Google doodles

[9A]

2 October 2014

National Batik Day 2014



Today’s a day of fashion for Indonesians everywhere as they mark National Batik Day. “Batik” is a traditional Indonesian cloth that has roots in the country’s historical artwork. In celebration of their culture, Indonesians dress head-to-toe in “Batik” for the holiday.

[9A]

1 September 2019

Bùi Xuân Phái's 99th Birthday'




Today’s Doodle celebrates the Vietnamese artist Bui Xuan Phai, renowned for his evocative paintings of Hanoi’s historic old quarter, as referenced in the Doodle art. Born on this day in 1920 in the village of Kim Hoang, Phai went on to help shape the evolution of modern art in Vietnam, becoming widely considered one of the most celebrated South East Asian painters of the twentieth century.

Raised during Vietnam’s French colonial era, Phai took an early interest in art, drawing illustrations for Hanoi newspapers to pay for classes at the Ecole Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine. Although his father preferred that he pursue a career in medicine, the young man persisted, selling his first picture by the age of 20.

Phai’s interest in modern European painters like Matisse did not sit well with his teachers at the traditional academy, which closed after North Vietnam’s political upheaval in August 1945. Ho Chi Min’s new government insisted that artists focus their talents on supporting the new regime, but over time, Phai grew restless.

During the 1950s, he and his wife moved into his parents’ home at 87 Thuoc Bac Street in Hanoi, converting it into a small studio. Living simply, he devoted himself to the practice of art for its own sake. He enjoyed teaching at the Hanoi Fine Arts College but was asked to resign because he insisted on creative freedom. Phai went on to paint the streets and alleys of Hanoi’s old quarter, capturing the mood of a bygone era in his loose brushwork, and sometimes trading his art for supplies needed to support his family.

In years to come, his work earned numerous local and international honors. He won a prize for his book cover design at the International Graphic Exhibition in Leipzig, Germany. In recognition of his contributions to Vietnamese culture, he was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Medal. His humble home studio has since become a museum, honoring one man’s commitment to his art.

[9A]

15 Aug 2013

KR Liberation Day




The National Liberation Day of Korea is a holiday celebrated annually on 15 August in both South and North Korea. It commemorates Victory over Japan Day, when the United States and the Soviet Union liberated Korea from 35 years of Japanese rule.

The day marks the annual anniversary of the announcement that Japan would unconditionally surrender on August 15, 1945. All forces of the Imperial Japanese Army were ordered to surrender to the Allies.

[9A]

15 August 2017

South Korea National Day 2017




National Liberation Day, also called Gwangbokjeol [“the day the light returned”], marks South Korea’s independence following the end of WWII. Today, South Koreans embrace their hard-earned nationhood with patriotic fanfare, participating in parades and community festivals. In South Korea’s capital of Seoul, dignitaries and prominent political figures gather at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts for the annual ringing of the bell at 12 PM on the dot to commemorate former leaders.

Today’s Doodle welcomes National Liberation Day with an intricate rendering of a mugunghwa [botanical name: Hibiscus syriacus], Korea’s national flower. Beloved by Koreans for over a thousand years, this bloom symbolizes perseverance and loyalty — the perfect complement to the country’s flag, known as taegukgi, which is emblazoned with a bold blue and red circle representing the harmony of yin-yang.

[9A]

17 Aug 2018

Qixi Festival 2018



On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month lovers all over China celebrate the Qixi Festival, also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day. The holiday’s origin story dates back thousands of years to Han Dynasty mythology, a tale of forbidden romance written in the stars.

Zhinü was the granddaughter of the Jade Emperor and the most beautiful girl in the universe [represented by the star Vega]. Her job was to weave the colorful clouds of heaven. Niulang the cowherd [represented by the star Altair] was an orphan who lived in a simple cottage with only an old ox to keep him company. One day the ox spoke to him, saying that he used to be the star Tarrus but was sent to earth as punishment. The ox told Niulang about a special pond near his cottage where goddesses went to bathe. After meeting Zhinü there, the two fell in love, married, and started a family.

Zhinü’s parents did not approve of the relationship and angrily summoned their daughter back to heaven. Niulang was heartbroken, but his ox sacrificed his life, explaining that if he was killed his magic hide could help Niulang fly back to Zhinü. Niulang reluctantly killed his faithful ox and used its hide to visit his beloved, but the Jade Empress slashed the sky creating the Silver River [represented by the Milky Way] to keep her daughter away from the cowherd.

Although the lovers were banished to opposite sides of the Silver River, a flock of magpies took pity on them and flew together to form a bridge, allowing Zhinü and Niulang a brief reunion. Every year on this day, when the stars Altair and Vega appear closest together in the night sky, that bridge of birds is said to bring these star-crossed lovers together—if only for one night.

Magpies are bringers of joy, and the number seven symbolizes togetherness. Traditional Qixi celebrations often include weaving or sewing, in a nod to the goddess Zhinu’s superb skills with needle and thread. Today, the Qixi Festival is often celebrated with romantic gifts or chocolates.

[9A]

19 August 2011

George Enescu's 130th Birthday



George Enescu, known in France as Georges Enesco, was a Romanian composer, violinist, conductor and teacher. Regarded as one of the greatest musicians in Romanian history, Enescu is featured on the Romanian five lei.

[9A]

19 August 2020

Julius Lothar Meyer's 190th birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates German chemist, professor, and author Julius Lothar Meyer on his 190th birthday. Meyer was one of two scientists to independently discover the periodic law of chemical elements and pioneer the earliest periodic tables.

Julius Lothar Meyer was born into a medical family in Varel, Germany on this day in 1830. Initially devoted to the study of medicine, he soon shifted his focus to physiological chemistry. He earned his doctorate in 1858 and began his career as a science teacher the very next year.

