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21 Oct 2009
Rampo Edogawa's Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ul...09vtopBQl=s660
Tarō Hirai, better known by the pseudonym Edogawa Ranpo, also romanized as Edogawa Rampo, was a Japanese author and critic who played a major role in the development of Japanese mystery fiction. Many of his novels involve the detective hero Kogoro Akechi, who in later books was the leader of a group of boy detectives known as the "Boy Detectives Club".
Ranpo was an admirer of Western mystery writers, and especially of Edgar Allan Poe. His pen name is a rendering of Poe's name. Other authors who were special influences on him were Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, whom he attempted to translate into Japanese during his days as a student at Waseda University, and the Japanese mystery writer Ruikō Kuroiwa.
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22 Oct 2009
Mei Lanfang's Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ol...ILsGgU5TQ=s660
Mei Lan, better known by his stage name Mei Lanfang, was a notable Peking opera artist in modern Chinese theater. Mei was known as "Queen of Peking Opera". Mei was exclusively known for his female lead roles and particularly his "verdant-robed girls" [qingyi], young or middle-aged women of grace and refinement. He was considered one of the "Four Great Dan", along with Shang Xiaoyun, Cheng Yanqiu, and Xun Huisheng.
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29 Oct 2009
Asterix Comic's 50th Anniversary © 2009 Goscinny - Uderzo
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ex...dd1HtH0mX=s660
Asterix or The Adventures of Asterix is a French comic book series about Gaulish warriors, who have adventures and fight the Roman Republic during the era of Julius Caesar in an ahistorical telling of the time after the Gallic Wars. The series first appeared in the Franco-Belgian comic magazine Pilote on 29 October 1959. It was written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo until Goscinny's death in 1977. Uderzo then took over the writing until 2009, when he sold the rights to publishing company Hachette; he died in 2020. In 2013, a new team consisting of Jean-Yves Ferri [script] and Didier Conrad [artwork] took over. As of 2019, 38 volumes have been released, with the most recent released in October 2019.
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29 October 2014
Niki de Saint Phalle's 84th Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/x8...ndUvYu18Q=s660
Niki de Saint Phalle's “Nanas” are taking over our homepage for the French sculptress’s 84th birthday.
Inspired by her pregnant friend, the “Nana” sculptures were de Saint Phalle’s artistic rendition of the everyday woman and became a symbol of femininity. After making her first “Nana” house—literally a gigantic figure that people could walk inside–de Saint Phalle described it as a “doll’s house for adults—just big enough to sit and dream in.”
Happy 84th birthday to de Saint Phalle!
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29 October 2014
Shin Saimdang's 510th Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PN...Urrnx8JYQ=s660
With a delicate touch, Korean artist and poet Shin Saimdang captivated audiences with her paintings of flowers, butterflies, and landscapes. In recognition of her contributions to Korean culture, Saimdang was selected to appear on the South Korean 50,000 won note, becoming the first woman to have the honor. Today we celebrate what would have been her 510th birthday.
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30 Oct 2014
Maria Izquierdo's 112th Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/rN...4Tp1wLJkg=s660
In Mexico, our doodle takes inspiration from Maria Izquierdo’s painting “Retrato de Belem” in honor of her 112th birthday. Izquierdo broke new ground when she became the first Mexican woman to have her artwork exhibited in the United States.
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1 Nov 2014
86th anniversary of the first radio calisthenics broadcast in Japan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=531KVdufW2Y&t=53s
We wanted to pay homage to the long tradition of uniform composition and staging set forth by NHK [Japan’s national broadcasting station], so the idea of using real ‘calisthenists’ in a live-action video doodle seemed not only appropriate, but relevant. We began by referencing their instructional calisthenics videos as a visual starting point.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/SDMsbX3Coz74Q5a...eUaDz890g=s600
After a long day of calisthenics, our actors pose for a group photo, with their own rendition of the letters, sans-costume.
Posted by Kevin Laughlin, Doodler
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1 November 2019
Rugby World Cup 2019 Final
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...08246.3-2x.jpg
Today’s Doodle celebrates the Rugby World Cup Final between England and South Africa, which kicks off today inside Japan’s largest stadium, the International Stadium Yokohama.
