The top trending Google searches of 2020 included everything from the election to the PlayStation 5 - see the full list

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The top trending Google searches of 2020 included everything from the election to the PlayStation 5 - see the full list
  • Google released the top trending US searches of 2020.
  • These queries had the most sustained traffic compared to 2019.
  • COVID-19 and the presidential election dominated the list.

Each year, Google shares a look at what people searched for over the year. They usually give a peek back at what people were thinking about and cared about in the preceding year.

These are the top trending searches of 2020, meaning that they had a noticeable, sustained spike in traffic this year over 2019. The list doesn't contain many surprises and reinforces the idea that Americans spent the year thinking about the election and the coronavirus pandemic. The country also mourned beloved celebrities who died, and looked up tech for both fun and work.

Read more: Target employees claim the chain will wait to arrest shoplifters until thieves steal enough to get felony charges. Experts say it's part of a larger trend to mitigate theft across retail.

Take a look at trending searches from this unusual year.

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1. "Election results" were unsurprisingly on people's minds around the November election.

1. "Election results" were unsurprisingly on people's minds around the November election.
President Donald Trump, left, and former Vice President Joe Biden, right, appear at the October 22, 2020 presidential debate. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI,JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

2. "Coronavirus" was undoubtedly the story of the year, and people searched for information on symptoms, cases, and upcoming vaccines.

2. "Coronavirus" was undoubtedly the story of the year, and people searched for information on symptoms, cases, and upcoming vaccines.
A nurse puts on her PPE before tending to a COVID-19 patient on October 21, 2020 in Essen, Germany. Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images
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3. Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash in January at age 41.

3. Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash in January at age 41.
Jessica Hill/AP Images

Read more about Kobe Bryant here.

4. "Coronavirus update" was also a trending search, as people tried to stay up to date on local restrictions and the spread of the virus.

4. "Coronavirus update" was also a trending search, as people tried to stay up to date on local restrictions and the spread of the virus.
A crowded London street is seen on October 18, shortly after the city was placed under new coronavirus restrictions, banning households mixing. Matthew Chattle/Barcroft Media via Getty Images
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5. "Coronavirus symptoms" made the list as health officials spread the word about when patients should seek medical attention.

5. "Coronavirus symptoms" made the list as health officials spread the word about when patients should seek medical attention.
Samantha Lee/Business Insider

6. Zoom immediately began a crucial tool this year as work, school, and social gatherings moved online.

6. Zoom immediately began a crucial tool this year as work, school, and social gatherings moved online.
An NYU professor uses Zoom to conduct her weekly remote filmmaking class. Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images
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7. "Who is winning the election," also trended. Elections in 2020 were different from past years with mail-in ballots and other coronavirus safety measures.

7. "Who is winning the election," also trended. Elections in 2020 were different from past years with mail-in ballots and other coronavirus safety measures.
Hollis Johnson/Insider

8. Actress Naya Rivera was found dead in Lake Piru, California, in July.

8. Actress Naya Rivera was found dead in Lake Piru, California, in July.
Actress Naya Rivera arrives at the 2014 People's Choice Awards in Los Angeles Reuters
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9. Fans mourned actor Chadwick Boseman, who died of cancer in August.

9. Fans mourned actor Chadwick Boseman, who died of cancer in August.
Chadwick Boseman at the European Premiere of "Black Panther" in 2018. Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Disney

10. "Playstation 5" rounded out the list, as the new console sold out almost immediately and crashed retailers' websites.

10. "Playstation 5" rounded out the list, as the new console sold out almost immediately and crashed retailers' websites.
Kevin Webb / Business Insider

Source: Business Insider

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