2022 in review (June-Dec.)

2022 is coming to a close. Here is a look back at some of the events that made 2022 a year to remember. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

Mia Badillo and Orlyanka Tantchou, Co-Editors-in-Chief
December 7, 2022

2022 has been a year full of monumental shifts in U.S. politics, new developments in science and technology, and iconic moments in sports and entertainment.  

In the midst of the rollercoaster of events that have unfolded in 2022, journalists across the globe have been there to report on the good, the bad, and the ugly.  

As the year comes to a close, we reflect on some of the events that happened in the second half of 2022, from the months of June to Dec. 

Catch up on the first half of 2022, from the months of Jan. to May, by clicking on the following link: https://lorettoprax.org/5195/national-news/2022-in-review/. 

June 2022 

  • June 2:
The Platinum Jubilee marks Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the British throne. She is the first British monarch to reach the milestone. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

 

  • June 16:
The Golden State Warriors defeat the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals. Warriors point guard Stephen Curry won his first Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award. Photo courtesy of Dreamstime.com

 

  • June 23:
In a 6-3 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down a New York law that prohibits the right to carry a handgun in public. The decision came a month after a mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y., that left 10 people dead. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

 

  • June 24:
In a 6-3 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion. Roe v. Wade had been in place since 1973. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

 

  • June 25:
    U.S. District Judge David C. Guaderrama sets a trial date of January 8, 2024, for Patrick Crusius’ federal trial. Crusius is accused of killing 23 people at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, on August 3, 2019. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

  • June 26:
The Colorado Avalanche defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals. With the championship win, the Colorado Avalanche ended a 21-year title drought. Photo courtesy of Dreamstime.com

 

  • June 30:
Ketanji Brown Jackson is sworn in as the 116th Supreme Court justice. At age 51, Jackson became the first Black woman to serve on the high court. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

 

July 2022 

  • July 4:
A mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Ill., leaves seven people dead and dozens injured. On Fourth of July weekend, at least 233 people were killed by gun violence in America. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

 

  • July 8:
Joe Biden awards American gymnast Simone Biles with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. At age 25, Biles became the youngest person to receive the honor. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

 

  • July 11:
NASA reveals the first image from the James Webb Space Telescope. The image shows the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

 

  • July 17:
El Pasoan and baseball player for the University of Texas at Austin is drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2022 MLB Draft. Earlier in the year, Melendez was named Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

 

  • July 21:
New York reports the first case of polio in the U.S. since 2013. The New York State Department of Health urged people to get the polio vaccine. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

 

  • July 23:
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. There were a reported 16,593 cases worldwide. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

 

  • July 31:
    Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri is killed in a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan. Al-Zawahiri aided Osama bin Laden in the planning of the 9/11 attacks. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

     

    England defeats Germany in the UEFA Women’s Euro Football Championship. It was England’s first UEFA Women’s title in front of 87,192 attendees at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Photo courtesy of Dreamstime.com

     

August 2022

  • August 4:
    Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is ordered to pay $4 million in compensatory damages to the parents of a Sandy Hook shooting victim. In 2012, the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting took the lives of 20 children and six adults. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

     

    WBNA and Phoenix Mercury player Brittney Griner is sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison for alleged drug smuggling. There are concerns that Griner is being used as a political pawn in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

  • August 8:
    The FBI searches former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence as part of a classified documents investigation. The search was approved by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

  • August 12:
    LOS ANGELES - APR 20: Anne Heche arrives to the Race to Erase MS 25th Anniversary Gala on April 20, 2018 in Hollywood, CA
    American actress Anne Heche dies at age 53. Heche was in a coma and suffered a “severe” brain injury from accidentally crashing her car into a home in Los Angeles, California. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

  • August 22:

    Anthony Fauci announces he will step down as chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden and also from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). His departure in December will mark his 54 years of service with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
  • August 28:
A 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle baseball card in mint condition sold for a record $12.6 million. Mantle played for the New York Yankees from 1951 to 1968. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

