Google doodles

[9A]

26 Nov 2010

65th Birthday of Pippi Longstocking



Pippi Longstocking is the fictional main character in an eponymous series of children's books by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. Pippi was named by Lindgren's daughter Karin, who asked her mother for a get-well story when she was off school.

Pippi is red-haired, freckled, unconventional and superhumanly strong – able to lift her horse one-handed. She is playful and unpredictable. She often makes fun of unreasonable adults, especially if they are pompous and condescending. Her anger comes out in extreme cases, such as when a man mistreats his horse. Pippi, like Peter Pan, does not want to grow up. She is the daughter of a buccaneer captain and has adventure stories to tell about that, too. Her four best friends are her horse and monkey, and the neighbours' children, Tommy and Annika.

[9A]

11 Dec 2010
Carlos Gardel's Birthday







Carlos Gardel [born Charles Romuald Gardès; 11 December 1890 – 24 June 1935] was a French-Argentine singer, songwriter, composer and actor, and the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was one of the most influential interpreters of world popular music in the first half of the 20th century. Gardel is the most famous popular tango singer of all time and is recognized throughout the world. He was notable for his baritone voice and the dramatic phrasing of his lyrics. Together with lyricist and long-time collaborator Alfredo Le Pera, Gardel wrote several classic tangos.

Gardel died in an airplane crash at the height of his career, becoming an archetypal tragic hero mourned throughout Latin America. For many, Gardel embodies the soul of the tango style. He is commonly referred to as "Carlitos", "El Zorzal" ["The Song thrush"], "The King of Tango", "El Mago" [The Wizard], "El Morocho del Abasto" [The Brunette boy from Abasto], and ironically "El Mudo" [The Mute].

[9A]

11 December 2015

Sunčana Škrinjarić’s 84th Birthday





Upon wandering into the forest and establishing his easel beneath the shade of an elm tree, Peter Palette begins to paint. Feeling dreamy, he gives up his work in favor of a nap, and abruptly slips into a deep sleep. This elm tree, as it happens, is enchanted; when he awakes, he suddenly finds himself speaking with the creatures of the forest.

So begins the inspiration for today’s Doodle, and the book that made Sunčana Škrinjarić one of Croatia’s most beloved storytellers. Lydia Nichols remembers the author on her 84th birthday with some imagery from her greatest tale, Čudesna šuma, which she created using screen printing techniques and a simple, vibrant palette. Here’s to magic, whimsy, and our favorite childhood stories.

[9A]

11 December 2014

Annie Jump Cannon's 151st Birthday




American astronomer Annie Jump Cannon spent her life studying the night sky. Today our homepage in the U.S. is gazing at the stars Cannon loved so much for her 151st birthday. A pioneer in astronomy, Cannon developed the Harvard Classification Scheme with Edward C. Pickering, which organized and categorized stars based on their temperatures.

[9A]

16 Dec 2010

Jane Austen's 235th Birthday






Jane Austen was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots often explore the dependence of women on marriage in the pursuit of favourable social standing and economic security. Her works critique the novels of sensibility of the second half of the 18th century and are part of the transition to 19th-century literary realism. Her use of biting irony, along with her realism, humour, and social commentary, have long earned her acclaim among critics, scholars, and popular audiences alike.

With the publication of Sense and Sensibility [1811], Pride and Prejudice [1813], Mansfield Park [1814] and Emma [1816], she achieved success as a published writer. She wrote two other novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published posthumously in 1818, and began another, eventually titled Sanditon, but died before its completion. She also left behind three volumes of juvenile writings in manuscript, the short epistolary novel Lady Susan, and another unfinished novel, The Watsons. Her six full-length novels have rarely been out of print, although they were published anonymously and brought her moderate success and little fame during her lifetime.

[9A]

25 September 2021

Christopher Reeve's 69th birthday






Today’s Doodle celebrates American actor, director, author, and humanitarian Christopher Reeve, who is best known for his spinal cord research advocacy work alongside his leading role in four “Superman” feature films.

Christopher D’Olier Reeve was born on this day in 1952 in New York City. He graduated from The Juilliard School and made his stage debut in the 1976 Broadway comedy “A Matter of Gravity.” After only two years of acting in soap operas and plays, Reeve auditioned to play the Man of Steel himself in the 1978 “Superman” film, landing the role ahead of 200 other aspiring actors.

His performance as the iconic superhero in the four-part film franchise launched him to international fame, but he refused to be typecast in action roles. To this end, he brought a diverse range of characters to life both in cinema and on stage throughout his career. Outside of acting, he was an enthusiastic equestrian and athlete. In 1995, Reeve was paralyzed from the neck down due to a riding accident; these injuries led him to become an outspoken champion for those with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities across Hollywood, the nation, and the world.

Reeve used his platform to bring increased awareness to topics related to disabilities and dedicated his life to driving positive change for the community. This included sponsoring bills to raise lifetime insurance “caps'' to better support people with disabilities and helping pass the 1999 Work Incentives Improvement Act, which secured ongoing insurance payments to people with disabilities even after they return to work. He focused on efforts to directly improve the quality of life for people with disabilities by distributing millions in individual grants through his foundation and serving on the boards of various disability organizations with this aim. Reeve also advocated for support and government funding of responsible stem cell research to further the knowledge and treatment of numerous health conditions, including spinal cord injuries. Calling on Hollywood to draw attention to other important social causes, Reeve led by example with his 1997 directorial debut “In the Gloaming,” a five-time Emmy nominated drama centered around a man diagnosed with HIV.

Today, his legacy is carried on by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which he founded in 1998.

Happy birthday, Christopher Reeve—who remains a hero to many both on and off the screen!

[9A]

13 September 2019

Hans Christian Gram’s 166th Birthday







Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Danish guest artist Mikkel Sommer, celebrates Danish microbiologist Hans Christian Gram. Born in Copenhagen on this day in 1853, Gram devised a staining technique that is now still used to identify and classify different types of bacteria.

After earning his M.D. from the University of Copenhagen in 1878, Gram traveled through Europe studying bacteriology and pharmacology. While working in the lab of German microbiologist Karl Friedländer, he noticed that treating a smear of bacteria with a crystal violet stain, followed by an iodine solution and an organic solvent, revealed differences in the structure and biochemical function of various samples.

Gram published his findings in a scholarly journal in 1884, and the terms “Gram-positive” and “Gram-negative” came to be coined. Gram-positive bacteria appear purple under a microscope, because their cell walls are so thick that the solvent cannot penetrate them, while Gram-negative bacteria have thinner cell walls that allow the solvent to wash away the stain. Pneumococci, which can cause many diseases, are classified as Gram-positive.

