Whether you get your entertainment in the theater or on the couch, Year in Search captured the movies and TV shows that we couldn’t stop watching—and searching. 

A variety of categories that kept us glued to screens everywhere. For more, you can explore the global and country-specific lists here.

Movies

The big screen felt even bigger this year thanks to the release of several blockbuster films that made us laugh, cry and crave adventure. Here are the top trending movies in the U.S. this year. 

Action and Adventure

1. Avengers Endgame

2. Captain Marvel

3. Aquaman

4. John Wick 3

5. Dark Phoenix

6. Spider Man Far From Home

7. Midway

8. Bumblebee

9. Hobbs and Shaw

10. Alita Battle Angel

Comedies

1. Isn't It Romantic

2. Little

3. Playing with Fire

4. Good Boys

5. Jojo Rabbit

6. Booksmart

7. Fighting with my Family

8. Zombieland 2

9. Blinded by the Light

10. Late Night

Dramas

1. Once Upon A Time in Hollywood

2. Hustlers

3. Green Book

4. The Upside

5. Rocketman

6. Bohemian Rhapsody

7. Brightburn

8. Breakthrough

9. The Mule

10. Ad Astra

Family 

1. Toy Story 4

2. Lion King

3. Frozen 2

4. Aladdin

5. Detective Pikachu

6. Descendants 3

7. Dragon Ball Super Broly

8. The Art of Racing in the Rain

9. Dumbo

10. Missing Link

Thrillers

1. Joker

2. IT Chapter Two

3. Midsommar

4. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

5. Us

6. Pet Sematary

7. Glass

8. The Intruder 

9. Crawl

10. Cold Pursuit

Romance 

1. Five Feet Apart

2. Last Christmas

3. A Star is Born

4. What Men Want

5. After

6. Second Act

7. Downton Abbey

8. The Sun is also a Star

9. Always Be My Maybe

10. If Beale Street Could Talk

TV Shows 

What shows kept you on the couch this year? New TV series like “Euphoria” and returning favorites like “Game of Thrones” had us staying in and binge-watching. Here are the top trending TV shows across several genres in the U.S.

Comedies 

1. Dead to Me

2. The Boys

3. Rick and Morty Season 4

4. Victorious

5. Fleabag

Dramas 

1. When They See Us

2. Chernobyl

3. Euphoria

4. Surviving R. Kelly

5. Russian Doll

Sci-Fi/Fantasy

1. Game of Thrones

2. Strangers Things

3. The Mandalorian

4. Umbrella Academy

5. Carnival Row

Reality TV 

1. Jeopardy

2. Paradise Hotel

3. Temptation Island

4. Double Shot at Love

5. Dog the Bounty Hunter

In 2019, the world found heroes. 

We found heroes at the box office, where Avengers: Endgame was the top-trending movie around the world (in fact, “hero” was searched three times more than “villain” globally this year). We turned to real-life heroes in times of crisis, when searches for “how to become a first responder” hit an all-time high in the U.S. We cheered for them on the field, where Megan Rapinoe was one of the top trending athletes globally. And she was joined by other leading ladies: searches for “sheroes” increased by 150 percent and the “first female spacewalk” became a breakout trend worldwide. 

Thanks to all of our heroes for helping us soar into 2020. Explore more trending lists from the year at Google.com/2019. 

A new decade is right around the corner. As 2020 rapidly approaches, we’ve started reminiscing about the people, movies, songs and more that captivated us during the past 10 years. We took a look at 2010 data to explore what people were searching for at the beginning of the decade compared to the search trends topping the charts in 2019. Here are some 2010 trends that will give you all the feels.

People 

Justin Bieber’s first studio album, “My World 2.0,” debuted in March 19, 2010, and he became  the top trending musician that year. Bieber is trending again a decade later, but not for his music: This time he’s trending in the “weddings” category following his marriage to Hailey Baldwin.

