Google has announced its Zeitgeist 2012 list of most popular search terms as seen through 1.2 trillion searches in 146 languages worldwide on Google Search over the past year.

This year’s world list, Google’s 12^th annual year-end zeitgeist, followed the hottest trends and most popular search terms across the globe.

Google, the world’s largest online search company, had exactly 838 lists from 55 countries in a year when it included several new features, such as its interactive map for the hottest terms that increased worldwide and the release of its Google Zeitgeist Android app (with an iOS version in the works).

“So what kinds of things were top of mind this year? While there are perennial themes—“what is love?” topped the list in 10 countries—it’s the unusual and surprising that caught our attention in 2012,” said Amit Singhal, SVP & Google Fellow, in a blog post.

News of the surprising death of iconic singer Whitney Houston surged to the top many countries’ search lists, as fans worldwide flocked online to confirm her demise and extend condolences to her family.

“Gangnam Style,” the popular song by YouTube sensation and Korean singer PSY, and its signature dance took the world by storm, landing him on top of many countries’ lists, making his song the second most trending search query of the past year, and its corresponding music video became the most watched video in YouTube history.

Hurricane Sandy was the third most searched term in 2012. The hurricane wreaked havoc portions of the Caribbean and the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States during late October and was classified a Category 2 storm at its peak intensity.

Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian skydiver who made an epic free fall jump from space, was the sixth globally trending person of the year, whereas the 2012 Olympics and its athletes came through into almost every country’s top trends. LINsanity drove NBA player Jeremy Lin to the top of this year’s top trending athletes.

Internet users got involved and immersed themselves into serious topics as well, including campaigns against proposals like ACTA and SOPA – both threats to the open Internet, and the U.S. November elections added concerns to the candidates and issues.

Image: uggboy via Flickr (CC)