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1 September 2008
Filopimin Finos' Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/R-...O3ue9u7Qw=s660
Filopimin Finos was a Greek film producer of 186 films and the founder of Finos Film, whose first film was in 1939. He built the first sound recording device in Greece, and shot the first colour film with stereo sound. Finos died in January 1977 after suffering cancer for seven years and he left no heir.
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2 March 2018
Holi 2018
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...78560.3-2x.jpg
Red, yellow, blue, and green are a few of our favorite colors all year round, but today we’re putting them front and center for an extra special reason.
It’s time for Holi — the age-old festive ritual marking the end of winter, the coming of spring, and symbolically, the triumph of good over evil. Family and friends come together to feast, dance, and laugh together while dousing each other with colored powder and water.
Today’s Guest Doodle by Amrita Marino depicts dhol players amongst a cloud of color. These traditional drummers move from house to house, adding a peppy, musical touch to the day's festivities. The four main powder colors carry with them a piece of symbolism. Red signifies love and fertility; yellow is the color of turmeric, a natural remedy; blue represents the beloved Krishna; green symbolizes spring and new beginnings.
Whether you choose one favorite color or many, here’s wishing everyone a happy Holi!
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4 June 2017
Nutan’s 81st Birthday
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The conflicted murderess [Bandini]. The anguished untouchable [Sujata]. The hell-raising orphan [Seema]. All memorable characters played by Nutan, a celebrated Indian film actress known for communicating complex emotions using only facial expressions and body language rather than dialogue. An icon of Indian cinema for over four decades, Nutan pioneered powerful women-centric films in an age when male actors dominated the silver screen.
Over her career, her distinct, groundbreaking style helped solidify an award-winning legacy. She won the Padma Shri in 1974 for her contribution to the Arts and a total of six Filmfare Awards, five of which were for Best Actress. She remains the oldest Indian actress to win a Filmfare award.
Today’s Doodle reflects Nutan’s expressive acting style on what would have been her 81st birthday. It was hard to sum up her genius in a single portrait, and so we depicted four distinct expressions.
Happy Birthday, Nutan!
Doodle by Lydia Nichols
https://static.toiimg.com/thumb/6139...170&height=240
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27 May 2020
Adelina Gutiérrez Alonso's 95th birthday
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...7108398-2x.jpg
Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Chile-based guest artist Pablo Luebert, celebrates the 95th birthday of a luminary ambassador of the southern night sky: Chilean astrophysicist, author, and professor Adelina Gutiérrez Alonso. Light-years ahead of her time, she was the first Chilean to earn a doctorate in astrophysics, a pioneer not only in her field, but also for women scientists around the world.
Born in the Chilean capital of Santiago on this day in 1925, Carmen Adelina Gutiérrez Alonso was determined from a young age to become a science researcher and teacher. Her scientific career formally took off in 1949, when she joined the faculty at the University of Chile, home of the historic National Astronomical Observatory. In her early years, Adelina crunched data from distant stars, including that collected by her colleague Hugo Moreno León; the two eventually married and formed a fruitful partnership that resulted in a wealth of scientific publications.
But for Adelina, the sky wasn’t the limit. To further her exploration into the mysteries of the cosmos, she moved to the United States in the late 1950s. She graduated from the University of Indiana in 1964 with her unprecedented doctorate in astrophysics, and upon her return home, she helped to establish and lead the country’s first Bachelor of Astronomy program at her alma mater, the University of Chile.
In honor of her stellar scientific contributions, Adelina Gutiérrez Alonso became the first woman and astronomer inducted into the Chilean Academy of Sciences in 1967.
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5 November 2018
Michael Dertouzos’ 82nd Birthday
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A computer scientist who foresaw how the internet would impact the lives of everyday people, Dertouzos predicted the popularity of personal computers and helped to maximize their potential as director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Laboratory for Computer Science.
Born in Athens, Greece on this day in 1936, Dertouzos was the son of a concert pianist and an admiral in the Greek navy. Upon graduation from Athens College, he attended the University of Arkansas on a Fulbright Scholarship and earned a Ph.D. from MIT, joining the faculty in 1968.
Under Dertouzos’ guidance, the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science grew into a thriving research center employing hundreds of people collaborating on innovations like distributed systems, time-sharing computers, the ArpaNet, and RSA encryption, an algorithm used to ensure secure data transmission. Dertouzos worked to make LCS the North American home of the World Wide Web Consortium [W3C], an alliance of companies promoting the Web's evolution and interconnectivity. Dertouzos recruited Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, to run it.
