The topics of ‘Barbie’ and the Israel-Hamas conflict were among the most searched on the internet over the past year

Google recently unveiled its 2023 “Year in Search,” showcasing the most popular global queries. This year’s searches ranged from memorable pop culture events to significant global news.

Topping the news trends was the Israel-Hamas conflict, followed by interest in the Titanic-bound submersible disaster in June and the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria in February.

In terms of individuals, Damar Hamlin, a Buffalo Bills NFL player who suffered and recovered from a cardiac arrest during a January game, was the most searched person. Actor Jeremy Renner, who had a severe snowplow accident at the start of the year, was also highly searched. The late Matthew Perry and Tina Turner were among the most searched individuals who passed away.

In entertainment, “Barbie” led movie search trends, along with “Oppenheimer” and the Indian thriller “Jawan.” For TV shows, “The Last of Us,” “Wednesday,” and “Ginny and Georgia” topped the list.

Yoasobi’s “アイドル (Idol)” was the most searched song on Google. Jason Aldean’s “Try That In A Small Town” and Shakira and Bizarrap’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” were also popular.

Google’s search trends revealed more than just pop culture and news. The top recipe was bibimbap, while Inter Miami CF, Lionel Messi’s new team, led sports team searches. In the U.S., people frequently inquired about the high prices of eggs, Taylor Swift tickets, and sriracha bottles. The slang term “rizz,” named Oxford’s word of the year, was a leading search for slang definitions.

These trends and more can be found in Google’s “Year in Search” archive, which includes data from January 1 through November 27, 2023.

Other platforms have also released their year-end summaries. Wikipedia, for instance, reported that its most-viewed entry was about ChatGPT.

Google also shared its all-time top search data since 2004, revealing Beyoncé as the most-Googled Grammy winner, Cristiano Ronaldo as the top-searched athlete, and the “Harry Potter” cast as the most-searched in movies or TV.