Until about 25 years ago, if people wanted information on a topic, they had to ask someone, phone a knowledgeable source, or go to the library to research the subject — in a book.
However, with the launch of the web-based search engine Google in 1998, it became possible to “google” the answers to almost anything from the comfort of, well, just about anywhere. So, what were some of the most googled topics this year?
Thankfully, we’re not left to wonder because the company known as Google has released its Year in Search 2023, which anyone can easily, um, google.
The company tracked trending queries across the globe over the past year and listed them in various categories, such as news, people, athletes, music, musicians, TV shows, and much more. The yearly review also lists the most-searched terms in each country and major city.
On a global scale, the most searched-for news item was “War in Israel and Gaza.” Israel and Hamas recently resumed warfare after negotiations over a week-long truce had failed, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The next most-searched news item was “Titanic submarine,” referencing the TITAN submersible that imploded earlier this year, killing the five people on board. “Turkey earthquake” and Hurricanes Hilary and Idalia rounded out the top five news searches.
Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin topped the metrics for both the “People” and “Athletes” categories. He caught the world’s attention when he suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed on the playing field in January of this year, an unsettling situation that was broadcast on television across the globe. Within a few months, he seemingly had returned to good health and was playing professional football again.
In terms of popular media, the summer blockbusters Barbie and Oppenheimer, both released the same week in July, were the top movie searches, while Shakira and Jason Aldean, respectively, were the most-googled musicians.
These global metrics were similar to those in the United States. In addition, the late Roman Empire was also one of the most-searched trends, thanks to a TikTok post.
In terms of metrics for the Dallas area, the top five “near me” searches were temp agencies, Pilates, staffing agencies, warehouse jobs, and bagels, in that order. DFW was the only metroplex where the phrase “nearby warehouse jobs” was a top trending query.
In addition, coinciding with the rest of the globe, The Last of Us was the top trending TV show search for Dallas.
In recognition of its 25th anniversary, Google took a look back at some of the most searched subjects in its history, including the Harry Potter cast, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, nuclear fusion, the 1980s, soccer, and many other topics. The Google video can be accessed here.
