National

Google Captures the 'Zeitgeist' of 2007

Published December 22, 2007 at 2:36 PM PST

This story was published more than 16 years ago.

Technology was foremost in the world's collective "search" conscious in 2007, with a hot gizmo called the iPhone ringing up the most Google inquiries for the year.

Apple's big technology release was the fastest-rising search term on Google, both in the U.S. and globally. Each year, the Internet search giant compiles a list, called Google Zeitgeist, of the breaking news, big events and must-have gadgets that captivated the world. In the U.S., Webkinz — the stuffed animals that have online personas — were the second-fastest-rising search term, with the late model Anna Nicole Smith rounding out the top 10.

In the realm of Hollywood, starlets Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan had the largest volume of searches. And on screen, the TV show Heroes and the movie Transformers garnered the most searches.

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A look at some of Google's top searches of 2007:

Fastest-Rising Search (Global)

1. iPhone

2. Badoo

3. Facebook

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4. dailymotion

5. Webkinz

6. YouTube

7. ebuddy

8. Second Life

9. hi5

10. Club Penguin

Fastest-Rising Search (U.S.)

1. iPhone

2. Webkinz

3. tmz

4. Transformers

5. YouTube

6. Club Penguin

7. MySpace

8. Heroes

9. Facebook

10. Anna Nicole Smith

Most Popular Searches on Google News (Global)

1. American Idol

2. YouTube

3. Britney Spears

4. 2007 cricket World Cup

5. Chris Benoit

6. iPhone

7. Anna Nicole Smith

8. Paris Hilton

9. Iran

10. Vanessa Hudgens

Most Searched Presidential Campaign

1. Ron Paul

2. Fred Thompson

3. Hillary Clinton

4. Barack Obama

5. John Edwards

6. Mitt Romney

7. John McCain

8. Joe Biden

9. Bill Richardson

10. Rudy Giuliani

Most Searched TV Shows

1. Heroes

2. Lost

3. House

4. 24

5. Bones

6. Jericho

7. Reba

8. scrubs

9. Greek

10. Caveman

Most Searched Movies

1. Transformers

2. 300

3. The Simpsons Movie

4. Epic movie

5. Bee Movie

6. Harry Potter

7. Hairspray

8. Cars

9. Iron Man

10. Amazing Grace

Searches for "Who is ...?"

1. Who is God

2. Who is who

3. Who is lookup

4. Who is Jesus

5. Who is it

6. Who is buckethead

7. Who is calling

8. Who is keppler

9. Who is this

10. Who is Satan

Searches for "How to ..."

1. How to kiss

2. How to draw

3. How to knit

4. How to hack

5. How to dance

6. How to crochet

7. How to meditate

8. How to flirt

9. How to levitate

10. How to skateboard

Searches for "What is ...?"

1. What is love

2. What is autism

3. What is rss

4. What is lupus

5. What is sap

6. What is Bluetooth

7. What is emo

8. What is Java

9. What is HPV

10. What is gout