Google doodles

[9A]

July 8, 2020

Artemisia Gentileschi’s 427th Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates groundbreaking Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi on her 427th birthday. Gentileschi is best known for her depictions of powerful heroines, many of which seem to reflect the prejudice and hardship she faced in her own life. Today she is considered one of the greatest female artists of the Baroque period.

Artemisia Gentileschi was born in Rome in present-day Italy on this day in 1593. Her father was a painter and trained young Gentileschi in the dramatic style developed by the master Caravaggio. At just 17, Gentileschi produced one of her most famous works, “Susanna and the Elders” [1610], which for many years was incorrectly credited to her father.

After Gentileschi fell victim to a tragic crime in her teen years, her father brought her art teacher to trial, and though he was found guilty, Gentileschi’s reputation was unjustly tarnished in the process. Gentileschi rose above these circumstances to achieve enormous success in a field typically reserved for men.

Among her many accomplishments, in 1616, she became the first woman accepted to the esteemed Accademia del Disegno [Academy of Design] in Florence. She received patronage from the famous Medici family and even struck up a friendship with the legendary scientist Galileo.

Following centuries of relative obscurity, Gentileschi’s paintings are today celebrated around the world, and an ornate plate rests in her honor as part of Judy Chicago’s iconic work “The Dinner Party” [1979].

Buon compleanno, Artemisia Gentileschi!

[9A]

July 8, 2014

World Cup 2014 #54

[9A]

November 22, 2017

Celebrating Kimchi




Today we celebrate Kimchi on what is known as “Kimchi Day” in Korea! According to local research, the date is significant in this tasty treat’s creation because salting kimchi today helps the dish reach its full flavor potential.

Packing a powerful punch of napa cabbage, green onion, fish sauce, red pepper flakes, rice flour, salt, ginger, radish, carrot, and garlic, fermented kimchi in onggi [clay pot] is loved by many around the world and is traditionally eaten with chopsticks. Today’s Doodle celebrates each ingredient that goes into making some seriously scrumptious kimchi.

Kimchi was first referenced in Korea about 2,600-3,000 years ago, and in the 18th century, it was first made with chili peppers. Due to varying regional recipes, there are hundreds of different types of kimchi. Many Korean households even have a separate kimchi refrigerator!

The dish is produced in especially large amounts during November and December. This is when kimjang [kimchi curing takes place in preparation for winter. During kimjang, cabbage is pickled by cutting it into smaller pieces, soaking it in brine overnight, and dashing salt. Then, yangnyum [radish coated in chili powder] is mixed with ingredients such as green onions, dropwort, mustard leaves, ginger, garlic, and fermented shrimp or anchovies. To complete the process, the pickled cabbage is stuffed or mixed with the yangnyum and stored away to ferment until eating.


During this time, family members and neighbors gather in each other’s kitchens to cook together, trade recipes, and share stories. Listed by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage, kimjang creates moments of joy and encourages living in harmony with nature.


Happy eating!

[9A]

July 8, 2007

National Aborigines & Islander Day Observance Committee Week






NAIDOC Week [/ˈneɪdɒk/ NAY-dok] is an Australian observance lasting from the first Sunday in July until the following Sunday. The acronym NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. It has its roots in the 1938 Day of Mourning, becoming a week-long event in 1975.

NAIDOC Week celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The week is celebrated not just in the Indigenous Australian communities but also in increasing numbers of government agencies, schools, local councils and workplaces.

[9A]

September 11, 2018

Joanna Baillie’s 256th Birthday






The prolific yet soft-spoken Scottish writer, born on this day in 1762, was compared to Shakespeare during her lifetime and is often hailed as one of the greatest female poets of all times. Her first poem, “Winter Day,” evoked the natural beauty of her native Scotland. Her cottage outside London was a hub of the literary scene, where she maintained friendly relationships with many of the important British writers of her time, including William Wordsworth, and Lady and Lord Byron.

In the "Introductory Discourse" to her 1798 Plays on the Passions, Baillie set the tone for what would come to be known as English Romanticism. She spent fourteen years working on her ambitious three-part project, a series of comedies and tragedies about love, hatred and jealousy with the stated goal of “unveiling the human mind under the dominion of those strong and fixed passions.” Today’s Doodle depicts some of her best-loved ‘Plays on the Passions’: Ethwald, De Monfort, The Tryal, Basil, and Orra.

First published anonymously, Baillie’s plays were the talk of London as readers tried to guess the author’s identity. Despite her obvious talents, she was reluctant to publish at all—"were it not that my Brother has expressed a strong wish that I should publish a small vol: of poetry,” she wrote in a letter, ”I should have very little pleasure in the thought”— but she was determined that her plays [psychological dramas featuring strong female characters] be performed by actors on stage rather than simply read. “I have wished to leave behind me in the world a few plays,” she wrote in the preface to her 1804 collection ‘Miscellaneous Plays,’ “some of which might have a chance of continuing to be acted even in our canvas theatres and barns.”

