Raleigh's year in search: The most searched phrases in 2019

Through this "rewind," we remember the stories that heavily impacted us this year. According to a viral video released by Google, in 2019, the world was searching for heroes.

WRAL News looked into the trending Google searches in Raleigh for 2019, analyzing stories and events that captured the city's attention this year. Here's a look back at Raleigh's top 10 trending search terms – a reflection of the stories that made us fearful, angry, hopeful and happy as a community.

Not only was Hurricane Dorian the most searched term in Raleigh, it topped the list statewide and was in the top 10 trending searches for the entire country. During times of crisis and uncertainty, locals turn to trusted meteorologists and journalists from their community to keep them informed and to stay safe.

In the aftermath of the storm, the trending searches continued, as stories of renewal, fundraising and humanitarian aid.

Vivian Howard raises $41,000 for Ocracoke restaurants after Hurricane Dorian

For 23 years, the Carolina Hurricanes have been part of the culture and identity of Raleigh, playing their home games at the PNC Arena. The Hurricanes brought North Carolina its first major professional sports championship by a men's team in 2006, when they brought home the Stanley Cup, cementing themselves in our state history books.

The Hurricanes, in Rod Brind’Amour’s first season as head coach, reached the playoffs last season for the first time in 10 years. The team lost in the the Eastern Conference finals to the Boston Bruins after series wins over the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders.

On March 31, rapper Nipsey Hussle, whose name was often stylized as Nipsey Hu$$le, was fatally shot outside his Marathon Clothing store in South Los Angeles. Sadly, the inclusion of his name in the top trending search terms is likely a result of the coverage of his untimely death and capture of his assailant.

His memorial service in April packed the 21,000-seat Staples Center, where fans, family members and celebrities celebrated his life. He had invested much of his fame and wealth in the South Los Angeles community where he grew up, described as a "hometown son who never left."

The rapper's last message on Twitter read: "Having strong enemies is a blessing."

The social media saga of NFL receiver Antonio Brown captured national attention, landing it on the top 10 list for the county, as he hopped from the Steelers to the Raiders to the Patriots. Raleigh must have been following the story too, because his name was the fourth most searched term in the city.

On Sept. 10, less than two weeks after that saga settled, Brown was accused of sexually assaulting his former trainer, Britney Taylor, three times. On Sept. 16, a second woman accused him of sexual misconduct.

The New England Patriots dropped Brown, less than two weeks after signing him. Brown has denied the accusations, filing a counterclaim against one of the women.

Endgame passed classic blockbuster films like "Titantic" and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus held the top spot in the cellphone industry for a quite a while, but with the release of the new iPhone 11, Samsung has moved down on the list. Consumer Reports indicate the iPhone 11 Pro Max is now the highest-rated smartphone, with the iPhone 11 Pro coming in second.

When news broke that Jussie Smollet, an actor who plays a popular LGBTQ character on "Empire," was the victim of a racially motivated hate crime, viewers were drawn in to the trending story. Smollett described two assailants who poured "an unknown chemical" on him, put a noose around his neck and shouted, "MAGA country."

'Empire' star Jussie Smollett attacked in possible hate crime

However, Smollett's story began to break down, and people began to suspect it was a hoax. On Feb. 21, Smollett turned himself in to Chicago police to face a felony charge of filing a false police report.

When Captain Marvel came out in March, it was highly anticipated. However, this particular search trend ranked only in Raleigh. Other cities like Charlotte had search terms like "Cameron Boyce" or "r kelly" instead. Nationally, terms like "Game of Thrones" bumped Captain Marvel from the Top 10.

In general., Raleigh's most-searched terms line up closely with the rest of the county, with eight out of 10 trending terms matching. Raleigh's only two unique terms are "Carolina Hurricanes" and "Captain Marvel."

When compared with Charlotte, Raleigh shares seven of 10 terms. One of Charlotte's trending topics is "irs.gov refund," but Raleigh seemed more interested in Captain Marvel than refunds. Likewise, Charlotte did not show much interest in the Carolina Hurricanes, seeming to prefer reading about R. Kelly. This is likely because, in February, Charlotte radio stations muted the singer's music in response to allegations of sexual abuse.

Hyper-local search trends from Raleigh included keywords like:

Examining a community's trending searches is just one way of reflecting on the stories, people and events that had the most impact in 2019. Here are a few more lists that explore the impact of the past year – and even the past decade.

List: Top music events of the decade in the Triangle

Hurricane, slur, dogs top list of most memorable videos in 2019