It’s a New Year! 2022 has come to an end, allowing us to look back on some of the major events that happened that made 2022 memorable.

Last February, Russia invaded Ukraine. The invasion resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has been Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II. Russia has failed to take all of Ukraine. 

A study was published in March that Environment International found microplastics in human blood. Half of the people being studied had polyethylene terephthalate, a polymer used in water bottles and food packaging, in their bloodstream. Scientists say people are exposed to microplastics through the food we eat and the air we breathe. 

On June 21, South Korea launched a satellite from the Naro Space Center using its Nuri rocket. The event ushered in a new space era for the country and created pride in its citizens. South Korea hopes to land a spacecraft on the moon by 2030.

On Sept. 8, Queen Elizabeth passed away. She died at the age of 96 with two of her children, Charles and Anne, by her side. Her death was announced to the public within hours, and her son assumed the throne. Elizabeth was the first monarch to die in Scotland since James V in 1542. Her death certificate recorded her cause of death as “old age.”