In April, Australians on Google and Facebook were interested in commemorating ANZAC Day, learning more about the latest gadgets and catching up on the latest season of Game of Thrones.

Like this time last year, ANZAC Day was the top rising search term on Google. This year, searches peaked on the two days prior to the day as top related search terms like ‘dawn service’ and ‘ANZAC Day service’ were popular as Australians sought out details on dawn services and marches in their area. Googlers also wanted to know which stores would be open, seeking out the trading hours of major supermarkets like Coles and Woolworths. Facebook users shared the “Ode of Remembrance”, an extract of Laurence Binyon’s poem “For the Fallen.”

On 21 April, legendary entertainer Prince passed away in his home at the age of 57. The news shocked the nation as Australians turned to Google to confirm the news. Googlers and Facebook users celebrated the life and career of the singer by searching for and sharing Prince’s most famous songs and video clips as terms like ‘Purple Rain’, ‘Prince YouTube’ and ‘Prince songs’ became popular.

Mother’s Day may always be on the second Sunday in May, but perhaps all the hype from retailers is what sparked the topic’s popularity in April. Top related search terms were ‘Mother’s Day gift’, ‘Mother’s Day ideas’ and ‘Mother’s Day lunch’, and search volume slowly grew more and more over the course of the month. Those in Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT were the keenest searchers, whereas New South Wales and Victoria showed the least amount of interest.

In April, many supporters of differing sports flocked to Facebook to chat about their favourite players and clubs. Aussie followers of the NBA bid farewell to retiring LA Lakers basketball player Kobe Bryant, while soccer fans were excited about the Adelaide Football Club in the A-League Grand Final.

Beyoncé’s surprise “visual album” drop on 23 April led to a heavy stream of searchers Googling their hearts out to find out more about the album Lemonade. Interestingly, due to the nature of the lyrics about husband Jay-Z’s long-rumored infidelity, searchers were looking for the lyrics in the songs as opposed to where they could listen to the album – top related search terms included ‘Beyoncé Jay-Z’ and ‘Beyoncé Lemonade lyrics’. As for regional interest in the topic, the fascination was fairly evenly widespread across the country.

Speculation about this year’s anticipated iPhone 7 release from Apple was a popular topic amongst both men and women on Facebook, as they speculated about rumors on possible new features and when it would be released. They may have to wait a little while yet – Apple typically releases new iPhones around September every year.

The hype for the hugely awaited Season 6 of Game of Thrones finally came to a head last month as the first episode was released unto Australia on 25 April. Foxtel users flocked to Google, as did fans of the show with some not-so-legal intentions for getting their hands on the episode. Fan favourites Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen were popular related search terms, as were ‘Foxtel’ and ‘HBO’. Facebook users of all ages were interested in the return of the show. Meanwhile on Google those in Hobart and Newcastle showed the most interest, while Sydneysiders and Melbournians weren’t too fazed, showing the least regional search volume.

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