Yahoo Canada revealed its ninth annual Year in Review, highlighting the stories, events, and personalities Canadians were preoccupied with or searched for throughout the year on Yahoo. Based on Yahoo Search data, the much-anticipated top 10 Search lists look back at the news, scandals, trendsetters, and heartbreaks that fascinated Canadians in 2013.
"Yahoo Canada's Year in Review offers Canadians a glimpse into the newsmakers and stories that captured their attention, based on their daily search habits on Yahoo," says Claude Galipeau, Country Manager, Yahoo Canada. "This online behavior reflects the standout pop culture trends and collective obsessions Canadians searched, consumed, and shared." Hit jump for all the intel on what you've been searching for on Yahoo Canada.
The searches on this year's top 10 list were diverse, ranging from scandalous, with Rob Ford's crack-smoking confession, to global news like the crisis in Syria. And celebrity news kept people searching in 2013 with Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke, Fifty Shades of Grey, Kim Kardashian, and Kate Upton rounding out this year's list.
| Top 10 Searches on Yahoo Canada in 2013: | ||||||
| 1. Miley Cyrus | 6. New iPhone | |||||
| 2. Rob Ford | 7. "Blurred Lines" Robin Thicke | |||||
| 3. BlackBerry | 8. Kate Middleton | |||||
| 4. Kim Kardashian | 9. Kate Upton | |||||
| 5. Fifty Shades of Grey | 10. Syria | |||||
Tragedy and crime topped the list of news stories in 2013. Local disasters, including floods and train collisions brought Canadians closer, while murders, bombings, terror plots, and kidnappings were the focus of the stories we followed closely throughout the year.
| Top 10 News Stories Searched on Yahoo Canada in 2013: | ||||||
| 1. Tim Bosma murder | 6. Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin | |||||
| 2. Boston Marathon explosion | 7. Jodi Arias trial | |||||
| 3. Papal conclave | 8. Canada terror plots | |||||
| 4. Cleveland kidnapping | 9. Sammy Yatim shooting | |||||
| 5. Calgary floods | 10. Train accidents + VIA bus collision | |||||
It was a trying year for Canada's elected officials and government representatives. Not surprisingly, the Senate spending scandal and Liberal leadership controversy topped this list. Not far behind was the divisive Quebec Charter of Values and the Ontario teachers' strike. Also making the list for the second time was the Keystone Pipeline.
| Top 10 Canadian Economic and Political Issues Searched on Yahoo Canada in 2013: | ||||||
| 1. Senate spending scandal | 6. Ashley Smith death inquiry | |||||
| 2. Liberal leadership 2013 | 7. RCMP harassment | |||||
| 3. BC election results | 8. Target Canada stores | |||||
| 4. Quebec Charter of Values | 9. Ontario by-elections | |||||
| 5. Ontario teachers' strike | 10. Keystone XL Pipeline Project | |||||
From activists to politicians, there were a number of inspiring and interesting people who caught our attention this year. Teenage education activist Malala Yousafzai and Canada's first openly gay female Premier spoke out on behalf of their causes. Chris Hadfield and Edward Snowden kept us intrigued as we watched their every move in real time.
| Top 10 Newsmakers Searched on Yahoo Canada in 2013: | ||||||
| 1. Malala Yousafzai | 6. Vladimir Putin | |||||
| 2. Edward Snowden (NSA spying) | 7. Justin Trudeau | |||||
| 3. Pope Francis (new pope - Pope Benedict resigns) | 8. Chris Hadfield | |||||
| 4. Kim Jong-un | 9. Nelson Mandela | |||||
| 5. Barack Obama | 10. Kathleen Wynne | |||||
What do a high school science teacher turned drug dealer, a pastry hybrid, and an outrageous new dance move have in common? Canadians are obsessed with all three! The Obsessions list wouldn't be complete without mention of a celebrity wedding, birth, meltdown, and rehab stint - and of course, a Kardashian.
| Top 10 Obsessions Searched on Yahoo Canada in 2013: | ||||||
| 1. Amanda Bynes | 6. Lindsay Lohan | |||||
| 2. Twerking | 7. Paulina Gretzky | |||||
| 3. Breaking Bad | 8. Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux | |||||
| 4. Royal Baby - Prince George | 9. Harlem Shake Meme | |||||
| 5. Khloe and Lamar | 10. Cronut Burger and Ramen Burger | |||||
Say What?! These people and events had us in shock in 2013. Buzzing on social networks were tales of outrageous, derogatory comments and illegal activities among the Hollywood elite. And then there was a smoking baby.
| Top 10 "Say What?" Odd Searches on Yahoo Canada in 2013: | ||||||
| 1. Paula Deen racial slur | 6. Ke$Ha born with tail | |||||
| 2. Reese Witherspoon arrest | 7. Lululemon pants fiasco | |||||
| 3. Abercrombie and Fitch | 8. China pipe baby | |||||
| 4. Emma Roberts arrested | 9. Stacey Dash | |||||
| 5. Beaver kills man in Belarus | 10. Miss America | |||||
It was more than just tournament scores and playoff performances capturing sports fans' attention this year - pro and anti-gay news, tragic events, and controversial comments also took centre stage in the sports arena. And if we were to put together a team of professional athletes based on how much attention they received on Yahoo in 2013, our top three picks would be female.
| Top 10 Sports Stories: | ||||||
| 1. MLB suspensions | 6. Death of the punched referee | |||||
| 2. Gay athletes coming out | 7. Phoenix Coyotes | |||||
| 3. Daytona 500 crash | 8. Don Cherry's opinion on female reporters | |||||
| 4. Russia's anti-gay Olympic law | 9. Grand Prix accident | |||||
| 5. NHL realignment | 10. The end of the NHL lockout | |||||
| Top 10 Sports People Searched on Yahoo Canada in 2013: | ||||||
| 1.Maria Sharapova | 6. Sidney Crosby | |||||
| 2. Lindsey Vonn and Tiger Woods | 7. Tim Tebow | |||||
| 3. Serena Williams | 8. Caroline Wozniacki | |||||
| 4. Roberto Luongo | 9. Kevin Ware | |||||
| 5. Aaron Hernandez | 10. Ray Lewis | |||||
This year, Canadians took to the cinema in droves for a great escape from reality. Whether to get their zombie apocalypse fix, witness their favourite superheroes battle it out or experience what it's like to float in space, nail-biting adventures were popular.
| Top 10 Searched Movies on Yahoo Canada in 2013: | ||||||
| 1. World War Z | 6. Gravity | |||||
| 2. Iron Man 3 | 7. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire | |||||
| 3. Man of Steel | 8. Wolverine | |||||
| 4. Fast and Furious 6 | 9. The Great Gatsby | |||||
| 5. Star Trek Into Darkness | 10. The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug | |||||
To explore the trends and stories that inspired and entertained the world in 2013, visit http://yearinreview.yahoo.ca.
Source: Yahoo Canada