2022


The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with Omicron variant|Omicron] spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw the removal of most COVID-19 restrictions and the reopening of international borders in the vast majority of countries, while the global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines continued. The global economic recovery from the pandemic continued, though many countries experienced an ongoing inflation surge; in response, many central banks raised their interest rates to landmark levels. The world population reached eight billion people in 2022. The year also witnessed numerous natural disasters, including two devastating Atlantic hurricanes, and eruption and tsunami|the most powerful volcano eruption of the century so far]. The later part of the year also saw the first public release of ChatGPT by OpenAI starting an arms race in artificial intelligence which increased in intensity into 2023, as well as the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX.
2022 was also dominated by wars and armed conflicts. While escalations into the internal conflict in Myanmar and the Tigray War dominated the heightening of tensions within their regions and each caused over 10,000 deaths, 2022 was most notable for the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II. The invasion caused the Ukrainian [refugee">Ukraine">Ukrainian [refugee crisis|displacement] of 15.7 million Ukrainians, and led to international condemnations and sanctions and nuclear threats, the withdrawal of hundreds of companies from Russia, and the 2022 boycott of [Russia and Belarus#Sports|exclusion of Russia from major sporting events].

Conflicts

The Russo-Ukrainian war escalated after Russian president Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation", stating that it was to support the Russian-backed breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, whose paramilitary forces had been fighting Ukraine in the Donbas conflict since 2014.

Events

January

The world population was estimated to have reached 8 billion after 11 years on 15 November 2022. China was the most populous country throughout the year, followed by India. Africa was the fastest growing continent.

Births and deaths

Nobel Prizes

CategoryRecipientCountryRationaleSource
Chemistrysortname|Morten P.|Meldal