Past year · United States
A reelection year marked by online protest, landmark science, Hurricane Sandy and national grief
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| 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 2 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 3 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 4 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 5 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
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| 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 7 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 8 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 9 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| Wk | S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
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| 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 10 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 12 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 13 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Wk | S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
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| 14 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 15 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 17 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 18 | 29 | 30 |
| Wk | S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
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| 18 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 19 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 20 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 21 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 22 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
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| 22 | 1 | 2 | |||||
| 23 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 24 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 25 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 26 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| Wk | S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
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| 27 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 28 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 29 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 30 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 31 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
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| 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 32 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 33 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 34 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 35 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
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| 35 | 1 | ||||||
| 36 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 37 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 38 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 39 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 40 | 30 |
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| 40 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 41 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 42 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 43 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 44 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
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| 44 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 45 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 46 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 47 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 48 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
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| 48 | 1 | ||||||
| 49 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 50 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 51 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 52 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 53 | 30 | 31 |
Free printable 2012 calendars: the Year PDF fits all twelve months on one US Letter page, and the Monthly PDF gives each month its own page with holidays written in the day boxes. Both are landscape and print well on A4 with "fit to page".
2012 had 10 federal holidays. The list below also includes 32 widely observed religious, cultural and civic dates, the start of each season and the daylight saving time changes. Federal holidays are shaded red on the calendar.
Observed dates in 2012: New Year's Day fell on a Sunday, so the federal day off was Monday, January 2, 2012. Veterans Day fell on a Sunday, so the federal day off was Monday, November 12, 2012.
| Date | Holiday or observance | Type |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| 1 Sun | New Year's Day · observed Jan 2 | Federal holiday |
| 2 Mon | New Year's Day (observed) New Year's Day fell on a Sunday, so federal employees had Monday, January 2, 2012 off. | Federal holiday |
| 16 Mon | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Federal holiday |
| 23 Mon | Lunar New Year | Cultural |
| February | ||
| 2 Thu | Groundhog Day | Observance |
| 14 Tue | Valentine's Day | Observance |
| 20 Mon | Presidents' Day The official federal name is Washington's Birthday. | Federal holiday |
| 21 Tue | Mardi Gras | Cultural |
| 22 Wed | Ash Wednesday | Religious |
| March | ||
| 11 Sun | Daylight Saving Time begins Clocks move forward one hour at 2:00 a.m. local time (except Arizona and Hawaii). | Clock change |
| 17 Sat | St. Patrick's Day | Observance |
| 20 Tue | March Equinox (Spring begins) At 1:14 a.m. ET. | Season |
| April | ||
| 1 Sun | April Fools' Day | Observance |
| 6 Fri | Good Friday | Religious |
| 7 Sat | Passover (first day) Begins at sundown on Friday, April 6, 2012. | Religious |
| 8 Sun | Easter Sunday | Religious |
| 22 Sun | Earth Day | Observance |
| May | ||
| 5 Sat | Cinco de Mayo | Cultural |
| 13 Sun | Mother's Day | Observance |
| 28 Mon | Memorial Day | Federal holiday |
| June | ||
| 14 Thu | Flag Day | Observance |
| 17 Sun | Father's Day | Observance |
| 19 Tue | Juneteenth Recognized by many states at the time. It became a federal holiday in 2021. | Observance |
| 20 Wed | June Solstice (Summer begins) At 7:08 p.m. ET. | Season |
