What did you search for the most in 2012? Most everyone may have a different answer, but as a whole the most highly searched topic of the year—globally—was without a doubt “Whitney Houston.” Google has once again prepared its annual Zeitgeist—the top search topics of the year.

But according to Google, the Zeitgeist is more than just a typical Top 10 list, it reflects “the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.” And this year, the global mood was incredibly wide in its spectrum.

1. Whitney Houston
2. Gangnam Style
3. Hurricane Sandy
4. iPad 3
5. Diablo 3
6. Kate Middleton
7. Olympics 2012
8. Amanda Todd
9. Michael Clarke Duncan
10. BBB12 ( a Brazilian television show)

The Zeitgeist doesn’t limit itself to the mood of the world, however. It also narrows down its top search terms by country. And according to Google, the following were the most highly-searched topics in the United States in 2012:

1. Whitney Houston
2. Hurricane Sandy
3. Election 2012
4. Hunger Games
5. Jeremy Lin
6. Olympics 2012
7. Amanda Todd
8, Gangnam Style
9. Michael Clarke Duncan
10. KONY 2012

[Image via Google]