What the U.S. Searched for in 2020

2020 has been an intense year and it also shows in the most common search terms in the U.S., revealed by Google. The coronavirus pandemic, the presidential elections and the Black Lives Matter protests dominated headlines and search requests.

The coronavirus was the subject of three out of the top five most common search terms and had cash-strapped Americans look for ways to get their hands on stimulus checks and tax refunds. The elections had people asking Google why Nevada was taking so long. President-elect Joe Biden was the most searched person, while soon-to-be Vice President Kamala Harris came in third. Searches for David Blake, George Floyd and antebellum show that people were eager to read about Black Lives Matter protests and race relations.

2020 also had its lighter moments, with Cardi B. Song “WAP” heading the definitions section and Americans feeling the continuous need to check that Kansas City is – in fact – in Missouri.