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7 Dec 2016
181st Anniversary of the Adler's First Run
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All aboard! 181 years ago today, the Adler steam locomotive became the first commercial train to begin operation in Germany on Dec. 7, 1835. Meaning “eagle” in German, the Adler was built and designed in 1835 by Robert and George Stephenson in Newcastle upon Tyne, England for the Bavarian Ludwig Railway.
Over its 23 years of service, the Adler was used to transport passengers, goods, and cattle 7.45 kilometers [4.66 miles] between Nuremberg and Fürth with a top speed of 65 km/h [40 mph].
Retired in 1858, the Adler became a national symbol for power and industry. And while the original no longer exists, a working replica is currently on display at the Nuremberg Transport Museum, where it’s occasionally rolled out for exhibitio
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7 December 2012
Día de las Velitas
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Little Candles Day [Spanish: Día de las velitas] is a widely observed traditional holiday in Colombia. It is celebrated on December 7 on the eve of the Immaculate Conception, which is a public holiday in Colombia. This day is the unofficial start of the Christmas season in the country.
On this night, people place candles and paper lanterns on windowsills, balconies, porches, sidewalks, streets, parks and squares; in short, everywhere they can be seen, in honor of the Virgin Mary and her Immaculate Conception. On December 8 it is customary for houses to hoist a white flag with the image of the Virgin Mary all day. They also hold numerous events, from firework shows to competitions.
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2 May 2016
Mario Miranda’s 90th birthday
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Mario Miranda was a beloved cartoonist best known for his works in the Times of India and The Illustrated Weekly of India. Based primarily on the bustling cityscape of Mumbai, Miranda’s works often feature complex, multi-layered scenes. Humanity floods the canvas and yet each character maintains their individuality.
Our guest Doodler today is Aaron Renier, another artist known for portraying large crowds. “I approached Mario’s work by pretending I was drawing with him,” says Renier. “I chose his most popular style, very flat with criss-crossing interactions.” In this homage to Miranda, we see a rich litany of people, each unique in their perspective. “That is what I liked most about his work,” Renier explains, “trying to pick out who knows who, who's watching who, who's annoyed by who, who's enamored by who. Hopefully people will see something of [Miranda’s] spirit in it.”
Mario Miranda’s works live on throughout India, and on what would have been his 90th birthday, we honor his legacy.
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2 May 2011
Hurvinek's 85th Birthday
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Spejbl and Hurvínek is a Czech puppet comedy duo. The characters were conceived by Czech puppeteer prof. Josef Skupa. Throughout the years the two characters have gained international success. They have released many comedy albums, had their own television show and feature film. Each album usually contains one story, about the dim-witted father Josef Spejbl, and his son Hurvínek, who live with another family in the same apartment. Later on, the duo was accompanied by another family, Ms. Kateřina and her daughter Mánička. All four live with the dog Žeryk who has the ability to bark words. Though the comedy is aimed at children, there are several inside jokes that are meant for adults. The duo has their own theatre in Prague, in the district of Dejvice. Besides puppet performances, several stories of Spejbl and Hurvínek were recorded, and one series of so-called večerníček [bedtime stories].
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2 May 2014
Ichiyo Higuchi's 142nd Birthday
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Ichiyō Higuchi, real name Natsuko Higuchi was a Japanese writer from the Meiji Period. She was Japan's first professional female writer of modern literature, specialising in short stories and poetry, and also an extensive diarist.
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2 May 2017
Israel Independence Day 2017
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Today, Israel celebrates the anniversary of the Israeli Declaration of Independence with a special holiday called Yom Ha'atzmaut. It’s marked by a big ceremony in Jerusalem, where torches signifying the 12 Tribes of Israel are lit by selected citizens who have made a positive impact to society — from arts and culture to humanities and science.
Of course, there are also fireworks and parties in towns and cities around the country too, with live music, folk dancing and entertainment. Barbeques, known locally as “mangal,” are a popular way for people to celebrate.
Today’s Doodle was created by guest artist Or Bar-el and shows some typical ways people spend the holiday.
Happy Independence Day, Israel!
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4 May 2010
Umm Kalthum's Birthday
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Umm Kulthum was an Egyptian singer, songwriter, and film actress active from the 1920s to the 1970s. She was given the honorific title Kawkab al-Sharq [كوكب الشرق, 'Star of the East'].
She is considered a national icon in her native Egypt; she has been dubbed "The voice of Egypt" and "Egypt's fourth pyramid".
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Umm Kulthum in Life Magazine, 1962
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Monument to Umm Kulthum in Zamalek, Cairo;
it is located on the site of the singer's former house
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4 May 2012
Keith Haring's 54th Birthday
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In the early 1980s, as a native Manhattanite raised by and among artists, I was aware of Keith Haring and his work, but my 1984 job interview would be the first time we would meet. After some awkward small talk, we quickly realized that we had many friends and social activities in common. At that age [we were both just 25], such things meant a great deal. He hired me as his personal assistant and studio manager, and I worked alongside him until his premature death from AIDS-related illnesses in 1990. We shared many interests, worked well together, and established a deep, reciprocal trust. When he became ill and decided to create the Keith Haring Foundation, I was honored to accept his offer to be its executive director. I have now held that position for 23 years, and my responsibility and privilege is to promote and manage a legacy: respecting past connections and relationships, cultivating and nurturing new ones, staying true to Keith's artistic and philanthropic goals, and doing whatever is needed to ensure his place in history.