As early as 1980, Dertouzos was writing about “The Information Marketplace” a concept that he expanded on in his book 1997 book What Will Be: How the New World of Information Will Change Our Lives. “If we strip the hype away,” he observed, “a simple, crisp and inevitable picture emerges -- of an Information Marketplace where people and their computers will buy, sell and freely exchange information and information work.”
Insisting on the importance of bringing “technology into our lives, and not vice versa,” Dertouzos spurred LCS to head up the 1999 Oxygen project in partnership with MIT's Artificial Intelligence Lab. The goal of this massive project was to make computers "as natural a part of our environment as the air we breathe."
As reflected in the title of his final book, The Unfinished Revolution: Human-Centered Computers and What They Can Do For Us, Dertouzos’ belief in technology was always grounded in his desire to unleash the full potential of humanity.
Happy Birthday Michael Dertouzos!
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17 January 2019
Dalida’s 86th Birthday
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“Mon petit Bambino
Ta musique est plus jolie
Que tout le ciel de l’Italie”
[“My little Bambino
Your music is more beautiful
Than the whole sky of Italy”]
—Dalida “Bambino” [1956]
Today’s Doodle celebrates Dalida, a French singer and actress, whose aching voice and real-life heartaches earned her a cult following worldwide. Her breakthrough single “Bambino,” tells the tale of a heartbroken boy who plays beautiful music on his mandolin. The song became a hit in France, spending most of 1956 at the top of the charts. It also kicked off the artist’s 30-year singing career during which she would sell millions of records.
Born Yolanda Cristina Gigliotti on this day in 1933, Dalida grew up in the suburbs of Cairo, Egypt. After being crowned Miss Egypt in 1954, she landed her first movie role, using the stage name “Delila,” in homage to Hedy Lamarr’s character in the Hollywood classic Samson & Delilah. She changed it slightly to “Dalida” after moving to Paris in late 1954 to pursue a career on screen. To support herself in the new city, Dalida began singing in cabarets where her talent was discovered. She soon signed her first record deal and went on to release more than 45 studio albums and hold countless concerts all over the world. Dalida’s multicultural background and her ability to sing in French, Arabic, Italian, and many other languages enabled her to connect with audiences across the globe. When performing in Egypt, she was known for asking audiences “mabsoteen?” [Arabic for “are you happy?”]. Although her life was touched by tragedy in the end, Dalida’s soulful music continues to bring joy to her fans around the globe.
Today’s animated Doodle celebrates the international entertainer by featuring 14 of her most iconic looks and outfits throughout her career.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/A1...65uarvlgb5ucuk
Here’s to the talented Dalida on what would have been her 86th birthday.
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17 January 2013
Cecilia May Gibbs' 136th Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Id...jxFt6T0hL=s660
Cecilia May Gibbs was an Australian children's author, illustrator, and cartoonist. She is best known for her gumnut babies [also known as "bush babies" or "bush fairies"], and the book Snugglepot and Cuddlepie.
May Gibbs died in Sydney on 27 November 1969, and was cremated at Northern Suburbs Crematorium, Sydney. Gibbs bequeathed the copyright from the designs of her bush characters and her stories to Northcott Disability Services [formerly The NSW Society for Crippled Children] and Cerebral Palsy Alliance [formerly The Spastic Centre of NSW]. The residue of her estate was left to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund.
In 1985 a postage stamp honouring Gibbs, or her best known creations, was issued by Australia Post as part of a set of five commemorating children's books.
In 1988 a street in the Canberra suburb of Richardson was named May Gibbs Close in her honour.
On 3 December 2016, the State Library of New South Wales opened an exhibition of Gibbs’ artwork to mark the 100th anniversary of the publication of Gumnut Babies. In January 2018 a Sydney Ferries' Emerald-class ferry was named in honour of the author.
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7 September 2020
Kim Sowol’s 118th birthday
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Today’s Doodle, illustrated by guest artist Eusong Lee, honors the 118th birthday of Korean poet Kim Sowol, whose beloved 1922 lyric poem “The Azaleas” [“Chindallae kkot”] is widely considered a masterpiece of the form. Celebrated for his contributions to early modern Korean poetry, Sowol composed many poems in the familiar cadence of traditional Korean folk music, which added to the broad popularity of his work.
Kim Sowol was born Kim Jeong-sik on this day in 1902 in present-day North Korea’s North Pyongan Province. As a teenager, Jeong-sik attended the esteemed Osan Middle School, where he became a lifelong protégé of the teacher and poet Kim Eok. In 1920, Jeong-sik published his first poems in a literary magazine, after which he assumed the pen-name Sowol, which translates into “White Moon.”
While still a high school student in 1922, Sowol published his famous work “The Azaleas.” This melancholic poem of love and loss inspired the colorful burst of Azalea flowers that surrounds his portrait in today’s Doodle artwork.
