Google doodles

[9A]

Feb 23, 2020

Ca Trù's Founder Commemoration Day 2020




Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Ho Chi Minh City-based guest artist Xuan Le, celebrates Ca Trù’s Founders Commemoration Day, a time to honor the genre widely considered to be Vietnam’s most revered traditional form of music.

A style that fits somewhere in between the geisha ceremonies of Japan and the dramatic performances of opera, Ca trù’s unique sound has roots that stretch back to the 11th century. First gaining popularity as entertainment for the aristocracy of Vietnam’s royal palaces, it later made its way into the inns and communal spaces of what is now modern-day Hanoi.

The ensemble is composed of at least three performers, including one female singing intricate poetry while tapping a phach [[a small bamboo box), two musicians playing traditional instruments, and occasionally dancers. Ca trù is now found in cities across Vietnam.

Performed in designated Ca trù clubs and at annual festivals, the genre has seen a recent revival due to a concentrated effort from state-run organizations and international agencies. Preservation of Ca trù is elusive due in part to it being a strictly oral tradition that is passed down only through one elite practitioner to the next generation after years of committed study.

Taking into account the precious nature of an invaluable historical relic and the difficulty of its safeguarding, UNESCO is dedicated to protecting the practice and inscribed Ca trù on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009.

[9A]

Dec 17, 2023

Celebrating Ha Long Bay


This animated Doodle celebrates Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, known for its 1000+ limestone islands that rise out of the sea. It celebrates Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, one of the seven new natural wonders of the world. Ha Long Bay is located in the Gulf of Tonkin and was formed some 3 million years ago. Its name in Vietnamese, Vinh Ha Long, means “where the dragon descends to the sea.”

Ha Long Bay is located in the Gulf of Tonkin within the Quang Ninh province and was formed some 3 million years ago. Legend has it that a mythical dragon stomped down hard into the earth to create giant valleys that were filled with water, and only a few jagged mountain peaks stayed undisturbed above the surface. The breathtaking seascape now consists of almost 2,000 islands and islets, and is home to hundreds of different species from fish to monkeys to hawks to frogs.

Its limestone pillars and emerald green waters attract millions of bucket-list visitors each year, making it one of Vietnam’s national treasures. Many delve down into the depths of Sung Sot Cave, the largest cave in the bay, while others enjoy more nautical adventures like fishing, snorkeling, kayaking, and scuba diving.

Ha Long Bay was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a new age wonder of the world. It’s an invaluable cultural phenomenon that has helped scientists understand the movement of geologic plates and the history of climate change on earth.

[9A]

Sep 30, 2023

Celebrating the Ain Ghazal Statues



Today's hand-crafted Doodle celebrates the Ain Ghazal statues — roughly 9,000 years old and considered one of the earliest large-scale representations of the human form. On this day in 1983, the statues were discovered in Jordan.

Why did ancient sculptors create these statues? Researchers still don’t have concrete answers. However, it is known that after the statues served its purpose, our prehistoric ancestors strategically buried the sculptures, aligning them east to west.

Archeologists discovered the first cache of underground statues in 1983 and a second group of sculptures in 1985 at ‘Ain Ghazal, a Neolithic site in Jordan.

The Ain Ghazal figures depict men, women, and children with intricate human features such as almond-shaped eyes, prominent noses, and realistic legs, toes, and toenails.

The statues have gained global appeal and can be viewed today at galleries such as the Jordan Museum, Jordan Archaeological Museum, British Museum, and Louvre Abu Dhabi to ponder the mysteries of the past.

[9A]

Sep 29, 2023

Mihály Csíkszentmihályi's 89th Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates the 89th birthday of Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, a Hungarian-American psychologist who pioneered the scientific study of happiness and creativity as well as coining the term “flow”: the mental state of completely absorbing oneself in an activity. It’s a state of optimal performance and well-being that is characterized by focus, enjoyment, and fulfillment.

Csíkszentmihályi was born on this day in 1934 in Fiume [then part of Imperial Italy]. His family struggled financially as a result of the economic downturn caused by WWII. Consequently, Csíkszentmihályi dropped out of school to help support his family. The profound suffering that Csíkszentmihályi witnessed during the war inspired him to dedicate his life to understanding the science of happiness. He turned to art, philosophy, and religion as he sought answers. In this exploration, he stumbled upon a lecture by Carl Jung, who spoke of the traumatized psyches of Europeans after World War II, and how their mental states caused them to project the UFO sightings into the sky. This interesting study led him to psychology.

