Year in Review: The top 10 internet searches of 2022

1. WORDLE

The most searched term of the year ended up being an online game that took the internet by storm at the start of 2022. Josh Wardle developed the game to play with his partner in the fall of 2021, but it skyrocketed in popularity. In January, it went from 300,000 players to 2 million in roughly a week.

The game consists of green, yellow, and gray squares, and the goal of the game is to guess a five-letter word each day with only six chances. A green square means that a letter is guessed in the correct square, a yellow one means that the letter is correct but in the wrong square, and a gray square means it is an incorrect letter.

“I get emails from people who say things like, ‘Hey, we can’t see our parents due to COVID at the moment, but we share our Wordle results each day,’” Wardle told the Guardian. “During this weird situation, it’s a way for people to connect in a low effort, low friction way.”

The game’s popularity led the New York Times to acquire it at the start of the year. In July, it was announced that the game would be turned into a physical board game that was released on store shelves in the fall.

2. ELECTION RESULTS

Prior to Nov. 8, the 2022 midterm elections were expected to be a massive loss for the Biden administration and the Democratic Party. Turns out, President Joe Biden experienced the best midterm elections for any president in the last 20 years after the predicted “red wave” failed to materialize.

The Republican Party saw some victories in November, including Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) record-breaking reelection and retaking the House of Representatives, but many Republican candidates, including Dr. Mehmet Oz for the Senate in Pennsylvania, Tudor Dixon for governor of Michigan, and Blake Masters for the Senate in Arizona, ended up losing to their Democratic opponents. The Senate race between Herschel Walker and Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) ended up going to a runoff in December, but even then the Republicans lost a key Senate seat.

The underwhelming performance of the Republican Party in the midterm elections put a damper on former President Donald Trump’s announcement for the 2024 presidential election, which was announced just a week after Election Day. Many of the candidates whom Trump endorsed ahead of the midterm elections ended up losing.

3. BETTY WHITE

The United States mourned the loss of actress Betty White on Dec. 31, 2021, when she died ahead of her 100th birthday, which would have been Jan. 17.

The Golden Girls actress died six days after suffering a cerebrovascular accident, the stoppage of blood flow to a part of the brain due to a blocked or ruptured blood vessel, according to a report containing her death certificate.

“Betty passed in her sleep peacefully without pain,” Jeff Witjas, White’s agent, told the Washington Examiner. “To me, this is the most important thing and brings me comfort as her dear friend. … Anything else is private to Betty.”

White had several awards to her name, including eight Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In addition, she had 115 acting credits to her name. Those included The Golden Girls, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Betty White Show, The Love Boat, That ’70s Show, Community, Hot in Cleveland, and several others. The Emmy Award-winning actress was also a staple of game shows in the 1960s and 1970s, making several appearances on Password, What’s My Line, Match Game, and Pyramid.

4. QUEEN ELIZABETH

Queen Elizabeth II died on Sept. 8 at the age of 96, marking the end of her 70-year reign.

The news of the queen’s death came after months of reports of her poor health. Earlier this year, the queen had to cancel multiple appearances at important events and drastically reduce her participation in other key events, including missing portions of her Platinum Jubilee this summer.

“In the hearts of every one of us there is an ache at the passing of our Queen, a deep and personal sense of loss — far more intense, perhaps, than we expected,” former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement. “This is our country’s saddest day. In these first grim moments since the news, I know that millions and millions of people have been pausing whatever they have been doing, to think about Queen Elizabeth, about the bright and shining light that has finally gone out.”

The queen’s death came a year after her husband, Prince Philip, died in April 2021. In the wake of the queen’s death, her eldest son, Charles, ascended to the throne at 73, making him the oldest king to be crowned in British history.

5. BOB SAGET

Full House actor and comedian Bob Saget died on Jan. 9 at the age of 65 while on a comedy tour.

Born in 1956 in Philadelphia, Saget became known to many as Danny Tanner in Full House, an ABC sitcom. He played a widowed father of three girls in the show from 1987 to 1995. He also appeared in Netflix’s revival of the series, Fuller House.

Saget “accidentally hit the back of his head on something, thought nothing of it and went to sleep,” the family said. They added that no drugs or alcohol were involved, according to a report from E! News.

“In the weeks since Bob’s passing, we have been overwhelmed with the incredible outpouring of love from Bob’s fans, which has been a great comfort to us, and for which we are eternally grateful,” a statement from Saget’s family read. “Now that we have the final conclusions from the authorities’ investigation, we felt it only proper that the fans hear those conclusions directly from us.”

Saget is survived by his second wife, Kelly Rizzo, and three children, who are in their late 20s and 30s, with ex-wife Sherri Kramer.

