2012 Fun Facts and Trivia - HobbyLark - Games and Hobbies
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2012 Fun Facts and Trivia

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Gregory DeVictor is a trivia enthusiast who loves to write articles on American nostalgia.

This article teaches you fun facts, trivia, and historical events from the year 2012.

This article teaches you fun facts, trivia, and historical events from the year 2012.

A Look Back at 2012

What are some fun facts, trivia, and history events from the leap year 2012?

  1. Barack Obama was re-elected president of the United States by defeating Republican opponent Mitt Romney. Obama won 51.1% of the popular vote to Romney’s 47.2%.
  2. ExxonMobil was America’s biggest company, the Lyft car-sharing service was launched, and Penguin and Random House merged to form the world's largest publisher.
  3. The Social Security Administration paid benefits to nearly 62 million people in 2012. Women accounted for about 55% of adult Social Security beneficiaries.
  4. The United States experienced its worst drought in more than half a century. The U.S. Department of Agriculture declared more than 1,000 counties in over 25 states natural disaster areas due to the widespread drought conditions.
  5. MasterCard and Visa had massive security breaches that compromised over ten million credit card numbers.
  6. The spacecraft Curiosity landed on Mars.
  7. In the year 2012, Hurricane Sandy—which was also called “Superstorm Sandy”—brought significant wind and flood damage to the U.S., Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas.
  8. The largest shipwreck in history occurred west of Tuscany, Italy.
  9. Because of a two-year drought, about 20 million Britons could not use garden hoses for gardening or cleaning.
  10. The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II took place throughout the year 2012 with celebrations in both the UK and around the world.
  11. Toyota began recalling 700,000 vehicles because of safety concerns.
  12. China had its highest trade deficit in over 10 years.
  13. Canada stopped production of the penny. (The coins were officially withdrawn from circulation on February 4, 2013.)
  14. Facebook announced that it had one billion active users.
  15. Wendy’s was now the number two American hamburger chain, overtaking Burger King. (McDonald’s was still number one.)
  16. The “most liveable” cities in America included Pittsburgh, Seattle, Madison (WI), St. Paul (MN), and Sioux Falls (SD).
  17. The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 78.74 years.
  18. NBC Sunday Night Football was the most popular television show, Fifty Shades of Grey was the best-selling fiction book, and The Avengers was the highest-grossing film.
  19. The retail price for a gallon of gas averaged $3.91, a movie ticket cost $8.20, and a dozen eggs were $1.54.
  20. The San Francisco Giants won the World Series, the New York Giants were the Super Bowl champs, and the Los Angeles Kings clinched the Stanley Cup.

Here are the five most popular TV shows from 2012-13:

  1. NFL Sunday Night Football (NBC)
  2. This Is Us (NBC)
  3. Rosanne (ABC)
  4. NFL Thursday Night Football (CBS + NFLN)
  5. The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

Here are five food and beverage trends for the year:

  1. Gluten-free diets
  2. Gourmet tacos
  3. French dips
  4. Pretzels
  5. Natural and organic wines

Whether you’re a millennial, a 50-something, or a baby boomer, this article teaches you fun facts, trivia, and history from the leap year 2012. Find out about popular TV shows, movies, music, famous authors and novels, cool sports facts, and other interesting pop culture trends to get the right mix of questions and answers for your 2000s-themed trivia quiz.

Table of Contents

For easier reading, I have divided this article into the following categories:

  1. Retail Prices in the Year 2012
  2. History Facts From the USA
  3. International News
  4. Sports Trivia
  5. Miscellaneous Fun Facts, Trivia, and Pop Culture Trends
  6. Computer and Internet History
  7. Nobel Prize Winners
  8. Most Popular Television Shows From 2012-13
  9. Bestselling Books: Nielsen Bookscan Top 10
  10. Bestselling Books: Amazon Print Top 10
  11. Bestselling Books: Amazon Kindle Top 10
  12. Highest-Grossing Films
  13. Academy Award Winners
  14. Entries Into the National Film Registry
  15. Cool Pop Music Artists
  16. Number One Music Hits for the Year
  17. Grammy Award Winners
  18. Food and Beverage Trivia
  19. Famous People Who Died in 2012
  20. America’s Largest Companies
In 2012, the Ford Motor Company was one of America’s largest corporations.