After a culmination of five weeks of emotional Rugby World Cup play, today's matchup between the two top-ranked teams in the world is a historic honor for each. Meeting again in the final round of the Cup for the first time since 2007, only one team will return home the 2019 Champions! Who will it be?
Best of luck to both teams!
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1 November 2008
1000 Years of The Tale of Genji
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/vA...k5UY27rOE=s660
The Tale of Genji is a classic work of Japanese literature written in the early 11th century by the noblewoman and lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu. The original manuscript, created around the peak of the Heian period, no longer exists. It was made in "concertina" or orihon style: several sheets of paper pasted together and folded alternately in one direction then the other. The work is a unique depiction of the lifestyles of high courtiers during the Heian period. It is written in archaic language and a poetic yet confusing style that make it unreadable to the average Japanese speaker without specialized study. It was not until the early 20th century that Genji was translated into modern Japanese by the poet Akiko Yosano. The first English translation was attempted in 1882 but was of poor quality and incomplete.
The work recounts the life of Hikaru Genji, or "Shining Genji", the son of an ancient Japanese emperor, known to readers as Emperor Kiritsubo, and a low-ranking concubine called Kiritsubo Consort. For political reasons, the emperor removes Genji from the line of succession, demoting him to a commoner by giving him the surname Minamoto, and he pursues a career as an imperial officer. The tale concentrates on Genji's romantic life and describes the customs of the aristocratic society of the time. It may be the world's first novel, the first modern novel, the first psychological novel, and the first novel still to be considered a classic.
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22 Oct 2008
50th Anniversary of Deltawerken
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/VD...Y0dFLWNu0=s660
The Delta Works [Dutch: Deltawerken] is a series of construction projects in the southwest of the Netherlands to protect a large area of land around the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta from the sea. Constructed between 1954 and 1997, the works consist of dams, sluices, locks, dykes, levees, and storm surge barriers located in the provinces of South Holland and Zeeland.
The aim of the dams, sluices, and storm surge barriers was to shorten the Dutch coastline, thus reducing the number of dikes that had to be raised. Along with the Zuiderzee Works, the Delta Works have been declared one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
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20 October 2014
Christopher Wren's 382nd Birthday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McJEfxr_xZk&t=5s
It took 33 years to build St. Paul’s Cathedral in London but today, on our homepage in the U.K, it happens in a matter of seconds. Completed in 1720, the cathedral is considered to be English architect Christopher Wren’s magnum opus. But, with a portfolio featuring British landmarks like the Royal Observatory of Greenwich and Kensington Palace, Wren’s legacy stands tall throughout England. Happy 382nd birthday to Christopher Wren!
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4 December 2020
Celebrating Noken Papua
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...7108639-2x.png
Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Depok-based guest artist Danu Fitra, celebrates Noken, the craft of traditional handmade bags that holds great cultural and socio-economic significance throughout Indonesia’s Papua and West Papua Provinces. In recent years the longevity of this staple of Papuan heritage has come under threat, but following its addition to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List in Need of Urgent Safeguarding on this day in 2012, great strides have been taken to secure Noken’s sustainability for future generations.
Noken bags are typically made from materials like tree fibers, bark, or leaves, which are processed into strong threads and then knotted or woven together. This complex handcraft has been passed down through the generations and demands refined tactile skill, dedicated care, and no shortage of artistic vision. The end product is a durable and versatile bag commonly used to transport and store things like food or firewood, and even to carry small children or animals!
Outside of its everyday use, Noken has traditionally fulfilled many social and economic purposes as well. For example, Noken serves as a symbol of cultural unification among more than 250 ethnic groups in the region; due to its value, it can be used as a type of savings; and it often plays a symbolic role in the peaceful resolution of disputes.
Here’s to a timeless craft that’s inextricably woven into the fabric of Indonesian culture!
