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18 Oct 2015
Melina Mercouri’s 95th Birthday
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...81888-hp2x.jpg
Melina, a Greek word for honey and the nickname given to Maria Mercouri by her grandfather, could also have been used to describe the actress’s low, unmistakable voice. Known to the world for her brilliant smile and award-winning performances on Broadway and the silver screen, Melina Mercouri was also known to Greeks as a champion of the proletariat who cared deeply about Greek art and its classical roots. As the first female Minister of Culture, Mercouri poured her considerable energies into building libraries, preserving Greek archaeological sites and establishing the European Capital of Culture, a designation that highlights shared cultural heritage in a new European city every year. Today’s Doodle by Kevin Laughlin celebrates a woman whose magnetism and exuberance were matched only by her love of Greece.
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24 Oct 2015
R. K. Laxman's 94th Birthday
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...976.5-hp2x.jpg
A humorist and illustrator with an uncommon talent, R.K. Laxman was one of India’s most celebrated cartoonists. His daily political cartoon, You Said It, ran on the front page of The Times of India for more than 50 years. Laxman was best known for his Common Man character, who he drew into his cartoons as a witness to the kinds of hypocrisies and societal inequalities Laxman wanted to silently expose.
Today’s Doodle honors R.K. Laxman for his deft artistic hand and sharp, incisive wit. Doodler Olivia When in collaboration with Local Googlers wanted to salute the legendary cartoonist by creating a Doodle that payed homage to both Laxman [making sure to capture his wild shock of hair and distinctive grin] and his most popular character, who watches in his trademark checked shirt as the beloved illustrator sketches him one more time.
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26 Oct 2015
Austria National Day 2015
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...24128-hp2x.jpg
Today marks the first day of Austria's complete independence as a sovereign state. Much of Austria's celebrations will take place in Vienna, including a celebration at Heldenplatz, the most prominent square in the city center, and free admission at federal museums. If you're not in the country, you can explore The Austrian Museum of Fine Arts [Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien] on Google Cultural Institute.
Another one of the long-held traditions of Austria includes equestrian exercises performed by world-famous white Lipizzaner stallions. These horses are trained in Vienna to perform highly technical drills that demonstrate the precise movements required in ancient battlefield maneuvers. This tradition is what we’re celebrating in the Doodle today, created by Doodler Robinson Wood. The horse and rider in this doodle are performing a courbette [a standing jump] which is one of the most difficult movements, and demands intense focus and partnership between horse and rider.
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2 Nov 2015
Day of the Dead 2015
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...09408-hp2x.jpg
Día de los Muertos. Day of the Dead. Its name is decidedly somber, but Mexico’s celebration of its departed souls overflows with color, music, and the unmistakable fragrances of its wonderful cuisine. To honor this holiday of mourning and remembrance, artist Kevin Laughlin has reimagined our logo as a string of papel picado, the vibrant, artfully perforated tissue paper that will drape windowsills and doorways all over Mexico tonight. Here’s to lively festivals and fond memories. ¡Salud y felicidad!
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28 May 2021
Celebrating Carolina Beatriz Ângelo
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...7108944-2x.png
Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Belgium-based guest artist Fatinha Ramos, celebrates Portuguese physician and activist Carolina Beatriz Ângelo, who dedicated her life to the fight for the equal treatment of women and children. On this day in 1911, Ângelo found a loophole in Portuguese law that enabled her to cast her vote in the year’s elections of the Constituent Assembly, becoming the first female voter in the history of Portugal.
Born in Guarda, Portugal, on April 6, 1878, Carolina Beatriz Ângelo went on to receive her doctorate with a specialization in gynecology at the Lisbon Medical-Surgical School. Earnest and determined, she became the first woman to perform surgery at Lisbon’s São José Hospital, breaking down gender barriers with each cut and stitch. The impact of her historic accomplishments was not limited to just the operating room.
In 1906, she worked alongside the Portuguese Committee of the French Association, the first of many groups Ângelo collaborated with to help build a better Portugal. The following year, Ângelo joined forces with the Portuguese Group of Feminist Studies, where she worked closely with renowned figures of the nation’s burgeoning movement for gender equality. Her efforts to improve society peaked in 1911 when she founded the Portuguese Association of Feminist Propaganda, a key force in the fight for rights of Portuguese women and children.
That same year, Ângelo became the first woman to vote in the Portuguese parliamentary election. Although women’s suffrage wasn’t granted in Portugal until decades later, Ângelo’s formidable legacy of advocating for equality is felt at Portuguese ballot boxes to this day.
