Many thanks to WinFuture for this interesting link...
What was hot and what was not in the year 2001? Google's Zeitgeist feature provides a glimpse at what captivated the world over the past 12 months, based on the most popular search terms on the world's most popular search engine.
With more than 150 million queries per day, Google offers a unique window into what is happening in the world on any given day, as well as a fascinating retrospective on the peaks and valleys of popular culture. From "Harry Potter" to "Osama Bin Laden" and "Florida Supreme Court" to "Napster," the Google Year-End Zeitgeist reveals the collective focus of the online mind, highlighting the main events that drew the attention of a global audience.
Track the course of the past 12 months on the timeline and graphs plotting the most popular search terms as they occurred throughout 2001. Check out the year's top gaining and declining search terms as well as the most popular brands, music, movies and women on the web as seen by Google users.
News Source and View: Google Zeitgeist - Search patterns, trends, and surprises
And View the rather neat - Google 2001 Time Line
Oh and BTW, I just noticed this and thought I'd add... Google, the world leader in information retrieval, is pleased to announce the Google Computer Science Internship Program for the Summer of 2002. We are seeking extraordinarily qualified graduate students for internships in Research and Development. (Deadline for applications is February 15, 2002)
View and Apply: Google Computer Science Summer Internship Program