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13 Oct 2008
Paddington Bear's 50th Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Y-...d9ffLuHME=s660
Paddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature. He first appeared on 13 October 1958 in the children's book A Bear Called Paddington and has been featured in more than twenty books written by British author Michael Bond and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum and other artists.
The friendly bear from "darkest Peru"—with his old hat, battered suitcase, duffel coat and love of marmalade—has become a classic character from British children's literature. An anthropomorphised bear, Paddington is always polite – addressing people as "Mr", "Mrs" and "Miss", rarely by first names – and kindhearted, though he inflicts hard stares on those who incur his disapproval. He has an endless capacity for innocently getting into trouble, but he is known to "try so hard to get things right."
He was discovered in London Paddington station, by the [human] Brown family who adopted him, and thus he gives his full name as "Paddington Brown" [his original Peruvian name being too hard for them to pronounce].
As of June 2016, the Paddington Bear franchise was owned by Vivendi's StudioCanal. Bond, however, continued to own the publishing rights to his series, which was licensed to HarperCollins in April 2017.
Paddington books have been translated into 30 languages across 70 titles and have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. A much loved fictional character in the UK, a Paddington Bear soft toy was chosen by British tunnelers as the first item to pass through to their French counterparts when the two sides of the Channel Tunnel were linked in 1994. Paddington Bear has been adapted for television, films and appeared in commercials. The critically acclaimed and commercially successful films Paddington [2014] and Paddington 2 [2017] were both nominated for the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film.
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30 Sept 2008
Children's Day 2008 - Multiple Countries on Various Days
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Cx..._XlYxpj3w=s660
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30 September 2016
Andrejs Jurjans’s 160th birthday
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...49120-hp2x.jpg
Today’s Doodle celebrates a man who, in many ways, carried Latvian music forward into the 20th century.
As the country’s first professional composer and musicologist, Andrejs Jurjāns delved into the Latvian folk music of the past while taking the sounds of his homeland to new heights. Throughout his lifetime, he collected and analyzed thousands of folk melodies, organizing them into an anthology that was published across six volumes. He also composed the first-ever Latvian symphonic works, including an instrumental concerto and a cantata, and was well-known for his choir arrangements.
When Jurjāns wasn’t crafting original pieces, he spent much of his time teaching. From 1882 — the year he finished his own schooling at the St. Petersburg Conservatory — to 1916, he shared his knowledge of music theory and more with students. Through his instruction, research, and composition, Jurjāns inspired many of the Latvian musicians who came after him. Today we pay tribute to that legacy on what would have been the composer’s 160th birthday.
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23 Sept 2016
358th Anniversary of Tea in the UK
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...00640-hp2x.gif
Tea drinking is a thoroughly British pastime, whether it’s a mug of steaming builder’s tea or a delicate cup and saucer served with cucumber sandwiches. It’s not known when the first cuppa was enjoyed in the UK, but we do know that the first advert for tea in England appeared on this date in a publication from 1658 describing it simply as a “China Drink.” A couple of years later, English Naval Administrator Samuel Pepys wrote about drinking tea in his diary entry from 1660.
Chinese tea was reportedly drunk by Europeans as early as the 16th century, a trend spearheaded by Dutch and Portuguese traders. British coffee shops were selling tea in the 17th century, though drinking it was considered an expensive, upper-class privilege. By the 19th century, The East India Company was using fast ships called tea clippers to transport leaves from India and China to England’s docks. The Cutty Sark is the only surviving clipper of its kind and can still be visited in Greenwich.
As tea became more readily available, dedicated tea shops began popping up throughout the UK, becoming favorite spots for daytime socialising. Tea was well on its way to becoming a British tradition.
As today’s animated Doodle illustrates, tea cups come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Whatever your favorite vessel may be, we hope you enjoy a cuppa or two of this enduring drink today.
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23 September 2018
Chuseok 2018
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...4957056-2x.png
Today is the Korean holiday Chuseok, celebrating the fall harvest moon. It’s one of the most important holidays on the calendar, an official day off work for the Asian peninsula nation. The days before and after Chuseok are also festive, creating a three-day holiday.
