Google doodles

[9A]

4 July 2016

Mudik 2016






Beep, beep! Indonesia’s streets are busier than usual today due to Mudik, the mass migration of city dwellers to their rural hometowns.

Coinciding with the end of Ramadan, Mudik sends millions of travelers weaving through the country via car, bus, motorbike, and train. Today’s Doodle captures the excitement of this journey and the gifts that are exchanged at the end of the road.

Safe travels to all this year!

[9A]

15 Jul 2013

Rembrandt van Rijn's 407th Birthday





Often regarded as one of the greatest artists in European history, Rembrandt van Rijn is a master not only of form and light but also in portraying human emotion. In his body of work, Rembrandt depicts subjects that range from portraits, to energetic landscapes, to poignant allegories. Such allegories often draw inspiration from his personal hardships and still speak to viewers hundreds of years after his lifetime.

Most striking, perhaps, is his series of self portraits. These paintings are an honest recording of Rembrandt's aging visage and technical skill. One can see his tastes shift from the classical sfumato [or soft] approach in his early twenties to a more expressive and almost impressionistic technique in his fifties. Ahead of his time, Rembrandt applies his paint with great volume and confidence while many of his contemporaries continue to glaze [or paint in thin layers].

His paintings also reveal a passion for innovation-- some of his works have unusual substances mixed into the pigments. Glass and wheat flour, though not often found on most artists' palettes, appear on some of Rembrandt's canvases. He may have mixed them in to alter the texture of the paint; to push the medium forward.

It was surprising to realize that the doodle team had not yet celebrated this artistic legend. With a four-year degree in illustration, I realized that it was going to be no small task to emulate one of the greatest painters of all time. Encouraged by my team, however, I charged into the project with fragile confidence.

[9A]

15 July 2010
Josef Frank's 125th Birthday







Some people see things in an entirely unique way. Josef Frank's work was equal parts inspiring and surprising when I first came across this doodle proposal. Famous in Austria and Sweden for his vivid textiles and patterns, Frank's work delighted the doodle team so much that we decided to launch this doodle in other countries as well!


posted by Jennifer Hom

[9A]

2 June 2018

Hermila Galindo’s 132nd Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates Hermila Galindo’s 132nd birthday. Galindo was a Mexican activist and a champion of women’s rights in the early 1900’s. During a time of political turmoil, Galindo staunchly advocated for equal rights of men and women, especially around primary school education and marriage.

Hermila Galindo was born in Lerdo, Mexico in 1896, where she began to witness some of the destabilizing unrest that set the stage for her career in political activism. Galindo became impassioned by the importance of women’s rights at a very young age. After the resignation of President Huerta in 1914 Galindo spoke at a celebration in Mexico City. Her speech celebrated the platform of reformist Venustiano Carranza [37th President of Mexico], who overheard her ideas and invited Galindo to join his campaign and later, his administration.

The following year Hermila Galindo focused her efforts more distinctly on women’s rights and founded the periodical La Mujer Moderna [The Modern Woman]. Her editorial often garnered controversy, but her ability to present and substantiate her suggested reforms gained her credibility. In 1917, Galindo campaigned to become a deputy in Mexico City's fifth electoral district. Despite winning the election in a surprising upset, the results were rejected by Mexico's electoral college, which claimed that law prohibited her election.

[9A]

2 June 2015

Tapio Wirkkala’s 100th Birthday





What do Finnish banknotes and vodka bottles have in common? Both can be traced back to a common Finnish designer: Tapio Wirkkala.

Born in Hanko, Finland, on this day in 1915, Wirkkala is one of Finland’s most versatile and perhaps most internationally famous designers. Known as one of the pioneers of industrial Finnish art, Wirkkala had enormous artistic range, studying sculpture and graphic design and making furniture, vases, glassware and jewelry. Outside of the artist’s studio, his work can be found on a number of everyday items, including utensils, stamps, and even ketchup bottles.

To honor Wirkkala’s 100th birthday, today’s Doodle reflects his famous design work in glassware and vases.

Illustrated by guest artist, Alyssa Winans.

[9A]

27 Sep 2021

Google's 23rd Birthday




Google is celebrating its 23rd birthday on September 27, 2021, i.e. on Monday. Like every other event that the search engine celebrates, Google has updated its doodle with the number 23 on a cake, along with some colourful toppings. The letters in the word Google are depicted through colourful party snacks with colourful toppings as well, and the 'L' in Google is substituted with a candle on the cake. While it is not seen to be moving at first, the Google birthday doodle is animated.

Google was founded back in 1998, by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. The search engine was born as a research project by its founders who were doing research at Stanford University, California. However, very few people know that Page and Brin named their initial project Backrub. Later on, the search engine was named after the expression used to depict the number 1 followed by 100 zeros, signifying the founder's mission and vision to organise 'world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.'