In 1864, Meyer published a seminal textbook called “Die modernen Theorien der Chemie" [“Modern Chemical Theory”]. The treatise included a rudimentary system for the organization of 28 elements based on atomic weight, a precursor to the modern periodic table. But Meyer was not alone in the sprint toward this scientific milestone, as Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev was independently developing similar ideas of his own.

Meyer designed a more comprehensive table in 1868, but before he could publish, Mendeleev released his own paper that placed all the known elements in one table and cemented his place in science history. Meyer’s subsequent 1870 paper was groundbreaking in its own right, as its graphical demonstration of the relationship between atomic volume and atomic weight provided strong evidence for the periodic law describing cyclical patterns among the elements. Meyer’s now-famous display is depicted behind him in today’s Doodle artwork.

Happy birthday, Julius Lothar Meyer, and thank you for braving the elements for the sake of scientific knowledge!

[9A]

19 August 2016

To Be'Ab 2016



An ancient Jewish holiday that’s been revived in modern-day Israel [and pockets of America], Tu B’Av began as a joyous matchmaking day before falling into near-obscurity for almost 19 centuries. In recent times, it’s been reclaimed as a holiday similar to Valentine’s Day and is considered an auspicious day for weddings or marriage proposals.

On this day of love, some women dress in white, much as they did in the second century, when they took part in a courtship dance in the vineyards. Many lovebirds will exchange flowers and chocolates, celebrate in Israel’s restaurants and bars or attend love-themed parties.

Today’s Doodle captures the romantic spirit of of Tu B’Av, which falls on the 15th day of the Hebrew month Av, and begins at sundown on Thursday, August 18th, the night of the full moon.

[9A]

8 September 2021

Tim Bergling's 32nd birthday



Whether blaring from speakers of a music festival mainstage or into the headphones of millions of listeners worldwide, the music of Swedish superstar DJ, producer, songwriter, and humanitarian Tim Bergling—known best by his stage name Avicii—is widely considered to have forever altered the trajectory of the Pop genre. Today’s video Doodle, set to one of his most iconic tracks “Wake Me Up,” celebrates his 32nd birthday and honors his legacy as one of the first artists to elevate electronic dance music to mainstream global success.

On this day in 1989, Tim Bergling was born into a family of creatives in Stockholm, Sweden. From 60s soul to 80s glam-rock, multi-genre musical experiences played an important role in his upbringing. By 16, he was mixing tunes in his bedroom, and began writing uplifting, melodic electronic music soon after. In 2011 he released the dance anthem ‘Levels’ under the name “Avicii,” breaking ground as one of the first electronic music tracks to climb the Pop charts. Desiring more than just industry success, Bergling also set off on “House for Hunger,” a 2012 American tour that donated its proceeds to combating food insecurity worldwide. That year, Madonna joined him in closing Miami’s Ultra Music Festival, where the pair broke the festival’s live stream viewer record.

From 2011 to 2016, Bergling played an estimated 220 Avicii sets globally, including a five-year residency in Ibiza and sold-out shows at the 16,000 person Ericsson Globe arena in Stockholm. In addition to breaking down sonic boundaries with hits like the 2013 bluegrass-house-hybrid “Wake Me Up,” Bergling was also among the first DJs and producers to share the spotlight previously reserved for vocalists and instrumentalists.

Within a few years, Bergling racked up over a dozen global music awards such as Swedish Grammis Awards for Best Innovator [2012] and Best Artist [2014], as well as a World Music Award for Best Electronic Dance Artist [2014]. In the U.S. he was nominated for several Grammys and won the American Music Award for Electronic Dance Music Artists [2013], the Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Song [2014], and the MTV Music Award for Best Dance Music Video [2018].

Like so many individuals globally, Bergling struggled with his mental health for years. Unfortunately, he died by suicide in 2018 at the age of 28.

In 2021, it was announced that Stockholm’s Ericsson Globe Arena would be changed to Avicii Arena. A symbol of Swedish pride, the arena stands today not only as an events venue but also as a hub for the exchange of ideas focused on mental health. This initiative is led by the Tim Bergling Foundation, an organization founded by the Bergling family to honor Tim’s life and legacy, remove the stigma attached to suicide, and promote mental health awareness, especially among young people worldwide. Additionally, the foundation supports aid work in areas where Tim had a passion such as climate change, global hunger and preservation of wildlife and endangered species.

Here’s to you, Avicii.

Pictured: Tim Bergling

[9A]

8 September 2014

Feliza Bursztyn's 81st Birthday



Our doodle in Colombia is inspired by the work of sculptor Feliza Bursztyn to mark what would have been her 81st birthday.

[9A]

8 September 2012

46th Anniversary of Star Trek's 1st Broadcast







OK, I admit it, I am a die-hard Trekkie. I grew up watching endless reruns of Star Trek, my imagination completely immersed in Gene Roddenberry’s brilliant creation.

Today’s Star Trek doodle is, and Mr. Spock said it best, “Fascinating.” Built using modern web technologies, this beautiful, interactive, multi-scene doodle takes all of us... where no one has gone before. Every scene has hidden surprises you absolutely have to discover for yourself, especially the fate of the Redshirt. A team of outstanding designers and engineers, and numerous Star Trek fans at Google, got really creative with this one.

Working on search at Google has brought me ever so close to realizing my childhood dream of turning science fiction into reality; and Star Trek has played a special role in my journey. Yes! The destiny of search is to become the Star Trek computer, a perfect assistant by my side whenever I need it.

I hope you enjoy today’s magical doodle, and to all my fellow Trekkies, I say... live long and prosper.

Cross-posted from the Google+ post of Amit Singhal, SVP, Engineering


**STAR TREK used under license

[9A]

8 September 2014

Ludovico Ariosto's 540th Birthday




Ruggiero from Ludovico Ariosto's epic poem Orlando Furioso saves princess Angelica from a sea-dwelling orc [sounds terrifying] on our homepage in Italy today. Happy 540th birthday to Ariosto!