Keith tapped into the collective unconscious and expanded upon a universal language of symbols and messages – executed in simple lines, energized by the spirit [and for a time, context] of graffiti and fueled by his intense commitment to make his work as accessible as possible. Although he first came to the public’s attention through his chalk drawings in the New York City subway stations, he utilized the same graphically compelling visual vocabulary in thousands of works on paper, canvas, limited edition prints and multiples, sculpture, public murals and, eventually, merchandise – avenues of dissemination that to him were all of equal importance. This ambitious, populist spirit and prolific output brought his work to the widest audience imaginable.
Curious and cautious about the role technology was beginning to play in our society, Keith often included
images of computers in his work. He was both excited by and nervous about the impact of the personal computer on our daily lives. Using his art to convey these and other social concerns was at the root of his ever-increasing popularity. Over the past 30 years, images he created that speak about racism, drug addiction, AIDS and tolerance have become iconic.
Keith once expressed his fantasy that in the future, his images might be "beamed" around the world in seconds. That future is now, and I firmly believe that for Keith, the Internet would have been a realization of that excitement and cautious curiosity. That the world’s largest search engine is honoring Keith's birthday is nevertheless a perfect, 21st century, tribute to his art and ambitions. As Keith himself said in 1984, "Art lives through the imaginations of the people who are seeing it. Without that contact, there is no art. I have made myself a role as an image-maker of the twentieth century and I daily try to understand the responsibilities and implications of that position. It has become increasingly clear to me that art is not an elitist activity reserved for the appreciation of a few, but for everyone, and that is the end toward which I will continue to work."
Julia Gruen, Executive Direct of the Keith Haring Foundation
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Tower [1987] mural at Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital in Paris, France
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The Boxers [1987] sculpture in Berlin, Germany
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Barking dog sculpture by Haring in Dortmund, Germany
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Tuttomondo [1989] mural at the church of Sant'Antonio Abate in Pisa, Italy
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Haring painting a mural at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1986
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4 May 2014
Audrey Hepburn's 85th Birthday
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- Today Audrey Kathleen Hepburn-Ruston would have turned 85. She passed away 21 years ago, on January 20, 1993 at 8pm, at the young age of 63 from a rare type of cancer. Soon after losing her we felt that, would she have had more time on this earth, she would have spent it continuing to speak on the behalf of the millions of children who don’t have a ‘fair start’ in life. This was the generation she worked for tirelessly for the last 5 years of her life as an ambassador for UNICEF. During her tenure [1988-1992] 45,000 of them died of preventable causes each day. Today the number is down to 21,000. She believed in education as a way to change the course of history in those countries that are still developing, which is why we created both the Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund and the Audrey Hepburn Society at the US Fund for UNICEF. Both dedicated to assisting in the survival and development of children in need all over the World of which over 100,000,000, 2/3 of whom are girls, still do not have access to a basic education.
While she is still remembered as a film actor, she also remains a symbol of both inner and outer elegance for many, her last chapter as a humanitarian forever intertwined with her Hollywood and style legacies. This truly brings home the concept that it is not what you wear but how you wear it – not what you say but how you say it - as she always used to say, “it’s not just the words but it’s also the ‘tune’ that counts”. “Put yourself in the other person shoes” was also one of her motos. This is how she reached the inner core of the roles she played and probably what also made her humanitarian missions so unbearably vivid. She could feel their pain.
What is extraordinary about this last chapter of her life is that she truly was a ‘sprite’ – youthful at heart and fun to the core - which is probably why she has successfully communicated with our youth. Today they represent more than half of her fan base. And it is this same generation that wishes to find a way to be an active player in ‘changing the World.’ In time, they will cause the way we look at business – at profit – to change. Rather than having separate ‘for profit’ and ‘nonprofit’ activities, they will cause the two to merge into one, thus giving the possibility for all to do what they love while doing something that enhances society as a whole.
Thank you to all of you who have kept her ‘story’ alive. In the end this is who & what she was… a great story teller. Whether on the silver screen or on a UNICEF podium fighting for the survival of millions or wearing the iconic ‘little back dress’ or smiling at you from a poster on your cupboard door… her story of feelings and emotions, style and grace, elegance and compassion lives on thanks to your affection.
Sean Hepburn Ferrer
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4 May 2016
Jane Jacobs’ 100th birthday
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Happy Birthday Jane Jacobs!
“Why have cities not, long since, been identified, understood and treated as problems of organized complexity?”
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Jane Jacobs was a self-taught journalist and community organizer that supported keeping the city of New York diverse in shape and function. She stood by beloved neighborhoods that were unjustly slated for "renewal" and revealed political biases in the permit process for new projects. In Jacob's opinion, cities are for the people, and they're safest when residents mingle on the street and in local businesses.
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Jacobs developed her philosophy through living and interacting with the city itself, and described life on the city streets as a kind of social ballet. Her book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities [1961] still sits in the American Library of Congress. Today's Doodle honors the 100th birthday of this fierce protector of New York City's urban landscape.