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6 June 2017
Sweden National Day 2017
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...6500864-2x.jpg
Today's Doodle celebrates Sweden’s National Day and colorful folk history with a hurrah for the Dalahäst [Dala horse)] — the red horse with the flowery harness, known worldwide as a symbol of Sweden.
Originally a simple toy carved by the people of the Dalarna region, the horse was widely sold at village fairs by the 19th century and was even used for bartering. When artisans started to paint the toys, the local Falun copper mines gave the horse its iconic rusty red color. Today, the Dala horse features a harness of white, yellow, blue, and green in the traditional kurbits style — the myth-inspired floral art used in handicrafts from the Dalarna region.
Visitors to Sweden can find the Dalahäst everywhere. It spreads joyful color and pays tribute to the magnificent animals that carried Swedes on their way to building the proud nation they celebrate today.
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12 Jun 2017
Russia National Day 2017
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...168256-2xa.gif
Today is Russia Day, and the bouncing birch logs in our Doodle are excited to celebrate with the rest of the country!
While many Russians will celebrate the day off by attending a fireworks show or concert in a city square, others will drive down country roads lined with birch trees, on their way to their family’s dacha [summer home]. The birch is one of Russia’s most recognizable symbols. With ties to Slavic folklore, arts, culture, and medicine, the birch tree has planted its roots firmly in the hearts of Russians both young and old.
The birch's pale, slender, black-flecked trunk and bright fall leaves have inspired Russian artists across the centuries to pay homage to it — including our guest artist for today’s Doodle, Oscar nominee and animator Konstantin Bronzit.
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12 Jun 2017
Philippine Independence Day 2017
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...0615296-2x.jpg
The flag of the Philippines is a symbol of national pride, especially today as the country celebrates the anniversary of its sovereignty. In honor of Philippine Independence Day, today’s Doodle is a colorful celebration of both the Philippine flag and the country’s unique island landscapes.
Each component of the flag’s design holds specific meaning. The prominent sunburst has eight rays to represent the eight provinces that began the fight for independence, while the three surrounding stars represent the country’s three island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
With more than 7,000 islands that make up the country, there is no shortage of opportunities to watch the sun rise over the water. The sunrise imagery in the Doodle is meant to capture Filipinos’ optimism in the face of adversity.
In the foreground of today’s Doodle, a group of people gather for a traditional flag-raising ceremony. Accompanied by the Philippine national anthem, these ceremonies are held daily at schools and weekly in government institutions.
Maligayang Araw ng Kalayaan [Happy Independence Day]!
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29 May 2018
S.P.L. Sørensen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mMXw4HtpzI
Søren Peter Lauritz Sørensen was a Danish chemist, famous for the introduction of the concept of pH, a scale for measuring acidity and alkalinity.
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15 September 2019
Celebrating Ynés Mexía
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...7108230-2x.jpg
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, today’s Doodle celebrates Mexican-American botanist and explorer Ynes Mexía, who braved earthquakes, bogs, and poisonous berries to reach a remote volcano on the border of Colombia and Ecuador—all for the sake of botanical discoveries. “We started on the long journey back,” she wrote after collecting samples of the rare wax palm, “very tired, very hot, very dirty, but very happy.”
On this day in 1925, Mexía embarked on her first plant collection trip, travelling with a group from Stanford University to Sinaloa, Mexico in search of rare botanical species. The 55-year-old had joined the local Sierra Club just a few years earlier, enrolling in special classes at UC Berkeley soon after. Despite falling off a cliff and fracturing her hand and some ribs, Mexía brought home around 500 specimens—50 of them previously undiscovered.
Born in Washington D.C. in 1870 as a daughter to a Mexican diplomat, Mexía moved around a lot before becoming a social worker in California and falling in love with nature. At age 51, she began studying botany. After her inaugural plant discovery trip in 1925, Mexía continued journeying to uncover more species throughout Mexico, many of which were then named after her. The first was a flowering plant from the daisy family named Zexmenia mexiae in 1928, now referred to as Lasianthaea macrocephala.
Although she never completed her degree, Mexía became one of the most celebrated collectors of botanical specimens in history, gathering some 150,000 specimens throughout her career. She went on to travel the world while researching, writing, and lecturing widely.
More than 90 years after she started, scientists are still studying Mexía’s samples, which are now housed in a number of major institutions around the world.
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15 September 2010
El Salvador Independence Day 2010
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/JO...gQhb-p1Hs=s660
El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital and largest city is San Salvador. Other important cities are: Santa Ana and Sonsonate. El Salvador borders the Pacific Ocean on the south, and the countries of Guatemala to the west and Honduras to the north and east.
