by Claudine Zap

Chuck Norris' birthday is afraid of Chuck Norris.

The action star, black belt and all-around tough guy is turning 70. Really. Not that age could put a stop to the actor -- or to searches on him. And yes, he probably was born with that beard.

The action hero's career started back in the '60s, but not as an actor -- as a fighter. According to IMDB, after helping his mom raise his two siblings and graduating from high school in Torrance, CA, Norris left for a stint in Korea. The Air Force vet returned to open a karate studio, winning championships and teaching the likes of Steve McQueen, Priscilla Presley, and the Osmonds.

Despite his movie track record in sporting weaponry of all kinds, as a tae kwon do black belt he emphasized "action and technique over violence." But what you should probably take away from this is that Norris became an unbeatable fighting force. Put it this way: This guy is so scary, the gossip site TMZ made a birthday video for him last year.

It's not surprising that the man has become a myth in his own time. The icon-turned-Internet-meme has gone up against Bruce Lee, kept order in the series "Walker: Texas Ranger," and starred in movies like "The Delta Force," "Missing in Action," and "Firewalker." And he lent his on-screen persona to shill for Republican Mike Huckabee during the most recent presidential race.

The secret to his long career may be new generations finding "serious" old TV shows to be seriously hilarious. Just look at the searches (yeah, yeah, we know -- you don't search for Chuck Norris,  he finds you). Lookups on "how old is chuck norris" have risen an awe-inspiring 2,700% in seven-day searches. Searches also include "chuck norris action jeans" (apparently a real thing sold in the 80s), "chuck norris birthday greeting," "find chuck Norris," "how tall is chuck Norris," and "chuck norris biography." Find more funny Chuck Norris facts.

But our favorite has to be the "chuck norris random fact generator" for nuggets like "Chuck Norris is so fast he can start a fire by rubbing two ice cubes together. "

He is also so old, the star will be receiving a lifetime achievement award at the first annual Actionfest film festival.

Chuck Norris isn't the only star whose age catches interest on the Web.

Here, the top 10 Yahoo! Searches on "how old is."

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by Mike Krumboltz

Gay marriage continues to be a hot-button issue for many Americans. Whenever it's legalized (or banned) anywhere in the world, searches immediately soar. In Washington, D.C., gay marriage was recently legalized, sparking tremendous Web interest.

A lesbian couple who had been together for 12 years became the first same-sex couple to be married in the nation's capital. With the couple's union, Washington, D.C. joined New Hampshire, Vermont, Iowa, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, as the only places in the United States that allow people of the same sex to legally marry.

Of course, gay marriage is a specific definition. When things are broadened to include domestic partnerships or civil unions, the list of states grows substantially. According to About.com, California, Hawaii, Maine, Washington state, Nevada, Oregon, and New Jersey allow same-sex couples to "obtain some legal recognition for their relationships."

Interestingly, according to NJ.com, the upcoming United States census will allow same-sex couples in New Jersey to "identify themselves as married." This is significant in that the census is an official government document. The census will allow "same-sex couples [to] label themselves as husband or wife even if their relationships are not recognized by law."

While laws regarding gay marriage vary by state in the United States, other countries have clearer definitions. For example, in Europe, several countries have clear legal-marriage laws. According to an article from the BBC, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Norway, and Sweden all have legalized gay marriage. Additionally, Portugal, a primarily Catholic country, is expected to legalize gay marriage in the near future. Other countries that have done the same include Canada and South Africa.

As for where gay marriage is banned, the list is a bit longer, at least in the United States. The laws are complicated and can vary between statute bans and constitutional bans. States that have constitutional bans include, but are not limited to, Florida, Ohio, Texas, Utah, Michigan, Virginia, Mississippi, and Georgia. User-edited site Wikipedia offers up a complete list.

After Washington, D.C., legalized same-sex marriage, Web searches on "gay marriage states" and "where is gay marriage legal" both soared. Also gaining traction in the Search box: "differences between gay marriage and civil unions."

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by Mike Krumboltz

A tornado hit western Oklahoma on Monday, leveling five homes and a county-owned barn. Additionally, several more houses lost their roofs to the twister.

Fortunately, no people were injured in the destruction, largely thanks to the tornado skirting the center of the town of Hammon. According to an AP article from USA Today, a group of "storm chasers" saw the tornado well before it reached town limits. Thanks to them, the citizens had plenty of warning.

Below, a clip of Monday's tornado. But beware ? it's rather terrifying to watch, even from the safety of your computer. Hell hath no fury like a "violently rotating column of air in contact with the earth?s surface."

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by Claudine Zap

Our top picks from the day's hottest searches.

1. Natalie Wood (Searches increased by +3,606%). Her sister and a yacht captain want the case of the drowned actress to be reopened.
2. Kathy Griffin (+2,940%). Watch out, Sarah Palin: The "Life on the D-List" comedian has taken her show to Alaska. Let the skewering begin.
3. Joe Biden (+2,541%). The U.S. VP helped kick off a new phase of peace talks between Israel and Palestine.
4. Farrah Fawcett (+949%). Ryan O'Neal was "stunned" and "shocked" that the iconic 70s actress was intentionally left out of the Oscar tribute to departed stars.
5. Jennifer Aniston (+697%). The "Friends" star will be launching her own fragrance ? just as soon as she settles on a name for her signature scent.

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