The year 2022 has come to an end, and it was packed with historic news. A summary of the whirlwind year is below, encompassing the highs and lows of 2022. Although due to the timing of winter break, not all events that occur in December will be included.

January started off with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the air, which impacted many countries. American television icons Betty White and Bob Saget sadly passed away in early January. Joe Gatto left popular comedy show Impractical Jokers, upsetting fans of the show. The game that captivated millions of people, Wordle, was bought by the New York Times in the month of January, too. 

The Washington Football Team changed their name to the Commanders in February. The saddening invasion of Ukraine occurred in February, when Russia caused many deaths of innocent civilians. Brittney Griner, WNBA star, was arrested in Russia for drugs found in her suitcase. Super Bowl ticket prices soared for the game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams. Eminem, Mary J Blige, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dog, and Dr. Dre took the stage during the halftime show, before the Rams won on their home turf at SoFi Stadium. The 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games took place in Beijing with exciting moments and disastrous scandals. 

Football legend Tom Brady announced in March that he would come out of retirement to play again for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida was passed in March, which caused backlash towards the state government through protests and social media. In late March, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars after he made a joke about his wife. 

In early April, the Grammys took place, hosted by Trevor Noah and featuring performances from Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, BTS, and more. After the famous Oscars slap last month, the Academy of Motion Pictures announced a ban in April on Will Smith attending the ceremony for ten years. One of the biggest festivals of the year, Coachella, returned with record-breaking attendance. Music fans were eager to attend after the festival following the pandemic, and fans were even more excited about Harry Styles headlining the festival. 

Joe Biden appointed Karine-Jean Pierre as White House Press Secretary at the start of May, making her the first LGBTQIA+ and African-American White House Press Secretary. Sweden and Finland announced their intentions and interest to seek a place in NATO in May of 2022.The biggest night in fashion, the Met Gala, happened with Kim Kardashian wearing the dress of Marilyn Monroe, Blake Lively being the best dressed, and more celebrity appearances.  Tragically, children and teachers were slain in a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, grasping the mournful attention of the country. The long-awaited season four (part 1) of Stranger Things gripped audiences and left them even more eager for the next season.

June began with the trial of Amber Heard v. Johnny Depp, which gripped millions of viewers. The Queen of England, Elizabeth II, held her Platinum Jubilee before her shocking death later in the year. The NBA Championship resulted in the Golden State Warriors beating the Boston Celtics. The Stanley Cup Final also gripped spectators in June with the Colorado Avalanches winning against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, leaving state governments in control of abortion rights, sparking protests across the country. Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn into office in May, becoming the first African-American woman to become a Supreme Court justice. 

July began with Boris Johnson resigning from his position as British Prime Minister. Simone Biles became the youngest person to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Arguably the most prestigious tennis event, Wimbledon led to many records being broken in July. The Emmy nominations were historic, with Squid Games being the first non-English-speaking film nominated in a major category. 

President Biden began August by continuing to test positive for COVID-19 from the previous month. Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years in Russian prison in August after being caught earlier in the year for possession of drugs. Former US President Donald Trump faced an FBI raid over his possession of classified documents. The sudden and saddening death of Olivia Newton John, star of the movie Grease, led to many paying tribute to the film icon.

Queen Elizabeth II passed away in September, and many mourned the loss of England’s longest reigning monarch. King Charles III was passed down the throne, alongside his wife Camila Parker Bowles as the Queen’s consort. In other British news, Liz Truss became the Prime Minister of England in September. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sent immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard to send a message on his stance on immigrant issues. The death of Iranian citizen Mahsa Amini sparked protests all over Iran after many witnesses say she was beaten for improperly wearing her hijab. The tragic and destructive Hurricane Ian swept through the southern United States and neighboring islands, taking the homes and lives of many. 

Popular K-Pop band BTS stated that all band members would be serving in the South Korean military in October. Liz Truss announced her resignation as UK Prime Minister in October after a brief 44 days in office. On October 21, Taylor Swift released her tenth studio album, Midnights. The album broke records and kept Swift sitting comfortably on the Billboard top 100 for weeks. The husband of the US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was harmed in an attack in their home. The divorce announcement between Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen shocked millions after the two were married for more than a decade. Elon Musk officially became the owner of Twitter at the end of October.

November began with the MLB World Series, with the Houston Astros winning against the Philadelphia Phillies. The midterm elections in the US resulted in wins for both parties, with many candidates for the House and Senate eager to win the “swing states”. The Ticketmaster scandal regarding the sale of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour caused controversy and many calling out the monopoly due to the Ticketmaster and Live Nation merger. The tragic shooting in Colorado at Club Q, an LGBTQIA+ nightclub, led to the loss of 19 people. While the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade tends to usually have some lip syncing, the 2022 parade seemed to have far too much lip syncing. In November, the 2022 FIFA World Cup began in Qatar filled with many highs and lows in what some call soccer and others call football.

The horrifying murder case that put many on edge, the University of Idaho murder, shocked many as four friends were killed on campus with two other roommates surviving. Audiences were gripped by the Netflix documentary Harry and Meghan, which told the world the story of the royal couple without media bias. The tragic suicide of famous DJ of The Ellen Show and dancer Stephen Boss, more commonly known as Twitch, shocked many, as it was highly unexpected. The FIFA World Cup 2022 came to an end with Argentina winning, with the help of superstar Lionel Messi.

The year 2022 may not have been a perfect year, but the world truly began to open up more this year after facing COVID-19 for a few years. Regardless of the good or bad events, 2022 was definitely a memorable year. Hopefully, 2023 brings better tidings. Happy New Year!