Baillie’s literary legacy is rivaled only by her philanthropy. Though born into a well-off Scottish family, her mother saw hard times following her father’s sudden death. A wealthy uncle’s inheritance helped her and her sister purchase the cottage where she lived and worked for most of her life, but she never forgot the less fortunate, donating half of the earnings from her writing to charity. She wrote an essay in support of chimney sweeps, and advocated for women writers as well as other authors who struggled to provide for themselves.

[9A]

July 8, 2011

Jean de la Fontaine's 390th Birthday




Of all the fables adapted by Jean de la Fontaine, “The Tortoise and the Hare” appealed to me the most for the persistent relevance of its message. I drew stylistic inspiration from traditional storybook etchings, and also looked at some of my heroes of illustration -- Arthur Rackham and John Tenniel. Though the style is old-fashioned, the moral is still true! You go, little guy!





Posted by Sophia Foster-Dimino

[9A]

June 1, 2021

Celebrating Daniel Balavoine





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

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

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

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

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

Here’s to you, Daniel Balavoine!

[9A]

September 19, 2017

Amalia Hernandez’s 100th Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates dancer and choreographer Amalia Hernandez. She founded the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico and used it to share Mexican culture with the world.

Born in 1917, Hernandez developed a passion for performing and dance early in life. She became a choreographer at the Fine Arts National Institute, where she taught modern dance. She then turned her focus to traditional Mexican folk dances. She combined these dances with more choreographed movements from her formal training, helping to create an entirely new style of dance known as baile folklorico.

In 1952, Hernandez founded the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico. Beginning with just eight dancers, the troupe grew to over three hundred in the years to follow. The company performed on television for the first time in 1954, after which they were featured in a weekly broadcast. This success allowed Amalia’s group to tour North America and even represent Mexico in the Pan American Games in 1959.

The Ballet Folklorico de Mexico still performs to this day. Since its inception, the group has danced for more than 22 million people. Hernandez remained involved with the company until her death in 2000, working alongside her daughters and grandson.

Happy 100th birthday to Amalia Hernandez, remembered as an ambassador of Mexican culture whose legacy lives on through the Ballet Folklorico.

[9A]

October 27, 2019

Sylvia Plath's 87th Birthday




“How she longed for winter then! –
Scrupulously austere in its order
Of white and black
Ice and rock, each sentiment in border,
And heart’s frosty discipline
Exact as a snowflake.”


—Sylvia Plath, “Spinster”


Today’s Doodle celebrates the acclaimed American writer Sylvia Plath, whose painfully honest poetry and prose gave voice to the author’s innermost emotions in ways that touched generations of readers. “It is as if my life were magically run by two electric currents: joyous positive and despairing negative,” wrote Plath, whose work helped many understand mental illness. “Whichever is running at the moment dominates my life, floods it.”

Born in Boston on this day in 1932, Sylvia Plath grew up with her father, a strict German and biology teacher specializing in the study of bees. Showing an early talent for writing, Plath was published in national publications, won awards, worked as an editor, and graduated from Smith College with honors—all despite suffering a mental breakdown. Her works often used heavy imagery and metaphors, set amongst scenes of winter and frost, as shown in today's Doodle.

After college, Plath earned a Fulbright scholarship and traveled to England. In 1982, she won a Pulitzer Prize posthumously. While her children’s book, The It-Doesn’t-Matter-Suit, shows a lighter side of her creativity, her poems were described by the novelist Joyce Carol Oates as reading “as if they’ve been chiseled, with a fine surgical instrument, out of arctic ice.”

[9A]

October 29, 2014

Shin Saimdang's 510th Birthday



With a delicate touch, Korean artist and poet Shin Saimdang captivated audiences with her paintings of flowers, butterflies, and landscapes. In recognition of her contributions to Korean culture, Saimdang was selected to appear on the South Korean 50,000 won note, becoming the first woman to have the honor. Today we celebrate what would have been her 510th birthday.

[9A]

September 21, 2021

Chuseok 2021



Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Seoul, South Korea-based guest artist Kim Jam, celebrates Chuseok, a three-day, harvest festival observed across the Korean peninsula. As one of the three most important holidays on the Korean lunar calendar, Chuseok is a time for families to come together and show gratitude for a fruitful harvest with traditional food, stories, and games.

Chuseok is also known in Korean as Hangawi, with “han” meaning “large” and “gawi” meaning “middle,” referring to a big celebration in the middle of the month! The date for this holiday, the middle of the 8th lunar month, was chosen to align with the harvest moon, which is the largest full moon of the year. Families traditionally start the day’s festivities with a memorial service known as charye which commemorates their ancestral heritage with enough songpyeon [half-moon rice cakes] for everyone to enjoy.

