Malaysia made it into the top 10 trending global Google searches in 2014! Unfortunately, in this particular case, it isn’t really something to shout about. Every year, Google releases a lists of the top trending searches in the year. Here are the ten trending searches, in order.
1. Robin Williams
Robin Williams was with us from July 21, 1951 to August 11, 2014. His death, originally believed to be an internet hoax, made me sick to the stomach when I realized that he was really gone. We lost Robin Williams unexpectedly to depression and according to Google, this loss tripled the searches for ‘depression’. He shaped most of our childhood with amazing movies and cheered us up with his comedic roles. His top five searched movies are Mrs. Doubtfire, Dead Poets Society, Good Will Hunting, Jumanji, and Patch Adams.
2. World Cup
Google reported this to be the “most searched sporting event in history”. The most searched match with Germany and Brazil ended 7-1 to Germany, adding salt to the Brazilian wound.
3. Ebola
The Ebola Virus was taken lightly by the world until cases started to appear outside of Africa. Surprisingly, Japan contributed the most to the searches despite not having any cases in the country.
The Ebola virus is deadly to humans and it spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids. A vaccine against Ebola, ZEBOV, is underway with the first human trials done in September by Oxford University researchers.
4. Malaysia Airlines
It should come as no surprise that Malaysia Airlines made it in the list, considering what happened to MH370. The plane went missing in March and the search for MH370 has been ongoing ever since.
5. ALS Bucket Challenge
Awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, came to the attention of the world when celebrities and everyday people took to the ice bucket challenge to help find a cure. ALS damages nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, and currently has no cure. It affects 5,600 people in the US alone.
Canadian ice hockey player Paul Bissonnette took the challenge to the next level by having the ice bucket poured on him via a helicopter as he stood on top of a mountain!
6. Flappy Bird
Flappy Bird, 2048, and Destiny were the top three game searches in 2014. Destiny took seven years in the making and was the most expensive game ever made. Flappy Bird, on the other hand, was made by one person in no more than three days. The developer, Dong Nguyen, took the game down apparently due to his guilt over how addictive the game was.
7. Conchita Wurst
Conchita Wurst surprised the world with her bravery and voice. Searchers for her spiked after she won the 59th Eurovision Song Contest, upstaging even Beyonce and Lady Gaga. Conchita Wurst, expectedly, became a prominent LGBT icon following her fame.
She was quoted saying: “The beard is a statement to say that you can achieve anything, no matter who you are or how you look.”
8. ISIS
A series of attacks against innocents prompted the world to search for what drives the Islamic State to do the horrendous acts. A campaign to raise awareness and bring attention to the kidnapping of 273 Nigerian girls by Boko Haram was launched. Searches for ISIS and other world crisis have led to searches for places and cultures that were previously unknown to them.
9. Frozen
Let it go, let it goooooo –
10. Sochi Olympics
The Winter Olympics in Russia cost $51 billion to prepare and was the second most searched for sporting event (just after the World Cup).
So there you have it! The complete list of top ten trending searches on Google in 2014. Did anything on the list surprise you? If you’re interested to learn more about internet search trends for 2014, head on over to Google to have a look.