| July | ||
| 4 Wed | Independence Day | Federal holiday |
| 20 Fri | Ramadan begins Date follows the Umm al-Qura calculation. Many US communities rely on moon sighting, so the day observed can differ by one day. | Religious |
| August | ||
| 19 Sun | Eid al-Fitr Date follows the Umm al-Qura calculation. Many US communities rely on moon sighting, so the day observed can differ by one day. | Religious |
| September | ||
| 3 Mon | Labor Day | Federal holiday |
| 9 Sun | National Grandparents Day | Observance |
| 11 Tue | Patriot Day | Observance |
| 17 Mon | Rosh Hashanah Begins at sundown on Sunday, September 16, 2012. | Religious |
| 22 Sat | September Equinox (Fall begins) At 10:49 a.m. ET. | Season |
| 26 Wed | Yom Kippur Begins at sundown on Tuesday, September 25, 2012. | Religious |
| October | ||
| 8 Mon | Columbus Day Many states and cities observe Indigenous Peoples' Day on this date. | Federal holiday |
| 26 Fri | Eid al-Adha Date follows the Umm al-Qura calculation. Many US communities rely on moon sighting, so the day observed can differ by one day. | Religious |
| 31 Wed | Halloween | Observance |
| November | ||
| 4 Sun | Daylight Saving Time ends Clocks move back one hour at 2:00 a.m. local time. | Clock change |
| 6 Tue | Election Day (Presidential) | Observance |
| 11 Sun | Veterans Day · observed Nov 12 | Federal holiday |
| 12 Mon | Veterans Day (observed) Veterans Day fell on a Sunday, so federal employees had Monday, November 12, 2012 off. | Federal holiday |
| 22 Thu | Thanksgiving Day | Federal holiday |
| 23 Fri | Black Friday | Observance |
| December | ||
| 9 Sun | Hanukkah (first day) Begins at sundown on Saturday, December 8, 2012. | Religious |
| 21 Fri | December Solstice (Winter begins) At 6:11 a.m. ET. | Season |
| 24 Mon | Christmas Eve | Observance |
| 25 Tue | Christmas Day | Federal holiday |
| 26 Wed | Kwanzaa begins | Cultural |
| 31 Mon | New Year's Eve | Observance |
History
The 2012 presidential race unfolded alongside a slow economic recovery and a major Supreme Court decision. On June 28, the Court upheld most of the Affordable Care Act, treating its individual insurance requirement as a valid exercise of Congress's taxing power while limiting the planned Medicaid expansion. President Barack Obama defeated former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney on November 6, winning 332 electoral votes and a second term. Democrats kept the Senate, and Republicans retained the House.
Technology, science and public participation repeatedly crossed paths. Thousands of websites darkened or altered their pages on January 18 to oppose the SOPA and PIPA copyright bills, helping stop legislation critics believed could damage the open internet. SpaceX's Dragon became the first commercial spacecraft to visit the International Space Station in May. CERN researchers announced a particle consistent with the Higgs boson in July, and NASA's Curiosity rover landed on Mars in August using an elaborate rocket-powered sky crane.
The year's final months carried severe loss. Hurricane Sandy struck the Northeast on October 29, flooding New York and New Jersey communities, cutting power to millions and causing tens of billions of dollars in damage. On December 14, a gunman killed twenty children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, after killing his mother. The attack renewed a national debate over gun laws, school safety and mental health while families and the community faced an enduring absence.
Wikipedia, Reddit and thousands of other sites went dark or posted protest messages against two proposed online-piracy bills. The action generated millions of contacts with Congress, and legislative leaders postponed votes on SOPA and PIPA two days later.
Read the full storySinger and actor Whitney Houston died at the Beverly Hilton hotel on the eve of the Grammy Awards. Her extraordinary vocal career included eleven Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles and a leading role in The Bodyguard.
Neighborhood-watch volunteer George Zimmerman shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in a gated community. Delayed charges and Zimmerman's later acquittal prompted nationwide protests and helped inspire the Black Lives Matter movement.
Marvel's The Avengers brought Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye together in a shared-screen story. Its enormous box-office success validated Marvel Studios' connected-film strategy and influenced Hollywood franchise planning.
Astronauts used the station's robotic arm to capture SpaceX's Dragon capsule, the first commercial spacecraft to visit the orbiting laboratory. The demonstration cleared the way for regular privately operated cargo missions under a NASA contract.
In National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, the Supreme Court upheld the individual coverage provision as a tax but ruled that Congress could not coerce states by threatening all existing Medicaid funding if they declined expansion.
Read the full storyScientists from the ATLAS and CMS experiments announced evidence for a new particle near 125 gigaelectronvolts, consistent with the long-predicted Higgs boson. Further measurements confirmed its expected properties, and the discovery led to the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Read the full storyThe Games of the XXX Olympiad opened in London with a ceremony directed by Danny Boyle. The United States led the medal table with 104 total medals and 48 golds, while Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympian in history.
The Mars Science Laboratory delivered Curiosity to Gale Crater using a heat shield, parachute and rocket-powered sky crane. The car-size rover began investigating whether ancient Mars had environmental conditions capable of supporting microbial life.
Read the full storySandy came ashore near Atlantic City after growing into an enormous post-tropical cyclone. Storm surge flooded coastal New York and New Jersey, the power failed for millions and the disaster caused more than $70 billion in US damage.
Read the full storyPresident Obama defeated Republican nominee Mitt Romney, winning 332 electoral votes to Romney's 206. Obama also won a popular-vote majority, while Democrats retained the Senate and Republicans held the House.
