From Britney to Saddam, Search Trends a Who's Who on Yahoo!

“Searches can give us insight into a culture in motion and Yahoo!’s Top Trends in Search in 2007 reflects the world’s fascination with crossroads and breakthroughs. People weren't just buzzing about celebrity. More than ever they sought to be environmentally responsible, were using the Web to find out about food and product safety and getting the scoop on the latest gadgets,” said Heather Cabot, Yahoo! Web Life Editor.

The most-searched story in news in 2007 dealt with Saddam Hussein. The late Iraqi leader and the availability of footage of his final moments generated plenty of buzz this year. News regarding Iran and Iraq were second and third, respectively.

Britney Spears and her ongoing celebrity downslide was also a top term in Yahoo!, making the list of top 10 troubled stars, followed by Paris Hilton and Anna Nicole Smith. Michael Vick, who pleaded guilty to a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge in August, ranked ninth.

YouTube was the most-searched term pertaining to technology. The online community encyclopedia, Wikipedia, ranked No. 2 followed by Facebook. The iPhone made the list at sixth.

This year generated plenty of buzz involving sports and personalities, with NASCAR ranked No. 1, followed by tennis star Maria Sharapova. The Boston Red Sox winning their second World Series title in four years ranked third.