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4 May 2019
Eddie Aikau’s 73rd Birthday
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Today’s Doodle celebrates Eddie Aikau, big wave surfer, lifeguard, and enduring symbol of Hawaiian heritage. Born on the island of Maui on this day in 1946, Eddie moved to Oahu with his family in 1959 and went on to become the first lifeguard hired by Honolulu officials to work on the North Shore of the island.
Not a single life was lost while he served as a lifeguard at Waimea Bay, making some 500 rescues without the assistance of a jet ski or any modern equipment. Eddie was famous for making rescues even in surf that reached 30 feet high. His fearlessness went on to inspire the slogan “Eddie would go.”
Hailing from a surfing family, Eddie was one of the first native Hawaiians to win the prestigious Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship in 1977, just four years after his older brother Clyde, who was the very first. Aside from his distinguished surfing career, Eddie found other ways to represent the culture of his native island. In 1978, Eddie joined the crew of the Hokule'a, a historically accurate double-hulled canoe retracing the ancient Polynesian migration route to Hawaii. The vessel sprung a leak and capsized in rough waters. Eddie was last seen heroically paddling off on his surfboard towards the nearest island to seek help for the crew, who were later rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Today, Eddie’s legacy lives on through the Eddie Aikau Foundation as well as the prestigious Eddie Aikau Invitational, which has seen some of big-wave surfing’s greatest names competing with maximum respect for the authenticity of surf culture.
Here’s to you, Eddie.
Special thanks to the Eddie Aikau Foundation for their partnership on this Doodle. Below, they share their thoughts on Eddie’s life, legacy, and the Doodle:
A legendary surfer and lifeguard for the City & County of Honolulu, Eddie Aikau was one of the greatest big wave riders in the world. As the first lifeguard ever stationed at Waimea Bay on the North Shore of Oahu, Eddie is credited with saving the lives of hundreds of swimmers and surfers, often in conditions no one else would dare enter. His legacy lives on with a memorial Big Wave Surfing Invitational, also known as"The Eddie," held annually at Waimea Bay—but only when the waves are over 20 feet high. We hope people enjoy this Google Doodle and take a moment to remember and celebrate Eddie, a true symbol of the "Aloha Spirit."
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/11...3T7oBWMD_9Uuqm
As a nod to Hawaiian culture, today's Doodle was carved out of wood—with a laser! The frames were then organized digitally to create the animated GIF.
Check out some of the behind-the-scenes below!
Laser engraving
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Laser cutting
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The finished wood carving!
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First draft of the wood carving animated GIF
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4 May 2021
Geta Brătescu’s 95th birthday
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Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Bucharest-based guest artist Irina Selaru, celebrates multidisciplinary Romanian artist Geta Brătescu on her 95th birthday. Credited as one of the first conceptual artists in Romania, Brătescu rose to international prominence with a series of exhibitions celebrating her prolific career in the 80s.
Georgeta Ann Comanescu was born on this day in 1926, north of the capital city of Bucharest in Ploiești, Romania. She worked as a children’s book illustrator in the 1950s, and later in the decade joined the Union of Fine Artists, a state organization through which she travelled the country to sketch Romanians in their everyday lives. A testament to her talent in design, in the early ‘60s she was named the artistic director of the prestigious literary magazine Secolul 20.
But it was in the studio that Brătescu created much of her best-known work across a variety of mediums, including drawing, photography, film, and collages of commonplace materials. She was known for tackling themes like the relationship between art and life with a characteristic dry humor, though she frequently resisted categorization of her work. In 1978, Brătescu opened up her space and process to the world in one of her most famous works, the meta black-and-white film, “Atelierul” [“The Studio”].
In 2017, at the twilight of her seven-decade-long career, Brătescu was given the honor to represent Romania at the prestigious Venice Biennale, and in the same year she was awarded the Ordinul Naţional “Steaua României” [National Order of the “Star of Romania”], the country’s highest civilian honor.
Here’s to an artist who refused to color within the lines–happy birthday, Geta Brătescu!
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4 May 2021
Celebrating Hisaye Yamamoto
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In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, today’s Doodle celebrates Japanese-American short story author Hisaye Yamamoto, among the first Asian Americans to receive post-war national literary recognition. Throughout an acclaimed career, Yamamoto constructed candid and incisive stories that aimed to bridge the cultural divide between first and second-generation Japanese-Americans by detailing their experiences in the wake of World War II.
Born on August 23, 1921, in Redondo Beach, California, Hisaye Yamamoto was the daughter of Japanese immigrant parents. In her teens, Yamamoto wrote articles for a daily newspaper for Japanese Californians under the pen name Napoleon. Following the outbreak of World War II and due to Executive Order 9066, Yamamoto’s family was among the over 120,000 Japanese-Americans forced by the U.S. to relocate to government prison camps [aka Japanese internment camps], where they faced violence and harsh conditions. Despite the injustices encountered daily, she kept her literary aspirations alive as a reporter and columnist for the “Poston Chronicle,” the camp newspaper.
As the dust settled from the war’s end, Yamamoto was released from the internment camp and returned to the Los Angeles area in 1945. Yamamoto soon found work as a columnist with the “Los Angeles Tribune,” a weekly Black-owned and founded newspaper that sought to diversify the voices in journalism and unify the Angelo Black community with Asian Americans.