Betty White was the oldest person to host “Saturday Night Live” in 2010. This year, Betty returned to top trends thanks to a movie role. She joined the cast of “Toy Story 4” as Bitey White, a friendly, hilarious toy tiger. 

Lebron James became a free agent in 2010 and announced on live television he would sign with the Miami Heat. He continues to make headlines, on and off the court, throughout the decade.

Musicians and songs

We took a look at the five top trending musicians or bands from each year since 2010. Here’s a glimpse at how we’ve seen searching for these artists change over the decade. (This does not include artists who didn’t make the top five Year in Search for each year.)

And if visualizing these musical journeys isn’t making you nostalgic, remembering the top trending songs from 2010 will. We took a trip down memory lane and looked at the jams we were busy belting out (and searching for). 

1. Pants on the Ground by Larry Platt

2. Love the Way You Lie by Rhianna 

3. Like a G6 by Far East Movement

4. We Are The World by Artists for Haiti

5. Bedrock by Young Money

6. Bottoms Up by Brantley Gilbert

7. Teenage Dream by Katy Perry

8. Rude Boy by Rhianna 

9. Hey Soul Sister by Train 

10. Right Above It by Lil’ Wayne ft. Drake 

Movies and TV 

“Toy Story 3” premiered in 2010 nearly 11 years after its previous sequel, sending it to the top trending movies category that year in the U.S. The cast of familiar faces (and some new ones!) return in “Toy Story 4.” The fourth movie in the saga made the top trending list for movies in 2019. 

Tony Stark saved the day in “Iron Man 2” at the beginning of the decade. This year, he joined the cast of superheroes in “Avengers: Endgame,” which was the top trending movie globally.

“The Walking Dead” walked into the top trending TV shows list in 2010 with its  series premiere. The show didn’t make the top trending list this year, but searches for “the walking dead” spiked twice in the U.S. for the season nine finale and the season 10 premiere.

LOL. Yasss. SMH. The internet has long been where words (and of course, acronyms) solidify their place in the English language. But the web’s breakneck pace can make it difficult to totally grasp what phrases are becoming popular, or even what they mean. 

1. “Psh”

Sure, it’s more of a sound than a word, but YouTuber Ed Bassmaster helped us communicate how excited we *weren’t* about things this year.

2. “Oop”

Reality TV star Jasmine Masters invented the phrase heard ‘round the internet.

3. “Hustle”

This must be a sign that people picked up the pace this year (hopefully not while they were on scooters).

4. “Oh man”

Clearly, plenty of people needed to express exasperation.

5. “Peasant”

Perhaps “Game of Thrones” mania had something to do with this particular search term.

6. “Dad joke”

Puns from Pops were tops non-stop.

7. “No regrets”

Even poultry should live it up, amirite?

8. “Everything”

This year was EVERYTHING (and especially hyperbolic).

9. “Beast”

Whatever it takes to get the job done, even if it involves claws and excess body hair.

10. “Not happy”

Ah yes, a timeless sentiment that held its own in 2019.

Go ahead, "GIF" one of these expressions a try for yourself!

It’s October, which means it’s officially the most spook-i-ful time of the year. We don’t want to wait until the 31st to start having some fun, so we’re back with this year’s Frightgeist, Google Trends’ collection of Halloween’s most-searched costumes. People looking to (trick or) treat themselves to the perfect Halloween look started the costume hunt last month. Here’s what people in the United States were searching for in September 2019.

Most-searched Halloween costumes in September 2019

Fortnite returned as one of the most searched Halloween costumes, but “IT” is scaring ITs way up to the top of the most searched Halloween costumes in the U.S. last month. Several Halloween favorites also return to the most searched list, like Spider-Man, clowns and unicorns. Check out the rest of your top 10.

1. IT

2. Witch

3. Spider-Man

4. Dinosaur

5. Descendants

6. Clown 

7. Fortnite

8. Chucky

9. 1980s

10. Unicorn

Halloween costume searches in the U.S. 

