This will surprise nobody, but the September 11 attacks are the most popular news story of 2001, according to searches by Lycos users.

The September 11 attacks changed the way people used the Internet, introducing new terms to the Lycos 50 like Osama bin Laden, World Trade Center, and Taliban. We have ranked the top 10 September 11-related terms on a separate list to the right, and combined the searches into three main stories for this list.

Here are the Top 20 news stories of 2001:

1. September 11 Attacks
2. War in Afghanistan
3. Anthrax Scare
4. Dale Earnhardt Dies
5. Aaliyah Dies
6. IT/Ginger/Segway
7. Tour de France
8. Foot and Mouth Disease
9. Mir Returns to Earth
10. Shark Attacks

11. First Human Clone
12. Sircam Virus
13. Gary Condit Scandal
14. Mad Cow Disease
15. Super Bowl XXXV
16. Tax Rebate
17. Stem Cells
18. Code Red Virus
19. Timothy McVeigh Executed
20. Robert Blake Murder Case

DEAD POOL 2001: Last year no celebrity deaths made the top news stories, but this year two celebrity deaths make the top five. Dale Earnhardt (#4) and Aaliyah (#5) each topped the Lycos 50 the week after their deaths.

VIRUSES ON PARADE: What a year for computer worms and viruses. Sircam and Code Red made the list above, but you also had SULFNBK (#21), Nimda (#24), the Anna K. virus and the recent Goner virus.

For the last time, please don't open email attachments unless you know what they are. It's not too hard.

STRANGELY ABSENT: Considering what a big deal it was at the time, we didn't get too many searches for the China spy plane incident. It got fewer searches than the late lamented wrestling promotion ECW or the Toronto Maple Leafs.

TOMORROW: Top sports stars of the year, featuring Anna K.