To honor an abundant harvest, holiday activities are livened with vibrant traditions of Korean entertainment. Samulnori [a percussion quartet] drums up the sounds for talchum [a mask dance] and ganggangsullae [an ancient circle dance] while celebrants play Chuseok games such as yutnori [a board game using four wooden sticks], and neolttwigi [standing seesaw].

Happy Chuseok, Korea!

[9A]

September 15, 2017

Guatemala National Day 2017




September 15th is important in Guatemala - it’s Independence Day! Blue and white flags fly proudly and citizens parade through the streets across the country. Once the center of the Maya civilization, Guatemalan culture has become a unique blend of ancient and Spanish influences.

Today’s Doodle showcases the beautiful Santa María Volcano, one of the many volcanic landscapes in Guatemala. The Santa María Volcano is part of the Sierra Madre mountain range and can be seen from the city of Quetzaltenango. It was one of the most active volcanoes in the region centuries ago, but has not erupted since 1902. Many visitors to Guatemala hike across Santa Maria and the mountains to take in the beautiful scenery of the country.

If you’re in Guatemala today, join in on the festivities of dancing, fireworks and feasts to commemorate the country’s history and the patriotism of Guatemalans everywhere!

[9A]

September 15, 2008

Japan's Respect for the Aged Day 2008

[9A]

September 20, 2021

Respect the Aged Day 2021




On the third Monday of September, the people of Japan honor the eldest in their communities during Respect for the Aged Day. Today's Doodle by Ishikawa, Japan-based guest artist Maiko Dake captures the joy provided by elderly people and their contributions to society.

The holiday, also known as Keirō no Hi, started as a local festival in 1947 when the mayor of Nomadani-mura [now Taka-cho] in the Hyōgo Prefecture wanted to host an event during which people could look to their elders for guidance and wisdom. The idea soon caught on in other communities and Japan declared Respect for the Aged Day a national holiday in 1966.

In years past, many people used the long weekend to visit aging relatives or bring meals to the elderly. Some cities also hold athletic competitions for seniors! Others call or send flowers like those represented in today’s Doodle to honor their loved ones.

People who have recently celebrated their 100th birthdays can look forward to official congratulations, and of these more than 80,000 centenarians, some appear on television to share their advice for a long and healthy life.

Happy Respect for the Aged Day, Japan!

[9A]

September 20, 2000

2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney - Diving

[9A]

September 20, 2018

Josefa Llanes Escoda’s 120th Birthday





When Josefa Llanes Escoda was attending elementary school in Dingras, her hometown in the Philippines, she went to class despite an impending typhoon. “I'll not let the weather keep me away from school,” the determined young student told her mother. After graduating as valedictorian, she went on to join the Red Cross and win a scholarship to the United States, where she studied social work, earning a masters degree from Columbia University.

Born on this day in 1898, Escoda was the eldest of seven children and always showed a great interest in women’s issues. A strong advocate for female suffrage, she worked tirelessly to make sure voting rights were extended to all citizens. She founded the Boy's Town in Manila for underprivileged youth in 1937 and the Girl Scouts of the Philippines in 1940, changing the lives of young people in her native country for the better.

Escoda’s face appears on the 1000 peso bill and streets, buildings, and a monument have been dedicated in her honor. As a living legacy to her work, the Girl Scouts of the Philippines honor Escoda by celebrating her birthday each year with acts of service, carrying the example she set forward for generations to come.

[9A]

March 28, 2020

Wubbo Ockels’ 74th Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates the 74th birthday of Dutch astronaut, physicist, and professor Dr. Wubbo Ockels, the Netherlands’ first citizen in space. A champion of sustainable energy renowned for his positive outlook on life, Dr. Ockel’s contributions to science and space exploration were truly out of this world.

Born on this day in 1946 in Almelo, Netherlands, Wubbo Johannes Ockels went on to pursue a doctorate in physics and mathematics from the University of Groningen. Taking a break from his research on nuclear energy, he stumbled across an advertisement from the European Space Agency looking for candidates to go to space, and the rest is history. In 1978, the ESA selected Ockels and two others to begin astronaut training as part of an ambitious series of missions utilizing Spacelab, the agency’s manned research module.

On October 30th, 1985, Dr. Ockels launched into space aboard the Challenger space shuttle as a scientific research specialist, the eight-person crew becoming the largest ever to do so aboard the same craft. In honor of the Netherlands, he carried onboard a large bag of gouda cheese. After logging 168 hours in space, a dizzying 110 orbits of Earth, and over 75 scientific experiments, the crew returned safely home.

