December 5, 2006; 03:21 AM
Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO) released its list of the most popular search
terms of 2006 and Britney Spears has topped the list for the fifth time
in six years. In 2005 everyone on the Top Search list had music, film
or TV hits, but 2006 was all about the under thirty celebrity set
making a mark on pop culture. Based on results selected from millions
of Yahoo! Search users, the top searches of 2006 gives unique insight
into whom and what captivated people this year.
The Yahoo! Search 2006 Top Searches Web page can be found at http://buzz.yahoo.com/topsearches2006
or by going to Yahoo.com and searching for "Top Searches 2006." The
site provides a destination where people can view annual recap lists on
pop culture topics, news, sports and political happenings and, for the
first time, interact with Top Search content by further exploring the
moments that made 2006. In addition, top online videos, Flickr photos
and Yahoo! Answers content that Yahoo! users contributed this year are
also featured prominently on the site.
The Yahoo! Search 2006 Overall Top 10 Searches are:
1. Britney Spears
2. WWE
3. Shakira
4. Jessica Simpson
5. Paris Hilton
6. American Idol
7. Beyonce Knowles
8. Chris Brown
9. Pamela Anderson
10. Lindsay Lohan
"Controversy
rocked the lives of several of the stars on this year's Top Search list
and The 2006 Yahoo! Top Searches illustrate that people are closely
following celebrity happenings and scandals," said Jess Barron, Yahoo!
Editor and Buzz Index Guru.
Britney Spears' talent once kept
her in the public eye, but this year she nabbed the top spot thanks to
a new baby and a divorce filing. Shakira "shakes" her way up to the
third position and number four Jessica Simpson separates from Nick
Lachey and has a "Public Affair" with crooner John Mayer. Paris Hilton
rounds out the top five for making up with reality pal Nicole Richie.
The old-timer of the list is 39 year-old Pam Anderson who proves she's
still young at heart by tying the knot with Kid Rock three times in a
month before calling it quits following less than four months of
marriage. In at number 10 for the second year in a row is Lindsay Lohan
who admits to a bulimia battle, drug use and a penchant for the single
life. In with all the ladies is teen R&B phenomenon Chris Brown,
the only male to make this year's list.
"Movers" Rocket to the Top
Movers
are Search topics that experience the greatest percentage increase in
queries from one day to the next. Often coming out of nowhere, movers
momentarily spark public interest and often disappear just as quickly
as they arrived. When viewed month by month, they highlight some of the
year's hottest news headlines and events. Visitors to the Yahoo! Search
2006 Top Searches Web page can access images and text for the top ten
movers for each month that include myriad subjects ranging from
specific mainstream happenings to the bizarre.
Yahoo! Search 2006 Top Movers of Each Month:
MONTH MOVER WHY?
----------- ----------------- ----------------------------------------
January Barbara Hershey Boyfriend Naveen Andrews admits to
fathering a love child
----------- ----------------- ----------------------------------------
February Danish Cartoon Drawings of Muhammad sparked a furor
among Muslims worldwide
----------- ----------------- ----------------------------------------
March NCAA Brackets B-ball ruled the 'Net
----------- ----------------- ----------------------------------------
April Cynthia Watros Her Lost character meets a fatal demise
----------- ----------------- ----------------------------------------
May Jimmy Hoffa The FBI digs up a farm in search of the
former teamster leader's body
----------- ----------------- ----------------------------------------
June Connie Chung The Web goes wild for video clips of her
off-key swan song
----------- ----------------- ----------------------------------------
July SexyBack Justin Timberlake's career is back
thanks to a new slamin' single
----------- ----------------- ----------------------------------------
August Gillian Chung Tabloid Easy Rider publishes photos of
the star changing and celebrities
denounce the pub's irresponsible
actions
----------- ----------------- ----------------------------------------
September Steve Irwin The world pays tribute to The Crocodile
Hunter
----------- ----------------- ----------------------------------------
October Mermaid costumes People "fish" around on the Internet for
Halloween outfit ideas
----------- ----------------- ----------------------------------------
November Jason Alexander Britney's first ex-husband rises in
popularity as news of her new divorce
hits
----------- ----------------- ----------------------------------------
Yahoo! Search Top 10 Searched Celebrity Babies
This
year famous couples brought little bundles of joy into the world and
into the spotlight. Top searched Suri Cruise and number eight, Grier
Hammond Henchy, share a birthday. Coincidentally, respective parents
Tom Cruise and Brooke Shields had a public spat in 2005 regarding
anti-depressants and postpartum depression. Britney's babes Sean
Preston and Jayden James Federline, three and four, are the only
brothers on the list, while David Banda, in at number six, is the only
adoptee tot of the lot.
