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9 Sept 2014
Leo Tolstoy's 186th Birthday
http://lh6.ggpht.com/KnHaZ7ihy0js6da...oKHEsz_yA=s519
See the interactive version!
For writers like Joyce and Tolstoy the imagery remains unique for each reader. Both authors are careful and selective with words, allowing the reader's imagination to collaborate with the text instead of passively taking it in. The language of cartooning, likewise, is the language of reduction; it's less descriptive than realistic artwork or film, and is less likely to replace the reader's vision. It seemed fitting to focus on Tolstoy's central theme of dualism and to highlight his stylistic nuances through the rhythm of the sequences – the almost full moon against the almost starless night, the red of Anna's handbag, Ivan's fatal curtains that stand between him and the light of his spiritual awakening.
When I started rereading Tolstoy, it struck me how robust and modern his style is. The use of repetition, colloquialisms, and unorthodox syntax, as well as the extraordinary control over time and pacing are as potent and urgent as they were more than a century ago. In his Lectures on Russian Literature Vladimir Nabokov rather delightfully describes how Tolstoy "...unwraps the verbal parcel for its inner sense, he peels the apple of the phrase, he tries to say it one way, then a better way, he gropes, he stalls, he toys, he Tolstoys with words."
The word "dom" [[meaning both "house" and "home," just as "mir" in War and Peace means both "world" and "peace") appears on the opening page of Anna Karenina five times. The narrator's voice, at once invisible and distinctly Tolstoy's, shifts masterfully between the characters, allowing them to speak directly through minute detail, rhythm, and even occasional stream of consciousness, prefiguring the modernist techniques of the 20th century. In Anna Karenina's finest passages the narrator, the character, and the world are united in Tolstoy's seamless artistry.
The stagelike format of the doodle seemed to lend itself perfectly for the chosen treatment, so the doodle team and I settled on two key images from the three major works. There's a myriad of scenes I'd outlined and sketched in the process, and I wish I could've include some of the lesser-known episodes, like Vronsky and Anna's encounter with the Russian painter in Italy, whose portrait of Anna is kept in the background of the narrative for hundreds of pages until it's seen again through Levin's eyes in one most striking scenes of the book.
I sketched the chosen scenes digitally, then after a few revisions and adjustments went over them with brush and ink on layers and layers of paper. I then created a color scheme and assembled all these bits into digital layers that we arranged to move at varying speeds across the stage.
I hope the doodle will inspire viewers to discover and revisit these scenes in the way Tolstoy intended: through reading and rereading his timeless narratives.
Posted by Roman Muradov, guest doodler
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15 Sept 2014
Respect for the Aged Day 2014
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Iw...QCOO8fVTs=s660
It’s Respect for the Aged Day in Japan. On this holiday, Japanese people take the time to show appreciation for their elders and hold a ceremonial lunch or dinner to express their gratitude.
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15 September 2019
Celebrating Ynés Mexía
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...7108230-2x.jpg
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, today’s Doodle celebrates Mexican-American botanist and explorer Ynes Mexía, who braved earthquakes, bogs, and poisonous berries to reach a remote volcano on the border of Colombia and Ecuador—all for the sake of botanical discoveries. “We started on the long journey back,” she wrote after collecting samples of the rare wax palm, “very tired, very hot, very dirty, but very happy.”
On this day in 1925, Mexía embarked on her first plant collection trip, travelling with a group from Stanford University to Sinaloa, Mexico in search of rare botanical species. The 55-year-old had joined the local Sierra Club just a few years earlier, enrolling in special classes at UC Berkeley soon after. Despite falling off a cliff and fracturing her hand and some ribs, Mexía brought home around 500 specimens—50 of them previously undiscovered.
Born in Washington D.C. in 1870 as a daughter to a Mexican diplomat, Mexía moved around a lot before becoming a social worker in California and falling in love with nature. At age 51, she began studying botany. After her inaugural plant discovery trip in 1925, Mexía continued journeying to uncover more species throughout Mexico, many of which were then named after her. The first was a flowering plant from the daisy family named Zexmenia mexiae in 1928, now referred to as Lasianthaea macrocephala.
Although she never completed her degree, Mexía became one of the most celebrated collectors of botanical specimens in history, gathering some 150,000 specimens throughout her career. She went on to travel the world while researching, writing, and lecturing widely.
More than 90 years after she started, scientists are still studying Mexía’s samples, which are now housed in a number of major institutions around the world.
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2 September 2021
Rudolf Weigl's 138th birthday
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Today’s Doodle celebrates the 138th birthday of Polish inventor, doctor, and immunologist Rudolf Weigl. He produced the first effective vaccine against epidemic typhus—one of humanity’s oldest and most infectious diseases.
On this day in 1883, Rudolf Stefan Weigl was born in the Austro-Hungarian town of Przerów [modern-day Czech Republic]. He went on to study biological sciences at Poland’s Lwów University and was appointed as a parasitologist in the Polish Army in 1914. As millions across Eastern Europe were plagued by typhus, Weigl became determined to stop its spread.
Body lice were known to carry the typhus-infecting bacteria Rickettsia prowazekii, so Weigl adapted the tiny insect into a laboratory specimen. His innovative research revealed how to use lice to propagate the deadly bacteria which he studied for decades with the hope of developing a vaccine. In 1936, Weigl’s vaccine successfully inoculated its first beneficiary. When Germany occupied Poland during the outbreak of the Second World War, Weigl was forced to open a vaccine production plant. He used the facility to hire friends and colleagues at risk of persecution under the new regime.
An estimated 5,000 people were saved due to Weigl’s work during this period--both due to his direct efforts to protect his neighbors and to the thousands of vaccine doses distributed nationwide. Today, Weigl is widely lauded as a remarkable scientist and hero. His work has been honored by not one but two Nobel Prize nominations!
