Well, so far that is…
Like a Christmas gift come early, the global press agency AFP has released their selection of the best photographs of 2012 despite typically doing so in mid-December and it is an action and emotion packed bunch. What didn’t happen this year? Environmental catastrophes, fallen governments, ongoing violence, major presidential elections, the incredible summer Olympics…I mean the Queen parachuted into Olympic Park! Or her stunt double, whatever. 2012 had a little bit of everything and the photographs that accompany the events are fantastic; heart wrenching at times, gloriously affirmative at others, they serve to remind us of everything that went down these past 11 months. It’s crazy realizing it’s already that time of year where we look back, evaluate and think to a new, better future. New Years is fast approaching which means getting your life in check, rethinking your priorities and firmly affixing yourself to whatever path you may be traveling. Like looking at the images below, looking back at this past year of your life can be a wonderful thing, but can also get pretty heavy. We’ve selected our favorites from the list compiled by the Daily Mail, where you can go to see more.
And if this gets you in a nostalgic mood, head over to the blog we did last year around this time recapping some of the best photos of 2011.
“An ecstatic Mohamed Farah celebrates winning his second gold as the Olympic Park roars to life at the men’s 5000m final on August 11. The British runner became only the seventh man to complete a double victory in the 5,000m and 10,000m races at the same Games, earning his place among the finest runners of his generation”
“China’s Zheng Tao celebrates breaking the world record after winning the men’s 100m backstroke S6 swimming event during the Paralympic Games. The 21-year-old swims using only the power of his legs, and he took gold in a record time of 1:13.56″
“An actor dressed to resemble the Queen parachutes into the stadium during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, the culmination of a short film that featured Daniel Craig, in his role as James Bond, escorting the Queen to the venue in time for the opening of the Games – and even the royal corgis made a cameo appearance”
“Jumping for joy: Serena Williams celebrates her win after the women’s singles final on day 12 of the 2012 Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament. The victory over Agnieszka Radwanska was her fifth overall Wimbledon title, the same number as sister Venus. The pair later partnered up to take the women’s doubles title”
“Singer Adele poses with her six trophies at the 54th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in February. The singer bagged wins in of the most prestigious categories, including record, album and song of the year, and later topped off 2012 by singing the theme to new Bond movie Skyfall”
“South Korean popstar Psy performs for fans in central Sydney in October. The video for his song Gangnam Style went viral this year, and overtook Justin Bieber’s Baby to become the most-watched in YouTube history with over 820 million views since it was released in July. By the end of October, the song had hit the top spot in 30 countries”
“Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi addresses supporters during an electoral campaign rally in March. The Nobel laureate was standing for a seat in for the first time, after being detained under house arrest for almost 15 of the last 21 years. Her party went on to win 43 of the 45 vacant seats in the lower house of parliament”
“First Lady Michelle Obama and US President Barack Obama hug after delivering remarks during a campaign event in Iowa last August. The photo later made social media history when it was posted on the presidential Twitter account after he won the election – it quickly became the most-shared image since the site began”
“US President Barack Obama is picked up in a bear-hug by overly enthusiastic supporter Scott Van Duzer, owner of Big Apple Pizza and Pasta Italian Restaurant, during a visit to the restaurant in Fort Pierce, Florida, last September on the second day of a two-day bus tour across the state.”
“Supporters listen to US Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney during a rally at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Marion, Ohio, last October. The all-important swing state was eventually eventually called for the Democrats and Obama, essentially winning the President the election”
[ed. note: we absolutely love the Christ implication of the image considering how much religion came into play within Mitt's campaign.]
“President Obama, right, and Mitt Romney, left, during the second presidential debate in October. After losing the first debate, the president had to come out swinging in the second townhall debate in New York. Over the 90-minute contest, the new-and-improved president just about edged victory over the Republican candidate”
“New taxi cabs in a flooded car park in New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy made landfall in October. The superstorm devastated the Northwestern United States, costing an estimated $65 billion of damage. At least 250 people were killed in seven countries along the storm’s path”
“A boy swims amongst the debris as he tries to salvage belongings from destroyed homes in Manila. The informal settler area was hit by two barges in July, when the strong winds and rains of Tropical Storm Saola hit the capital. At least one person was killed and millions were left without power when the storm struck the country”
“A man walks past an ice covered car on the frozen waterside promenade at Lake Geneva in the city of Versoix, near Geneva in Switzerland, in early February. A vicious cold snap swept across Europe in the late winter, and the associated death toll soon rose to more than 260″
“A fire ball rises over the city of Gaza as the Israeli air force carries out a raid for the fourth consecutive day in November. Medics said 40 Gazans have been killed and more than 350 wounded since Israel launched the aerial campaign on the enclave on November 14″
“Tibetan exile Jamphel Yeshi, 27, runs as he is engulfed in flames after he set himself on fire during a protest in New Delhi last march. Tibetans at the rally were protesting against an upcoming visit to India by Chinese President Hu Jintao, according to police. Self-immolation is common among Tibetans protesting against Chinese rule”
“Chandra Bahadur Dangi, a 72-year-old Nepali, the world’s shortest man at 56 centimetres in height, walks near his home in Reemkholi village in the Dang district, some 540 kilometres southwest of Kathmandu, last February. Dangi was on his way the capital city to meet Guinness World Records experts who awarded him the world title”
“A boy injured when a shell, released by regime forces, hit his house waits to be treated at a hospital in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo in August. Syrian forces had attacked areas in and around the city as Western powers sought to tighten the screws on embattled President Bashar al-Assad”
“Supporters of Antonis Samaras, leader of the Greek conservative party New Democracy, wave flags during a pre-election speech in Athens last May. Mr Samaras was elected Prime Minister of Greece in June this year as the country rebelled against strict austerity policies imposed by EU and IMF leaders”
And to end on a happy note: panda suits!
“Workers in costumes carry a box to transport giant pandas back to the wild at the Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwest China’s Sichaun province last May. The bears will be left to fend for themselves to learn crucial survival skills, and scientists plan to gradually reduce human interaction until they can live without any assistance”
What would YOU add? Share your thoughts with us!
Source:
http://miista.com/best-images-of-2012/