12 Jun 2009
Philippines Independence Day 2009
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/uy...T-ULoNCXw=s660
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12 Jun 2009
Philippines Independence Day 2009
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/uy...T-ULoNCXw=s660
17 Jun 2009
Igor Stravinsky's Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/qx...0oczLqGZ0=s660
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French [from 1934] and American [from 1945] citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th century.
Stravinsky's compositional career was notable for its stylistic diversity. He first achieved international fame with three ballets commissioned by the impresario Serge Diaghilev and first performed in Paris by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes: The Firebird [1910], Petrushka [1911], and The Rite of Spring [1913].
The latter transformed the way in which subsequent composers thought about rhythmic structure and was largely responsible for Stravinsky's enduring reputation as a revolutionary who pushed the boundaries of musical design. His "Russian phase", which continued with works such as Renard, L'Histoire du soldat, and Les noces, was followed in the 1920s by a period in which he turned to neoclassicism. The works from this period tended to make use of traditional musical forms [concerto grosso, fugue, and symphony] and drew from earlier styles, especially those of the 18th century.
In the 1950s, Stravinsky adopted serial procedures. His compositions of this period shared traits with examples of his earlier output: rhythmic energy, the construction of extended melodic ideas out of a few two- or three-note cells, and clarity of form and instrumentation.
20 Jun 2009
Opening of the Acropolis Museum
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fG...B4lVlaT7U=s660
The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological museum focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on the surrounding slopes, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. It also lies over the ruins of a part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens.
The museum was founded in 2003, while the Organization of the Museum was established in 2008. It opened to the public on 20 June 2009. More than 4,250 objects are exhibited over an area of 14,000 square metres. The Organization for the Construction of the new museum is chaired by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Professor Emeritus of Archaeology, Dimitrios Pandermalis.
21 Jun 2009
Father's Day 2009
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lE...leC4uREwT=s660
1 July 2020
Canada Day 2020
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...7108439-2x.jpg
O Canada! Today’s Doodle celebrates Canada Day, a national holiday to commemorate the birth of the country. On this day in 1867, the British North America Act, or Constitution Act, united the three British colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into a self-governing confederation called the Dominion of Canada.
The holiday was first created in 1879 as Dominion Day, and it grew in popularity over the following century. With the Canada Act of 1982, the country gained complete independence from Britain, and the observance was officially renamed Canada Day [Fête du Canada].
As many observe this annual holiday from the comfort of their homes, the Doodle artwork features a colorful series of row houses representing an iconic Canadian architectural style characteristic of the nation's Atlantic region. On the north-eastern edge of the Avalon Peninsula, charming row houses fill the hills and alleyways of St. John’s, one of North America’s oldest cities. Despite the region’s famously foggy weather, these one-of-a-kind houses ensure that every day is a bright one!
1 July 2004
Canada Day 2004
https://www.google.com/logos/2004/canada_day04.gif
7 Sept 2004
Google's 6th Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ey...8rePRCOKd=s660
14 Aug 2004
2004 Athens Olympic Games - Opening Ceremony
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16 Aug 2004
2004 Olympic Games - Swimming
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17 Aug 2004
2004 Athens Olympic Games - Archery
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18 Aug 2004
2004 Athens Olympic Games - Fencing
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/z0...pAjjLeADz=s660
19 Aug 2004
2004 Athens Olympic Games - Weight Lifting
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20 Aug 2004
2004 Athens Olympic Games - Football
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22 Aug 2004
2004 Athens Olympic Games - Tennis
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23 Aug 2004
2004 Athens Olympic Games - Table Tennis
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1R...oWJXBaB9b=s660
24 Aug 2004
2004 Athens Olympic Games - Synchronised Swimming
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Aw...d3mS0PABw=s660
25 Aug 2004
2004 Athens Olympic Games - Hurdles
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WC...nhIvmksBv=s660
26 Aug 2004
2004 Athens Olympic Games - Taekwondo
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Et...BCrU3IRI1=s660
27 Aug 2004
2004 Athens Olympic Games - Gymnastics
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1E...wFJmvtR6Q=s660
28 Aug 2004
2004 Athens Olympic Games - Volleyball
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Qa...e3XzflZzQ=s660
29 Aug 2004
2004 Athens Olympic Games - Closing Ceremony
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nj...iw9J3zNyQ=s660
22 Sept 2004
Ray Charles' 74th Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Q4...DErdtFoZ4=s660
Ray Charles Robinson [September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004] was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer. Among friends and fellow musicians he preferred being called "Brother Ray". He was often referred to as "The Genius". Charles was blinded during childhood due to glaucoma.