[9A]

2 June 2014

Republic Day Italy 2014




It’s “Festa della Repubblica” [Republic Day] In Italy! This day commemorates the referendum of 1946, when Italian voters elected to end 85 years of monarchy and change their government to a republic.

[9A]

2 June 2012

Republic Day Italy 2012

[9A]

6 Jun 2012

Sweden National Day 2012

[9A]

6 June 2018

Sweden National Day 2018





The National Day of Sweden, June 6, commemorates two notable anniversaries: first, the coronation of King Gustav Vasa in 1523, which marked Sweden’s independence from Denmark. And second, the adoption of a new constitution in 1809 which established a separation of powers between the government’s executive branch [the King] and legislative branch, also known as Riksdag of the Estates.

While Sweden is celebrated around the world as the home of the Nobel Prize and ABBA, Swedes are even more fond of their national animal [the moose] or traditional symbols like the elderflower, whose small white blooms can be found on beautiful green bushes all over the country in June.

The mighty moose embodies the Swedish spirit of labor and service. The robust creature was once considered for military deployment as part of King Charles XI’s cavalry in the 17th century. The Swedes still exhibit pride as strong as a moose—much like the one munching flowers in today’s Doodle.

Stockholm’s Skansen open-air museum is the place to be for Sweden National Day celebrations, thanks to the museum’s founder Artur Hazelius. Proud Swedes gather there on June 6 for flag raising, folk dancing, historical re-enactments, and a visit from the King and Queen.

Folkets Park in Malmö is a great place to picnic and watch flag parades, readings and musical performances. The elderflowers are in bloom this time of year, so enjoy a glass of fläderblomssaft, elderflower syrup, often homemade, mixed with soda or champagne.

Skål!

[9A]

7 Jun 2018

Dr Virginia Apgar’s 109th Birthday






Dr. Virginia Apgar came into this world on June 7, 1909. 109 years later, her presence can still be felt in delivery rooms across the globe. That’s because she invented the Apgar score, the first standardized method for assessing a newborn’s health. It looks at 5 factors, which doctors remember by spelling out her last name: appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, and respiration. Apgar first came up with this scoring system in 1952, and it has been used in nearly every hospital birth since.

Before Apgar’s life-saving invention, she already had a number of impressive accolades under her belt. She was the first woman to become a full professor at her alma mater, the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and was the director of the school’s department of anesthesiology. After Apgar left Columbia in the late 1950s, she devoted the rest of her years to the prevention of birth defects as a director at the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis [now the March of Dimes].

Today, on what would’ve been her 109th birthday, we celebrate a woman whose incredible life’s work continues to touch – and sometimes save – brand new lives every day.

[9A]

7 June 2019

Dragon Boat Festival 2019




Today’s Doodle celebrates the Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Jie, which begins on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. The exciting three-day event has occurred for over 2,000 years, and 10 years ago was inscribed on UNESCO’s list representing the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

The festival’s practice of racing boats originated from stories of people rowing on China’s Miluo River to try and rescue the ancient poet Qu Yuan from drowning during the third century B.C. Since then, the races have grown in popularity and spread throughout the world.

The boats are traditionally made of teak wood and can range up to 100 feet in length, accommodating as many as 80 rowers. Boats are usually decorated with dragon heads at the bow and scaly tails at the stern. A sacred ritual is held before the race when the eyes are painted on, which is said to “bring the boat to life.” During the race, a drummer sits in the front of each boat, helping the rowers to work in unison.

Families clean their homes and property in preparation for the festival, hanging bunches of mugwort and calamus on doors to ward off bad luck and disease. Aside from the race itself, there are many time-honored customs associated with the festival: eating sticky rice dumplings wrapped in lotus leaves, called zongzi; drinking wine made with the ruby-colored crystal realgar; and wearing “perfume pouches,” colorful silk bags filled with fragrant medicinal herbs.


端午节快乐!

[9A]

7 June 2008

Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Birthday




Charles Rennie Mackintosh [7 June 1868 – 10 December 1928] was a Scottish architect, designer, water colourist and artist. His artistic approach had much in common with European Symbolism. His work, alongside that of his wife Margaret Macdonald, was influential on European design movements such as Art Nouveau and Secessionism and praised by great modernists such as Josef Hoffmann. Mackintosh was born in Glasgow and died in London. He is among the most important figures of Modern Style [British Art Nouveau style].

[9A]

7 June 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]

9 March 2018

Paralympics 2018





The world’s eyes will once again turn to PyeongChang this week as the 2018 Paralympic games get under way! 80 countries around the world are sending their athletes to compete in the games, held from March 9 to 18 this year. Over 670 athletes, including more female athletes than ever before, have the chance to show their skills after years of hard work and training.

The lineup of the Paralympic games will include: alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, ice hockey, snowboarding, and wheelchair curling. Over the next 10 days, more than 80 medals will be awarded across the sports.

