When we rang in the New Year, everyone was hoping for a less eventful 12 months than the pandemic-hit previous two years.
No-one would have predicted we’d be ending the year with a third Prime Minister as well as a new Monarch.
The death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8th September rocked the nation, and the period of mourning which followed saw unprecedented levels of grief across the country.
At least 250,000 mourners queued up to see the Queen’s coffin as she lay in state and an estimated 29.2 million viewers tuned in to watch her televised funeral.
We started the year with Boris Johnson as PM and we’re ending with Rishi Sunak – the 44 days of Liz Truss at the helm already seem like a distant memory.
Back in February Russia invaded Ukraine, sparking a global energy crisis and prices have been soaring ever since.
Rising fuel prices along with inflation have led to months of strikes, from trains to nurses to postmen.
Over the next 12 days, MM will revisit the biggest stories of 2022 month by month – and while everyone is hoping for a brighter 2023 it could be a long winter of discontent as the nation shivers in their homes because they can’t afford to put the heating on.
Michaela Jaé Rodriguez became the first trans actor to win a golden globe: Rodriguez made history as the first transgender actor to receive a Golden Globe. She won for best actress in a TV drama for her role in American Drama Pose.
New York Times bought Wordle: The popular word game was bought by the New York Times for a price “in the low seven figures”. The craze was started by Josh Wardle, a software engineer at Reddit, who wanted to make a simple and fun word game for his partner and family. Once he realized how popular it was with his family, he decided to share it with the world.
Boris confirmed his attendance at a gathering during first lockdown: During Prime Minister Questions on the 12th of January, Boris Johnson confirmed he attended a party in the Number 10 garden during the first lockdown in 2020. He also issued a long apology for his actions.
Tonga volcano erupts: The Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcano erupted on the 15th triggering tsunamis up to 15 metres high. Analysis by Oxford University researchers found the volcano created the tallest volcanic plume ever recorded.
