100 Memorable Moments In Jamaica In 2012

What a year it was!  A change of government, electrifying jazz, JDIP, JEEP, Jamaica 50, London 2012, devastating Hurricane Sandy, marriages and more, 2012 was a year to remember.  See below 100 memorable moments in order of which they appeared in The Gleaner.

What were your memorable moments? Comment below.

1. Portia Simpson-Miller sworn in as Prime Minister.
2. ‘Jobs For The Girls’ is how the Jamaica Labour Party responded to the Cabinet announcements
3. Once again, Shaggy and Friends Concert was a huge success raising millions for Bustmante Hospital for Children.
4. The nation was told by the Minister of Finance that the JDIP budget has been overshot by J$7B
5. Dudley Thompson, former Minister of National Security in the Michael Manley Administration, passes away
6. Celine Dion wowed at Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival
7. The Archhbishop of York, Reverend Dr John Sentamu preached at Webster Memorial Church as part of the Jamaica 50 celebrations
8. DK Duncan and Beverley Manley got married
9. Mike Henry decided not to put himself up for re-election as Chairman of the Jamaica Labour Party
10. Gifton Wright won the Gleaner’s Spelling Bee
11. Barclay Ewart, prominent Jamaican businessman, passed away
12. Professor Steven Vascianne’s name emerged to replace Audrey Marks as Jamaica’s Ambassador to the US.  He was later confirmed.
13. Hon. Mayer Matalon, OJ, prominent Jamaican businessman, passed away
14. For the first time, a Jamaican appeared in the Super Bowl.  Twenty-four year old  Jamaican Patrick Chung made his first Super Bowl appearance.
15. Reports surface that Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke was hiding at the Government house in Lydford, St. Ann when he was the most wanted man in Jamaica
16. Wilmot ‘Mutty’ Perkins, veteran journalist, passed away
17. The Private Sector Working Group outlined 145 tax reform proposals to raise J$7.3B annually
18. Calabar High School was forced to close temporarily because of rats
19. It was reported than more than J$5B has been taken from Jamaicans through various kinds of scams
20. Prince Harry hung out with Usain Bolt and Shaggy during a visit to Jamaica where he represented his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II for her Diamond Jubilee.
21. Reports emerged about schools struggling to deal with sexual attacks on younger girls by older girls
22. Government and Food For The Poor announce project to build 50 basic schools across Jamaica
23. JEEP – Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme – was launched
24. After an impasse with the West Indies Cricket Board – that saw the intervention of PM Simpson-Miller, Chris Gayle signed an agreement
25. PNP won the Local Government election
26. The Rt Rev Dr Howard Kingsley Ainsworth Gregory was elected the 14th Anglican Bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands
27. Calabar High School and Edwin Allen High School won Champs 2012: Champs 2012 Highlights
28. Reports emerged that carcinogenic pollutants were in the air at the Riverton landfill fire in February
29. Jamaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB) acquired Capital and Credit Financial Group (CCFG)
30. Ruby Martin, philanthropist, passed away
31. Jamaica won 77 medals at the Carifta Games
32. There was a ‘flag fiasco’ – drama over the flag colours used at an official function
33. Government announced it will no longer bring in senior police officers from the UK
34. 14 Jamaicans were accepted to Ivy League Universities
35. JPS got a new CEO – Kelly Tomblin
36. Yendi Phillips announced she was pregnant
37. On the first day of Child Month, child advocates marched and rallied for children’s rights
38. Senator Christopher Tufton, former MP and Minister in the JLP government, was appointed the head of CaPRI
39. Aloun Assamba was appointed Jamaica’s High Commissioner to the UK
40. For the first time, Jamaica had an Official Children’s Day. It is to be celebrated every third Friday in May from now on.
41. Digicel‘s offices were raided by the Tax Administration Department with police.  Government defended its actions. Eventually, a truce was called.
42. Sean Paul announced he was getting married to Jodi ‘Jinx’ Stewart
43. The nation was told that more than 54% of $612B budget was for debt service
44. Government announced that it expected to collect more than $1B from traffic tickets
45. Mall Jewellers closed after 35 years
46. Chantal Zaky was crowned Miss Jamaica Universe 2012
47. In May, the nation was told that 23,000 jobs were lost and that unemployment had spiked to 14.1%
48. Busy Signal went to jail, was later extradited, served time in the US and came back to Jamaica – all in 2012.
49. Canadian fighter jets put on an airshow over downtown Kingston.  Some who did not know heard the sounds and thought Jamaica was under attack.
50. $19B in new taxes were outlined by Minister Peter Phillips, Minister of Finance.  As is customary, sectors dispute the measures and a number were changed.
