21 June 2009
First day of Winter Southern Hemisphere
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cG...OPH_xi5BN=s660
Printable View
21 June 2009
First day of Winter Southern Hemisphere
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cG...OPH_xi5BN=s660
21 June 2010
First Day of Winter 2010
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lN...Iy49gpweR=s660
21 June 2015
Summer Solstice 2015 [Northern Hemisphere]
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...360.2-hp2x.gif
Sticky fingers? It must be summer!
Today marks the beginning of the year’s sweetest season, a time of hot days, short nights, and soaking up the sun: the Summer Solstice.
What is Solstice, you ask? it’s an astronomical event that creates the longest day of the year in one of the two hemispheres. Today, the Earth’s northern half will be bathed in light for the greatest percentage of a single day. Giving us all a good excuse to stay outside for another hour. Or two. Or until the fireflies come out!
So get out of the house, slather on some sunscreen, and enjoy the summer, before it melts away…
Doodle by guest artist, Kirsten Lepore.
21 June 2008
First Day of Summer 2008
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/hH...ej1Xt-wWe=s660
First Day of Summer 2013
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29 Jun 2010
Antoine de Saint-Exupery's 110th Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lS...HoO4lr8EN=s660
I've always loved the imagery from The Little Prince,written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, but I must confess that until I was assigned this doodle, I had never actually read the book. This was pretty much sacrilege on my part, as I come from working in kids books! My mother-in-law was quick to set me on the right path, lending me her translated copy [[claiming it was the best, most poetic translation), and warned me to read the book with a pack of tissue. I followed her advice, finding a very quiet spot on the Google campus to read the book with a pair of sunglasses.
Cover to cover and an empty tissue pack later, I felt an even greater sense of responsibility to portray this beloved character as genuinely as possible. I painted the character in watercolor and ink, knowing there was no way the digital medium could capture the innocent, naive quality of Mr. Saint-Exupery's artwork. When the doodle finally launched, I was able to read user comments about how this doodle brought them joy, or how they recalled a passage from the book with a tear. It was such a wonderful feeling to emotionally connect with so many people at once and is probably one of the most rewarding experiences I've had as a doodler and illustrator.
20 July 2014
Colombia Independence Day 2014
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9U...uuEM3OFoA=s660
Painted by guest artist, Jorge Riveros.
Pintado por el artista invitado, Jorge Riveros.
20 July 2020
Celebrating Dilhan Eryurt
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Today’s Doodle celebrates a star in the field of astronomy, Turkish astrophysicist Dr. Dilhan Eryurt. She was the first Turkish woman to work as a scientist at NASA, and her research on the evolution of stars led to an unexpected discovery about the history of the solar system. On this day in 1969, Dr. Eryurt was honored with NASA’s prestigious “Apollo Achievement Award” for her contribution to the moon landing that year.
Dilhan Eryurt was born in İzmir, Turkey, on November 29, 1926. After high school, she studied in the Department of Mathematics and Astronomy at Istanbul University, and then earned a PhD in Astrophysics from Ankara University in 1953. In 1961, Dr. Eryurt began work as the only woman at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in New York.
At the time, the leading scientific model suggested that the sun had been heating up over billions of years to reach its current temperature. Dr. Eryurt’s work helped show that in fact the sun used to be even hotter than it is today. This transformative discovery had huge implications for the chemical makeup of the Earth, as well as the conditions astronauts could expect to find on the Moon.
After Dr. Eryurt returned to Turkey, she established an astrophysics department at the Middle East Technical University, where she went on to become the dean of the faculty. In 1977, she was honored with Turkey’s TÜBİTAK Science Award.
Thank you, Dr. Dilhan Eryurt, for casting a bright light on the mysteries of the universe!
20 July 2010
Nam June Paik
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/v_...w3GICRvRs=s660
About the Electronic Superhighway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OzE5FRDouc
Nam June Paik was a Korean American artist. He worked with a variety of media and is considered to be the founder of video art. He is credited with the first use [1974] of the term "electronic super highway" to describe the future of telecommunications.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO_lwjhoSiU
22 June 2021
Get Vaccinated. Wear a Mask. Save Lives. [June 22]
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As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world, help stop the spread by finding a local vaccine site and following these steps for prevention.