He went on to compose over 150 literary works and in 1925 published his sole collection of poems, also named “The Azaleas.” Sowol’s lifetime of heartfelt compositions cemented his legacy as one of Korea’s most treasured poets, and to this day many Koreans can recite his poems by heart. The annual Sowol Poetry Prize, established in 1987 in Kim Sowol’s honor, is considered one of the most prestigious awards in Korean poetry.
Happy birthday, Kim Sowol!
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7 September 2020
Labour Day 2020 [United States]
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Each year in the waning days of summer on the first Monday of September, Labor Day is celebrated throughout the United States. In honor of this national holiday, today’s Doodle highlights just a few of the countless professions that each play a vital role in our society.
Thank you to all the hard-working laborers across the nation.
Happy Labor Day!
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7 September 2015
Brazil's Independence Day 2015
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Orchids! Palm trees! Passion flowers! There’s no landscape in the world quite as colorful as Brazil’s, whose independence we celebrate today. In 1822, from the banks of the grassy Ipiranga Brook in Săo Paulo, Dom Pedro I declared Brazil a free nation. Centuries later, visitors to the Terra do Brasil come to enjoy its awesome mix of natural offerings, captured in this doodle by Kevin Laughlin. Its main rainforest “is home to as many as 80,000 plant species,” according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. Brazil’s fauna is also impressive, with hundreds of unique mammals roaming its land, and thousands of fish species swimming through its waters. Happy independence day to beautiful, bountiful Brazil!
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20 May 2011
Emile Berliner's 160th Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/uI...xEBVL9_GQ=s660
Emile Berliner [May 20, 1851 – August 3, 1929], originally Emil Berliner, was a German-American inventor. He is best known for inventing the lateral-cut flat disc record [called a "gramophone record" in British and American English] used with a gramophone. He founded the United States Gramophone Company in 1894; The Gramophone Company in London, England, in 1897; Deutsche Grammophon in Hanover, Germany, in 1898; Berliner Gram-o-phone Company of Canada in Montreal in 1899 [chartered in 1904]; and Victor Talking Machine Company in 1901 with Eldridge Johnson.
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20 May 2013
Exposición Universal de Barcelona's 125th anniversary
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/F-...O-RuENHui=s660
The 1929 Barcelona International Exposition [also 1929 Barcelona Universal Exposition, or Expo 1929, officially in Spanish: Exposición Internacional de Barcelona 1929 was the second World Fair to be held in Barcelona, the first one being in 1888. It took place from 20 May 1929 to 15 January 1930 in Barcelona, Spain.It was held on Montjuďc, the hill overlooking the harbor, southwest of the city center, and covered an area of 118 hectares [291.58 acres] at an estimated cost of 130 million pesetas [$25,083,921 in United States dollars]. Twenty European nations participated in the fair, including Germany, Britain, Belgium, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Romania and Switzerland. In addition, private organizations from the United States and Japan participated. Hispanic American countries as well as Brazil, Portugal and the United States were represented in the Ibero-American section in Sevilla.
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20 May 2011
100th Birthday of Annie M.G. Schmidt
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Iu...nMshOJaUv=s660
Anna Maria Geertruida "Annie" Schmidt was a Dutch writer. She is called the mother of the Dutch theatrical song, and the queen of Dutch children's literature, praised for her "delicious Dutch idiom," and considered one of the greatest Dutch writers. An ultimate honour was extended to her posthumously, in 2007, when a group of Dutch historians compiled the "Canon of Dutch History" and included Schmidt, alongside national icons such as Vincent van Gogh and Anne Frank.
Although Schmidt wrote poetry, songs, books, plays, musicals, and radio and television drama for adults, she is known best for children's books. Her best-known work for children may be the series Jip and Janneke. Many of her books, such as Pluk van de Petteflet, were illustrated by Fiep Westendorp.
Schmidt received the 1988 Hans Christian Andersen Medal for her lasting contribution as a children's writer. The biennial award conferred by the International Board on Books for Young People is the highest recognition available to a writer or illustrator of children's books.
By the time she died in 1995 [of heart failure caused by euthanasia], she was an icon of the Dutch literary world, and even her death—peaceful, in the company of her friends and family—continues to be referenced in the Dutch media and played an important role in discussions of euthanasia.
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20 May 2009
Scientists unveil fossil of Darwinius masillae
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/r8...0lLMTjXKA=s660
Darwinius is a genus within the infraorder Adapiformes, a group of basal strepsirrhine primates from the middle Eocene epoch. Its only known species, Darwinius masillae, lived approximately 47 million years ago [Lutetian stage] based on dating of the fossil site.