In 2012, the Ford Motor Company was one of America’s largest corporations.

1. Retail Prices in the Year 2012

These facts from the American retail industry have been made available courtesy of the Morris County Public Library in Whippany, NJ.

Automobiles (new):

  1. Kia (Sportage): $23,445
  2. Nissan (Pathfinder): $25,888
  3. Subaru (Impreza): $18,092

Automobiles (used):

  1. 2004 Honda Accord EX: $8,995
  2. 2007 Jeep Wrangler: $15,995
  3. 2010 Ford Focus SES: $15,995

Clothing:

  1. Dress (women’s maxi): $20.99 each
  2. Jeans (Lee, misses): $24.99 a pair
  3. Running shoes (Nike, men’s): $39.99 a pair
  4. Shirt (men’s, dress): $25.00 apiece
  5. Shirt (misses, cami): $6.00 each
  6. Shoes (men’s, dress): $55.00 a pair
  7. Shorts (men’s): $24.99 a pair
  8. Shorts (misses): $17.00 a pair
  9. Suit (men’s, Stratford): $100.00
  10. Tee shirts (men’s, Fruit of the Loom): $10.99 for a package of five

Food and beverages:

(These prices are from the FoodTown in Cedar Knolls, New Jersey. Please note that grocery prices may vary in other parts of the USA.)

  1. Bacon (Oscar Mayer): $6.49 a pound
  2. Bananas: 79 cents a pound
  3. Beef (ground, 80% lean): $4.29 a pound
  4. Bisquick: $2.89 for a 20-ounce box
  5. Bread (Wonder, classic white): $3.69 for a 20-ounce loaf
  6. Cake mix (Duncan Hines): $1.79 for a 16.5-ounce box
  7. Cereal (Kellogg’s Corn Flakes): $3.37 for a 12-ounce box
  8. Chicken (Perdue, whole oven roaster): $1.19 a pound
  9. Cocoa (Swiss Miss): $2.99 for a package of eight envelopes
  10. Coffee (Maxwell House, Master Blend): $4.99 for an 11-ounce can
  11. Cookies (Nabisco, Oreo): $4.59 for a 15.5-ounce package
  12. Crackers (Nabisco, Ritz): $3.99 for a 13.7-ounce box
  13. Eggs (large): $2.29 a dozen
  14. Flour (Pillsbury): $3.19 for a five-pound bag
  15. Ice cream (Breyers, assorted flavors): $4.99 for a 48-ounce tub
  16. Jelly (Welch’s, concord grape): $2.49 for an 18-ounce jar
  17. Juice (Ocean Spray, cranberry): $3.49 for a 64-ounce bottle
  18. Karo Syrup (blue label, dark): $2.99 for a 16-ounce bottle
  19. Ketchup (Heinz): $1.99 for a 14-ounce bottle
  20. Kool-Aid (packets): $1.00 for five packets
  21. Mayonnaise (Hellmann’s): $3.99 for a 15-ounce jar
  22. Milk (nonfat): $2.39 for a 64-ounce jug
  23. Onions (yellow): $2.49 for a three-pound bag
  24. Ovaltine (Classic Malt): $4.79 for a 12-ounce canister
  25. Peanut butter (Skippy, creamy): $3.39 for a 16.3-ounce jar
  26. Pizza (frozen, Stouffer’s French Bread): $3.99 for an 11.75-ounce package
  27. Potato chips (Lay’s Classic): $4.29 for a 10.5-ounce bag
  28. Potatoes (Idaho): $3.99 for a five-pound bag
  29. Soda (Coca-Cola): $1.89 for a 67.6-ounce bottle
  30. Sugar (Domino): $3.99 for a five-pound bag
  31. Tea (Tetley): $3.79 for an 80-count package
  32. Vanilla extract (McCormick): $4.99 for a two-ounce bottle

Furniture:

  1. Air mattress (Insta-Bed, queen): $39.99 each
  2. Beds (bunk): $179.99 each
  3. Dining set (five piece): $119.99 per set
  4. Dresser (four drawer): $39.99 each
  5. Patio dining set (seven piece): $499.00 per set

