Deaths, Donald, and Bitcoin: The 50 most popular Wikipedia articles of 2017.

Image Credit: Reuters / Joshua Roberts

2017 was crazy year, and it seems we spent most of it searching for any possible distraction from reality, according to an annual ranking of the most-read articles on Wikipedia.

Certainly the Top 50 report is filled with newsmakers. President Trump ranks second, though his views shrank dramatically. And the first lady ranks number 37. Bitcoin’s bubble also helped push it into the Top 10. And, as usual, “Deaths” ranked first, as people sought information about notable passings.

But otherwise, shows from Netflix and HBO, as well and movies from Marvel, DC Comics, and the Star Wars franchise revealed our real priorities for the year. Netflix’s growing prominence was particularly notable as shows like 13 Reasons Why and Stranger Things made the list. And it seemed like interest in Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret surged around the release of Season 2 of Netflix’s The Crown. The same was true for Pablo Escobar, number 41, when Netflix released Season 3 of Narcos.

By Chris O’Brien.

Full story at Venture Beat.