Looking back at 2012

The Star Tribune staff looks back over the year in news, business, culture and sports.
Full storyFull story Updated Dec. 26, 2012
Twin Cities artists
Artist of year: Joan Soranno for design of Lakewood mausoleum

Architect Joan Soranno looks to nature and art when designing her nationally acclaimed structures.
Full storyFull story Updated Dec. 30, 2012
Travel
Photos of the year: Our captivating world

You might think that the best travel photos are about eye-catching destinations. That's only partly true. To make a picture...
Full storyFull story Updated Dec. 29, 2012
Twin Cities restaurants
Restaurant of the Year: Jack Riebel's Butcher & the Boar

Butcher & the Boar is a serious venture that doesn't take itself too seriously, other than to foster some serious fun.
Full storyFull story Updated Dec. 27, 2012
Twin Cities music
Twin Cities Critics’ Tally: Best local albums of 2012

Our 11th annual Twin Cities Critics’ Tally makes a big statement about what P.O.S.’ art meant in this community. TCCT 2012 also speaks to the ever-deepening pool of young talent in the Minnesota music scene.
Full storyFull story Updated Dec. 21, 2012
Movies
Colin Covert: The year's best movies, categorically
Twin Cities theater
Small theaters made big impression
Television
Television's most intriguing figures

Deaths
Honoring those who died in 2012

They made Minnesota special. A brighter and more colorful place. Today we reflect on just a few of the many remarkable Minnesotans we lost this year. Some were born to wealth; others were self-made. All became influential. Their lives teach us something about living well.
Full storyFull story Updated Dec. 31, 2012
Neil Armstrong, Dick Clark, Whitney Houston, Joe Paterno among those who died in 2012

Neil Armstrong would always be taking that first step onto the moon, and Dick Clark was forever "the world's oldest teenager." Some of the notables who died in 2012 created images in our minds that remained unchanged over decades.
Full storyFull story Updated Dec. 24, 2012
Minnesota sports
Sportsperson of the year: Peterson is runaway winner

The discussion over who was going to win the Star Tribune honor began and ended with the Vikings running back.
Full storyFull story Updated Dec. 23, 2012
Top news stories
Associated Press picks top 10 news stories

President Obama’s re-election was considered the top story of the year before horror struck in Newtown.
Full storyFull story Updated Dec. 23, 2012
Top read
Top 12 in '12: Most-read stories on StarTribune.com

From crime to politics to social issues, find out which StarTribune.com stories were the most-read during the past year.
Full storyFull story Updated Dec. 22, 2012
Outdoors
2012 outdoors in review: Wet, wild