Household and seasonal goods:

  1. Blender (Cuisinart): $79.99 each
  2. Cookware set (Giada De Laurentiis): $169.99 for six pieces
  3. Comforter set (queen): $59.99 each
  4. Detergent (laundry, All Liquid): $3.99 for 28-40 loads
  5. Garden hose (50′): $5.99 each
  6. Iron (Proctor Silex): $14.99 each
  7. Lawn mower (Weed Eater, electric, 21″): $189.99
  8. Microwave oven (Kenmore): $89.99
  9. Mixer (Kitchenaid): $299.99
  10. Range (Kenmore, electric): $599.99
  11. Refrigerator (Kenmore, 27 cubic feet): $999.99
  12. Rose bushes: $10.99 each
  13. Sheets (Springmaid, queen): $75.00 a set
  14. Sewing machine (Singer): $74.99
  15. Tea kettle (Calphalon): $45.00
  16. Toaster (Oster, two slice): $40.00
  17. Toaster oven (Sylvania): $19.99
  18. Towels (Fieldcrest, bath): $12.00 each
  19. Vacuum cleaner (Shark Navigator, bagless): $179.00
  20. Washing machine (Whirlpool, 4.6 cubic feet): $899.99

Personal care and health:

  1. Cough drops (Halls): $1.49 for a 30-count box
  2. Deodorant (Mennen, Speed Stick): $2.50 for 2.3 ounces
  3. Diapers (Huggies): $19.79 for a 60-count package
  4. Hair color (Nice ’N Easy): $7.97 per treatment
  5. Hair dryer (Conair): $27.47
  6. Moisturizer (Nivea): $6.99 for four ounces
  7. Razor (women’s, Schick): $5.77 for a three-count package
  8. Sunblock (Aveeno): $8.99 for three ounces
  9. Shampoo (Head & Shoulders): $6.97 for a 23.7-ounce bottle
  10. Toothbrush (Oral-B, electric): $39.99
  11. Toothpaste (Colgate): $3.00 for a six-ounce tube

Recreation and amusements:

  1. Action figures (Marvel, Avengers): $17.00
  2. Bicycle (Schwinn, men’s, Riverside): $159.99
  3. Book (A Natural Woman by Carole King): $27.99
  4. Camera (digital, Canon PowerShot): $199.99
  5. Computer (laptop, Dell, 6GB RAM): $449.00
  6. Concert (Masterwork Chorus): $33.00 (adult), $27.00 (senior), $15.00 (student)
  7. Golf clubs (RAM): $139.99 per set
  8. Grill (Coleman, roadtrip): $159.99
  9. iPad 2: $399.99
  10. Kindle Fire E-reader: $199.00
  11. LEGO Hulk Helicarrier Breakout: $49.00
  12. Movies (Blu-ray): $19.99
  13. Music CDs: $9.99
  14. Navigation system (Garmin Nuvi): $99.99
  15. Soccer balls (Adidas): $25.00
  16. Suitcase (Samsonite): $129.99
  17. Television (RCA, 39” HDTV): $399.99
  18. Tent (Northwest Territory): $179.99
In 2012, Apple introduced the iPhone 5.

In 2012, Apple introduced the iPhone 5.