In his publication, Gram had notably included a modest disclaimer: “I have therefore published the method, although I am aware that as yet it is very defective and imperfect; but it is hoped that also in the hands of other investigators it will turn out to be useful.”

This simple test, however, proved widely applicable. Gram’s staining method continues to be used today, more than a century later.

Happy Birthday, Hans Christian Gram!

[9A]

16 September 2017

Emilia Pardo Bazán’s 166th Birthday




A 19th-century novelist, professor, and women’s rights activist, Emilia Pardo Bazán was a trailblazer in more ways than one. Born in A Coruña, Spain to a family who believed in the power of education, she took an early interest in literature – and her academic pursuits didn’t stop there. Despite women being forbidden to study science and philosophy, Pardo Bazán became well versed in both by seeking out information on her own.

She went on to write a number of novels, short stories, and essays, winning her first literary prize in 1876. Her affinity for science also came through in her writing, where her reality-driven descriptions introduced the naturalist movement to Spain. Her signature style was on full display in her two most famous novels, Los pazos de Ulloa [1886] and La madre naturaleza [1887]. In her published works and beyond, Pardo Bazán endlessly championed women’s rights. She also taught at the University of Madrid, where she became the first woman to occupy a chair of literature.

Inspired by the statue of Pardo Bazán that stands in her hometown, today’s Doodle pays tribute to the prolific author on what would’ve been her 166th birthday.

[9A]

18 Sept 2017

Samuel Johnson’s 308th Birthday




If you wanted to know what the word 'lexicographer' means today, you might Google it. If you fancy a throwback however, you might grab a dictionary. Today’s Doodle celebrates the 308th birthday of British lexicographer – a person who compiles dictionaries – Samuel Johnson.

Samuel Johnson published A Dictionary of the English Language in 1755 after 9 years of work. It was described as “one of the greatest single achievements of scholarship,” and had a far-reaching effect on modern English. It was “colossal” at nearly 18 inches tall! Johnson’s was the premier English dictionary until the publication of the Oxford English Dictionary 150 years later.

Johnson was also a poet, essayist, critic, biographer and editor. Johnson’s dictionary was more than just a word list: his work provided a vast understanding of 18th century's language and culture. His lasting contributions guaranteed him a place in literary history.

Today we pay homage to this pioneer lexicographer who dedicated years to his craft.

Doodle by Sophie Diao

[9A]

18 September 2013

203rd anniversary of the First Government Assembly in Chile



Government Assembly of the Kingdom of Chile [September 18, 1810 – July 4, 1811], also known as the First Government Gathering, was the organization established to rule post-colonial Chile following the deposition and imprisonment of King Ferdinand VII of Spain by Napoleon Bonaparte.

[9A]

18 September 2017

Chile National Day 2017




On this date in 1810, the first Junta de Gobierno [Government Junta] was formed, and the Chilean people embarked on an eight-year-long struggle for independence from Spain.

Many Chileans take advantage of the holidays and the good weather to travel and gather with friends and family. Kites fill the skies, and revelers dance the traditional cueca. Children and grown-ups alike might indulge in a sack race, fight to the top of a palo ensebado [greased pole], or even try a game of pillar el chancho, aiming to catch a very greasy pig!

Today’s Doodle, by Chilean artist Paloma Valdivia, celebrates the country’s pride in its diverse people and its bountiful natural resources. Each element of the Doodle carries a special meaning:

The Mapuche [indigenous people] and the huaso [Chilean cowboys] represent Chile's diverse people.

The mountain represents the Andes Mountain range, which stretches along Chile’s eastern borders and is home to some of the world’s tallest peaks.

The little red boat signifies the special relationship Chileans share with the sea and its resources.

The cactus represents the north of Chile, home to the driest desert in the world, the Atacama.

The penguin represents Chile’s Antarctic territory, base to several Chilean and international research stations. Remote Easter Island is home to the moai, gigantic monoliths carved by the Rapa Nui people centuries ago.

The majestic condor [among the world’s heaviest flying birds] and the bright red copihue [Chile’s national flower] symbolize the country’s rich biodiversity.

With so much to celebrate, we hope you'll join us in shouting a loud and happy ¡Feliz Dieciocho!

[9A]

26 Sept 2017

Gloria E. Anzaldúa’s 75th Birthday





For writer and scholar Gloria E. Anzaldúa, a border wasn't just a line on a map: it was a state of mind and a viewpoint on life. Born on this date in 1942 in the Rio Grande Valley, Anzaldúa possessed an astounding gift for transforming dividing lines into unifying visions.

Growing up on ranches and farms in Texas-Mexico border towns, Anzaldúa developed a profound appreciation for the earth and its riches. She fell in love with art and writing as a way to capture the magic of the landscape around her. She also faced racism and isolation, but that didn't stop her from becoming a stellar scholar. After graduating from Pan American University in 1969, Anzaldúa taught migrant students, traveling with them to serve as a liaison with school boards.

She realized early on that she lived in many worlds at once: she was both American and Mexican, both native and foreigner. "It's not a comfortable territory to live in, this place of contradictions," Anzaldúa noted. She understood that the way forward was not to choose a side, but to embrace a third place — a land of both, not either/or.

Anzaldúa mapped this new frontier with her pen. Her most famous work, Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, alternates between English and Spanish and includes a variety of forms — from poem to prose, from critique to confessional. This striking mix of voices and perspectives earned Borderlands a place on Literary Journal's list of best books of 1987.

In 1977, she moved to California, where her writing soon became known in academic circles. Her theories had impact across disciplines, including Chicano/a Studies, Women's Studies, LGBT Studies, and Postcolonial Studies. She was awarded a posthumous Ph.D. in literature by the University of California Santa Cruz.

Today's Doodle celebrates Anzaldúa's ability to live across borders, whether geographical, social, or philosophical. She put it best: "To survive the Borderlands / you must live sin fronteras / be a crossroads."

[9A]

26 September 2015

200th Anniversary of the Dutch Kingdom





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...


Happy 200th Anniversary to the Dutch Kingdom!

[9A]

27 Sept 2015

Chuseok 2015








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].
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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.

[9A]

1 Oct 2015

Pei Mei Fu's 84th Birthday





One of Taiwan’s most celebrated cooks, Pei Mei Fu is best known for hosting popular cooking shows that ran for 30 plus years and made her a TV star. During her time in front of the camera, she taught viewers how to prepare more than 4,000 dishes. She also ran a cooking school and authored seminal cookbooks that established her as a leading authority on Chinese cooking. Commonly referred to as the Julia Child of Taiwan, Fu was a beloved figure whose warm demeanor and expert lessons helped countless home cooks become more confident in the kitchen--and make delicious traditional meals too.


