn Academy, Coursera, Code Academy)
4. Electric vehicles
5. Retina display on computers (extremely high pixel density), specifically the Macbook 

Fashion Trends of 2012

Source: Elle

1. Skirted peplum sillhouette
2. Pajama-inspired pants
3. Wedge sneakers
4. Baroque-inspired fashions
5. Oxblood (the clolor)
6. Leather-like pants
7. Luxe sweatshirts
8. Leather-sleeved jackets
9. Printed pants

 Average Cost of Items in 2012

• Gallon of Milk: $3.65 (USDA)
• Gallon of Gas: $3.91 (The People History)
• Loaf of Bread: $1.88 (The People History)
• Movie Ticket: $8.20 (The People History)
• Public College Education (with room and board):  $22,261 (College Board)
• Private College Education (with room and board): $42,289 (College Board)
• New House: $263,200 (The People History)
• Home Resale: $146,000 (Statistic Brain)
• New Car: $30,303 (Forbes)
• Diapers: Approximately $0.26/per diaper (for newborn size, dependent on retailer)
• Babysitter: $5-15/hr (depending on experience)
• Sunday Paper: $2.50
• Postage Stamp: $0.45 (The People History)
• Computer: $650 (depends on specs and brand)