It was the year that the Queen celebrated 60 years on the throne, the UK basked in the mirrored glory of its Olympic and Paralympic athletes and the US re-elected Barack Obama as president. But 2012 additionally saw other issues seize the attention of BBC News website readers. From a toddler's encounter with a hungry lion to amateur attempts to restore a fresco of Christ, listed here are some of probably the most-shared stories of the previous 12 months. The yr began with a three-12 months-previous woman's victory over supermarket giant Sainsbury's. After her missive went viral, Sainsbury's duly renamed its loaves and conceded its original resolution could have been "a bit silly". January was additionally the month when former Blockbusters host Bob Holness died on the age of 83, following a sequence of strokes. In a broadcasting career spanning six many years, we learned, he had turn out to be the second actor to play James Bond when he starred in a 1956 adaptation of Moonraker. And footage emerged of a younger Australian woman plunging into the crocodile-infested Zambezi River, when her bungee rope snapped in two. The loss of life of singer Whitney Houston at a Los Angeles resort shocked stars who had gathered there for a celebration ahead of the Grammy Awards. One of the celebrated feminine singers of all time, the latter a part of her profession had been overshadowed by substance abuse. A coroner later ruled that Ms Houston drowned after cocaine use. Suggestions that the need for an want for an eight-hour sleep might be a fable captured the attention of readers. Although many individuals fear about mendacity awake in the middle of the night, it could in reality be good to have two 4-hour naps punctuated by wakefulness - and time to replicate on our desires. Research suggesting chocolate 'could keep individuals slim' was widely thought of as deserving of additional investigation - and sharing. American lecturers stated that people who eat chocolate frequently are usually thinner, probably because it incorporates substances that favour weight reduction. Somewhat frustratingly, however, consultants advised caution "within the absence of conclusive proof". In Kuwait, the Kazakh capturing crew were stunned when a comedy nationwide anthem from the film Borat was played at a medal ceremony. Organisers had mistakenly downloaded the parody from the internet and, as Kazakhstan's coach pointed out, had also obtained the Serbian anthem fallacious. In the US it was Batman who was inflicting trouble, when police pulled over a Lamborghini driven by a man dressed as the Caped Crusader. The chance to research where you might be on the global pay scale also generated great interest. Based on figures for seventy two countries, omitting a few of the poorest, readers who entered their monthly wage had been able to check whether or not they earned more or lower than the world common. Plans to allow the government to watch the calls, emails, texts and website visits of everybody in the UK emerged at the beginning of April. The proposals, which would require internet companies to provide GCHQ entry to communications in real time, have been described by Tory MP David Davis as "an unnecessary extension of the ability of the state to snoop". The draft Communications Data Bill remains controversial. Footage from an airport in Bilbao, Spain, showed planes struggling to remain stable as extraordinarily excessive winds blew them throughout the runway. Some pilots had second ideas and decided not to land. The reply was virtually certainly "no" - the monarch might be one of the best-travelled in historical past and, by May, had been to 116 international locations excluding the UK. Might also saw the epic journey of a stray dog who completed a thousand-mile (1,700km) journey throughout China. Nicknamed Xiaosa, the canine joined cyclists on a 24-day trip from Sichuan province to Tibet after one in all them gave him food. Within the US, a hungry lioness known as Kya was filmed desperately attempting to reach a toddler on the opposite facet of safety glass. The youngster, Jack, remained completely unfazed. An investigation into why British persons are, on common, nearly three stone (19kg) heavier than they had been 50 years in the past led to a more in-depth take a look at one of many nation's largest fried breakfasts. Called the Challenge Kidz Breakfast because, at 9lb (4kg), it weighs the same as a small baby, the dish features eight eggs, 12 rashers of bacon, 12 sausages, potatoes, mushrooms, hash browns, black pudding, beans and 12 slices of bread. Continuing with weighty points, July supplied the chance to see the place you might be on the worldwide fat scale. The outcomes included a calculation of how a lot heavier (or lighter) the world's population would be if everybody weighed the identical as you. Because the Olympics approached, torrential rain gave approach to clear skies and armchair athletes limbered up for a festival of sport. Many chose to investigate their Olympic athlete body match, though no information were stored as to the number who found they were extra shot putter than lengthy-distance runner. The tale of an 18-month tour of Africa that turned right into a 23-yr, 500,000-mile drive saw a former German airline govt recount his extraordinary journey around the globe. The exceptional work of an elderly parishioner who took it upon herself to repair a damaged however prized Jesus Christ fresco alarmed cultural officials near Zaragoza, Spain. Cecilia Gimenez, who's in her 80s, was reportedly upset at the way the fresco had deteriorated and took it on herself to "restore" it. She has since demanded royalties after the botched image turned successful with vacationers. He was remembered by US President Barack Obama as "amongst the best of American heroes - not simply of his time, but of all time". And in a discipline in Essex, a lion hunt involving armed police and helicopters began after a sighting close to a caravan park. No lion was found. The loss of life of wildlife presenter Terry Nutkins at the age of 66 prompted tributes for his work on wildlife programmes including Animal Magic and The Really Wild Show. Presenter Ben Fogle described Nutkins, a father of eight, as considered one of his "childhood inspirations", whereas comedian Ricky Gervais stated he was a "completely good chap". Meanwhile, the Britishisation of American English stirred debate about the spread within the US of phrases like "spot on", "ginger", "will do" and "chattering lessons". Jesse Sheidlower, American editor at large of the Oxford English Dictionary. Because the US ready to vote and pollsters struggled to separate Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, lots of you took the prospect to get rid of uncertainty and predict the president. While some of the consultants the BBC consulted urged a slender win for Obama, others opted for Romney, or even a dead heat. Within the UK there was a victory of types for an elderly couple who, police mentioned, had unwittingly grown "the largest cannabis plant" they'd ever seen. The couple had carefully tended the plant since buying it at a automobile boot sale. Police stated it can be destroyed. The story of the world's poorest president provided a sharp contrast to the scenes in Washington. Uruguayan chief Jose Mujica lives on a ramshackle farm owned by his wife and provides away 90% of his $12,000 (£7,500) month-to-month salary. His water comes from a nicely. A large schnauzer and his canine mates studying to drive cars in New Zealand grabbed the attention of many readers in December. The driving faculty was set up by a charity keen to show how clever its expenses are. After months of practising gear adjustments, controlling the brakes and utilizing the steering wheel, graduates are rewarded with a spin spherical a discipline. It is hoped that lots of them will also find new homes.