After that, Dr. Ockels never made it back to space, but his unique experience of the world’s beauty revealed the vulnerability of our planet. Instilled with the profound notion that humankind has no spare home, he used his newfound fame as an astronaut to promote sustainability back on Earth. In 2003, he became a full-time aerospace engineering professor, with a focus on developing alternative sources of energy.

Thank you, Dr. Wubbo Ockels, for defying gravity to create a better future for us all! ​

[9A]

February 27, 2017

Dominican Republic National Day 2017




Today's Doodle marks the 173rd anniversary of the Dominican Republic's independence with a depiction of one of its most majestic natural features, Los Haitises National Park. The park is a unique piece of Dominican heritage; the convergence of San Lorenzo Bay, forests of mangroves, and birds like pelicans and parrots.

Every year, the Dominican Republic celebrates Carnival for the entire month of February — but none compare to the independence day celebrations at the end of the month. On this day, people don white, red, and blue to honor the colors of the national flag. They parade down the streets, celebrate the richness of Dominican culture, and eat traditional dishes like bacalao, or flaked codfish, and mangú, a mashed plantain dish.

Happy Independence Day, Dominican Republic!

[9A]

September 5, 2021

Nicanor Parra's 107th Birthday





Chilean educator, physicist and poet Nicanor Parra, a founder of the literary movement known as “anti-poetry,” said that he taught physics to make a living and wrote poetry to stay alive. Today’s Doodle celebrates Parra’s 107th birthday and his legacy as one of the most significant Latin American poets in contemporary history.

In 1914, Nicanor Segundo Parra Sandoval was born on this day in San Fabián de Alico, Chile. He published his first poetry collection as an undergraduate student of mathematics, physics and education in 1937. Although he went on to teach as a professor of theoretical physics at the University of Chile in 1952--a position he held for close to 40 years--Parra is best known today not for his scientific career but for his poetry.

His most famous collection, Poemas y antipoemas [“Poems and Antipoems”] was published in 1954. Parra coined his work “antipoetry” because it rebelled against the formality and highbrow subjects of traditional poetry. Instead, his poems described the challenges of everyday life using the language spoken by common people in Chile. Even more rebelliously, Parra often used dark humor and sarcasm to make his points. The antipoet wanted to make poetry accessible and relevant to everyone.

Throughout a trailblazing career decorated by some of the highest honors for Spanish-language literature, Parra published dozens of poetry collections. This body of work has since been extensively translated for an international readership. His global prestige extended into the scientific community as one of the leading experts on Newtonian physics and many of his pupils are still working physicists today.

Happy Birthday, Nicanor Parra!

[9A]

October 31, 2019

Carlos Drummond de Andrade’s 117th Birthday





“What now, José?” asked Brazilian writer Carlos Drummond de Andrade in a popular poem from his 1942 anthology, Poesias. Today’s Doodle celebrates an individual whom many consider one of the greatest poets in modern Brazilian literature. Born in the mining town of Itabira on this day in 1902, Drummond composed poems that broke formal rules in verse and expressed the stresses of modern life. He also worked as a literary critic and journalist, writing short semi-fictional newspaper essays, known as crônicas, about the lives of ordinary people, including children and the poor.

After co-founding the literary journal A Revista in 1925, Drummond spent years on his poetry collection Alguma Poesia, emerging as a leading figure in Brazilian modernism. Having earned his degree in pharmacy, he went on to work for Brazil’s Ministry of Education as well as the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Service of Brazil. Throughout his career, he published over a dozen volumes of poetry and a handful of collections of crônicas. His 1986 collection Traveling in the Family: Selected Poems includes English translations by prominent poets Elizabeth Bishop and Mark Strand.

Drummond has received many awards—including the Brazilian Union of Writers Prize—and has become a fixture of Brazilian popular culture. His “Canção Amiga” [“Friendly Song”] was printed on Brazilian currency, and a statue of the poet stands near the ocean in Rio de Janeiro.

[9A]

October 31, 2010

2500th Anniversary of the Marathon





The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of 42.195 kilometres [26 miles 385 yards], usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair divisions. More than 800 marathons are held throughout the world each year, with the vast majority of competitors being recreational athletes, as larger marathons can have tens of thousands of participants.

The marathon was one of the original modern Olympic events in 1896. The distance did not become standardized until 1921. The distance is also included in the World Athletics Championships, which began in 1983. It is the only running road race included in both championship competitions [walking races on the roads are also contested in both].

[9A]

September 2, 2021

Rudolf Weigl's 138th Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates the 138th birthday of Polish inventor, doctor, and immunologist Rudolf Weigl. He produced the first effective vaccine against epidemic typhus—one of humanity’s oldest and most infectious diseases.

On this day in 1883, Rudolf Stefan Weigl was born in the Austro-Hungarian town of Przerów [modern-day Czech Republic]. He went on to study biological sciences at Poland’s Lwów University and was appointed as a parasitologist in the Polish Army in 1914. As millions across Eastern Europe were plagued by typhus, Weigl became determined to stop its spread.