Charles pioneered the soul music genre during the 1950s by combining blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel styles into the music he recorded for Atlantic. He contributed to the integration of country music, rhythm and blues, and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, notably with his two Modern Sounds albums.[7][8][9] While he was with ABC, Charles became one of the first black musicians to be granted artistic control by a mainstream record company.
Charles' 1960 hit "Georgia On My Mind" was the first of his three career No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. His 1962 album Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music became his first album to top the Billboard 200. Charles had multiple singles reach the Top 40 on various Billboard charts: 44 on the US R&B singles chart, 11 on the Hot 100 singles chart, 2 on the Hot Country singles charts.
Charles cited Nat King Cole as a primary influence, but his music was also influenced by Louis Jordan and Charles Brown. He had a lifelong friendship and occasional partnership with Quincy Jones. Frank Sinatra called Ray Charles "the only true genius in show business," although Charles downplayed this notion. Billy Joel said, "This may sound like sacrilege, but I think Ray Charles was more important than Elvis Presley".
For his musical contributions, Charles received the Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, and the Polar Music Prize. He won 17 Grammy Awards, including 5 posthumously. Charles was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987, and 10 of his recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone ranked Charles No. 10 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, and No. 2 on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.
4 Oct 2004
Lunar X Prize
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pl...M1manrHcz=s660
The Google Lunar XPRIZE [GLXP], sometimes referred to as Moon 2.0, was a 2007–2018 inducement prize space competition organized by the X Prize Foundation, and sponsored by Google. The challenge called for privately funded teams to be the first to land a lunar rover on the Moon, travel 500 meters, and transmit back to Earth high-definition video and images.
The original deadline was the end of 2014, with enhanced prize money for a landing by 2012. In 2015, XPRIZE announced that the competition deadline would be extended to December 2017 if at least one team could secure a verified launch contract by 31 December 2015. Two teams secured such a launch contract, and the deadline was extended. In August 2017, the deadline was extended again, to 31 March 2018.
Entering 2018, five teams remained in the competition: SpaceIL, Moon Express, Synergy Moon, Team Indus, and Team Hakuto, having secured verified launch contracts with Spaceflight Industries, Rocket Lab, Interorbital Systems, and ISRO [jointly for the last two teams].
On 23 January 2018, the X Prize Foundation announced that "no team would be able to make a launch attempt to reach the Moon by the [31 March 2018] deadline... and the US$30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE will go unclaimed." On 5 April 2018, the X Prize Foundation announced that the Lunar XPRIZE would continue as a non-cash competition.
On 11 April 2019, the SpaceIL spacecraft crashed while attempting to land on the moon. The SpaceIL team was awarded a $1 million "Moonshot Award" by the X Prize Foundation in recognition of touching the surface of the Moon.
11 Nov 2004
Remembrance Day 2004
https://www.google.com/logos/2004/poppy04.gif
8 Feb 2005
Lunar New Year 2005 - China
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zf...u9KSMppnc=s660
22 Apr 2005
Earth Day 2005
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/s_...yBCZN07eH=s660
18 Jun 2005
Father's Day 2005
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2-...cGMoKoz8l=s660
26 September 2015
200th Anniversary of the Dutch Kingdom
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...90816-hp2x.jpg
In 1815, William I hoisted a crown upon his head.
For the next two centuries, the small yet mighty Netherlands took shape through a set of visionary milestones: in 1848, the freedoms of assembly, association, and education became rights for Dutch citizens. In 1863, slavery was abolished. In 1958, the Dutch co-founded the European Union. Now, 200 years later, the Netherlands prides itself on its openness, inclusion, and unwavering respect for the democratic rule of law. Plus, it’s one of the happiest countries in the world. Which, if you’ve seen the landscapes, might not be so surprising...