10 May 2020
Father's Day 2020 [Romania]
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...7108381-2x.jpg
8 November 2019
Claudio Bravo Camus' 83rd Birthday
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Today’s Doodle celebrates the esteemed Chilean artist Claudio Bravo Camus, who fused the classical technique of Spanish Baroque painters with a touch of Salvador Dali-esque surrealism.
Born in Valparaíso on this day in 1936, Bravo grew up on a ranch in Melipilla. After dancing for the Compañia de Ballet de Chile and acting at the Catholic University of Chile, he applied his talents to visual arts. Despite his father’s objections, the largely self-taught artist persisted, displaying his paintings at a well-known Valparaíso gallery by the age of 17.
In the 1960s Bravo moved to Spain and became a portrait painter with prominent clients, including the family of General Francisco Franco and Philippine leaders Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos. His 1970 exhibition at New York’s Staempfli Gallery featured large still-lifes of mysteriously mundane objects painted in a vivid, technically flawless style reminiscent of masters like Velázquez. Upon moving to Tangier, Morocco, Bravo expanded his repertoire to animal portraits and landscapes.
Bravo’s work was sometimes compared to so-called photo-realist painters, but he did not work from photographs. “Always I have relied on the actual subject matter,” he said, mentioning Mark Rothko’s abstract color-field paintings as an influence. “The eye sees so much more than the camera: half tones, shadows, minute changes in the color or light.”
The Doodle artwork focuses on his iconic series of mysterious packages wrapped in paper and tied with string, which brought him notoriety starting in the 1960s. The canvases blend a Pop Art sensibility with Claudio’s mastery of trompe-l'oeil painting so realistic it can “trick the eye.”
A 1994 retrospective of Bravo’s work at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Santiago attracted over a quarter of a million visitors.
5 Nov 2019
René Maran’s 132nd Birthday
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Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Marseille-based guest artist Irene Tardif, celebrates French author René Maran, born on a boat en route from Guyana to Martinique on this day in 1887 [although some sources cite November 8th, which was the day when his birth was officially declared following the boat’s arrival]. His 1921 book Batouala: A True Black Novel spoke of life in a Central African village as seen through the eyes of a tribal chief. Praised by the likes of Ernest Hemingway, the powerful work of fiction made Maran the first black author to win the prestigious Prix Goncourt, one of France’s highest literary honors.
As the son of a French colonial official, Maran spent his early childhood in Gabon and was educated in French boarding schools. Like his father, he went on to work for the French government, serving as an administrator in Oubangui-Chari, now known as the Central African Republic. While there, Maran learned the Bantu language and wove details of the local culture into his writing.
In 1921, the preface to his debut novel criticized racial inequalities in the colonial system, which sparked controversy and criticism. Maran soon resigned from his government position and moved to Paris, where he corresponded and socialized with African-American writers of the Harlem Renaissance throughout the 1920s and 30s.
Maran would go on to write for prominent periodicals in France and America—including publications like Opportunity, The Crisis, and Chicago Defender—and authored several other books of verse, fiction, and memoir. He also spent more than a decade reworking Batouala, a groundbreaking work of fiction that was admired for its unprecedented insights into African life and widely translated.
Maran remained staunchly committed to equality throughout his life, as well as to the quality of his writing. His success gave inspiration to the 1930s movement of francophone intellectuals in the African diaspora, and to this day he is regarded as a literary pioneer.
23 May 2021
Celebrating the Obelisk of Buenos Aires
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The Obelisk of Buenos Aires towers over Argentina as a symbol of national pride. Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Buenos Aires-based guest artists Carolina Silvero and Juan Elizalde of Estudio Guardabosques, celebrates this historic monument, which was inaugurated on this day in 1936 in honor of four centuries since Buenos Aires’ foundation.