Most Koreans use Chuseok to visit their hometowns and feast with their families, resulting in mass exoduses into the suburbs or country. Once there, families will honor their ancestors by weeding their grave sites, and preparing food for memorial services at home. The official food of Chuseok is songpyeon: rice cakes with subtle nutty flavors, steamed over pine needles. Songpyeon are historically made with that year’s new rice crop, utilizing the harvest. The rice cakes are part of the ancestral offering and the family’s feast.
As depicted in our Doodle, many Koreans celebrate Chuseok in multigenerational groups while wearing traditional hanboks, color-blocked suits and high-waisted dresses. Hanboks are worn during important ceremonies and holidays in Korea and what could be more important than spending a special day with family.
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27 September 2011
Google's 13th Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8r...7fpfrnBrQ=s660
I was a designer in animation before I arrived at Google so I love animated films. Everything from the classics like Pinnoccio and The Jungle Book to recent stop motion films that are absolutely breathtaking... Coraline and Fantastic Mr. Fox. Their beautiful imperfections gave me the deep urge to make something with my hands... hoping to capture that human touch.
Google’s 13th Birthday doodle was on deck and I was very much inspired to make a miniature set. Hoping to delight our users with even just a sliver of what I felt by watching those films I treated the letters as characters at a birthday party. Surrounded by a miniature set complete with a mini cake, mini presents and other mini props the logo was going to celebrate in style. Happy 13th Google!
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1 Oct 2011
Grete Waitz's 58th Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FG...IX9u-jHpA=s660
Grete Waitz [née Andersen] was a Norwegian marathon runner and former world record holder. In 1979, she became the first woman in history to run the marathon in under two and a half hours. She won nine New York City Marathons, women's division, between 1978 and 1988, more than any other runner in history. She won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and a gold medal at the 1983 World Championships in Helsinki. Her other marathon victories included winning the London Marathon in 1983 and 1986. She was also a five-time winner of the World Cross Country Championships.
Waitz won 12 World Marathon Majors, the most for any runner.
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1 October 2013
Emilio Pettoruti's 121st Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YJ...y1fRi-aJn=s660
Emilio Pettoruti was an Argentine painter, who caused a scandal with his avant-garde cubist exhibition in 1924 in Buenos Aires. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Buenos Aires was a city full of artistic development. Pettoruti's career was thriving during the 1920s when "Argentina witnessed a decade of dynamic artistic activity; it was an era of euphoria, a time when the definition of modernity was developed." While Pettoruti was influenced by Cubism, Futurism, Constructivism, and Abstraction, he did not claim to paint in any of those styles in particular. Exhibiting all over Europe and Argentina, Emilio Pettoruti is remembered as one of the most influential artists in Argentina in the 20th century for his unique style and vision.
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27 Sept 2013
Google's 15th Birthday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wIcX2UzaUg
When’s Google’s birthday? I'm not sure even we know – we’ve celebrated on September 7th, 8th, 26th, and, most recently the 27th.
Still, while there’re some differing opinions about when to bust out the candles and cake, one fun fact is that our first doodle was posted even before Google was officially incorporated [August 30th, 1998 vs. September 4th, 1998].
With a company that’s got fun as deeply embedded in its DNA as Google, it seems fitting that any function would be a real bash, if you will.
And this year bash you did! I don’t want to say how many hundreds of millions of Google’s 15th Birthday Piñata games were played or how many billions of candies won, but suffice to say your boss might be miffed you weren’t doing real work and your dentist will be delighted you weren’t eating real sweets.
Thanks for coming to the party!
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20 Sept 2013
Olga Ferri's 85th Birthday [Argentina]
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nM...WLnfS0R70=s660
Olga Ferri was an Argentine choreographer and ballet dancer. She joined the Ballet of the Teatro Colón at eighteen and was prima ballerina from 1949.
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12 June 2021
Russia National Day 2021
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...7108960-2x.png
Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Moscow-based guest artist Ksenia Kopalova, commemorates Russia’s National Day or simply “Russia Day.” On this day in 1990, Russia proclaimed state sovereignty and adopted its modern declaration, flag, and national anthem. Although Russia Day has been celebrated since 1992, it is considered one of the country’s youngest holidays due to its official renaming on February 1, 2002.