In 1810 a feeling of freedom formed between the countries of Central America. On the morning of November 5th, 1811, the priest José Matías Delgado rang the bells of La Merced Church in San Salvador, calling for an uprising. After many internal conflicts, the Declaration of Independence of Central América was signed in Guatemala on September 15th, 1821. That day is the Independence day all around Central America.
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15 Sept 2010
Costa Rica Independence Day 2010
https://www.google.com/logos/2010/costa-rica-10-hp.gif
Local celebrations, national pride and a spirit of community mark Costa Rica's Independence Day. One of the year's most important holidays, Costa Rica celebrates its freedom from colonial Spain with peaceful festivities and historic traditions.
While Costa Rica arguably could claim three separate independence days, the small nation chooses September 15 as its annual day of celebration. A national holiday, few people work and crowds take to the streets to commemorate the nation's freedom.
Independence Day celebrations begin on September 14th, when the Torch of Freedom arrives in Cartago. This symbolic torch represents Central America's sovereignty from Spain, and every year it makes the journey south from Guatemala to Costa Rica. When the torch reaches its final destination of Cartago – the Costa Rican provincial capital when Central America declared independence – Costa Ricans stand to sing the national anthem.
The most beloved Independence Day tradition is street parades, held on September 15th in every town around the country. School children practice for several months to coordinate their marching bands, color guards and folkloric dancing. Men, women and children often dress in their traditional best – flowing skirts, straw hats, and pressed shirts in a red, white and blue color palette.
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23 Sept 2014
Saudi National Day 2014
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/oy...FuorvJoLa=s660
Today, in honor of Saudi National Day, our doodle in Saudi Arabia was inspired by the annual festival known as Jenadriyah, which celebrates the country’s culture and heritage. Happy National Day to Saudi Arabians everywhere!
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24 Sept 2014
60th anniversary of the unveiling of the first Routemaster bus
https://lh3.ggpht.com/P7Yk4zgbAfTp5X...F3kGVA6ggP6=s0
The first Routemaster buses left the depot on their maiden journeys in 1956 and with their distinctive red colour, they soon became a popular sight for Londoners and a worldwide icon.
Over the years, millions of commuters, schoolchildren, tourists and evening revellers have all used the humble bus to take them to work, school, see the sights and then take them home again after their busy days.
While the London bus has evolved over the years, the reliability of the service and Londoners' love of it remain the same. Those wheels will carry on going round and round for many years to come.
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1 Oct 2014
Nigeria Independence Day 2014
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/jl...zWtg1cL0E=s660
Don’t miss the motorcade for Nigerian Independence Day. Today marks Nigeria’s 54th year as a sovereign nation.Independence Day in the Republic of Niger is commemorated on August 3, marking the nation's independence from France in 1960. Since 1975, it is also Arbor Day, as trees are planted across the nation to aid the fight against desertification.
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2 Oct 2014
National Batik Day 2014
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pv...3NCD0Jysr=s660
Today’s a day of fashion for Indonesians everywhere as they mark National Batik Day. “Batik” is a traditional Indonesian cloth that has roots in the country’s historical artwork. In celebration of their culture, Indonesians dress head-to-toe in “Batik” for the holiday.
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3 Oct 2014
German Reunification Day 2014
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/dh...r2rQa6TGz=s660
It’s true what they say, some things are better together. In Germany, our homepage honors the 24th anniversary of East and West Germany’s reunification.
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic [GDR] became part of the Federal Republic of Germany [FRG] to form the reunited nation of Germany.
Berlin was reunited into a single city, and again became the capital of united Germany.
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3 Oct 2014
Kenojuak Ashevak's 87th Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/hW...F-8aatTUA=s660
Our doodle in Canada pays tribute to Inuit artist Kenojuak Ashevak, who would have been 87 today. Ashevak’s work brought national attention to indigenous art and thrusted the ever-humble artist into the spotlight. For her contribution to art and Canadian culture, Ashevak was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.
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6 Oct 2014
Thor Heyerdahl's 100th Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/n0...BczJZvGI2=s660
What would it take to get you to cross the Pacific Ocean in a handmade wooden raft? It didn’t take a lot of persuading for Norwegian explorer and scientist Thor Heyerdahl to do it—in fact, he did it to prove a point. In 1947, Heyerdahl set off on his Kon-Tiki expedition from Peru to French Polynesia to demonstrate that ancient South Americans could have done the same. The jury is still out on Heyerdahl’s conclusion, but we’re grateful for the remarkable story he left behind. Our doodle around the world marks his 100th birthday.
