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In a year where there seemed to be a lot of bad news, the world searched for "good" more than ever before.
Google has released its top search trends for 2018, allowing us to relive the news events, the TV shows, the people and the deaths that defined this year.
The last 12 months have included a royal wedding, the dramatic rescue of 12 boys in a Thai cave and the rolling of one Australian prime minister in favour of another. But were these events the most searched this year?
Here are the top trends in search for 2018.
Australian searches: AUSSIES
The most searched Australian person for 2018 was Barnaby Joyce.
There's no denying he dominated headlines earlier this year as news broke of his office affair, his divorce, his rent-free apartment, the birth of his baby son and his resignation as the leader of the Nationals.
His partner, Vikki Campion, also made the list of top searched-for Aussies, coming in at number six.
Politics dominated Google this year with Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton also making the top three search trends in Australia.
- Barnaby Joyce
- Scott Morrison
- Peter Dutton
- Billy Slater
- Craig McLachlan
- Vikki Campion
- David Warner
- Chopper Read
- Nick Cummins
- Andrew Gaff
Australian searches: NEWS
"I will."
This year's most searched news item was none other than the Royal wedding.
After months of preparation Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, got married at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in front of 600 guests.
Let's relive the moment the pair exchanged rings:
Another happy ending came in second: the Thai cave rescue, which saw 12 kids and their assistant soccer coach successfully freed from a cave after 18 days. Here it is again:
The Wentworth by-election rounded out the top three.
- Royal Wedding
- Thai cave rescue
- Wentworth by-election
- My Health Record
- Beaumont children
- Hawaii volcano
- California fires
- Listeria
- US midterm elections
- Blood moon
Australian searches: LOSS
It wasn't all good news though, with the death of electronic dance DJ Avicii dominating Google searches.
Publicist Diana Baron said in a statement the Swedish performer, born Tim Bergling, was found dead in Muscat, Oman.
The world was also rocked by the deaths of Anthony Bourdain, Kate Spade and Aretha Franklin.
This was the top 10:
- Avicii
- Anthony Bourdain
- Mac Miller
- xxxtentacion
- Stan Lee
- Kate Spade
- Aretha Franklin
- Burt Reynolds
- Jessica Falkholt
- Eurydice Dixon
Australian searches: HOW TO …?
This result always promises to be a mixed bag but this year's how to opt out of My Health Record — an online summary of their health information — was the top 'how to' search.
Aussies originally had until October 15 to opt out, until the deadline was extended to 2019. If you're still unsure what it's all about, we've put together a useful guide here.
How to watch the World Cup was also a top search item for Aussies as was winning the Powerball.
- How to opt out of My Health Record
- How to watch World Cup in Australia
- How to win Powerball
- How to delete Instagram
- Google Arts and Culture face match how to
- How to buy bitcoin
- How to lose weight fast
- How to screenshot on iPhone X
- How to delete Facebook
- How to lose belly fat
Australian searches: WHAT IS …?
Surprise, surprise bitcoin topped this year's list of 'what is' searches.
After hitting nearly $20,000 in December last year, the cryptocurrency has fallen on rather hard times — losing 74 per cent of its value so far this year.
And if all that googling hasn't helped you work out what it is yet, we've got you covered with this explainer.
Listeria was the second-most googled after an outbreak in rockmelons and a fictional disease that claimed the life of a Fortnight streamer (it didn't, it was actually a hoax) came in third.
- What is bitcoin?
- What is listeria?
- What is ligma?
- What is hazing?
- What is a mud room?
- What is the capital of California?
- What is open on Good Friday?
- What is Diwali?
- What is blockchain?
- What is ball tampering?
Australian searches: WHY IS …?
If this year's top googled 'why is' searches are anything to go by, Aussies were completely flummoxed about why State of Origin was on a Sunday.
The OAR team from the Winter Olympics also made the list. If you're also now wondering what OAR is, it stands for Olympic Athletes of Russia.
Basically, it was a way for some Russian athletes to compete in the Games after the country was banned from competing in light of the 2014 doping scandal.
Here's the top 10 (including the not-to-be-missed: why is my poop green?)
- Why is State of Origin on Sunday?
- Why is it called Good Friday?
- Why is Russia OAR?
- Why is Australia Day Jan 26?
- Why is Tim Cahill not playing tonight?
- Why is ANZAC Day important?
- Why is Australia Day celebrated?
- Why is my internet so slow?
- Why is Nick Cummins called the honey badger?
- Why is my poop green?
Global: TV SHOW
Get your holiday binge lists ready because this top 10 is full of surprises.
The most searched TV show of 2018 was The Story of Yanxi Palace.
It's been described as a cross between Game of Thrones and The Crown, with vengeful scheming by those ready to do anything to achieve power, tragic love stories and plot twists that keep you on the edge of your seat.
American web TV series Altered Carbon — which has been set in a dystopian world where consciousness is digitised and stored — and a Thai series featuring time travel also made the list.
- The Story of Yanxi Palace (延禧攻略)
- Altered Carbon
- Love Destiny (Buppesannivas: บุพเพสันนิวาส)
- Motu Patlu (मोटू पतलू)
- Roseanne
- The Haunting of Hill House
- Lost in Space
- Grande Fratello
- Segundo Sol
- Bodyguard
Global: MUSICIANS AND BANDS
Demi Lovato was this year's most googled musician after the pop singer was taken to hospital in July following a suspected overdose.
US rapper Cardi B and German singer Daniel Kublbock also made the list along with Japanese singer Tatsuya Yamaguchi and Childish Gambino.
- Demi Lovato
- Cardi B
- Daniel Kublbock
- Travis Scott
- Rick Ross
- 6ix9ine
- Tatsuya Yamaguchi (山口 達也)
- Childish Gambino
- Hitomi Yoshizawa (吉澤 ひとみ)
- Nick Jonas
Global: MOVIE
Marvel's new black superhero film Black Panther was the most searched movie on Google this year.
The top 10 also included the much anticipated sequel to Deadpool and another Marvel superhero, Venom.
- Black Panther
- Deadpool 2
- Venom
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Bohemian Rhapsody
- A Star Is Born
- Incredibles 2
- The Nun
- A Quiet Place
- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
If that list's not enough, film critic Zak Hepburn has also done his own review of the best and worst films of the year, with top spot going to a loveable bear that keeps on delivering.
Global: TOP SEARCH
It's probably the most hotly contested category, but this year's most searched term was the World Cup.
For more than five weeks, fans and punters were all-eyes on the 2018 World Cup held in Russia, in which France emerged as the world champion after downing Croatia.
The world was also busy googling Avicii and Mac Miller, while Meghan Markle came in at number six.
- World Cup
- Avicii
- Mac Miller
- Stan Lee
- Black Panther
- Meghan Markle
- Anthony Bourdain
- XXXTentacion
- Stephen Hawking
- Kate Spade
Topics: internet-technology, computers-and-technology, science-and-technology, information-and-communication, australia
First posted