Today’s Google Doodle recognizes Pei Mei Fu on what would have been her 84th birthday. Doodler Olivia When's illustration honors Fu, and specifically her notable TV cooking career, with a Doodle that pays homage to Fu’s set. The two dishes captured in the Doodle were also thoughtfully chosen. One is fried prawn slices with sour sauce, the other Cheng Family meat dish, both two of Fu’s best known recipes.

[9A]

9 May 2020

Celebrating Frank Soo





Today’s Doodle celebrates British footballer and coach Frank Soo, a fearsome half-back and inside forward who broke racial barriers playing for the English national team during World War II. On this day in 1942, Soo made his international debut in a match against Wales, becoming the first person of non-European descent—and only ever of Asian heritage—to represent the country’s team at the highest level.

Frank Soo was born on March 8th, 1914 in Derbyshire, England and raised in Liverpool. He quickly earned a reputation as one of the best youth players in the city. At just 18 years old, he was scouted by Stoke City F.C., becoming the first professional player of Chinese ancestry in the English Football League.

Renowned for an artful playing style, dignified ball control, and precise passing, the charismatic Soo was named team captain at age 27 and rose to a level of national celebrity. In 1940, following the outbreak of World War II, Soo enlisted in the Royal Air Force and continued his legacy as the captain of its football team. Though England’s Football Association deemed its wartime matches unofficial, Soo went on to represent his country in nine such international fixtures by 1945.

Soo retired from playing in 1950 and moved on to a successful international coaching career that lasted over three decades. His legacy lives on in the increasingly diverse English team that plays today.

Thank you, Frank Soo, for showing the world the unifying power of sport. ​

[9A]

11 May 2020

Celebrating Tomris Uyar







Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Istanbul-based guest artist Merve Atılgan, celebrates the prolific Turkish short story writer and translator Tomris Uyar. A leading figure in 1970s Turkish literature, Uyar was known for her realist style that often focused on the authentic depiction of female characters and family dynamics. On this day in 1980 and 1987, Uyar was honored with one of Turkish literature's most esteemed awards for short stories, the Sait Faik Story Award.

Born in Istanbul on March 15, 1941, Uyar grew up attending American schools, and her access to English-language short fiction and Turkey’s contemporary literature served as a strong inspiration for the future writer.

Beginning her career as a translator, Uyar continued in the craft for the rest of her life, tackling avant-garde English fiction, and in the process developing a rare mastery of the intricacies of the Turkish language.

As a writer, she devoted herself to short fiction with a bit of support from her cats. Whenever one entered the room, she credited the felines for stimulating her writing process. These “inspiration cats,” referenced in the Doodle artwork, helped her to publish over 900 pages across 11 volumes of her stories throughout her career.

Amongst her greatest influences was Turkish writer Sait Faik, known for narrating evocative human stories unconstrained by form or plot. Drawing from influences like Faik, Uyar’s work pushed the boundaries of the form, employing postmodern techniques in the exploration of the lives of ordinary people, particularly from a female perspective. Over the years, her writing progressed to a caliber that positioned her to receive the aforementioned Sait Faik Story Award twice, a prize created in honor of the writer that had such a profound impact on Uyar and her narratives.

In current times, Uyar’s writing has been published in over 60 languages and is enjoyed by readers around the world to this day.

[9A]

11 May 2021

Go Tik Swan's 90th birthday


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!

[9A]

11 May 2017

80th Anniversary of Los Glaciares National Park





Argentina’s stunning Los Glaciares National Park was established on May 11, 1937. Although the park is only 80 years old, its biggest attractions have been shaping the landscape for millennia.

The park’s northern boundary is a cluster of soaring, sharp-toothed peaks, including the forbidding Mt. Fitz Roy. Dominating the southern stretch is the awe-inspiring Perito Moreno Glacier, a towering wall of ice grinding a path through the Patagonian Andes. Its terminus, where the glacier flows into Argentina’s largest freshwater lake, is 5 km wide at an average height of 74 m above the lake’s surface.

As the powdery blue glacier advances, the ice often gives way with a resounding crack, plunging into the chilly lake and calving enormous icebergs. This dramatic icefall makes it one of the park’s most popular tourist attractions. Visitors can also hike across the rippled surface of the glacier.

Los Glaciares National Park was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981, as an area of outstanding natural beauty and an important example of the geological processes of glaciation.

[9A]

2 May 2017

Por Intalapalit’s 107th birthday



Tireless Thai writer Por Intalapalit was born on this date in 1910. Famous for Sam Kler [or SamGler], a novel series that spanned more than 1,000 books, Intalapalit was nothing short of prolific.

Popular in the 1960s and 1970s, Sam Kler ["The Three Buddies"] revolved around the comic adventures and antics of three main characters: Pol, Nikorn, and Kim-nguan [with the later addition of the scientist Dr. Direk]. Together the pals sparred in boxing matches, trekked through jungles, wrangled with monsters, and encountered UFOs. Several of the stories were also developed into well-known TV shows and movies, including Sam Kler Jer Long Hon, a Cold War-themed film starring legendary Thai actor Mitr Chaibancha.

Today's Doodle was inspired by Por Intalapalit’s beloved characters and colorful, mod-era book covers.

[9A]

12 May 2012

Edward Lear's 200th Birthday




Edward Lear was an English artist, illustrator, musician, author and poet, now known mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limericks, a form he popularised. His principal areas of work as an artist were threefold: as a draughtsman employed to make illustrations of birds and animals; making coloured drawings during his journeys, which he reworked later, sometimes as plates for his travel books; and as a [minor] illustrator of Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poems. As an author, he is known principally for his popular nonsense collections of poems, songs, short stories, botanical drawings, recipes and alphabets. He also composed and published twelve musical settings of Tennyson's poetry.

[9A]

16 May 2012
Juan Rulfo's 95th Birthday






Juan Nepomuceno Carlos Pérez Rulfo Vizcaíno, best known as Juan Rulfo, was a Mexican writer, screenwriter, and photographer. He is best known for two literary works, the 1955 novel Pedro Páramo, and the collection of short stories El Llano en llamas [1953]. This collection includes the popular tale "¡Diles que no me maten!" ["Tell Them Not to Kill Me!"].

