As 2022 draws to a close, it’s fitting to look back at the year’s highs, lows, celebrations and ceremonies. There was no shortage of pop culture events, eclectic trivia and celebrity updates filling news pages, websites and social media feeds — all of which provided inspiration for the annual Mammoth Crossword Puzzle, appearing in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Living & Arts on Sunday, Dec. 25. (Spoiler alert: While this article serves up an abbreviated wrap of 2022 events, it also contains hints for several clues in the crossword.)
The world saw a number of great talents and renowned leaders die in 2022, including Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September after serving 70 years on the throne and becoming the longest-reigning British monarch in history. The pageantry of the Queen’s funeral was unlike anything seen in seven decades.
A couple of members of country music royalty also died in 2022: Loretta Lynn died at age 90 and Naomi Judd died at age 76. Other deaths in 2022 included actress Angela Lansbury, 96; actor Sidney Poitier, 94; former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, 91; NBA great Bill Russell, 88; former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright, 84; singer Jerry Lee Lewis, 87; actor Paul Sorvino, 83; actor James Caan, 82; singer Meat Loaf, 74; singer/actress Olivia Newton-John, 73; actor William Hurt, 71; actor Ray Liotta, 67; comedian Gilbert Gottfried, 67; and comedian/actor Bob Saget, 65. Also gone too soon were rap star Coolio, 59; singer Aaron Carter, 34; and rapper Takeoff, 28.
On a brighter note, a number of celebrities had milestone birthdays. Turning 75 were actor/politician Arnold Schwarzenegger, actress Glenn Close, filmmaker/actor Rob Reiner, singer Elton John and comedian/actor Larry David. Country superstar Garth Brooks and rocker Jon Bon Jovi hit 60, along with actors Tom Cruise and Jim Carrey. Actress/entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow turned 50, as did Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson, actress Cameron Diaz, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and rapper Eminem. Singers Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Nick Jonas turned 30. So did Barney, the purple dinosaur.
Providing audiences with something to cheer about were Serena Williams, who retired with 23 Grand Slam titles, and Steph Curry, who was the most valuable player of the NBA Finals. Other celebrations in the world of sports included the Golden State Warriors becoming the 2022 NBA champs; the Los Angeles Rams capturing the Super Bowl; the Houston Astros winning the World Series; the Colorado Avalanche hoisting hockey’s Stanley Cup; Qatar hosting the World Cup; and Beijing hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics, where Norway set a record for capturing gold medals at a Winter Games.
Celebrations also occurred this year for Britney Spears, who got married. Other celebs who headed to the altar were Lindsay Lohan, Lance Armstrong, Nikki Bella, Josh Duhamel and, perhaps most famously, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck.
On the other side of wedded bliss, actor Sylvester Stallone was hit with divorce papers temporarily; Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen ended their marriage; and dating couple Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian called it quits.
Other unhappy entertainment news of the year included Johnny Depp suing Amber Heard, Justin Bieber being struck with facial paralysis and Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.
Speaking of the Oscars, CODA was the year’s best picture; Jessica Chastain won the best actress Oscar; and the aforementioned Smith received the best actor Oscar.
At the Emmys, Succession won for best drama series, again; Ted Lasso won for best comedy series, again; The White Lotus won the most Emmys; and, Lizzo’s Watch Out For the Big Grrrls was best competition program.
The year 2022 also marked a number of notable anniversaries:
- Fifteen years ago, the first iPhone was released.
- Twenty years ago, the wildly popular dating show “The Bachelor” debuted.
- Twenty-five years ago, Diana, the Princess of Wales, was killed in a car crash in Paris, while being pursued by paparazzi.
- Thirty-five years ago, we first saw “The Simpsons” appear on TV, as an animated short on “The Tracey Ullman Show.”
- Forty years ago, “Chariots of Fire” won the Academy Award for best picture of the year; Diet Coke was introduced; ABBA first broke up; and rocker Ozzy Osbourne bit a bat on stage.
- Forty-five years ago, Elvis Presley died.
- Fifty years ago, the Boston Marathon officially allowed women to enter this famous road race; the Watergate scandal occurred; the airbag was invented; and the first official convention of Star Trek fans was held.
- Sixty years ago, iconic actress Marilyn Monroe died and the Beatles released their first single, “Love Me Do.”
- Seventy years ago, Mr. Potato Head was first distributed.
- Seventy-five years ago, Jackie Robinson became the first Black player to hit the field in Major League Baseball; the Polaroid camera that took instant photos was invented; “Miracle on 34th Street” hit theaters for the first time; the famous alleged UFO incident occurred in Roswell, N.M.; and the Cold War with the Soviet Union started.
- A century ago, insulin was first used to treat diabetes; water-skiing was created; Reader’s Digest began being published; and King Tut’s tomb was discovered.
Mammoth Crossword
To test your trivia knowledge from this year, check out the 2022 Mammoth Crossword in the Living & Arts section on Sunday, Dec. 25. The puzzlie is included in print editions for home delivery and at metro Atlanta retail stores, as well as in the ePaper edition.
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