While many of us are still coming to terms with 2020, we'll be ringing in 2022 in a few short weeks. The COVID-19 pandemic continued to dominate headlines this year, but it wasn't the main thing people were searching for online. Google's search data paints a diverse picture of Americans' interest over the past 12 months. From sports to television, these were the top trending searches of 2021.
As USA Today reports, the No.1 subject Google's U.S. user base wanted to know more about this year was basketball. The NBA tops the search engine's list of trending queries, with searches peaking in June during playoff time. Second on the list is rapper DMX, who passed away on April 9, 2021.
Other hot topics this year included AMC stock, which was at the center of a social media-fueled campaign to boost the company's value, and the Korean drama Squid Game, which became Netflix's most successful series of all time this fall. Some searches, like the Mega Millions lottery game, have evergreen appeal.
You can view the full list of Google's top 10 U.S. trending searches in 2021 below. For a more niche look at the country's web habits, check out this map of what each state was searching for at the beginning of the pandemic.
- NBA
- DMX
- Gabby Petito
- Kyle Rittenhouse
- Brian Laundrie
- Mega Millions
- AMC Stock
- Stimulus Check
- Georgia Senate Race
- Squid Game