How the World Searched

The most popular and the fastest rising terms—the terms with the highest growth in 2011—in many categories across many countries around the world.

Web celeb Rebecca Black was the #1 fastest rising query globally, as fans searched for information about the “Friday” singer. Black, along with Adele, reality star Ryan Dunn, defendant Casey Anthony and tech luminary Steve Jobs took five of the top 10 spots of people most searched in 2011.

Other trends that took hold over the globe: Cupcakes made the top food lists in over a dozen countries. As did the Dukan diet and high-profile weddings. The Sugar Glider made the top 10 list of quirky pets.

It wasn’t just the man-made moments that topped the charts this year, but also events that shook the world stage like the revolutions in Egypt and Libya and the natural disasters that literally shook the world, from Hurricane Irene in the U.S. to the earthquakes in Christchurch and Japan.