🇬🇧United Kingdom · 10s
London 2012
Danny Boyle opened the Olympics, Mo Farah ran, and Jessica Ennis jumped. London's greatest summer.
5 milestones of 2012
London hosted the Olympic Games. Danny Boyle's opening ceremony celebrated the NHS, Mr Bean, James Bond and the Queen parachuting in. Team GB won 65 medals including 29 golds. Super Saturday — Ennis, Farah, Rutherford — was the greatest night in British sport.
The Queen celebrated 60 years on the throne. A Thames flotilla braved the rain. A concert at the Palace featured Paul McCartney and Robbie Williams. Street parties erupted despite the weather.
ITV's Exposure documentary revealed Jimmy Savile as a prolific sex offender. Hundreds of victims came forward. The BBC, NHS and other institutions faced devastating questions about how they enabled decades of abuse.
Child sexual abuse — focus on victims and institutional failure, not the perpetrator
The London Paralympics were the most successful in history. 2.7 million tickets sold. Ellie Simmonds and David Weir became stars. Perceptions of disability were changed forever.
PSY's 'Gangnam Style' became the first YouTube video to reach 1 billion views. Britain danced the horse-riding dance in offices and playgrounds. The viral video age had fully arrived.
70% local · 30% international
Skyfall
Sam Mendes — Daniel Craig's best Bond. Javier Bardem. Adele. 50th anniversary.
Les Misérables
Tom Hooper — Hugh Jackman sings live. Anne Hathaway's Fantine. British production.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
John Madden — Judi Dench and friends retire to India. Feel-good British film.
The Dark Knight Rises
Christopher Nolan — British director ends the Batman trilogy. Filmed at Cardington.
Anna Karenina
Joe Wright — Keira Knightley. Theatre-set production. Visually dazzling.
Olympics Opening Ceremony
Jul 2012 — Danny Boyle's masterpiece. NHS nurses, Mr Bean, the Queen jumps. 27 million UK viewers.
Call the Midwife
2012-present — BBC's 1950s East End midwifery drama. Jenny Agutter. Huge audiences.
Line of Duty
2012-2021 — Jed Mercurio's anti-corruption police drama began. 'Mother of God!'
Homeland
2011-2020 — Damian Lewis and Claire Danes. CIA thriller that gripped Britain.
Paralympic Coverage
Aug-Sep 2012 — Channel 4's bold coverage transformed disability sport broadcasting.
Currency: GBP
Inflation: 2.8%
Austerity continuing. But the Olympics created a genuine feel-good summer. The economy was slowly recovering.
Inflation-adjusted values
4G mobile
EE launched the UK's first 4G network.
Instagram growth
Photo sharing app acquired by Facebook — became mainstream.
Raspberry Pi
British-designed $25 computer launched — coding for everyone.
Kindle Fire
Amazon's tablet brought e-reading to the masses.
Olympics technology
HD, 3D, streaming — the most technologically advanced Games ever.
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