Over the next three years gathering news for the publication, Yamamoto witnessed firsthand the widespread racism that many underrepresented groups faced. These experiences profoundly changed Yamamoto, who became a literary champion of not just the Asian American community, but for others who also endured discrimination. In 1948, Yamamoto published her first short story, “The High Heeled Shoes,” which inspired Yamamoto to leave journalism and pursue writing full-time, often exploring topics related to the intersection of gender, race, and ethnicity in her works.
The adversity she overcame at the prison camp formed the basis for much of Yamamoto’s work, such as her 1950 short story “The Legend of Miss Sasagawara.” She also remained a life-long advocate in the fight against war, racism, and violence. In 1986, Yamamoto’s storytelling won the Before Columbus Foundation’s American Book Award for Lifetime Achievement for her contributions to American multicultural literature.
Here’s to you, Hisaye Yamamoto!
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17 October 2018
Chiquinha Gonzaga’s 171st Birthday
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Born on this day in Rio de Janeiro in, 1847, Francisca Edwiges Neves Gonzaga [famously known as Chiquinha Gonzaga] showed an affinity for music from childhood. Playing the piano by age 11, she studied music with the maestro Elias Álvares Lobo. When she was 16, her parents insisted she enter an arranged marriage, which ended after her husband insisted she devote herself either to him or to music. At a time when independent women faced major social pressure, Gonzaga sacrificed everything to follow her musical ambitions. She would go on to become the first female conductor in South America and one of the most important figures in Brazilian music history.
For a woman to make a living as a professional musician in nineteenth-century Brazil was unheard of, but Gonzaga persisted, composing 77 operettas and more than 2,000 songs. “Atraente,” published in 1881, may be her best-loved composition, ushering in a sound that would come to be known as “choro.” With her peerless piano skills and gift for improvisation, Gonzaga pioneered this upbeat blend of jazz, waltz, polka, and Afro-Brazilian beats.
On January 17, 1885, Gonzaga made her debut as a conductor with her piece, “Palhares Ribeiro, A Corte na Roça.” Despite the popularity of her music, Gonzaga faced resistance as a woman in a male-dominated business. Often performing with a group headed by her close friend, the flutist Joaquim Antônio da Silva Callado Jr., and including her son João Gualberto on clarinet, Gonzaga managed to thrive in the face of adversity, inspiring others to follow in her footsteps.
During the late 1880s Gonzaga threw her support behind the abolitionist movement, selling her sheet music to raise funds, she paid for the freedom of the enslaved musician Zé Flauta. Her 1899 Carnival march “O abre alas!” [Open Wings] was an homage to freedom. In 1917 she co-founded the artists’ rights society SBAT to ensure that songwriters received a fair share of income from their compositions.
Gonzaga’s legacy lives on as one of Brazil’s most celebrated musical legends. She broke down barriers and directly impacted the development of music in her homeland. Fittingly, Gonzaga’s birthday is now the official National Day of Brazilian Popular Music [Dia da Música Popular Brasileira].
Feliz aniversário Chiquinha Gonzaga!
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5 May 2017
Children's Day 2017 [Japan]
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Celebrating all boys and girls, Children’s Day became an official holiday in Japan in the late 1940s. There are lots of ways to have fun, and it’s not unusual to see carp kites called “koinobori” flying from poles. These brightly colored banners were adopted from an ancient boy’s holiday originally held on the same date, called “Tango no Sekku”, and come from a legend which tells the story of a fish that becomes a dragon – representing perseverance and success.
Happy Children’s Day!
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24 November 2019
195th Anniversary of Las Piñas Bamboo Organ
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Today’s Doodle celebrates the 195th anniversary of the Las Piñas Bamboo Organ, the oldest, largest, and only known bamboo pipe organ in existence. Constructed over 8 years with 1,031 pipes, 902 of which are made of native bamboo, the Bamboo Organ of St. Joseph Parish Church in Las Piñas, Manila, was completed in 1824 under the direction of Spanish missionary Fray Diego Cera de la Virgen del Carmel. The organ is still operational and has been playing daily for nearly 45 years since its reconstruction.
In the 1880s, natural disasters severely damaged the instrument, silencing it until a restoration project started in 1972. The organ was moved from Las Piñas to Bonn, Germany, where it underwent a full reconstruction, returning to the island in 1975. The homecoming celebrations morphed into the International Bamboo Organ Festival, held every February. On this day in 2003, the Bamboo Organ was named a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines.
The Bamboo Organ Foundation oversees the annual celebrations where some of the most famous organists from around the world have come to perform. In the 44 years since the return to Las Piñas, the organ and festival in its honor have become synonymous with Filipino cultural expression.
A monument to sustainable building and technological sophistication, the Bamboo Organ stands as a symbol of what’s possible when design draws from native resources, labor, and the ingenuity of its nation’s people.
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24 Nov 2019
Parveen Shakir’s 67th Birthday
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“Give him a chance to come to grow a blossom in my heart, Let him come to wound my heart once more! Give scent a chance to alert in my unfilled entryways, Let him come to enrich my home. Around here, live many individuals he knows, Cannot he go under the affectation of meeting another person?”