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8 Oct 2014
Croatian Independence Day 2014
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0c...-RKFg1eEm=s660
Croatian Independence Day is a memorial day in Croatia, marked yearly on 25 June that celebrates the decision of the Croatian Parliament to declare the independence of Croatia from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
This year's tribute to Croatian Independence Day was created by guest artist, Vedran Klemens, an illustrator and designer living in Zagreb. We were delighted to work with Vedran and asked him a few questions about his thought process and what led to his final design:
Each "letter" in your doodle has an individual and unique image. Can you explain what each represents?
The letter 'G' combines the silhouette of the country with the first few words of Croatia's national anthem. Those words are loved and are widely used as a metonym for Croatia; Lijepa naša translates to "Our beautiful homeland." The anthem lyrics also mention major parts of the country [deep blue sea, mountains and plains kissed by sunshine] which I used to illustrate the remaining letters. The only letter and image that is not mentioned in the anthem is the red square. It is a reference to Croatia's red checkerboard, one of our most widely recognized national symbols.
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18 Sept 2014
204th anniversary of the First Government Assembly in Chile
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/SF...ML3KhJIHQ=s660
Enjoy an “empanada al horno” to mark Chilean National Day. On this day in 1810, the Chilean National Government held its first assembly, a pivotal step in the country's fight for independence.
An empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling, common in Southern European, Latin American, and the Philippines cultures. The name comes from the Galician verb empanar, and translates as "enbreaded", that is, wrapped or coated in bread. They are made by folding dough over a filling, which may consist of meat, cheese, tomato, corn, or other ingredients, and then cooking the resulting turnover, either by baking or frying.
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3 June 2017
Josephine Baker's 111th Birthday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnRScE-ijJM
With her kohl-rimmed eyes and exotic costumes, Josephine Baker pounced onto the global stage in the 1920s, becoming a Jazz Age icon and one of the first internationally recognized African-American entertainers.
Born into a vaudevillian family on June 3, 1906, Baker took up the family trade as a teenager. Her early days were spent dancing in public spaces for spare change. She eventually made her way to New York City at the dawn of the Harlem Renaissance, where she joined the chorus line of Shuffle Along, the first all-black Broadway musical. From there, she set off for Paris and found her fame and artistic home in the city’s opulent cabarets, singing and performing uninhibited dance routines that celebrated female liberation and African cultural identity.
A celebrity in Europe – and one of the most photographed women on the planet – Baker nonetheless faced racially charged comments from the press when she returned to the U.S. in 1936 for a short-lived starring turn in the Broadway series Ziegfeld Follies. Championing diversity and fighting for civil rights would become an enduring concern throughout her life. She refused to perform for segregated audiences and worked closely with the NAACP. In 1963, she participated in the March on Washington as the only female speaker to officially address the crowd, which she described as looking like "salt and pepper. Just what it should be." Her family life also mirrored her ideals. She adopted 12 children from around the world, affectionately referring to them as her Rainbow Tribe.
As if all that weren’t enough for one life, Baker had a secret career with the French resistance during World War II, socializing with Axis officials at high-society parties and using her cover as a country-hopping celebrity to gather intelligence — often writing it on her sheet music in invisible ink. Following the war, she was awarded the Croix de Guerre and inducted by Charles de Gaulle into France’s prestigious Legion of Honour.
There’s little doubt why Ernest Hemingway once called her "the most sensational woman anybody ever saw—or ever will."
Happy 111th birthday, Josephine Baker!
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16 Sept 2014
Mexico Independence Day 2014
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FL...XfO7byefI=s660
There’s no dish that has more pride than “chiles en nogada.” These green chiles are stuffed with picadillo, covered in a white walnut cream and topped with red pomegranate seeds, dressing the meal in the colors of the Mexican flag. Happy Independence Day to Mexico!
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16 Sept 2014
40th anniversary of the first broadcast of Casimir
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/t9...TEULaiGST=s660
The spotlight is on Casimir the Dinosaur on our homepage in France today. Casimir starred in the famous French cartoon “l'Île aux enfants” [“The Children’s Show”], which first aired 40 years ago today.
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15 Sept 2014
Nicaragua Independence Day 2014
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/vZ...do6-Ae2ww=s660
Our doodle in Nicaragua doodle features the sacuanjoche, the country’s national flower for Nicaraguan Independence Day.
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15 Sept 2014
Costa Rica Independence Day 2014
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/A4...pkpxEdex7=s660
We’re having a feast of Latino dishes to mark Independence Day in three different countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala. All three celebrate the holiday on September 15. Viva Centroamérica!