From studying a tiny louse to saving thousands of human lives, the impacts your tireless work had on the world are felt to this day—Happy Birthday, Rudolf Weigl!
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2 September 2016
First Day of School 2016 [Uzbekistan]
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...56032-hp2x.jpg
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27 December 2017
Marlene Dietrich’s 116th Birthday
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Born Maria Magdalene Dietrich in Berlin on this day in 1901, Marlene Dietrich lit up the silver screen during Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Dietrich rocketed to international fame from the moment she appeared in her breakout role as cabaret singer Lola-Lola in Germany’s first talking picture, Der Blaue Engel [1930] and its English version, The Blue Angel. The actress crossed the Atlantic soon after its premiere, continuing to work with Blue Angel director Josef von Sternberg in a string of memorable Hollywood films, including Morocco, Shanghai Express, and The Devil Is a Woman.
But Dietrich was more than a femme fatale with an unforgettable voice. Ever the risk-taker, she turned pat notions about femininity upside down, donning a tuxedo and top hat in her part as a sultry nightclub dancer in Morocco, and wearing men’s silk suits offscreen. A U.S. citizen as of 1939, she captivated World War II troops as a USO entertainer and was awarded the U.S. Medal of Freedom and French Légion d'Honneur for her wartime work.
Dietrich’s Doodle was illustrated by artist Sasha Steinberg who captured her mid-performance, suited up in her gender-bending tux and top hat. Steinberg, who is also a drag performer under the name Sasha Velour and winner of RuPaul's Drag Race [Season 9], counts Dietrich as a major influence in creating their drag alter ego.
“She was a wild original!” says Velour. “Despite the pressures of the time, she followed her own course, especially in terms of politics and gender. As a drag queen, that's particularly inspiring to me. Plus, she just had this power to her...in every role she's mysterious and strong, brilliant. That's what I aspire to be when I step on the stage.”
Happy 116th birthday, Marlene!
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3 Sept 2016
Sybil Kathigasu’s 117th birthday
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Sybil Kathigasu was never one to back down. A freedom fighter and nurse, Kathigasu and her husband supported the resistance forces during the Japanese occupation of Malaya until their arrest in 1943. For several years leading up to their capture, the Kathigasus secretly supplied medicine, provided medical services, and shared information obtained by listening to BCC on their shortwave radio.
After her release from prison, Kathigasu was awarded the George Medal for bravery. To this day, she’s the only Malayan woman to have received the award.
Today’s Doodle shows Kathigasu in her nurse’s uniform outside her former residence in Papan, Perak. The patterned ribbon of the George Medal surrounds the Doodle, a tribute to Kathigasu’s courageous contributions to the anti-occupation movement.
On the 117th anniversary of Kathigasu’s birth, we remember and celebrate her tireless dedication to freedom. Thank you, Kathigasu, for your courage and the powerful legacy you’ve left behind.
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1 September 2017
First Day of School 2017
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...69536.2-2x.jpg
Today is the first day of school in many countries. And the school of fish in our Doodle is ready to dive into the brainy brine! A whale swims toward the classroom, textbooks in fin. A starfish crams in the remainder of its summer reading, and a turtle and friends embark on their first science project.
Here's hoping our seagoing scholars inspire you to have a great school year!
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1 September 2011
First Day of School 2011 - Estonia, Poland, Russia
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Em...sZt9ui3NT=s660
Originally, I wanted to photograph actual pencil shavings for this doodle, but that was way too difficult... maybe it was the electric sharpener I was using. ;)
posted by Mike Dutton
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1 September 2020
Celebrating Dr. Harold Moody
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...7108573-2x.jpg
Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Dublin-based guest artist Charlot Kristensen, celebrates Jamaican-born British doctor, racial equality campaigner, and founder of the U.K.'s first civil rights movement Dr. Harold Moody. On this day in 1904, Dr. Moody arrived in the U.K. from Jamaica to pursue his medical studies at King’s College London. Alongside his medical work, he dedicated his life to campaigning for racial equality and advocating against discrimination.
Harold Arundel Moody was born on October 8, 1882, in the Jamaican capital of Kingston. He received early exposure to the medical field while in secondary school through his work for his father’s pharmaceutical business. Determined to become a doctor, he left Jamaica in 1904 to study medicine in London.
Dr. Moody soon came face-to-face with rampant racism in Edwardian London. Even though he qualified to practice medicine, finished top of his class, and won numerous academic prizes, he was repeatedly refused work due to the color bar system that denied people opportunities based on race. Instead, he opened his own private medical practice in Peckham, South East London—the neighborhood that inspired the design of the buildings situated below Dr. Moody in today’s Doodle.
The children depicted represent the countless impoverished youth Dr. Moody would treat free of charge, in a time before the U.K. had a National Health Service. In doing so, Dr. Moody earned a reputation as a compassionate humanitarian and philanthropist who would always help those in need.
Dr. Moody’s determination to improve the lives of those around him wasn’t limited to his medical practice—he simultaneously focused his attention on combating racial injustice as well. He founded the League of Coloured Peoples in 1931 with the mission to fight for racial equality both in the U.K. and around the world. The group pushed for change, at a government level, to combat discrimination in its many forms.
Thank you, Dr. Moody, for paving the way towards a more equal future.
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1 September 2019
Bùi Xuân Phái's 99th Birthday
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Today’s Doodle celebrates the Vietnamese artist Bui Xuan Phai, renowned for his evocative paintings of Hanoi’s historic old quarter, as referenced in the Doodle art. Born on this day in 1920 in the village of Kim Hoang, Phai went on to help shape the evolution of modern art in Vietnam, becoming widely considered one of the most celebrated South East Asian painters of the twentieth century.