Built in just 31 days from blocks of white Córdoba stone, the monument juts into the skyline where the Argentinian flag was first hoisted above Buenos Aires in 1536. Designed by illustrious Argentine architect Alberto Prebisch, each of the four shafts of the Obelisk signifies critical moments of Buenos Aires history: the city’s foundation in 1536 and again in 1580, the first celebration of the Argentinian flag in 1812, and the induction of Buenos Aires as the nation’s capital in 1880.
But the strategic location of the monument carries much more than just historical significance. The Obelisk also stands at the intersection of two of the capital’s iconic streets: Avenida Corrientes and Avenida 9 de Julio. Underneath the landmark, three of the city’s underground metro lines converge, making it a magnetic meet-up spot for the sprawling Argentine megalopolis.
While today’s Doodle artwork scales down the monument, you can enjoy a view of the over 200-foot tall Obelisk from many parts of the Argentine capital.
13 May 2021
Zofia Stryjeńska's 130th birthday
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Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Poland-based guest artist Dixie Leota, celebrates the 130th birthday of Polish painter, graphic designer, illustrator, and stage designer Zofia Stryjeńska, who is widely regarded as one of the most significant Polish art deco artists of the early 1900s. Across its countless mediums, Stryjeńska’s bold and adventurous work mirrors her personality as an uncompromising heroine of creativity and artistic expression.
Born Zofia Lubańska on this day in 1891 in Kraków, Poland, Zofia Stryjeńska began painting caricatures of her father’s customers in his glove shop, developing a talent that became her life’s passion. But gender barriers stood in the way of her artistic pursuits; barriers she was determined to break. As the Munich Academy of Fine Arts—her top choice of schools—was a traditionally all-male institution, Stryjeńska cut her hair and attended the university disguised as a man. But after a year in Munich, the pressure of keeping her identity hidden pushed her to return home to Kraków.
Inspired by the history of her national identity, Stryjeńska began her career at 21 with a series of paintings based on Polish folklore. This modern take on a traditional art form became her hallmark; a style that gained popularity as Poland had recently regained its independence in 1911 and its citizens cherished their historical iconography. Her 1917 series of surrealist lithographs entitled “Bożki Słowiańskie” [“Slavic Idols”] saw massive success and was printed on everything from postcards to chocolates.
An expert of folk costumes and Slavic mythology, Stryjeńska expressed the love of her heritage in work that ranged from wooden chess pieces to ballet costumes, like those designed for the 1930s Polish ballet “Harnasie.”
Happy birthday, Zofia Stryjeńska!
12 May 2021
Ruth de Souza's 100th birthday
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Today’s Doodle celebrates Brazilian actress Ruth de Souza, who is widely considered one of the first Black theatre actors in the history of Brazil. With performances in theatre, television, and film, Souza cleared the path for future Afro-Brazilian entertainers.
Born on this day in 1921 in Rio De Janeiro, Ruth de Souza aspired to be an actor from a young age. As a teenager, she joined Rio’s Black Experimental Theater, a project founded in 1944 to fight against racial discrimination and open doors for Afro-Brazilian talent in the performing arts.
Cast in 1945 as an Indigenous woman in the play “The Emperor Jones,” Souza became the first Black actor to grace the stage of Rio de Janeiro’s Municipal Theatre. She made her film debut in 1948, and not even a decade later, the Venice Film Festival nominated Souza for Best Actress for her 1953 performance in “Sinhá Moça” [“The Landowner’s Daughter”]—making her the first Brazilian actress to receive an international award nomination.
In addition to the over 30 films she appeared in both at home and abroad, Souza had a prolific career in television, performing in over 20 soap operas. In 2004, the Gramado Film Festival, one of the largest cinema festivals in Brazil, awarded Best Actress to Souza for her role in the film of the same year: “Filhas Do Vento” [“Daughters of Wind”].
Happy birthday, Ruth de Souza!
11 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.
Happy birthday, Go Tik Swan!
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!
18 October 2017
Celebrating the Studio for Electronic Music
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Today we’re feeling the beat as we celebrate the 66th anniversary of the Studio for Electronic Music. Known as the first modern music studio, the Studio for Electronic Music became a haven for innovative musicians and producers around the world. It was here that electronically synthesized sounds were mixed to create an entirely new genre of music that so many have come to love.
