A quick look back at the big news in 2012 (for us Yanks, anyway)

We're already two weeks into 2013 and it's shaping up to be a good year. 

For one, the world - shocker - did not in fact end on December 21, 2012. All this promise of rapture and end times in 2012 (not least of which being the possible election of Mittens and his Binders Full of Women), I can't help but feel like we partied like it was Y2K. 

Nevermind, onward to 2013 and all the conspiracy theories and controversies this year will hold in store for us. In the States, at least, it seems guns and mental illness will be taking center stage for at least the first part of the year. 

But before we let 2012 disappear into the folds of the Mayan-sanctioned past, let's take a small look at some of the stories that were big on this side of the pond last year. 

The horrific Batman premiere cinema shooting in Aurora, Colorado

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes divorce

Kristen Stewart cheats on Robert Pattinson (scandalous!)

Lance Armstrong loses his titles

Chick-Fil-A more publicly pits itself against gay marriage and blows up social media with everyone taking sides to either boycott or support the fast food restaurant

Gangnam Style and its 40,000 take-offs annoys everyone

Mitt Romney has Binders Full of Women

According to one politician, a woman's body has ways of fending off pregnancy from "Legitimate Rapes"

Obama wins re-election

The Olympics rocks the house in London

Whitney Houston dies

Michael Clarke Duncan from the Green Mile dies

Honey Boo Boo emerges as Yet Another Embarrassing Way to illustrate the state of America

Superstorm Sandy rocks the East Coast, darkening even the streets of Manhattan

The cruiseliner Costa Concordia half-sinks, killing more than 30 passengers

Felix Baumgartner becomes a household name for a day as he jumps from the stratosphere and the jump streams live on YouTube to 8 million viewers

Trayvon Martin, an African-American youth, is shot and killed  inside his own gated community by a neighborhood watch captain, triggering a public outcry and controversial legal dealings

And finally, the shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children and 6 adults staff members were shot and killed in the last few weeks of the year

This is but a small sampling of the many big-headline stories that crossed the pages and airwaves of news here in the US, but before you move into the next time period, it's always good to take a look back and take at least a quick look back at where you're coming from. 

Here's to heading into a new year with new stories.