[9A]

29 May 2018

Nepal Republic Day 2018






In today’s Doodle, one of the rose-gold peaks of the Himalayas rises through the clouds in honor of Nepal’s 11th National Republic Day. The holiday commemorates the country becoming a federal democratic republic on May 28, 2008, ending 239 years of monarchy.

Republic Day, also called Ganatantra Diwas, is celebrated throughout Nepal and around the world. Typically, a parade held in Tundikhel—a wide, open space in the heart of Nepal’s capital city Kathmandu—is chief among the celebrations. In years past, government officials have released pigeons, a sign of peace, from the Army Pavilion. Army helicopters splashed with the Republic flag sprinkled flower petals from the sky. The Nepal Army, Nepal Police, and the Armed Police Force marched with artists, musicians, and karatekas [practitioners of karate], displaying different aspects of Nepal’s myriad cultures and traditions.

Today, we wish Nepalis everywhere a happy Ganatantra Diwas with the country’s colorful prayer flags and magnificent mountains—a symbol of national pride.

Doodle by Vrinda V Zaveri

[9A]

30 May 2014

35th Anniversary of Nezha Conquers the Dragon King






Our homepage in Hong Kong and Taiwan marks the 35th anniversary of Nezha Conquers the Dragon King. A source of pride in China, Nezha was the first Chinese-language animated film to be screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

[9A]

30 May 2013

Potato Day 2013


On May 30 is National Potato Day in Peru, the day each year to pay homage and celebrate one of the most important food crops in the world originating in Peru.

Already over 10,000 years ago potatoes were cultivated in the High Andes of southeastern Peru in the area of the Titicaca Lake, in the Ayacucho region and in the Valley of Chulca and later all over the Andean highlands.

Potatoes were an important staple food and a primary energy source for early Peruvian cultures, the Incas and the Spanish conquerors who brought them back to Europe. From there the potato took over the rest of the world and today is among the 5 most important food crops worldwide.

And while in most countries overseas there are usually just about a dozen or so different varieties of the tuber for sale, in Peru you still find over 3,800 varieties of native potatoes. They differ in shape, size, color, skin, texture and of course taste, but all have their place in the Peruvian kitchen.

[9A]

30 May 2019

2019 ICC Cricket World Cup Begins!







Over 100 players, 10 teams, but only one cup.

Today’s Doodle celebrates the International Cricket Council’s 2019 World Cup, which opens at the Oval in London.​

Taking place every four years, the Cricket World Cup is the world’s leading contest in one-day cricket, and has become one of the most popular sporting events on the planet. Ten teams earn their chance to compete for the cup through a qualifying process that takes five to six years. This year’s round robin will be hosted in England and Wales.

Now England’s official national sport, it is said that cricket began as a children’s game in the Weald of rural England. Cricket spread to North America by the 17th century, eventually arriving in the British colonies of the West Indies, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa and has since spread around the world.

The world’s first international cricket match, between Canada and the United States, took place in 1844. The first World Cup tournament was held in 1975, won by the West Indies team, who repeated the feat in 1979. This year’s defending champions are Australia, a perennial powerhouse that has won five of the eleven cups.

No matter how heated the competition may get, cricket is highly respected for maintaining high standards of fair play and good sportsmanship. Hence the phrase “It’s just not cricket,” which describes anything considered unfair.

May the best team win!

[9A]

30 May 2017

Dragon Boat Festival 2017





The Dragon Boat Festival has been held in honor of revered Chinese poet Qu Yuan [circa 339–278 B.C.E.] for over 2,000 years. People celebrate this traditional holiday by eating sticky dumplings called zongzi, and of course by racing dragon boats! The vessels are sometimes built to resemble an actual dragon with a head and tail, just like in today's Doodle, though they can also look like regular narrow rowing boats. Another tradition from ancient times is wearing embroidered pouches full of fragrant herbs and incense, in the hopes they will protect against bad luck.


Happy Dragon Boat Festival!

[9A]

31 May 2017

Celebrating Zaha Hadid




Today’s Doodle honors architect Zaha Hadid, who captured the world's attention and shattered glass ceilings [in addition to designing some] by becoming the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize on this day in 2004. She was also the first woman awarded the Royal Gold Medal by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Born in Iraq in 1950, Hadid learned about abstract art and architecture at the Architectural Association in London. There, she found inspiration in unconventional forms. Before computers made her designs easier to put on paper, Hadid's studio was known to use the photocopier in creative ways to bend lines and create new shapes. The type in today's Doodle finds inspiration in Hadid's energetic sketches, which explored both form and function.

Hadid broke new ground on modern architecture using the surrounding landscape for building inspiration. The straight lines and sharp angles of the Vitra Fire Station in Germany were inspired by nearby vineyards and farmland, while the roof of the London Aquatic Centre forms the shape of a wave.

The Heydar Aliyev Center, pictured in today's doodle, sets itself in contrast to the block-like structures that surround it in Baku, Azerbaijan. At the same time, this cultural center takes inspiration from historic Islamic designs found in calligraphy and geometric patterns to create something entirely new. The building takes an open form to invite the public into its space. The center has played host to modern art by Andy Warhol and Tony Cragg, and world-class performances from Kitaro and Alessandro Safina.

[9A]

31 May 2021

Akira Ifukube's 107th birthday






Today’s Doodle celebrates the 107th birthday of Japanese composer Akira Ifukube—a prodigious talent in classical music and cinematic film scores widely known for his work on the original soundtrack for the “Godzilla” movies of the 1950s.

Akira Ifukube was born on this day in 1914 in Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan, into a distinguished family lineage that traces its origins back to at least the 7th-century. A passionate listener of European musical scores as a teenager, he aspired to intertwine his deep-rooted national identity into original compositions, an idea further solidified after listening to Russian composer Stravinsky’s 1913 emotive orchestral piece “The Rite of Spring” at 14 years old.

In 1935, Akira left home to study forestry at Hokkaido University, where he wrote ”Japanese Rhapsody,” his first original orchestral number. Following a brief stint as a forestry officer and lumber processor, he chose to pursue music composition full time. In 1947, he released the first of his more than 250 film scores that he produced over the next half-century. The height of his film score career came in 1954 when he wrote the soundtrack for “Godzilla,” whose signature roar he created by taking a resin-covered leather glove and dragging it against the loose string of a double bass.

Outside of his lifelong work as a composer, Akira served as president of the Tokyo College of Music starting in 1976 and published a 1,000-page book on theory entitled “Orchestration.” The Japanese government honored his lifetime achievements with both the Order of Culture and the Order of the Sacred Treasure.

