TimeWave Zero

2003 Year-End Google Zeitgeist
Search patterns, trends, and surprises
Press Center

The 2003 Year-End Zeitgeist offers a unique perspective on the year's major events and hottest trends based on more than 55 billion searches conducted over the past year by Google users from around the world. Whether you are tracking the global progression of the latest news or learning about healthy searches in Japan, the 2003 Year-End Zeitgeist enables you to look at the past year through the collective eyes of the world on the Internet.

Zeitgeist Explained
The term "zeitgeist" comes from the German "Zeit" meaning "time" and "Geist" meaning "spirit". The term is defined in English by Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary as "the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era."

Popular Queries
2003
1. britney spears
2. harry potter
3. matrix
4. shakira
5. david beckham
6. 50 cent
7. iraq
8. lord of the rings
9. kobe bryant
10. tour de france

Popular News Queries
2003
1. iraq
2. laci peterson
3. kobe bryant
4. bertrand cantat
5. riaa
6. jessica lynch
7. michael jackson
8. elizabeth smart
9. korea
10. dixie chicks

Popular Brands
2003
1. ferrari
2. sony
3. bmw
4. disney
5. ryanair
6. hp
7. dell
8. easyjet
9. last minute
10. walmart

California Earthquake

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The December 22 earthquake in San Simeon, Calif. resulted in a spike in search queries at 11:15 a.m.


Top Queries Related
to the Earthquake
1. earthquake
2. california earthquake
3. earthquakes
4. earthquake california
5. california earthquakes
6. caltech earthquake
7. usgs earthquake
8. earthquake news
9. san simeon earthquake
10. recent earthquakes

Roland Garros
The annual French Open tennis tournament takes place at Roland Garros in Paris each year.

Matrix Reloaded
Released in May, Matrix Reloaded is the second in the movie series. Please click here for a larger view.

NASA
In February, seven astronauts were killed aboard the U.S. space shuttle Columbia when it was destroyed above Texas during re-entry.

Iraq
Searches for 'iraq' more than doubled on March 19, the date that Operation Iraqi Freedom began.

SARS
In March, scientists identified a mysterious respiratory illness afflicting people in Asia and Canada and named it severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). In total, the illness affected more than 8,000 people and killed more than 700 worldwide.

Carnaval
Mardi Gras celebrations begin to take place worldwide every year in February and March.

Paula Radcliffe
Paula Radcliffe set a new women's world record when she won the London Marathon in April, beating her previous record by one minute 53 seconds.

Congestion Charge
In February, drivers in London began facing "congestion charges" while driving within central London during peak travel times.

Image Search
Popular Men
2003
1. eminem
2. david beckham
3. orlando bloom
4. justin timberlake
5. 50 cent
6. tupac
7. brad pitt
8. johnny depp
9. marilyn manson
10. vin diesel

Popular Women
2003
1. britney spears
2. jennifer lopez
3. pamela anderson
4. christina aguilera
5. angelina jolie
6. shakira
7. avril lavigne
8. anna kournikova
9. beyonce
10. cameron diaz

Popular Fictional Characters - 2003
1. simpsons
2. harry potter
3. pokemon
4. spiderman
5. winnie the pooh
6. hello kitty
7. snoopy
8. south park
9. superman
10. spongebob

Popular Anime Searches
2003
1. manga
2. final fantasy
3. sailor moon
4. yu-gi-oh
5. dragonball z
6. inuyasha
7. goku
8. beyblade
9. zelda
10. digimon

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United Kingdom Popular Queries
2003
1. prince charles
2. eastenders
3. winnie the pooh
4. jonny wilkinson
5. easyjet
6. david beckham
7. michael jackson
8. 2 fast 2 furious
9. paris hilton
10. simpsons

Popular Travel
2003
1. easyjet
2. cheap flights
3. ryanair
4. british airways
5. train times
6. streetmap
7. holidays
8. london underground
9. eurostar
10. concorde


Popular Sports-Related Queries - 2003
1. jonny wilkinson
2. david beckham
3. rugby world cup
4. manchester united
5. football
6. bbc sport
7. sky sports
8. liverpool
9. ronaldo
10. real madrid

Ripped from
the Headlines...

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Searches for rumors and
scandals in 2003


France Popular Queries
2003
1. SNCF
2. FNAC
3. star academy
4. TF1
5. matrix
6. SFR
7. le monde
8. britney spears
9. air france
10. lorie

Popular Men
2003
1. eminem
2. harry potter
3. marilyn manson
4. michael jackson
5. justin timberlake
6. bertrand cantat
7. orlando bloom
8. bob marley
9. 50 cent
10. 2pac

Popular Women
2003
1. britney spears
2. lorie
3. jlo
4. alyssa milano
5. christina aguilera
6. anne geddes
7. beyonce
8. avril lavigne
9. monica belluci
10. kylie minogue

The Battle of
Reality TV...
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Australia Popular Queries
2003
1. australian idol
2. christina aguilera
3. britney spears
4. qantas
5. eminem
6. melbourne cup
7. guy sebastian
8. paris hilton
9. virgin blue
10. orlando bloom