As the year comes to a close, it’s nice to see what has transpired in the over the last 12 months. This can either give us a nice sense of nostalgia or it could plague us with horrible nightmares of events or happenings that we wish we could forget. Viral videos, earth-shattering news, celebrity gossip, natural disasters, entertainment—2018 was a year to remember. It seems that this year, specifically, there was a lot of Googling of people who passed away and left a mark on the world. 2019 is almost here and it’s to wonder what the next 365 days have in store.
Here are the top 10 most searched topics of 2018 on Google:
10. Kate Spade
On June 5, 2018, fashion designer Kate Spade was found dead in her Park Avenue apartment in Manhattan. The 55-year-old was found hanging with a scarf by her housekeeper. Spade was seeking treatment for depression and had been living apart from her husband, Andy Spade, for 10 months prior to her death. Her death came as a shock to the fashion world and fans of her designs.
9. Stephen Hawking
Another iconic death of 2018 was that of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge and author of the international bestseller A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking. Hawking was known for his pivotal research in mathematics and theoretical physics. He contracted motor neurone disease (ALS/Lou Gehrig’s disease) in 1963 and lived well past the two years he was given to live. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant by a theoretical physicist in modern times. In 2014 Eddie Redmayne gave an Oscar-winning performance in Hawking’s biopic The Theory of Everything alongside Felicity Jones. On March 14, 2018 Hawking died at the age of 76 after battling his disease for over 50 years.
8. XXXTentacion
Born as Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy, American rapper XXXTentacion, released his inaugural album, 17, which debuted at #2 on the US Billboard 200. His follow-up album, ?, debuted at #1 with popular singles like Sad!, Changes, and Moonlight. On June 18, 2018 the rapper was shot and killed during a robbery at a motorcycle dealership in Florida. He was only 20-years-old.
7. Anthony Bourdain
Another sad day this year involved the untimely passing of chef and adventurer Anthony Bourdain on June 8, 2018. The host of the show Parts Unknown, was found unresponsive after an apparent suicide in his hotel room in France by friend and fellow chef Eric Ripert. Bourdain was 61. The two chefs were in France filming an episode of the beloved show and the loss of Bourdain in the culinary world is still being mourned by fans who adored his passion for food and adventure. Bourdain was open about his struggles with addiction and depression during his life.
6. Meghan Markle
Last year was a huge year for Meghan Markle, who the world quickly got to know as the biracial American actress who earned the affection of Prince Harry and broke the internet with their engagement. 2018 was an even bigger year for Markle as she became the center of attention in the months leading up to her Royal Wedding. On May 19, 2018 the entire world was watching as Markle wed Prince Harry at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Markle’s stunning white gown was designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller, the first female Artistic Director at Givenchy. In October, the Duchess of Sussex (Markle) and husband Harry announced they were expecting their first child. So yeah, you can imagine how 2018 has been a rollercoaster of a year for Megan.
5. Black Panther
One of the hottest movies of the year was Black Panther, a superhero movie from the world of Marvel Comics. The film slayed at the box office and continues to inspire with its star-studded cast of black icons including Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, and Forest Whitaker. Black Panther was the highest grossing film of 2018 and the 9th-highest grossing film of all time with over $1.35 billion at the box office worldwide. It premiered on January 29, 2018 and has garnered several award nominations.
4. Stan Lee
The world was shook when creator of Marvel Comics and countless worlds of fantasy and superheroes, Stan Lee, passed away on November 12, 2018. The genius behind worlds of Spider Man, Fantastic Four, The Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, and the X-Men was constantly working on new developments of his characters and projects. He gave the world his gift of creativity as the head of an empire that will live on with comic fans for years to come. Lee passed away due to cardiac arrest and congestive heart failure from pneumonia complications earlier in the year. A true legend that will be missed.
3. Mac Miller
On September 7, 2018, rapper Mac Miller died from cardiac arrest due to drug overdose in his Studio City home. The rapper, who was famous for albums Blue Slide Park and Watching Movies with the Sound Off, dated pop sensation Ariana Grande from August 2016-May 2018, shortly before she began dating SNL’s Pete Davidson. It is believed that Grande and Davidson’s relationship did not work out because she was dealing with Miller’s death so shortly after they had split. Miller was 26 years old.
2. Avicii
In proving that 2018 was a year for Googling celebrity deaths, #2 on the top Google searches is the death of Swedish DJ and producer, Avicii on April 20, 2018. Born Tim Berling, the popular DJ was found dead in Middle Eastern country of Oman where he retired from entertainment in 2016 due to stress and other health reasons. It was later reported that Avicii committed suicide by self-inflicted injuries with a wine bottle. Avicii was best known for his electronic albums True and Stories. His musical collaboration with David Guetta earned him a Grammy nomination in 2012. Avicii was 28 at the time of his death.
1. World Cup
With all the death and horrific political unrest in the world, it’s still interesting to know that the one thing the world really still comes together for is sports. Yes, you may not be a fan of sports, but there’s no doubt that whenever the World Cup comes around every four years the whole world is watching and rooting for their country to be victorious. It’s no surprise that 2018 was the year to Google “World Cup” since this year’s tournament took place in Russia. After some scandals that transpired during the World Cup like British activist Peter Tatchell using the World Cup as a platform for human rights abuse committed against gay men in Chechnya, or Mexico’s fans shouting homophobic slurs during their games, the essence of the games remained underneath the surface of these trying social times. France defeated Croatia 4-2 in the World Cup final, giving them the title of champions only for the second time in the history of the games.
You can relive some of the other great moments from 2018 that weren’t trending, but you might still remember.
For other topics were trending in 2018 by visiting Google Trends.
Let’s hope that there is less death and more positivity in what people are searching for in 2019.
