Google's latest 2024 Year in Search-themed Doodle reminds us all of what was the top priority for search this year.
Pygmy hippos, pickles in Dr Pepper, and a total eclipse -- 2024 was some year. The latest Google Doodle on the search giant's homepage features animated references to the company's Year in Search 2024 video, which can be viewed with a click on the Doodle. Images that flash by in the Doodle include the popular pygmy hippo Moo Deng, pink cowboy boots (a possible reference to Beyoncé's country album Cowboy Carter), lipstick marks (possibly for pop star Sabrina Carpenter), and the 2024 total eclipse, among others.
"From major breakthroughs in science and technology to unforgettable performances that captivated the world, these Breakouts reveal what captured our collective imagination," Google says on the Doodle explainer page.
The video, which went up Dec. 12 and already has more than 140 million views, is an emotional ride through a year that included trends such as Dr Pepper with pickles, Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us, comebacks from Celine Dion and Simone Biles, spectacular views of the Aurora Borealis and total solar eclipse, and tragedies including Hurricane Helene.
Musician Jelly Roll, singer-songwriter Chappell Roan, Bluey's emotional episode The Sign, Wicked, Pommel Horse Guy, basketball star Caitlin Clark, the movie Inside Out 2 and the death of James Earl Jones are just a few moments of the year captured in Google's recap of breakout searches for 2024.
Beginning in 1998, the year Google was founded, the company has decorated its main search page with Google Doodles, artwork that celebrates holidays, special events, anniversaries, birthdays of notable people, and more. Early Google Doodles were just images, but they've since become more elaborate. Clicking on some leads to interactive games and creative animations.
Google's Doodle page is searchable: you can find Doodles by date, topic, color, style or format.