Happy birthday, Akira Ifukube!

[9A]

1 Jun 2021

Celebrating Daniel Balavoine




Today’s Doodle celebrates French singer, songwriter, and activist Daniel Balavoine, a rebellious yet sensitive champion of pop music and human rights. On this day in 1978, Balavoine released his third album “Le Chanteur” [“The Singer”], an emotional reflection on the preciousness of life that skyrocketed his career.

Daniel Balavoine was born on February 5, 1952, in Alençon, France. In his teens, he fought passionately for social causes with energy he began to channel into music in 1970. Although his early musical efforts flew under the radar of mainstream success, Balavoine’s career began to pick up steam when Swiss pop star Patrick Juvet featured him on one of his albums.

In 1975, Balavoine continued to build momentum with the release of his debut solo album “De Vous à Elle en Passant Par Moi” [“From You to Her Through Me”]. A televised performance in 1977 of one of his sophomore album’s hit songs, “Lady Marlène,” captivated French pop icon Michel Berger, who commissioned Balavoine to play Johnny Rockfort in his cyberpunk rock opera “Starmania.” The role was a smash hit that set the stage for Balavoine to become a successful innovator of French electronic pop.

In 1980, he released a hit album, “Un Autre Monde” [“Another World”], featuring some of his most famous songs, such as “Je Ne Suis Pas un Héros” [“I’m not a Hero”], “Mon Fils, ma Bataille” [“My Son, My Battle”], and “La Vie ne M’Apprend Rien” [“Life Teaches me Nothing”]. In that same year, on television he issued a call to action to politician François Mitterrand with a challenge to do more for the youth. This was a defining moment for Balavoine’s legacy as not only a musician, but a vocal activist for the community and symbol for France’s next generation.

In addition to the over 20 million records he sold, Balavoine was a devoted humanitarian. He focused much of his efforts on improving the lives of residents in remote villages of the African Sahara, especially in Mali, where he planned to supervise the installation of water pumps near the route of the 1986 Paris-Dakar rally car race. Balavoine tragically lost his life during this trip, but his legacy has lived on. That same year, Balavoine’s final album “Sauver L'Amour” [“Save Love”] won a posthumous Victoire de la Musique award, one of French music’s highest honors.

Here’s to you, Daniel Balavoine!

[9A]

1 June 2015

Nargis’ 86th Birthday




From the carefree laughter of a mischievous runaway girl in ‘Chori Chori’, to the stoic stance of a suffering Radha in ‘Mother India’, film actress Nargis still reigns the hearts of many Indian cinema lovers.

Born to a Muslim immigrant family, Nargis made her first screen appearance at the tender age of 4, in the movie ‘Talash-e-Haq’ in 1935. She later went on to give several memorable performances in cinematic masterpieces such as ‘Awara’, ‘Shree 420’, ‘Barsaat’ and perhaps most memorably the Academy Award nominated film ‘Mother India’. India's award for best film on national integration in the annual National Film Awards is named the 'Nargis Dutt Award' in her honour.

But Nargis was not only a cultural icon, she also devoted herself to help spastic children and became the first patron of The Spastics Society of India. Her charitable work gained her recognition as a social worker.

Nagris lifted her ghoonghat headpiece and blazed the silver screen with her portrayal of strong women protagonists. Today’s Doodle pays tribute to her magnetic charisma, peeking underneath the ghoonghat.

Illustrated by guest artist, Patrick Leger.

[9A]

17 July 2018

Georges Lemaître’s 124th Birthday





Most people have heard of the Big Bang theory, but fewer recognize the name Georges Lemaître, the man who came up with the hypothesis that transformed our understanding of astrophysics.

Born on this day in 1894, Lemaître was a Belgian Catholic priest who proposed that the universe began as a single primordial atom, or “Cosmic Egg.” Although his thesis was based on calculations derived from Einstein’s theory of General Relativity, Einstein initially dismissed Lemaître’s work, remarking, "Your calculations are correct, but your physics is atrocious." Two years later, Einstein changed his mind.

Lemaître’s 1927 paper theorizing that the universe was expanding was soon substantiated by Edwin Hubble’s observations, which were published in 1929. Trained in physics at Cambridge, Harvard, and MIT, Lemaître accurately estimated the numerical value that astronomers would come to call the Hubble constant—a unit of measurement that describes the universe’s rate of expansion. Compared to Lemaître’s small scientific readership in Belgium, Hubble’s work received much wider circulation. As a result, Hubble’s name is more often associated with the Big Bang, which birthed a whole new branch of science known as relativistic cosmology.

Lemaître was not completely overlooked in his day. In 1934 he received the prestigious Francqui prize, the highest scientific accolade in Belgium [one of his nominators was Einstein himself!]. Several other international scientific awards honored Lemaître’s legacy, and a crater on the moon was named for him in 1970.

Today’s animated Doodle depicts Lemaître within the constantly expanding universe that he first envisioned, surrounded by galaxies expanding outward just as he said they would.

Happy Birthday Georges Lemaître!

[9A]

17 July 2021

Francisco Toledo's 81st birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates the 81st birthday of Mexican artist and activist Francisco “El Maestro” Toledo, who is widely regarded as one of the most influential artists in modern Mexican history. His prolific creative output is only rivaled in scope by his philanthropic advocacy and dedication to preserving his Oaxacan heritage.

On this day in 1940, Francisco Benjamín López Toledo was born in Juchitán, Oaxaca, the heartland of the Indigenous Zapotec civilization. His remarkable talent for drawing was noticed at just 9 years old, and by 19, he hosted his first solo exhibition.

Self-described as a grillo [cricket], which he believed captured the restless Oaxacan spirit, Toledo set off to Paris to pursue sculpting, painting, and printmaking in the 1960s. But he soon yearned for the simpler life of his home. He returned to Oaxaca in 1965, where his craft and activism played an instrumental role in the transformation of the southern Mexican state into a nucleus of the international art community. Toledo first garnered widespread acclaim during this era with a watercolor series of animal-human hybrids, which established his trademark style rooted in Indigenous art traditions, Zapotec mythology, and inspiration from the work of masters such as Francisco Goya.

For nearly seven decades, Toledo explored every visual medium imaginable to produce around 9,000 works—from a scorpion sculpture crafted using turtle shells to cloth puppets. Today, his legacy endures in libraries, art institutions, and museums he founded in Oaxaca, many of which are free to enter.

Happy birthday, Francisco Toledo, and thank you for safeguarding Zapotec Oaxacan heritage for generations to come!