2. History Facts From the USA

  1. U.S. President Barack Obama was re-elected to a second term by defeating Republican opponent Mitt Romney. Obama won 51.1% of the popular vote compared to Romney’s 47.2%.
  2. The average cost of new house was $263,200.00.
  3. The average monthly rent was $1,045.00.
  4. A gallon of gas cost $3.91.
  5. A movie ticket was $8.20.
  6. A loaf of bread cost $1.88 and a dozen eggs were $1.54.
  7. The USPS raised the price of a first-class stamp to 45 cents and the cost of a postcard to 32 cents.
  8. Unemployment hovered around 9%. The 10 best states for unemployment benefits were Washington, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, North Dakota, Kansas, Iowa, Rhode Island, and Hawaii. The 10 worst states for benefits were Mississippi, Florida, Connecticut, Tennessee, Alabama, Delaware, Alaska, Louisiana, New York, and Arizona.
  9. The average inflation rate was 2.07%. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index, “prices in 2017 were 6.76% higher than prices in 2012. The dollar experienced an average inflation rate of 1.32% per year during this period. In other words, $100 in 2012 is equivalent in purchasing power to $106.76 in 2017, a difference of $6.76 over 5 years.”
  10. The Social Security Administration paid benefits to nearly 62 million people in 2012. Women accounted for about 55% of adult Social Security beneficiaries.
  11. The U.S. Department of Agriculture declared more than 1,000 counties in over 25 states “natural disaster areas due to widespread drought [conditions] in the Midwest.”
  12. In March, the spacecraft Curiosity landed on Mars.
  13. In March, MasterCard and Visa had a massive security breach that compromised over ten million credit card numbers.
  14. In June, planet Earth witnessed the Transit of Venus, a “rare astronomical event.” NASA.gov explains that “On June 5, 2012 at sunset on the East Coast of North America and earlier for other parts of the U.S., the planet Venus made its final trek across the face of the sun as seen from Earth until the year 2117.”
  15. Hurricane Sandy, which was also called “Superstorm Sandy,” was the 18th named tropical storm of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season. Britannica.com tells us that in late October, Sandy brought “significant wind and flood damage to Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, The Bahamas, and the U.S. Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states. . . . Flash flooding generated by the storm’s relentless rainfall, high winds, and coastal storm surges killed 147 people and produced widespread property damage in the areas in its path. The storm caused more than $70 billion in damage in the United States and was among the most costly natural disasters in U.S. history.”
  16. On November 26, there were no reports of violent crime in New York City. According to BBC.com, “For the first time in living memory, New York has spent a day entirely without violent crime. The city police department's chief spokesman said that Monday was the most bloodshed-free 24-hour period in recent history. Not a single murder, shooting, stabbing or other incident of violent crime was reported for a whole day.”
  17. On the other hand, Pop-Culture.us reports that “Apple products accounted for 14% of all theft crimes in New York City in 2012.”

3. International News

  1. FoodReference.com tells us that Israel passed the “Photoshop Law,” which banned the use of “overly thin models” in local advertising “in an attempt to fight the spread of eating disorders.”
  2. Because of a two-year drought, about 20 million Britons could not use garden hoses for gardening or cleaning.
  3. The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II took place throughout the year with celebrations in both the UK and around the world.
  4. Canada stopped production of its penny. (The coins were officially withdrawn from circulation on February 4, 2013.)
  5. In January, the largest shipwreck in history occurred west of Tuscany, Italy. According to CBSNews.com, “Captain Francesco Schettino steered the 60,000-ton Costa Concordia cruise ship off course and brought it close enough to the Tuscan island of Giglio to ground it on [the] jagged coast. The ship capsized, becoming the largest shipwreck in history -- twice the size of the Titanic at more than 900 feet long. Thirty-two people died in the chaotic evacuation, and Schettino became a lightning rod for international disdain for abandoning the ship before everyone else was off.”
  6. In February, veteran American war reporter Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik were killed in Syria.
  7. In February, the United Kingdom’s unemployment rate reached a 17-year high of 8.4%.
  8. In February, Christian Wulff, the President of Germany, resigned over a corruption scandal.
  9. In March, Toyota began recalling 700,000 vehicles because of safety concerns.
  10. In March, China had its highest trade deficit in over 10 years.
  11. In June, the U.S. toll in the Afghan war reached 2,000.
  12. The Summer Olympics took place between 27 July 2012 and 12 August 2012 in London. A total of 10,768 athletes from 205 nations participated in 302 events.
  13. In July, China's economic growth dropped to 7.6%, the lowest level in three years.
  14. In November, President Obama became the first U.S. President to visit the southeast Asian country of Burma.
  15. In December, a monster typhoon ravaged the southern Philippines.
In 2012, planet Earth witnessed the Transit of Venus for the last time during this century.

In 2012, planet Earth witnessed the Transit of Venus for the last time during this century.