[9A]

9 August 2021

Singapore National Day 2021




Today’s Doodle celebrates Singapore’s National Day, which commemorates the island nation’s sovereignty and cultural heritage each year. On this day in 1965, Singapore declared its national independence.

Today, Singaporeans from all walks of life come together to celebrate their multiethnic national culture and customs. While citizens’ backgrounds vary widely, most find common ground in enjoying the diverse cuisines. Singapore’s hawker culture is a distinctive element in its national identity, and in 2020 this was recognized by its inclusion in the Unesco Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Well-loved hawker dishes Nasi Lemak [coconut milk rice], chili crab, and roti prata [flatbread] are depicted in the Doodle artwork. Originating from affordable, on-the-go meals served by early migrant street stalls in the 1800s, hawker cuisine is now traditionally prepared in the nation’s 110 hawker centers. These community dining hubs are found across the island and are great spots to get a taste of Singapore!

Happy National Day, Singapore!

[9A]

9 August 2014

Singapore National Day 2014



Singapore’s skyline is front and center in our doodle for the country’s National Day.

[9A]

10 Aug 2014


Father's Day 2014 [Brazil]

[9A]

10 August 2020

Mountain Day 2020



Today’s Doodle commemorates Japan’s Mountain Day [山の日], a national holiday in honor of the geological wonders of the Japanese archipelago. This year the holiday is observed on August 10, initially intended to coincide with the day after the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games, but is traditionally celebrated each year on the eleventh day of the eighth month. Many view symbolism in the August 11 date, as the Japanese character for 8—八— resembles the sides of a mountain, and the numeral 11 looks like two trees, as illustrated in the Doodle artwork.

Japan’s topography has been sculpted by millions of years of tectonic activity. The result is one of the world’s most stunning collections of peaks, which includes over 100 active volcanoes. With over 80 percent of the country covered in mountainous terrain, the Japanese government decided in 2016 to dedicate an entire day to its towering landscape.

Many celebrate by visiting one of Japan’s many peaks and enjoying a quiet hike in nature, or admiring their silent beauty from afar.

Happy Mountain Day, Japan!

[9A]

10 August 2012

Soccer 2012



Soccer in the United States is run by different organizations. The United States Soccer Federation [USSF] governs most levels of soccer in the country, including the national teams, professional leagues, and amateur leagues, being the highest soccer authority in the country. The National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA] governs most colleges and the National Federation of State High School Associations [NFHS] governs schools. The match regulations are generally the same between the three governing bodies although there are many subtle differences.

As of May 2015, over 24.4 million people play soccer in the United States. In 2017, Gallup reported that soccer was the third-most watched team sport in the U.S., behind only basketball and American football. The popularity of the sport in the U.S. has been growing since the late 1960s and received a significant boost when the United States hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup and 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup. It is the fourth most popular sport in the United States behind American football, baseball, and basketball.

[9A]

13 Aug 2012

Cassiano Branco's 115th Birthday




Cassiano Viriato Branco [Lisbon, August 13, 1897 – Lisbon, April 24, 1970] was a Portuguese architect. He is one of the most important architects of the first half of the 20th century in Portugal. Some of his projects include the Coliseu do Porto, Hotel Vitória and the Portugal dos Pequenitos theme park.

[9A]

13 August 2019

Doodle for Google 2019 – US Winner



Congratulations to Georgia-based high school senior Arantza Peña Popo, who was announced as the winner of the US 2019 Doodle for Google national competition last night on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon!

“When I grow up, I hope to care for my mom as much as she cared for me my entire life,” Arantza wrote in the statement submitted with her artwork, entitled Once you get it, give it back, which appears today on the Google homepage. In Arantza’s Doodle, there is a framed picture of her mother carrying Arantza as a baby─inspired by a real picture in her house of her mom holding her sister. Below the picture is Arantza, caring for her mom when she’s older in the future.

Arantza started drawing when she was three years old and wants to publish alternative graphic novels and comics in the future. She graduated as valedictorian of Arabia Mountain High School in DeKalb County, Georgia, and will be attending the University of Southern Califonia in the Fall.

Described by her mother as someone who “lights up any room she is in,” Arantza is currently teaching herself how to skateboard when she’s not focusing on her school work and visual arts.

Arantza dreams of one day being able to help her mom do all the things in life she hasn't been able to yet, such as traveling around the world.

Congrats again to Arantza and thanks to all the students who shared their dreams and creativity with us this year!




Arantza visiting Google HQ in California with her mother for the national finals
Arantza visiting Google HQ in California with her mother for the national finals

[9A]

13 August 2014

Ivan Sechenov's 185th Birthday



Our doodle in Russia celebrates the father of objective physiological psychology, Ivan Sechenov. Sechenov theorized that all human actions, conscious and unconscious, are conditioned responses to external stimuli.

[9A]

30 November 2021

Celebrating Lotfi Zadeh





Today’s Doodle celebrates world-renowned Azerbaijani-American computer scientist, electrical engineer, and professor, Lotfi Zadeh. On this day in 1964, Zadeh submitted “Fuzzy Sets,” a groundbreaking paper that introduced the world to his innovative mathematical framework called “fuzzy logic.”

Lotfi Asker Zadeh was born on February 4, 1921 in Baku, Azerbaijan [then a Soviet Socialist republic], and at 10 years old moved with his family to his father’s homeland of Iran. His exceptional academic achievements brought him to the U.S. to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for his graduate studies. He went on to earn his doctorate in electrical engineering in 1949, and later taught systems theory at Columbia University in New York. In 1959 he became a professor at the University of California, Berkeley–which remained his academic home throughout his career and where he made his most famous and fuzzy breakthrough.

