Editor's notes: Although the Mayan doomsday predictions can hardly be called credible, the year 2012 has already witnessed its fair share of surprises and shocks across the globe. Psy's single "Gangnam Style" goes viral on a global scale and is hailed as a force for world peace. Arafat's body gets exhumed eight years after his death for further investigations into the actual cause of his passing. A massive sex abuse scandal centering around one of the BBC's biggest TV stars, Jimmy Savile, and mass shootings in the U.S. shock the world.

Death of Middleton hoax call nurse

A nurse from Indian descent who worked at the London hospital that treated Prince William's pregnant wife Kate, was found hanged in her room three days after she put through a hoax call to the Duchess of Cambridge's hospital room.

Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was duped into transferring the prank call from two Aussie DJs posing as the Queen and Prince Charles in order to obtain details about Kate's morning sickness.

The nurse's death triggered a global wave of anger against the Australian presenters behind the hoax, Mel Greig and Michael Christian.

The London hospital condemned the Australian radio station whose hoax call apparently led to the nurse's suicide, calling the stunt "appalling."

The Duchess of Cambridge was devastated and allegedly blamed herself for the tragic death of the nurse. Kate believes that had she not been in the unit, the mother-of-two nurse might still be alive. She is also dreading having to go back to the London hospital because of the awful events following her first stay.