2022
Russia invades Ukraine
Before dawn Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" and Russian missiles struck cities across Ukraine.
ChatGPT goes public
OpenAI quietly opened a chat interface to its language model and within five days it had a million users.
Pakistan's monsoon catastrophe
Months of unprecedented rain inundated a third of Pakistan, drowning villages from Sindh to Baluchistan and displacing 33 million people in the worst flooding…
Mahsa Amini protests
A 22-year-old Iranian Kurd named Mahsa Amini died in the custody of Iran's morality police after being arrested for an improperly worn headscarf.
Hunga Tonga eruption
An undersea volcano in the South Pacific erupted with the largest atmospheric explosion since Krakatoa…
Roe v. Wade overturned
The U.S.
Bucha massacre revealed
After Russian troops withdrew from Kyiv's northern suburbs, journalists entered the town of Bucha and found bodies in the streets, in basements, with hands…
Queen Elizabeth II dies
Fusion ignition at Livermore
World population hits 8 billion
Messi wins the World Cup
Want 2022 in context? Print the whole 21st century as a one-sheet timeline chart.
Frequently asked
What happened in the year 2022?
Saeculum lists 11 events from 2022. The most significant is Russia invades Ukraine: Before dawn Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" and Russian missiles struck cities across Ukraine. Columns of tanks rolled toward Kyiv.
What era was 2022 part of?
2022 falls within the Contemporary (2001-2026). Networks, climate, and the new uncertainty.
Which regions saw notable events in 2022?
The events from 2022 span Europe, North America, South Asia, Middle East and Oceania.