In 1965, he published “Fuzzy Sets,” which has since been cited by scholars nearly 100,000 times. The theory he presented offered an alternative to the rigid “black and white” parameters of traditional logic and instead allowed for more ambiguous or “fuzzy” boundaries that more closely mimic the way humans see the world. This concept has since been applied to a huge range of technological applications—from a Japanese subway system to the anti-skid algorithms that keep cars safe on the road.

Known as a gracious yet brilliant thinker, Zadeh received countless accolades throughout his career, including an honorary professorship from the government of Azerbaijan in 1993.

So here’s to you, Lotfi Zadeh! There’s nothing fuzzy about your huge impact on the scientific world.

[9A]

24 Nov 2021

Celebrating Isala Van Diest





Today’s Doodle celebrates the first woman to become a doctor in Belgium—Isala Van Diest. On this day in 1884, a government decree went into effect that allowed Van Diest to practice medicine in Belgium.

Isala Van Diest was born in Leuven, Belgium in 1842. Her father was a doctor who owned a medical practice and her mother was active in progressive, feminist organizations. Van Diest made the decision early on to take over her father’s practice, marking a departure from gender conventions of the era. Unable to enroll in medical school in Belgium due to gender discrimination, Diest left home to study in Bern, Switzerland, where she became the first Belgian woman to graduate with a university degree in 1879.

After a short stint in a British women’s hospital, Van Diest shifted her focus to opening her own practice, but many societal and institutional obstacles hindered her progress. Belgium finally began to allow women to formally study medicine in 1880, and in 1883, Van Diest graduated as a doctor of medicine, surgery, and obstetrics. Following years of working in a women’s refuge hospital and advocating for women’s rights, Diest at last opened her own practice in 1886.

In honor of the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day in 2011, the Belgian government issued a €2 coin in Van Diest’s honor alongside Belgium's first woman lawyer, Marie Popelin. In Brussels, the street of Van Diest's former practice was named in her honor in 2018.

Here’s to a medical trailblazer—Isala Van Diest!

[9A]

24 Nov 2021

Muhammad al-Fayturi's 85th birthday



Today’s Doodle, illustrated by guest artist Nora Zeid, celebrates Sudanese–Libyan poet, playwright, and diplomat Muhammad al-Fayturi. Thread together by the language of revolution, al-Fayturi’s work breathed new life into contemporary Arabic literature with a fusion of mystic philosophy, African culture, and a call for a future free from oppression.

Muhammad Muftah Rajab al-Fayturi was born on this day in 1936 in Al-Geneina, a town on the western border of Sudan, to a Libyan father and Egyptian mother. At 3 years old, he moved to Egypt, where he spent the remainder of his childhood. He went on to study literature and the sciences at university and found work as an editor for Egyptian and Sudanese newspapers following graduation.

In 1956, al-Fayturi published his first collection of poems entitled “Songs of Africa,” which explored the impacts of colonialism on the collective African identity and encouraged his readership to embrace their continent’s cultural roots.

He published numerous plays, books, and other poetry collections as he lived and worked as a writer and journalist across North Africa, from Lebanon to his birth country of Sudan. Almost 50 years after the release of his first collection, al-Fayturi’s literary career climaxed with the release of his final two books in 2005. Today, he is widely regarded as a trailblazer of modernist Arabic literature.

[9A]

24 November 2017

Celebrating Mensch ärgere dich nicht





Mensch ärgere dich nicht, or “Do not get angry,” is a game whose very title tackles the ire that board games can provoke. The premise is simple: the first player to move all of their pieces to the other side of the board wins. But don’t trust the dice — they’ll inevitably force soon-to-be winners back to square one.

The game was invented between 1907 and 1908 by Josef Friedrich Schmidt. Born on this day in 1871, Schmidt was a Munich resident who worked in the city. Inspiration struck when he decided to create an engaging pastime for his three young children. He devised a game similar to others across the globe, including the Indian game Pachisi and the English game Ludo. Today's Doodle, featuring game piece characters made of clay playing the game, was created by stop-motion animator Max Mörtl, with assistance from 2D animator Robert Loebel.

The timelessness of this game is a huge part of what lends it its status as one of the most beloved forms of entertainment in Germany. If today’s Doodle inspires you to give Mensch ärgere dich nicht a shot and your opponent snatches away your victory at the eleventh hour, don’t get angry with us!

[9A]

24 November 2014

Henri de Toulouse Lautrec's 150th Birthday




French painter Henri de Toulouse Lautrec was a man who immersed himself in the color and theatrics of life. True to his spirit, Lautrec’s artwork portrayed the grandeur and excitement of the world he lived in.

When doodler Jennifer Hom was tasked with making a doodle for the renowned artist’s 150th birthday, she immediately looked to his work for inspiration.

Wanting to capture what essentially was the Golden Age of Paris, Jennifer focused her design around the iconic imagery of the Can-can Dancers and the lithograph style, symbols that best embodied the lively spirit of the “La Belle Époque” [“The Beautiful Era”]. The fluid-like forms of the dancers revealed the sense of joy and freedom that was characteristic of the time period.

As a final touch, Jennifer incorporated the portrait of Lautrec into the doodle to reference another of one of his posters. Surely a man who is remembered for his provocative and engaging imagery of Parisian nightlife has a place alongside his illustrations that have captivated the world for decades.

[9A]

20 Nov 2021

Edmond Dédé's 194th birthday



Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Brooklyn, NY-based guest artist Lyne Lucien, celebrates Creole classical musician and composer Edmond Dédé. The melody to his 1851 composition “Mon Pauvre Cœur” [My Poor Heart] remains one of the oldest surviving pieces of sheet music by a Black Creole composer in New Orleans.