Today’s Doodle represents athletes from each of the sports in competition, all racing together to capture a spot on the podium.

Good luck to all and let the games begin!

[9A]

10 Mar 2018

Celebrating the Alishan Forest Railway





Imagine riding a train chugging along through a lush and misty forest. On your journey, you pass orchards of exotic fruits, taro fields, waterfalls, and soaring trees over a thousand years old….

This dream is a reality if you’re on board the Alishan Forest Railway, which makes its way through the Alishan National Forest, situated in the heart of Taiwan. Today’s Doodle celebrates the landmark on what is known as kickoff day for the Alishan "Cherry Blossom Season". Starting today, numerous visitors will take the forest rail up to the mountains to enjoy the beautiful cherry blossoms of Alishan.

The train travels from Chiayi [a city on the west coast] to Fenchihu [a village high in the mountains], which takes about 2.5 hours. The Alishan Forest Railway is one of the Five Wonders of Alishan, and has even been proposed as a possible World Heritage Site.

Built in 1912, the railway’s original purpose was transporting timber out of the vast forest. Today, it whisks travelers along a scenic journey up to 2216 meters above sea level, traversing narrow zigzagging paths. Unique switchback tracks allow the train to move both forwards and backwards to climb especially steep mountain terrain. Along the route lies Zhaoping Park, one of the best spots for taking in cherry blossoms, particularly now and throughout the springtime season.

[9A]

10 March 2021

Dr. Wu Lien-teh's 142nd birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates the 142nd birthday of Chinese-Malaysian epidemiologist Dr. Wu Lien-teh, who invented a surgical face covering that is widely considered the precursor to the N95 mask.

Born into a family of Chinese immigrants in Penang, Malaya [modern-day Malaysia] on this day in 1879, Wu went on to become the first student of Chinese descent to earn his MD from Cambridge University. Following his doctoral studies, he accepted a position as the vice director for China's Imperial Army Medical College in 1908. When an unknown epidemic afflicted north-eastern China in 1910, the Chinese government appointed Wu to investigate the disease, which he identified as the highly contagious pneumonic plague that spread from human to human through respiratory transmission.

To combat the disease, Wu designed and produced a special surgical mask with cotton and gauze, adding several layers of cloth to filter inhalations. He advised people to wear his newly invented mask and worked with government officials to establish quarantine stations and hospitals, restrict travel, and apply progressive sterilization techniques; his leadership contributed greatly to the end of the pandemic [[known as the Manchurian plague) by April 1911—within four months of being tasked with controlling its spread.

In 1915, Wu founded the Chinese Medical Association, the country’s largest and oldest non-governmental medical organization. In 1935, he was the first Malaysian—and the first person of Chinese descent–nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work to control the pneumonic plague. A devoted advocate and practitioner of medical advancement, Wu’s efforts not only changed public health in China but that of the entire world.

Happy birthday to the man behind the mask, Dr. Wu Lien-teh!

[9A]

10 Mar 2021

Prof. Udupi Ramachandra Rao's 89th birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates the 89th birthday of renowned Indian professor and scientist Udupi Ramachandra Rao, remembered by many as “India’s Satellite Man.”

Born in a remote village of Karnataka on this day in 1932, Prof. Rao began his career as a cosmic-ray physicist and protégé of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, a scientist widely regarded as the father of India’s space program. After completing his doctorate, Prof. Rao brought his talents to the U.S., where he worked as a professor and conducted experiments on NASA’s Pioneer and Explorer space probes.

On his return to India in 1966, Prof. Rao initiated an extensive high energy astronomy program at the Physical Research Laboratory, India’s premier institution for space sciences, before spearheading his country’s satellite program in 1972. Motivated by the practical applications of aerospace technology to solve societal problems such as poverty and food shortages, Prof. Rao supervised the 1975 launch of India’s first satellite—“Aryabhata”—one of over 20 satellites he developed that transformed much of rural India by advancing communication and meteorological services.

From 1984 to 1994, Prof. Rao continued to propel his nation’s space program to stratospheric heights as chairman of India’s Space Research Organization. Here, he developed rocket technology such as the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle [PSLV], which has launched over 250 satellites. Prof. Rao became the first Indian inducted into the Satellite Hall of Fame in 2013, the same year that PSLV launched India’s first interplanetary mission—“Mangalyaan”—a satellite that orbits Mars today.

Happy Birthday, Prof. Rao! Your stellar technological advancements continue to be felt across the galaxy.

[9A]

10 March 2013

Joseph von Eichendorff's 225th Birthday






Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff [10 March 1788 – 26 November 1857] was a German poet, novelist, playwright, literary critic, translator, and anthologist. Eichendorff was one of the major writers and critics of Romanticism. Ever since their publication and up to the present day, some of his works have been very popular in Germany.

