Film and Television
This Korean series broke Netflix’s record as its most watched television show with 1.65 billion hours streamed in its first month
Squid Game
This variant of Covid was first reported to the World Health Organization from South Africa in November
Omicron
Following her re-release of Fearless, Taylor Swift returned in 2021 with her version of Red, complete with a ten-minute version of this song
All Too Well
Almost immediately following America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, this Muslim fundamentalist group seized control of much of the country
Taliban
This company’s market cap surpassed 1 trillion dollars in October, placing it in an elite group of companies that includes Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta
Tesla
Amazon Prime released this gory superhero show to critical acclaim; many of its fans likened it to The Boys
Invincible
Vaccines that have been deemed virtually ineffective against the newest variant include J&J, Sputnik, Sinovac, and this UK-based company
Astrozeneca
After a 5-year hiatus, this artist came back with a new album centered around her divorce, motherhood, and the scrutiny of fame
Adele
After his failed bid for the presidency, this man found himself back in the spotlight after he declared his candidacy for NYC Mayor – though he lost once again
Andrew Yang
This stock-trading app came under heavy scrutiny by the public after its actions during the GME and AMC bonanza in the beginning of the year
Robinhood
Based on a 1965 science fiction novel, this movie is an example of the rapidly growing genre of climate fiction
Dune
Several companies have been working on producing Covid-19 antiviral pills, most notably Merck and this pharmaceutical company
Pfizer
This rapper came under fire after homophobic comments during his performance at the Rolling Loud music festival
DaBaby
Making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph winds in August, this hurricane became one of the most damaging storms after 2005’s Katrina
Hurricane Ida
Also known as the Big Quit, this economic trend consists of employees voluntarily leaving their jobs, primarily in the US
Great Resignation
Though it won Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes, this film’s victory was surrounded with controversy over the Globes’ English language requirements
Minari
On August 6th, this state became the first to require all health care workers to get vaccinated for Covid
California
The third studio album by Lorde, this LP included singles the likes of “Stoned at the Nail Salon” and “Mood Ring”
Solar Power
Angela Merkel stepped down as chancellor of this country in December after serving as one of its longest-tenured leaders
Germany
This healthy fast-casual chain IPO’ed in late 2021, and stocks immediately surged 82% upon opening
Sweetgreen
After playing roles in Arcane, Hawkeye, and Dickinson, this singer-actress became the most searched for actress on IMDB
Hailee Steinfeld
Many people were apprehensive about taking the Covid vaccine because they believed it might cause this form of heart inflammation, although the chances are astronomically low
Myocarditis
It was a great year for this band – they earned a nomination as Best New Artist at the Grammys, and the lead singer Michelle Zauner released the wildly popular Crying in H Mart
Japanese Breakfast
The first African-American secretary of state, he died from Covid-19 complications in October
Colin Powell
Commercial space travel saw a big leap this year, with companies SpaceX, Blue Origin, and this Richard Branson-backed firm all launching space flights
Virgin Galactic