The only known fossil, called Ida, was discovered in 1983 at the Messel pit, a disused quarry near the village of Messel, about 35 km [22 mi] southeast of Frankfurt, Germany. The fossil, divided into a slab and partial counterslab after the amateur excavation and sold separately, was not reassembled until 2007. The fossil is of a juvenile female, approximately 58 cm [23 in] overall length, with the head and body length excluding the tail being about 24 cm [9.4 in]. It is estimated that Ida died at about 80–85% of her projected adult body and limb length.
The genus Darwinius was named in commemoration of the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Darwin, and the species name masillae honors Messel where the specimen was found. The creature appeared superficially similar to a modern lemur.
The authors of the paper describing Darwinius classified it as a member of the primate family Notharctidae, subfamily Cercamoniinae, suggesting that it has the status of a significant transitional form [a "link"] between the prosimian and simian ["anthropoid"] primate lineages. Others have disagreed with this placement.
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4 August 2018
Pumpuang Duangjan’s 57th Birthday
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Luk Thung is a form of Thai country music expressing the trials and tribulations of everyday life in Thailand’s rural provinces. The name, meaning “children of the field,” is also an apt description of Pumpuang “Peung” Duangjan, one of the genres most loved performers who grew up cutting sugarcane in the fields of North Thailand to help her family survive.
When Duangian wasn’t helping her family in the fields, she began an apprenticeship at the age of 12 with a Luk Thung master who taught her a vast catalog of songs and their accompanying dances. She moved to Bangkok at age 15, where she broadened her repertoire by incorporating pop songs. Her career turned a corner when she collaborated with a composer who mixed disco beats with traditional Luk Thung music. Not long after, Duangjan debuted her less reserved style on television, ushering in a new era for female Thai vocalists.
In the mid-1980s, Duangjan released several hit albums that blended traditional Luk Thung music with danceable pop production. Her fur jackets and fashionable wardrobe also made her an icon for Thai people escaping poverty. As she sang in one of her timeless songs, “I came to the city to be a big star/It’s tough, but I can survive.”
Peung’s indomitable spirit, hard work, and determination inspired future generations, cementing her legacy for many years to come.
Doodle by Cynthia Yuan Cheng
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2 August 2018
Celebrating Mount Olympus
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...7103872-2x.jpg
According to ancient Greek mythology, Mount Olympus is the home of the gods. Should mere mortals dare to climb so high? On this day In 1913, three courageous climbers answered “yes,” scaling this 9,573-foot summit sculpted with deep ravines and abrupt upgrades. Swiss photographer Frédéric Boissonnas, his friend Daniel Baud-Bovy, and Christos Kakkalos, a Greek hunter who served as their guide, set off in treacherous weather.
Kakkalos knew the mountain so well that he scaled its sharp inclines barefoot. The Swiss had some experience in mountaineering, but Boissonnas had to lug heavy photographic equipment up the mountain. He and his friend, Baud-Bovy, were tied together with a rope, standard procedure for such expeditions.
During their climb, the summit where Greek gods were said to reside was wreathed with storm clouds, and the climbers mistook a lesser peak for the home of the gods. Thinking their ascent was done, the elated adventurers wrote cards describing their feat and put the notes in a bottle that they buried on a crest they christened Victory Top. When the mist cleared, they spied another, more impressive peak, called Mytikas.
With Kakkalos in the lead, the men continued upward, scrambling across the slippery gorge. Boissonnas later wrote that he was compelled by the fire of Prometheus, who stole fire from Athena and Hephaestus’ workshop on Mount Olympus, gifting it to humans to help them in their labors.
Today’s Doodle celebrates their accomplishment and the fire that inspired them.
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16 June 2018
Marga Faulstich’s 103rd Birthday
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If your future’s so bright you have to wear shades, make sure you take a moment to celebrate Marga Faulstich’s birthday.
One of Germany’s most important scientists, Faulstich would have turned 103 today. Her work in the field of glass chemistry led to dozens of patents that are still used in the manufacture of lightweight anti-reflective glasses.
In 1939, while working at the Schott AG company with Dr. Walter Geffcken, Faulstich developed a way to coat smaller glass objects by depositing hard vacuum vapor—changing gas directly to a solid without going through a liquid state. Her breakthrough made it possible for glass with anti-reflective coating that shields X-rays and UV light, among other applications.
She was recognized in 1972 for her role in creating the SF 64 lens [known in North America as HIGH-LITE®], thinner, lighter weight corrective lenses.
Her life and work continue to inspire girls and boys alike to excel in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Thank you Marga Faulstich! Happy birthday!
Doodle by Sophia Martineck.
