Behind the curtain of dust and gas in these “Cosmic Cliffs” are previously hidden baby stars, now uncovered by telescope Webb. (Photo courtesy of NASA)

By Cameron Enomoto | Staff Writer

2022 has been a jumble of ups and downs both locally and around the world. From scientific discoveries to political news, there was no shortage of interesting and appalling moments throughout the year. Here are some of the most prominent events from January to December.

January 7: Discoveries of Exoplanets — Researchers from the University of Bern in Switzerland announced the discovery of TOI-2257 b, an exoplanet that orbits near a red dwarf.

January 15: COVAX Delivers 1 Billionth Vaccine — COVAX, a global vaccination program, delivered 1 billion vaccines across the world. The milestone shipment was delivered to Kigali, Rwanda.

February 24: Russia Invades Ukraine — Russia invaded its neighboring country, Ukraine, due to hostile relations. Putin’s actions have been condemned across the world. The invasion is ongoing and both Russian and Ukrainian forces are estimated to have suffered about 100,000 casualties, according to the New York Times.

March 8: Hawaiʻi Loa Ridge Murder — Gary Ruby, a 73-year-old man, was found murdered in his home on Hawaiʻi Loa Ridge. The man’s body was found encased in cement in a bathtub, and the man charged with his murder was found in California.

 March 24: North Korea Missile Tests Reach New Milestone — North Korea staged its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017. The missile flew longer and higher than every previous missile test conducted.

April 7: Ketanji Brown Jackson Confirmed as 116th Justice of the Supreme Court — Jackson was confirmed by the Senate in a 53-47 vote and became the first black woman to serve on the court.

May 24: Uvalde Shooting — Nineteen children and two adults were killed in a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

June 16: NASA’s James Webb Telescope Captures Image of Star Birth — Photos from the James Webb telescope, the most powerful telescope ever created, allow scientists to see deeper into the universe than ever before.

June 24: Roe v. Wade Overturned — The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, part of legislation that made access to abortion a federal right in the United States.

July 1: Estimated $60 Billion in Medical Debt Removed from Consumers’ Credit Report — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion announced that they will implement three changes that will remove roughly 70% of medical collection debt from Americans’ credit reports.

July 8: Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was Assassinated — Abe was attacked while delivering a speech in the city of Nara, Japan. He later died as a result of his gunshot wound.

August 16: FDA Enables Access to Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids — Consumers with perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment purchase hearing aids directly from stores or online retailers.

August 24: Biden Announces Student Loan Forgiveness — The proposed plan intended to forgive tens of thousands of dollars for individuals earning less than $125,000 a year.

September 26: Lizzo Plays James Madison’s Crystal Flute — Lizzo was the first person to play the 200-year-old flute and was later loaned the instrument by the Library of Congress to play in one of her concerts.

October 25: Adidas Cuts Ties with Ye — Following antisemitic remarks Ye made in a podcast, Adidas severed its relationship with the rapper and announced the discontinuation of Yeezy shoes.

October 27: Elon Musk Buys Twitter — Musk closed a $44 billion deal to acquire the social media service.

November 15: Donald Trump Announced He Will Run for President Again — The former president announced his candidacy for president of the United States a week after midterm elections.

November 21: Josh Green Elected Governor — Lt. Gov. Josh Green, who is from Sewickley, Pennsylvania, beat former Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona to be Hawaiʻi’s next governor.

November 23: Alex Jones Ordered to Pay Nearly $1 Billion in Damages Award — Infowars founders and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was ordered to pay nearly $1 billion to relatives of the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting. Jones repeatedly claimed that the 2012 shooting was a hoax and spread lies that the massacre was staged.

December 13: Biden Signs Bill Protecting Same-Sex and Interracial Marriage — The Respect for Marriage Act protects same-sex and interracial marriages at the federal level.