REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As we look back at 2012, Bing searches show it was a year of familiar faces, momentous events and baby fever. While last year people were singing "Baby, baby, baby" with Justin Bieber as the most-searched person of 2011, 2012 was the year of the real baby, as celebrity births were five of the top 10 celebrity events. From new reality stars such as Honey Boo Boo to viral hits such as "Gangnam Style" and airwave darlings such as Taylor Swift, Bing captured history through the searches that mark the year's most fascinating people, sensations and moments in time.

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Based on the aggregation of billions of search queries conducted on Bing this year, here are the much-anticipated top search lists for the most-searched people, news stories, athletes, musicians, celebrity events, social networks and TV shows. The complete report, including most-searched viral videos, movies, songs, TV personalities and more, is available at http://www.BingTrends.com.

Most-Searched Person of the Year
Kim Kardashian didn't just keep up with other celebs such as Justin Bieber (2011's most-searched person) this year, she took back the top spot. Kim K. was the most-searched person of the year in 2012, regaining the spot she also held in 2010. Her relationship ups and downs, including a new relationship with Kanye West, made Kim more interesting than ever. While Justin Bieber fell to the second spot, he still was the most-searched male of the year and the most-searched musician, thanks to the continued support of his many "Beliebers." Newcomers to the list include Rihanna, who skyrocketed from No. 20 in 2011 to No. 4 this year; Selena Gomez, who jumped from No. 13 to No. 7; and Nicki Minaj, who just barely cracked the top 10 at No. 9, up from No. 23 in 2011. Miley Cyrus made the biggest gain within the top 10 list, jumping from No. 10 to No. 3, likely due to her surprise engagement.

Other Top Search Results

More details and additional categories of top 2012 searches from Bing are available at http://www.BingTrends.com and via the Bing Top Searches of 2012. For the latest on all things Bing, check out http://www.bing.com/community, http://www.facebook.com/Bing and twitter.com/Bing.

About Bing
Bing is the search engine from Microsoft, designed for people who do. For people like you who are always doing more and don't have time to sit still. Now, only Bing brings together the best search and the best people from your social networks, like Facebook and Twitter, to help you spend less time searching and more time doing. So whether you're on your PC or on your phone, Bing is designed not just to connect you to the information you are looking for, but also to help you get things done right on Bing.com.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

SOURCE Microsoft