“Zombie” outbreak in Miami
May 26
Miami native Rudy Eugene was fatally shot by police after being found eating the face of another man on the MacArthur Causeway in Miami, Fla. It was believed that bath salts were the cause of Eugene’s unusual behavior; however, toxicology reports ruled them out.
Freeh Report implicates Penn State officials
July 12
Former FBI Director Louis Freeh released a report stating that top officials at the Pennsylvania State University did deliberately try and conceal information regarding former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky’s sexual abuse scandal. 20 days earlier, Sandusky was found guilty on 45 of 48 counts against him.
“God particle” believed to be discovered
July 4
Scientists working with the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) have discovered what they believe to be the Higgs boson, also known as the “God particle,” in a lab in the Alps by the border of Switzerland and France. The Higgs boson is essential to understanding how life forms in the Universe exist.
Olympic Games begin
July 25, July 27
The 2012 Summer Olympics opened with women’s soccer beginning on July 25 and the Opening Ceremony taking place at Olympic Stadium in London on July 27.
70 casualties in Colorado shooting spree
July 20
12 people were killed and 58 injured at a screening of film The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colo. Gunman James Eagan Holmes conducted the massacre with a shotgun, assault rifle and handgun, as well as wearing a gas mask and bulletproof equipment.
10 casualties in Sikh temple shooting
Aug. 5
Six people were killed and four wounded after a shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis. The gunman, Wade Michael Page, wounded four people including a police officer and killed five others before turning the gun on himself.
Chick-fil-A breaks sales records in wake of controversy
Aug. 1
Restaurant chain Chick-fil-A experienced record sales on a day known as “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day,” a movement spawned by former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. Huckabee’s initiative followed in the wake of boycotts of the restaurant after CEO Dan Cathy made controversial remarks about his stance on gay marriage.
Ryan named as VP candidate
Aug. 11
Presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney selected Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan to be his running mate for the 2012 Election in Norfolk, Va. Ryan’s selection would make him the first vice-presidential candidate from the state of Wisconsin.
July becomes hottest month on record
Aug. 8
Meteorologists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stated that July 2012 was the hottest month the United States had experienced since records were first kept in 1895.
Romney officially named Republican candidate
Aug. 28
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney was nominated as the official candidate for the Republican party at the National Republican Convention in Tampa, Fla. This comes approximately 14 months after Romney declared his bid for the presidential race.