Raised during Vietnam’s French colonial era, Phai took an early interest in art, drawing illustrations for Hanoi newspapers to pay for classes at the Ecole Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine. Although his father preferred that he pursue a career in medicine, the young man persisted, selling his first picture by the age of 20.
Phai’s interest in modern European painters like Matisse did not sit well with his teachers at the traditional academy, which closed after North Vietnam’s political upheaval in August 1945. Ho Chi Min’s new government insisted that artists focus their talents on supporting the new regime, but over time, Phai grew restless.
During the 1950s, he and his wife moved into his parents’ home at 87 Thuoc Bac Street in Hanoi, converting it into a small studio. Living simply, he devoted himself to the practice of art for its own sake. He enjoyed teaching at the Hanoi Fine Arts College but was asked to resign because he insisted on creative freedom. Phai went on to paint the streets and alleys of Hanoi’s old quarter, capturing the mood of a bygone era in his loose brushwork, and sometimes trading his art for supplies needed to support his family.
In years to come, his work earned numerous local and international honors. He won a prize for his book cover design at the International Graphic Exhibition in Leipzig, Germany. In recognition of his contributions to Vietnamese culture, he was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Medal. His humble home studio has since become a museum, honoring one man’s commitment to his art.
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1 September 2018
Fatima Surayya Bajia’s 88th Birthday
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Fatima Surayya Bajia was an award-winning author and dramatist who wrote plays and adapted classic Urdu novels for Pakistani radio and television. Born on this day in 1930 in Hyderabad Deccan, India, she was the eldest of ten children. The name “Bajia” means older sister.
Although she did not attend a formal school, she was well educated at home and became a pioneer for women in the fields of literature and the media. When the family moved to Pakistan following the partition with India, they brought with them a library containing several thousand books. These were trying times for the family and Bajia eventually took on the responsibility of raising her nine siblings—who included the painter, writer, and television personality Anwar Maqsood, the poet and screenwriter Zehra Nigah, and celebrity chef Zubaida Tariq—earning money by sewing dolls and designing clothes. She was renowned for her wit, wisdom, and elegant style—starched saris and a strand of pearls—reflected in today’s Doodle.
Bajia began her writing career with Pakistan’s Daily Jang in 1960. From there she started writing radio plays and working with PTV soon after the network was founded. After the success of her televised serial Auraq, she went on to write hundreds of popular plays and adaptations with a strong emphasis on women, children, and Urdu culture. Baija was known for spending long hours at work and taking a close interest in all details of production from set design to costume design and makeup.
Long enamored with Japanese literature, Baija wrote many haiku poems and received an award in Japan as well as numerous accolades in Pakistan, including the 1996 Pride of Performance Award and the 2012 Hilal-i-Imtiaz [Crescent of Excellence] presented by the President of Pakistan. Perhaps her greatest legacy is the women she inspired to follow in her footsteps. In the words of Pakistani actor Atiqa Odho. “Women like her opened doors for us.” In that respect Bajia was a “big sister” to many.
Happy Birthday Fatima Surayya Bajia!
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2 September 2020
Vietnam National Day 2020
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Today’s Doodle commemorates Vietnam’s National Day in celebration of the date in 1945 when the Southeast Asian nation declared its independence from France.
Featured in today’s Doodle artwork is an idyllic rowboating scene full of traditional Vietnamese symbolism. The man paddling is depicted wearing an iconic Nón Lá, a conical leaf hat that originated thousands of years ago and has since become synonymous with the nation’s culture. Opposite of the man steering the boat, a woman is dressed in the elegant national costume of Vietnam: the Áo Dài, which embodies the pride of the Vietnamese people.
The two are encircled by lily pads and lotus flowers, typical flora found throughout Vietnam’s lakes and ponds. The national flower of Vietnam, the lotus submerges under muddy water at night and resurfaces the next morning. Upon reaching the new dawn’s sunlight, it blooms untarnished by the surrounding mud—even during the most turbulent of times. This act of perseverance demonstrates why many in the country view the lotus blossom as a symbol of strength and optimism.
Not only does this colorful flower brighten the Vietnamese landscape, but it is also deeply ingrained in the nation’s cultural identity, from its towering architecture to its unique cuisine. The lotus’ distinctive shape has found its way into the design of multiple Vietnamese pagodas, temples, and communal houses since the Ly and Tran dynasties, like the prominent One Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi. In addition to its enduring symbolic value, the flower is used to make lotus tea, an essential part of many Vietnamese celebrations.
Happy National Day, Vietnam!
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2 September 2019
First Day of School 2019 [2 September ]
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Fresh-faced students don their smartest outfits and step onto their respective campuses. For a day of reuniting with old classmates and meeting new ones, while awaiting the start of class, today’s Doodle celebrates the first day of school!
Students and instructors around the world will return to the classroom today to begin a new year of learning.
Here’s wishing students all the best this new school year!
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2 September 2016
Vietnam National Day 2016
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...768.2-hp2x.jpg
Crowds gathered in Ba Đình Square on September 2nd, 1945, as revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh, delivered his historic speech to announce Vietnam’s Declaration of Independence from colonial French rule. Every year, Vietnamese people celebrate National Day by displaying the distinctive red and yellow national flag and with colorful patriotic marches and fireworks.
Today’s Doodle depicts a lotus, which is Vietnam’s national flower. To many people, including Buddhists, it’s a symbol of perfection and purity. During its flowering season, you can easily spot, and often smell, the colorful blooms on ponds across Vietnam. Much of the plant, such as the stem, seeds, and leaves can be used in cooking, plus some parts are also used for natural remedies.
Happy National Day, Vietnam.