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. on this day in 1827, Dédé picked up the clarinet from his father, a bandmaster in a local military band. He switched to the violin, which soon became Dédé’s instrument of choice as he developed into a musical prodigy. Apprenticing under prominent New Orleans musicians, Dédé left home for Mexico to escape the increasing racial prejudice in the American South.

He returned home in 1851 and published “Mon Pauvre Cœur.” He worked briefly to save money before leaving again to continue his classical studies in France. In the late 1850s, he landed a position at the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, where his creativity thrived. He also worked at the Théâtre de l'Alcazar and the Folies Bordelaises. His ballets, operettas, overtures, and over 250 songs achieved massive success in France yet gained little traction in the U.S. In 1893, en route to his only musical appearance back in New Orleans, Dédé lost his favorite Cremona violin in a shipwreck but managed to find a replacement just in time for his performance!

Despite living in a time of severe racial discrimination, Dédé’s talent led him to become a world-class composer. Most of Dédé’s sheet music is preserved in the National Library of France and several American universities. His story continues to inspire contemporary classical musicians to take pride in their heritage and honor the contributions of musicians from historically overlooked communities.

[9A]

19 Nov 2013

Helena Zmatlíková's 90th Birthday




Helena Zmatlíková [19 November 1923, Prague – 4 April 2005, Prague] was a Czech illustrator, especially of children's books. For her works she received numerous awards. She also participated in the 1958 World Exhibition.

[9A]

19 November 2009

Teachers' Day 2009 - Multiple Countries

[9A]

17 Nov 2009

Isamu Noguchi's Birthday



Isamu Noguchi [野口 勇, Noguchi Isamu, November 17, 1904 – December 30, 1988] was an American artist and landscape architect whose artistic career spanned six decades, from the 1920s onward. Known for his sculpture and public artworks, Noguchi also designed stage sets for various Martha Graham productions, and several mass-produced lamps and furniture pieces, some of which are still manufactured and sold.

[9A]

13 Nov 2009

Doodle 4 Google 2009 - India by Puru Pratap Singh




Pratap Singh Nabha [21 September 1919 – 22 July 1995] was the last ruling Maharaja of Nabha. The state of Nabha was merged into India in 1948. It was annexed to Patiala and the East Punjab States Union, a new political administrative unit that comprised all the states of the Punjab.

[9A]

13 November 2009

Discovery of Water on the Moon




One question that us doodlers answer pretty often is "how long does it take to draw a doodle?" Well, sometimes it takes a few weeks [since we talk to local experts on the relevance and appropriateness of our work], other times we have a year to think about a doodle [Halloween, for example, happens every year], and then there are occasions like this doodle. The discovery of water on the moon was a fun project because I had about four hours to work on this from start to finish. I was sitting at my desk at 9 am, Pacific time, when I stumbled on an article about this current event. I quickly sent the article to my team and, by the time I was about to take a bite out of my lunch, I received a call to have this doodle sketched, drafted, finished, and live on all our homepages in four hours. It was an exciting day for a doodler and the world of science!


posted by Jennifer Hom

[9A]

10 Nov 2009

40th Anniversary of Sesame Street




Sesame Street is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop [known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000] and was created by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett. It is known for its images communicated through the use of Jim Henson's Muppets, and includes short films, with humor and cultural references. It premiered on November 10, 1969, to positive reviews, some controversy, and high viewership. It has aired on the United States national public television provider PBS since its debut, with its first run moving to premium channel HBO on January 16, 2016, then its sister streaming service HBO Max in 2020. Sesame Street is one of the longest-running shows in the world.

[9A]

1 October 2018

Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy's 100th Birthday




"Attachment to your village, your hospital, your state or country—that must go. You must live in your soul and face the universal consciousness. To see all as one. To have this vision and work with strength and wisdom all over the world...to give sight for all."

-Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy

Known as Dr. V to colleagues and patients, Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy, founded the Aravind Eye Hospital, which started as an 11-bed facility and has grown into a network of clinics providing life-changing care to citizens of a nation struggling with high rates of blindness. Born on this day in 1918, Govindappa Venkataswamy was raised in Vadamalapuram, a rural village in Southern India. He began his education at a school with no paper or pencils—spreading sand from the riverbank on the ground, students would write with their hands. From such humble beginnings he went on to earn a B.A. in chemistry from American College in Madurai, an M.D. from Stanley Medical College in Madras in 1944.

Joining the Indian Army Medical Corps straight out of medical school, Dr. V’s plans for a career in obstetrics were derailed when he was stricken with rheumatoid arthritis so severe that he was confined to his bed for a year. Simple acts like walking or holding a pen became a serious challenge, but somehow he managed to return to school and study for a degree in ophthalmology in 1951. Despite his health issues, he learned how to perform surgery to remove cataracts—the leading cause of blindness. Dr. V could perform 100 surgeries in a day. Addressing the problem of blindness in a holistic fashion, he set up eye camps in rural communities, a rehab center for blind people, and a training program for ophthalmic assistants, personally performing over 100,000 successful eye surgeries. In 1973 he received the Padmashree award from the Government of India for outstanding service to the nation.

Facing mandatory retirement at age 58, Dr. V began the next phase of his career in 1976, establishing the GOVEL Trust in order to fund the first Aravind Eye Hospital. The 11-bed facility was financed by doctors mortgaging their homes and donating their own furniture. The vision was to devote six beds to those patients who could not pay anything and to cover those costs with the other five beds, serving patients paying only as much as they could afford.

Today Aravind Eye Hospital has nearly 4,000 beds performing over 400,000 eye surgeries each year, with 70% of patients paying little or nothing. This seemingly miraculous result has been made possible by a relentless focus on efficiency and good management. Dr. V lowered the cost of cataract operations to nearly $10 per patient. His team of paramedicals do most of the prep work required for each surgery, freeing doctors to do what they do best. Each year Aravind performs 60% as many eye surgeries as the NHS in Great Britain, doing so at one-one thousandth of the cost.