–Parveen Shakir, “Let Him Come to Sprout a Flower in my Heart”
Today’s Doodle celebrates the pioneering Pakistani poet Parveen Shakir on her 67th birthday. The release of her first collection of poems titled Khushbu [Fragrance] won her the Adamjee Literary Award in 1976, and her distinguished contributions to Urdu poetry awarded her one of the highest civil prizes in Pakistan, the President’s Award for Pride of Performance in 1990.
An exceptionally accomplished student, Shakir was awarded a Master’s Degree in English Literature, Linguistics, Bank Management, a Ph.D. in Bank Administration, as well as a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard. Professionally, Shakir was a long-time university English teacher and later found herself working for the Civil Service, climbing the ranks to become the second secretary of the Federal Bureau of Revenue of Pakistan.
Throughout her decorated career, Shakir continued to publish notable books of her poetry, including Sad-barg [Marsh Marigold], Khud Kalami [Talking To Oneself], Inkaar [Denial], Kaf-e-Aina [The Mirror’s Edge], and Mah-e-Tamaam [Full Moon], as referenced to the Doodle art.
Writing from a young woman's perspective, Shakir broke the male-dominated mold of the time by being the first poet to use the Urdu word larki [girl] in her work, defying tradition by candidly expressing the female condition emotionally and realistically.
The Parveen Shakir Trust was organized in 1994. The trust holds the Parveen Shakir Urdu Literature Festival, which aims to foster the next generation of Urdu literary figures.
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24 November 2018
Charles-Michel de l'Épée’s 306th Birthday
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Today’s Doodle honors the Abbé Charles-Michel de l'Épée, a French educator who founded the first public school for the deaf. Dispelling the misconception that people with impaired hearing were incapable of learning, Épée developed a visual method that became the blueprint for the teaching of the deaf in France and that changed countless lives at a time when many deaf people were discriminated against.
"Every deaf-mute sent to us already has a language," he wrote. "He is thoroughly in the habit of using it, and understands others who do. With it he expresses his needs, desires, doubts, pains, and so on, and makes no mistakes when others express themselves likewise.”
Born in Versailles on this day in 1712, Épée was the son of an architect who studied theology and law before devoting his life to serving the poor. He began tutoring two deaf sisters who lived in the slums of Paris and who communicated through their own sign language. In 1760, he used his own inheritance to found the Institution Nationale des Sourds-Muets à Paris, a school for the deaf that was open to all regardless of their ability to pay.
The French National Assembly eventually recognized him as a "Benefactor of Humanity" and asserted the rights of deaf people under France’s Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. His school went on to receive government funding and remains open to this day renamed as Institut National de Jeunes Sourds de Paris.
Happy Birthday, Charles-Michel de l'Épée!
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16 December 2020
Marie Popelin’s 174th birthday
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Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Belgium-based guest artist Emilie Timmermans, celebrates Belgian educator and feminist icon Marie Popelin, the first woman to attain a law degree in the country. Despite her qualifications, she was denied admission to the bar on the basis of her gender, a result she challenged unsuccessfully in court. This injustice, which became known as the “Popelin Affair,” helped to energize Belgium’s burgeoning feminist movement, and Popelin became a leading pioneer in the struggle for gender equality.
Marie Popelin was born on this day in 1846 in Brussels, Belgium. She initially pursued a career in education and went on to teach at Belgium’s first secondary school for girls, Cours d’Education pour Jeunes Filles [Education Course for Young Girls]. But at age 37, she had a change of heart and decided to study law instead.
Popelin broke new ground for women in Belgium when she graduated summa cum laude with a law degree from the Université libre de Bruxelles [ULB] in 1888. However, she was denied admittance to the bar association, preventing her from practicing law. Galvanized by her unjust exclusion, in 1892 Popelin co-founded the Ligue belge du droit des femmes [Belgian League for Women's Rights], the country’s first structured feminist organization. She traveled the world to support women’s rights and in 1905 established the Conseil National des Femmes Belges [National Council of Belgian Women], which served to unify feminist groups from across the country.
Thanks in no small part to Popelin’s tireless efforts, Belgium finally allowed women to practice law in 1922.
Happy birthday to a trailblazer who opened the door for generations of women in law.
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14 December 2015
BKS Iyengar’s 97th Birthday
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B.K.S. Iyengar, it’s been said, could hold a headstand for nearly half an hour well into his eighties. He was instrumental in bringing yoga to the West, beloved by followers on nearly every continent [certainly a few of his techniques have reached a base camp somewhere in Antarctica, but we couldn’t be sure] and advised such aspiring yogis as Aldous Huxley, Sachin Tendulkar, and Queen Elizabeth of Belgium. His style--Iyengar Yoga--is characterized by tremendous control and discipline, which he exercised in ways not limited to confoundingly long headstands.
To remember the pioneering and deeply spiritual yogi on what would have been his 97th birthday, Kevin Laughlin used a few of the master’s poses, or asanas, to help complete the logo on today’s homepage.