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9 November 2020
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott's 140th birthday
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Today’s Doodle, illustrated by UK-based guest artist Jing Zhang, celebrates British architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, who is widely regarded as one of the country’s most significant architects of the 20th century. Renowned for designs such as the Battersea Power Station and the now-iconic red telephone box illustrated in today’s Doodle, Scott combined traditional and modern styles to craft some of London’s most familiar landmarks.
Giles Gilbert Scott was born into a lineage of significant architects on this day in 1880 in London, England. When he was young, his mother encouraged him to carry forward the family legacy, and took him and his brother on bicycle trips to view church architecture throughout the English countryside. He went on to apprentice as an architect, and at just 21 he won a contest that landed him the largest commission of his life: the Liverpool Cathedral–one of many churches he designed throughout his career.
Yet Scott’s most famous creation may be his smallest–the red telephone box he designed in 1924 and simplified in 1935. The updated version was so popular that 60,000 units were installed across the United Kingdom. Today, many of the beloved booths have been reoutfitted to serve new purposes, from defibrillator stations to miniature libraries.
For his exceptional achievements in the field of architecture, Scott was knighted in 1924, and in 1944 he was awarded one of Britain’s highest honors—the Order of Merit.
Happy birthday, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott!
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23 July 2018
Ludwig Sütterlin's 153rd Birthday
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Today’s Doodle has the “write” stuff and celebrates German graphic artist and font designer Ludwig Sütterlin for creating the Sütterlinschrift, a unified, kid-friendly script that revolutionized the way Prussian and German school children learned to write from 1915-1941.
At the request of the Prussian Ministry of Culture in 1911, Sütterlin developed a handwriting style that would be easier for beginners to use, especially with the steel-spring pen, a modern invention quickly replacing goose-feather quills dipped in ink. As a result, young students could enjoy simple letters, reduced smudging, and fewer reprimands by teachers. Though forbidden by the National Socialists in 1941, Sütterlinschrift was reintroduced and remained as optional in schools until the 1960s so children could read letters from parents or grandparents.
Sütterlin was also a prolific graphic artist and craftsman who designed Art Deco glassware [as depicted in today’s Doodle], iconic promotions like the “Hammer Poster” for the 1896 Berlin Trade Fair, and notable trademarks like the “Goddess of Light” for the AEG electrical company.
Happy 153rd birthday, Ludwig Sütterlin!
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9 July 2017
Argentina National Day 2017
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Happy National Day Argentina! On this day, 201 years ago, thirty three congressmen gathered in Tucuman, Argentina and declared it to be finally independent of Spain. To celebrate Argentina’s national day this year, we’re diving into the musical instruments and traditions that are dear to its people.
One of these is the milonga, a local event where couples gather to dance tango all over Argentina. If you were to walk past one, you may hear the deep bellow of a bandoneon, the accordion-like instrument stretching between the fingers of the gentleman in today’s doodle. The instrument was brought over by German immigrants to Argentina in the 19th century and is essential to tango dancing. The bandoneon and the tango reflect the rich cultural heritage of Argentina, with deep European and African influences respectively. Tango may not be an easy dance for all to master, but nearly all Argentinians will agree on the importance of keeping this tradition alive.
Illustrated by guest artist, Liniers
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9 July 2015
Aiga Rasch’s 74th Birthday
http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Eru...LSzbgp0_jNp=s0
Happy Birthday Aiga Rasch!
Aiga Rasch was a German illustrator, graphic designer and painter. Though her best-known work covered the youth mystery book series Die drei ??? [The Three Investigators], it doesn't take a detective to identify Aiga Rasch's signature style. In Germany, the book series gained a wide following, with Rasch's cover art propelling the books into unmistakeable icons. Her illustrations are concise and powerful, and the colorful covers impeccably translate the stories within.
From the very beginning of the Doodle, I worked with a team of German Googlers to learn more about Rasch’s work and her place in popular culture. We thought most people would recognize Rasch’s illustrations from Die drei ???, but we weren’t sure how best to present her work.
Initially, I thought showing two books could help visually link her art and her most well-known subject: Die drei ???. The illustrations are homages to her style and the relatively simple and plain "Ggle" letters are a nod to the stark simplicity of the typography used on the book covers.
As the idea began to develop, it felt a bit too far removed from Rasch’s actual illustrations. Also, I learned that Rasch and the publishers never actually depicted the three boy detectives from the books in the cover art. So we abandoned this approach.
In my next concept, I referenced Rasch's more popular illustrations for die Drei ??? without making exact copies. I wanted to provide a recognizable sense of her style without relying on the visual cue of books. In the sketch below, I noted which book covers were my inspiration. I deliberately chose ones that were mysterious and intriguing, but not too threatening or violent.
