ESPN Staff
December 9, 2013
Andy Murray becomes first Briton to win Wimbledon in 77 years © PA Photos
Andy Murray’s Wimbledon victory was the most talked about topic on Facebook in the UK this year, ahead of the death of Margaret Thatcher and the birth of the royal baby.
After ending 77 years of suffering by becoming the first Briton to win the All England Club tournament in three sets against Novak Djokovic in July, Murray’s spectacular feat topped the list of most-talked-about events on the social network, according to a study carried out by Facebook itself.
The death of former British Prime Minister Thatcher in April was the second most talked about topic of 2013. The second most talked about sporting event was the Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on May 25, which came in third. Bayern won 2-1 to claim their fifth European Cup.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement after 26 years as Manchester United manager in May, having led the club to its 20th league title, comes in fifth place on the list, one place behind the Duchess of Cambridge giving birth to Prince George in July.
The only other sporting event to make the list is England’s Ashes win over Australia this summer, in seventh place. The release of the video game Grand Theft Auto V on PlayStation 3 and X-Box 360 is in tenth place.
The appointment of Pope Francis was the most popular topic globally in 2013, with the Tour de France, won by Britain’s Chris Froome, coming in ninth.
Most discussed topics in the UK:
1. Andy Murray wins Wimbledon
2. Death of Baroness Margaret Thatcher
3. Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund play the UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium
4. The Duchess of Cambridge gives birth to Prince George
5. Sir Alex Ferguson quits as Manchester United manager
6. Call of Duty: Ghosts was released on Xbox 360 and PS3
7. England retain Ashes in cricket
8. The X-Factor returns to British screens
9. The ‘bedroom tax’ is introduced in the UK
10. Grand Theft Auto 5 was released on Xbox 360 and PS3
Most discussed topics in the world:
1. Pope Francis
2. Election
3. Royal baby
4. Typhoon
5. Margaret Thatcher
6. The Harlem Shake
7. Miley Cyrus
8. Boston Marathon
9. Tour de France
10. Nelson Mandela
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