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2 September 2017
Vietnam National Day 2017
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...9821696-2x.png
Every year on September 2, the typical bustle and chaos of Vietnam’s major cities double, as families and friends gather for National Day. On this day, citizens celebrate with parades, marches, speeches, street parties, performances, and fireworks.
The celebration continues with today’s Doodle, which features the Temple of Literature – home to the country’s first university – as a tribute to education and the integral role it plays in the Vietnamese spirit. Since 1076, thousands of students have walked the Temple's immaculate gardens and studied in its stunning courtyards. Though the university no longer operates, the Temple remains as a monument in honor of academia – in fact, come here during exam period and you’ll find students paying homage for good luck.
Happy National Day, Vietnam!
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16 September 2018
Mexico Independence Day 2018
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...5113088-2x.png
Today Mexico celebrates the independence movement that began with El Grito – a cry for freedom – in the village of Dolores, Guanajuato. In cities all over Mexico a full day of parties usually begins the night before, with citizens chanting in unison, “¡Viva México!”
Brass bands fill the streets, columns of willow and palm are set aflame, and fireworks light up the sky. Mexican food is central to the celebration—street vendors sell tamales while party foods like queso fundido are usually consumed at home. After a long night of partying, a hearty bowl of menudo soup is a fortifying and restorative meal.
Today’s Doodle shows a street vendor handing out Mexican flags, which are omnipresent on this day in public spaces and outside homes. Its colors feature in people’s outfits as well: green for independence, white for the Roman Catholic Church, and red for unity.
Happy National Day, Mexico!
Doodle by guest artist Rafael Mayani.
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16 September 2019
Chrisye’s 70th Birthday
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...4101632-2x.jpg
Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Yogyakarta-based guest artist Antares Hasanbasri, celebrates the progressive Indonesian pop singer and songwriter, Chrisye. Born Chrismansyah Rahadi in Jakarta on this day in 1949, Chrisye won many awards in his 40-year career and is widely considered one of the greatest Indonesian musicians of all time.
Chrisye’s parents had hoped he’d become an engineer. To their surprise, he fell in love with music early, starting a band with his brother Joris and later playing bass with his neighbors, eventually forming a band named Gipsy. Chrisye’s early recordings with Gipsy, as well as a number of other solo albums, solidified his place as one of Indonesia’s most popular recording artists.
Gipsy’s breakthrough occurred when they collaborated with Guruh Sukarnoputra in 1976 through the album Guruh Gipsy, blending contemporary rock and traditional music of Java and Bali, in a style called called gamelan.
A 1977 film soundtrack, Badai Pasti Berlalu [The Storm Will Surely Pass], birthed two of his most critically acclaimed works, including "Lilin-Lilin Kecil" [“Little Candles”] written by James F. Sundah. His smooth vocals on the song, emanating hope from an older generation, made the uplifting memorial song a favorite—and was also what inspired the art in today’s Doodle. The success of the soundtrack album led to a solo career with Chrisye’s first solo project, Sabda Alam, in 1978.
Chrisye appeared in the 1980 film Seindah Rembulan [As Beautiful As the Moon] and eventually married Yanti, former singer born G.F. Damayanti Noor, raising four children. He won numerous accolades, including Anugerah Musik Indonesia awards for Best Male Pop Singer and Best Album.
“Semangat bermusik saya tidak akan pernah mati,” Chrisye once wrote. “My musical spirit will never die.”
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16 September 2014
40th anniversary of the first broadcast of Casimir
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/t9...TEULaiGST=s660
The spotlight is on Casimir the Dinosaur on our homepage in France today. Casimir starred in the famous French cartoon “l'Île aux enfants” [“The Children’s Show”], which first aired 40 years ago today.
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26 April 2018
Fanny Blankers-Koen’s 100th Birthday
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On a rainy summer day in 1948, onlookers at London’s Wembley track saw an unexpected athlete make history. Dutch runner and 30-year-old mother of two Fanny Blankers-Koen outstrided her opponents in the women’s 200m by 0.7 seconds—the highest margin in Olympics 200m history and a record that still stands today.
Born near Baarn, the Netherlands, in 1918, Blankers-Koen had set a national record for the women’s 800m by age 17. At 18, she competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, placing fifth in the 4x100m and sixth in high jump.
After the 1940 and 1944 Olympics were canceled, many thought Blankers-Koen would never make another Olympics. When she declared her intentions to compete in the 1948 London Games, she received letters from many criticizing her for continuing to race despite being a mother and insisting she stay home.
But words couldn’t break Blankers-Koen’s stride. She captured four golds during the 1948 London Games, winning the 100m, 80m hurdles, 200m, and 4x100m relay to become the first woman to win four medals in a single Olympics. Her quick feet didn’t just set records. Blankers-Koen’s accomplishments flattened stereotypes of female athletes at the time, earning her the nickname “The Flying Housewife.”
Today, we celebrate what would’ve been her 100th birthday with a Doodle that imagines her racing down the track, smiling mid-stride.
Happy birthday, Fanny!
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26 April 2011
Vallenato Festival 2011
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/N3...PuTEODMpP=s660
The Vallenato Legend Festival [Spanish: Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata] is one of the most important musical festivals in Colombia. The festival features a vallenato music contests for best performer of accordion, caja vallenata and guacharaca, as well as piqueria [battle of lyrics] and best song. It's celebrated every year in April in the city of Valledupar, Department of Cesar.
The most important event during the celebration of this festival is the vallenato musical contest. The winners are chosen by a vallenato experienced jury that evaluate the contestants’ prowess in the four main rhythms which are paseo, son, puya and merengue. There are several categories in which the contestants may participate including: "professional accordion player", "amateur accordion player", "young accordion player", "best new vallenato song", and piquerías [in which each competitor's goal is to 'diss' their opponent through clever lyrics].