In this near final illustration, we swapped out some of the inspiration for the covers, and I replaced the first ‘G’ with a reference to Der Super-Papagei/The Stuttering Parrot and the second ‘O’ with Der Rasende Löwe/The Nervous Lion. We chose a dark background to mimic the iconic style of the books without replicating the designs literally.
Hopefully everyone who sees today's doodle is reminded of Aiga Rasch’s talent and skill in encapsulating their favorite mystery adventure in die Drei ???.
Posted by Brian Kaas, Doodler
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9 July 2014
Argentina Independence Day 2014
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/bo...PR18FOiYg=s660
What today is commonly referred as the Independence of Argentina was declared on July 9, 1816, by the Congress of Tucumán. In reality, the congressmen who were assembled in Tucumán declared the independence of the United Provinces of South America, which is one of the official names of the Argentine Republic. The Federal League Provinces, at war with the United Provinces, were not allowed into the Congress. At the same time, several provinces from the Upper Peru that would later become part of present-day Bolivia, were represented at the Congress.
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9 July 2017
660th Anniversary of Charles Bridge
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On this day in 1357, construction began on the Charles Bridge, Prague’s oldest stone bridge, and one of the Czech capital’s most popular tourist destinations. Round the clock, visitors, vendors and locals alike cross the 1,700-ft. expanse from the east bank to the west, taking in views of the Vltava River.
King Charles IV commissioned architect Peter Parler to build the bridge, which was completed in 1402. Originally called the Stone Bridge, it took on the monarch’s moniker centuries later, around 1870. The low-lying medieval structure is comprised of 16 shallow arches and three Gothic towers, and lined with 30 Baroque-style statues, initially made of sandstone. According to legend, during construction, masons added a secret ingredient to the mortar that they thought would make it stronger: eggs!
Today’s Doodle pays tribute to Prague’s iconic masterpiece with an animation that shows the majesty of Charles Bridge by day and by night.
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23 December 2020
Celebrating the National Theatre
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Today’s Doodle celebrates the Thai National Theatre, an iconic arts venue located in the country’s capital of Bangkok. The theater was inaugurated on this day in 1965 with an opening ceremony of Thai dance performed before an audience that included members of the nation’s royalty—the first of many cultural events held there in the decades since.
The National Theatre was first conceived in 1932 as a space for performing artists to share Thailand’s rich cultural heritage of music and dance with audiences. Another purpose of the theater was to provide a home for locals to exchange artistic customs with visitors from abroad to build stronger international relationships. For some three decades the theater operated out of the Fine Arts Department of the National Museum, and then in 1961 construction began on the dedicated building known today.
Since its inception, the theater has showcased various traditional Thai artforms, such as the classical dance style called khon. This one-of-a-kind performance traditionally features dancers in masks and colorful costumes and integrates varied elements like music, literature, and handicraft to portray stories from the Thai epic called the Ramakien.
The National Theatre is also home to musical events including performances by traditional big bands, and even provides a venue for educational functions like arts lectures.The venue is a lasting symbol of imagination, culture, and tradition for the people of Thailand.
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24 Dec 2020
Li Tien-lu's 110th birthday
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Today’s Doodle celebrates Taiwanese puppeteer, educator, and film actor Li Tien-lu, a beloved artist who helped introduce the world to the traditional hand puppetry of his homeland. Tien-lu was a charismatic symbol of Taiwanese identity who breathed new life into the artform of puppetry for over 70 years.
Li Tien-lu was born on this day in 1910 in the Taiwanese capital of Taipei and learned puppetry from his father when he was a child. He became a professional puppetry career as a young teenager, and in his early 20s he established his own troupe: I Wan Jan. Tien-lu brought together elements like Peking opera and Taiwanese Beiguan music to craft a new form of glove puppetry called Wai Jiang Pai, and the troupe achieved great success from the ‘50s to the ‘70s.
In 1973, a French scholar took an interest in Tien-lu’s craft and asked him to teach a few of the scholar’s students. Soon enough, Tien-lu had pupils from around the world who in turn helped bring global popularity to the art of Taiwanese of puppetry. He spent the rest of his life traveling the globe to promote the artform, and also acted in films like “The Puppetmaster” [1993], a biopic about his life.
In honor of his artistic contributions, Tien-lu was honored as a “Living National Treasure'' by the Taiwanese government, and in 1995 he was knighted by the French government.
Happy birthday, Li Tien-lu, and thank you for handing the gift of Taiwanese puppetry to audiences around the world.
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6 November 2017
Jackie Forster’s 91st Birthday
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It is quite an achievement to leave a lasting legacy. Jackie Forster is known for two: first, for her charismatic TV news reporting; second, for her trailblazing gay rights activism.
