2012

Events

 * 5th January - Cain Dingle's assailant is revealed as his own father Zak.
 * 25th January - Hazel Rhodes leaves the village. (Final appearance of the character)
 * 26th January - Jai Sharma and Charity Tate marry.
 * 10th February - Val Pollard leaves the village to stay in Portugal.
 * 16th February - John and Moira Barton are involved in a car accident while on the way to a hotel shortly after reconciling. Moira is rescued but the car, with John still in it, falls off a cliff. John later dies of injuries while in hospital. (Final appearance of the character)
 * 24th February - John Barton's funeral takes place.
 * 22nd March - Adam Barton confronts Cain Dingle in the garage, blaming Cain for ruining his family. Adam picks up a blowtorch and throws it in on some spilled petrol, igniting a fire.
 * 5th April - After taking the blame for the garage fire, Aaron Livesy flees the country to France with his new love Ed Roberts. (Last appearance of the character until 2014)
 * 19th April - Laurel Thomas walks in on her husband Ashley hitting his father Sandy.
 * 22nd May - Val Pollard returns after three months in Portugal.
 * 28th May - Alicia Gallagher is arrested after punching Val.
 * 5th July - David Metcalfe and Alicia Gallagher marry.
 * 9th July - Alicia Gallagher is sentenced to a year in prison.
 * 9th August - Paddy Kirk and Rhona Goskirk marry.
 * 17th October - In a live episode to celebrate Emmerdale's 40th anniversary, Carl King is killed when Cameron Murray bludgeons him with a brick. Declan Macey marries Katie Sugden and Dan Spencer marries Chas Dingle. Debbie Dingle and Gennie Walker both give birth to a baby son and daughter respectively.
 * 1st November - Carl King's funeral takes place.
 * 13th December - Rachel Breckle gives birth to a son.
 * 18th December - Alicia Gallagher returns from prison.
 * 24th December - Cameron Murray kills Alex Moss after confessing that he killed Carl.

Real life events

 * This year is the 40th anniversary of when Emmerdale first aired.
 * 17th October - Emmerdale celebrates its 40th anniversary by airing a special live episode.
 * 11th December - The first actress to play Angelica King, Sophie Firth, dies in hospital after her dress was set alight at her grandmother's house 9 days earlier.