[9A]

11 Mar 2021

Astor Piazzolla's 100th birthday





Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Buenos Aires-based guest artist José Saccone, celebrates Argentine composer and virtuosic bandoneón player Astor Piazzolla, who revolutionized traditional tango to create a hybrid genre known as “nuevo tango.”

Astor Piazzolla was born in Mar del Plata, Argentina, in 1921 and moved with his family to New York City at a young age. When his father bought him a bandoneón, an Argentine accordion-like instrument that is essential to the tango sound, he quickly became known as a child prodigy and wrote his first tango at 11.

In 1937, he returned to Argentina where traditional tango still reigned supreme. Once home, Piazzolla actually gave up tango to study classical music and become a modernist classical composer. He traveled to Paris on a scholarship to apprentice under eminent French composer Nadia Boulanger, who prepared him for his next return home in 1955. Back in Argentina, he applied years of classical study to the tango sound and formed his band “Octeto Buenos Aires.” Coined as the “nuevo tango,” Piazolla's fresh take incorporated elements of jazz and classical music with new instruments, changing the tempo, the sound, and the tradition of dance.

Throughout his life, it’s estimated that Piazzolla wrote approximately 3,000 original compositions and recorded another 500. In honor of his 100th birthday, the Astor Piazzolla Foundation recently announced the Piazzolla Music competition for soloists and ensembles alike.

Happy birthday, Astor Piazzolla!

[9A]

11 March 2016

Ratchanee Sripaiwan's 86th Birthday







Happy 86th Birthday Ratchanee Sripaiwan!

If you grew up in Thailand or learned Thai in primary school, chances are you've heard of Manee and her friends. In Sripaiwan's beautifully illustrated book "Manee, Mana, Piti, and Chujai," readers learned the อักษรไทย while exploring Manee's village and following her adventures.

Sripaiwan's exquisite mastery of the Thai language and passion for education guided students across the globe. Not only did readers learn basic Thai language, grammar, and sentence structure, they lived and loved Sripaiwan's tales. The textbooks were first approved for educational use in 1956 and were used for grades 1-6 from 1978 to 1994. When Sripaiwan passed away in 2014, these books were reprinted to honor her life's work — educating and delighting another generation.

Today's Doodle by Alyssa Winans reflects the signature style of illustrators and close collaborators Triam Chachumporn, Ohm Rajjavej, and Pathom Puapimon. The image of Mana and Manee captures the effortless charm and elegance of Ratchanee Sripaiwan's books.

[9A]

1 March 2013

Douglas Adams' 61st Birthday



Douglas Adams – one of the most celebrated and beloved humorists of the 20th century – had an imagination that defied gravity and soared past Earth's atmosphere. As a young man, he famously got the first inkling of an idea for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy while hitchhiking across Europe, pausing to contemplate the starry night sky.

In the late seventies, this simple yet powerful premise blossomed into a comedy radio broadcast on BBC Radio 4. From there, it took on a life of its own – the series has included books, a TV show, a film, computer games, comic books, and most recently a stage show: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Radio Show, Live! – a performance which captures the magic of the original radio broadcast. In fact, many of the iconic sound effects used in our doodle were kindly provided by the creative folks behind this show.

The world [to be fair, the universe] of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is complex, chaotic, and often contradictory, with multiple timelines and probability axes colliding in assuredly comic ways. The various exotic planets, alien races, and intergalactic sociopolitical situations are usually filtered through the lens of the series' most useful piece of futuristic technology – the Guide itself, published out of Ursa Minor Beta. The Guide's task of organizing the galaxy's information struck a chord with us, which is why we gave it special attention in our doodle. Through it, you can get a small peek into the unrelentingly hilarious universe created by Douglas Adams.

But The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in all its many and varied manifestations, is not the limit of Douglas Adams' wit, creativity, and compassion. True fans know and love the episodes he wrote for the British sci-fi show Dr. Who, starring Tom Baker as the fourth doctor. He also created Dirk Gently, protagonist of several genre-defying detective novels. And he co-created, with zoologist Mark Carwardine, the radio documentary and nonfiction book series Last Chance to See, documenting many expeditions to examine near-extinct animals across the globe.

Douglas Adams has entertained and inspired so many generations of people around the world with his warm humor and courageously curious intellect. Happy birthday, you hoopy frood!


I was honored to work on this doodle with my collaborators – Corrie Scalisi, Kevin Laughlin, Manuel Clément, and Leon Hong.


Posted by Sophia Foster-Dimino, Doodler

[9A]

12 March 2011

Chinese Arbor Day 2011

[9A]

12 March 2012

Chinese Arbor Day 2012

[9A]

12 March 2013

Evert Taube's 123rd Birthday




Axel Evert Taube was a Swedish author, artist, composer and singer. He is widely regarded as one of Sweden's most respected musicians and the foremost troubadour of the Swedish ballad tradition in the 20th century.

