Retrospective 2022

War in Ukraine and international tensions

• On February 24, Vladimir Putin launches a "special military operation" against Ukraine, sparking a major war in Europe.  
• Volodymyr Zelensky becomes a global symbol of resistance, while Russia is hit with sweeping sanctions.  
• The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, symbols of energy dependency on Russia, are damaged.  
• Sweden and Finland apply to join NATO.  
• Taiwan remains a point of high tension between China and the United States.  
• In Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi is sentenced by the military junta.  
• In Iran, the death of Mahsa Amini sparks a nationwide uprising against mandatory veiling laws.

Politics and society

• In France, Emmanuel Macron is re-elected, defeating Marine Le Pen.  
• In Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeats Jair Bolsonaro and returns to power.  
• In the UK, Boris Johnson resigns; Liz Truss briefly replaces him before Rishi Sunak becomes Prime Minister.  
• In the US, the midterm elections bring only modest gains for Republicans.  
• The US Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, revoking the constitutional right to abortion.  
• Bernard Arnault becomes the world’s richest man.

Culture, cinema, and music

• The film Coda wins Best Picture at the Oscars; Jane Campion wins Best Director.  
• Jessica Chastain and Will Smith win Best Actress and Best Actor, with Smith causing a scandal by slapping Chris Rock.  
• Top Gun: Maverick becomes one of the year’s top box-office hits.  
• At the Grammys, “Leave the Door Open” (Silk Sonic) and Jon Batiste’s We Are are awarded.  
• Notable deaths: Sidney Poitier, Madeleine Albright, Vangelis, Jean-Luc Godard, Olivia Newton-John, Vivienne Westwood, Queen Elizabeth II, Pope Benedict XVI, Pelé, Mikhail Gorbachev.

Sports

• Lionel Messi leads Argentina to victory at the World Cup in Qatar, defeating France in the final.  
• At the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing, Russia competes under a neutral flag (ROC).  
• Russian skater Kamila Valieva is involved in a doping controversy.  
• Roger Federer and Serena Williams announce their retirement from professional tennis.  
• In football, Real Madrid wins the Champions League.  
• In the NBA, the Golden State Warriors are crowned champions.  
• In the NFL, the Los Angeles Rams win the Super Bowl; in MLB, the Houston Astros win the World Series; and in NHL, the Colorado Avalanche take the Stanley Cup.  
• Max Verstappen dominates Formula 1; Novak Djokovic faces controversy over his vaccine stance.  
• Michael Owen, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Tiger Woods remain in the spotlight.

Science, technology, and environment

• The James Webb Space Telescope delivers its first images, marking a major leap in space observation.  
• Missions like Mariner 9 remain historic milestones in Mars exploration.  
• iTunes declines as streaming platforms dominate the music industry.  
• The letter Z is used as a propaganda symbol for Russia’s war.