[9A]

18 Jul 2021

Pearl Gibbs 'Gambanyi’s' 120th birthday





Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Yuwi, Torres Strait Islander and South Sea Islander guest artist Dylan Mooney, celebrates revolutionary Aboriginal Australian activist Pearl Gibbs “Gambanyi”, who is widely regarded among the 20th-century’s leading advocates for Aboriginal rights.

Pearl Mary Gibbs “Gambanyi” was born on this day in 1901 to an Aboriginal mother and a non-Aboriginal father in La Perouse, New South Wales. At 16, Gibbs moved with her family to Sydney, where she worked as a servant. It was here that she met Aboriginal girls stolen from their homes and forced into domestic work—injustices that sparked her lifetime devotion to the fight for Aboriginal rights.

In 1937, Gibbs helped form the Aborigines Progressive Association [APA], an all-Aboriginal activist alliance that campaigned for Aboriginal citizenship, suffrage, and an end to unjust governmental bodies. As APA secretary beginning in 1938, she exposed the inhumane conditions and exploitation of women and children at government-run Aboriginal reserves. A public speaker as charismatic as she was influential, Gibbs helped organize the Day of Mourning protest that same year. Widely credited as the catalyst of the contemporary Aboriginal political movement, this demonstration was the first to bring the plight of Indigenous Australians to national attention.

Gibbs never faltered in her efforts for Indigenous justice over the decades that followed, a struggle that culminated in 1954 when the New South Wales Aborigines Welfare Board appointed her as its first—and only—female member. She also helped organize the Aboriginal-Australian Fellowship [[AAF) in 1956. With Gibbs at the helm, the AAF petitioned for a change in the Australian constitution, which paved the way for the 1967 referendum that granted Indigenous Australians suffrage and citizenship.

Today’s Doodle artwork depicts Gibbs’ life, legacy, and dedication to improving the lives of Aboriginal Australians—symbolized, for instance, by the Flannel Flowers on her dress, an icon she adopted to represent resilience.

Happy Birthday, Pearl Gibbs “Gambanyi,” and thank you for your lifetime devotion to building a more equitable world.

[9A]

18 July 2011

Marine Day 2011





Marine Day, also known as "Ocean Day" or "Sea Day", is a Japanese national holiday usually celebrated on the third Monday in July. The purpose of the holiday is to give thanks for the ocean's bounty and to consider the importance of the ocean to Japan as a maritime nation.

Many people take advantage of the holiday and summer weather to take a beach trip. Other ocean-related festivities are observed as well. The date roughly coincides with the end of the rainy season in much of the Japan mainland.

In 2020, the holiday was observed on Thursday, July 23, a one-time move that was made as a special accommodation to support the opening of the Tokyo Olympics. Due to the postponement of the Olympics, the 2021 date will be moved to July 22, also on Thursday as a one-time holiday.

[9A]

20 July 2011

Colombian Independence Day 2011 by Claudia Rueda




Colombia is home to the world's largest variety of butterflies, approximately 20 percent of all known species, according to a study published Tuesday by the Natural History Museum in London.

An international team of scientists cataloged 3,642 species and 2,085 subspecies, registering them in a document titled "Checklist of Colombian Butterflies."

More than 200 butterfly species are found only in Colombia, said Blanca Huertas, the senior butterfly collection curator at the Natural History Museum in London, who was part of the research team.

Project researchers traveled widely in Colombia, analyzed more than 350,000 photographs, and studied information collected since the late 18th century, the museum said.

"Colombia is a country with a great diversity of natural habitats, a complex and heterogeneous geography and a privileged location in the extreme northeast of South America," the report reads in part.

[9A]

24 August 2011

112th Birthday of Jorge Luis Borges







I jumped at the opportunity to illustrate a doodle commemorating Jorge Luis Borges, the fantastical Argentine writer who had long been one of my all-time favorites.

I first read The Library of Babel in college, and its imagery had stuck with me ever since. In it, the narrator inhabits a library that contains every possible permutation of a particular template of book, which contains 410 pages and 40 lines per page. Though most of the books are random gibberish, there are some that – by chance – contain coherent words, or even fragments of nonsensical sentences. The citizens of the Library are fixated on finding books that carry actual messages or directives.

This parable fascinated me, and as I explored the rest of Borges's work as research for the doodle, I continued to uncover striking passages. Whether the Borgesian protagonist was exploring labyrinths, temples, or his own mind, these stories always touched upon the same themes – the overwhelming complexity of the world's information, the incomprehensible machinations of memory, and the deep mysteries of dreams. These are the elements that I tried to convey visually in the doodle by drawing a vast and circuitous theoretical library.

I worked with fellow Googler Matt Werner, a Borges enthusiast who has written a book on the author, to develop concepts for this doodle. His blog post, over on the Google Books blog, has many more interesting facts on Borges and how he relates to the modern age of information technology. Borges's uncanny foreknowledge of the internet has also been addressed by Douglas Wolk in a Salon.com article. Though Borges's work seems steeped in mythology and tradition, it continues to have a profound relevance to modern civilization.

It was a great honor to have the chance to celebrate Borges, and it's my deepest hope that this doodle has inspired you to experience his work for yourself.

[9A]

24 August 2015

Duke Kahanamoku’s 125th Birthday






The story of Duke Kahanamoku--the Hawaiian who, in 1912, first drew the world’s collective gaze upon the art of surfing--reads like mythology. Born in Honolulu in 1890, he is credited in over a dozen feature films, surfed the world’s most imposing swells before Californians knew what surfing was, won five Olympic medals in swimming and was elected sheriff of his beloved home county thirteen times.

The Big Kahuna was a tremendous athlete, to be sure, and by all accounts staggeringly cool, but he also had a proclivity for heroics--one morning in 1925, just as dawn crept into the summer sky over Newport Beach, a 40-foot fishing vessel called the Thelma found herself in the grip of a sudden and violent squall. Waves hammered the Thelma’s deck, and the vessel succumbed to the thrashing breakers, stranding its crew in the surf. The Duke, who watched from the shore as he prepared for that morning’s ride, rushed headlong into the maelstrom with his surfboard and, along with three friends, managed to wrest twelve men from the clutches of the Pacific.

Despite his charisma on the screen and two decades of Olympic triumphs, it is perhaps for moments like these--for his character, his ease in the water, his deep and unending love of Hawaii and her oceans--that Duke Kahanamoku is remembered most. He brought surfing to the world, and by force of his magnetism and singularly Hawaiian spirit helped The Islands achieve statehood. Today, on his 125th birthday, Matt Cruickshank recalls the legend of the “Ambassador of Aloha” with a Doodle of his iconic, 16-foot wooden surfboard and his warm, blithe smile. “Most importantly,” a reverent surfer remarks in a documentary about The Duke, “he was pure Hawaiian”.