The Studio for Electronic Music was established at the West German Broadcasting facility in Cologne, Germany. The concept for a studio to create electronic music was birthed by composers Werner Meyer-Eppler, Robert Beyer, and Herbert Eimert, who for years had brainstormed the technical requirements of the challenge. Artists in the studio created breakthrough beats, editing and mixing sounds using new types of equipment and technical composition. Composers and producers came from far and wide as the studio became a breeding ground for musical innovation.
Until the year 2000, the original studio continued to push the boundaries of electronic music and develop new sounds and ideas. Today’s Doodle, by Berlin-based illustrator Henning Wagenbreth, celebrates the diversity of thought and imagination that built this studio and transformed the possibilities of music!
3 January 2018
Emma Ihrer’s 161st Birthday
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Today’s Doodle celebrates the 161st birthday of Emma Ihrer - feminist, trade union leader, and a principal founder of Germany’s proletarian women’s movement in the late 1800s.
Born Emma Rother in 1857, she moved to Berlin after marriage. There, she found work as a milliner, which gave her close contact with the realities faced by working women at the time. Moved by their plight, Ihrer took to the pen and became a prolific writer, authoring several papers and journals on the need for, and ways in which women could achieve full equality.
Ihrer’s works also questioned some of the most fundamental societal assumptions of her time, such as why women valued housework or childbearing so highly when both were considered inferior occupations by men. She also critiqued “studies” that correlated the size of a person’s brain to their intelligence [supposedly “proving” that women were inferior]. She famously stated that if that were the case, then whales could be sent to university instead.
Ihrer founded and chaired societies and trade unions, at the expense of frequent clashes with the government that landed her in in court on more than one occasion. But her hard-fought battles brought women’s rights to the forefront of political discussions in the early twentieth century and led to several legislative victories.
Alles Gute zum Geburtstag and Danke, Emma Ihrer!
Doodle by guest artist, Isabel Seliger.
18 October 2018
Laura Esther Rodríguez Dulanto’s 146th Birthday
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Born in the Supe District of Lima on this day in 1872, Laura Esther Rodríguez-Dulanto was a physician who broke many barriers for women in Peru. Though she excelled in school from a very young age, her parents were frustrated that educational options were limited for women—no matter how gifted or motivated they might be.
There were no secondary schools for girls, much less universities or postgraduate programs.
Nevertheless, Rodríguez-Dulanto’s parents persisted, appealing to local authorities until a special jury was appointed by the Ministry of Education to allow the gifted young student to advance her studies.
With help from her older brother Abraham, who would teach her everything he learned after returning home from school, Rodríguez-Dulanto passed her high school exams. With a combination of intelligence, motivation, and a very supportive family, Laura Esther Rodríguez-Dulanto became the first Peruvian woman to attend college as well as the first female physician in the nation’s history.
Though it was a great achievement to begin her studies at the National University of San Marcos, 19-year-old Rodríguez-Dulanto still faced numerous obstacles. While the male students worked with human cadavers in anatomy class, she would have to sit behind a screen to conceal her presence.
During her third year of medical school, she was allowed to perform dissections in a special room, accompanied by her brother who was also studying medicine. In September 1900, her hard work paid off when she earned her Bachelor of Medicine, taking her Hippocratic Oath a month later.
Rodríguez-Dulanto specialized in gynecology, publishing papers on ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids. She went on to co-found Peru’s first nursing school, teaching anatomy, physiology and hygiene, and paving the way for other women to pursue careers in medicine. Her legacy is honored with a bust in a public park in Lima, Peru, as well as a hospital in her home town of Supe, which is named after her.
Happy Birthday Dr. Laura Esther Rodríguez-Dulanto!
22 January 2020
Celebrating 'Sawaddee'
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Today’s Doodle celebrates sawaddee, the Thai way to greet friends and strangers alike. A custom adopted on this day in 1943, this salutation is presented with a wai: a prayer-like pose delivered in concert with a bow that accompanies the expression of sawaddee. The gesture altogether is meant to convey respect and warmth.