4. Sports Trivia

This information has been made available courtesy of Pop-Culture.us. Generally suitable for all age groups, sports questions and answers are a welcome addition to any trivia quiz.

  1. World Series Champions: San Francisco Giants
  2. Super Bowl Champions: New York Giants
  3. NBA Champions: Oklahoma City Thunder
  4. Stanley Cup Champs: Los Angeles Kings
  5. NCAA Basketball Champions: Kentucky
  6. NCAA Football Champions: Alabama
  7. U.S. Open Golf: Webb Simpson
  8. U.S. Tennis (men/women): Andy Murray/Serena Williams
  9. Wimbledon (men/women): Roger Federer/Serena Williams
  10. Kentucky Derby: I'll Have Another

5. Miscellaneous Fun Facts, Trivia, and Pop Culture Trends

PBS.org explains that pop culture is that loose blend of books, music, fashion and other daily ephemera that contributes to the identity of a society at a particular point in time. In the 2000s, radio, film, television, books, and the internet defined the essence of American pop culture.

  1. Wendy’s was now the number two American hamburger chain, overtaking Burger King. (McDonald’s was still number one.)
  2. The most expensive cars included the Koenigsegg Agera R (Sweden), Pagani Huayra (Italy), Aston Martin One-77 (United Kingdom), Zenvo ST1 (Denmark), and the Bugatti Veyron Supersport (France).
  3. The “most liveable” cities in America were Honolulu, Pittsburgh, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, Madison (WI), St. Paul (MN), and Sioux Falls (SD).
  4. The average U.S. life expectancy at birth was 78.74 years.
  5. Favorite baby names were Aiden, Jackson, Ethan, Liam, Sophia, Emma, Olivia, and Isabella.
  6. Fashion trends included glitter pumps, leather everything, full-on suits, peplum pieces, wedge sneakers, digitized prints, statement pants, exposed midriffs, and big-impact collars.
  7. Between 2002 and 2012, the price of college textbooks rose 82%.
  8. The Consumerist labelled Electronic Arts as “The Worst Company in America.”
  9. Barack Obama was Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year.”
  10. Laura Marie Kaeppeler (Wisconsin) was crowned Miss America.
  11. Until 2012, employees of Disney World were not permitted to have beards, moustaches, or goatees.
  12. The cost of a 30-second Super Bowl ad was 3.8 million dollars.
  13. The Lyft car-sharing service was founded.
  14. The Lion King became the highest-grossing Broadway show, overtaking The Phantom of the Opera.
  15. In October, Penguin and Random House merged to form the world's largest publisher.
In 2012, Pinterest emerged as the “runaway social media hit” of the year.

In 2012, Pinterest emerged as the “runaway social media hit” of the year.

6. Computer and Internet History

These fun facts and trivia from 2012 have been made available courtesy of ComputerHope.com.

  1. Popular tech buzzwords included clicktivism, crowdfunding, gamification, cloud computing, and software as a service.
  2. On January 18, Google, Twitter, Reddit, Craigslist, Computer Hope, and over 115,000 other websites went dark to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) that was “grinding” through Congress.
  3. In March, Google introduced Google Play.
  4. In April, Facebook announced that it was purchasing Instagram for one billion dollars in cash and stock. (The deal was finalized in September.)
  5. In April, Google released Google Drive, an online file storage service.
  6. In May, Facebook went public and its initial stock offering was $38 per share. The current price is $144.96 (November 9, 2016).
  7. In May, Dell completed its acquisition of Wyse.
  8. In May, Adobe Photoshop CS6 (13.0) was released..
  9. In June, Google sold Google SketchUp to Trimble.
  10. In July, Android version 4.1 (Jelly Bean) was released.
  11. In August, Microsoft released the Windows 8 operating system for tablets and touch screens.
  12. In August, Pinterest emerged as the “runaway social media hit” of the year.
  13. In August, employees at Saudi Aramco--the Saudi Arabian Oil Company--were victims of the largest cyber attack to date. Data in 35,000 computers was partially or totally wiped out.
  14. On September 12, Apple introduced the iPhone 5.
  15. On September 21, Apple iPhone 5 went on sale.
  16. In October, Facebook announced that it had one billion active users.
  17. In October, YouTube broke an Internet record when eight million “concurrent viewers” watched the famous Felix Baumgartner video.
  18. On October 23, Apple introduced the iPad mini.
  19. In November, Google's Gmail became the world's most popular email service.
  20. In December, Google began selling $99 laptops.