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27 Nov 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 Nov 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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27 November 2016
100th Anniversary of “Pelo Telefone”
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The first samba ever recorded, Pelo Telefone began dancing its way into Brazilian hearts 100 years ago today. With a name meaning “on the telephone,” the upbeat number was an ode to new technologies, written by Ernesto dos Santos [better known as Donga] and Mauro de Almeida. Because it was first conceived at the home of Tia Ciata where musicians often participated in rodas de samba, or group improvisations, many others tried to claim authorship of the tune. But it was Donga who registered the sheet music at the National Library of Brazil on November 27, 1916.
Soon after, the song was recorded by the Brazilian singer Baiano and released by Odeon Records. Up to that point, most people didn’t know what samba was. That all changed as Pelo Telefone’s popularity skyrocketed. Suddenly, the playful style of music was at the center of Carnaval celebrations and eventually, at the forefront of Brazilian culture. Much of the genre’s success can be credited to Donga, who continued to perform and record music for much of his life. In today’s Doodle, the legendary musician shows off his moves as we groove to his famous composition.
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28 Nov 2016
Drs. Suyadi's 84th Birthday
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Drs. Suyadi, known widely by his alter-ego's name: Pak Raden, created books and animated films for children. His career spanned many years, creating his first book in 1952 at university and completing his last book, Petruk Jadi Raja, in 2008 at the age of 76.
In addition to books and films, Suyadi is perhaps best known for creating a children's puppet show called “Unyil.” The show aired on the Indonesian national station TVRI every Sunday from 1981 - 1993. To this day, the puppets are remembered fondly across Indonesia, especially Pak Raden, the grumpy character played by Suyadi himself. Never seen without his cane and false mustache, Pak Raden was one of the Unyil’s most popular puppets.
Today’s Doodle celebrates Drs. Suyadi on what would be his 84th birthday. Thank you for creating joy and inspiring curiosity in children and adults alike!
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28 November 2021
35th anniversary of Taroko National Park
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In the language of Taiwan’s indigenous Truku people, taroko means magnificent or beautiful. Taroko Park—the Truku people’s ancestral home—reflects the grandiosity of its title as one of Taiwan’s nine national parks. Today’s Doodle celebrates this protected park on the 35th anniversary of the day it was established to formally conserve the nation’s natural beauty and biodiversity. The Doodle artwork depicts the Taroko Gorge Waterfalls and the Eternal Spring Shrine.
From the precipitous white marble walls of Taroko Gorge to the active steam vents of Taiwan’s tallest volcano Mount Qixing, Taroko Park serves as an epicenter of scientific research and environmental education. The reserve spans over 350 square miles, ranging across an expansive Pacific shoreline to 140 rugged mountain peaks—27 of which stand among the nation’s 100 tallest mountains! These peaks were formed by the collision of two massive tectonic plates over millions of years, and the Central Mountain Range continues to be elevated by several millimeters annually.
As a gathering place for outdoor adventurists and wildlife enthusiasts alike, Taroko’s widely varied geography creates several climate zones that provide habitats for hundreds of species of flora and fauna. The alpine forests of the park’s higher elevations support tree-dwelling mammals like the Formosan rock macaque, Taiwan’s only indigenous primate. Its lower regions harbor an exceptional collection of plant and animal life, including over 300 butterfly species.
Happy 35th Anniversary, Taroko National Park!
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28 November 2020
Bano Qudsia’s 92nd birthday
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Today’s Doodle honors the life and legacy of Pakistani novelist and stage and television playwright Bano Qudsia, affectionately known as Bano Aapa [Elder Sister], who is widely credited as one of the most significant Urdu language authors in modern times. Renowned for her message of love and hope, Qudsia earned enormous acclaim for Urdu classics like her television play Aadhi Baat [Half Talk, 1968] and novel Raja Gidh [The Vulture King, 1981].
Bano Qudsia was born on this day in 1928 in Firozpur, British India [now India], and began to write short stories when she was a child. Following a move to nearby Lahore, Pakistan after the partition of the Indian subcontinent, Qudsia earned her master’s degree in Urdu. While in school, she also met her future husband and fellow luminary of Urdu literature Ashfaq Ahmad.
During a fertile era of Pakistani literature, Qudsia’s thought-provoking television plays earned her a reputation as a cultural trendsetter. In addition, she wrote a prolific 25 novels and founded her own magazine called Dastango. Even as her legend grew throughout her six-decade career, she maintained a reputation for her radical acceptance and kindness, known to embrace those from all walks of life who approached her for mentorship or assistance.
For her lifetime of literary achievements, Qudsia received the Sitara-e-Imtiaz [Star of Excellence] in 1983 and the Hilal-e-Imtiaz [Crescent of Excellence] in 2000—both among Pakistan’s highest civilian honors.
Happy birthday, Bano Qudsia! Your contributions to Pakistani literature and entertainment will continue to resonate for generations to come!
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8 August 2021
Sarla Thukral's 107th birthday
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Today’s high-flying Doodle, illustrated by guest artist Vrinda Zaveri, celebrates Indian pilot, designer, and entrepreneur Sarla Thukral on her 107th birthday. Thukral is often best known for being the first Indian woman to pilot an aircraft.
We planned to run this same Doodle honoring Sarla Thukral in India last year. However, when the tragic plane crash occurred in Kerala, we withheld the Doodle out of respect to the event and relief effort. Though we don’t usually run Doodles more than once, Thukral left such a lasting legacy for women in aviation that we decided to run the Doodle this year in honor of her 107th birthday.