While many states are searching for Halloween go-tos like witches or dinosaurs, people in Casper, Wyoming, are stepping into Wonderland with “The Mad Hatter” attire and those in Idaho are testing out tails with mermaid costumes. Explore the costume map on Frightgeist to find out what other costumes are being searched for in your state.

Most searched costumes for couples 

Couples that costume together, stay together. And it looks like they are keeping things classic with “couple costume” searches like Bonnie and Clyde and Adam and Eve. Disney favorite, Lilo and Stitch, also top the most searched couples costumes last month.  

1. Lilo and Stitch

2. Bonnie and Clyde

3. Cosmo and Wanda

4. Adam and Eve

5. Cheech and Chong

6. Mario and Luigi

7. Chucky and Tiffany

8. Sonny and Cher

9. Rick and Morty

10. Phineas and Ferb

Most-searched “good-for-groups” costume searches 

Grab your group, dress up as your favorite characters and take first prize at your local costume contest. The Descendants' group of teens take the award for most-searched “good for groups” award, but the 1980s are making a comeback and may be the perfect fit for your groovy group.

If you’re a “Toy Story” fan looking to step out in a group or family costume, the biggest breakout costume search of this year is Forky. “Bo Peep costume” is also up by 300 percent.

1. Descendants

2. Fortnite

3. Stranger Things

4. 1980s

5. Toy Story

6. Power Rangers

7. Star Wars

8. The Wizard of Oz

9. Minecraft

10. The Powerpuff Girls

Most-searched pet costumes 

Dogs really are a ghoul’s best friend! People across the U.S. have been searching for the paw-fect costume for their furry friends. We can expect to see some strangely adorable pets this Halloween, with the “Stranger Things” monster Demogorgon making the most searched dog costume list. And with “Demogorgon costume” searches overall up 300 percent this year, expect to see some truly terrifying (and cute) costumes on Halloween night.

1. Chucky dog costume

2. Ewok dog costume

3. Spider dog costume

4. Pennywise dog costume

5. Dinosaur dog costume

6. UPS dog costume

7. Demogorgon dog costume

8. Shark dog costume

9. Batman dog costume

10. Ghost dog costume

Currently trending costumes for babies

We took a look at currently trending “baby costumes” from the past month and they are way too cute to spook, even if they are dressed up as Pennywise! For your baby with a sweet side, there are plenty of delicious treats, like concha and Starbucks, also trending. 

1. Banana

2. Dalmatian

3. Grinch

4. Pennywise

5. Stay Puft

6. Starbucks

7. Concha

8. Pumpkin

9. Deer

10. Olaf

Halloween costumes may be a little (candy) corny, but there is no shortage of scary good ideas on our most searched lists. To find even more costume inspiration, take a look behind the mask with Frightgeist. Witching you a very haunted Halloween!

Editor’s note: For National Hispanic Heritage Month, we teamed up with Los Angeles-based artist and photographer Arlene Mejorado, whose work explores themes of racial identity and cultural experience. She brought the family stories of Joana Diaz and Lenny Trujillo to life for this article.

Growing up, Lenny Trujillo only knew bits and pieces of his family history. As a young boy, his father would take him to the Agua Mansa Cemetery in Colton, California, where dozens of his relatives are buried. 

After retiring from the U.S. Postal Service, Lenny, who is 67, wanted to learn more about the patriarch of his family, Lorenzo Trujillo. In 1841, Lorenzo brought his entire family over from New Mexico to modern-day California, becoming one of the early non-indigenous settlers of the San Bernardino and Riverside areas.

Using Search, Lenny could look at the burial records of all the Trujillos at the cemetery and research the Old Spanish Trail, which his great-great-great grandfather Lorenzo traversed with his family over a thousand miles by foot. 

Lorenzo's journey made a deep impression on Lenny. He wanted to memorialize Lorenzo in a significant way, so he enlisted a sculptor and chose one of his artworks to place near the unmarked gravesite. The design, he says, reminds him of a hurricane. “The center is bringing force in but it's also distributing everything at the same time," he says.

