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Top 10 Breaking News Stories of 2022

Top 10 Breaking News Stories of 2022
VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton WRITTEN BY: Andy Hammersmith
These events were the most significant, culture-shifting, and/or shocking moments from 2022. For this list, we'll be looking at the most impactful news items from the year. Our countdown includes Elon Musk Acquires Twitter, Johnny Depp & Amber Heard Trial, The Death of Queen Elizabeth II, and more!

Top 10 Breaking News Stories of 2022


Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Breaking News Stories of 2022.

For this list, we’ll be looking at the most impactful news items from the year. These events were the most significant, culture-shifting, and/or shocking moments from 2022.

Did we forget a famous news story this past year? Let us know in the comments below.

#10: Elon Musk Acquires Twitter

Polarizing businessman Elon Musk heads companies as varied as Tesla and SpaceX. In 2022, he expressed interest in purchasing Twitter. Barely avoiding a lawsuit when he threatened to change course, he eventually acquired the company. He fired thousands of employees, including those that criticized him, and began charging a subscription fee for blue checkmarks, which previously indicated a verified account. In response, fake parody accounts with blue checkmarks flooded the site, forcing Musk to delay the service. His critics argue that the billionaire is opening the door to misinformation and hate speech, while his supporters claim that he'll bring a new era of free speech to the site. Not only did the purchase alter Twitter's reputation, it drastically changed the trajectory of the social media platform.

#9: UK Prime Minister Shake-Up

In the years following Brexit, the United Kingdom has grappled with a multitude of changes. This includes a revolving door of prime ministers, which continued with Boris Johnson and Liz Truss in 2022. Johnson would spend the bulk of his term dealing with the pandemic. After his administration was caught having parties that violated health regulations, he resigned. This led Truss to take over, but she didn't last long either. Less than two months later, she stepped down after a proposed budget led to financial instability in UK markets. Rishi Sunak took over from there, filling the vacancy at 10 Downing Street as the third prime minister of 2022.

#8: January 6th Hearings

After Donald Trump made false claims of widespread voter fraud, supporters attacked the Capitol Building to overturn the federal election results on January 6th, 2021. His claims have since been thoroughly debunked. Through 2022, a House committee held live televised public hearings to investigate. The hearings included sworn testimony that Trump knew he didn’t win the election, as well as eyewitness accounts from police officers about the violence that day. Just as notable is the number of people who haven’t testified - including Trump and his allies. Ongoing attempts to serve subpoenas have slowed the hearings. Trump made headlines again when the FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago residence to retrieve hundreds of classified documents, which they allege had been concealed to block investigation.

#7: Johnny Depp & Amber Heard Trial

After actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard divorced, she published an op-ed in 2018 describing herself as a victim of domestic violence. Depp was dropped from a number of projects and his career seemed over. However, he alleged that Heard had been the abusive one in their relationship, and took legal action. He lost a libel lawsuit in the UK, but sued Heard for defamation in the US - leading Heard to countersue. Both performers took the stand in 2022, rehashing intimate moments from their marriage and bringing out a long list of witnesses. Social media ate up the juicy details, with coverage skeptical of Heard’s testimony in particular. Ultimately, the jury ruled that Heard had defamed Depp and he was awarded compensatory and punitive damages.

#6: Shinzo Abe Assassinated

The world was shocked on July 8th to learn that former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe had been killed, fatally shot by Tetsuya Yamagami with a homemade gun. Given the strict Japanese laws against firearms, the event was particularly unprecedented in the nation’s recent history. Yamagami blamed Abe for his mother’s bankruptcy. In Yamagami’s youth, his mother had donated all her money and property to the Unification Church. Later, his older brother, struggling to afford medical treatment for cancer, took his own life. Critics have described the church as a “dangerous cult”. It has close ties to Abe’s political party. While Yamagami’s motive provoked further questions, the unexpected violence also brought out a larger conversation about the country's social and political future.

#5: Robb Elementary

On May 24th, 21 people, including 19 students, were killed at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. Early reports showed that the local police department didn’t initially confront the shooter. Later investigations revealed their inaction in real time as body cam and security footage substantiated these claims. Grief stricken parents and family members even attempted to enter the building, while officers kept them outside. Along with criticizing the lackluster response, many people confronted lawmakers about the policies that allowed for the perpetrator to purchase a semi-automatic rifle in the first place. The tragedy deeply affected the Uvalde community and brought out a renewed conversation about gun laws and violence in America.

#4: Mahsa Amini Protests

In September, the death of 22 year old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini ignited the biggest protests in Iran in over a decade. Iran’s religious morality police had arrested her for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly. Eyewitnesses report that she was beaten to death, and leaked medical scans support this. In response, thousands have taken to the streets in protest - with many women removing their hijabs in defiance. The Iranian authorities have blamed Amini’s death on a sudden heart attack, and cracked down violently on protesters. Thousands have been detained, and several hundred killed. With the changing cultural and political norms in the country, these demonstrations are changing the course of Iranian history.

#3: Roe v. Wade Overturned

A summer US Supreme Court session brought the landmark 1973 case Roe v. Wade back into the news. In June 2022, the court overruled federal protections for abortion rights. Those in the anti-abortion movement celebrated, while those for abortion decried the decision as rolling back reproduction rights in the country. The development was largely seen as a result of the conservative majority on the Supreme Court. Without a judicial safeguard or official codification of Roe into law, the availability and legality of abortion in many US states has been jeopardized. Eternally divided on the issue, American citizens could be grappling with the lingering effects of this decision for a long time to come.

#2: The Death of Queen Elizabeth II

After a record-breaking reign of 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II died in September of 2022. She took over the throne from her father, George VI, in 1952 during a period of rebuilding for the United Kingdom. The British royal was arguably the last consequential monarch, harkening back to a time where nobility was more than tabloid fodder. Her death marked the end of an extended era in modern history, including the softening of the British empire. Her passing provoked many different reactions, including tearful tributes, indifference, and criticism. Historically speaking, Elizabeth II's death was the most notable passing of the year.

#1: Russia Invades Ukraine

As Ukraine has pulled away from Russian influence, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has reacted with furious violence. In 2014, protests in Ukraine forced the removal of pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych, widely viewed as corrupt. In retaliation, Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. After demanding that NATO ban Ukraine from ever joining, Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February, 2022. At home, Russians were told this was a ‘special military operation’ to ‘denazify’ Ukraine. The invasion has not gone as planned; Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has proven a resilient and unifying leader, and Western arms have helped his forces turn the tide in key territories. Nonetheless, Putin’s aggression has shaken the world economy, leading to massive food shortages, and left tens of thousands dead.
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