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15 Sept 2014
El Salvador Independence Day 2014
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Wq...KRkoNMbD3=s660
We’re having a feast of Latino dishes to mark Independence Day in three different countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala. All three celebrate the holiday on September 15. Viva Centroamérica!
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15 Sept 2014
Honduras Independence Day 2014
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6r...ne5eLoN5H=s660
Our doodle in Honduras depicts the country’s national animal, the white-tailed deer, for Honduran Independence Day.
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15 Sept 2014
Guatemala Independence Day 2014
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ar...xFbkRa5co=s660
We’re having a feast of Latino dishes to mark Independence Day in three different countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala. All three celebrate the holiday on September 15. Viva Centroamérica!
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15 Sept 2014
Respect for the Aged Day 2014
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Iw...QCOO8fVTs=s660
It’s Respect for the Aged Day in Japan. On this holiday, Japanese people take the time to show appreciation for their elders and hold a ceremonial lunch or dinner to express their gratitude.
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12 Sept 2014
Ernesto Carneiro Ribeiro's 175th Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/uV...3eIOXN_74=s660
Fellow grammarians, today you meet your hero on our homepage in Brazil. We’re celebrating the 175th birthday of linguist, educator and physician Ernesto Carneiro Ribeiro, who worked to revise Brazil’s official grammar code to include conversational speech.
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9 Oct 2015
605th Anniversary of Prague astronomical clock
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...27520-hp2x.jpg
Check out the Prague Astronomical Clock on Google Street View, from both the outsideand the inside [and try taking the stairs!]
The hands of Prague’s astronomical clock have measured a staggering amount of history. It predates Shakespeare by over a century, and had been operational for two years by the time Joan of Arc was born. Despite over a half a millennium of wear and a brush with disaster in WWII, much of its original machinery remains intact, making it the oldest functioning clock of its kind in the world. Today’s Doodle honors a magnificent achievement in medieval engineering and a cultural landmark whose symbolism, design, and intermittent repairs are a remarkable catalogue of Europe’s past.
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1 Oct 2015
Nigeria National Day 2015
https://www.google.com/logos/doodles...76928-hp2x.jpg
A country of enormous diversity where over 500 languages are spoken, Nigeria is home to Africa’s largest population and a dizzying array of ancient cultural traditions. Drawing inspiration from the Nigerian coat of arms, today’s Doodle features the mighty Niger and Benue rivers that wind across the country’s fertile plains before merging and flowing into the Atlantic. Symbolic of resoluteness and strength, an eagle cuts across a vast Nigerian sky at the center of today’s logo, which Doodler Robinson Wood has washed in the colors of the Nigerian flag.
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9 October 2012
Uganda Independence Day 2012
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2K...S_TgwK3N0=s660
Independence Day in Uganda is a state holiday celebrated on October 9 every year. It celebrates Uganda's independence from the United Kingdom in 1962.
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7 Oct 2012
Janusz Korczak's Year
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/bQ...ECUITy0EA=s660
Janusz Korczak, the pen name of Henryk Goldszmit [22 July 1878 or 1879 – 7 August 1942], was a Polish Jewish educator, children's author and pedagogue known as Pan Doktor ["Mr. Doctor"] or Stary Doktor ["Old Doctor"]. After spending many years working as a principal of an orphanage in Warsaw, he refused sanctuary repeatedly and stayed with his orphans when the entire population of the institution was sent from the Ghetto to the Treblinka extermination camp by the Nazis, during the Grossaktion Warschau of 1942.
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6 Oct 2012
Francisco Gabilondo Soler's 105th Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FD...34gOcklIp=s660
Francisco Gabilondo Soler [October 6, 1907, Orizaba, Veracruz Mexico – December 14, 1990, Texcoco, State of Mexico] was a Mexican composer and performer of children's songs. He recorded and performed those songs under the name of Cri-Cri: El Grillito Cantor ["Cri-Cri: The Little Singing Cricket"].
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5 Oct 2012
Brian Ó Nualláin's 101st Birthday
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/RE...SInMni9mR=s660
Brian O'Nolan, better known by his pen name Flann O'Brien, was an Irish novelist, playwright and satirist, considered a major figure in twentieth century Irish literature. Born in Strabane, County Tyrone, he is regarded as a key figure in modernist and postmodern literature. His English language novels, such as At Swim-Two-Birds and The Third Policeman, were written under the O’Brien pen name. His many satirical columns in The Irish Times and an Irish language novel An Béal Bocht were written under the name Myles na gCopaleen.