Besides the annual winners, there is also a special award given to renowned vallenato composers and performers, a statuette known as La Pilonera Mayor, which is given in recognition of the recipient’s dedication to vallenato music. La Pilonera Mayor is the highest honor given to a vallenato musician in Colombia and only six composers have received it until now. This award is given in honoris memoriam of disappeared Consuelo Araújo.
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26 April 2021
Anne McLaren's 94th birthday
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Today’s Doodle celebrates the 94th birthday of British scientist and author Anne McLaren, who is widely considered one of the most significant reproductive biologists of the 20th century. Her fundamental research on embryology has helped countless people realize their dreams of parenthood.
Anne McLaren was born in London on this day in 1927. As a child, she had a small role in the 1936 H.G. Wells’ sci-fi film “The Shape of Things to Come.” In the scene—set in 2054—her great-grandfather lectured her on the advancement of space technology that had put mice on the moon. McLaren credits this formative, albeit fictional, history lesson as one of the early inspirations for her love of science. She went on to study zoology at the University of Oxford, where her passion for science only grew as she learned from talented biologists such as Peter Medawar—a Nobel laureate for his research on the human immune system.
In the 1950s, McLaren began to work with mice to further understand the biology of mammalian development. While the subjects of her research were tiny, the implications of their study proved massive. By successfully growing mouse embryos in vitro [[in lab equipment), McLaren and her colleague John Biggers demonstrated the possibility to create healthy embryos outside of the mother’s womb.
These landmark findings—published in 1958—paved the way for the development of in vitro fertilization [IVF] technology that scientists first used successfully with humans twenty years later. However, the development of IVF technology carried major ethical controversy along with it. To this end, McLaren served as the only research scientist on the Warnock Committee [est. 1982], a governmental body dedicated to the development of policies related to the advances in IVF technology and embryology. Her expert council to the committee played an essential role in the enactment of the 1990 Human Fertilization and Embryology Act—watershed, yet contentious, legislation which limits in-vitro culture of human embryos to 14-days post embryo creation.
In 1991, McLaren was appointed Foreign Secretary, and later vice-president, of the world’s oldest scientific institution—The Royal Society—at the time becoming the first woman to ever hold office within the institution’s 330-year-old history.
McLaren discovered her passion for learning at a young age and aspired to spark this same enthusiasm for science in children and society at large. In 1994, the British Association for the Advancement of Science—an institution dedicated to the promotion of science to the general public [now the British Science Association]—elected her as its president. Through the organization and its events, McLaren engaged audiences across Britain on the wonders of science, engineering, and technology with the aim of making these topics more accessible to everyone.
Happy birthday, Anne McLaren. Thank you for all your incredible work and for inspiring many new generations to come because of it!
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21 May 2019
Willem Einthoven’s 159th Birthday
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Today’s Doodle celebrates the birth of Willem Einthoven, the Nobel Prize-winning Dutch physiologist who pioneered electrocardiography—a quick, painless, and effective method of studying the rhythms of the heart and diagnosing cardiovascular disease.
Born on the island of Java [now Indonesia] on this day in 1860, Einthoven grew up aspiring to follow in the footsteps of his father who had been both a doctor and military medical officer. By 1886 he had become a professor of physiology at the University of Leiden, focusing on optics, respiration, and the heart.
In 1889, Einthoven attended the First International Congress of Physiologists, where he watched a demonstration of a device known as the “Lippmann capillary electrometer” recording the electrical activity of the human heart. After analyzing the results, Einthoven recognized the need for a more accurate device, and began work on his string galvanometer, based on the technology used to amplify signals along underwater cables.
Balancing a fine string of quartz coated in silver between the two poles of a magnet, Einthoven’s invention precisely measured variations in electrical current. In 1901 he announced the first version of the string galvanometer, and soon published the world’s first electrocardiogram or ECG, a printed record of a human heartbeat. Einthoven studied the ECG patterns, identifying five “deflections” of normal heart function, learning how to interpret deviations that signal circulatory problems and heart disease.
Einthoven’s groundbreaking research won him the 1924 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. Today, ECG machines are still used in hospitals all over the world, and while the technology has evolved greatly, they still work according to the same basic principles and techniques developed by Einthoven, who is now remembered as the father of modern electrocardiography.
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21 May 2006
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 147th Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ht...yjWBlkWdg=s660
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle [22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930] was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.
Doyle was a prolific writer; other than Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" [1884], helped to popularise the mystery of the Mary Celeste.
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21 May 2016
Long Night of Museums 2016
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Museums across the globe will take part in the Long Night of Museums this year - a night when local, cultural institutions stay open extra-late to celebrate culture, science, and education.
Many museums provide free admission tonight with some cities also subsidizing public transport during this time. Check to see if your local exhibits are open to the public, and enjoy the treasures of our past.
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21 May 2014
Mary Anning's 215th Birthday
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Mary Anning [21 May 1799 – 9 March 1847] was an English fossil collector, dealer, and palaeontologist who became known around the world for finds she made in Jurassic marine fossil beds in the cliffs along the English Channel at Lyme Regis in the county of Dorset in Southwest England. Anning's findings contributed to changes in scientific thinking about prehistoric life and the history of the Earth.
Anning searched for fossils in the area's Blue Lias and Charmouth Mudstone cliffs, particularly during the winter months when landslides exposed new fossils that had to be collected quickly before they were lost to the sea. Her discoveries included the first correctly identified ichthyosaur skeleton when she was twelve years old; the first two nearly complete plesiosaur skeletons; the first pterosaur skeleton located outside Germany; and fish fossils. Her observations played a key role in the discovery that coprolites, known as bezoar stones at the time, were fossilised faeces, and she also discovered that belemnite fossils contained fossilised ink sacs like those of modern cephalopods.