On his 60th birthday in 1950, Taube received the Bellman Award from the Swedish Academy and in 1960 he received an honorary doctorate from Gothenburg University. He was elected as a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 1970.

Taube is regarded as one of the finest troubadours in Sweden. There is a complete pavilion, "Evert Taube's World" opened in 2008, dedicated to him at Liseberg Theme Park in Gothenburg.

On 25 March 2010, Norwegian Air Shuttle's new Boeing 737-8FZ LN-NOV was accepted at the Oslo [Gardermoen] base with the tail image of Evert Taube.

On 6 April 2011, the Bank of Sweden announced that Taube's portrait will feature on the 50 kronor banknote, beginning in 2014–15.

[9A]

12 Mar 2013

André Le Nôtre's 400th Birthday



André Le Nôtre, originally rendered as André Le Nostre, was a French landscape architect and the principal gardener of King Louis XIV of France. He was the landscape architect who designed the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, and his work represents the height of the French formal garden style, or jardin à la française.

[9A]

9 Apr 2010

Vlasta Burian's Birthday







Josef Vlastimil Burian, better known as Vlasta Burian, was a Czech stage and film actor, singer, comedian, footballer and film director. In the Czech Republic, he is known as Král komiků [King of Comedians].

[9A]

1 Oct 2013

Emilio Pettoruti's 121st Birthday




Emilio Pettoruti was an Argentine painter, who caused a scandal with his avant-garde cubist exhibition in 1924 in Buenos Aires. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Buenos Aires was a city full of artistic development. Pettoruti's career was thriving during the 1920s when "Argentina witnessed a decade of dynamic artistic activity; it was an era of euphoria, a time when the definition of modernity was developed." While Pettoruti was influenced by Cubism, Futurism, Constructivism, and Abstraction, he did not claim to paint in any of those styles in particular. Exhibiting all over Europe and Argentina, Emilio Pettoruti is remembered as one of the most influential artists in Argentina in the 20th century for his unique style and vision.

[9A]

7 Nov 2013

Ary Barroso's 110th Birthday





Ary de Resende Barroso, better known as Ary Barroso, was a Brazilian composer, pianist, soccer commentator, and talent-show host on radio and TV. He was one of Brazil's most successful songwriters in the first half of the 20th century. Barroso also composed many songs for Carmen Miranda during her career.

[9A]

7 November 2013

Rafael Pombo's 180th Birthday









José Rafael de Pombo y Rebolledo was a Colombian poet born in Bogotá. Trained as a mathematician and an engineer in a military school, Rafael Pombo served in the army and he traveled to the United States of America as Secretary of the Legation in Washington. After completing his diplomatic assignment, he was hired by D. Appleton & Company in New York to translate into Spanish nursery rhymes from the Anglo-Saxon oral tradition. The product of this work, more than a translation, was a transformative adaptation published in two books under the titles Cuentos pintados para niños and Cuentos morales para niños formales.

In spite of his extensive and diverse literary works, Rafael Pombo is mostly remembered for this contribution to children's literature. Among his most popular children's fables are Michín, Juan Chunguero, Pastorcita, La Pobre Viejecita, Simón el Bobito, El Gato Bandido, and El Renacuajo paseador.

[9A]

7 November 2011

Marie Curie's 144th Birthday




A pioneer in the sciences, Marie Curie's research led to such achievements as the discovery of polonium and radium and the development of the theory of radioactivity. Her life's work earned her two Nobel Prizes and solidified her place in history as an icon in physics and chemistry.

[9A]

8 November 2011

Edmond Halley's 355th Birthday






Edmond Halley was an English astronomer, geophysicist, mathematician, meteorologist, and physicist. He was the second Astronomer Royal in Britain, succeeding John Flamsteed in 1720.

From an observatory he constructed on Saint Helena in 1676–77, Halley catalogued the southern celestial hemisphere and recorded a transit of Mercury across the Sun. He realised that a similar transit of Venus could be used to determine the distances between Earth, Venus, and the Sun. Upon his return to England, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society, and with the help of King Charles II, was granted a master's degree from Oxford.

Halley encouraged and helped fund the publication of Isaac Newton's influential Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica [1687]. From observations Halley made in September 1682, he used Newton's laws of motion to compute the periodicity of Halley's Comet in his 1705 Synopsis of the Astronomy of Comets. It was named after him upon its predicted return in 1758, which he did not live to see.

Beginning in 1698, Halley made sailing expeditions and made observations on the conditions of terrestrial magnetism. In 1718, he discovered the proper motion of the "fixed" stars.

[9A]

11 Nov 2011

Magusto 2011




"Magusto" is a Portuguese tradition celebrated by all generations: from grandparents, to moms and dads, and little children. On this day, people come together to eat chestnuts, drink new wine and mingle with friends and family. The event tends to happen around a bonfire, with the younger generation energetically jumping over it [editor's note: kids, don't try this at home, but if you must, ask your parents first]!