Body lice were known to carry the typhus-infecting bacteria Rickettsia prowazekii, so Weigl adapted the tiny insect into a laboratory specimen. His innovative research revealed how to use lice to propagate the deadly bacteria which he studied for decades with the hope of developing a vaccine. In 1936, Weigl’s vaccine successfully inoculated its first beneficiary. When Germany occupied Poland during the outbreak of the Second World War, Weigl was forced to open a vaccine production plant. He used the facility to hire friends and colleagues at risk of persecution under the new regime.

An estimated 5,000 people were saved due to Weigl’s work during this period--both due to his direct efforts to protect his neighbors and to the thousands of vaccine doses distributed nationwide. Today, Weigl is widely lauded as a remarkable scientist and hero. His work has been honored by not one but two Nobel Prize nominations!

From studying a tiny louse to saving thousands of human lives, the impacts your tireless work had on the world are felt to this day—Happy Birthday, Rudolf Weigl!

[9A]

September 2, 2008

Birthday of Richard B. Smith - Inventor of the Stump Jump Plough





The stump-jump plough, also known as stump-jumping plough, is a kind of plough invented in South Australia in the late 19th century by Richard Bowyer Smith and Clarence Herbert Smith to solve the particular problem of preparing mallee lands for cultivation.

Mallee scrub originally covered large parts of southern Australia, and because of its growth habit, the trees were difficult to remove completely, because the tree would shoot again after burning, cutting down or other kinds of damage. The large roots, known as lignotubers, remained in the ground, making it very difficult to plough the soil.

In South Australia, crown land was offered under the Scrub Lands Act 1866 to farmers on lease, with the option of purchasing after 21 years at the price of £1 per acre. The "Strangways Act" followed in 1869, which allowed crown land to be bought on credit, with encouragement to clear the land of scrub for the purpose of more intensive agriculture such as growing grain crops and mixed farming. Closer settlement made it even tougher for farmers to make a living.

Grubbing the mallee lands was laborious and expensive £2–7 per acre, and the government offered a £200 reward for the invention of an effective machine that would remove the stumps.

[9A]

August 6, 2017

Luang Pradit Phairoh’s 136th Birthday




136 years ago, Luang Pradit Phairoh was born Sorn Silapabanleng to a musician's family in the Amphawa District of Thailand. As a young boy, he accompanied his father and performed as part of a traditional Thai piphat [musical ensemble] across the countryside. At one of these soirees, his musical genius was discovered by a nobleman, and he encouraged 19-year-old Sorn to move to the capital to study music.

Today, he is regarded as the greatest composer of traditional Thai music.

Luang Pradit tutored some of Thailand’s finest musicians and composers, including King Rama VII and Her Majestic Queen Rambhai Barni. In 1925, he was titled ‘Luang’ [a title similar to ‘Sir’], and in keeping with the tradition of the times, was also renamed with the honorific, Pradit Phairoh – loosely translated as ‘Master of Symphony’.

Today’s Doodle depicts Luang Pradit Phairoh, against the backdrop of the ranat ek – a type of xylophone that forms the centerpiece of a traditional piphat. Luang Pradit was particularly known for his mastery of this instrument.

Here are a few earlier drafts of the Doodle.

[9A]

July 8, 2018

Celebrating Shirley [Mum Shirl] Smith







Today marks the start of NAIDOC week, a time when Australia recognizes the culture of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. In keeping with this year’s theme, “Because of Her, We Can!” guest artist Cheryl Moggs, a proud descendant of the Bigambul people of Goondiwindi, created this Doodle celebrating the vibrant spirit of “Mum Shirl.”

Colleen Shirley Perry Smith was born on November 22, 1921, in Erambie Mission, an Aboriginal community in New South Wales. Diagnosed with epilepsy at an early age, Shirl dedicated her life to community activism that resulted in social reform for Aboriginal Australians and other minority communities throughout the country.

After her brother Laurie was arrested, Shirl began visiting Sydney’s Long Bay Correctional Complex to check on him and other Aboriginal inmates. When guards asked how she was related to the prisoners she wanted to visit, she’d say she was their “mum”—and a legend was born. Her work was not limited to prisons, however; Shirl was a founding member of the Aboriginal Children’s Service, the Aboriginal Housing Company, the Aboriginal Medical Service, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, and the Aboriginal Legal Service.

Mum Shirl resided in Sydney for the majority of her life, often travelling to educate Australians on issues affecting Aboriginal communities. Revered for her humanitarian work, this captivating speaker was recognized as a National Living Treasure by Australia’s National Trust in 1998. “Many people have told me they think I’m an exception,” she wrote in her autobiography. “I’m not… There are many fine Aboriginal people who, with half a chance, would be doing what I am now doing.” Thanks to her, many more have.

