As we begin to look back on the beautiful beast that was 2012, we compiled some of our favorite photographs, music videos and theater moments from the year. Scroll down for details...
It's impossible to include all of the best photos of 2012 in one gallery, but these images offer a fantastic glimpse of the year in pictures.
HuffPost photo editors curated a slideshow of serious eye candy from Getty Images and the Associated Press. The subjects are as varied as the emotions that these photos evoke. The gallery includes dazzling pictures from space, intimate portraits, funny moments with world leaders and heart-wrenching scenes of loss. The one thing that they all have in common is their power to convey what mere words cannot. Click here to see the slideshow.
Al Pacino came back again and Jessica Chastain showed up for the first time. "Annie" returned and so did "Evita" and "Elf." Katie Holmes made a second appearance and that old stalwart "The Lion King" celebrated its 15th anniversary. Yes, 2012 was a year of old and new, theatrically speaking.
It also was a year in which the theater community tried to keep the show going despite several disasters - a natural one in Superstorm Sandy and two man-made ones in misleading monologist Mike Daisey and the phantom investors of "Rebecca." None of those, of course, made our Top 10 list of the best moments in 2012. Click here to see them all.
Get ready to waste an hour or four, because today we're bringing you the 20 most delicious, innovative and bizarre music videos of 2012.
Forget that MTV now appears to run reality TV meltdowns rather than new songs -- we want to honor this year's magical combination of infectious hits and over-the-top visuals that make music videos come to life, whether you find them online or on television. These works haunt our YouTube histories, shorten our attention spans and make the soundtrack-less real world a real drag sometimes, which is why we love them. Click here to see them all.
For the past 144 years, the University of California has stuck with a signature look, a seal with the simple motto, "Let there be light." But this year the prestigious public institution seemed to have an identity crisis and did what any self-conscious teen might do... got a total makeover.
The updated seal wipes away the Victorian excess of the previous emblem, opting instead for beachy hues and trendy sleekness. But the minimalist attempt at contemporary style has infuriated many who didn't mind a university emblem with, you know, a classy sounding motto and an emphasis on books. Click here to see hilarious reactions to the design fail and hear from some designers we trust express their opinions.
The narrative of Mexico as our impoverished and drug cartel–ridden neighbor dominates most news coverage in America, but that’s only one part of a large and diverse country. Photographer Daniela Rossell brings us tales of the polar opposite segment of Mexican society with her series Ricas y Famosas, which depicts the children of Mexico’s most privileged class of society.
Rossell knows the world she shoots. She is the daughter of a member of the PRI, Mexico’s long-ruling political party. As a result, she had unprecedented access to her subjects, primarily young women she photographed in scenes of unabashed decadence, the opulence of which is so over the top that it calls to mind Siegfried and Roy.
Well, that's all we have for you right now. Check back in next week for more reminiscing about 2012 and looking forward to 2013!