Sarla Thukral was born in Delhi, British India on this day in 1914 and later moved to Lahore in present-day Pakistan. Inspired by her husband who was an airmail pilot from a family of fliers, she began training to follow in their footsteps. At age 21, dressed in a traditional sari, she stepped into the cockpit of a small double-winged plane for her first solo flight. Lifting the craft into the sky, she made history in the process. Newspapers soon spread the word that the skies were no longer the province for only men.
And Thukral’s groundbreaking ascent did not stop there. As a student of the Lahore Flying Club, she completed 1,000 hours of flight time to gain her A licence, another first for Indian women. She then began preparation to become a commercial pilot, but the outbreak of World War II put a halt on civil aviation training. Instead, Thukral studied fine art and painting at Lahore’s Mayo School of Arts [now the National College of Arts]. She later returned to Delhi where she continued painting and built a successful career designing jewelry and clothing.
In the decades since, Thukral’s soaring achievements have paved the way for generations of Indian women to turn their dreams of flight into reality.
Dhanyavaad, Sarla Thukral–with one flight, you opened up the door to the skies.
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23 October 2021
Ellya Khadam's 93rd birthday
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Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Semarang, Indonesia-based guest artist Fatchurofi Muhammad, celebrates Indonesian singer, songwriter, and actor Ellya Khadam, who is widely considered a pioneer of dangdut, a genre of folk music popular in Indonesia that blends local musical traditions together with diverse styles such as Western rock-and-roll and Indian film scores.
Ellya Khadam was born Siti Alya Husnah on this day in 1928 in Jakarta, Indonesia. During her teenage years, Khadam was neighbors with a singer of the Malaysian pop music style known as deli. She developed her musical talent by imitating this genre, which allowed her to make a name for herself by first singing at weddings and later joining local musical outfits.
She rose to prominence as a singer in the Kelana Ria Malay Orchestra during the 1950s, a musical collective that drew much of its inspiration from Indian culture and music. Khadam’s career reached its peak with the release of her 1956 break-out hit song “Boneka India” [Dolls from India] now considered a touchstone of the dangdut genre. She expressed her love for Indian customs not just through using Indian tabla rhythms in her songs but also by donning traditional Indian saris and wearing a sindoor on her forehead.
In addition to her musical output, which popularized dangdut and inspired the younger generation to take the genre to new heights, Khadam starred in dozens of films into the late 1970s. Today, dangdut showcases the nation’s culture on a global scale as one of Indonesia’s most popular musical styles—even making a historic on-stage debut in New York’s Times Square earlier this year!
Happy birthday, Ellya Khadam—thank you for giving a voice to a new wave of Indonesian culture!
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25 Oct 2021
Galina Vishnevskaya's 95th birthday
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Today’s Doodle, illustrated guest artist Darya Shnykina, celebrates the 95th birthday of one of the greatest Russian opera singers of the 20th century—Galina Vishnevskaya.
Galina Pavlovna Ivanova was born on this day in 1926 in Leningrad, Russia [modern-day St. Petersburg] and became enthralled with opera at 10 years old after hearing Tchaikovsky’s epic “Eugene Onegin.” While walking the streets of Leningrad in the early 1950s, Vishnevskaya stumbled upon an invitation to audition for the Bolshoi Theater—Russia’s most prestigious opera hall. She blew the judges away with her audition, earning a spot as the year’s only auditioner accepted into the Bolshoi troupe.
In 1953, her childhood dreams were realized at the Bolshoi as she portrayed the lead character Tatyana in “Eugene Onegin” with a fresh interpretation of a classic character that became her signature role. This marked the genesis of a virtuosic opera career that took Vishnevskaya to venues around the world—often with her beloved dachshund Pooks in tow—from New York’s Metropolitan Opera to Helsinki’s Finnish National Opera. It was at the latter venue that she gave her final performance of Tatyana before retiring in 1982.
As a devoted humanitarian, Vishnevskaya founded the non-profit children’s welfare organization Rostropovich-Vishnevskaya Foundation in 1991 alongside her husband, the world-class cellist Maestro Rostropovich. She also founded the Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Centre in 2002 to provide a home for aspiring opera singers. Both organizations carry on her legacy of helping and inspiring others to this day.
Happy birthday, Galina Vishnevskaya!
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25 October 2017
Âşık Veysel Şatıroğlu 123rd Birthday
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Âşık Veysel [born Veysel Şatıroğlu; 25 October 1894 – 21 March 1973] was a Turkish ashik and highly regarded poet of the Turkish folk literature. He was born in the Sivrialan village of the Şarkışla district, in the province of Sivas. He was an ashik, poet, songwriter, and a bağlama virtuoso, the prominent representative of the Anatolian ashik tradition in the 20th century. He was blind for most of his lifetime. His songs are usually sad tunes, often dealing with the inevitability of death. However, Veysel used a wide range of themes for his lyrics; based on morals, values, and constant questioning of issues such as love, care, beliefs, and how he perceived the world as a blind man.