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21 May 2020
Celebrating the embroidered shirt
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Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Kyiv-based guest artist Tania Yakunova, honors the Ukrainian embroidered shirt [known as vyshyvanka] in commemoration of International Vyshyvanka Day. Held each year on the third Thursday of May, this holiday is dedicated to the preservation and revival of Ukraine’s folk tradition of crafting and wearing embroidered clothing. What began in 2006 has since exploded into a global phenomenon with participation in over 50 countries around the world.
Embroidery has been a part of Ukrainian culture since long before the country itself was established. According to archaeological evidence and the accounts of the Greek historian Herodotus, the Scythians who inhabited Ukrainian territories as early as the 9th-century B.C. often wore embroidered clothing.
Over 250 distinct embroidery stitches can be used to form the vyshyvanka’s signature coded symbols. These typically fall into three categories: floral ornamentation, zoomorphic figures, and geometric shapes, all of which can be found in today’s Doodle artwork. No pattern comes without a detailed meaning, and Ukraine’s varied cultures and natural landscapes are reflected in the unique iconography employed within each region.
Centuries later, the vyshyvanka today is recognized as an integral component of Ukraine’s national costume and an expression of patriotism and cultural pride. So throw on your finest embroidered shirt, and join in this celebration of Ukrainian culture!
Happy International Vyshyvanka Day!
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23 November 2017
José Clemente Orozco’s 134th Birthday
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Celebrated Mexican muralist José Clemente Orozco was born in Ciudad Guzmán in central Mexico 134 years ago today.
After his family moved to Mexico City, the young Orozco would often cross paths with satirical caricaturist José Guadalupe Posada on his way to school. These meetings awakened in the young boy a keen political consciousness and a deep love for art, a powerful medium in the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution. Orozco would later document the social and political change of the era as one of Los Tres Grandes [The Three Greats] of Mexican mural art.
His sprawling, emotive frescos were initially often commissioned by the government. Dissatisfied with the condition of ordinary Mexicans however, he started to contradict his own sponsors - sometimes subtly [Maternidad [Maternity], 1924] and sometimes visibly [La Trinchera [The Trench], 1926]. This paradoxical relationship caused him to leave the country for seven long years, living in the US and earning international renown for works such as Prometeo [Prometheus] [1930] and The Epic of American Civilization [1934]. When he returned to Mexico, Orozco began work on the frescos of Hospicio Cabañas, murals sketching the span of Mexican history from indigenous civilizations to the Revolution.
Today’s Doodle—by Mexico City-based artist Santiago Solis—depicts Orozco in front of the jaguar featured in Las Riquezas Nacionales [The National Riches], his mural at La Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación in downtown Mexico City.
Feliz cumpleaños, Señor Orozco!
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23 November 2018
Nikolai Nosov’s 110th Birthday
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Blending fairy tales, fantasy, and science fiction, Nikolai Nosov wrote children’s literature whose playful prose delivered powerful insights into human nature. His short stories like “Alive Hat,” “Cucumbers,” and “Miraculous Trousers,” and a humorous trilogy of novels about the misadventures of a very small boy named Neznaika [whose name translates as “Know-Nothing” in English] made Nosov a favorite of young readers all over Russia and beyond.
Born on this day in 1908 in Kiev, Ukraine, Nosov attended the Moscow Institute of Cinematography and worked as a producer of animated educational films before he began publishing fiction, often in popular children’s magazines like Murzilka. In 1952 his endearing novel Vitya Maleev at School and at Home was awarded the Stalin Prize, the Soviet Union’s state award, elevating his profile as a writer considerably. The book was later adapted into a comic film called Two Friends.
In 1954 he published the first volume of the Neznaika trilogy—in both Russian and Ukrainian—with two subsequent novels in the series appearing in 1958 and 1967. Set within a town in fairyland populated by tiny people called “Mites” who are “no bigger than a pine cone,” the action centers around an impulsive and easily distracted boy whose belief that he knows everything is always getting him into trouble. In 1969, Nosov won a new literary prize for his trilogy, which has since been adapted into numerous film versions, endearing his characters to countless generations of readers as parents who grew up on Neznaika grow up and the books to their own children.
Happy Birthday, Nikolai Nosov!
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25 November 2019
Ani Idrus’ 101st Birthday
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Today’s Doodle celebrates fearless Indonesian journalist and activist Ani Idrus on her 101st birthday. Co-founding one of the longest-running Indonesian daily newspapers in 1947 and still active today, Waspada, Idrus became a leading force in the nation’s journalism, education, and politics.
Born on this day in 1918 in Western Sumatra, Idrus’ life left a wake of tremendous change. Establishing herself as a journalist in the 1930s, she went on to publish Waspada just before Indonesia’s independence from the Dutch. Idrus also served as a foreign correspondent for over a decade before releasing the first edition of a popular women’s magazine. In 1988, in recognition of her accomplishments in journalism, Idrus won the Satya Press Award.
As a member of the Young Indonesia political movement, Idrus’ activism continued to develop. She attended Indonesia’s First Women’s Congress, which led her to chair the North Sumatra Women's Front and became Deputy Secretary-General of the North Sumatra National Front.
Closely tied to Idrus’ dedication to causes that benefited Indonesian women was her push to improve education throughout the country. Her impact on the education system is marked by the opening of eight schools, the establishment of the Ani Idrus Education Foundation [YPAI], as well as her service as Chairperson of the Waspada Soccer School.
Commemorated with a stamp in 2004, Idrus’ life encapsulates her mission to improve the lives of Indonesians throughout the archipelago, especially those of women and children. It may be impossible to know just how many lives were positively affected by her tireless efforts in journalism, education, or politics, but her work stands as a monument to her principles.
