Class of 2026: the past four years in perspective
Congratulations to the Class of 2026! As commencement approaches at the end of the week, let’s take a walk down memory lane and revisit some memorable moments in pop culture and UCLA history in the past four years.
March 18, 2022 - Where our journey begins: UCLA releases first year admissions decisions for the Class of 2026
March 27, 2022 - At the 94th Academy Awards, the focus is not on the honorees but instead
on Will Smith’s shocking on-stage slap of Chris Rock
July 2022 - Social media app BeReal skyrockets in popularity, going from 21.6 million to 73.5 million users from July to August 2022
September 22, 2022 - Our traditional students in the Class of 2026 attend their first day of class at UCLA
December 10, 2022 - UCLA Football finishes the season ranked No. 21 in the NCAA
February 12, 2023 - Rihanna announces her second pregnancy during her Super Bowl halftime show
May 11, 2023 - Over three years after the world shut down, the World Health Organization declares the Covid-19 pandemic over
July 21, 2023 - Two movies with very different themes are released within a day of each other, with huge success in the box office: Barbenheimer weekend
November 18, 2023 - At the Memorial Coliseum, UCLA Football beats USC for the only time in the duration of the Class of 2026’s time at UCLA (though hopefully to be repeated in the future)
March 3, 2024 - Novak Djokovic practices at LA Tennis Center courts at UCLA ahead of the Indian Wells tournament
April 8, 2024 - Paper safety glasses briefly come into fashion on campus as Los Angeles experiences a partial solar eclipse
May 4, 2024 - Kendrick Lamar releases Drake diss track “Not Like Us”
June 7, 2024 - Brat summer begins with the release of Charli XCX’s eponymous album
August 11, 2024 - The US sweeps the Paris Olympics, winning 126 medals, including 40 gold medals
September 26, 2024 - Transfer students in the Class of 2026 attend their first day of class at UCLA!
October 28, 2024 - Powell Library reopens main reading room after two-year construction project
January 7, 2025 - Wildfires erupt in the Los Angeles area
January 19, 2025 - TikTok goes offline in the US for 14 hours after the Supreme Court upheld a ban on the app
March 22, 2025 - UCLA Women’s gymnastics wins the Big Ten championship
June 26, 2025 - Anna Wintour steps down as editor-in-chief of American Vogue
October 19, 2025 - Thieves steal $100 million worth of jewelry from the Louvre
November 12, 2025 - The US says goodbye to the penny, with the last one being minted on this day
April 5, 2026 - UCLA Women’s Basketball beats South Carolina to win the NCAA championship and our 126th NCAA title
April 10, 2026 - The Artemis II mission safely returns to Earth
June 12, 2026 - Commencement begins!
Congratulations to the Class of 2026! To all: here’s to another academic year in the books!
