Top 10 most searched events on Google in India in 2012

The Sensex or the barometer of Indian equity markets hit a 23-month high in December. It had taken the psychological 19,000 mark in October earlier this year. The Sensex has gained nearly 25 per cent in 2012 and the bullish sentiments have helped bring back retail interest into stock markets.

Vilasrao Deshmukh, the man who had once famously said, 'I dream of turning Mumbai into a Shanghai' passed away on August 14 in a hospital in Chennai. Mr Deshmukh, who was the Science and Technology Minister, had been diagnosed with liver cancer. He was 67.

On October 30, Superstorm Sandy slammed into the US East coast and hurled a record-breaking 13-foot surge of seawater at New York City, roaring ashore after washing away part of the Atlantic City boardwalk. More than 50 people were killed on the East Coast alone.

Anna Hazare is the face of India's fight against corruption. He has taken that fight to the corridors of power and challenged the government at the highest level. People, the common man and well-known personalities alike, are supporting him in the hundreds swelling to the thousands. He is fighting for the implementation of the Jan Lokpal Bill, the anti-corruption bill that was drafted by his team of crusaders.

Aseem Trivedi cartoons: Aseem Trivedi, a cartoonist, shot into national prominence after he was charged with sedition because of the content of his work. The complainant took particular exception to Mr Trivedi's cartoon showing the national emblem with three wolves instead of lions and the words Bhrashtameva Jayate (only corruption triumphs) instead of Satyameve Jayate. His body of work also included satirical representations of the Indian Parliament and sketches of 'Mother India' being raped. His arrest caused a furore in the media, leading to a spirited debate on Freedom of Expression in India.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi quit as the spokesperson of the Congress and resigned as the head of the parliamentary standing committee on law and justice after a controversial CD, allegedly featuring him went viral. Mr Singhvi said that the CD was doctored. He was brought back by Congress in November as one of the leaders to put forward the party view in the electronic media.

Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher Airlines has been dogged with crisis since the beginning of the year. The airlines, which never made much profit to begin with, has been saddled with a huge loss of Rs. 8,000 crore and a debt burden of another over Rs. 7,000 crore. Several of its aircraft have been either taken away by its lessors or grounded by the Airports Authority of India for non-payment of dues during the past few months. Adding to its woes, are the frequent strikes called by its crew, which has caused further losses for the company.

Strong tremors were felt in several places in Tamil Nadu on April 11 following a massive earthquake in Indonesia, with people coming out of their homes and some schools moving students into open grounds. According to reports, tremors were felt in Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Nagapattinam and other areas. The earthquake had its epicentre off the west coast of northern Sumatra and occurred at 2.08 p.m., the IMD said. It led to a tsunami warning in 28 countries, including India. It brought back memories of the 2004 tsunami that saw more than 7,000 people being killed in Tamil Nadu's coastal areas.

Pranab Mukherjee was sworn in as India's 13th President on July 25. For many years, he was the Congress' Mr Dependable, the solutions man. As the party's crisis man he parachuted in when matters escalated. Many have considered him the sharpest mind in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's cabinet with deep understanding of Indian politics, economic policies as well as strategic issues. Mr Mukherjee, who was the UPA's candidate for the presidential poll, won the election quite comfortably with 69.31 per cent votes.

Rajesh Khanna, 69, died on July 18 at his Mumbai home. In the 100-year history of Bollywood, Rajesh Khanna stood out as the first real superstar. In an era when cinema was still governed by the rules of the big studios, Mr Khanna was a supernova, the first of his kind. Film lore says the mere sight of him caused women to faint, slash their wrists and send him letters written in blood. He reportedly borrowed a phrase from the film fraternity that served him so well for 25 years to say his final goodbye: "time up ho gaya, pack up."

Next: Top 5 events searched on Google in 2012

Superstorm Sandy slammed into the New Jersey coastline and hurled a record-breaking 13-foot surge of seawater at New York City, roaring ashore after washing away part of the Atlantic City boardwalk.

Image Courtesy: AFP

Photos were published of Prince William's wife Catherine sunbathing topless in the south of France and were published by quite a few magazines creating an uproar in the Royal family.

Image Courtesy: AP

After Beijing in 2008, it was London's turn once again to host the prestigious event, for the third time. And it was a gala event. The entire world converged here either in person or over communication mediums as 302 events in 26 sporting categories were hosted. In 17 days between July 27 and August 12, the motto – Inspire a generation – was given a new meaning as sporting excellence provided an insight into human excellence.

Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), a United States bill aimed to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods, has led to a worldwide debate. Opponents state the proposed legislation threatens free speech and innovation, and allows law enforcement agencies to block domains full domains due to content on a single web page. On January 18, 2012, an estimated 7,000 websites across the globe coordinated a service blackout, to raise awareness on the issue.

Image Courtesy: Reuters

Luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground in the tiny Tuscan island of Isola del Giglio, Italy on January 15, 2012. The Costa Concordia cruise ship ran aground off the coast of Tuscany, sending water pouring in through a 160-foot (50-meter) gash in the hull and forcing the evacuation of some 4,200 people from the listing vessel.
Image Courtesy: AP