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25 November 2020
Celebrating Tino Sidin
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Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Indonesian-American guest artist Shanti Rittgers, celebrates the 95th birthday of Indonesian artist and teacher Tino Sidin. Lovingly known as Pak Tino [Sir Tino], Sidin became a household name through his television series Gemar Menggambar [Like to Draw], on which he taught a generation of young children how to draw and nurture their creative talents. Fittingly, November 25 is also recognized in Indonesia as National Teachers' Day in commemoration of the establishment of the Indonesian Teachers’ Association on this date in 1945.
Tino Sidin was born on this day in 1925 in Tebing Tinggi in North Sumatra, now a province of Indonesia. He first began teaching in his hometown during his 20s and in 1960 travelled to Yogyakarta–among the country’s cultural hubs–to attend the pioneering Indonesian Academy of Arts [now the Indonesian Art Institute]. In 1969, Gemar Menggambar first premiered on the local TV station TVRI Yogyakarta, and in 1979 it made the leap onto Indonesian national television.
Every Sunday afternoon for the next decade, Pak Tino introduced countless children to the fun and joy of drawing. Like countless teachers celebrated across the country today, Sidin nurtured his young students through positive encouragement. He inspired the students to not be afraid to make mistakes, and he uplifted the children who viewed the show nationwide, showing support for their submitted artwork with his signature catchphrase “Ya, bagus” [“Yes, it’s nice”]. An accomplished artist off camera as well, Sidin’s own work was often inspired by daily life; one of his paintings, Empat Anak Main, [Four Children Play] for example, depicts four of his daughters.
In 2017, a museum was founded at Sidin’s former residence in Yogyakarta, immortalizing the legacy of Indonesia’s beloved teaching artist.
Happy Birthday to an educator who helped spark creativity and draw a brighter future for generations of Indonesian children, and thank you to all of the teachers who have tirelessly fostered the next generation!
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27 November 2018
Fe del Mundo’s 107th Birthday
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“I’m glad that I have been very much involved in the care of children, and that I have been relevant to them,” says Filipina physician Fe del Mundo. “They are the most outstanding feature in my life.”
Born in Manilla on this day in 1911, del Mundo was inspired to study medicine by her older sister who did not herself live to realize her dream of becoming a doctor. Also known as “The Angel of Santo Tomas,” del Mundo devoted her life to child healthcare and revolutionized pediatric medicine in the process.
A gifted student who became the first woman admitted to Harvard Medical School, del Mundo returned home after completing her studies in the U.S. During World War II, she set up a hospice where she treated more than 400 children and later became director of a government hospital. Frustrated with the bureaucracy, she eventually sold her house and belongings to finance the first pediatric hospital in the Philippines. Del Mundo lived on the second floor of the Children's Medical Center in Quezon City, making early morning rounds until she was 99 years old, even in a wheelchair.
When she wasn’t treating patients she was teaching students, publishing important research in medical journals, and authoring a definitive ‘Textbook of Pediatrics.’ She established the Institute of Maternal and Child Health to train doctors and nurses, and became the first woman to be conferred the title National Scientist of the Philippines and received many awards for her outstanding service to humankind.
Happy Birthday, Fe del Mundo!
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27 November 2018
Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita’s 132nd Birthday
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“The reason why I so much enjoy being friends with cats is that they have two different characters: a wild side and a domestic side. This is what makes them interesting,” said Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita. “A cat’s a wild animal, and I like that.”
Born in Tokyo on this day in 1886, Foujita, the son of a Japanese army general,dreamed of becoming a painter in Europe. After graduating from art school in Japan, he relocated to France in 1913, where he befriended various School of Paris luminaries such as Juan Gris, Pablo Picasso, and Henri Matisse, and even studied dance with Isadora Duncan.
Foujita’s first solo exhibition at the prestigious Gallery Chéron in June 1917 sold out quickly. The exhibition consisted of watercolors painted with a fine brush in a distinctive style that blended Eastern and Western influences and finished with a silvery wash.
Celebrated during his lifetime, Foujita received international awards and prominent commissions. His 1930 Book of Cats, featuring 20 etched plate drawings, became one of the most popular cat books ever published. Today, his work can be seen in Kyoto’s National Museum of Modern Art before rotating to the Musée d’Art Moderne de la ville de Paris in early 2019.
In 2011 his estate established the Foujita Foundation which carries on his legacy by the supporting artistic projects of young people experiencing difficulties from an interdisciplinary approach while encouraging educational development, cultural openness, and personal fulfillment.
Happy Birthday, Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita!
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29 Nov 2016
Louisa May Alcott’s 184th Birthday
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"I like good strong words that mean something," says Jo March in Little Women. The same could be said of that beloved novel's author, Louisa May Alcott, who was born on this day in 1832. In addition to being a writer, Alcott was a suffragist, abolitionist, and feminist. She grew up in the company of luminaries like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry David Thoreau, who fostered in her a strong sense of civic duty. Alcott volunteered as a nurse during the American Civil War, and her family's home was a station on the Underground Railroad. She was active in the women's suffrage movement and became the first woman to register to vote in Concord, Massachusetts. Through it all, she wrote novels and short stories tirelessly, sometimes working 14 hours a day.
Today's Doodle portrays Beth, Jo, Amy, and Meg March, as well as Jo's best friend Laurie, their neighbor. The March family of Little Women was based on Alcott's own, and the coltish Jo was Louisa's vision of herself: strewing manuscript pages in her wake, charging ahead with the courage of her convictions, and cherishing her family above all.
