"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings."
"Phenomenal Woman."
With these titles and others, the world remembered Maya Angelou this week. Both her poetry and name trended internationally on news of her death Wednesday, at age 86.
Though Angelou's passing was first reported in the morning, her poem "Phenomenal Woman" still held strong in the trends by evening, with many who mourned Angelou — also an actress and director — bestowing the title upon the poet herself.
More than 2 million Google searches were devoted to Angelou, who became widely known for her 1969 autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." The poet maintained a presence on social media until shortly before her death.
Among Angelou's last tweets (@DrMayaAngelou) was a message about the group of schoolgirls kidnapped in Nigeria.
"Our future is threatened by the robbing of these young women's future," she tweeted on May 7. "We must have our darlings back so that we can help them to heal."
On April 16, the multi-hyphenate talent quoted herself:
"I agreed a long time ago, I would not live at any cost," she posted. "If I am moved or forced away from what I think is the right thing, I will not do it."
In the headlines
Former PBS children's series "Reading Rainbow" entered trends on news that LeVar Burton had launched a KickStarter campaign to bring the program back to life, this time in classrooms. Another goal of the campaign: to reach "every web-connected child."
Burton's $1 million ask was swiftly fulfilled. Maybe it had something to do with the prizes involved. Perks of donating money included dinner with Burton and a chance to wear his visor from "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
But the week began with tragedy. As families settled into their Memorial Day weekends, and many remembered those lost in battle, more reason for sorrow arrived. A shooting and stabbing last Friday night left six people dead and injured 13 near the University of California, Santa Barbara in Isla Vista, Calif.
Police said Elliot Rodger, 22, carried out the attacks before killing himself. Following the release of his identity — his father, Peter, is known for being the assistant director of "The Hunger Games" — Rodger became the subject of more than a million searches.
Though later removed from YouTube, Rodger had posted videos before the attack in which he expressed hatred for his roommates and women who he blamed for his virginity. He had also written a autobiographical manifesto called "My Twisted World."
On Tuesday, Joe the Plumber, whose real name is Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, trended globally for comments he made in an "open letter" on BarbWire.com to parents of the shooting victims.
"Your dead kids don't trump my Constitutional rights," he wrote, in direct response to Richard Martinez, a father who spoke out and blamed his son Christopher's death in the shooting on politicians and the NRA.
"Why did Chris die?" an emotional, forceful Martinez said, during a press conference. "Chris died because of craven, irresponsible politicians and the NRA. They talk about gun rights. What about Chris' right to live?"
On the lighter side of the trends, (divorced) actor Bill Murray got some attention for appearing in a bachelor party video which made the rounds after he deigned to give the young men some marriage advice. The key, Murray told the bachelors: use extensive travel to test your bond. If it still holds, then get married.
Meanwhile Kanye West and Kim Kardashian were all over Twitter last Saturday after their wedding in Florence, Italy. Kardashian netted the most Google attention, however, receiving more than half a million searches that day.
"My Big Fat Greek Wedding" trended Tuesday on word of a sequel to the successful 2002 romantic comedy in the works, with star and writer Nia Vardalos returning alongside John Corbett, her romantic lead.
"TI and Floyd Mayweather" was a top search Sunday, after a TMZ report — with video — of a fight between the rapper and boxer at a Fatburger in Las Vegas.
Trending is a weekly column monitoring Twitter, Google and the web. Follow Amy Kuperinsky @AmyKup .
