No. 2: World Cup
Hail the vuvuzela! Productivity nearly ground to a halt when those horns starting buzzing, signaling the FIFA 2010 World Cup. As predicted, 2010 emerged as an incredible sports year. For 30 days in summer, men’s soccer (aka football) became the world’s sport. South Africa was hosting, and the African continent…
No. 1: BP Oil Spill
On April 20, 11 workers went missing after an explosion at the Deepwater Horizon, a BP-leased oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Their tragedy, though, was soon overshadowed by the ensuing BP oil spill, which threatened U.S. southern shores. As BP struggled to control nature, technology, and the ire…
2010 YEAR IN REVIEW
A man-made disaster, a global sport, pop culture’s leading ladies (and one young gent), and gadgets starting with an “i.” Since 2001, Yahoo! has been tallying up the top searches of the year, providing a snapshot of a culture in motion. Over the past decade, the No. 1 slot has…
Talking to the Year’s Hottest Pitchman
Old Spice guy meets The Most Interesting Man in the World. Can we turn on the mud hose when the wrestling begins? Isaiah Mustafa, the smooth-talking horseman and the year’s hottest pitchman on Yahoo!, gives us one more shot at his altar by hosting TBS’s “Funniest Commercials of the Year”…
Midterm Moodiness
What’s on the minds of voters? Unemployment, taxes, and the tea party. That’s according to a new analysis of Yahoo! searches from 30 days before and after the midterm election. Throughout 2010, outsider candidates, high political drama, and quirky platforms (like “The Rent Is Too Damn High“) preoccupied voters’ attention…
Who’s Top Dog? Top 10 Breeds
With apologies to cat lovers, felines just don’t get the kind of online affection that pups command. People go online for all sorts of dog advice, from name suggestions to training tips. When it come to all-around ogling, the ittiest bittiest Chihuahua is the pack leader on Yahoo! Search, followed…
Most-Searched Politicians
Politicking can be bloodsport, and the midterm elections were bruising for combatants and voters alike. Money flowed freely as politicians argued over fiscal constraint, tea party crashers elbowed aside the Green Party and progressives, and truly pressing issues tussled for attention against catchy platforms like “the rent is too damn…
iPad Love and Most Searched Gadgets
If Moses had owned a tablet, it might have been an iPad. The iPad stoked a messianic fervor, and with its debut, rumors already sprang for the second coming of Apple’s “magical and revolutionary device.” DigiTimes Systems reports from its sources (Taiwanese component makers) that the magical day will be…
“Glee”-ful Tidings and Most-Searched TV Shows
Throughout sitcom/dramedy history, the Christmas episode has been a mark of success and longevity: The stars are beloved enough to warble carols and to be forgiven for less-than-professional pipes. Of course, since “Glee” has always been about the music, its holiday episode is practically a requirement for the sophomore series…
Most Expensive Votes
This year’s midterm elections shattered previous fundraising records with estimated spending of more than $4 billion. Yet the biggest spenders didn’t necessarily win. In California, Republican Meg Whitman spent about $175 million — $57 a vote — in her bid to be governor, mostly from her own bank account. (She…