We all have great memories of coming to school on this day with a bag of chestnuts, learning how to prepare them and, of course, ending the afternoon eating them together

Happy Magusto to All!


doodle by Mike Dutton. post by Monica Bagagem

[9A]

18 Nov 2011

Louis Daguerre's 224th Birthday





Making a daguerreotype was a very long and tedious process that required very careful and precise chemistry. Since it's been almost 22 years since my last science project and I knew nothing about Chemistry, exposing the team [or myself] to harmful chemicals or any potential spills wasn't sounding like the best idea.

Louis Daguerre was a master chemist... which is why the photo gods named the Daguerreotype process after him. Mr. Daguerre was also a photographer and an artist so I figured from one creative mind to another, that's what I would focus on. The black and white portraits of public figures and families that were taken by Daguerre at the time were such rich moments... moments I tried to convey with an illustrated version of a daguerreotype. Playing dress up with the letters and displaying them in a boxed frame similar to the era sounded like a good [safer] plan.

posted by Willie Real

[9A]

22 Mar 2018

Katsuko Saruhashi’s 98th Birthday



“There are many women who have the ability to become great scientists. I would like to see the day when women can contribute to science & technology on an equal footing with men.”


-Katsuko Saruhashi


A young Katsuko Saruhashi sat in primary school watching raindrops slide down a window and wondered what made it rain. Her journey for answers led her to become the first woman to earn a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Tokyo in 1957.

Saruhashi is renowned for her groundbreaking research as a geochemist. She was the first to accurately measure the concentration of carbonic acid in water based on temperature, pH Level, and chlorinity. Named ‘Saruhashi’s Table’ after her, this methodology has proved invaluable to oceanographers everywhere. She also developed a technique to trace the travel of radioactive fallout across the oceans that led to restricting oceanic nuclear experimentation in 1963.

During a career spanning 35 years, Saruhashi became the first woman elected to the Science Council of Japan in 1980, and the first woman honored with the Miyake Prize for geochemistry in 1985 - among many other awards. She was deeply committed to inspiring young women to study science, and established the Saruhashi Prize in 1981, recognizing female scientists for distinguished research in natural sciences.

Today on her 98th birthday, we pay tribute to Dr. Katsuko Saruhashi for her incredible contributions to science, and for inspiring young scientists everywhere to succeed.

[9A]

22 March 2021

Elena Lacková's 100th birthday






Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Czech guest artist Filip Posivac, celebrates the centennial birthday of Slovakian-Romani writer and dramatist Elena Lacková, who is widely considered the first author in post-war Czechoslovakia to tell the story of the Romani people and the persecution they faced throughout World War II.

Born on this day in 1921 in Veľký Šariš, Czechoslovakia [modern-day Slovakia], Elena Lacková was raised in a settlement of Romani people—a historically oppressed European ethnic group of Indian origin. Although she was unable to pursue higher education due to anti-Romani laws, Lacková became a talented writer of her own accord, penning poems by moonlight as the only girl out of the 600 children in her settlement with the ability to read.

In 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and persecuted its Romani settlements as part of the regime’s Roma Holocaust. Lacková survived these atrocities and became determined to reinvigorate Roma pride through theatre. Her first published work of literature—a play entitled “Horiaci cigánsky tabor” [“The Gypsy Camp Is Burning,” 1947]—depicted the collective hardships of the Romani people during the Holocaust, while providing a new perspective into their culture.

Lacková’s work continually uplifted the Romani community through literary mediums such as short stories, fairy tales, and radio plays. In 1970, she achieved yet another milestone as the first Romani woman in Czechoslovakia to graduate from university. A pioneer who received countless accolades, Lacková became the first Romani woman to receive one of Slovakia’s highest honors, the Order of Ľudovít Štúr III, awarded in 2001.

Happy birthday, Elena Lacková!

[9A]

22 March 2005

World Water Day 2005





World Water Day is an annual United Nations [UN] observance day held on 22 March that highlights the importance of fresh water. The day is used to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. The theme of each day focuses on topics relevant to clean water, sanitation and hygiene [WASH], which is in line with the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 6. The UN World Water Development Report [WWDR] is released each year around World Water Day.

UN-Water is the convener for World Water Day and selects the theme for each year in consultation with UN organizations that share an interest in that year's focus. The theme for 2021 was "Valuing Water" and the public campaign invited people to join a global conversation on social media to "tell us your stories, thoughts and feelings about water"

In 2020, the theme was "Water and Climate Change". Previous themes for the years 2016 to 2019 were "Water and Jobs'", "Why waste water?" "Nature for Water", and "Leaving no one behind". World Water Day is celebrated around the world with a variety of events. These can be theatrical, musical or lobbying in nature. The day can also include campaigns to raise money for water projects. The first World Water Day, designated by the United Nations, was in 1993.

[9A]

2 May 2016

Mario Miranda’s 90th birthday




Mario Miranda was a beloved cartoonist best known for his works in the Times of India and The Illustrated Weekly of India. Based primarily on the bustling cityscape of Mumbai, Miranda’s works often feature complex, multi-layered scenes. Humanity floods the canvas and yet each character maintains their individuality.

Our guest Doodler today is Aaron Renier, another artist known for portraying large crowds. “I approached Mario’s work by pretending I was drawing with him,” says Renier. “I chose his most popular style, very flat with criss-crossing interactions.” In this homage to Miranda, we see a rich litany of people, each unique in their perspective. “That is what I liked most about his work,” Renier explains, “trying to pick out who knows who, who's watching who, who's annoyed by who, who's enamored by who. Hopefully people will see something of [Miranda’s] spirit in it.”

Mario Miranda’s works live on throughout India, and on what would have been his 90th birthday, we honor his legacy.

[9A]

8 May 2013

Parent's Day 2013

[9A]

8 May 2016
Parent's Day in Korea





Mom and Dad are so much more than that. In fact, in many ways, they’re our first brush with superhero. Doodler Juliana Chen chose to bring this truism to life in this year’s illustration for Parents’ Day in Korea. Thank you, parents! Enjoy your day.

[9A]

9 May 2011

76th Birthday of Roger Hargreaves








Charles Roger Hargreaves, known as Roger Hargreaves, was an English author and illustrator of children's books. He created the Mr. Men and Little Miss series, intended for young readers. The simple and humorous stories, with brightly coloured, boldly drawn illustrations have sales of over 85 million copies worldwide in 20 languages. The first title in the series, Mr. Tickle, was published in August 1971.

[9A]

9 May 2012

Royal Ploughing Ceremony and Farmer's Day




The Royal Ploughing Ceremony, also known as The Ploughing Festival, is an ancient royal rite held in many Asian countries to mark the traditional beginning of the rice growing season. The royal ploughing ceremony, called Lehtun Mingala, was also practiced in pre-colonial Burma until 1885 when the monarchy was abolished

[9A]

10 May 2012

Mahmoud Mokhtar's 121st Birthday





Mahmoud Mukhtar was an Egyptian sculptor. He attended the School of Fine Arts in Cairo upon its opening in 1908 by Prince Yusuf Kamal, and was part of the original "Pioneers" of the Egyptian Art movement. Despite his early death, he greatly impacted the realization and formation of contemporary Egyptian art. His work is credited with signaling the beginning of the Egyptian modernist movement, and he is often referred to as the father of modern Egyptian sculpture.

[9A]

10 May 2019

Minarni Soedarjanto’s 75th Birthday







Today’s Doodle salutes international badminton champion Minarni Soedarjanto, hailed in her Indonesian homeland as "Queen of all badminton queens."

Born in Pasuruan, East Java, on this day in 1944, Soedarjanto began competing at the age of 13 and went on to win her first title at the 1959 National Championship in Malang at the age of 15. That same year, she was chosen for the Indonesian national team, competing in the world’s top badminton tournament for women, the Uber Cup.

Although Indonesia was defeated in 1960, Soedarjanto won singles and doubles titles for many years, including a historic win in the sport’s oldest tournament, the All-England. Teaming up with Retno Koestijah, Soedarjanto won Indonesia’s first All England title in 1968. She also went on to victory at the 1969 U.S. Open and Canada Open that same year.

Soedarjanto was part of Indonesian teams that competed for the Uber Cup trophy in 1963, 1966, and 1969—but unfortunately came up short every time. "It's hard to just leave, considering it's been 23 years playing badminton," she said in a 1972 interview. By 1975 she was a player-coach and mother of three, but refused to retire without fulfilling her goal. Finally, she beat perennial powerhouse Japan, winning Indonesia’s first Uber cup which was the last title of her illustrious career.

Thanks for paving the way, and happy 75th birthday, Minarni Soedarjanto!

[9A]

10 May 2019

Lucy Wills’ 131st Birthday






Today’s Doodle celebrates English haematologist Lucy Wills, the pioneering medical researcher whose analysis of prenatal anemia changed the face of preventive prenatal care for women everywhere.

Born on this day in 1888, Lucy Wills attended the Cheltenham College for Young Ladies, one of the first British boarding schools to train female students in science and mathematics. In 1911, she earned first honors in botany and geology at Cambridge University’s Newnham College, another institution at the forefront of educating women, followed by the London School of Medicine for Women, the first school in Britain to train female doctors.

Wills traveled to India to investigate a severe form of life-threatening anemia afflicting pregnant textile workers in Bombay. Suspecting that poor nutrition was the cause, she discovered what came to be known as the “Wills Factor” when a laboratory monkey’s health improved after being fed the British breakfast spread Marmite which is made of yeast extract. Later research proved the factor to be folic acid, which is now recommended to pregnant women all over the world.

Remembered for her wry sense of humor, Wills enjoyed mountain climbing, cross-country skiing, and rode a bicycle to work rather than driving in a car. She devoted much of her life to traveling the world and working to ensure the health of mothers-to-be.

Happy 131st birthday, Lucy Wills!

[9A]

10 May 2011

Zhang Daqian's 112th Birthday






Chang Dai-chien or Zhang Daqian was one of the best-known and most prodigious Chinese artists of the twentieth century. Originally known as a guohua [traditionalist] painter, by the 1960s he was also renowned as a modern impressionist and expressionist painter. In addition, he is regarded as one of the most gifted master forgers of the twentieth century.

It can be hard to attribute works to Chang since his style was so varied. Not only did he create his own work as well as forging other artists, but others would forge his originals.

Additionally, in China, "forgery" does not hold the same nefarious connotation as it does in Western culture. What would be considered illegal forgery in the United States is not necessarily as criminal in China. Actions he took to fall under the Western definition of forgery include aging work with electric hairdryers, and creating fake provenance with his collection of seals that he could use to mark past "owners" of the work. To further this provenance, his friend Puru would provide a colophon authenticating the work's imperial origins.

Art historian James Cahill claimed that the painting The Riverbank, a masterpiece from the Southern Tang dynasty, held by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, was likely another Chang forgery. The silk the piece is painted on could be carbon dated to help authenticate it, however since there has been some restoration on it -- the border repaired and the painting remounted and reglued -- not only would getting a sample to test be difficult, but there would be no guarantee the sample only contains original material.

Museum curators are cautioned to examine Chinese paintings of questionable origins, especially those from the bird and flower genre with the query, "Could this be by Chang Dai-chien?" Joseph Chang, Curator of Chinese Art at the Sackler Museum, suggested that many notable collections of Chinese art contained forgeries by the master painter.

It is estimated that Chang made more than 10 million dollars selling his forgeries.

[9A]

15 May 2011

120th Birthday of Mikhail Bulgakov







Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov was a Russian writer, medical doctor and playwright active in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his novel The Master and Margarita, published posthumously, which has been called one of the masterpieces of the 20th century.

[9A]

19 May 2011

Nellie Melba's 150th Birthday





Dame Nellie Melba was an Australian operatic soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era and the early 20th century, and was the first Australian to achieve international recognition as a classical musician. She took the pseudonym "Melba" from Melbourne, her home town.

Melba studied singing in Melbourne and made a modest success in performances there. After a brief and unsuccessful marriage, she moved to Europe in search of a singing career. Failing to find engagements in London in 1886, she studied in Paris and soon made a great success there and in Brussels. Returning to London she quickly established herself as the leading lyric soprano at Covent Garden from 1888. She soon achieved further success in Paris and elsewhere in Europe, and later at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, debuting there in 1893. Her repertoire was small; in her whole career she sang no more than 25 roles and was closely identified with only ten. She was known for her performances in French and Italian opera, but sang little German opera.

During the First World War, Melba raised large sums for war charities. She returned to Australia frequently during the 20th century, singing in opera and concerts, and had a house built for her near Melbourne. She was active in the teaching of singing at the Melbourne Conservatorium. Melba continued to sing until the last months of her life and made a large number of "farewell" appearances. Her death, in Australia, was news across the English-speaking world, and her funeral was a major national event. The Australian $100 note features her image.

[9A]

6 Jun 2011

Dragon Boat Festival 2011







A notable part of celebrating Dragon Boat Festival is making and eating zongzi [traditional Chinese rice dumpling] with family members and friends. People traditionally wrap zongzi in leaves of reed, bamboo, forming a pyramid shape. The leaves also give a special aroma and flavor to the sticky rice and fillings. Choices of fillings vary depending on regions. Northern regions in China prefer sweet or dessert-styled zongzi, with bean paste, jujube, and nuts as fillings. Southern regions in China prefer savory zongzi, with a variety of fillings including marinated pork belly, sausage, and salted duck eggs.

Zongzi appeared before the Spring and Autumn Period and was originally used to worship ancestors and gods; in the Jin Dynasty, Zongzi became a festive food for the Dragon Boat Festival. Jin Dynasty, dumplings were officially designated as the Dragon Boat Festival food. At this time, in addition to glutinous rice, the raw materials for making zongzi are also added with Chinese medicine Yizhiren. The cooked zongzi is called "yizhi zong".

The reason why the Chinese eat zongzi on this special day has many statements. The folk version is to hold a memorial ceremony for Quyuan. While in fact, Zongzi has been regarded as an oblation for the ancestor even before the Chunqiu period. From the Jin dynasty, Zongzi officially became the festival food and long last until now.

[9A]

9 June 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!