27 Sept 2015
Google's 17th Birthday
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...91136-hp2x.png
In the world of computer programming, 17 is widely considered the least random number. To assume we made it this far without a little luck, though, would be like assuming lava lamps, turtlenecks, and servers held together by building blocks are harbingers of success.
27 Sept 2015
Chuseok 2015
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...63168-hp2x.jpg
Once a year, Koreans flock from the big city to visit their ancestral hometowns to celebrate Chuseok, a time of thankfulness and memorial. Along with friends and family, they dedicate the next three days to celebrating the harvest with traditional feasts of songpyeon and hangwa, rice wines like dongdongju, and games and dances like Ssireum and Ganggangsullae.
Like other autumn equinox festivals across the world, Koreans spend Chuseok giving thanks for the good things in their lives. It’s also a time to venerate ancestors whose spirits watch over the living. After a morning memorial service and a special feast [Charye], the people of Korea honor their ancestors by visiting their gravesites [Seongmyo] and tidying up the surrounding area [Beolcho].
Created by Kevin Laughlin, today’s Doodle illustrates the vibrant variations of songpyeon, rice cakes stuffed with beans and nuts and steamed over pine needles. Songpyeon is typically the centerpiece of Chuseok feasts, garnishing the celebration with fragrance and color.
27 September 2006
Google's 8th Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/w7...7X6J3N_NF=s660
23 October 2018
Shamsur Rahman’s 89th Birthday
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In the final stanza of his poem, “Shadhinota Tumi” [“Ode to Freedom”], the Bengali poet Shamsur Rahman defined freedom as:
“A garden room, the koel-bird's song
The old banyan tree's gleaming leaves
My notebook of poems written just as I please."
Born in Dacca, British India, [now Dhaka, Bangladesh] on this day in 1929, Rahman was a poet, journalist, columnist, and advocate for human rights and democracy. While studying English literature at the University of Dhaka he joined a student group known as the Progressive Writers and Artists Association, reading his verse at Madhu’s Canteen and staunchly supporting the movement to retain Bengali as the official language of East Pakistan [now Bangladesh].
After graduating with honors in 1953, he went on to make his living working for Radio Pakistan and editing the daily newspaper Dainik Bangla, he is remembered as the “unofficial poet laureate of Bangladesh.” Rahman published more than sixty books of poetry, ranging from love sonnets to patriotic verse to whimsical lines about his cat. His well known 1971 poem, “Shadhinota Tumi” [“Ode to Freedom”], was written in the throes of Bangladesh’s battle for independence from Pakistan.
Rahman’s life and work earned him numerous accolades including the Bangla Academy Award, Ekushey Padak and the Shadhinota Award, the highest honor given by the government of his beloved homeland.
31 Jan 2019
Celebrating Mercedes Sosa
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...1347712-2x.jpg
"I never thought that I would sing for a living," said Mercedes Sosa, the powerful Argentinian vocalist widely known as “the voice of the voiceless ones.” Also known as “La Negra” due to her long, black hair, Sosa’s powerful voice afforded her opportunities to perform at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in New York City, as well as the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum in Rome. A driving force behind the “Nueva Canción” movement, her songs married traditional South American folk music with powerful lyrics advocating for human rights.
Born on July 9, 1935 in the northern Argentine province of Tucumán, Mercedes Sosa’s family lineage came from the indigenous Aymara people. Her heritage deeply influenced her stylistically and by 15, she won a radio talent contest for her traditional folk music. A dramatic tipping point of her career happened on this day in 1965, when singer Jorge Cafrune invited Sosa on stage during his set at Argentina’s renowned Cosquín Folk Festival. Her performance received a massive ovation and by the following year, she had signed a recording contract.