As Dr V said, “Intelligence and capability are not enough. There must also be the joy of doing something beautiful.”

Happy 100th Birthday Dr. V!

[9A]

1 October 2019

Celebrating Dr. Herbert Kleber




“Of course I’m an optimist,” psychiatrist Dr. Herbert Kleber once remarked. “How else do I work with addicts for 40 years?” Today’s Doodle celebrates Dr. Kleber—born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 19th, 1934, and hailed for his pioneering work in addiction treatment—on the 23rd anniversary of his election to the prestigious National Academy of Medicine [formerly the Institute of Medicine]. This Doodle was illustrated by Massachusetts-based artist and author of the graphic memoir Hey, Kiddo Jarrett J. Krosoczka.

Volunteering for the United States Public Health Service in 1964, Dr. Kleber was assigned to a prison hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, where thousands of inmates were being treated for addiction. Noticing that the vast majority of patients would relapse shortly after release, he began to develop a new approach.

Describing his method as “evidence-based treatment,” Dr. Kleber viewed addiction as a medical condition as opposed to a moral failure. Rather than punishing or shaming patients, as many of his predecessors in the field had done, Dr. Kleber stressed the importance of research, helping to keep many patients on the road to recovery and avoid relapse through the careful use of medication and therapeutic communities.

Dr. Kleber’s success attracted the attention of President George H.W. Bush, who appointed him Deputy Director for Demand Reduction at the Office of National Drug Control Policy. As co-founder of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Dr. Kleber was a leader in reframing the field of substance abuse research and treatment as a medical discipline.

At the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, he and his then-wife Dr. Marian W. Fischman established America’s leading research program on substance abuse. During his 50-year career, Dr. Kleber authored hundreds of articles, wrote important books, and mentored numerous other medical professionals in the field of addiction treatment. A self-described “perpetual optimist,” Dr. Kleber changed the landscape of addiction treatment, allowing patients to be diagnosed and treated rather than shamed—and saving countless lives in the process.

[9A]

30 Sept 2019

Harry Jerome’s 79th Birthday



“Never give up” was a fitting motto for Harry Jerome, the Canadian athlete who broke barriers as he broke records. Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Toronto-based guest artist Moya Garrison-Msingwana, depicts the statue of Jerome that stands in Vancouver’s Stanley Park. That city also hosts the annual Harry Jerome International Track Classic, a meet named in honor of the champion sprinter.

Born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan on this day in 1940, Harry Winston Jerome broke a Canadian record for the 220-yard sprint at age 18, soon earning an athletic scholarship to the University of Oregon. His grandfather John “Army” Howard had been the first black athlete to represent Canada in the Olympics. Jerome and his younger sister Valerie both carried on the family legacy, traveling to Rome to compete in the 1960 Olympic Games.

Although a pulled muscle prevented him from running in the finals, Jerome went on to represent Canada at two more Olympic Games, winning the bronze medal in 1964. He also won gold medals in the Pan American Games and Commonwealth Games. Starting in 1960, Jerome would equal or break four world sprinting records over the course of his career.

In 1969 Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau invited Jerome to help set up Canada’s Ministry of Sport. He was awarded the prestigious Order of Canada in 1971 and later named British Columbia’s Athlete of the Century. Inspiring young athletes of color to pursue their dreams and achieve their fullest potential, Jerome traveled across Canada holding sports clinics for high school students.

His life inspired the documentary film Mighty Jerome and his legacy is celebrated each year with the Harry Jerome Awards, which recognize excellence in Canada’s black community.

Here's to a champion who never gave up.

[9A]

22 Sept 2019

Junko Tabei’s 80th Birthday



“Do not give up,” said Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei, when asked for advice. “Keep on your quest.”

Born on this day in 1939, Tabei was raised in Miharu, a small town in Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture. She discovered the joy of climbing at age 10 during a class trip to Mount Nasu. Though she was the first woman to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, Tabei once said she preferred to be remembered as the 36th person to climb the world’s highest mountain peak.

“I did not intend to be the first woman on Everest,” she explained. Still, it's undeniable that the 4-foot-9 [[144.8 centimeter) mother of two made history in 1969 when she founded Japan’s first Ladies Climbing Club, defying the traditional notion that women should stay at home and clean the house.

The Everest expedition started in the spring of 1975 with 15 climbers and 6 sherpas. At an elevation of 9,000 feet [2,743.2 meters], their camp was buried by an avalanche. After 3 days of recovery, Tabei continued with the climb, reaching the summit on May 16, 1975, accompanied only by the sherpa Ang Tshering.

After returning from the summit, she received congratulations from Japan’s Emperor, Crown Prince, and Princess, among others. “It took two months until I could settle at home,” she recalled. “My three-year-old daughter was scared of all the cameras."

Excited more by mountain climbing than media attention, Tabei continued to scale new heights, including the “seven summits”—the highest peaks on each continent—as depicted in today’s Doodle. Even when battling illness, she continued climbing.

Tabei eventually reached mountaintops in 76 different countries.

Happy Birthday, Junko Tabei!

[9A]

22 September 2021

Bunpheng Faiphiuchai’s 89th birthday




For those looking to understand the heritage of Thailand’s northeastern Isan region—the nation’s largest territory that is home to over 22 million people—no other artistic phenomenon reflects its identity more than the poetic style of folk music known as Mo Lam. Today’s Doodle celebrates the 89th birthday of the Thai singer crowned the “Queen of Mo Lam,” Bunpheng Faiphiuchai.