A gunman killed 20 first-grade children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, after killing his mother at home. Police identified the victims publicly the next day as the community began mourning.
Gold dots on the calendar above mark these dates. Articles are researched from primary and authoritative sources listed on each page.
At a glance
Quick facts about 2012 — from key dates and calendar statistics to major events and achievements.
Important dates in 2012
Water Dragon
Notable winners and milestones in 2012
How many of each weekday 2012 had.
How many of each weekday 2012 had. A common year has 52 of every weekday plus one extra—the weekday it starts on; a leap year gets two extras.
Sky calendar
All times are US Eastern Time, calculated with standard astronomical algorithms (Meeus). Dates can differ by a day in other time zones.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
1:14 a.m. ET
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
7:08 p.m. ET
Saturday, September 22, 2012
10:49 a.m. ET
Friday, December 21, 2012
6:11 a.m. ET
Sunday, March 11, 2012. Clocks move forward one hour at 2:00 a.m. local time (except Arizona and Hawaii).
Clock changeSunday, November 4, 2012. Clocks move back one hour at 2:00 a.m. local time.
| Month | New Moon | First Quarter | Full Moon | Last Quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23 2:39 a.m. | 1 1:14 a.m. 30 11:09 p.m. | 9 2:30 a.m. | 16 4:08 a.m. |
| February | 21 5:34 p.m. | 29 8:21 p.m. | 7 4:53 p.m. | 14 12:03 p.m. |
| March | 22 10:37 a.m. | 30 3:41 p.m. | 8 4:39 a.m. | 14 9:25 p.m. |
| April | 21 3:18 a.m. | 29 5:57 a.m. | 6 3:18 p.m. | 13 6:49 a.m. |
| May | 20 7:47 p.m. | 28 4:15 p.m. | 5 11:35 p.m. | 12 5:46 p.m. |
| June | 19 11:02 a.m. | 26 11:29 p.m. | 4 7:11 a.m. | 11 6:40 a.m. |
| July | 19 12:24 a.m. | 26 4:56 a.m. | 3 2:51 p.m. | 10 9:47 p.m. |
| August | 17 11:54 a.m. | 24 9:54 a.m. | 1 11:27 p.m. 31 9:58 a.m.Blue Moon | 9 2:55 p.m. |
| September | 15 10:10 p.m. | 22 3:41 p.m. | 29 11:18 p.m. | 8 9:15 a.m. |
| October | 15 8:02 a.m. | 21 11:31 p.m. | 29 3:49 p.m. | 8 3:33 a.m. |
| November | 13 5:08 p.m. | 20 9:30 a.m. | 28 9:46 a.m. | 6 7:35 p.m. |
| December | 13 3:41 a.m. | 20 12:19 a.m. | 28 5:21 a.m. | 6 10:31 a.m. |
Reuse your calendar
Every year that starts on a Sunday and is a leap year has exactly the same dates and weekdays as 2012. That means a printed 2012 calendar works again in 2040, 2068, 2096.Holidays tied to the moon, such as Easter, will still move.
Why calendars repeatFAQ
2012 started on a Sunday (January 1, 2012) and ended on a Monday (December 31, 2012). It had 366 days, 52 ISO weeks and 251 working days once federal holidays are excluded.
Yes. 2012 was a leap year with 366 days, so February had 29 days. A year is a leap year when it is divisible by 4, except century years, which must also be divisible by 400. See leap years explained.
1956, 1984, 2040, 2068, 2096 share the exact same calendar as 2012: they start on a Sunday and are leap years. A 2012 calendar can be reused in 2040, 2068, 2096. Use the same calendar year finder for any other year.
Thanksgiving Day 2012 was on Thursday, November 22, 2012. Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday in November, so it can fall between November 22 and November 28. Read more about Thanksgiving.
Easter Sunday 2012 was on Sunday, April 8, 2012, with Good Friday on Friday, April 6, 2012. Western Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25. See how the date of Easter is calculated.
2012 is the Year of the Water Dragon, which began with Lunar New Year on Monday, January 23, 2012. Anyone born between January 1 and January 22, 2012 belongs to the previous zodiac year, the Metal Rabbit.
Barack Obama (Democratic) was the 44th president throughout 2012, with Joe Biden as vice president.
There were 10 federal holidays in 2012. When a holiday lands on a Saturday, federal employees get the Friday before off; a Sunday holiday moves to Monday. See how federal holidays work.