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25 October 2019
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti’s 119th Birthday
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“As for the charges against me, I am unconcerned,” said Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, the Nigerian educator and activist who fearlessly campaigned for women’s rights and the liberation of Africa from colonial rule. Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Nigerian-Italian guest artist Diana Ejaita, celebrates a formidable leader who founded what many refer to as one of the most important social movements of the twentieth century.
Born on this day in 1900 in Abeokuta, the current capital of Nigeria’s Ogun state, the former Frances Abigail Olufunmilayo Thomas grew up witnessing Great Britain consolidating control over Nigeria. As the grandchild of a slave, she became one of the first girls to enroll in Abeokuta Grammar School, before traveling to Cheshire in England to continue her education. By the time she returned home, she’d dropped her birth names and preferred to speak Yoruba.
In 1932, Ransome-Kuti established the Abeokuta Ladies Club [ALC], fostering unity between educated women and poor market workers and setting up the first adult education programs for Nigerian women. Renamed the Abeokuta Women’s Union in 1946, the organization boasted a membership of some 20,000 and pushed for healthcare, social services, and economic opportunity. Imprisoned in 1947 for protesting against unfair treatment towards women, Ransome-Kuti and her followers also led the charge to abdicate a corrupt local leader.
A trailblazer in many ways, Ransome-Kuti was also the first Nigerian woman to drive a car. She was also the only woman in Nigeria’s 1947 delegation to London, which lodged a protest and set the nation on the path toward self-government. As one of the few women elected to Nigeria’s house of chiefs, she was recognized for her advocacy work on behalf of women's rights and education, and revered as the “Lioness of Lisabi” and the “Mother of Africa.”
Her daughter—Dolupo—and three sons—Beko, Olikoye, and Fela—likewise became leaders in education, healthcare, and music, continuing their mother’s legacy of activism and advocacy.
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1 October 2021
Nigeria Independence Day 2021
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On this day in 1960, Africa’s most populous country [with over 200 million inhabitants] became a sovereign republic, an anniversary commemorated as Nigeria’s Independence Day. Today’s Doodle celebrates this monumental occasion with a depiction of Nigeria’s national animal and symbol of strength—the eagle.
In the Nigerian coat of arms, a red eagle spreads its wings above a wreath of green and white—the national colors also featured in the Doodle artwork that represent fertility and peace, respectively. Below these symbols, the Nigerian motto serves as the foundation for the coat of arms: “Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress.” Today’s observance of Independence Day embodies this official slogan as many citizens at home and abroad unify across diverse backgrounds to reflect on over 60 years of Nigerian history.
Whether listening to local Nigerian music such as fújì or preparing traditional meals like egusi [a type of melon seed] soup, celebrants honor their heritage while looking forward to the future.
Happy Independence Day, Nigeria!
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1 October 2018
Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy's 100th Birthday
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"Attachment to your village, your hospital, your state or country—that must go. You must live in your soul and face the universal consciousness. To see all as one. To have this vision and work with strength and wisdom all over the world...to give sight for all."
-Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy
Known as Dr. V to colleagues and patients, Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy, founded the Aravind Eye Hospital, which started as an 11-bed facility and has grown into a network of clinics providing life-changing care to citizens of a nation struggling with high rates of blindness. Born on this day in 1918, Govindappa Venkataswamy was raised in Vadamalapuram, a rural village in Southern India. He began his education at a school with no paper or pencils—spreading sand from the riverbank on the ground, students would write with their hands. From such humble beginnings he went on to earn a B.A. in chemistry from American College in Madurai, an M.D. from Stanley Medical College in Madras in 1944.
Joining the Indian Army Medical Corps straight out of medical school, Dr. V’s plans for a career in obstetrics were derailed when he was stricken with rheumatoid arthritis so severe that he was confined to his bed for a year. Simple acts like walking or holding a pen became a serious challenge, but somehow he managed to return to school and study for a degree in ophthalmology in 1951. Despite his health issues, he learned how to perform surgery to remove cataracts—the leading cause of blindness. Dr. V could perform 100 surgeries in a day. Addressing the problem of blindness in a holistic fashion, he set up eye camps in rural communities, a rehab center for blind people, and a training program for ophthalmic assistants, personally performing over 100,000 successful eye surgeries. In 1973 he received the Padmashree award from the Government of India for outstanding service to the nation.
Facing mandatory retirement at age 58, Dr. V began the next phase of his career in 1976, establishing the GOVEL Trust in order to fund the first Aravind Eye Hospital. The 11-bed facility was financed by doctors mortgaging their homes and donating their own furniture. The vision was to devote six beds to those patients who could not pay anything and to cover those costs with the other five beds, serving patients paying only as much as they could afford.
Today Aravind Eye Hospital has nearly 4,000 beds performing over 400,000 eye surgeries each year, with 70% of patients paying little or nothing. This seemingly miraculous result has been made possible by a relentless focus on efficiency and good management. Dr. V lowered the cost of cataract operations to nearly $10 per patient. His team of paramedicals do most of the prep work required for each surgery, freeing doctors to do what they do best. Each year Aravind performs 60% as many eye surgeries as the NHS in Great Britain, doing so at one-one thousandth of the cost.
As Dr V said, “Intelligence and capability are not enough. There must also be the joy of doing something beautiful.”
Happy 100th Birthday Dr. V!