7. Nobel Prize Winners

These history facts have been made available courtesy of InfoPlease.com.

  1. Peace: The European Union (EU), which for "over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe."
  2. Physics: One-half to David J. Wineland (France) and one-half jointly to David J. Wineland (U.S.) and Adam G. Riess (U.S.) for "ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems."
  3. Physiology or Medicine: One-half jointly to Sir John B. Gurdon (UK) and Shinya Yamanaka (Japan) for "the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent."
  4. Chemistry: Jointly to Robert J. Lefkowitz (U.S.) and Brian K. Kobilka (U.S.) for "studies of G-protein-coupled receptors."
  5. Literature: Mo Yan (China) "who with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary."
  6. Economics: Jointly to Alvin E. Roth and Lloyd S. Shapley (both from the U.S.) for "the theory of stable allocations and the practice of market design."

8. Most Popular Television Shows From 2012-13

This information has been made available courtesy of Deadline.com. Please note that these rankings are from adults 18-49.

  1. NBC Sunday Night Football (NBC)
  2. Big Bang Theory (CBS)
  3. The Voice (NBC)
  4. Modern Family (ABC)
  5. The Voice (NBC) (Tuesday)
  6. American Idol (Fox) (Wednesday)
  7. American Idol (Fox) (Thursday)
  8. The Following (Fox)
  9. Two & A Half Men (CBS)
  10. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
In 2012, Wendy’s was America’s number two hamburger chain.

In 2012, Wendy’s was America’s number two hamburger chain.

9. Bestselling Books: Amazon Print Top 10

This book trivia has been made available courtesy of PublishersWeekly.com.

  1. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James (Vintage)
  2. Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James (Vintage)
  3. Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James (Vintage)
  4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
  5. StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath (Gallup Press)
  6. Fifty Shades Trilogy Box Set by E.L. James (Vintage)
  7. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
  8. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
  9. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books)
  10. No Easy Day by Mark Owen (Dutton)

10. Bestselling Books: Nielsen Bookscan Top 10

These facts have been made available courtesy of PublishersWeekly.com.

  1. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James (Vintage)
  2. Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James (Vintage)
  3. Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James (Vintage)
  4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
  5. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
  6. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
  7. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books)
  8. No Easy Day by Mark Owen (Dutton)
  9. Killing Kennedy by Bill O’Reilly (Henry Holt)
  10. Fifty Shades Trilogy Box Set by E.L. James (Vintage)

11. Bestselling Books: Amazon Kindle Top 10

This book news has been made available courtesy of PublishersWeekly.com.

  1. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James (Vintage)
  2. Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James (Vintage)
  3. Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James (Vintage)
  4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
  5. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
  6. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
  7. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (Crown)
  8. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
  9. Bared to You by Sylvia Day (Berkeley)
  10. The Racketeer by John Grisham (Doubleday)
In 2012, Google launched Google Play.

In 2012, Google launched Google Play.

12. Highest-Grossing Films

This movie trivia has been made available courtesy of BoxOfficeMojo.com.

  1. The Avengers
  2. The Dark Knight Rises
  3. The Hunger Games
  4. Skyfall
  5. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
  6. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
  7. The Amazing Spider-Man
  8. Brave
  9. Ted
  10. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

13. Academy Award Winners

This film news has been made available courtesy of BoxOfficeMojo.com.

  1. Best Picture: Argo
  2. Best Director: Ang Lee (Life of Pi)
  3. Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)
  4. Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)
  5. Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)
  6. Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)
  7. Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)
  8. Best Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio (Argo)
  9. Best Editing: Argo
  10. Best Cinematography: Life of Pi
  11. Best Art Direction: Lincoln
  12. Best Costume Design: Focus Features (Anna Karenina)
  13. Best Makeup: Universal (Les Miserables)
  14. Best Visual Effects: Fox (Life of Pi)
  15. Best Sound: Universal (Les Miserables)
  16. Best Sound Editing: Sony/Columbia (Skyfall)
  17. Best Original Score: Mychael Danna (Life of Pi)
  18. Best Original Song: Skyfall
  19. Best Animated Feature: Brave
  20. Best Foreign Language Picture: Amour
  21. Best Documentary - Feature: Searching for Sugar Man
  22. Best Documentary - Short Subject: Inocente
  23. Best Animated Short: Paperman
  24. Best Live Action Short: Curfew

14. Entries Into the National Film Registry

This film trivia has been made available courtesy of the Library of Congress.

