In 2023, Google’s “Year in Search” revealed that the most sought-after individual on the internet was none other than Damar Hamlin, an NFL player with the Buffalo Bills.
Surprisingly, it was not the well-known Travis Kelce who took the spotlight, but rather Hamlin, whose journey to fame was marked by a harrowing on-field experience.
Hamlin’s story unfolded during a January game when he faced a life-threatening cardiac arrest. The incident not only shocked the sports world but also became a defining moment for Hamlin.
His subsequent triumphant return to the field after overcoming such a grave health scare captured the hearts of many, making him the top trending person in Google searches for the year.
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Google peek into 2023
Google’s “Year in Search” explores various aspects of global curiosity, ranging from significant news events to pop culture phenomena. Topping the list of news trends was the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, showcasing the collective concern and interest in global geopolitical issues.
Following closely were inquiries related to a Titanic-bound submersible implosion in June and the devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria in February, highlighting the widespread impact of natural disasters on public awareness.
In the world of entertainment, Google searchers were keenly interested in movies, with “Barbie” appearing as the most searched-for film. This was followed by the intriguingly named Barbenheimer co-pilot “Oppenheimer” and the Indian thriller “Jawan.”
Television also played a role in online searches, with “The Last of Us,” “Wednesday,” and “Ginny and Georgia” securing the top three spots for trending TV shows in 2023.
The musical scene was not left untouched, with Yoasobi’s “(Idol)” claiming the title of Google’s top trending song on search. Other notable mentions included Jason Aldean’s “Try That In A Small Town,” which saw a surge in popularity among controversy during the summer, and Shakira and Bizarrap’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53.”
Beyond the entertainment world and sports, the online community’s curiosity extended to a variety of topics. Bibimbap, a Korean dish, comes up as the top trending recipe, reflecting a growing interest in global cuisines. In sports, Inter Miami CF, the new home of soccer superstar Lionel Messi, led the pack in Google’s sports teams’ trends.
U.S. search trends
For users in the United States, specific queries in 2023 reflected economic concerns and linguistic curiosity. Many wondered about the rising costs of eggs, Taylor Swift concert tickets, and sriracha bottles, highlighting a shared sense of financial awareness.
Additionally, the term “rizz,” recently named Oxford’s word of the year, became a frontrunner for trending slang definition inquiries.
For those seeking more in-depth insights, Google‘s “Year in Search” archive offers country-specific lists and trends from previous years. The data collected spanned from January 1 through November 27, 2023, capturing the essence of the year’s most pressing questions and interests.
As 2023 drew to a close, various online platforms, including Wikipedia, released their year-end lists, providing a comprehensive recap of the digital landscape’s highlights. Google, celebrating its 25th birthday, also took a nostalgic look back by presenting top search data “of all time” across specific categories.
Beyonce comes up as the most-Googled Grammy winner, Cristiano Ronaldo as the highest-searched athlete, and the “Harry Potter” franchise as the most-searched movie or TV cast since 2004, when the company’s trends data first became globally available.
