The year 2022 was a year full of ups and downs, crises, natural disasters, farewells and changes, but also courageous people, successes and celebrations. Review the year 2022 in pictures from sports, news, entertainment and politics.
Year 2022 in Review
Sport 2022 in Review
The year 2022 brought many farewells and successes in the world of sports.
Serena Williams and Roger Federer announced their retirement from tennis. Sebastian Vettel also decided that this year would be his last in Formula 1.
At the beginning of the year, the Winter Olympics and Paralympics were held in Beijing. The chess world was kept on tenterhooks by a cheating scandal, the Los Angeles Rams won the Superbowl, and Verstappen not only set a new record but also won the Formula 1.
In the UEFA European Women’s Championship, England beat Germany, and for the first time ever, an NFL game was played in Germany. Much attention was paid to the World Cup in Qatar, from which Argentina emerged victorious after a thrilling match against France.
News 2022 in Review
Many people have been taken aback by the events of the past year. Life had just begun to recover after the pandemic when war, energy crises, inflation and climate change interrupted the recovery. The war in Ukraine shocked the world and is still ongoing. The death of Jin Jiyan Azadi sparked a wave of courageous protests against the repressive government in Iran that led to the imprisonment, violence, and deaths of numerous demonstrators. In China the zero-covid policy sparked protests against the government.
On January 15, the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai underwater volcano in Tonga erupted, spewing a cloud of ash 20 kilometers above the volcano, triggering a tsunami and destroying homes, infrastructure and more.
Disasters caused by climate change, such as an unprecedented heat wave with fires and droughts as a result, sparked climate protests and activism around the world, with some activists gluing themselves to roads.
Devastating floods in Pakistan destroyed large parts of the country and claimed many lives.
In Afghanistan, the humanitarian situation has been very precarious since the Taliban took power. Women’s rights are increasingly restricted, and recently women were denied access to universities. Famine and natural disasters have further worsened the situation in the country.
This year was a milestone for astronomy, as the James Webb telescope provided an image of the most distant galaxy known to humankind. Later that year, Elon Musk decided to buy Twitter for 44 billion, immediately laying off many of his employees and introducing numerous changes to the platform.
Entertainment 2022 in Review
2022 brought many moments in entertainment and pop culture that we can look back on. The Rolling Stones embarked on a world tour. At the Oscars earlier this year, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage for making a joke about his wife. Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 70th anniversary on the throne this year before passing away on the 8th of September, making her son Charles King.
Kim Kardashian’s dress caused a stir at the Met Gala because it once belonged to Marylin Monroe.
“House of the Dragon”-star Emma D’Arcy’s favourite drink, a Negroni Sbagliato, became the new “it” drink, and the drama surrounding the film “Don’t Worry Darling” made headlines long before its premiere. In Munich, Oktoberfest was finally celebrated again after two years, and the documentary of Harry and Meghan on Netflix made high waves and raised criticism of the British royal family and the tabloid press. The couple visited Düsseldorf in September on the occasion of the Invictus Games in 2023.
IMAGO / Kirchner-Media / Christopher Neundorf | Harry & Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, leave the City Hall in Düsseldorf, Germany. 06.09.2022.
Politics 2022 in Review
The political year 2022 was marked by resignations, elections and decisions that will have a serious impact on people’s future lives.
In June of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that there is no constitutional right to abortion in the United States. This overturns the Roe v. Wade ruling from nearly 50 years ago. This ruling has caused an outcry and protests around the world as many see reproductive rights in danger.
In the UK, the political year was marked by chaos. Boris Johnson was forced to resign after numerous scandals and misjudgments. His successor Liz Truss managed to become the prime minister with the shortest term in office, and so with Rishi Sunak succeeding Liz Truss, the UK has had three prime ministers in one year.
In Italy, far-right politician Giorgia Meloni won the election and is the country’s first female prime minister; in France, Macron was re-elected. From the 26th to the 28th , the G7 Summit took place at Schloss Elmau in Bavaria, where the heads of state discussed political and economic challenges such as the war in Ukraine, inflation and climate change.In Brazil, Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva was elected the new president, but supporters of former President Bolsonaro are still protesting the election results.
In Japan, a deadly assassination attempt was made on former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In America the midterm elections did not produce the predicted red wave and in Egypt the COP27 reached a historic agreement on funds to compensate developing countries for loss and damage – but progress on emissions reductions failed to materialize.