Many Russians view today as the informal start of the summer season and take advantage of the day off work as a perfect opportunity to spruce up their gardens or view firework displays. For those with cottages in the countryside known as dachas, Russia Day serves as a chance to enjoy the summer weather with friends and family while taking in the rolling rural landscape, which is reflected in the colorful scene depicted in today’s Doodle artwork.
С днем России! Happy Russia Day!
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12 Jun 2021
Margherita Hack's 99th birthday
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...108959-2xa.gif
Today’s Doodle celebrates the 99th birthday of Italian professor, activist, author, and astrophysicist Margherita “The Lady of the Stars” Hack. Outside of her interest in satellites, asteroids, and the evolution of stellar atmospheres, Hack championed civil rights as an outspoken advocate for progressive causes, animal protection, and equality for all.
Margherita Hack was born in Florence on this day in 1922. She took just one university class in literature before switching her major to physics. Following the 1945 defense of her thesis on Cepheid variables [stars used to measure intergalactic distances], Hack applied her knowledge of stellar spectroscopy as an astronomer at Florence’s Astronomical Observatory of Arcetri.
In 1964, Hack moved to Trieste, where she made history not just as the first Italian woman to earn a full professorship at the city’s university but also as the first female director of the Trieste Astronomical Observatory. For over 20 years, she transformed Trieste’s Observatory from a largely anonymous institution to a globally renowned nexus of scientific progress. These distinguished innovations garnered Hack international recognition in the astronomical community, which led to prestigious memberships at NASA and the European Space Agency—both home to the world’s foremost scientific observatories.
Acclaimed for her ability to explain complex scientific concepts to the general public, Hack published dozens of academic papers, several astronomy books, and founded two astronomical magazines. She received a litany of accolades for her lifetime achievements, notably having asteroid 8558 Hack, which orbits between Mars and Jupiter, named in her honor in 1995. At 90 years young, the Italian government conferred Hack with its highest award: the title of Dama di Gran Croce.
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12 Jun 2021
Philippines Independence Day 2021
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...109230-2xa.gif
On this day in 1898, a public reading of the Philippine Declaration of Independence in Cavite el Viejo [modern-day Kawit] proclaimed the archipelago a sovereign nation. Today’s Doodle commemorates this historic anniversary, celebrated annually as Philippines Independence Day.
This revolutionary event was followed by the first public performance of “Lupang Hinirang” [“Chosen Land”], the Philippine National Anthem, along with the first hosting of the Philippine national flag, which is featured in today’s Doodle artwork. Filled with symbolic meaning, all of the flag's colors stand for a unique element of Philippine pride. Blue represents the peace and justice earned from Philippine leaders’ heroic sacrifice, red signifies their courage and bravery, and the white triangle symbolizes unity and equality.
Emblazoned on the far left of the flag glistens a symbol of freedom, a radiant sun with eight rays shining out of its center. Each ray symbolizes the first eight Philippine provinces to seek independence: Nueva Ecija, Manila, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, and Bataan. In the corners of the flag’s white triangles are three stars that represent Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, the three main regions of the Philippines.
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11 Jun 2021
UEFA Euro 2020
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...7109267-2x.png
It’s time for UEFA Euro 2020!
A staple tournament for football fans worldwide since 1960, this year is the first time in history that the tournament’s 51 matches will be held in host cities across Europe—a dozen in total! It kicks off with a match between Turkey and Italy in the largest sports facility in Rome: Stadio Olimpico.
So who will be dubbed the Euro 2020 champions and take home this year’s Henri Delaunay trophy? Tune in over the next month to find out.
Best of luck to all the competing teams!
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10 Jun 2021
Portugal National Day 2021
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...08958.3-2x.png
Portugal uniquely observes its national day in remembrance of one of the country’s most influential poets: Luís de Camões. Today’s Doodle commemorates this nation-wide holiday, celebrated annually by the Portuguese community around the world.
