Top trending Google searches of 2020 included 'how to cut men's hair at home' and 'where is my stimulus money'


Google is taking a look back at this bizarre year by way of its annual list of top trending searches.
The company on Wednesday revealed the searches that "had the highest spike" this year compared to 2019, and predictably, three out of the top five searches related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The top search was "election results," but number two was "coronavirus," four was "coronavirus update," and five was "coronavirus symptoms."
Number three, though, was Kobe Bryant, the Lakers legend who died in January, while at number eight was Glee star Naya Rivera and at number nine was Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, both of whom also died this year. Zoom was sixth on the list of top searches, while at seven was "who is winning the election," and rounding out the list at ten was the Playstation 5, which launched in November.
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Throughout the year, users also turned to Google to find out "how to donate to Black Lives Matter," "how to help Australia fires," "how to make hand sanitizer," and "how to cut men's hair at home," also searching for recipes for sourdough bread and the answer to the question, "where is my stimulus money?"
The top news trends, Google said, were "election results" and "coronavirus" followed by "stimulus checks," while the top trending person was President-elect Joe Biden. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was third on the list of people, although between her and Biden was North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, presumably due to false reports of his death.
Tom Hanks, who in March revealed he contracted COVID-19, was the top trending actor, while the top trending video game was Among Us, the top trending movie was Best Picture Oscar winner Parasite, and the top trending TV show was Tiger King. A hit song from Cardi B also apparently prompted a lot of Googling, as topping the list of trending definitions was "WAP." Read the full list here.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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