Guest art by Cheryl Moggs.

[9A]

July 8, 2013

Roswell's 66th Anniversary



The doodle marking the 66th Anniversary of the Roswell Incident tells the story of an alien, who, despite having mastered interstellar space travel, appears less than adept at making a smooth landing on Earth. The team was inspired by classic point-and-click adventure games, and wanted to invite users to help an alien repair its spacecraft by exploring a 1940's New Mexican landscape, interacting with farm animals, and solving puzzles. When designing the game, we tried to think of things from an alien's point of view... chatting with a cow or chicken would be just as novel as meeting human beings for the first time; horseshoes and sacks of feed might be considered fascinating artifacts.

During the production period, this doodle underwent numerous changes, from a fully playable paper prototype, to the final homepage build:

Items and npcs are indicated by sticky notes in this version of the game


First digital pass



The basic form of the game begins to emerge, but graphics are still wonderfully abstract



Final build, with finished art and sound.

Posted by Kevin Laughlin, Doodler

[9A]

June 2, 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]

February 6, 2021

Waitangi Day 2021




On this day in 1840, Māori chiefs joined together with representatives of the British Crown to sign the Te Tiriti o Waitangi [Treaty of Waitangi], an agreement intended to bring unity to Aotearoa New Zealand. Today’s Doodle recognizes the anniversary of this historic treaty signing, now acknowledged annually as Waitangi Day.

On the centennial anniversary of the treaty’s signing, the Māori tribes contributed their unique carving styles to build Te Whare Rūnanga [the House of Assembly], the meeting house depicted in today’s Doodle artwork. The distinct carvings and intricate tukutuku panels in the Whare design represent Māori throughout Aotearoa as it brings together the stories and styles of all Iwi [tribes], showcasing a unique gallery of Māori art, as well as an example of Māori social and cultural life.

Now recognized as one of the nation’s most significant cultural heritage sites, Te Whare Rūnanga stands as a place to bring people together for important hui [meetings] and represents the unification of Māori and all New Zealanders. At dawn today, a ceremony inside Te Whare Rūnanga kicks off New Zealand’s annual Waitangi Festival, a vibrant celebration that includes Māori cultural performances and more.

Happy Waitangi Day, New Zealand!

[9A]

October 18, 2020

Benedict Sandin's 102nd Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates the 102nd birthday of Sarawak-born folklorist and ethnographer Benedict Sandin, who served as the curator of the oldest museum in Borneo: the Sarawak Museum. A member of the Iban–one of the largest Indigenous ethnic groups in what is now Malaysia–Sandin earned scholarly acclaim as one of the world’s foremost experts on the Iban and dedicated his life to the preservation of his native heritage.

Benedict Sandin was born Sandin anak Attat on this date in 1918 in Sarawak, today a state in the country of Malaysia. His father first introduced him to the poetic Iban language, which Sandin went on to master and champion. In 1941, Sandin began work in the Sarawak civil service, and his gift for writing eventually led to an assignment as the editor of Pembrita—the first news publication in the Iban language. His articles attracted the attention of the Sarawak Museum’s curator, who recruited him to join the museum’s staff in a special post in 1952.

Soon after, Sandin was accepted to a UNESCO fellowship program in New Zealand, through which he studied museum techniques and anthropology. He returned home determined to chronicle the Iban history, culture, and language by absorbing and recording the wisdom of local genealogists, bards, and historians. As a testament to Sandin’s invaluable ethnographic achievements, he was named the Curator of the Sarawak Museum and Government Ethnologist in 1966, a position he held for the better part of a decade.

Thank you, Benedict Sandin, for safeguarding and preserving Indigenous tradition and heritage for generations to come.

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February 18, 2021

Celebrating Yee Sang



Lou Hei! Today’s Doodle celebrates Yee Sang, a Malaysian raw fish salad traditionally enjoyed on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year. With chopsticks in hand, families toss the ingredients that make up Yee Sang high above the table while they exclaim “Lou Hei” and wish each other good fortune for the year to come—the higher the toss, the better the fortune!

This ritual traces its origins to the Chinese creation myth of goddess Nu Wa, who is said to have created humanity on the seventh day of the new year. Chinese fishers and sailors commemorated this symbolic day of rebirth by combining the leftovers of the new year’s celebrations to make yu sheng—a salad as thrifty as it was tasty.

By the 1930s, Chinese immigrants brought the Yu Sheng tradition to Malaya, selling fish salad with ginger and lettuce out of hawker carts. But it wasn’t until the 1940s, when Seremban chef Loke Ching Fatta added a twist, that the recipe was adapted to the Yee Sang known today. Fatta combined some 30 ingredients together with his signature sauce to invent the dish now loved by many during the Lunar New Year.