Born on this day in 1932 in Ubon Ratchathani Province of Isan, Thailand, Bunpheng Faiphiuchai began performing Mo Lam at a young age. Mo Lam performances were uncomplicated during this era—one male and one female vocalist brought stories from Isan literature to life by holding a musical “debate” accompanied by the rhythmic sounds of the khaen [a bamboo mouth organ depicted in the Doodle artwork].

After years of training, Faiphiuchai became known for her witty philosophical responses to her male counterparts and soon landed a job as a Mo Lam performer. By 1955, Faiphiuchai recorded more full-length albums than any other woman in the genre. She complemented her illustrious singing career with philanthropic endeavors such as promoting infectious disease prevention, environmental initiatives, and other forms of Thai performance art.

Faiphiuchai was named a Thai National Artist in 1997 for her outstanding cultural contributions and passed down this unique Mo Lam expertise to numerous students throughout her life. Today, many of her pupils are well-known performers of Mo Lam which remains a foundational aspect of Thailand’s rich cultural heritage.

Happy Birthday, Bunpheng Faiphiuchai! Thank you for fostering the next generation of Mo Lam performers!

[9A]

22 September 2004

Ray Charles' 74th Birthday


Ray Charles Robinson Sr. [September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004] was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Genius". Among friends and fellow musicians he preferred being called "Brother Ray". Charles was blinded during childhood, possibly due to glaucoma.

Charles pioneered the soul music genre during the 1950s by combining blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel styles into the music he recorded for Atlantic Records. He contributed to the integration of country music, rhythm and blues, and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, notably with his two Modern Sounds albums. While he was with ABC, Charles became one of the first black musicians to be granted artistic control by a mainstream record company.

Charles's 1960 hit "Georgia On My Mind" was the first of his three career No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. His 1962 album Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music became his first album to top the Billboard 200. Charles had multiple singles reach the Top 40 on various Billboard charts: 44 on the US R&B singles chart, 11 on the Hot 100 singles chart, 2 on the Hot Country singles charts.

Charles cited Nat King Cole as a primary influence, but his music was also influenced by Louis Jordan and Charles Brown. He had a lifelong friendship and occasional partnership with Quincy Jones. Frank Sinatra called Ray Charles "the only true genius in show business," although Charles downplayed this notion. Billy Joel said, "This may sound like sacrilege, but I think Ray Charles was more important than Elvis Presley".

For his musical contributions, Charles received the Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, and the Polar Music Prize. He was one of the inaugural inductees at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. He has won 18 Grammy Awards [5 posthumously], the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987, and 10 of his recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone ranked Charles No. 10 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, and No. 2 on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. In 2022, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, as well as the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.



Charles in the 1960s

[9A]

7 Sept 2004

Google's 6th Birthday

[9A]

14 Aug 2004

2004 Athens Olympic Games - Opening Ceremony

[9A]

14 August 2009

Hans Christian Ørsted's Birthday



Hans Christian Ørsted [ 14 August 1777 – 9 March 1851] was a Danish physicist and chemist who discovered that electric currents create magnetic fields, which was the first connection found between electricity and magnetism. Oersted's law and the oersted unit [Oe] are named after him.

A leader of the Danish Golden Age, Ørsted was a close friend of Hans Christian Andersen and the brother of politician and jurist Anders Sandøe Ørsted, who served as Prime Minister of Denmark from 1853 to 1854.

[9A]

14 August 2018

27th Anniversary of Bunaken National Park


The Indonesian government set aside five islands and surrounding waters in 1991, providing protection to the 58 different types of coral and more than 90 species of fish located in Bunaken National Park. Located to the north of the island of Sulawesi, Bunaken National Park is a place where Hawksbill turtles forage on reefs amid colorful schools of damselfish, clownfish, angelfish, and a dazzling array of marine dwellers.

Spectacular sea creatures are not the only inhabitants of the 280-square-mile marine park, located in the northern part of Sulawesi province. There are some 20,000 human beings, most of whom rely on fishing for at least part of their daily nutrition. Groupers, snappers, and napoleon wrasse feed along the vast coral walls that contain an impressive amount of biodiversity—nearly 70% percent of the marine species found in this part of the world.

Although illegal fishing still occurs, and coral is vulnerable to climate change, the Indonesian government applied for the park to be listed as one of UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites, which provides additional protections. Indonesian schools educate students about the fragility of the ecosystem they live within, ensuring that future generations learn how to safeguard this national treasure.

[9A]

5 July 2018

Venezuela Independence Day 2018



From the beaches of Margarita Island to the villages of the Andes mountains, Venezuela National Day is celebrated with fireworks and most importantly, family. Today’s Doodle celebrates Venezuela’s festive culture with a couple in traditional garb dancing the joropo.

A lively dance derived from the Spanish fandango, joropo developed into a distinctly Venezuelan fusion of South American and Caribbean influences. Widely considered Venezuela’s national dance, the joropo is usually accompanied by stringed instruments — guitars, harps, and the cuatro — a four-stringed Venezuelan guitar played by cuatristas.

Dancing joropo on this day also comes in handy to work off the calories from feasting on some of the country’s traditional dishes including: arepas, plantains, griddled white cheese, and the national dish: pabellon criollo — beans, rice, plantains, and spicy shredded beef with an egg on top. On Independence Day it’s often plated to look just like the national flag!

¡Feliz día de la independencia, Venezuela!

[9A]

23 August 2022

Anna Mani's 104th birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates the 104th birthday of Indian physicist and meteorologist Anna Mani, one of the country’s first female scientists. Her life’s work and research made it possible for India to make accurate weather forecasts, and laid the groundwork for the nation to harness renewable energy.

Born on this day in 1918, Mani grew up in the former state of Travancore [present-day Kerala]. She spent her formative years immersed in books. By age 12, Mani had read almost every book at her public library! She remained an avid reader all her life.

