UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
5 January 2012 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 5 January 2012 was a Thursday.
- UK Number One
- The UK Number One single was “Paradise” by Coldplay.
- Top Film of 2012
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 2012 was The Avengers.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 5 January is Capricorn.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 5 January 2012 fell in the Year of the Rabbit.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for January is Garnet.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 5 January 2012 was Waxing Gibbous.
On this day: 5 January
- 1993 The oil tanker MV Braer runs aground on the coast of the Shetland Islands, spilling 84,700 tons of crude oil.
- 2005 The dwarf planet Eris is discovered by Palomar Observatory-based astronomers, later motivating the International Astronomical Union (IAU) to define the term planet for the first time.
- 2014 A launch of the communication satellite GSAT-14 aboard the GSLV MK.II D5 marks the first successful flight of an Indian cryogenic engine.
- 2022 Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev dismisses Prime Minister Asqar Mamin and declares state of emergency over the 2022 Kazakh unrest.
- 2023 The 2023 Sinaloa unrest begins.
Famous people born on 5 January
- Suki Waterhouse, English actress, singer-songwriter, and model (born 1992)
- Vinnie Jones, British footballer and actor (born 1965)
- Diane Keaton, American actress, director, and businesswoman (1946–2025)
- Bradley Cooper, American actor and producer (born 1975)
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.
Events of 2012 in the United Kingdom
A selection from Wikipedia's '2012 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.
- 4 February – The Met Office issues a severe weather warning as heavy snow falls across much of the UK, disrupting road and air travel.
- 6 February – Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Diamond Jubilee, marking sixty years on the throne; only the second British monarch to do so.
- 29 March – 2012 Bradford West by-election: Respect Party candidate George Galloway wins, taking the seat from the Labour Party with a majority of 10,140 votes.
Life in 2012
Prime Minister
David Cameron
Monarch
Elizabeth II
Pint of Beer
£3.05
Loaf of Bread
£1.35
Average House
£162,637
Weekly Wage
£723.00
Or
Browse by Year
About The Day You Were Born
Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.
About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →