Google doodles

[9A]

February 27, 2012

Dominican Republic Independence Day 2012

[9A]

February 27, 2011

148th Birthday of Joaquin Sorolla




Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida was a Spanish painter. Sorolla excelled in the painting of portraits, landscapes and monumental works of social and historical themes. His most typical works are characterized by a dexterous representation of the people and landscape under the bright sunlight of Spain and sunlit water.

[9A]

Feb 28, 2011

Li Bai's Birthday





Li Bai, also known as Li Bo, courtesy name Taibai, art name Qinglian Jushi, was a Chinese poet acclaimed from his own day to the present as a genius and a romantic figure who took traditional poetic forms to new heights. He and his friend Du Fu [712–770] were the two most prominent figures in the flourishing of Chinese poetry in the Tang dynasty, which is often called the "Golden Age of Chinese Poetry". The expression "Three Wonders" denotes Li Bai's poetry, Pei Min's swordplay, and Zhang Xu's calligraphy.

Much of Li's life is reflected in his poetry: places which he visited, friends whom he saw off on journeys to distant locations perhaps never to meet again, his own dream-like imaginations embroidered with shamanic overtones, current events of which he had news, descriptions taken from nature in a timeless moment of poetry, and so on. However, of particular importance are the changes in the times through which he lived. His early poetry took place in the context of a "golden age" of internal peace and prosperity in the Chinese empire of the Tang dynasty, under the reign of an emperor who actively promoted and participated in the arts. This all changed suddenly and shockingly, beginning with the rebellion of the general An Lushan, when all of Northern China was devastated by war and famine. Li's poetry as well takes on new tones and qualities. Unlike his younger friend Du Fu, Li did not live to see the quelling of these disorders. However, much of Li's poetry has survived, retaining enduring popularity in China and elsewhere. Li Bai is depicted in the Wu Shuang Pu [Table of Peerless Heroes] by Jin Guliang.

[9A]

March 1, 2016

St. David's Day 2016





Today is St. David’s Day in Wales, commemorating the life and death of Wales’ patron saint. We’re celebrating this important national holiday with today’s Doodle. Each component in the illustration represents a unique aspect of Wales’ culture and national symbology.

The ancient lettering and Celtic knot are a nod to Celtic art’s importance in Welsh culture. The daffodil, Wales’ national flower, features prominently in St. David’s Day celebrations across the world. No St. David’s Day Doodle would be complete without the Welsh dragon, which adorns the national flag. The dragon is quite possibly Wales’ most enduring national symbol.


We’d like to wish a Happy St. David’s Day to everyone celebrating today, throughout Wales and beyond.

[9A]

Mar 6, 2011

Will Eisner's 94th Birthday







From time to time we invite guests to post about topics of interest and we’re pleased to haveScott McCloud join us here. Scott is a comics artist with special ties to Google—he illustrated the Chrome comic book and is a 2011 U.S. Doodle 4 Google judge. He also helped conceptualize the design of today’s doodle in honor of Will Eisner [the artwork itself is by doodler, Mike Dutton], which is running in many countries including the U.S. In this post, Scott shares his thoughts on Will Eisner’s legacy. -Ed.



Will Eisner, American comics pioneer and creator of The Spirit, was born on March 6, 1917. He would have been 94 today.

Many of us who knew him still find it hard to believe he’s gone. He died in 2005, but for six decades, Eisner was a participant in, and inspiration for, much of the best in American comics, as well as a friend and mentor to multiple generations of comics artists.

Eisner influenced comics in dozens of ways. In the ‘40s, Eisner’s The Spirit—a seven-page newspaper feature—introduced an arsenal of visual storytelling techniques still used generations later, and provided an early testing ground for future comics stars including Jack Kirby and Jules Feiffer. [The Spirit also began a tradition of pictorially-integrated logos—inspiring today's snazzy rooftop doodle!]

Eisner was one of the first cartoonists to understand the power of visual education, and wrote eloquently about the process of making comics in Comics and Sequential Art [1985] and Graphic Storytelling [1996]. As early as 1941, he publicly advocated treating comics as a distinct literary and artistic form, and—nearly four decades later—was instrumental in the rise of the graphic novel in America, beginning with A Contract with God in 1978.

For most of his career, Eisner was years, even decades, ahead of the curve. I saw him debating artists and editors half his age, and there was rarely any question who the youngest man in the room was. It helped that he never stood on ceremony. Everyone was his peer, regardless of age or status. None of us called him “Mr. Eisner.” He was just “Will.”

Eisner lived well into his eighties; long enough to see an industry award named after him. Inevitably, the prospect loomed that Will Eisner himself might win an “Eisner Award” leading to some awkward choices; Hall of Fame, maybe? Lifetime Achievement?

His only suggestion was “Most Promising Young Cartoonist.”

And so he was.


Posted by Scott McCloud

[9A]

March 6, 2017

Ghana Independence Day 2017





Apart from its deep forests, diverse animal species, and sunny beaches, Ghana enjoys a rich history as the first black African country south of the Sahara to achieve independence from colonial rule. Its nationalist and Pan-African leader, Kwame Nkrumah, said, “Our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent.”

Over 30 other African countries eventually gained their own independence in the decade following Ghana’s liberation.

Today, on the anniversary of its independence, we celebrate this culturally rich, unique nation.


Happy National Day, Ghana!

[9A]

March 6, 2012

Ghana Independence Day 2012

[9A]

March 6, 2016

Ghana National Day 2016



Happy Independence Day, Ghana!


Today's Doodle depicts Independence Arch welcoming visitors into Independence Square for the annual celebration of Ghana's Independence Day. On this day, the streets of Accra —the capital of Ghana — are bursting with parties, parades, music, and dancing. The brilliant reds, yellows, and greens of Ghana's flag will be visible everywhere. Tonight fireworks will light up the night, illuminating the proud faces of Ghana's people.

[9A]

Mar 7, 2016

Georges Perec’s 80th Birthday




Where others might feel stifled--even bewildered--Georges Perec felt his most free. The French author and tireless literary innovator saw constraints as a means of liberation. He viewed the craft of writing as a game, a way to upend his readers’ understanding of language and its accepted forms. Perec loved puzzles, and filled his works with anagrams, palindromes, and other verbal trickery.

He belonged to a curious coterie of French writers and mathematicians called the Oulipo, a group of literary experimentalists who proposed things like the S-7 method, a technique that involved rewriting classic poetry by replacing each word with the seventh word after it in the dictionary.

Doodler Sophie Diao’s reimagining of today’s homepage honors Perec’s most challenging, and perhaps most ridiculous experiment--writing an entire novel without using the letter “e”. La Disparition is nearly 300 pages long, and there is nary a hint of our most common vowel in the entire work. That means you won’t find a “the,” a “he,” a “nearly impossible,” or a “Happy birthday, Monsieur Perec.”

[9A]

March 7, 2021

Celebrating Masako Katsura






Today’s Doodle celebrates ambidextrous Japanese sharpshooter Masako “The First Lady of Billiards” Katsura, who made history as the first woman to compete for an international billiards title on this day in 1952.

Born in Tokyo in 1913, Katsura picked up billiards at age 12 from her brother-in-law, a game room owner, and by 15 she was the Japanese women’s champion in straight rail—a challenging variation of carom billiards in which the cue ball must hit two balls in a row to score points. After 19, she only competed in men’s tournaments; racking up 10,000 points at one exhibition in a mind-boggling four and a half hour run.

By the time Katsura moved to the United States in 1937, word of her unprecedented talent had reached eight-time world champion Welker Cochran. He came out of retirement to challenge her in a series of three-cushion matches, an even tougher version of carom billiards, depicted in the Doodle artwork, that calls for the cue ball to hit at least three cushions before striking the two object balls for points. Katsura so impressed Welker, he organized the World Championship Billiards tournament in 1952 to watch her compete against world’s foremost billiards aficionados. Katsura upset some of the sport’s best players to finish seventh in the tournament, while the progress she made for women in a traditionally male-dominated game was a first.

To celebrate her historic achievements, Katsura was inducted into the Women’s Professional Billiard Association Hall of Fame in 1976 as one of the sport’s all-time greatest players.

So here’s to you, First Lady of Billiards! Thanks for cueing up this sport for generations of women to come.

[9A]

January 22, 2016

Wilbur Scoville’s 151st Birthday





People have known about the tongue-burning, tear-inducing qualities of peppers long before Columbus reached the Americas. Before Wilbur Scoville, however, no one knew how to measure a pepper's “heat”. The doodle team thought his work in this field—and the development of his eponymous Scoville Scale—deserved some recognition.

Born in Bridgeport Connecticut on January 22nd, 1865, Wilbur Lincoln Scoville was a chemist, award-winning researcher, professor of pharmacology and the second vice-chairman of the American Pharmaceutical Association. His book, The Art of Compounding, makes one of the earliest mentions of milk as an antidote for pepper heat. He is perhaps best remembered for his organoleptic test, which uses human testers to measure pungency in peppers.

Early concept art and character designs

Doodler Olivia When has been thinking about Scoville and his test since last summer. From the start it was clear it was going to be a chance to do something fun. She writes:

Spiciness is somewhat of a universal, comical experience, which I think opened the door for us to do something we usually might not be able to, like a fighting game. I started making storyboards for how the game could unfold while engineers worked on building prototypes. Then I started sketching and making draft art to put in the prototype, so we could see what the experience would be like in interactive form.

Ice cream win: draft and final animations

After that I started working on backgrounds, boss characters, meters, and then all the character animations, and ending animations. At some point we thought about setting it in a human mouth, to clarify things, but then realized that was probably too weird [[thankfully). Designing the boss peppers and animating Scoville's reactions to eating them were probably my favorite parts.

Happy birthday, Wilbur!

[9A]

January 22, 2020
Celebrating "Sawaddee"




Today’s Doodle celebrates sawaddee, the Thai way to greet friends and strangers alike. A custom adopted on this day in 1943, this salutation is presented with a wai: a prayer-like pose delivered in concert with a bow that accompanies the expression of sawaddee. The gesture altogether is meant to convey respect and warmth.

Originally coined by linguist Phraya Upakit Silapasan from the root word, “Svasti,” the Sanskrit word for “blessing” or “well-being,” sawaddee soon became an official part of the Thai vocabulary.

Known as the “Land of a Thousand Smiles,” Thailand is world-renowned for its friendly people and gracious hospitality. Today, sawaddee can be heard across the country—from the idyllic beaches of the south, to the temples of the mountainous north, and everywhere in between—epitomizing the welcoming spirit of Thailand.

[9A]

August 30, 2018

Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky’s 155th Birthday





In today’s smartphone era, many people carry the equipment needed to create a color photograph in their pockets. But at the start of the 20th century, photography was a much more complicated process. Between 1909 and 1915 Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky traveled through Russia in a railroad car specially equipped with a mobile darkroom to document Russian life using a technique he called ”optical color projection.”

Born in Murom, Vladimir Province, Russia, on this day in 1863, Prokudin-Gorsky was a chemist who became interested in photography. He traveled to Germany to study with Adolf Miethe, a pioneer of the color separation method, and soon developed his own formulation for photographic emulsion so he could create life-like photos in natural colors. His portrait of the great Russian author Leo Tolstoy was widely reproduced, bringing Prokudin-Gorsky a measure of fame. As a result, Tsar Nicholas II agreed to sponsor his ambitious project.

Prokudin-Gorsky’s images of people, landscapes, architecture, historic sites, industry, and agriculture were created by exposing three glass plates through three different color filters—green, red and blue—and then combining them to create a composite color image-a technique displayed in today’s animated Doodle. He captured thousands of images that offer a rare glimpse of Russia before the Bolshevik Revolution and First World War.

Prokudin-Gorsky planned to use the resulting photos to educate Russian school children about their vast country. Today,his body of work is preserved on thousands of glass plates, which are prized by historians and scholars.


Happy Birthday Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky!


Credit Line: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Prokudin-Gorskii Collection, LC-DIG-prokc-20829

[9A]

Aug 31, 2018

Malaysia National Day 2018





Today’s Doodle celebrates Malaysia’s Independence Day. Also known as Hari Kebangsaan or “National Day” it’s a commemoration of the moment in 1957 when Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Chief Minister of Malaya, read the declaration of independence from Great Britain.

This year’s Hari Kebangsaan will be particularly exciting because, for the first time since 1957, Malaysian citizens recently elected a new government. When fireworks explode in the sky above this multicultural southeast Asian country this, proud Malaysian citizens will look forward to the future as they celebrate their nation and their flag, also known as Jalur Gemilang or “Stripes of Glory.”

Malaysia has had many flags over the years, many including the Malayan tiger seen in Today’s Google Doodle. The tiger is part of the national consciousness, representing strength and courage. Of the nine subspecies of tigers, the ones indigenous to Malaysia are slightly smaller, and live in the tropical forest. They are the subject of many Malay folklore. Some stories cast them as humans morphed into animal form: the were-tiger harimau jadian, for example, is a fabled guardian of palm plantations.

The Malaysian flag will be flown today at parades and in households where families celebrate over plates of Nasi Lemak, a fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf, Malaysia’s national dish. There are many reasons to celebrate this major holiday, which also coincides with lunar new year, and hari raya, the feast that concludes Ramadan.

Happy National Day Malaysia!

[9A]

August 31, 2015

Malaysia Independence Day 2015






Deep within a Malaysian street market, a teamaker spins a metal cup towards the sky. In mid-air, he turns it just so, and out pours a hot mix of tea and condensed milk. The drink speeds towards the ground – until another cup swoops in, scooping it out of the air. The tea is saved, and the wide-eyed crowd bursts into cheers!

This is the ritual of “teh tarik,” the national drink of Malaysia. Brewed hot, it cools and thickens as it’s slung back and forth between the teamaker’s special mixing cups. It’s not only delicious to drink, but a delight to watch. That’s why we chose it for the Malaysian Independence Day doodle, illustrated by guest artist Alyssa Winans.

[9A]

April 27, 2019

South Africa Freedom Day 2019






Today South Africa celebrates Freedom Day, the anniversary of the historic elections of 1994, which ended more than 300 years of segregation and colonial rule and established a new democratic government in the former Dutch and British colony.

“On this day, you, the people, took your destiny into your own hands,” said Nelson Mandela on the first anniversary of the election that made him president of South Africa. “Your patience, your discipline, your single-minded purposefulness have become a legend throughout the world.”

Parades, speeches by national leaders, and musical performances will take place at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the nation’s capital. All across South Africa, the nation’s multicolored flag—as shown in today’s Doodle—will fly with its Y-shaped design representing the convergence of cultures with a shared vision for a better future.

Happy Freedom Day 2019, South Africa!

[9A]

April 27, 2016

King's Day 2016



For King’s Day, or Koningsdag, the Dutch come together to celebrate the birth of their current king, Willem-Alexander. Celebrants wear orange in honor of the royal family’s house color, making King’s Day one of the most vivid of the year.

On this day, the streets are flooded with decorations and orange-clad locals on their way to outdoor concerts and festivities. This is also the one day in which street sales are allowed without a permit, bringing sellers and shoppers out in droves for the flea markets that pop up everywhere.


This year’s doodle highlights the tompouce, a local cream-rich pastry commonly frosted in orange for the occasion. Ga Oranje!

[9A]

April 27, 2017

King's Day 2017





King’s Day [formerly “Queen’s Day”] is the annual Dutch national holiday in honor of King Willem-Alexander, who turns 50 today. This day is celebrated all over the Netherlands, but Amsterdam is the centerpiece of the festivities, with over 750,000 people traveling here to partake in the fun. The day starts bright and early and calls for partiers to put on their best orange outfits [the national color] and take to the streets in the morning.

On this day, street-selling regulations are lifted, so the entire city becomes an enormous open air flea market for shopping second-hand treasures. Kids sell their toys, artists sell their handicrafts, homemakers sell delicious baked goods...and it’s all found at discounted “friends and family” style rates. This element of the cultural tradition poignantly illustrates the entrepreneurial and community-driven spirit of the country.

Today’s Doodle by Dutch Doodle artist Gerben Steenks salutes the King on his 50th birthday year. Happy King’s Day to all!

[9A]

April 27, 2016

Freedom Day 2016



This important day marks the time that South Africa broke long-standing boundaries created by apartheid with its first ever democratic election. On this historic occasion, citizens of all races and backgrounds could finally vote. Freedom Day has become a symbol of peace, unity, and the hard-earned freedom now enjoyed throughout the country.

This year’s doodle is a tribute to the post-apartheid generation, the bright future of South Africa.

[9A]

April 27, 2014

South Africa Freedom Day

[9A]

Apr 28, 2014


Cinecittà's 77 anniversary





Cinecittà Studios [Italian for Cinema City Studios], is a large film studio in Rome, Italy. With an area of 400,000 square metres [99 acres], it is the largest film studio in Europe,[citation needed] and is considered the hub of Italian cinema. The studios were constructed during the Fascist era as part of a plan to revive the Italian film industry.

Filmmakers such as Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini, Luchino Visconti, Sergio Leone, Bernardo Bertolucci, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and Mel Gibson have worked at Cinecittà. More than 3,000 movies have been filmed there, of which 90 received an Academy Award nomination and 47 of these won it. In the 1950s, the number of international productions being made there led to Rome being dubbed "Hollywood on the Tiber."

[9A]

April 28, 2016

Hertha Marks Ayrton’s 162nd birthday



Phoebe Sarah Hertha Ayrton [28 April 1854 – 26 August 1923] was a British engineer, mathematician, physicist and inventor, and suffragette. Known in adult life as Hertha Ayrton, born Phoebe Sarah Marks, she was awarded the Hughes Medal by the Royal Society for her work on electric arcs and ripple marks in sand and water.

When a wave washes over sand, ripples will appear.
This simple observation was a scientific mystery until Hertha Marks Ayrton read "The Origin and Growth of Ripple Marks" to the Royal Society in 1904. She was the first woman to do so. Her words were then published, marking a permanent contribution to the canon of physical science and a victory over discrimination and exclusion.

Lydia Nichols’ doodle shows Ayrton framed by her breakthrough findings. Today, 162 years after her birth, we celebrate her legacy as engineer, mathematician, physicist, and inventor, her impact still rippling through the scientific community.

[9A]

April 28, 2019

Evangelina Elizondo’s 90th Birthday




Today’s Doodle by Mexico City-based guest artist Valeria Alvarez celebrates Evangelina Elizondo, an actress who starred in movies, television shows, and musical theater during an era known as Mexican Cinema’s Golden Age. Born Gloria Evangelina Elizondo López-Llera in Mexico City on this day in 1929, the multi-talented artist was also an accomplished painter, author, and recording artist.

Elizondo’s big break came after being cast as the voice of Cinderella in the Spanish version of the Disney classic. She later made her stage debut dancing in the 1950 stage production of Mariano Azuelo’s Los de Abajo [[The Underdogs) and also appeared in Mame and La Viuda Alegre [The Merry Widow] with Plácido Domingo.

Elizondo’s first on-screen appearance came in the 1951 film, Las locuras de Tin-Tan, with Germán “Tin-Tan” Valdés. She would act in over 75 films, specializing in comedies and musicals. “I do not like drama at all,” she said. “I do not want dramas in my life. What I've always wanted is to amuse the public, to whom I owe my career.” In 1995, she appeared with Anthony Quinn and Keanu Reeves in A Walk in the Clouds.

Elizondo also performed in several telenovelas, and her iconic character “Mamá Lena” in Mirada de Mujer was beloved by millions. She continued studying art throughout her life and also earned a degree in theology. The author of two books, she received a Harlequin Prize in 2014 for her contributions to Mexican culture.

Feliz cumpleaños, Evangelina Elizondo!

[9A]

April 28, 2016

Girls' and Boys' Day 2016




We all bring different skills to the table, some of us are great at crunching numbers, some of us have exceptional interpersonal skills. But when it comes to choosing careers, the path is not always as clear. To tackle that, Germany instituted Girls’ and Boys’ Day, which seeks to show kids the full array of career opportunities out there. On this day, girls and boys take a brief residence as working professionals — in doctors’ offices, in science labs, schools, and more. We join Germany in celebrating all these career choices, and the children who will one day seize them with the full force of their potential.

[9A]

April 28, 2021

Rogelio Salmona’s 92nd Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates Colombian architect Rogelio Salmona on his 92nd birthday. Known for his visionary red-brick constructions in the capital city of Bogotá, Salmona is widely considered one of the most important figures in Latin American architecture.

Rogelio Salmona was born on this day in 1929 in Paris, France. But in the face of rising tensions in Europe, his family relocated to Bogotá in 1934. Salmona formed a strong attachment to his new home city until he returned to Paris in 1948 to apprentice under the legendary Swiss architect Le Corbusier.

Salmona eventually settled in Bogotá for the majority of his career, transforming the city with a unique blend of traditional global influences and modern aesthetics. Salmona first came to international attention with his Torres del Parque [Park Towers, 1964-1970], a curved apartment complex of exposed red brick in the center of the city, which is widely considered the architect’s masterpiece. Salmona continued to feature his signature brick fingerprint throughout his career, including in the sprawling Biblioteca Pública Virgilio Barco [Virgilio Barco Public Library, 2001] which remains one of his most famous structures.

With his innovative urban structures, Salmona is widely credited as a driving catalyst of the rebirth of Bogotá in recent decades. In addition to winning many significant architecture prizes throughout his prolific career, Salmona became the first Latin American architect to receive the prestigious Alvar Aalto Medal in 2003.

Happy birthday to Rogelio Salmona, a visionary architect who recognized the infinite potential of the humble red brick!

[9A]

April 28, 2019

Na Hye-sok’s 123rd Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates the life and work of Na Hye-sok, Korea’s first female painter and a strong advocate of women’s empowerment.

Born in Suwon on this day in 1896, Na grew up in a prominent family who encouraged her independent spirit. During a time when most Korean women were expected to be strictly wives and mothers, she aspired to become an artist and author.

At age 17, she traveled to Japan to study Western oil painting at Tokyo Arts College, where she organized the Association of Korean Women Students. Refusing an offer of marriage arranged by her family, she took a job as a teacher.

After graduation, Na took part in a public protest resulting in her arrest. She fell in love with Kim Woo-young, the lawyer who was hired to defend her, and married him a year later. Afterwards, she continued to pursue her artistic career, and her work was even part of a special government-sponsored exhibition.

Na began to write essays critical of traditional Korean marriage, and she also published the first feminist fiction in Korea. She further shocked Korean society by advocating for women’s rights across a variety of topics widely considered taboo at the time. In the year 2000, the Seoul Arts Center organized a retrospective exhibit of her paintings. Today in Korea, Na is recognized for her art and her bold contributions to women’s empowerment.

Happy 123rd birthday, Na Hye-sok

[9A]

May 14, 2010

Singapore Art Festival 2010






Singapore International Festival of Arts [SIFA] is an annual arts festival held in Singapore. It is organised by Arts Festival Limited for the National Arts Council. The festival is usually held in mid-year for a stretch of one month and incorporates theatre arts, dance, music and visual arts, etc. Besides local participants, many of the events are by international artists.


It began as Singapore Arts Festival, organised by the National Arts Council, in 1977, and was a biennial event until 1999. Since 2012 it has been called Singapore International Festival of Arts, run by Arts Festival Limited, and commissioned by the National Arts Council.

[9A]

May 14, 2013

Antonio Berni's 108th Birthday





Delesio Antonio Berni was an Argentine figurative artist. He is associated with the movement known as Nuevo Realismo ["New Realism"], a Latin American extension of social realism. His work, including a series of Juanito Laguna collages depicting poverty and the effects of industrialization in Buenos Aires, has been exhibited around the world.

[9A]

January 28, 2019

200th Anniversary of Singapore's Founding




Today’s Doodle marks Singapore's Bicentennial. The occasion commemorates the arrival of Sir Stamford Raffles in Singapore, a key milestone in the nation’s history. While 1819 was a turning point for the development of the island, the Bicentennial is also a chance for Singaporeans to rediscover the rich history of the island before Raffles—which spans as many as 500 years prior to the British stateman’s arrival. A heptagon surrounds the Singapore skyline in today’s Doodle, in honor of the 700 years of development that the island nation has undergone.


Singapore’s long and diverse history will be at the center of the celebration through a calendar of events and exhibitions spanning most of 2019. The Bicentennial will culminate with a multimedia sensory experience at the Fort Canning Centre where Singaporeans can walk through key historical periods including the settling of early communities, the arrival or Raffles, and augmented reality tours of the Singapore River and Fort Canning Park.

[9A]

January 28, 2009

Jackson Pollock’s Birthday - Courtesy of the Pollock-Krasner Foundation / ARS, NY




Paul Jackson Pollock [January 28, 1912 – August 11, 1956] was an American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was widely noticed for his "drip technique" of pouring or splashing liquid household paint onto a horizontal surface, enabling him to view and paint his canvases from all angles. It was also called all-over painting and action painting, since he covered the entire canvas and used the force of his whole body to paint, often in a frenetic dancing style. This extreme form of abstraction divided the critics: some praised the immediacy of the creation, while others derided the random effects. In 2016, Pollock's painting titled Number 17A was reported to have fetched US$200 million in a private purchase.

A reclusive and volatile personality, Pollock struggled with alcoholism for most of his life. In 1945, he married the artist Lee Krasner, who became an important influence on his career and on his legacy. Pollock died at the age of 44 in an alcohol-related single-car accident when he was driving. In December 1956, four months after his death, Pollock was given a memorial retrospective exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art [MoMA] in New York City. A larger, more comprehensive exhibition of his work was held there in 1967. In 1998 and 1999, his work was honored with large-scale retrospective exhibitions at MoMA and at The Tate in London.

[9A]

January 28, 2008

50th Anniversary of the Lego Brick





Lego is a line of plastic construction toys that are manufactured by The Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. As of 2021, Lego was the largest toy company in the world. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of variously coloured interlocking plastic bricks accompanying an array of gears, figurines called minifigures, and various other parts. Lego pieces can be assembled and connected in many ways to construct objects, including vehicles, buildings, and working robots. Anything constructed can be taken apart again, and the pieces reused to make new things.

The Lego Group began manufacturing the interlocking toy bricks in 1949. Movies, games, competitions and eight Legoland amusement parks have been developed under the brand. As of July 2015, 600 billion Lego parts had been produced.

[9A]

Feb 14, 2008

[9A]

February 28, 2020

Sir John Tenniel's 200th Birthday






Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’ [said Alice].
‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.”
—Lewis Carroll, “Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland”

Don’t be late for today’s very important date! That is, the 200th birthday of British illustrator and artist Sir John Tenniel, celebrated by today’s Doodle. Tenniel is one of the most highly-regarded Victorian illustrators and painters, and is perhaps best remembered for bringing to life the characters of Lewis Carroll’s timeless “Alice in Wonderland” series.

Tenniel was born in London on this day in 1820, and his talent was clear from a young age. At just 16, the mostly self-taught artist submitted his first work, an oil painting, for exhibition at the Society of British Artists. Tenniel found his calling as an illustrator in 1850 when he became a political cartoonist with the historic weekly magazine Punch. Tenniel developed a distinctive style, due in part to his near-photographic memory.

It was this unique approach that most likely caught the attention of writer and professor Charles Dodgson, whose pen name was Lewis Carroll. After an introduction in 1864, Tenniel agreed to illustrate Carroll’s new book, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” released the following year.

Thus began a highly successful, if strained, creative partnership that continued with “Through the Looking Glass” in 1872. The result: a series of classic characters, such as Alice and the Cheshire Cat, as depicted in the Doodle artwork’s rendition of their iconic meeting—characters who, along with many others, remain beloved by readers of all ages to this day.

After his work with Caroll, Tenniel never accepted another illustration job again; instead, he returned to his political cartoon work at Punch. For his considerable contributions to both the magazine and “Alice in Wonderland,” Tenniel received a knighthood in 1893.

Tenniel’s illustrations have animated the imaginations of children and adults alike for generations. His legacy continues to thrive, as readers cherish these timeless works of art to this day.

[9A]

February 28, 2017

Carnaval 2017 [Brazil]






Brazil Carnaval is a week-long affair of parades, samba music, themed costumes, and dancing that celebrates a time of fun and indulgence before Lent begins. Rio de Janeiro’s Carnaval is considered to be the largest, with up to 2 million people taking part!


Today’s animated Doodle - by Doodler and Brazil native Pedro Vergani - gives us a glimpse of Carnaval through the ages, depicting the traditional and colorful attire spanning from the 1910s to the 2000s.


Happy Carnaval 2017!

[9A]

Mar 1, 2017

St. David's Day 2017



Today’s Doodle depicts a Welsh Lovespoon in honor of St. David’s Day, a commemoration of Welsh culture, marked by festivals, parades, feasting, and music. As far back as the seventeenth century, young suitors carved ornate symbols [like anchors, horseshoes, and hearts] into wooden spoons. When the spoons were completed, they bestowed these gifts on their love interests as a sign that they could provide for them.

Lovespoons weren’t the only storied piece of Welsh culture considered for the St. David’s Day Doodle. Our guest Doodler Matt Jones also fiddled with dragons, choirs, corgis, castles, and harps as possible Doodle subjects.

In the end, the lovespoons just seemed like the best fit. “There's nothing quite like the love spoons in any other country,” Matt explained. “I think it's something worth teaching non-Welsh about. The lovespoons historically are a chance for the wood carver to show off so I wanted to make a Doodle with similar panache.”

[9A]

Mar 3, 2017

Girls' Day 2017





Girls’ Day, also known as “Hinamatsuri” or “Doll’s Day,” is a day-long Japanese festival to wish for the health and wellbeing of young girls. On March 3rd, sprawling displays of ornate dolls sparkle atop 7-tiered red carpet platforms—with each step representing a different layer of society from the Heian period [an era considered to be the peak of the Japanese imperial court]. In the traditions of this time [794-1185], straw hina dolls were floated out in little boats, taking with them the troubles and dark spirits of the believers who set them out to sea.

This Doodle features the stars of the first platform: the Emperor who holds a ritual baton in his hands and the Empress with her fan. Between them, two vases of peach branches were said to bring good luck, as the very beginnings of their seasonal bloom often corresponded with this day of feminine celebration.

[9A]

June 7, 2021

Roberto Cantoral's 85th Birthday




Today’s Doodle, illustrated by guest artist Totoi Semerena, celebrates Mexican pianist, guitarist, singer, poet, activist, and composer Roberto Cantoral. He soundtracked a booming era of romantic Latin pop with beloved ballads such as “El Reloj” [“The Watch”] and “La Barca” [“The Boat”], both of which have been recorded over 1,000 times by dozens of musicians such as Plácido Domingo and Linda Ronstadt.

Born in Tampico on this day in 1935, Roberto Antonio Cantoral García launched his career at 15 when he and his brother Antonio formed the duet “Hermanos Cantoral” [“Cantoral Brothers”]. But his music found mainstream success once he banded together with Chamin Correa and Leonel Galver to form the trio aptly named “Los Tres Caballeros” [“The Three Gentlemen”].

The trio traveled far and wide throughout the 50s, taking their romantic ballads on worldwide tours in countries ranging from Japan to Argentina. In 1960, Cantoral broke out on his own. His original solo compositions were performed by some of Mexico’s most distinguished singers, and he continued to share his music with the world into the 2000s, performing at music festivals, radio shows, and TV programs in over 120 countries.

Along with his musical legacy, Cantoral advocated for protecting composers’ intellectual property as an honorary president of the Mexican Society of Composers and Authors for over 25 years. In 2009, Cantoral was honored at the 10th Latin Grammy Awards with the Latin Recording Academy Trustees Award to recognize his dedication to music and community.

Happy birthday, Roberto Cantoral, and may your music live on forever in the hearts of listeners worldwide!

[9A]

Jun 9, 2021

Celebrating Shirley Temple






Today's Doodle honors American actor, singer, dancer, and diplomat Shirley "Little Miss Miracle" Temple. Not only did Temple help millions of Americans through the hardships of the Great Depression as Hollywood's top box office draw, she also later shared her charisma with the world through her work in international relations. On this day in 2015, the Santa Monica History Museum opened “Love, Shirley Temple,” a special exhibit featuring a collection of her rare memorabilia.

Shirley Jane Temple was born on April 23, 1928 in Santa Monica, California, and began dance classes at the tender age of three. With her signature dimples, blonde ringlet curls, and strong work ethic, she captivated the nation when she landed a role in the 1934 toe-tapping musical “Stand Up And Cheer.” Temple starred in a dozen films in 1934 alone, including “Bright Eyes,” where she performed what became one of her most famous routines “On the Good Ship Lollipop.” Before she even reached double digits in age, Temple was one of the most popular actors in American cinema—even becoming the first child star to receive an Academy Award at just six years old!

In 1942, Temple’s unprecedented talent jumped from the silver screen to the airwaves as the star of “Junior Miss,” a radio sitcom about a teenage girl growing up in New York City. She continued to star in films throughout her teenage years, and at 22, she retired from the movie industry as a Hollywood icon. In 1958, Temple narrated the eponymous “Shirley Temple’s Storybook,” a children’s television series which adapted family-friendly stories—sometimes even filmed live. This short-lived anthology marked her final foray in American entertainment before her graceful transition into full-time public service.

With a lifelong devotion to improving the lives of others, Temple was appointed as a representative of the U.S. to the United Nations in 1969. Her career in politics included her dedicated environmentalism, representing her nation in 1972 at the U.N. Conference on the Human Environment. In recognition of her diplomatic achievements, which included an ambassadorship to Ghana and becoming the first female Chief of Protocol to the State Department, she was appointed an Honorary Foreign Service Officer in 1988.

In 2006, the Screen Actors Guild presented Temple with its Lifetime Achievement Award, the organization’s highest honor.

Thank you, Shirley Temple!

[9A]

June 9, 2011

Les Paul's 96th Birthday




The electric guitar brings back memories for me of exchanging riffs with friends and wearing out cassette tapes as I meticulously learned songs. Today, we’re attempting to recreate that experience with a doodle celebrating the birthday of musician and inventor Les Paul.

As well as his guitar work, Les Paul experimented in his garage with innovative recording techniques like multitracking and tape delay.

[Original game that Google posted here, expired in 24 hours, sadly.]

Update Jun 17: Wow—in just 48 hours in the U.S., you recorded 5.1 years worth of music—40 million songs—using our doodle guitar. And those songs were played back 870,000 times!

[9A]

June 12, 2018

Philippines Independence Day 2018




Happy Independence Day to the Philippines, home to 7,000+ islands, abundant agricultural wealth—and a wild underwater frontier.

Almost ⅓ of the islands’ collective land mass is devoted to agriculture, allowing Filipino farmers to cultivate a rich variety of foods, sparking a recent culinary renaissance. Miles of beautiful beaches make the Philippines an attractive travel destination, especially to tourists, who flock to the white sand and blue water. The country is also a magnet for marine biologists.

On Independence Day, Filipinos are known to celebrate the end of Spanish rule by enjoying traditional delicacies like lumpia, balut, and chicken adobo, and by dancing in the streets—which you might expect in a country that’s widely considered one of the happiest in the world.

Today’s Doodle depicts the rich variety of undersea life surrounding this archipelago in the western Pacific, particularly the pristine Tubbataha Reef, where scientists continue to discovered new species of fish, slugs, and urchins in deep waters that are still being explored.

Happy Philippines National Day—or, to use the traditional Tagalog greeting, Maligayang Araw ng Kalayaan!

[9A]

June 12, 2016

Philippines Independence Day 2016





Today marks Philippine Independence Day, and the first month since their national elections. In today's Doodle by Robinson Wood, we can see elated citizens celebrating on a jeepney: an iconic Filipino traveling vehicle. You can see these types of buses all over Manila, which is the capital and the center of many of today's festivities. One of the most important Freedom Day traditions is the raising of the flag, and cities all over the Philippines will proudly hoist the blue, red and white.

As Filipinos rally around their new President, Vice President and senators, we hope today's Doodle inspires a sense of bayanihan — a sense of working together for a common cause. The brilliant colors of the Doodle and the hopeful faces reflect the bright future of this great nation and its people.

[9A]

June 12, 2013

Philippine Independence Day 2013

[9A]

Jun 15, 2013

Kobayashi Issa's 250th Birthday



Kobayashi Issa was a Japanese poet and lay Buddhist priest of the Jōdo Shinshū. He is known for his haiku poems and journals. He is better known as simply Issa, a pen name meaning Cup-of-tea. He is regarded as one of the four haiku masters in Japan, along with Bashō, Buson and Shiki — "the Great Four."

[9A]

June 15, 2019

Celebrating the Jingle Dress Dance




Dancers move in unison and a sound fills the air, like raindrops falling on a tin roof. Today’s Doodle by Ojibwe guest artist Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley celebrates the Jingle Dress Dance, which originated during the 1920s amongst the Ojibwe tribe somewhere between Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Ontario. The dance lives on today, notably in events such as the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Grand Celebration Pow Wow this weekend in Hinckley, Minnesota.

According to stories passed throughout generations, the origin of the jingle dress dates back to when an Ojibwe girl fell sick, and the idea for the dress and dance came to her worried father through a vision. Hundreds of metal cones, known as ziibaaska’iganan, were fashioned and sewed onto her dress so that the dance movements would create a jingling sound.

The girl’s father taught his daughter the sacred dance, instructing her to always keep one foot on the ground—and eventually, her illness was cured. After the girl recovered, she taught her friends to make the dresses. Together, they created the first Jingle Dress Dance Society.

Over time, the choreography and dress style of the jingle dress has evolved, with increasingly intricate footwork learned through years of practice for the competitive pow wow circuit, as well as garments now ranging from aprons to full-length designs. Many dancers make their own dresses, as taught by parents or tribal elders. Some wear eagle feathers in their hair, or carry a feather fan.

Despite some changes over the years, what remains constant is the dance’s jingling sound. Today, the dance also serves to affirm the power of Native American women.

[9A]

June 15, 2015

800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta






It’s 1215 in Runnymede, England. On the banks of the River Thames, King John sits nervously with a group of powerful barons. The mood at the negotiation table is tense, and the country teeters on the precipice of civil war. It’s no wonder the barons are hot under the collar--for years, the despotic King John has been doling out prison sentences with impunity, and the barons have descended upon him to demand their rights be recognized.

The ensuing negotiations would result in the sealing of the Magna Carta. For the first time, a monarch entered a written contract that limited his power and made him answerable to his subjects. This was a profound idea, and one that would inspire political thinkers in some of history’s most pivotal moments.

Despite its significance as a symbol of democracy, little of the original agreement dealt with liberty or universal freedom, and most of it was eventually changed or cut. When the dust of antiquity settled, however, what remained was one of its most important contributions: the right to due process. Protection against illegal imprisonment was one of the cornerstones of this agreement. Doodler Matt Cruickshank has captured a cartoon interpretation of the scene with today’s doodle as post-sealing an unjustly detained baron finds an unlikely ally in the King’s knight and scurries to freedom.

[9A]

Feb 12, 2010

Carnival 2010





The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is a festival held every year before Lent; it is considered the biggest carnival in the world, with two million people per day on the streets. The first Carnival festival in Rio occurred in 1723. But in recent days, Kumbh Mela 2019 in Prayagraj, India had higher number of visitors per day and overall. It had approx. 30 million people visited on a single day and more than 120 million in overall.

The typical Rio carnival parade is filled with revelers, floats, and adornments from numerous samba schools which are located in Rio [more than 200 approximately, divided into five leagues/division]. A samba school is composed of a collaboration of local neighbours that want to attend the carnival together, with some kind of regional, geographical and common background.

[9A]

February 12, 2011

Naomi Uemura's 70th Birthday




Naomi Uemura [Uemura Naomi, February 12, 1941 – disappeared February 13, 1984] was a Japanese adventurer who was known particularly for his solo exploits. For example, he was the first man to reach the North Pole solo, the first man to raft the Amazon solo, and the first man to climb Denali solo. He disappeared a day after his 43rd birthday while attempting to climb Denali in the winter.

[9A]

February 12, 2012

Anna Pavlova's 131st Birthday




Anna Pavlovna Pavlova was a Russian prima ballerina of the late 19th and the early 20th centuries. She was a principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev. Pavlova is most recognized for her creation of the role of The Dying Swan and, with her own company, became the first ballerina to tour around the world, including performances in South America, India and Australia.




A beautiful swan of two empires

[9A]

February 14, 2010

Valentine's Day / 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games - Pairs Skating

[9A]

May 17, 2018

Alfonso Reyes’ 129th Birthday






Today we wish happy birthday to Alfonso Reyes, one of Mexico’s most distinguished authors.

Born in Monterrey and educated in Mexico City, Reyes studied the works of intellectuals and philosophers before deciding to pursue law. In law school, he wrote La Cena [The Supper], one of the first and most influential pieces of Mexican surrealism. Today’s Doodle puts mirror-like imagery to this tale; La Cena follows a circular narrative, where the action begins and ends at the same time.

After finishing his education, Reyes went on to become a foreign diplomat in France, Spain, Argentina and Brazil. Afterwards, he settled in Spain to dedicate himself to writing and teaching, publishing essays and poetry. He specialized in Greek classic literature and introduced many of these works to Mexico upon his return.

Reyes continued to write until the end of his life. His work earned him five nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Feliz cumpleaños, Alfonso Reyes!


Doodle illustrated by Juan Palomino.