  1. 3:10 to Yuma (1957)
  2. A Christmas Story (1983)
  3. A League of Their Own (1992)
  4. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
  5. Born Yesterday (1950)
  6. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
  7. Corbett-Fitzsimmons Title Fight (1897)
  8. Dirty Harry (1971)
  9. Hours for Jerome: Parts 1 and 2 (1980-82)
  10. Kidnapper’s Foil (1930s)
  11. One Survivor Remembers (1995)
  12. Parable (1964)
  13. Samsara: Death and Rebirth in Cambodia (1990)
  14. Slacker (1991)
  15. Sons of the Desert (1933)
  16. The Augustas (1930s/1950s)
  17. The Matrix (1999)
  18. The Middleton Family at the New York World’s Fair (1939)
  19. The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973)
  20. The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)
  21. The Wishing Ring: an Idyll of Old England (1914)
  22. They Call It Pro Football (1966)
  23. Two-Color Kodachrome Test Shots No. III (1922)
  24. Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)
  25. Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1914)
In 2012, “The Avengers” was the highest-grossing film.

In 2012, “The Avengers” was the highest-grossing film.

15. Cool Pop Music Artists

These fun facts and trivia from 2012 have been made available courtesy of Pop-Culture.us.

Adam Lambert, Adele, Alicia Keys, Bruno Mars, Calvin Harris, Carly Rae Jepsen, Carrie Underwood, Flo Rida, fun., Imagine Dragons, John Mayer, Justin Bieber, Kelly Clarkson, Kesha, LMFAO, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Maroon 5, Mumford & Sons, Nicki Minaj, One Direction, PSY, Pink, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Train, Usher, and Zac Brown Band.

16. Number One Music Hits for the Year

This pop culture news has been made available courtesy of Pop-Culture.us.

  • November 12, 2011 - January 6, 2012: Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris, We Found Love
  • January 7 - February 3: LMFAO, Sexy and I Know It
  • February 4 - February 17: Adele, Set Fire to the Rain
  • February 18 - March 2: Kelly Clarkson, Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)
  • March 3 - March 16: Katy Perry, Part of Me
  • March 17 - April 27: Fun featuring Janelle Monáe, We Are Young
  • April 28 - June 22: Gotye featuring Kimbra, Somebody That I Used to Know
  • June 23 - August 24: Carly Rae Jepsen, Call Me Maybe
  • August 25 - August 31: Flo Rida, Whistle
  • September 1 - September 28: Taylor Swift, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
  • September 29 - November 30: Maroon 5, One More Night
  • December 1 - December 21: Rihanna, Diamonds
  • December 22, 2012 - February 1, 2013: Bruno Mars, Locked Out of Heaven

17. Grammy Award Winners

This trivia has been made available courtesy of Grammy.com.

