Google released a list of the most-searched topics on its platform in 2021, revealing billions of people were looking for more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, the death of DMX, the Netflix show Squid Game, and more. 

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Globally, Google found that the most popular news searches this year involved Afghanistan, which dominated headlines for weeks in August as the US ended its 20-year involvement in the country. Stock advice about AMC and Gamestop also was in the top five news topics searched. 

Alec Baldwin and Pete Davidson topped the list of actors, while athletes like Tiger Woods and Simone Biles led the way in sports. Marvel films like Eternals, Black Widow, and Shang-Chi were the top searched movies. 

DMX, Gabby Petito, and Mar