For 42-year-old Joana Diaz of Philadelphia, genealogy became a way to feel proud of who she is. Growing up, she would spend most summers in Puerto Rico, staying intermittently with both sets of grandparents, then back home, where she had very little family. So she started to look into her genealogy to feel closer to her family back in Puerto Rico. 

Using Search, she found an old census and history books about Puerto Rico. She learned more about the line of family who came to Puerto Rico from Corsica, deciphering these documents with the help of Google Translate. One of her favorite finds was an old photograph of the church in Cidra, Puerto Rico, where she spent a number of summers. 

"It's important to remember the struggles before you and what our ancestors went through,” she says. “On the island, time moves slowly. But it's also where people are still very connected to the earth, to the culture and who they are."

Nearly 20 years ago, a green Versace dress broke the internet, and Google Images was born.

It was February 2000 when Jennifer Lopez wore a jungle print dress, designed by Donatella Versace, to the Grammy Awards. Seemingly overnight it became a fashion legend, as well as the most popular search query Google had seen at the time. 

But back in 2000, search results were still just a list of blue links. When the Search team realized they weren’t able to directly surface the results that people wanted—a picture of Jennifer in the dress—they were inspired to create Google Images.

Yesterday, at Milan Fashion Week, we reunited with Donatella Versace to celebrate nearly two decades since this iconic moment in fashion (and Google) history. We showed off a new, revamped green dress in the print, designed by Donatella Versace and modeled by J.Lo.

Google Tilt Brush helped decorate the runway space with digital artwork inspired by the new print.

The Google Assistant was on hand as well...

No one predicted that the jungle print dress would have the technological impact that it did—not even J.Lo herself. Eighteen years later, Google Images is used by millions of people every day, not just to look for celebrity style or fashion photos, but to find ideas for redesigning a living room, creating a meal, or embarking on a DIY project. 

Who knows where our next big idea might come from?

Sometimes when you use Google, you’re seeking information when timeliness matters, even if your query doesn’t spell that out. For example, when you search for something like “income brackets,” it’s likely that you’re looking for this year’s tax information, not last year’s.

On the other hand, for many queries, the most useful information isn’t necessarily found among the most recent web results. For instance, if you ask “Why is the sky red at sunset,” the underlying explanation doesn’t change over time, and the clearest description is often found on an older page. Prioritizing fresh content wouldn’t necessarily yield better results. 

At the core of Search is language understanding, and our systems don’t understand language the same way humans do. This is why we’re constantly developing new ways to better understand your searches and provide relevant results, especially in cases where there is useful context that is implied, like whether freshness matters.

As part of our ongoing efforts to make Search work better for you, a new algorithm update improves our systems’ understanding of what information remains useful over time and what becomes out-of-date more quickly. This is particularly helpful for featured snippets, a feature in Search that highlights pages that our systems determine are most likely to have the information you’re looking for. For queries where fresh information is important, our systems will try to find the most useful and up-to-date featured snippets.  

Here are some examples where fresh featured snippets are especially helpful. You might be looking for information that is updated on a regular basis, like the next full moon, the winner of a reality TV show, or upcoming holidays. 

Other information gets more accurate over time. For example, as an event approaches, we learn more specific details. A fresher page about an upcoming TV premiere might have more specific information and other useful content, like trailers, that you can click through to view.

Sometimes a query is related to current events, so fresh sources are particularly important. If you’re searching for a food recall, for example, you probably want to find the most recent information with guidance for that specific issue.

Content on the web is always changing—sometimes at rapid speed, depending on the topic—so our results for any given query can change along with it. (In fact, that’s why you may not currently see some of the results above.) 

We strive to always update  our systems to keep our results relevant and useful. Some of the changes we make may not always be obvious, but we hope we are always able to help you find the fresh information you’re looking for.