He moved to the U.S. at 22 to study psychology at the University of Chicago. His interest in flow began during his graduate studies, when he observed painters so absorbed in their work they lost track of time and would disregard basic survival cues for food, water, and sleep. Several of his interview subjects described their experiences through the metaphor of a water current, thus the term “flow state” was born. He graduated with a PhD in Positive Developmental Psychology in 1965.

Csíkszentmihályi's book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience was published in 1990 and has since been translated into more than 20 languages. Business leaders, presidents, and sports coaches have praised its scientific insights into the nature of productivity and well-being.

Csíkszentmihályi went on to become a Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. He founded and co-directed the Quality of Life Research Center. He was also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and earned several prestigious awards, including the Clifton Strengths Prize and the Széchenyi Prize.

Happy 89th birthday, Mihály Csíkszentmihályi!

[9A]

Mar 25, 2022

Emma Godoy's 103rd Birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates Mexican writer, poet, psychologist and broadcaster Emma Godoy, who was born on this day in 1918 and used her voice to defend the rights and dignity of the elderly.

Godoy initially got a master’s degree in Spanish Language and literature. She then earned a Doctorate in Philosophy from the esteemed National Autonomous University of Mexico, in addition to studying Psychology and Pedagogy. She was also a professor of Literature there.

Much of Godoy’s life was spent balancing teaching, writing novels, poetry, art criticism and philosophical essays. Her novel, Érase un hombre Pentafácico, was given the Ibero-American Novel Award sponsored by The William Faulkner Foundation in 1962.

In 1973, she founded and presided over the Association for the Dignification of Old Age, one of the first organizations to address senior rights. Godoy regularly broadcasted on XEW1 radio in Mexico and further spread awareness of her ideas. This led to the Mexican Government establishing the National institute for Older Adults in 1979. The institution is supported by Emma Godoy’s principles and continues to benefit millions today.

[9A]

Sep 15, 2023

Celebrating Luisa Moreno




In honor of US Hispanic Heritage Month, today’s Doodle celebrates Guatemalan American labor organizer, journalist, and activist Luisa Moreno. The artwork, depicting Moreno linking arms with people from the various communities she tirelessly advocated for, was illustrated by Guatemala City-based guest artist Juliet Menendez.

Moreno was born “Blanca Rosa Lopez Rodrigues” in Guatemala City on August 30, 1907. As a child, her family immigrated to Oakland, California. She moved back to Guatemala as a teenager, but her education was halted as women were not allowed to attend universities at the time. In response, Moreno organized a group to lobby for a woman's right to pursue higher education. Winning this civil rights campaign sparked her lifelong passion for activism.

Moreno pursued her interest in social issues as a journalist in Mexico City for a few years before moving to New York City in 1928. Shortly after her move, a group of Latino protesters were brutalized and killed by police after speaking out against a Warner Brothers film perpetuating anti-Mexican sentiment; She later stated this incident motivated her work to unify Spanish-speaking communities. When the Great Depression struck, she began working as a seamstress at a garment factory to support her family. She immediately saw the need for labor reform as workers were underpaid for long hours and endured dangerous working conditions.

In 1935, Moreno joined the American Federation of Labor as a professional organizer. Within that role, her work with the United Cannery, Agricultural, Packing and Allied Workers of America [UCAPAWA] took her across the country, helping workers such as cigar factory workers in the east, sugar cane laborers and pecan shellers in the South, and beet farmers and tuna packers in the West. She was eventually elected vice president of the UCAPAWA in 1941.

In addition to her labor rights work, Moreno advocated for racial and ethnic equality. In 1938 she founded the National Congress of Spanish-Speaking Peoples — the first national Latino civil rights assembly. The group advocated for the fair treatment of Latino employees and the desegregation of schools and neighborhoods. Notably, in 1942, she established a defense committee who successfully fought for the dismissal of charges against a group of Mexican American teenagers who were arrested without evidence.

Despite Moreno’s tireless efforts to improve the lives of thousands of US workers, her status as a labor leader made her a target for the Immigration and Naturalization Services [INS]. The INS began threatening her with deportation unless she testified against fellow union leaders. Refusing to do so, she was forced to leave the US and returned to Latin America. There, she continued her work by unionizing workers in Mexico, Cuba, and Guatemala.

Thank you for dedicating your life to improving conditions for every community you touched. Here’s to you, Luisa.