As the year comes to a close, it's time to look at the big events, memorable moments and emerging trends that captivated us in 2008. As it happens, studying the aggregation of the billions of search queries that people type into the Google search box gives us a glimpse into the zeitgeist -- the spirit of the times. We've compiled some of the highlights from Google searches around the globe and hope you enjoy looking back as much as we do.

Google.com - Fastest Rising (U.S.)
1. obama
2. facebook
3. att
4. iphone
5. youtube
6. fox news
7. palin
8. beijing 2008
9. david cook
10. surf the channel

Google Image Search - Fastest Rising (U.S.)
1. sarah palin
2. obama
3. twilight
4. miley cyrus
5. joker

Google News - Fastest Rising (U.S.)
1. sarah palin
2. american idol
3. mccain
4. olympics
5. ike (hurricane)