Many of Sosa's best-known songs were written by others, but her performances of songs like Violeta Parra’s "Gracias a la Vida" [Thanks to Life] and Horacio Guarany’s “Si Se Calla El Cantor” [If the Singer is Silenced] helped catapult her into fame. She released some 70 albums over the course of nearly a six-decade career, exploring diverse genres such as Argentinian tango, Cuban nueva trova, Brazilian bossa nova, rock, and sacred music. In later years, she collaborated with artists such as Luciano Pavarotti, Sting, Joan Baez, and even Shakira.
Fearlessly singing truth to power, she went into exile from her homeland for several years and was finally able to return home in 1982. She continued to perform around the world and later became a UNESCO goodwill ambassador.
26 Jan 2019
India Republic Day 2019
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The Constitution of India came into force on this day in 1950, an anniversary celebrated each year as Republic Day. Republic Day is one of only three national holidays celebrated all across India, the other two being Independence Day on August 15 and Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday on October 2.
Although India’s constitution was adopted in November 1949, the date January 26 was chosen for the document to take effect, because it commemorates Pūrna Swarāj Day, which took place exactly 20 years earlier. On January 26, 1930, the Indian National Congress issued a bold resolution declaring complete freedom from the British Raj. From that point, it was only a matter of time before Independence Day, followed by full sovereignty.
Celebrations take place all across the subcontinent, with the epicenter in the capital city of Delhi, where a parade runs along Rajpath near the President’s Palace. Today's guest artist, Reshidev RK, recreated the colorful celebrations and depicted the famous parade floats that decorate the city, each representing a different component of India’s history: environment, architecture, textiles, wildlife, monuments, and farming. Observances last for four days, coming to a conclusion on January 29th with the Beating Retreat ceremony, featuring the bands of the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force.
26 Jan 2019
Australia Day 2019
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Today’s Doodle celebrates the natural beauty of the Fitzgerald River National Park, located on Western Australia’s rugged south coast. The land around the coastal hills known as “the Barrens” is teeming with life. Stretching across the Shires of Ravensthorpe and the Jerramungup, the park protects one of the most biodiverse regions in the world.
More than 1,800 species of plants live in the park—75 of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The park is also home to 184 bird species, 41 reptile species, 12 frog species, and 22 mammal species, including the adorable honey possum featured in today’s Doodle. These mouse-sized marsupials, also known as “Noolbenger,” have prehensile tails longer than their bodies, pointed snouts, and long tongues covered with bristles to help them drink nectar from native flowers like the Banksia. Tiny but thirsty, one honey possum can drink up to 7 milliliters of nectar per day—roughly equivalent to a human drinking 50 liters of soda! They also help the plants reproduce by spreading pollen as they feast.
20 Jan 2019
Louay Kayali’s 85th Birthday
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Today’s Doodle celebrate the work of Louay Kayali, a modern painter born in Syria and trained in Italy whose quietly powerful portraits convey the strength, resilience, and nobility of everyday folk—bakers, fisherman, and pregnant mothers.
Born in Aleppo on this day in 1934, Louay Kayali began painting at the age of 11 and held his first exhibition when he was 18 at Al-Tajhis Al-Oula School. Awarded a scholarship, Kayali moved to Italy in 1956 for advanced studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome and went on to represent Syria at the 1960 Venice Biennale—a prestigious international art exhibition.
Joining the faculty of the Higher Institute for the Fine Arts in Damascus in 1962, Kayali’s instruction made a profound impact on future generations of Syrian artists. During the mid-1960s, he began a series of charcoal works which marked a departure from his previous paintings. The emotionally challenging images in his 1967 traveling exhibition “Fi Sabil al-Qadiyyah” [For the Sake of the Cause] depicted human suffering, reflecting upheaval in the Arab world. Upset by scathing reviews of the show, the artist announced that he would no longer paint, and destroyed much of his work.
Fortunately, he did return to painting, showing new work throughout the 1970s, including a joint exhibition with his old friend Fateh al-Moudarres.
On what would have been his 85th birthday, we remember Louay Kayali, a passionate artist who aimed to paint exactly what he saw—and felt.