Originally coined by linguist Phraya Upakit Silapasan from the root word, “Svasti,” the Sanskrit word for “blessing” or “well-being,” sawaddee soon became an official part of the Thai vocabulary.
Known as the “Land of a Thousand Smiles,” Thailand is world-renowned for its friendly people and gracious hospitality. Today, sawaddee can be heard across the country—from the idyllic beaches of the south, to the temples of the mountainous north, and everywhere in between—epitomizing the welcoming spirit of Thailand.
22 January 2014
Grandfather's Day 2014
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1e...mSG8VR3YU=s660
22 January 2015
Grandfather's Day 2015 [Poland]
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/30...zwJKdI-nV=s660
22 January 2016
Grandfather's Day 2016 [Poland]
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Every year on January 21st, people across Poland take a moment to honor their grandparents, so we thought we’d take a moment, too. We don’t presume to know your babci or dziadek, but hope, whether they’re your family’s best storyteller, the source of Poland’s finest pierogi or simply a cherished memory, that today’s Doodle by artist Lydia Nichols helps bring them to mind.
22 January 2021
Grandfather's Day 2021 [22 January]
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22 January 2017
Grandfather's Day 2017 [Poland]
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2 January 2018
Grandfather's Day 2018 [Poland]
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14 January 2010
Festival of Kites 2010
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nl...89S_sKbCw=s660
Every year, Gujarat celebrates more than 200 festivals. The International Kite Festival [Uttarayan] is regarded as one of the biggest festivals celebrated. Months before the festival, homes in Gujarat begin to manufacture kites for the festival.
The festival of Uttarayan marks the day when winter begins to turn into summer, according to the Indian calendar. It is the sign for farmers that the sun is back and that harvest season is approaching which is called Makara Sankranti/Mahasankranti. This day is considered to be one of the most important harvest day in India as It also marks the termination of the Winter season and the beginning of a new harvest season. Many cities in Gujarat organize kite competition between their citizens where the people all compete with each other. In this region of Gujarat and many other states, Uttarayan is such a huge celebration that it has become a public holiday in India for two days.
During the festival, local food such as Undhiyu [a mixed vegetable including yam and beans], Chikki [sesame seed brittle] and Jalebi is served to the crowds. Days before the festival, the market is filled with participants buying their supplies. In 2012, the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat mentioned that the International Kite Festival in Gujarat was attempting to enter the Guinness World Records book due to the participation of 42 countries in it that year.
4 Nov 2019
Virginia Gutiérrez de Pineda’s 98th Birthday
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Today’s Doodle celebrates Virginia Gutiérrez de Pineda, the acclaimed Colombian anthropologist and educator whose pioneering research reshaped traditional family structures and folk culture of Colombia.
Born in the town of El Socorro on this day in 1921, she was among the first generation of Colombian women allowed to pursue higher education. After studying at Bogotá’s Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Gutiérrez then traveled to attend the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a master's degree in Social and Medical Anthropology before returning home to Colombia to complete her Doctorate of Social and Economic Sciences.
Making the most of her educational opportunities, Gutiérrez went on to author a dozen book-length studies that laid out a fundamental understanding of the lives of Colombia’s people, including women and children of lower social and economic status. Her study of the street children of Medellín led to an interest in solving social problems by focusing on the family unit.
In books like La familia en Colombia, Gutiérrez explored different cultural nuances within the various communities of the Andean, Santandereano, Antioqueño, and coastal-mining regions. She also undertook academic surveys of popular medicine in Colombia and traditional remedies known as curanderismo.
Other than studying families, Gutiérrez also raised a family of her own after marrying fellow anthropologist Roberto Pineda Giraldo, whom she met at university. For her invaluable contributions to Colombian society, Gutiérrez was awarded Colombia’s Woman of the Year award in 1967, as well as the 1983 Gold Medal for Scientific Merit from the Inter-American Family Congress.
