NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft entered interstellar space, becoming the first artificial object to do so.
Both Russia and Vanuatu joined the World Trade Organization raising the total number of members to 157.
England was defeated by South Africa, who became top of the world Test cricket rank.
Julian Assange, who founded WikiLeaks, was given political asylum by Ecuador.
Flooding in Manila, Philippines, claimed the lives of at least 72 people, and 850,000 others were forced to leave their homes.
Flammable vapor caught fire at the Chevron Refinery in Richmond, California.
Mount Tongariro in New Zealand erupted for the first time in 115 years.
NASA's Curiosity rover landed on Mars' Aeolis Palus plain.
Female rowing duo Heather Stanning & Helen Glover claimed Team GB's first Olympic medal at the London Olympics.
Michael Phelps broke the world record for the most medals won at the Olympics.
Queen Elizabeth II of England declared the 30th Olympics opened in London, UK.
The first US woman in space, Sally Ride, died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 61.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was named marshal, placing him at the highest rank in the military.
Ice Age: Continental Drift premiered in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
SpaceX's Dragon became the first commercial spacecraft to dock at the International Space Station.
The world's tallest tower and Japan's biggest new landmark, the Tokyo Skytree, opened to the public.
The brand-new Sukhoi Superjet 100 plane crashes.
President Barack Obama officially declared his support of same-sex marriage.
The trial of Anders Behring Breivik begins in Oslo.
The Avengers premiered in Los Angeles, California, US.
Apple Inc became the largest company in the world.
James Cameron dove into the deepest point of the Marianas Trench, Challenger Deep.
Wendy's became the world's second best-selling hamburger chain, overtaking Burger King.
Wayne Rooney apologized to a 9-year-old fan after accidentally breaking his wrist.
George Clooney and Martin Luther King III were arrested at the Sudanese Embassy in Washington, DC.
The dystopian science fiction-adventure movie 'The Hunger Games' premiered in Los Angeles.
The hashtag #5secondsofsummer trended worldwide for the first time on Twitter.
A tropical storm named Irina on the island of Madagascar killed 65 people.
The world's tallest tower is completed.
The largest prehistoric penguin was discovered.
Thieves stole up to 68 Olympic artifacts from a museum in Greece.
The European Space Agency successfully launched the Vega launch rocket for the first time.
The cruise ship Costa Concordia sinks, killing 32.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z welcomed their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, into the world.
NASA successfully put two satellites designed to study the Moon's interior structure into the Moon's orbit.
No December 30 in Samoa and Tokelau.
Former French President Jacques Chirac was convicted of diverting public funds and received a two-year suspended prison sentence.
NASA launched the Mars Science Laboratory probe, which carried the Curiosity Rover to Mars.
After two and a half years of Alpha and Beta development, the full version of Minecraft was released.
Ubisoft released Rayman Origins worldwide for PlayStation 3, PC, and Xbox 360.
The much-anticipated Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was released for PC, PS4, and Xbox 360.
Asteroid 2005 YU55 came dangerously close to hitting the Earth.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) stated that the world's population had reached seven billion.
American romantic fantasy movie 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part I' premiered at the Rome Film Festival.
NTC forces killed Muammar Gaddafi and his son after the Battle of Sirte.
Rocksteady Games released the grittiest Batman game to date, Batman: Arkham City.
The world's largest Legoland theme park opened in Winter Haven, Florida.
Dark Souls, the second Souls game after Demon's Souls, was released for PS3 and Xbox 360 in North America.
American spy thriller TV series 'Homeland' first aired on Showtime.
The US military policy 'don't ask, don't tell' came to an end.