[9A]

21 November 2019

Celebrating Matilde Hidalgo de Procel





Today’s Doodle celebrates Ecuadorian physician, poet, and activist Matilde Hidalgo de Procel, who was born on September 29th, 1889 in the city of Loja and became the first woman to vote in Latin America in 1924. Inspiring her native Ecuador to become the first Latin American state to grant suffrage to all women, this trailblazing pioneer for women’s rights smashed through glass ceilings throughout her entire lifetime, also becoming the first female Ecuadorian doctor on this day in 1921.

The youngest of six children raised by a widowed seamstress, Procel aspired to continue her education past sixth grade. Her older brother Antonio requested that his sister be allowed to attend high school with him, and the Director of Bernardo Valdivieso School granted their wish. Despite being ostracized by her peers, Procel persevered, graduating with honors in 1913.

She went on to study medicine at the Universidad del Azuay [now known as University of Cuenca], and the Central University, becoming the first female doctor in Ecuadorian history.

By signing the register of voters in 1924, Procel set the stage for yet another “first.” When the State Council questioned her right to vote, she pointed out that Ecuador’s Constitution makes no mention of gender as a requirement for voting—only citizenship, age, and literacy. Her argument was affirmed by unanimous vote, ensuring that both Procel and Ecuador would go down in history.

After a lifetime of leadership, Procel eventually ran for public office, becoming Ecuador’s first female elected official in 1941. The Ecuadorian government awarded her the Medal of Merit and the Medal of Public Health, while her hometown of Loja established a museum in her honor.

[9A]

4 November 2020

Miliki's 91st birthday






Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Spain-based guest artist Cinta Arribas, celebrates Spanish clown, actor, director, writer, singer, and composer Emilio Aragón Bermúdez, known fondly by his stage name Miliki. Among his many artistic accomplishments, Aragón starred in the Spanish children’s program “El Gran Circo de TVE” [“TVE’s Great Circus”] which is widely considered one of the most iconic shows in the history of Spanish television.

Emilio Alberto Aragón Bermúdez was born on this day in 1929 in the town of Carmona in southwestern Spain. The son of a clown and an equestrian acrobatics specialist, Aragón honed his talent for performance art as a child surrounded by entertainers. Determined to carry on the family tradition, Aragón launched his clowning career by the age of 11, performing with his brothers at venues like Madrid’s legendary Circo Price [Price Circus].

The siblings moved to Cuba in the 1940s and achieved fame over the following decades as they showcased their endearing talents across the Americas. They found their way back to Spain in 1972 and the very next year, they took Spanish television by storm as the hosts of the children’s show which eventually became known as “El Gran Circo de TVE.”

After a hugely successful decade on air, Aragón moved beyond his identity as a clown and throughout the rest of his career explored new endeavors as a writer, TV presenter, filmmaker, and recording musician—a talent which earned him two Latin Grammy Awards.

¡Feliz cumpleaños, Miliki!

[9A]

4 November 2013

Shakuntala Devi's 84th Birthday






Shakuntala Devi was an Indian mathematician, writer and mental calculator, popularly known as the "Human Computer". Her talent earned her a place in the 1982 edition of The Guinness Book of World Records. However, the certificate for the record was given posthumously on 30 July 2020, despite Devi achieving her world record on 18 June 1980 at Imperial College, London. Devi was a precocious child and she demonstrated her arithmetic abilities at the University of Mysore without any formal education.

Devi strove to simplify numerical calculations for students. She wrote a number of books in her later years, including novels as well as texts about mathematics, puzzles, and astrology. She wrote the book The World of Homosexuals, which is considered the first study of homosexuality in India. She saw homosexuality in a positive light and is considered a pioneer in the field.

A film on her life titled Shakuntala Devi was announced in May 2019. The film stars Vidya Balan in the lead title role and features Sanya Malhotra, Amit Sadh, and Jisshu Sengupta in the supporting roles. Produced by Sony Pictures Networks Productions, the film streamed worldwide on Amazon Prime Video on 31 July 2020.

[9A]

5 Nov 2013

Raymond Loewy's 120th Birthday






Raymond Loewy was a French-born American industrial designer who achieved fame for the magnitude of his design efforts across a variety of industries. He was recognized for this by Time magazine and featured on its cover on October 31, 1949.

He spent most of his professional career in the United States, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1938. Among his designs were the Shell, Exxon, TWA and the former BP logos, the Greyhound Scenicruiser bus, Coca-Cola vending machines and bottle redesign, the Lucky Strike package, Coldspot refrigerators, the Studebaker Avanti and Champion, and the Air Force One livery. He was engaged by equipment manufacturer International Harvester to overhaul its entire product line, and his team also assisted competitor Allis-Chalmers. He undertook numerous railroad designs, including the Pennsylvania Railroad GG1, S-1, and T1 locomotives, the color scheme and Eagle motif for the first streamliners of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, and a number of lesser known color scheme and car interior designs for other railroads. His career spanned seven decades.

The press referred to Loewy as The Man Who Shaped America, The Father of Streamlining and The Father of Industrial Design.

[9A]

5 November 2018

Michael Dertouzos’ 82nd Birthday





A computer scientist who foresaw how the internet would impact the lives of everyday people, Dertouzos predicted the popularity of personal computers and helped to maximize their potential as director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Laboratory for Computer Science.

Born in Athens, Greece on this day in 1936, Dertouzos was the son of a concert pianist and an admiral in the Greek navy. Upon graduation from Athens College, he attended the University of Arkansas on a Fulbright Scholarship and earned a Ph.D. from MIT, joining the faculty in 1968.

Under Dertouzos’ guidance, the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science grew into a thriving research center employing hundreds of people collaborating on innovations like distributed systems, time-sharing computers, the ArpaNet, and RSA encryption, an algorithm used to ensure secure data transmission. Dertouzos worked to make LCS the North American home of the World Wide Web Consortium [W3C], an alliance of companies promoting the Web's evolution and interconnectivity. Dertouzos recruited Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, to run it.

As early as 1980, Dertouzos was writing about “The Information Marketplace” a concept that he expanded on in his book 1997 book What Will Be: How the New World of Information Will Change Our Lives. “If we strip the hype away,” he observed, “a simple, crisp and inevitable picture emerges -- of an Information Marketplace where people and their computers will buy, sell and freely exchange information and information work.”