1. Suri Cruise (Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes)
2. Shiloh Nouvel (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie)
3. Sean Preston Federline (Britney Spears and Kevin Federline)
4. Jayden James Federline (Britney Spears and Kevin Federline)
5. Kingston James McGregor Rossdale (Gwen Stefani & Gavin Rossdale)
6. David Banda (Madonna and Guy Ritchie)
7. Moses Martin (Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin)
8. Grier Hammond Henchy (Brooke Shields and Chris Henchy)
9. Barron William Trump (Donald Trump and Melania Knauss)
10. Dannielynn Hope Marshall Stern (Anna Nicole Smith and Howard K.
Stern)
Yahoo! Search Top 10 Searched News Stories
People
turn to the Internet and Yahoo! Search as primary sources for
hard-hitting information. The tragic passing of Steve Irwin and the
mysterious death of Daniel Smith rank as this year's top searched
stories. Iraq was a top News Search of 2005 and interest in the Middle
East continued in 2006, with conflict in Iraq, the Israel Lebanon
conflict and the Saddam Hussein trial all ranking well.
1. Death of Steve Irwin
2. Anna Nicole Smith son dies
3. Conflict in Iraq
4. Israel Lebanon conflict
5. U.S. elections
6. Fidel Castro stroke
7. North Korea Nuclear test
8. Jonbenet Ramsey/John Mark Karr false confession
9. Saddam Hussein trial and death sentence
10. Danish Cartoon protests
Yahoo! Answers Most Answered Questions
In
the last year, more than 160 million Answers have been contributed to
Yahoo! Answers worldwide. Celebrities topped the list of the top five
most answered questions with thousands of answers worldwide.
1. If you were given $1,000 to change the life of a perfect stranger,
what would you do? Asked by Oprah Winfrey - 36859 answers
2. What can we do to make poverty history? Asked by Bono - 29479
answers
3. What do you think happens to your soul when you die? Asked by Dr.
Deepak Chopra - 26817 answers
4. How can the human race survive the next hundred years? Asked by
Dr. Stephen Hawking - 25391 answers
5. Who should I sing a duet with? Asked by Ciara - 14799 answers
Those interested in more "Best of Answers 2006" from Yahoo! Answers can visit http://answers.yahoo.com/best
to access an editorially-chosen collection of the most inspiring and
helpful questions and answers from Yahoo! Answers users, as well as
celebrities and prominent figures who posted their questions on Yahoo!
Answers this year.
To see all of this year's Top Searches lists, go to http://buzz.yahoo.com/topsearches2006 or search for "Top Searches 2006" on yahoo.com. Additional categories to those listed in the press release include:
Top 10 Celebrity Searches
Top 10 TV Shows
Top 10 Sports Teams
Top 10 Song Lyrics Searches
Top 10 Movies
Top World Cup Players
Top 10 Blogs/Bloggers
Top 10 Searched Politicians
For
the first time, in addition to Top Web Search lists, the Yahoo! Top
Searches page will be interactive and will include user generated
content top picks from Yahoo! Answers, Flickr and Yahoo! Video. In
addition, people can check out social media material including Top
Videos from Yahoo! Video, Top "Interestingness" Flickr photos, and Top
Answers from Yahoo! Answers.
About Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc.
is a leading global Internet brand and one of the most trafficked
Internet destinations worldwide. Yahoo! seeks to provide online
products and services essential to users' lives, and offers a full
range of tools and marketing solutions for businesses to connect with
Internet users around the world. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale,
California.
Yahoo! and the Yahoo! logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Yahoo! Inc.
All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
SOURCE: Yahoo! Inc.
| Yahoo!, Sheila Tran, 408-349-6455, tsheila@yahoo-inc.com
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