Google Released The Top Things We Searched For In 2021 And Wow, Lots Of Things Have Changed In The Last 10 Years

A lot has changed!

11. In 2021, "Squid Game" was the tenth most searched term.

Netflix

The South Korean thriller series, which came out in September 2021, tells the story of a struggling parent who competes in children's games for money. The show was well-received for its social commentary on income inequality, amongst other topics. According to Netflix, 111 million households streamed the gory show this fall.

In 2011, "Steve Jobs" was the tenth most searched term.

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Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, died in 2011 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

10. In 2021, "Georgia Senate Race" was the ninth most searched term.

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Everyone had their eyes on this tight runoff race after a clear winner could not be decided in November. The outcome of this race, along with another special Senate race in Georgia, determined which party controlled Senate. In January 2021, both Democratic candidates won their elections.

In 2011, "Osama bin Laden" was the ninth most searched term.

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In 2011, the terrorist who carried out 9/11 was assassinated by US Navy SEALs in a secret mission in Islamabad, Pakistan.

9. In 2021, "Stimulus Check" was the eighth most searched term.

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As people entered their second pandemic year, they no doubt looked for information on how they could support themselves and their families in this difficult time. The stimulus checks provided that help for many in the US.

In 2011, "Adele" was the eighth most searched term.

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In January 2011, Adele released her second album, 21, which included songs like "Rolling in the Deep" and "Set Fire to the Rain." Adele made a comeback in in 2021 with her newest album, 30.

8. In 2021, "AMC Stock" was the seventh most searched term.

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AMC stock became a huge online discussion after major hedge funds bet large amounts of money against the movie theatre company. As a result, people went on a buying spree of AMC stock, shooting its value way up.

In 2011, "Casey Anthony" was the seventh most searched term.

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In 2008, single mother Casey Anthony was charged with the murder of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee. Her trial was in 2011, during which Casey was found not guilty.

7. In 2021, "Mega Millions" was the sixth most searched term.

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It's no wonder Mega Millions was trending in January of this year — the prize was $1.05 billion. A group of Michigan players won the huge sum, choosing to take home the cash option of $254,233,980 after taxes.

In 2011, "iPhone 5" was the sixth most searched term.

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The iPhone 5 began trending after the death of Steve Jobs, who died one day after the release of the iPhone 4S. 

6. In 2021, "Brian Laundrie" was the fifth most searched term.

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Brian Laundrie became part of a large internet discussion this year after his fiancé Gabby Petito went missing. Brian was a person of interest in the case, and went missing soon after news of Gabby's disappearance. Gabby's remains were located a week after she was reported missing. Officials eventually found Brian's remains a month after his disappearance and determined he died by suicide.

In 2011, "Ryan Dunn" was the fifth most searched term.

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Stunt actor and TV personality Ryan Dunn died after crashing his car into a tree in the summer of 2011. Ryan took part in stunts in the Jackass film series.

5. In 2021, "Kyle Rittenhouse" was the fourth most searched term.

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Kyle Rittenhouse, the 18-year-old who fatally shot two people in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 2020, went on trial in November 2021. The jury found Kyle not guilty on all criminal charges — a highly controversial decision.

In 2011, "Pinterest" was the fourth most searched term.

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Pinterest had a big year in 2011. The social media platform launched its mobile app that year, and Time magazine labeled it one of the "50 Best Websites of 2011." It also became one of the top 10 largest social network services with 11 million total visits per week. Finally, it won the TechCrunch award for Best New Startup.

4. In 2021, "Gabby Petito" was the third most searched term.

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Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old travel blogger, was reported missing by her family in September 2021 as she traveled across the country with her fiancé Brian Laundrie. Her remains were eventually found and Brian became the person of interest in Gabby's death. He later died by suicide.

In 2011, "Hurricane Irene" was the third most searched term.

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In the late summer of 2011, Hurricane Irene struck the Caribbean and the East Coast of the US. The storm caused 49 fatalities and $14.2 billion in damage.

3. In 2021, "DMX" was the second most searched term.

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Rapper DMX died in April 2021 of a heart attack at age 50. DMX became a hip hop sensation in the late '90s, selling millions of albums. 

In 2011, "Google Plus" was the second most searched term.

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Google launched the social platform in June 2011, introducing the world to features like Hangouts (video calling) and Circles (groups of social contacts). By the end of the year, the platform had 90 million users.

2. In 2021, "NBA" was the number one most searched term.

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The NBA was trending in the late spring of 2021, during the league playoffs. The Milwaukee Bucks, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, eventually won the championship against the Phoenix Suns, earning the franchise its second title in history.

And finally, in 2011, "Rebecca Black" was the number one most searched term.

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In February 2011, Rebecca Black uploaded her song "Friday" on YouTube, racking up 167 million views. Just one month after its release, the song became the most disliked video on YouTube.

1. Check out the rest of the trending searches from 2021 and 2011 at the Google Trends page here.