Insisting on the importance of bringing “technology into our lives, and not vice versa,” Dertouzos spurred LCS to head up the 1999 Oxygen project in partnership with MIT's Artificial Intelligence Lab. The goal of this massive project was to make computers "as natural a part of our environment as the air we breathe."

As reflected in the title of his final book, The Unfinished Revolution: Human-Centered Computers and What They Can Do For Us, Dertouzos’ belief in technology was always grounded in his desire to unleash the full potential of humanity.


Happy Birthday Michael Dertouzos!

[9A]

10 Nov 2018

Elisa Leonida Zamfirescu’s 131st Birthday






“The future of women in engineering is great,” declared a 1912 edition of Romania’s daily newspaper Minerva, reporting the news that “Miss Elisa Leonida passed the last final exam with great success, obtaining a Diploma in Engineering.”

On this day in 1887, Elisa Leonida Zamfirescu was born in the Romanian port city of Galați. After graduating with high marks from the Central School of Girls in Bucharest, she earned a baccalaureate from Mihai Viteazul High School. But when she applied to the School of Highways and Bridges, she was rejected because of her gender.

Undeterred, she applied to the Royal Technical Academy in Berlin, where one of the deans said she would be better off focusing on “Kirche, kinder, and kuche” [[Church, children, and cooking). She persisted in earning her degree in three years to become one of the first woman engineer in Europe.

Becoming the first female member of A.G.I.R. [General Association of Romanian Engineers], eventually running laboratories for the Geological Institute of Romania. Zamfirescu oversaw numerous Economic Studies analyzing Romania’s supply of natural resources like coal, shale, natural gas, chromium, bauxite and copper. She was known for paying special attention to the training of staff and spending long hours mentoring young chemists.

The mother of two daughters, she also taught physics and chemistry at the Pitar Moş School of Girls as well as at the School of Electricians and Mechanics in Bucharest. In 1993, her legacy was commemorated in Romania’s capital city by naming a street in her honor.

Happy Birthday, Elisa Leonida Zamfirescu!

[9A]

3 Nov 2020

Panama Independence Day 2020






Today’s Doodle celebrates Panama’s Independence Day, also known as “Separation Day,” in commemoration of the country’s declaration of autonomy from Colombia in 1903.

The following year, Panama first established the design of its red, white, and blue flag, which is depicted in the Doodle artwork. Separated into four congruent quarters and marked by two diagonally-opposed stars, the flag is meant to signify some of the Central American nation’s most important values. The blue star represents honesty and purity, the red star stands for a respect for the country’s laws, and the white symbolizes peace.


iFeliz día de la Independencia, Panamá! Happy Independence Day, Panama!

[9A]

2 Nov 2020

Day of the Dead 2020






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!

[9A]

15 February 2020

Nise da Silveira's 115th birthday

“To navigate against the current, these rare qualities are needed: a spirit of adventure, courage, perseverance, and passion.”
—Nise da Silveira

Today’s Doodle celebrates visionary Brazilian psychiatrist Nise da Silveira on her 115th birthday. One of the few women in medicine in her time, she boldly challenged established psychiatric practices, pioneering a more humane approach to patient care.

Born on this day in 1905, in the northeastern city of Maceió, da Silveira completed her medical degree in 1926 at just 21 years old, as the only woman in her class. When she began work at a national psychiatric center in 1933, she was discouraged by the harsh medical procedures that doctors were relying upon to treat mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.

Bravely challenging the status quo, da Silveira instead began to study and advocate for more compassionate rehabilitative treatments. She developed art workshops for patients to express the inner workings of their minds through painting and sculpting, and she later became one of the first to incorporate animals into her practice as “co-therapists.” Da Silveira’s new approach proved highly successful in her patients’ rehabilitation, paving the way for an entirely new way of thinking about psychiatric care.

Da Silveira’s Museu de Imagens do Inconsciente [“Images of the Unconscious Museum”] remains open to this day, maintaining a collection of over 350,000 pieces of patient-created artwork. Her work has inspired countless others, leading to the establishment of therapeutic institutions both in Brazil and around the world.

[9A]

15 February 2007


Fat Thursday 2007







Fat Thursday is a traditional Christian feast marking the last Thursday before Lent and is associated with the celebration of Carnival. Because Lent is a time of fasting, the days leading up to Ash Wednesday provide the last opportunity for feasting [including simply eating forbidden items] until Easter. Traditionally it is a day dedicated to eating, when people meet in their homes or cafés with their friends and relatives and eat large quantities of sweets, cakes and other meals usually not eaten during Lent. Among the most popular all-national dishes served on that day are pączki in Poland or berliner, fist-sized donuts filled with rose hip jam, and angel wings [faworki], French dough fingers served with powdered sugar.

[9A]

17 Feb 2014

Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson's 150th Birthday [born 1864]








Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson, was an Australian bush poet, journalist and author. He wrote many ballads and poems about Australian life, focusing particularly on the rural and outback areas, including the district around Binalong, New South Wales, where he spent much of his childhood. Paterson's more notable poems include "Clancy of the Overflow" [1889], "The Man from Snowy River" [1890] and "Waltzing Matilda" [1895], regarded widely as Australia's unofficial national anthem.

[9A]

4 July 2018

Hubert Cecil Booth’s 147th Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates British engineer Hubert Cecil Booth, inventor and designer or many products we use to this day, most notably the first powered vacuum cleaner!

At the top of the 20th century, cutting-edge floor-cleaning technology involved blowing air to push debris away. Booth, however, was intrigued by the inverse idea: cleaning by suction. After seeing a demonstration of the “pneumatic carpet renovator” blowing dirt out of railway cars, Booth tried an experiment. Laying his handkerchief on a restaurant chair, he put his mouth on the table cloth and sucked air through it. Inspired by the results, he set to work on his first design—nicknamed “Puffing Billy”—which was powered by an engine so big it had to be housed outside and pulled around by horses!

Booth started the British Vacuum Cleaner Company in 1903, and his flagship product—a somewhat smaller electric device—was soon embraced by fashionable households, including the British royal family. Watching the “Puffing Billy” suck dust out the window of your home even became a fun afternoon activity, lending housework a certain social cachet.

Although the vacuum cleaner is a critical component of Booth’s legacy, it didn’t stop there. He o built bridges, designed engines for Royal Navy battleships, and also contributed to the design of ferris wheels across England, France, and Austria - which you can also spot in today’s Doodle .

Happy 147th birthday Hubert Cecil Booth!