  1. Record of the Year: Somebody That I Used To Know
  2. Song of the Year: We Are Young
  3. Album of the Year: Babel
  4. Best New Artist: Fun
  5. Best Pop Solo Performance: Set Fire To The Rain (Live)
  6. Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Somebody That I Used To Know
  7. Best Pop Instrumental Album: Impressions
  8. Best Pop Vocal Album: Stronger
  9. Best Dance Recording: Bangarang
  10. Best Dance/Electronica Album: Bangarang
  11. Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Kisses on the Bottom
  12. Best Rock Performance: Lonely Boy
  13. Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance: Love Bites (So Do I)
  14. Best Rock Song: Lonely Boy
  15. Best Rock Album: El Camino
  16. Best Alternative Music Album: Making Mirrors
  17. Best R&B Performance: Climax
  18. Best Traditional R&B Performance: Love On Top
  19. Best R&B Song: Adorn
  20. Best Urban Contemporary Album: Channel Orange
  21. Best R&B Album: Black Radio
  22. Best Rap Performance: N----s in Paris
  23. Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: No Church In The Wild
  24. Best Rap Song: N----s in Paris
  25. Best Rap Album: Take Care
  26. Best Country Solo Performance: Blown Away
  27. Best Country Duo/Group Performance: Pontoon
  28. Best Country Song: Blown Away
  29. Best Country Album: Uncaged
  30. Best New Age Album: Echoes of Love
  31. Best Improvised Jazz Solo: Hot House
  32. Best Jazz Vocal Album: Radio Music Society
  33. Best Jazz Instrumental Album: Unity Band
  34. Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: Dear Diz
  35. Best Latin Jazz Album: ¡Ritmo!
  36. Best Gospel Song: Go Get It
  37. Best Gospel Album: Gravity
  38. Best Latin Pop Album: MTV Unplugged Deluxe Edition
  39. Best Tropical Latin Album: Retro
  40. Best Americana Album: Slipstream
In 2012, Peruvian cuisine was all the rage.

In 2012, Peruvian cuisine was all the rage.

18. Food and Beverage Trivia

Here are some popular foods and beverages from 2012:

  1. Bison - From Denver to Chicago, this lean and low-cholesterol meat was used in everything from meatballs to meatloaf.
  2. Gluten-free diets
  3. Gourmet tacos
  4. French dips
  5. The fall of food trucks
  6. Pretzels
  7. Rabbit and goat
  8. Mismatched dishes - HuffingtonPost.com explains that more and more restaurants started using “quirky, mismatched sets of dishes,” to offset the cost of replacing “entire sets of pristine china if just a couple items break when they're using matchy-matchy plates.”
  9. Kid foods for grownups - Examples include bacon-flavored caramel corn, grown-up sloppy Joes, and PoPs, a riff on Pop-Tarts.
  10. Locally grown produce
  11. Natural and organic wines
  12. Non-bacon - Forbes.com tells us that “chefs are crisping up cracklings from a menagerie of other animals: chicken (the fried skins are called gribenes in traditional Yiddish cooking), duck, salmon, lamb, Mexican-style chicharrón (crisped pork fat), [and] even scallops.”
  13. Peruvian cuisine
  14. Seaweed
  15. Water purified and bottled on site

19. Famous People Who Died in 2012

This celebrity news been made available courtesy of FiftiesWeb.com.

  1. Andy Griffith: Actor/director/producer/singer
  2. Andy Williams: Singer/entertainer
  3. Arlen Specter: Politician
  4. Art Ginsburg: Writer/chef
  5. Ben Gazzara: Actor
  6. Dick Clark: Radio and television personality
  7. Don Grady: Actor
  8. Donna Summer: Singer/songwriter
  9. Doris Singleton: Actress/singer
  10. Earl Scruggs: Musician/banjo player
  11. Ernest Borgnine: Actor
  12. Etta James: Singer
  13. Frank Wilson: Songwriter/producer
  14. Gary Collins: Actor
  15. George Lindsay: Actor
  16. George McGovern: Politician
  17. Gore Vidal: Author/playwright/activist
  18. Jack Klugman: Actor
  19. Joe Paterno: College football coach
  20. John Fairfax: Adventurer
  21. Mike Wallace: Journalist
  22. Neil Armstrong: Astronaut
  23. Phyllis Diller: Television personality
  24. Richard Dawson: Actor
  25. Whitney Houston: Singer/actress

20. America’s Largest Companies

This information has been made available courtesy of Education.HowtheMarketWorks.com.

  1. Exxon Mobil
  2. Walmart
  3. Chevron
  4. ConocoPhillips
  5. General Motors
  6. General Electric
  7. Berkshire Hathaway
  8. Fannie Mae
  9. Ford Motor
  10. Hewlett-Packard
In 2012, “Modern Family” won a Golden Globe for “best TV comedy.”

In 2012, “Modern Family” won a Golden Globe for “best TV comedy.”

References

© 2018 Gregory DeVictor

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