4 November 2016
Walter Cronkite's 100th Birthday
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Today would be the 100th birthday of the man known widely throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s as “the most trusted man in America.” Walter Cronkite, the legendary broadcast journalist reported, served, and comforted a nation during its most trying times, including World War II, Watergate, the Vietnam War, and the assassination of JFK, to name a few.
Walter perpetuated an objective reporting style rooted in justice and integrity: “Press freedom is essential to our democracy, but the press must not abuse this license. We must be careful with our power. The free press, after all, is the central nervous system of a democratic society.”
Affectionately known as “Uncle Walter” to the American public, he was a devout political advocate in the interest of free speech and media, an enthusiastic NASA supporter, and a sailing aficionado. As a fixture in our living rooms, Walter brought a calm dose of consistency during the most pressing times with his end-of-segment catchphrase: “and that’s the way it is.”
2 Nov 2016
Day of the Dead 2016
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The Day of the Dead, which dates back to Pre-Columbian times, honors the mysteries of life and death, through both celebration and reverence. Every year from November 1-2, both Mexicans and people around the world honor their loved ones with offerings or ofrendas displayed on colorful altars decorated with pictures, bright flowers, candles, and their favorite foods and beverages.
Today's Doodle captures the intricate tissue-paper cutouts that have been used in Mexican celebrations since the 18th century. On Día de los Muertos, the bright, delicate paper banners indicate that life is fragile and fleeting, but it's also full of beauty and delight.
Also, be sure to explore and celebrate one of Mexico's most popular and magical traditions with Google Arts & Culture at g.co/diademuertos
2 November 2019
Day of the Dead 2019
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Today’s Doodle celebrates the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos [Day of the Dead], an occasion when families welcome the spirits of deceased loved ones back home for a sweet reunion with music and dancing during the first two days of November. Despite some similarities to Halloween and starting just one day later, the Day of the Dead is a completely different holiday, more joyful than scary.
The tradition can be traced back thousands of years to Aztec rituals blended with the cultures of medieval Spain and the Roman Catholic Church, which celebrates All Saints Day and All Souls Day on November 1st and 2nd, respectively.
Calacas y calaveras [skeletons and skulls], seen all throughout Mexico during this time, are an essential part of the festive decor. In particular, the finely dressed skeletal woman La Calavera Catrina, also known as Mexico's “Grand Dame of Death,” has become an icon of the season. Depicted in the Doodle artwork wearing her signature hat with feathers and flowers, La Calavera Catrina was created by illustrator José Guadalupe Posada, who was inspired by Mictecacíhuatl, the Aztec goddess of the underworld.
In Mexican communities worldwide, November 1st is reserved for los angelitos, inviting the spirits of little children into their homes first, with adult spirits arriving the day after. To honor the memory of close friends, relatives, and loved ones, families put up ofrendas, or altars adorned with portraits, clothing, and playthings, incense, and favorite drinks and food including the traditional sweet bread known as Pan de Muertos. Trails of marigold flowers lead the way from the cemetery to the front door, making sure the dearly departed can find their way home.
¡Feliz Día de los Muertos!
2 November 2012
Day of the Dead 2012
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2 November 2020
Day of the Dead 2020
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Today’s Doodle commemorates Mexico’s annual Day of the Dead, known in Spanish as Día de los Muertos, a joyful multi-day celebration of the cyclical nature of life and the loved ones who have passed away.
Day of the Dead traces its origins back several thousand years to the rituals of the Aztec and other Indigenous Nahua civilizations of what is now central Mexico. Today, many people observe the holiday through the traditions of the past, like setting out offerings of flowers, such as la flor de cempasúchil [the Mexican marigold] depicted in today’s Doodle, candles, and traditional foods including the sweet and aptly-named pan de muerto [bread of the dead].
Since 2008, the holiday has been recognized by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in honor of this celebration that keeps Mexico's rich history and traditions alive.
iFeliz Día de los Muertos, México!
2 November 2011
Day of the Dead 2011
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2 November 2009
Day of the Dead 2009
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2 November 2010
Day of the Dead 2010
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22 June 2018
Octavia E. Butler's 71st Birthdayhttps://www.google.com/logos/doodles...9920512-2x.jpg
Octavia E. Butler’s legacy calls to mind the age old question of whether life imitates art, or vice versa.
