Web-surfing Americans turned to Google in 2019 with all types of questions about people, places, trends and news events around the world.
Google's 2019 Year In Search, a memorable list of the top 10 queries on the popular search engine from the last 12 months, features a mixed bag of celebrities, sports stars, natural disasters and the latest entertainment and technological trends.
So, who and what did we look up this year? Let’s take a look back:
10. Jussie Smollett
In January, the "Empire" actor called police and reported he was the victim of a hate crime as he walked along a dark street in Chicago. Investigators later accused Jussie Smollett of hiring his attackers and concocting the whole story as a way to boost his public profile. Smollett was indicted on 16 felony counts, but weeks later prosecutors dropped all the charges. The city’s police department later filed a lawsuit against him, seeking to recover more than $130,000 to cover the cost of the investigation. Smollett still maintains his innocence.
9. iPhone 11
The 13th-generation iPhone — the successor to the iPhone XR — was unveiled in September in six colors and at a slightly lower price than previous versions. Apple updated the camera to include two lenses, added a "Liquid Retina" display and a nighttime screen mode; there's even a longer battery life, but the basic design of the device mostly remained intact.
8. ‘Game of Thrones’
Season 8 — the final season of HBO's hugely popular show, “Game of Thrones” — left fans frustrated and complaining about rushed plots, unresolved storylines and characters who behaved — well, somewhat out of character. A petition with more than a million signatures was started, urging HBO to remake the final season. Asked about the petition in July, HBO's president of programming Casey Bloys said, "The petition shows a lot of enthusiasm and passion for the show, but it wasn’t something we seriously considered."
7. ‘Avengers: Endgame’
Disney's Marvel franchise scored a major home run last summer as the film starring Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans raked in more than $2.789 billion worldwide by the end of July. The superhero adventure also surpassed the 2009 James Cameron epic "Avatar" to become the highest-grossing film of all time.
6. Luke Perry
Luke Perry died March 4 at age 52 after the actor suffered a massive ischemic stroke at his home in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles less than a week earlier. Perry was a teen idol in the 1990s for his role as Dylan McKay on the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210.
5. Antonio Brown
When the former Pittsburgh wide receiver reported to the first day of Raiders training camp in July in a hot air balloon, football fans likely knew there would be major fireworks this season. Following several public grievances with his new team, including a verbal altercation with the Raiders front office, Antonio Brown was abruptly traded to the Patriots. But his time in New England was short-lived. Brown played in only one game before the team cut him due to growing allegations of sexual and personal misconduct.
4. Hurricane Dorian
In early September, Hurricane Dorian, a dangerous Category 5 storm, killed at least five people in the Bahamas and left the islands in nearly total ruin. Winds and floodwaters destroyed or severely damaged thousands of homes, crippled hospitals and trapped people in attics as the storm loomed over the island for days. It was the most powerful storm on record in the Bahamas.
3. Nipsey Hussle
The rapper was gunned down March 31 in Los Angeles at age 33. Hussle, who was also a self-made entrepreneur and community activist, sold mixtapes out of the trunk of his car before signing with a major record label. His debut studio album “Victory Lap” was released in 2018 and was later nominated for Best Rap Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019. At the time of his death, many celebrities went on social media to express their condolences. A letter from former President Barack Obama was read at the rapper's funeral, praising him for his work in the community.
2. Cameron Boyce
The 20-year-old actor died in his sleep after a seizure related to epilepsy July 6. He starred in the Disney Channel show "Jessie" from 2011 to 2015. He also appeared in "Mirrors," "Eagle Eye" with Shia LaBeouf and "Grown Ups" with Adam Sandler, and in the Disney Channel's "Descendants."
1. Disney+
Across the country, the top search of the year on Google was for Disney+, the hot new streaming service that packages the Disney catalog for digital viewing. The service exclusively features the wildly popular new Star Wars series “The Mandalorian.”
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