51. Usain Bolt became the face of the Gatorade campaign in 80 countries and was the only non-American of the 34 Gatorade-endorsed athletes
52. Bombs On Tivoli – US Cable Reveals Mortars Launched In West Kingston Offensive, JDF Claims Weaponry Used As Diversion
53. Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke sentenced to 23 years
54. Yohan Blake and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won 100-metre titles at the Diamond League in New York
55. Usain Bolt was in a car accident
56. PNP Chairman Robert Pickersgill said there was no moral obligation to refund Olint money received as campaign contributions
57. The Gleaner launched e-Paper, a digital replica of the newspaper
58. Deanna Robins was crowned Miss Jamaica World 2012
59. Yohan Blake beat Usain Bolt in the 100m at the JAAA/Supreme Ventures Limited National Senior Championships.
60. The Edward Seaga Database was launched
61. Christopher Zacca was elected president of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica
62. Once again, the nation was engaged in a debate about what Government advisers are paid
63. Police raided a nightclub and took several alleged lottery scammers into custody. Many were dressed in drag
64. Jean Binta Breeze, the first female to write and perform dub poetry, was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
65. Parliament was in an uproar over members sharing verbal insults
66. Jamaica celebrated International Nelson Mandela Day with service
67. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan visited Jamaica as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations
68. The Gleaner launched diGJamaica.com – an information resource website about Jamaica as a gift to the nation for the Golden Jubilee
69. Alia Atkinson won the swim off that gave her a spot in the Olympic final for the 100m breaststroke
70. Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce took home Jamaica’s first gold medal in the London Olympics.  Veronica Campbell-Brown took bronze.  The event was 100M Women’s Final.
71. Usain Bolt took gold and Yohan Blake took silver in the 100M Men’s Final
72. Jamaica celebrated 50 years of Independence
73. Peter Tosh was awarded the Order of Merit, Jamaica’s third highest honor
74. More medals for Jamaica when Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce took silver in the 200M Women’s, Hansle Parchment took bronze in the 110m hurdles.
75. The historic Jamaican medal sweep ‘1-2-3’ – Usain Bolt (gold), Yohan Blake (silver) and Warren Weir (bronze) in the 200 M Men’s Final.
76. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Sherone Simpson, Veronica Campbell-Brown and Kerron Stewart produced a national record, 41.41 for a silver medal in the women’s 4x100m
77. Jamaica became the first country to run sub-37 in the 4 x 100m – Usain Bolt, Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Yohan Blake created history winning gold
78. Usain Bolt claimed himself to be a ‘living legend’. This was refuted by IOC boos Jacques Rogge and Bolt hit back asking what else was needed.  Rogge later recanted
79. Lorna Myers became the first woman named to the PSOJ’s Hall Of Fame
80. Campari acquired Lascelles
81. Crayons Count made it possible for basic schools across Jamaica to to receive standardized learning materials – for the first time ever
82. Reggae Boyz beat the USA 2-1 in a historic World Cup Qualifier
83. Zimbabwe President , Robert Mugabe, criticized Jamaica and Jamaicans in an interview urging his countrymen to never be like Jamaicans
84. The Health and Family Life Education curriculum caused quite a stir in classrooms.  Parents demanded it be removed.  Ministry officials claim it had never been approved
85. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra wowed in Jamaica – Mandeville and Kingston
86. Retired SSP Hewitt was killed by gunmen
87. Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ) selected 50 under (the age of ) 50 business leaders
88. Following report after report about child abuse, Jamaicans marched to protest
89. Francis ‘Paco’ Kennedy became President of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC)
90. Windies won the ICC T20 title
91. The Patois Bible was launched
92. Hurricane Sandy hit Jamaica – the first direct hit since Hurricane Gilbert in 1988
93. The rapidly sliding dollar prompted more intervention from the Central Bank
94. Security guards who beat a male student allegedly found in a compromising position with another male student at UTECH were stripped of their duties, fired and arrested.
95. Gospel preaching was banned on JUTC buses
96. The Government spent $60M on new vehicles for Ministers
97. Contractor General, Greg Christie, left office
98. Ezroy Millwood, who won a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against the Government over JUTC, passed away
99. Jamaica racked up $12.5 Million in new debt per hour
100. It was confirmed:  No IMF agreement was to be signed in 2012