http://www.businessinsider.com/2012-solar-storm-almost-ended-life-on-earth-2014-7 The world as we know it almost came to an end in 2012 — though it happened before the Mayan calendar came to an end. Instead, one of the strongest solar storms ever recorded sent a burst of energy through Earth's orbit that could have crippled electrical systems across the planet. "If it had hit, we would still be picking up the pieces," said Daniel Baker of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado in a NASA press release. Luckily for us, it missed our home planet.
