Delhi, December 17: The year 2022 witnessed some of the most significant events that fetched major transitions around the globe. The changes were definitely the worst ever following the COVID-19 pandemic and World War II. While the world was recovering from the pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war resulted in major shift in Global order.

The year saw some good and bad things take place. From Queen Elizabeth II’s death to Russia Ukraine war and a person of colour becoming the Prime Minister of Britain for first time. Here we take a look at some of the major events of the year 2022. Year Ender 2022: From Zombie Virus Discovery to Elon Musk Twitter Takeover and Creation of Artificial Sun, List of Mega Events of Tech and Science World

Top 10 Major Global Events of 2022

Rishi Sunak Becomes First Person of Colour to Become UK Prime Minister 

Rishi Sunak, in October, became the first person of colour to become Britain's prime minister. He is also the first person of the Hindu faith to sit in that office. Mr. Sunak was the chancellor of the Exchequer under Boris Johnson. He replaced Liz Truss, the embattled prime minister who served only 44 days. Year-Ender 2022: From Jurassic World Dominion to Black Adam, 7 Dumbest Moments from Films This Year That Made us Roll Our Eyes
Russia-Ukraine War
On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion resulted in the deaths of 41,295 people and more than 50,000 have been injured in the war, as per reuters. The invasion has caused global food shortages and has received widespread international condemnation.
James Webb Space Telescope
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) — the most complex telescope ever built — reached its destination in space in January after decades of planning. In July, astronomers were awed by the telescope’s first image — of thousands of distant galaxies in the constellation Volans. Since then, the US$10-billion observatory has captured a steady stream of spectacular images, and astronomers have been working feverishly on early data. Insights include detailed observations of an exoplanet, and leading contenders for the most distant galaxy ever seen.
Monkeypox Declared Global Public Health Emergency
Previously confined to Central and West Africa, Monkeypox spread in Europe, the United States, Canada and many other countries which caught many scientists off guard. The virus is related to smallpox, and the circulating strain only rarely causes severe disease or death. But its fast spread led the World Health Organization to declare the global outbreak a ‘public-health emergency of international concern’, the agency’s highest alert level, in July.
FIFA World Cup in Middle East For First Time And First Woman Referee in Men’s FIFA World Cup
Qatar became the first Middle Eastern country to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022. In the build-up to 2022, Qatar had spent billions of dollars constructing some of the most eco-friendly and architecturally advanced sporting facilities, undertaking enormous economic and infrastructural developments, and investing in the rapid expansion of its football capacity. Stephanie Frappart of France became the first woman lead referee at a men’s World Cup match when she officiated a game between Costa Rica and Germany in Qatar in December.
Queen Elizabeth II Death
On September 8, after the entire Royal family came to Queen Elizabeth II’s side as doctors were concerned for her, Buckingham Palace said in a statement that the 96-year-old monarch was no more. A period of national mourning started in England and would go on until the end of the day of the State Funeral on September 19, which was declared a bank holiday while schools and offices would remain closed. Following the passing of his mother, Charles - the Prince of Wales - became the King.
Elon Musk Takes Over Twitter
Elon Musk became the owner and CEO of Twitter on October 27, 2022, after acquiring the social media company for $44 billion. Musk immediately fired CEO Parag Agrawal, chief financial officer (CFO) Ned Segal and others. Since Musk has acquired twitter, the social media company continues to be in news for reasons good and bad.
NASA Smashes Spacecraft Into An Asteroid in a Planetary Defence Test
NASA purposely flew a spacecraft into an asteroid in September, altering the asteroid’s trajectory in a test mission that has implications for future asteroids that could threaten Earth. According to NASA, the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or DART, was the planet’s “first planetary defence test.”
Roger Federer Retirement
Roger Federer, one of the greatest player ever to wield a tennis racket, retired from the sport after a career spanning more than two decades. Federer, who has won 20 Grand Slams, retired after playing the 2022 Laver Cup. Federer won eight Wimbledon titles, six Australian Opens, five US Opens and one French Open title.
Discovery of 48,500 Year-Old Zombie Virus
Scientists were left concerned after the revival of 48,500-year-old zombie virus buried under a frozen lake in Russia. Trapped in permafrost the virus named Pandoravirus yedoma was lying dormant for 48,500 years before scientists revived it. Scientists discovered 13 new pathogens, what they termed “zombie viruses,” and found that they remained infectious despite spending several thousand years trapped in the frozen ground.
Watch Video:

The year certainly turned out be full of ups and downs and brought about a change in the global order. Hoping that the upcoming year will be a pleasant one.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 17, 2022 06:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).