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

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

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
Roland Garros queries
The annual French Open tennis tournament takes place at Roland Garros in Paris each year.
Please click here for a larger view.
Matrix Reloaded
Matrix Reloaded queries
Released in May, Matrix Reloaded is the second in the movie series. Please click here for a larger view.
NASA
NASA queries
In February, seven astronauts were killed aboard the U.S. space shuttle Columbia when it was destroyed above Texas during re-entry. Please click here for a larger view.
Iraq
Iraq queries
Searches for 'iraq' more than doubled on March 19, the date that Operation Iraqi Freedom began.
Please click here for a larger view.
SARS
SARS queries
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. Please click here for a larger view.
Carnaval
carnaval queries
Mardi Gras celebrations begin to take place worldwide every year in February and March.
Please click here for a larger view.
Paula Radcliffe
Paula Radcliffe queries
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.
Please click here for a larger view.
Congestion Charge
congestion charge queries
In February, drivers in London began facing "congestion charges" while driving within central London during peak travel times. Please click here for a larger view.

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


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

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

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

Popular Sports-Related Queries - 2003

     1. melbourne cup

     2. rugby world cup

     3. surfing

     4. jonny wilkinson

     5. soccer

     6. david beckham

     7. davis cup

     8. AFL

     9. rugby league

   10. body boarding

Popular Movies
2003

     1. 2 fast 2 furious

     2. lord of the rings

     3. finding nemo

     4. texas chainsaw massacre

     5. pirates of caribbean

     6. harry potter

     7. star wars

     8. spiderman

     9. hulk

   10. terminator 3

Japan
Popular Women
2003

  1. 小倉  優子 (yuko ogura)

  2. 長谷川  京子
      (kyoko hasegawa)

  3. 吉岡  美穂 (miho yoshioka)

  4. 優香 (yuka)

  5. MEGUMI

  6. 松浦  亜弥 (aya matsuura)

  7. 小野  真弓 (mayumi ono)

  8. 井上  和香 (waka inoue)

  9. 熊田  曜子 (yoko kumada)

10. 上戸  彩 (aya ueto)

Popular Queries
2003

     1. ガンダム (gundam)

     2. 阪神タイガース
         (hanshin tigers)

     3. マトリックス (matrix)

     4. トリビアの泉
         (trivia's spring)

     5. パナウェーブ研究所
         (panawave laboratory)

     6. サッカー (soccer)

     7. オークション (auction)

     8. 高校野球
         (high school baseball)

     9. 心理テスト
         (psychological test)

   10. (cherry blossoms)

Popular Men
2003

  1. ベッカム (beckham)

  2. gackt

  3. 重野哲之 (tetsunori shigeno)

  4. ボブ  サップ (bob sapp)

  5. 加藤  大治郎 (daijiro katoh)

  6. 古尾谷雅人 (masato furuoya)

  7. シュワルツネッガー
      (schwarzenegger)

  8. 松田  雄一 (yuichi matsuda)

  9. 宮本恒靖 (tsuneyasu miyamoto)

10. 池田  努 (tsutomu ikeda)

Spain
Popular Queries
2003

     1. letizia ortiz

     2. terra

     3. gran hermano

     4. juegos

     5. coches

     6. britney spears

     7. dibujos

     8. renfe

     9. iberia

   10. real madrid

Popular Movies
2003

     1. matrix

     2. el senor de los anillos

     3. harry potter

     4. spiderman

     5. hulk

Popular Men
2003

     1. eminem

     2. valentino rossi

     3. beckham

     4. orlando bloom

     5. josh hartnett

     6. michael jackson

     7. ronaldinho

     8. alex ubago

     9. brad pitt

   10. david bisbal

Canada
Popular Music
2003

     1. britney spears

     2. christina aguilera

     3. eminem

     4. jennifer lopez

     5. 50 cent

     6. good charlotte

     7. blink 182

     8. hilary duff

     9. beyonce

   10. avril lavigne

Popular Queries
2003

     1. finding nemo

     2. paris hilton

     3. inuyasha

     4. canada 411

     5. orlando bloom

     6. loft story

     7. canadian tire

     8. michael jackson

     9. toronto star

   10. toronto maple leafs

Popular Brands
2003

     1. air canada

     2. ferrari

     3. walmart

     4. westjet

     5. ikea

     6. royal bank

     7. bmw

     8. best buy

     9. sony

   10. victoria secret

Italy
Popular Italian Singers
2003

     1. eros ramazzotti

     2. vasco rossi

     3. gigi d'alessio

     4. tiziano ferro

     5. giorgia

Popular Queries
2003

     1. pagine bianche

     2. meteo

     3. trenitalia

     4. auto usate

     5. musica

     6. repubblica

     7. lavoro

     8. mappe

     9. carabinieri

   10. ansa

Popular Brands
2003

     1. nokia

     2. hewlett-packard

     3. vodafone

     4. ikea

     5. xbox

Germany
Popular Travel Queries
2003

     1. ryanair

     2. deutsche bahn

     3. last minute

     4. lufthansa

     5. germanwings

Popular Queries
2003

     1. yu-gi-oh

     2. jeanette biedermann

     3. paris hilton

     4. bmw

     5. stiftung warentest

     6. findet nemo

     7. deutsche bahn

     8. antivir

     9. nikolaus

   10. robbie williams

Popular Films
2003

     1. matrix

     2. harry potter

     3. herr der ringe

     4. findet nemo

     5. kill bill

The Netherlands
Popular Men
2003

     1. eminem

     2. justin timberlake

     3. robbie williams

     4. orlando bloom

     5. frans bauer

Popular Queries
2003

     1. spongebob

     2. christina aguilera

     3. voetbal

     4. beyonce

     5. vuurwerk

     6. shin chan

     7. feyenoord

     8. aukje van ginneken

     9. 2 fast 2 furious

   10. lord of the rings

Popular Movies
2003

     1. 2 fast 2 furious

     2. lord of the rings

     3. matrix

     4. harry potter

     5. finding nemo

 

More from the Google Zeitgeist...

Archived Zeitgeist information available here.

Compare the 2003 information with the 2002 Year-End Zeitgeist.


Return to Google homepage.
©2003 Google
Return to Press Center
Updated: Dec. 31, 2003

For more information, please contact 650.930.3555 or press@google.com.

This information is free for your use, with the appropriate attribution to Google Inc. We welcome your feedback, suggestions, and questions.