6. UKRAINE

Ukraine became the center of global attention in mid-February when Russia invaded the country. The invasion began a war between the two countries following months of growing tensions.

The war in Ukraine is carrying on almost a year later, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visiting the Capitol on Dec. 21. Zelensky’s visit with Biden marked the first time he has left Ukraine since the start of the war.

In mid-November, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, estimated about 100,000 soldiers had been killed on both the Ukrainian and Russian sides of the war effort. He also estimated about 40,000 civilians had been killed since the start of the war, according to BBC.

The U.S., along with several other countries, has supported Ukraine in the war. As of Dec. 7, it is estimated that the U.S. has provided $51 billion to the warring country, according to the Kiel Institute.

7. MEGA MILLIONS

Searches for the term “Mega Millions” remained relatively low throughout 2022. The exception to that trend came the week of July 24 through July 30, when interest saw a giant spike, according to Google Trends.

That week, the winning ticket of a $1.28 billion lottery jackpot was sold near a Speedy Cafe Speedway gas station in Des Plaines, Illinois. The winning numbers of the ticket were 13, 36, 45, 57, and 67, with the gold Mega Ball being 14.

The ticket is the second largest prize in Mega Millions’s history, surpassed only by the $1.537 billion won in South Carolina on Oct. 23, 2018, according to the lottery.

“Congratulations to the Illinois Lottery for selling the winning ticket for the $1.337 billion Mega Millions jackpot,” Ohio Lottery Director Pat McDonald said. “We are thrilled to have witnessed one of the biggest jackpot wins in Mega Millions history. We’re eager to find out who won and look forward to congratulating the winner soon! Better still, this exciting jackpot run has had a significant positive impact on the revenues for good causes raised by our member lotteries.”

8. POWERBALL NUMBERS

Similar to “Mega Millions,” “Powerball numbers” remained relatively low on interest for a majority of the year until the week of Nov. 6 through Nov. 12, when search rates shot up. During that week, a ticket worth over $2 billion was sold in California, making it the California Lottery’s first billionaire.

The drawing for this prize money took place on Nov. 8, and the winning numbers were 10, 33, 41, 47, and 56, with Powerball 10. The numbers were originally scheduled to be drawn the day prior but were delayed because one state lottery did not fully report its sales data in time.

“California Lottery makes its FIRST EVER Billionaire!” California Lottery said in a statement. “One lucky ticket sold at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena matched all 6 numbers in the November 7 #Powerball draw. The final jackpot amount for this draw came to $2.04 BILLION dollars.”

On Nov. 11, the Minnesota Lottery revealed that Minnesota was the state responsible for the delay. In a release, the lottery claimed the delay was necessary “to confirm the Powerball drawing could be conducted securely and accurately.”

9. ANNE HECHE

Actress Anne Heche died on Aug. 12, one week after she was hospitalized from a car crash in Los Angeles.

The Emmy-nominated actress had crashed into a home in the Mar Vista neighborhood in California on Aug. 5, causing both the house and the car she had been driving to catch on fire. A family representative claimed on Aug. 11 that Heche was “not expected to survive” after suffering a “severe anoxic brain injury” that resulted in a coma. The actress died the next day.

“We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend,” the representative said in a statement. “Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy. Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.”

Heche was known for her roles in the soap opera Another World, the slasher film I Know What You Did Last Summer, and other movies and television programs. She is survived by her two sons: Homer Laffoon, 20, and Atlas Tupper, 13.

10. JEFFREY DAHMER

Infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer may be known for his numerous acts of murders from the late 1970s through the early 1990s, but the convicted killer experienced a resurgence in interest in mid-September through mid-October, roughly around the time Netflix released a documentary series titled Dahmer.

The series, which focuses on the serial killer and stars Evan Peters as the title character, was released on the streaming platform on Sept. 21 and was originally marketed under Netflix’s LGBT tag, along with other tags. However, the tag was later removed from the series following backlash on social media regarding Dahmer’s history.

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In 1992, Dahmer was convicted and sentenced for 16 counts of first-degree intentional homicide committed between 1978 and 1991. He remains infamous 30 years later for the grisly manner of the murders, which were often followed by acts of cannibalism and necrophilia.

Costume items resembling Dahmer’s appearance, including glasses reminiscent of the ones Dahmer wore and a wig sporting the same appearance as the serial killer, have been removed by eBay from its website. The items were removed under the site’s “Violence and Violent Criminal Policy,” which does not allow users to sell items that “promote or glorify violence or violent acts, or are associated with individuals who are notorious for committing violent acts.”