 

September 2022

  • September 3:
    American tennis player Serena Williams plays her final match at the U.S. Open before entering retirement. Williams lost to Australian Ajla Tomljanovic at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

  • September 8:
    British monarch Queen Elizabeth II dies at age 96, shortly after celebrating 70 years in power. Charles III, Prince of Wales and eldest son of the Queen, is heir to the throne. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

  • September 12:
    The 74th Emmy Awards take place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, Calif. The White Lotus, an HBO Original series starring Connie Britton, Murray Bartlett, and Jennifer Coolidge, took home 10 Emmy Awards, the most overall. Photo courtesy of Dreamstime.com

     

  • September 16:
    The death of a 22-year-old Iranian woman named Mahsa Amini sparks deadly protests in Iran. Amini lapsed into a coma after being arrested by Iran’s morality police for not wearing a hijab “correctly”. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

  • September 28:
Hurricane Ian makes landfall in western Florida. It is a Category 4 hurricane with 155 miles per hour winds. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

October 2022

  • October 4:
    New York Yankees baseball player Aaron Judge hits his 62nd home run of the season. Judge broke Roger Maris’s American League home run record of 61, which was set 61 years ago. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

  • October 7:
    New York City Mayor Eric Adams declares a state of emergency after unexpectedly receiving an influx of migrants. Mayor Oscar Leeser sent many Venezuelan migrants from El Paso, Texas. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

  • October 18:
    Girl Scouts receives an $84.5 million donation from American philanthropist, MacKenzie Scott. Girl Scouts plans to expand its investment in promoting the dreams of girls across the nation. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

  • October 25:
    Adidas cuts ties with Kanye “Ye” West following his recent antisemitic comments. Gap also pulled all Yeezy products from their websites and stores earlier in the week. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

  • October 27:
    Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, buys Twitter for $44 billion. Upon taking charge, Musk fired several senior figures. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

  • October 28:
    Model Gisele Bündchen and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady announce their divorce. The couple had been married for 13 years and had two children. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

  • October 31:
Taylor Swift makes history as the first artist to claim the top ten spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Swift broke the record with the release of her 10th album, “Midnights”. Photo courtesy of Dreamstime.com

 

November 2022

  • November 5:
    The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, Calif. Among the inductees were Eminem, Dolly Parton, and Lionel Richie. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

    The Houston Astros defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 of the 2022 MLB World Series. Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña was named the MVP. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

     

  • November 8:
    Chris Evans is named People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2022. The 41-year-old actor is best known for his role as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

  • November 10:
    Hurricane Nicole makes landfall on the east coast of the Florida Peninsula. Nicole started as a Category 1 hurricane but diminished to a tropical storm. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

  • November 12:
    The U.S. Midterm elections take place and Democrats retain control of the U.S. Senate. In the race for Governor of Texas, incumbent Republican Greg Abbott defeats Democrat Beto O’Rourke. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

  • November 15:
    Former President Donald Trump announces that he will run for President in 2024. Trump made his announcement from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

  • November 16:
    Republicans regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Kevin McCarthy is the current House leader and a representative for California’s 23rd congressional district. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

     

     

    A 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck El Paso Texas. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake was the third largest in Texas history. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

  • November 20:
The 2022 FIFA World Cup kicks off in Qatar. Ecuador defeated Qatar 2-0 in the first match of the tournament. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

 

December 2022

  • December 1:
    Pantone reveals “Viva Magenta” as the 2023 Color of the Year. The color number is 18-1750. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

     

  • December 4:
    The 2022 College Football Playoff Selection Committee releases the Associated Press Top 25. The top four teams (listed in order), Georgia, Michigan, TCU, and Ohio State, will battle to determine the national champion. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

    Our world is changing rapidly with updates in the global, political, and economic states, pop culture, sports, and more.

    2022 has been an eventful year filled with growth and development toward a safe and healthy post-pandemic society.

    As this year comes to an end, we can only wait for what’s in store for years to come.