Robin Williams' tragic death, the Ebola virus and the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge were among the most searched topics on Google in 2014.
While most of what dominated the American consciousness in 2014 was the opposite of what one would categorize as good news -- Williams' suicide, the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, civil unrest in Ferguson -- Google users also sought distraction in the World Cup, the Disney hit Frozen and celebrities participating in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.