After high school, she did her Intermediate Science course at Women’s Christian College [WCC] and went on to complete a Bachelor of Science with honours in physics and chemistry from Presidency College, Madras. After graduation, she taught at WCC for a year and won a scholarship for post-graduate studies at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Here, under the guidance of Nobel Laureate Sir C. V. Raman, she studied spectroscopy, specializing in diamonds and rubies.

Between 1942 and 1945, she published five papers, completed her Ph.D. dissertation, and began a graduate program at Imperial College, London, where she learned to specialize in meteorological instrumentation.

She began working for the India Meteorological Department upon her return to India in 1948, where she helped the country design and manufacture its own weather instruments. She excelled so much in this male-dominated field that by 1953, she became head of the division. Under her leadership, more than 100 weather instrument designs were simplified and standardized for production.

Mani was also an early advocate of alternative energy sources. Throughout the 1950s, she established a network of solar radiation monitoring stations and published several papers on sustainable energy measurement.

Mani later became Deputy Director General of India Meteorological Department, and held several key positions in the United Nations World Meteorological Organization. In 1987, she won the INSA K. R. Ramanathan Medal for her remarkable contributions to science.

After her retirement, she was appointed as a Trustee of the Raman Research Institute in Bangalore. She also founded a company that manufactured solar and wind energy devices.

Happy 104th birthday, Anna Mani! Your life’s work inspired brighter days for this world.

[9A]

23 August 2012

Chinese Valentine's Day 2012




Qi Xi, sometimes called Chinese Valentine's Day, Magpie Festival, or the Double Seventh Festival is a traditional romantic festival in China. It take places on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month and often goes into August on the Gregorian calendar.

Scholars have shown the Double Seventh Festival originated from the Han Dynasty [206 BC-AD 220]. Historical documents from the Eastern Jin Dynasty [AD 371-420] mention the festival, while records from the Tang Dynasty [618-907] depict the grand evening banquet of Emperor Taizong and his concubines. By the Song [960-1279] and Yuan [1279-1368] dynasties, special articles for the Qi Xi were seen being sold on markets in the capital. The bustling markets demonstrated the significance of the festival.

[9A]

23 August 2012

Alexander Grin's 132th Birthday




Aleksandr Stepanovich Grinevsky [better known by his pen name, Aleksandr Green] was a Russian writer, notable for his romantic novels and short stories, mostly set in an unnamed fantasy land with a European or Latin American flavor [Grin's fans often refer to this land as Grinlandia]. Most of his writings deal with sea, adventures, and love.

[9A]

23 August 2014

25th Anniversary of the Baltic Way




On August 23, 1989, 2 million people held hands and formed a human chain that stretched 370 miles across the three Baltic states, proving that the call for independence from the Soviet Union was a matter of peace, not violence. Today, we mark the 25th anniversary of the Baltic Way on our homepages in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.

[9A]

23 August 2021

Aimé Painé's 78th birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates the 78th birthday of Argentinian activist and singer Aimé Painé, a member of the Mapuche nation who devoted her life to preserving the traditional music of her community.

On this day in 1943, Aimé Painé was born in Ingeniero Luis A. Huergo, Argentina as Olga Elisa, a name she had to adopt due to a law that barred the use of Indigenous names. After being separated from her family at the age of three, Painé’s adoptive parents recognized her unique vocal talent and enrolled her in music school. She joined the National Polyphonic Choir in Buenos Aires in her late 20s. During one of the group's international recitals, she learned that Argentina was among the only nations in attendance that didn’t perform Indigenous music. This denial of native heritage prompted Painé to embark on a journey to southern Argentina to reconnect with her Indigenous roots.

Her quest led to a reunion with her biological, Mapuche father who inspired Painé to carry on their ancestral heritage through music. She reinterpreted ancient Mapuche songs in the native language of Mapudungun while playing traditional instruments, such as the cultrun and the cascahuillas. As one of the first musicians to popularize Mapuche music, Painé traveled across Argentina dressed in traditional Mapuche garb through the 1980s, singing stories of her people and denouncing their marginalization.

In 1987, Painé represented the Mapuche people at a United Nations conference, where she brought global awareness to her community’s struggle for equal rights. Today, Painé's legacy is honored each year on September 10 as the “Day of Mapuche Culture” in Argentina.

Happy birthday, Aimé Painé and thank you for safeguarding Mapuche musical traditions!

[9A]

23 August 2015

Mundaneum co-founder Paul Otlet's 147th Birthday



History’s most prolific thinkers had the vision to see how the world might look a year, a decade, even a century into the future. These innovators thought up today’s most advanced technology well before it was even possible to create it.

For many of us, it’s hard to imagine a world before the Internet. Belgian lawyer Paul Otlet lived in that world. In 1895, he worked with Henri La Fontaine to create the Universal Bibliography in Brussels, a repository of more than 12 million searchable index cards that came to be called the Mundaneum in the early 1900's.

Years later, Paul brought clarity and a future to the project through his vision for the Mundaneum: a universal system of written, visual, and audio information that people could access from the comfort of their own homes. The roots of that vision took hold just a few decades later when engineers planted the technological seeds that brought electronic information sharing to life.

[9A]

18 Aug 2015

Olga Cossettini’s 117th Birthday




Happy 117th Birthday Olga Cossetini!

Olga Cossettini was a groundbreaking influence on children's education in Argentina. She spent her lifetime leading the education system away from corporal punishment and towards acceptance of children as individuals. She worked with her sister Leticia to transform the traditional school into the Serena School, or Active School, which is what her method is called today.

Olga's work was primarily based on respecting each child's unique personality and engaging them in their own education. The two sisters felt that children should be active participants in education, not just passive recipients of information. They broke down barriers between schools and the communities, instilling a passion for both learning and teaching across social and economic groups. Her rejection of discrimination and celebration of the unique gifts of the individual inspire educators and pupils alike around the world.