The year 2024 will be remembered as a year of significant events and popular trends. With search engine Google recently releasing its annual Year in Search report, highlighting the most popular search queries of the year, it’s fascinating to see what captured the attention of the global public.
Sports was at the forefront of searches in 2024, with football and cricket dominating the overall trends. The Copa América, followed by the UEFA European Championship and the Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup, attracted a large number of Google searches. Highlights such as global elections and the Olympic Games also generated significant interest among internet users.
In terms of personalities, US President-elect Donald Trump topped the searches, closely followed by Catherine, Princess of Wales, US Vice President Kamala Harris and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. In entertainment, Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” was the most-searched movie of the year, while Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer” dominated TV searches. In music, Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” was a hit.
Digging a little deeper, some surprising things emerged from the year’s searches. For example, the recipe for the chocolate muffin made famous by Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen at the Olympics was a global food trend on Google. In gaming, the New York Times’ “Connections” puzzle was a standout. And in the U.S., country-specific searches revealed interest in terms like “dwelling” and “mob wife aesthetic.”
These trends are just the tip of the iceberg for 2024. The digital ecosystem is constantly evolving, and annual recaps like Google’s offer a fascinating glimpse into what captured the public’s attention throughout the year. As the year draws to a close, other platforms like Spotify Wrapped, Collins Dictionary, and Merriam-Webster’s are also offering their thoughts and analysis on the trends of 2024, providing a comprehensive and holistic view of this eventful and discoverable period.
Looking back, it’s clear that 2024 was marked by a diversity of events, personalities, and cultural creations that captivated the minds and inspired the searches of audiences around the world. As we prepare to turn the page on this eventful year, these trends remain a valuable testament to our times and what really mattered to us in 2024.