One of the most common combinations of Yee Sang include raw fish, ginger, shredded carrot, radish, pomelo, leek, topped with condiments like crushed peanuts, all mixed thoroughly with several different oils and spices. But there is no wrong way to make Yee Sang, as the dish has infinite variations.

Here’s to Yee Sang and prosperity in the Lunar New Year!

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September 8, 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.

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September 8, 2015

First Day of School 2015 [Canada]

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September 7, 2019

Celebrating Marcelle Ferron





“My aim has always been modest. I wanted to transform the arranged marriage [of art and architecture] into a love match.” ​—Marcelle Ferron

Today’s Doodle celebrates the life and work of the renowned Canadian painter, sculptor, and glassmaker, whose famous installation in Montreal’s Vendôme station was unveiled on this day in 1981. Marcelle Ferron’s striking design combined colorful stained glass with a spiraling stainless steel sculpture, a unique style that inspired the Doodle’s art.

Born in 1924, Ferron studied at the École des beaux-arts de Québec, but left upon realizing she was unable to find answers to her questions about modern art. Upon meeting Québec abstract painter Paul-Émile Borduas, she joined his Automatiste group and became one of the youngest artists to sign their 1948 manifesto Refus global. Ferron went on to spend 13 years painting in Paris, exhibiting her work at the 1961 São Paulo Biennial in Brazil, where she won a silver medal.

Her meeting with glassmaker Michel Blum sparked an interest in glass as an art medium. Over time, she devised her own methods, building “walls of light” connected by invisible joints that allowed her to create large planes of color. These innovative techniques can be seen in her mural for Expo 67 and public commissions in the Champ-de-Mars train station, Sainte-Justine Hospital, and the Granby courthouse.

Throughout her 50-year career, Ferron became one of Canada’s most important contemporary artists and was made a Knight of the National Order of Québec in 1985, then promoted to Grand Officer in 2000. This restless visionary’s achievements blazed a trail for women aspiring to make a mark in what was a traditionally male-dominated space.

Today’s Doodle was created by Doodler Lydia Nichols

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September 7, 2015

Brazil's Independence Day 2015




Orchids! Palm trees! Passion flowers! There’s no landscape in the world quite as colorful as Brazil’s, whose independence we celebrate today. In 1822, from the banks of the grassy Ipiranga Brook in São Paulo, Dom Pedro I declared Brazil a free nation. Centuries later, visitors to the Terra do Brasil come to enjoy its awesome mix of natural offerings, captured in this doodle by Kevin Laughlin. Its main rainforest “is home to as many as 80,000 plant species,” according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. Brazil’s fauna is also impressive, with hundreds of unique mammals roaming its land, and thousands of fish species swimming through its waters. Happy independence day to beautiful, bountiful Brazil!

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September 8, 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!

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September 8, 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.

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September 8, 2014

Mid Autumn Festival 2014 [Vietnam]

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May 19, 2019

Samuel Okwaraji’s 55th Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates Nigerian soccer player Samuel Okwaraji, who stands today as a symbol of national pride. Born in Orlu, Nigeria on this day in 1964, he moved to Europe in 1982 to further his education, though his greatest passion was soccer.

While earning a law degree at the University of Rome, Okwaraji played for the Italian club A.S. Roma. Fluent in several languages, he bounced from club to club, ending up at Germany’s SSV-Ulm 1846 team where he emerged as a standout player. Still, he wanted nothing more than to represent his homeland.

Okwaraji returned home to compete for a spot on the Nigerian “Green Eagles” team that played in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. With his energetic style of play and his love for his homeland, he soon became a fan favorite. Okwaraji was unhappy to learn that his German club was charging the Nigerian Football Association for lost revenues while he played for Nigeria. Reminding the team that he was a lawyer, Okwaraji passionately wrote “I am going to represent my country in the World Cup in Italy whether you like it or not.”

Unfortunately, his dream of playing in the World Cup for Nigeria did not come to fruition. On August 12, 1989, with just fifteen minutes left in a tough World Cup qualifying match against Angola, Okwarji’s life was tragically cut short when he fell down on the field at the National Stadium in Lagos and could not be revived.

Today, a statue of Okwaraji stands in front of that same National Stadium and reads: In memory of an illustrious and patriotic Nigerian sportsman.

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October 20, 2017

Otfried Preußler's 94th Birthday






Otfried Preussler knew all about magic.

Every day, he walked several kilometers to and from his job as a primary school teacher. While others might take this time to consider their schedules, or their grocery lists, or even their troubles, Otfried instead dreamed up stories.

The basis for many were the spoken folktales of his youth. Germany, he knew, was flush with the fantastic, especially when it came to magical beings. The stories are universal, and as a result, Otfried Preussler’s books have been translated into 55 languages and sold 50 million copies worldwide.