Born on this day in 1926, Jackie launched her famed career first in acting, appearing in various West End productions and films in the 1940s. She moved to television news under her maiden name, Jackie Mackenzie, and became a favorite of producers and the public with her sharp, lively, and quirky delivery. Her coverage of the wedding of Prince Rainier to Princess Grace in 1956 won her the Prix d’Italia.
Thirteen years later, Jackie made history by publicly coming out as gay, paving the way for many other women of the time. Soon after, she appeared on a host of television programs, speaking openly about her identity and helping viewers find the strength to accept themselves. She walked proudly in the first gay rights march in the UK and co-founded Sappho, an English lesbian magazine and social club.
Today’s Doodle by London-based illustrator Hannah Warren celebrates 91 years of Forster’s passion and pioneering spirit.
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13 February 2018
Carnival 2018
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Extravagant handcrafted costumes. The captivating rhythm of music from trios elétricos. Millions of party-goers dancing in the streets. It’s time for Carnival 2018!
Marking the beginning of Lent, Carnival is a week-long celebration full of lively parades, vibrant attire, and elaborate music and dance routines. Although observed all over the world, Carnival is especially popular in Brazil. In fact, Rio de Janeiro is home to the largest such celebration in the world, with up to 2 million participants!
The city is also considered the birthplace of Samba, which today is nearly synonymous with Rio’s Carnival. Music and dance play a vital role in the festivities all over the country, and popular genres vary by region — from Forró in Brazil’s Northeast to Axé in Bahia to Frevo in Pernambuco. Irrespective of town, time, or even the number of people swaying to the music, rich and catchy beats pulse through every part of Brazil on this happy occasion!
Today’s Doodle highlights the colorful and lively essence of Carnival. Whether you’re showing off your best moves in the parade this year or celebrating in spirit, we wish everyone a Happy Carnival 2018!
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13 February 2015
Ivan Andreyevich Krylov’s 246th Birthday
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In Russia, our doodle depicts “The Crow and the Fox,” a fable by Russian fabulist Ivan Andreyevich Krylov for his 246th birthday.
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7 June 2019
Dragon Boat Festival 2019
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Today’s Doodle celebrates the Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Jie, which begins on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. The exciting three-day event has occurred for over 2,000 years, and 10 years ago was inscribed on UNESCO’s list representing the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
The festival’s practice of racing boats originated from stories of people rowing on China’s Miluo River to try and rescue the ancient poet Qu Yuan from drowning during the third century B.C. Since then, the races have grown in popularity and spread throughout the world.
The boats are traditionally made of teak wood and can range up to 100 feet in length, accommodating as many as 80 rowers. Boats are usually decorated with dragon heads at the bow and scaly tails at the stern. A sacred ritual is held before the race when the eyes are painted on, which is said to “bring the boat to life.” During the race, a drummer sits in the front of each boat, helping the rowers to work in unison.
Families clean their homes and property in preparation for the festival, hanging bunches of mugwort and calamus on doors to ward off bad luck and disease. Aside from the race itself, there are many time-honored customs associated with the festival: eating sticky rice dumplings wrapped in lotus leaves, called zongzi; drinking wine made with the ruby-colored crystal realgar; and wearing “perfume pouches,” colorful silk bags filled with fragrant medicinal herbs.
端午节快乐!
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27 February 2018
Celebrating May Ayim
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Today’s Doodle celebrates author, poet, and activist May Ayim. It was on this date in 2010 that "May Ayim Ufer" or "May Ayim Street" was named in her honor in Berlin.
Born in 1960 to a Ghanaian father and a German mother, Ayim drew inspiration from a difficult childhood to become a prominent figure in the Black German movement.
Ayim’s pioneering work helped lay the groundwork for the field of Black German history. Her 1986 thesis, “Afro-Germans: Their Cultural and Social History on the Background of Social Change,” was the first scholarly work on Afro-German history from the Middle Ages to the present. This thesis also provided the foundation of her renowned book, “Farbe Bekennen.” In addition to her scholarly publications, Ayim’s poetry collections brought the Black German struggle for equality to an international stage.
Ayim’s journey as an author and poet also intersected with her work as an activist. For example, she partnered with other activists to form the Initiative Schwarze Deutsche [ISD], which served as a network of Blacks in Germany striving for self-empowerment.
Ayim’s 1992 speech, “My Pen Is My Sword: Racism and Resistance in Germany,” stressed the importance of writing as a vehicle for social transformation. Today's Doodle by Berlin-based illustrator Laura Breiling celebrates Ayim’s scholarly and literary work, which continues to educate and inspire people across the globe.
