Keir Starmer's Labour Party secured 412 seats in the 4 July general election — its largest majority since 1997 and the most decisive Conservative defeat in over a century.
Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" in the early hours of 24 February 2022, triggering the largest military conflict in Europe since the Second World War.
Consumer prices surged to their highest level since January 1981, driven by energy costs and food prices, leaving millions choosing between heating and eating.
The Conservatives suffered their worst result since 1906, winning only 121 seats as Labour swept to power with a majority not seen since Tony Blair's 1997 victory.
OpenAI's chatbot became the fastest-growing consumer application in history, reshaping the technology industry and accelerating a global race to develop AI systems.
Margaret Keenan, 90, became the first person in the world to receive an approved Covid-19 vaccine outside of a clinical trial as the UK launched its historic immunisation drive.
The Bank of England raised interest rates for the sixth consecutive time as households faced the worst cost-of-living squeeze in a generation.
The Monetary Policy Committee voted to increase rates by 25 basis points in a move that economists warned would push thousands into mortgage difficulties.
UBS research confirmed the app's extraordinary growth, surpassing every previous consumer technology. Microsoft subsequently announced a $10 billion investment in OpenAI.
Google's flagship model outperformed GPT-4 on several academic benchmarks, marking a new phase in the competition between the two AI giants.