Born in Pasadena in 1947, her extreme shyness, tall build, and mild dyslexia all contributed to young Butler’s social anxiety, which led to her spending a significant amount of time in the local library. There, she discovered her love for science fiction. When her mother bought her a typewriter at the age of ten, Butler also discovered her passion and talent for writing.
In a genre historically populated by only white male protagonists, Butler created characters that she, and millions of others, could identify with. She considered herself to have three central audiences — black readers, feminists, and fans of science fiction — and challenged herself to create a body of work that was accessible to all of them. While Butler faced institutional racism and segregation throughout her life, these experiences influenced her writing and thus shone a light on critical social issues
Stories including Bloodchild [1984] and the Parable series [1993-1998] resonated so strongly with readers of all backgrounds that Butler was the recipient of multiple Hugo and Nebula awards. In 1995 she became the first science fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship, a prize which invests in those with “extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits.”
Today’s Doodle honors the author’s immense contribution to the genre of science fiction, including the diverse worlds and characters she brought to life.
Happy 71st birthday, Octavia!
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Special thanks to the family of Octavia E. Butler for their partnership on this project. Below, her family shares their thoughts on her legacy:
Our family is grateful and honored by the opportunity to invoke the memory of Octavia E. Butler. Her uniqueness emerged at an early age when she expressed a strong interest in the written word. It was clear, even then, that Octavia had found her destiny—she decided to pursue a career as a professional writer.
Her spirit of generosity and compassion compelled her to support the disenfranchised. She sought to speak truth to power, challenge prevailing notions and stereotypes, and empower people striving for better lives. Although we miss her, we celebrate the rich life she led and its magnitude in meaning.
Today, on her birthday, it is with immense pride that we give tribute to Octavia for the magnificent gifts she bestowed upon all of us. Her legacy endures. As long as we speak her name, she lives.
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22 June 2018
Dame Cicely Saunders’ 100th Birthday
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A pioneer of the modern hospice movement, Dame Cicely Saunders felt that all should live with “a sense of fulfillment and a readiness to let go.”
Born 100 years ago today, Saunders performed many roles in her life, including nurse, doctor, author, and social worker. It was while caring for a terminally ill patient that she r ecognized certain challenges other medical professionals of her time did not: that his diagnosis required a fundamentally different kind of healthcare.
Through this experience, Saunders envisioned an environment that focused care on a patient’s individual and specific needs. As a result, she went on to found St. Christopher’s, the first modern hospice, in a suburb of London in 1967. There, core values included vigilant pain-management as well as a holistic and individualized understanding of practical, medical, and psychological patient needs.
Not only did Saunders’ work inspire hundreds of other hospices worldwide, but her books and teachings also established a new branch of medicine known as palliative care, which addresses the importance of holistic care among patients with life-limiting illnesses. She also went on to establish a global charity focusing on palliative care research and education, Cicely Saunders International, which still works to improve the lives of patients with progressive illness to this day.
Today’s Doodle, created by London-based guest artist Briony May Smith, was inspired by Saunders' favorite anthology, All In the End is Harvest [1984] which states,“Love and life is an eternal thing, like the growth and reaping of the harvest."
Special thanks to Christopher Saunders, brother of Dame Cicely Saunders and Life President of Cicely Saunders International, for his partnership on this project. Below, Christopher shares his thoughts on his sister:
Cicely came a long way from being a six-foot tall, shy, very intelligent girl who felt like a bit of an outsider, to being one of the very remarkable people who have positively impacted end-of-life care around the world. Yet there is still much work to be done. The need for palliative care has never been greater and is increasing rapidly given that people are living longer as a result of improvements in tackling acute disease. While each illness brings specific physical symptoms such as pain and fatigue, there are also more invisible ones such as helplessness and loneliness, which can too often become part of the final phase of life. Cicely’s medical research charity, Cicely Saunders International, enters the centenary year of her birth energised with the spirit of Cicely to meet these continuing challenges, and make a positive difference just as she did throughout her life.