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1 August 2018
Switzerland National Day 2018
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Get out the cowbells! Today is Swiss National Day. Throughout Switzerland’s 26 cantons, the Swiss flag is displayed on everything from window boxes to loaves of bread. Children light paper lanterns and ring bells in commemoration of the oath of Swiss Confederation that was sworn in 1291. Bonfires in the hills remind one and all how word was spread of that ancient pledge of mutual support. The day is also filled with solemn speeches, fireworks, concerts, and parades of flower-bedecked cows, as shown in today’s Doodle.
In Basel, the celebrations begin in earnest the night of July 31 with food stands, music, and revelry on both sides of the Rhine until the early hours of the morning. Spectacular fireworks also light up the sky near the Rhine Falls.
For many Swiss, preparations for the holiday begin at least a week earlier, with citizens collecting wood for enormous bonfires. Friendly competitions urge neighbors to outbuild each others’ woodpiles. As it grows dark, the sounds of a traditional accordion or Schwiizerörgeli can be heard. And when the bonfire flames get just right, Swiss sausages known as Cervelats will go on the flames, growing plump and succulent till just right to eat.
Happy Swiss National Day!
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1 August 2014
Comtesse de Ségur's 215th Birthday
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Little Sophie from the novel Les Malheurs de Sophie [“Sophie's Misfortunes”] reaches for a sweet treat on our homepage in France for writer Countess of Ségur’s 215th birthday.
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8 May 2015
Parents' Day 2015
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/a1...YOWSsJZ61=s660
South Korea celebrates Parent’s Day every year on May 8 -- but did you know the holiday was known as Mother’s Day until 1973? Today, sons and daughters around the country -- and in our Doodle -- thank both parents [as well as grandparents] with carnations and other tokens of appreciation.
This Doodle was created by guest artist Sueann Williams.
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5 December 2019
Celebrating Wellies
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On the anniversary of the rainiest day in the history of the U.K., today’s Doodle celebrates Wellington boots, or “wellies,” a rainy day staple for centuries. Over the course of 24 hours on this day in 2015, an area of the northwestern county of Cumbria, England, recorded over 34 centimeters [13 inches] of rain. What better way to commemorate this deluge than to pay homage to the wellie, for keeping feet warm and dry during the heaviest downpours?
Conceived by Arthur Wellesley, the First Duke of Wellington, in the early 1800s, wellies evolved from modified military issue Hessian boots. By asking his London shoemaker to make a shorter boot that would be easier to wear with trousers and to switch from polished to waxed calfskin leather, a stylish waterproof boot was created.
Named after the Duke, the Wellington boot was further revolutionized with the arrival of vulcanized rubber in the mid-19th century. Rubber’s waterproof capabilities made the wellie a must-have for the typical British weather and its popularity soon spread across the world.
Today the wellie sparks joy in the hearts of children as they think about all the puddles they can jump in, and can be found in all the colors of the rainbow to make the grayest days bright and cheerful. Hopefully, not as gray and rainy as it was in Cumbria on that record-setting day.
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15 February 2017
Serbia National Day 2017
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Today Serbia celebrates its National Day, also known as Statehood Day and Sovereignty Day. The two-day holiday commemorates the 1804 uprising that grew into the Serbian Revolution, after centuries of Ottoman rule. February 15 was also the date the first Serbian constitution was adopted, in 1835.
Today's Doodle depicts Serbian dancers wearing opanci [traditional peasant shoes] and dancing the lively kolo. Serbians dance the kolo at weddings and other important occasions, often in large groups. Dancers say the kolo is easy to learn but difficult to master. Show off your fancy footwork as you celebrate the day!
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17 August 2018
Indonesia Independence Day 2018
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Few countries have more fun on Independence Day than Indonesia, the southeast Asian island nation whose Proclamation of Independence was first read in Jakarta on this day in 1945.
All throughout the country, from cities to villages, Independence Day starts early with gotong-royong, a collective effort to clean up and beautify neighborhoods. Red and white banners and buntings decorate houses, shops, and schools in preparation for a range of lively games, such as the Lomba Balap Karung seen in today’s Doodle. This classic sack race is just one of Indonesia’s traditional Independence Day pastimes. You can’t use your hands in the Kerupuk eating contest, where the fried starch and shrimp crackers hang from strings. First to finish their cracker wins. Panjat Pinang involves climbing up greased palm trees to claim prizes suspended at the top.
All this friendly competition is really just a fun way to spend time with friends and family, so remember to keep it light as you enjoy Indonesian Independence Day.
Dirgahayu Indonesia!
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19 August 2011
George Enescu's 130th Birthday
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George Enescu, known in France as Georges Enesco, was a Romanian musician. Enescu is regarded as one of the greatest musicians in Romanian history; he was a composer, violinist, pianist, conductor, and teacher. He is featured on the Romanian five lei.