The search engine released its annual roundup after one of the strangest years on record.
After a year that was anything but ordinary, Google's "Year in Search" is looking back at what people searched for online as they managed a global pandemic, took to the streets in protest, learned how to Zoom their everyday life and mourned the loss of so much normalcy and so many lives.
Google released their annual "Year in Search" roundup on Wednesday, taking a look back at some of the top trending searches throughout 2020, accompanied by a video that highlighted the year's ups and downs, from the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic to the inspiring protests by the Black Lives Matter movement, to the (sometimes) joyful chaos of life at home.
"The most human trait is to want to know why," says the video's narration, by poet and musician Kofi Lost. "And in a year that tested everyone around the world, 'why' was searched more than ever."
"Why is it that this year showed us its worst, and we still found ways to triumph?" Lost asks, as the video spotlights high points from the year, including Naomi Osaka's U.S. Open win, Leslie Jordan's silly quarantine videos, LeBron James and the Lakers triumphing in the NBA bubble, and sweet at-home moments like weddings and reunions.
The video also dives into "the questions that made us cry," including footage of 2020's wildfires, memorials to injustice, the coronavirus death toll and the loss of public figures like Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, Chadwick Boseman, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Congressman John Lewis, Eddie Van Halen and more.
"While we didn't find all the answers, we kept asking," Lost concludes. "Until we get to every answer, we're still searching."
Along with the moving video, Google also released the data on its top trending data for the year, highlighting people, questions and terms that saw a sustained spike in search traffic in 2020. See the complete roundup here, and read on for some select lists.
Searches
Election results
Coronavirus
Kobe Bryant
Coronavirus update
Coronavirus symptoms
Zoom
Who is winning the election
Naya Rivera
Chadwick Boseman
PlayStation 5
News
Election results
Coronavirus
Stimulus checks
Unemployment
Iran
Hurricane Laura
Super Tuesday
Stock market
Murder hornet
Australia fires
People
Joe Biden
Kim Jong Un
Kamala Harris
Jacob Blake
Ryan Newman
Tom Hanks
Shakira
Tom Brady
Kanye West
Vanessa Bryant
Actors
Tom Hanks
Chris D'Elia
Jada Pinkett Smith
Timothée Chalamet
Ricky Gervais
Amber Heard
Joaquin Phoenix
Danny Masterson
Ryan Dorsey
Lea Michele
Athletes
Ryan Newman
Tom Brady
Bubba Wallace
Mike Tyson
Rudy Gobert
Drew Brees
Tyson Fury
Derrick Henry
Nate Robinson
Delonte West
Movies
Parasite
1917
Black Panther
Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey
Little Women
Just Mercy
Bad Boys 3
Sonic the Hedgehog
Contagion
Fantasy Island
Musicians and Bands
Shakira
August Alsina
Adele
Doja Cat
Grimes
Van Halen
Lizzo
Tamar Braxton
Quando Rondo
Tory Lanez
TV Shows
Tiger King
Cobra Kai
Ozark
The Umbrella Academy
The Queen's Gambit
Little Fires Everywhere
Outer Banks
Ratched
All American
The Last Dance
Sports Teams
Boston Celtics
Miami Heat
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Clippers
Dallas Stars
Washington Football Team
Philadelphia Flyers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Boston Bruins
San Francisco 49ers
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