Luís de Camões’ magnum opus, the 1572 epic poem “Os Lusíadas” [“The Lusiads”], is widely considered the most significant work of literature in the Portuguese language. This literary masterpiece memorializes Camões’ travels and the Portuguese navigations of an oceanic trade route to India by explorer Vasco de Gama.
Ever since Portugal gained independence in 1640, June 10 has been observed as Dia de Camões. Traditionally on this day, the national Portuguese type of music and song known as fado can be heard echoing into the streets, as revelers celebrate this centuries-long tradition of their shared Portuguese heritage. A symbol of the nation’s culture, fado music features the Portuguese guitar, a 12-stringed chordophone depicted in the Doodle artwork.
Happy Dia de Camões, Portugal!
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18 April 2017
Esther Afua Ocloo’s 98th birthday
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...5057280-2x.jpg
As both an entrepreneur and an advocate for microlending, “Auntie Ocloo” worked tirelessly to help others like her succeed. Esther Afua Ocloo had only six shillings to her name — less than a dollar — when she made and then sold her first jar of marmalade as a teenager in the 1930s.
Esther was determined to expand her livelihood of making marmalade and orange juice, but she needed a loan to increase production, and credit was hard to come by for women with little economic resources. It took persistence and a supply contract to secure the money to start her company, Nkulenu Industries.
After traveling to England to learn the latest techniques in food processing, Esther returned home and shared those skills with other Ghanaian women. Perhaps more importantly, she taught them everything she knew about starting and running a business, which put more money in their pockets.
She made such an impact that in 1975 she was invited to the first U.N. World Conference on Women.
Esther and other advisors knew that lending money to women could have a ripple effect, improving the prosperity and health of the women as well as their communities. But because they lacked collateral, low-income women were often ignored by banks. So in 1979, Esther helped found and became Chairman of the Board of Directors of Women’s World Banking, which provides millions of low-income women with the small loans needed to reach their financial goals.
On what would have been her 98th birthday, today’s Doodle shows Esther empowering the women of Ghana with the tools to improve their lives and communities.
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18 April 2014
Ivana Brlić Mažuranić's 140th Birthday [born 1874]
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_5...u2xrUcJGY=s660
Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić was a Croatian writer. Within her native land, as well as internationally, she has been praised as the best Croatian writer for children.
Her books of novels and fairy tales for children, originally intended to educate her own, have been translated into nearly all European languages. Highly regarded and valued by both national and foreign literary critics, she obtained the title of Croatian Andersen.
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17 April 2015
Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı’s 125th birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/M4...f1YJIWCIE=s660
Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı [ born Musa Cevat Şakir; pen-name exclusively used in his writings, "The Fisherman of Halicarnassus", Turkish: Halikarnas Balıkçısı] was a Turkish writer of novels, short-stories and essays, as well as being a keen ethnographer and travelogue.
He is largely credited for bringing the formerly sleepy fishing and sponge-diving town of Bodrum, as well as the entire shoreline of the Blue Cruise, to the attention of the Turkish intelligentsia and the reading public first, and by extension, for paving the way towards the formation of international tourist attraction the region became
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8 November 2012
Bram Stoker's 165th Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cY...sT27je3kW=s660
Bram Stoker created a legendary villain when he penned his 19th century story Dracula. Few other characters have haunted popular culture for generations as much as the eponymous Count Dracula, whose fanged face has long been a staple of haunted houses and Halloween costumes. He's also featured in at least 200 feature films since the dawn of cinema, played by such acclaimed actors as Bela Lugosi in 1931 and Gary Oldman in 1992.
An epistolary novel, Dracula is innovative in that it is a story told through diary entries, transcribed phonograph recordings, dictated essays, scholarly articles, records, receipts, and news stories. In this way, Stoker paints a vivid picture not only of the horror of Dracula's evil power, but of the fascinating Victorian England which he terrorized.
When I set out to create this doodle, I immersed myself in the source material by reading the thoroughly well-documented annotated edition by Leslie S. Klinger. Klinger's notes served to further contextualize the story, which capitalizes on the strict Victorian moral code to spin a tale that is all the more terrifying for how thoroughly it deviated from contemporary mores.
