Calling it a “special military operation,” President Vladimir Putin of Russia launches a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, capping decades of rising tensions between the neighboring states and former Soviet republics. The invasion, which Russia expected would result in a speedy victory, evolved into the largest ground war in Europe since World War II.  

On September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, dies at age 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The crown passes to her eldest son, now King Charles III.

On November 30, 2022, OpenAI releases the generative artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT to the public. The chatbot—more sophisticated than popular predecessors found in Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant—soon sets records as the fastest growing technology product in history.

On December 18, 2022, Argentina defeats France in the World Cup soccer final in Qatar. It is the first, and long-awaited, World Cup victory for Lionel Messi, Argentina’s 35-year-old superstar forward.