17 Jan 2019
Dalida’s 86th Birthday
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“Mon petit Bambino
Ta musique est plus jolie
Que tout le ciel de l’Italie”[[“My little Bambino
Your music is more beautiful
Than the whole sky of Italy”)—Dalida “Bambino” [[1956)
Today’s Doodle celebrates Dalida, a French singer and actress, whose aching voice and real-life heartaches earned her a cult following worldwide. Her breakthrough single“Bambino,” tells the tale of a heartbroken boy who plays beautiful music on his mandolin. The song became a hit in France, spending most of 1956 at the top of the charts. It also kicked off the artist’s 30-year singing career during which she would sell millions of records.
Born Yolanda Cristina Gigliotti on this day in 1933, Dalida grew up in the suburbs of Cairo, Egypt. After being crowned Miss Egypt in 1954, she landed her first movie role, using the stage name “Delila,” in homage to Hedy Lamarr’s character in the Hollywood classic Samson & Delilah. She changed it slightly to “Dalida” after moving to Paris in late 1954 to pursue a career on screen. To support herself in the new city, Dalida began singing in cabarets where her talent was discovered. She soon signed her first record deal and went on to release more than 45 studio albums and hold countless concerts all over the world. Dalida’s multicultural background and her ability to sing in French, Arabic, Italian, and many other languages enabled her to connect with audiences across the globe. When performing in Egypt, she was known for asking audiences “mabsoteen?” [Arabic for “are you happy?”]. Although her life was touched by tragedy in the end, Dalida’s soulful music continues to bring joy to her fans around the globe.
15 Jan 2019
Celebrating Sake Dean Mahomed
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A man of many talents, Sake Dean Mahomed was an entrepreneur who made a name for himself by building cultural connections between India and England. On this day in 1794, he became the first Indian author to publish a book in English and later, to open an Indian restaurant in England—ushering in what would become one of Great Britain’s most popular cuisines. Mahomed went on to find success as the “The Shampooing Surgeon of Brighton,” opening a spa in the British seaside town that attracted the rich and royal.
In 1810, after moving to London, Mahomed opened the Hindostanee Coffee House, Britain’s first Indian restaurant. The Epicure’s Almanack—an early London restaurant guide—hailed it as a place for nobility to enjoy hookah and Indian dishes of the highest perfection. Nonetheless, Mahomed was forced to close his luxurious restaurant in 1812 and sought to reinvent himself.
Moving his family to the beachside town of Brighton, he opened a spa named Mahomed’s Baths offering luxurious herbal steam baths. His specialty was a combination of a steam bath and an Indian therapeutic massage—a treatment he named “shampooing” inspired by the Hindi word champissage meaning “a head massage.” He also published a book about the therapeutic benefits of the treatment with testimonials from his patients. In 1822, King George IV appointed Mahomed as his personal ‘shampooing surgeon’, which greatly improved his business. A portrait of Mahomed hangs in the Brighton Museum, commemorating this man who helped merge the cultures of his two homelands.
1 May 2021
Go Tik Swan's 90th birthday
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Today’s Doodle celebrates Indonesian artist Go Tik Swan, a contemporary master of the ancient art form of designing fabric with hot wax known as batik.
Go Tik Swan was born on this day in 1931 in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia. He came of age frequenting his grandfather’s batik workshops, where he absorbed Javanese cultural knowledge from local craftspeople. Fascinated by his ancestry, Swan further explored his heritage by studying Javanese literature and dance at the University of Indonesia.
It was during one of his college dance performances that Indonesia’s president caught wind of Swan’s family background in batik manufacturing and commissioned him to create a new batik style; one that he believed could transcend division and unite the Indonesian people. In the 1950s, Swan fulfilled the president’s request by combining regional batik techniques to introduce “Batik Indonesia.”
Swan held such high reverence for his craft that he considered each piece of batik to carry philosophical meaning, even developing a motif in the 70s entitled Kembang Bangah [“Rotten Flowers''] as a love letter to his national identity. An expert in Javanese culture, he was also a master of kris [an ancient Javanese ceremonial dagger tradition] and a skilled player of gamelan [a popular orchestral form of traditional Indonesian music]. He gave back so much to his heritage, the Surakarta government honored him with the noble title of Panembahan Hardjonegoro.
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!