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30 November 2015
Lucy Maud Montgomery’s 141st Birthday
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Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote her first novel in 1905. It was rejected by every single publishing house that received it. A few years later, Montgomery tried shopping it again and succeeded. Her story about the adventures of a red-headed girl in Prince Edward Island became a smash hit. That novel ultimately became one of Canada’s most all-time popular books, being translated into around 20 languages and selling more than 50 million copies to date. Anne of Green Gables and its many sequels made Montgomery a wildly successful author and turned PEI into a destination for the book’s thousands of fans.
One of Canada’s most celebrated writers, Montgomery also wrote hundreds of poems and short stories as well as a number of novels apart from the Anne series. She was the first Canadian woman to be made a member of the British Royal Society of Arts and was also appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Today, on what would have been her 141st birthday, we salute Lucy Maud Montgomery with a Doodle that pays tribute to her most iconic book.
Doodler Olivia When, herself an Anne of Green Gables fan, wanted to honor Montgomery by illustrating several scenes from the beloved novel, including a particularly memorable one in which Anne mistakenly bakes a cake with liniment [[a medicated oil) instead of vanilla. Here’s to Anne with an “e,” Shirley and her revered creator, Lucy Maud Montgomery.
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30 November 2017
St. Andrew's Day 2017
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November 30 is St. Andrew’s Day in Scotland, a national holiday and cultural celebration that involves traditional food, ceilidh dancing, storytelling, and fireworks - with lots of talk and laughter.
Today’s very special coloring-in Doodle by Scottish artist Johanna Basford is a procession of beloved Scottish symbols, each with a special link to the country’s rich heritage and mythology. Wreathed in the prickly-leaved purple thistle, the unicorn [Scotland’s national animal] leads the parade, symbolizing innocence, purity, power, and joy.
The highlands and the lochs form the perfect backdrop to the country’s favorite mythical monster — Nessie, otherwise known as the Loch Ness monster. Trailing her is a majestic red deer, Scotland’s largest native land mammal, exploring the country’s much-celebrated bluebell woods.
The Saltire, the blue Scottish flag emblazoned with a white diagonal cross, heralds the procession. It is believed to be the oldest flag in Europe, and every building in Scotland is required by law to display it on this day.
Happy St. Andrew’s Day, everyone!
Be sure to check out today's Doodle's coloring page to print out and create your own version!
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30 November 2019
St Andrew's Day 2019
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St. Andrew’s Day is a celebration of Scotland’s people, culture, and charity highlighted in today's Doodle, illustrated by Scotland-based guest artist Scott Balmer. The holiday marks the officially unofficial start of winter in Scotland.
As the religious feast day of St. Andrew, November 30th has been observed in Scotland for centuries. St. Andrew’s Day as a national holiday did not take shape until an unexpected connection to the USA in the 18th century.
In 1729, the Scottish residents of Charleston, South Carolina, formed the first St. Andrew’s Society as a charitable organization. Choosing the feast day of St. Andrew to celebrate their homeland, the news of their philanthropic efforts spread quickly. The members of the organization embodied the message of the holiday by giving back to those in need, and continue to do so around the world to this day.
Throughout the country, you’ll find the Saltire flag proudly flying, parades through city thoroughfares, fireworks, and lots of Cèilidh dances. Evolving from couples dances in rural villages, Cèilidh dances are meant to welcome all those who wish to join.
If you’re a Scot abroad, in the Highlands, or just Scottish at heart, get ready to dance the night away, and make sure to have some haggis before the night is over.
Happy St. Andrew’s Day!
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30 November 2011
Mark Twain's 176th Birthday
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A great writer and humorist, Mark Twain once said, "Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand." His characters are as sincere as they are funny and playful; his work is iconic and a part of literary history. As an author that readers around the world have adored for a century, Mark Twain is a perfect fit for a doodle!
Since Google never likes to take itself too seriously, I wanted to pick a scene from Twain's work that is both recognizable and funny. The fence-painting sequence from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer seemed a perfect fit. Not only does it incorporate a little bit of mischievous humor [painting fences is certainly thrilling!] it also plays cleverly with the white space of the homepage. Alluding to a comic-book format, I drew Tom and Ben working on the fence and, therefore, spreading our famous white space across the doodle.
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30 November 2016
St. Andrew's Day 2016
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St. Andrew’s Day is Scotland’s official national day, celebrating the feast day of St. Andrew—the nation’s patron saint since the 10th century. The Scottish government mandates that the flag, also known as the Saltire or St. Andrew’s Cross, is flown today on every building with a flagpole. Festivities will include traditional Scottish foods like haggis, neeps, and tatties, as well as parades, music, and dancing. The celebrations kick off Scotland’s winter festival season.
Today’s Doodle features the Scottish flag proudly waving against the backdrop of famed locations throughout the country, including Cuillin Hills, Ben Nevis, Broch of Mousa, Isle of Skye, and Loch Lomond.
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30 November 2020
St Andrew’s Day 2020
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Today’s Doodle, illustrated by guest artist Peter Lubach, commemorates St. Andrew’s Day, Scotland’s annual celebration of its patron saint and national culture. The traditions of St. Andrew’s Day are believed to trace all the way back to the 11th century, and in 2007 the celebration was officially established as a national holiday.
In honor of St. Andrew’s Day, today’s Doodle artwork features several emblematic elements of Scottish iconography. The rampant lion on the far left has long represented Scotland since its first appearance on official regalia in the 13th century. Scotland’s national emblem, the thistle, replaces the second “O,” and to its right sits the critically-endangered Scottish wildcat—the only remaining native cat species that lives in the wild in the UK. Next to the wildcat stands a castle representative of the historic structures that dot the Scottish landscape. And finally on the far right is a golden eagle, which symbolizes Scotland’s wild natural landscape.
Happy St. Andrew’s Day!