Deaths on December 18

Mustafa Ould Salek, Mauritanian colonel and politician, President of Mauritania (b. 1936)

Col. Mustafa Ould Salek (Arabic: المصطفى ولد محمد السالك; ‎ 1936 – 18 December 2012) was the President of Mauritania from 1978 through 1979.

13 Jan

Costa Concordia disaster
The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia sinks off the coast of Italy due to the captain's negligence and irresponsibility. There are 32 confirmed deaths.
2 Jun

2011 Egyptian revolution
Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the killing of demonstrators during the 2011 Egyptian revolution.
19 Jun

Julian Assange
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange requested asylum in London's Ecuadorian Embassy for fear of extradition to the US after publication of previously classified documents including footage of civilian killings by the US army.
11 Sep

2012 Benghazi attack
The U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya is attacked, resulting in four deaths.
23 Oct

Digital switchover
After 38 years, the world's first teletext service (BBC's Ceefax) ceases broadcast due to Northern Ireland completing the digital switchover.