2012 in England explained

Events from 2012 in England

Events

January

• 3 January – After a trial based on new forensic evidence, two men are convicted of the racist murder of black London teenager Stephen Lawrence, 18 years after the attack.^[1]
• 23 January – John Anslow, a prisoner charged with murder following a fatal shooting in 2010 escapes from the van transporting him to a court appearance following an armed ambush near Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.^[2]
• 26 January – The death rate from heart attacks in England has halved in the last decade, says an Oxford University study.^[3]

February

• 8 February – England football manager Fabio Capello announces his immediate resignation from the role after four years in charge.^[4]
• 14 February – Thirteen-year-old Casey-Lyanne Kearney stabbed to death in a park in Doncaster.^[5]

March

• 40 people die in car crash.

April

• 4 April – As many as 50,000 homes in northern England are hit by a power blackout after heavy winds, snow and ice bring down electricity cables.^[6]
• 6 April – A ban on the display of tobacco products by retailers comes into force in England in a bid to reduce the number of young people taking up smoking.^[7]

May

• 3 May – Local elections held in England.
• 4 May
  • Local elections result in Labour making gains and winning the largest number of councillors in contested seats in England.^[8]
  • Boris Johnson is re-elected as Mayor of London with 51.5% of the vote.^[9] Ken Livingstone subsequently says it would be his "last election".^[10] In the London Assembly, Labour becomes the party with the greatest number of seats, with minor losses for the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. The British National Party loses their only seat. Of 25 seats, the final tally stands at: Labour 12, Conservatives 9, Liberal Democrats 2, Green 2.^[11]
• 11 May – Five children die in the Allenton house fire, a sixth later dies in hospital. The parents of the children are later charged with their murders.^[12]

June

• 6 June – Bristol woman Claire Holland disappears from a pub in Bristol city centre.^[13]
• 24 June – England lose by a penalty shoot-out in the Euro 2012 tournament, with former West Ham player Alessandro Diamanti converting from the spot at the Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex in Kyiv to take Italy through to the semi-final against Germany.^[14]

July

• 5 July – The Shard, the tallest building in Europe and the tallest habitable free-standing structure in the UK at 309.6 metres (1,016 ft), is officially opened.^{[15] [16]}
• 27 July – London hosts the 2012 Summer Olympics, beginning with an opening ceremony, and making it the first city to host the Games for a third time. The closing ceremony is on 12 August.

Deaths

• 4 February – Florence Green, supercentenarian and last-surviving World War I service veteran (b. 1901)^[17]
• 5 February – Ray Honeyford, 77, headmaster and writer (b. 1934)^[18]

See also

• 2012 in Northern Ireland
• 2012 in Scotland
• 2012 in Wales

Notes and References

1. News: Stephen Lawrence murder: Dobson and Norris guilty. BBC. BBC News. 3 January 2012. 3 January 2012.
2. News: Prisoner escapes after van ambush in Worcestershire . BBC News . BBC . 23 January 2012 . 24 January 2012.
3. News: Heart attacks deaths halved in the last decade, experts say . BBC News . BBC . 26 January 2012 . 26 January 2012.
4. News: Fabio Capello quits as England manager . BBC News . BBC . 8 February 2012 . 10 February 2012.
5. News: Casey-Lyanne Kearney stabbing: Inquest opens . BBC News . 21 February 2012.
6. News: Gales cause power cuts to thousands of homes . BBC News . BBC . 4 April 2012. 6 April 2012.
7. News: Triggle . Nick . Tobacco display ban "to curb young smokers" . BBC News . Bbc.co.uk . 6 April 2012 . 6 April 2012.
8. News: Vote 2012: English Council Results . BBC . BBC News . 18 May 2012.
9. News: Louise . Stewart . David Cameron hails Boris Johnson's London mayoral win . BBC News . BBC . 5 May 2012 . 18 May 2012.
10. News: Ken Livingstone: End of the road for political heavyweight . BBC News . BBC . 5 May 2012 . 18 May 2012.
11. News: Vote 2012:London Assembly Results . BBC . BBC News . 18 May 2012.
12. Web site: Derby fire deaths: Mick and Mairead Philpott charged. BBC News Online. 30 May 2012. 30 May 2012.
13. Web site: 2022-08-03 . Man charged with murder of woman missing for decade . 2023-04-15 . The Independent . en.
14. News: Euro 2012 quarter-final: England v Italy . BBC Sport . BBC . 24 June 2012 . 4 July 2012.
15. Web site: Prince Andrew and Qatari prime minister to open Shard on 5 July. LondonSE1. 30 April 2012. 5 July 2012.
16. News: Qatar's Shard the tallest building in Europe now . . 3 January 2012 . 5 July 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120103121939/http://gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=478894&version=1&template_id=57&parent_id=56 . 3 January 2012.
17. Web site: 'Last' WWI service veteran dies. BBC News. 9 October 2017. 7 February 2012.
18. News: Staff. English headmaster and writer Ray Honeyford dead. The Telegraph. 8 February 2012. 5 July 2012. London.