What We Searched for in 2011: Google Releases Annual Report
![A photo of the Google Inc. logo is shown on a computer screen in San Francisco, California July 16, 2009.](https://d.medicaldaily.com/en/full/222358/photo-google-inc-logo-shown-computer-screen-san-francisco-california-july-16-2009.jpg?w=670&f=28aa09592977bba7ba76438eec5a84b7)
Google has released the eleventh edition of its annual Zeitgeist report, looking back at the search terms that were most popular and fastest rising globally. The result is a unique snapshot of the events and people that made the most noise in 2011.
And apparently we all needed help remembering what day comes after Thursday. Searches for Rebecca Black and related terms jumped more than 10,000 percent this year, making the virulent pop singer and her epic single “Friday” the fastest rising search on Google.
Globally, health-related searches took on a much different tone, including iconic passings and nuclear scares.
The volume of searches for Ryan Dunn, who lost his life at 34 years old in a car accident in June, made daredevil best known for his roles in “Jackass” and “Viva La Bam” the third fastest rising search on Google.
After the massive earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan forced the evacuation of thousands of residents living near the damaged nuclear reactors of TEPCO’s Fukushima I Plant, searches for the electric utility company shot up 1,470 percent - the eighth fastest rising Google search this year.
Searches for the inspirational tech visionary Steve Jobs grew 982 percent in 2011, making the creative genius the ninth fastest rising search on Google. Jobs searches peaked the week of October 2nd after he lost a hard-fought battle with cancer at age 56.
In the U.S., the most popular Google searches relating to health included pharmacies and dispensaries like CVS, Walgreens, GNC, and Rite Aid, and the always useful online pill identifier. Symptom checkers including WebMD and the Mayo Clinic also made the list, as did TV personality Dr. Oz. Aetna was the only insurance provider on the list, and lab testing king Quest Diagnostics rounded out the top ten.