Do you recall your 2024 searches? Google does.
On Tuesday, Google unveiled its annual “Year in Search,” compiling the top trending queries made on its search engine this year. The data highlights terms that experienced the most significant increase in traffic compared to 2023, covering major news events, global elections, popular songs, athletes, and unforgettable moments in pop culture.
Sports, especially soccer and cricket, were at the forefront of Google’s trending searches in 2024. Copa América ranked as the top global search trend, followed by the UEFA European Championship and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
In the realm of news, the U.S. election led worldwide search queries. Searches for excessive heat and the Olympic Games also gained significant attention.
In the "people" category, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump topped the charts, followed by Catherine, Princess of Wales, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who also led athlete-related searches. Among notable figures who passed away in 2024, Liam Payne, Toby Keith, and O.J. Simpson led the search trends.
On the entertainment front, Disney and Pixar's Inside Out 2 was the year’s most searched movie, while Netflix's Baby Reindeer led the TV show searches. Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" was the top song.
Additionally, quirky search trends included inquiries about the Olympic village's chocolate muffin, which became famous through Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen during the summer games, and the New York Times’ Connections puzzle, which topped game searches. In the U.S., searches also included online trends like the terms "demure" and "mob wife aesthetic."
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For more insights into country-specific trends and past year data, check out Google’s “Year in Search” online. The company gathered search data from January 1 to November 23, 2024.
Google isn't the only platform reflecting on 2024. Spotify Wrapped, Collins Dictionary, and Merriam-Webster's words of the year also offered their annual recaps.