Hurricane Sandy, the superstorm that ravaged the Caribbean and U.S. northeast last October, was the top trending Google search for major events across the world in 2012.
The storm left at least 253 dead and caused an estimated $65 billion in property damage. Millions of people in the storm's path lost power, but that didn't stop many of them and others from using the Internet and social media to get up-to-the-minute information during and after the storm hit.
Sandy was, in many ways, the first major storm since the social web has come of age.
Many of those in the storm's path shared news with friends and family over services such as Twitter and Instagram. Fake pictures and Twitter rumors about specific power outages in New York City went viral and were later debunked. The New York Times used a webcam set up on its roof to allow anyone with an Internet connection to watch the storm ravage Manhattan.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority, which runs New York's public transit, became a social publisher by posting photos and video of flooding and other damage as the storm unfolded. News and weather networks streamed webcasts and published information to mobile apps.
Sandy beat out other major world events, including the Olympics and the 2012 U.S. presidential election, in search popularity. In order, the other global Google search trends for events were:
Kate Middleton Pictures Released
Olympics 2012
SOPA Debate
Costa Concordia crash
Presidential Debate
Stratosphere Jump
Penn State Scandal
Trayvon Martin shooting
Pussy Riots
Google defines "trending" as "search queries with the highest amount of traffic over a sustained period in 2012 as compared to 2011."
What events did you search Google about in 2012? Are you surprised something did or did not make Google's list? Share your thoughts in the comments, then explore the 2012 Google Zeitgeist for yourself.
BONUS: 15 Amazing Acts of Kindness During Sandy
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