I wanted to give a nod to each of the major characters in the story, as it is their collective observations which shape the saga. I invite our users to see if they can identify 7 protagonists, 4 antagonists, and 1 who falls somewhere in-between. For the visual style, I was very much influenced by the works of Edward Gorey and Aubrey Beardsley, whose artwork embodied the debauched Gothic horror that Stoker so skillfully conveyed in his work.
Posted by Sophia Foster-Dimino, Doodler
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14 April 2019
Hùng Kings' Commemoration Day 2019
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...9545472-2x.png
Almost 5000 years ago, in the Red River Valley of Southeast Asia, the Hùng Kings established Văn Lang, the precursor of modern Vietnam. Today’s Doodle celebrates Hùng Kings' Commemoration Day, in remembrance of the ancient leaders of the Hong Bang era, the traditional founders of Vietnam who ruled for 18 generations.
The first Hùng King, Kinh Durong Vurong, and the 17 leaders who succeeded him, laid the foundations of Vietnamese culture. The Hong Bang was a time of cultural flourishment, known for producing some of the most acclaimed Asian art of the Bronze Age.
Once a mostly regional observance, Hùng Kings' Commemoration Day has been a national holiday in Vietnam since 2007, encouraging more citizens to learn about the ancient history of their country. In the early morning, a grand procession of palanquins heaped with offerings of food, flowers, and clouds of fragrant incense makes its way up the mountain to the Hùng King Temple, accompanied by flags, banners, and traditional music. Young boys and girls in ornate holiday attire make the journey as well as delegates from all over Vietnam.
Singing, dancing, and making Bánh Chưng and Bánh Dầy — traditional rice cakes enjoyed during Lunar New year — are also important parts of Hùng Kings 'Commemoration Day. Many celebrants make time for games, engaging in battles of wits on the chessboard or forming circles to play đá lông, an acrobatic game of skill and agility played by kicking a feathered shuttlecock.
Happy Hùng Kings' Commemoration Day!
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14 April 2015
Khmer New Year 2015
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/A3...dYzlofkb8=s660
The Cambodian New Year [Khmer], is the traditional celebration of the solar new year in Cambodia. A three-day public holiday in the country, the observance begins on New Year's Day, which usually falls on 13 April or 14 April, which is the end of the harvesting season, when farmers enjoy the fruits of their labor before the rainy season begins.
Khmers living abroad may choose to celebrate during a weekend rather than just specifically 13 April through 16 April. The Khmer New Year coincides with the traditional solar new year in several parts of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.
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14 April 2021
Oliver De Coque’s 74th birthday
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Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Lagos-based guest artist Ohab TBJ, pays tribute to Nigerian musician Oliver de Coque on his 74th birthday. Crowned the “Highlife King of Africa,” he is widely revered as one of the continent's most prolific recording artists.
Born on this day in 1947 in the small town of Ezinifite in southeastern Nigeria, Oliver Sunday Akanite first took up the guitar at a young age, and as a teenager, studied the traditional Igbo music of the region and Congolese soukous. In 1970, at a performance by the popular Sunny Agaga and his Lucky Star Band, Akanite convinced Sunny to let him stand in as their guitarist; he was hired on the spot, providing a massive boost to his young career. Also a skilled player of the Nigerian board game okwe, Akanite became known as “Oliver de ka Okwe,” which he later adapted into his stage name, Oliver de Coque.
De Coque famously infused the modern West African highlife genre with a Congolese-influenced guitar style and the energetic dance elements of Igbo music he grew up with, crafting a unique musical style, which he called Ogene. Beginning with his first solo release in 1976, de Coque’s music only grew in popularity at home and abroad, as he put out album after album featuring his masterful guitar work and fresh take on African pop–over 70 throughout his lifetime.
In 1994, in recognition of his prodigious music achievement, de Coque was awarded an honorary doctorate in music by the University of New Orleans.
Thank you, Oliver de Coque, for strumming your way into the hearts of listeners around the world!