Otfried’s stories were quick to spread once they escaped his imagination and appeared in print. It wasn’t long before most German children [and their parents] were giggling over Kasperl and Seppel spoiling the Robber Hotzenplotz’s plans – or the adventures of the little witch, ghost, and water sprite.

Otfried knew that being “good” is sometimes hard to figure out, for human children and little witches alike. Adults sometimes get it wrong, too. He felt that what’s important is that you try to be kind and brave, and – if you’re a water sprite – don’t ever let your feet dry out.

The author would be 94 today – still far too young to attend the annual witches party, according to The Little Witch. In his honor, Frankfurt-based illustrator Jan Buchczik created a Doodle for all the bold little witches, ghosts, and water sprites of the world. But not you, Robber Hotzenplotz – you should take a page from the Little Witch’s book and try doing only good deeds from now on!

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October 22, 2021

Celebrating Theodor Wonja Michael




Today’s Doodle celebrates Afro-German author, journalist, actor, government official, and social activist Theodor Wonja Michael, who survived a German labor camp to become the nation’s first Black federal civil service officer. Dedicated throughout his wide-ranging career to the struggle against racism, he lived to become one of the oldest remaining representatives of a historic generation of Black German people. On this day in 2013, Michael published his emotive memoir “Black German: An Afro-German Life in the Twentieth Century.”

In 1925, Theodor Wonja Michael was born on January 15 in Berlin, Germany to a father of Cameroonian birth and a native German mother. After elementary school, he was denied occupational training due to Germany’s discriminatory Nuremberg Laws. He pursued acting instead, but at 18 he was sent to work in a forced labor camp.

After the end of World War II, Michael went on to earn a master’s degree in political science. He pursued a career in journalism and founded and edited the journal “Afrika-Bulletin.” In 1971, he agreed to contribute his expertise of African issues to West Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service, where he worked as a secret agent and retired as a director in 1987. Initially hesitant to join, Michael used his government service to fight discrimination from within and open doors for other Black Germans. He eventually returned to acting and became one of Germany’s most renowned Shakespearean stage actors.

In honor of his role as a representative of the Black German community, Michael became the first recipient of the nation’s Black History Month Award in 2009.

Thank you, Theodor Wonja Michael! Your story continues to inspire new generations to stand firm in the fight against racial prejudice.

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August 17, 2021

Indonesia Independence Day 2021





On this day in 1945, Indonesian leaders declared that the group of over 17,000 South Asian islands comprised a sovereign nation. Guest artist Kathrin Honesta illustrated today's Doodle to celebrate Indonesia’s Independence Day, known formally in Indonesian as Hari Kemerdekaan and colloquially as Tujuhbelasan [“the Seventeenth”].

As Indonesia is home to over 300 unique, ethnic and linguistic groups, its Independence Day celebrations reflect its multicultural identity while also promoting solidarity within local communities—the nation’s motto “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” means “Unity in Diversity.” Events include everything from traditional costume fashion shows, horse races to festivals centered around the decoration of bicycles. Although a great variety of celebrations can be observed on this holiday, displays of traditional Indonesian song and dance in annual carnival parades are ubiquitous across the archipelago. This year takes on a different meaning where communities are staying strong to protect each other and still celebrate their identity at home.

Each letter in the Doodle artwork depicts elements common to Independence Day festivities, beginning with the Sasando, a nine-stringed harp-like instrument made of bamboo and palm leaves native to Rote Island of East Nusa Tenggara. From left to right, the other instruments, objects, and people pictured include a Rebana, a tambourine-like instrument; a Hudoq mask from Kalimantan; a Pakarena fan dancer from Sulawesi; a Tifa, a percussion instrument from Maluku; and finally, a Gambus or lute from Sumatera. The batik patterns and masks are unique to the instruments and dance origins.

Happy Independence Day and keep stronger together, Indonesia!

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March 7, 2016

Georges Perec’s 80th Birthday




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

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

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

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May 17, 2017

115th Anniversary of the Antikythera Mechanism's Discovery



On this date in 1902, Greek archaeologist Valerios Stais sifted through some artifacts from a shipwreck at Antikythera. The wrecked Roman cargo ship was discovered two years earlier, but Stais was the first to notice an intriguing bit of bronze among the treasures. It looked like it might be a gear or wheel. That corroded chunk of metal turned out to be part of the Antikythera Mechanism, an ancient analog astronomical computer.

The Antikythera Mechanism tracked planetary positions, predicted lunar and solar eclipses, and even signaled the next Olympic Games. It was probably also used for mapping and navigation. A dial on the front combines zodiacal and solar calendars, while dials on the back capture celestial cycles. Computer models based on 3-D tomography have revealed more than 30 sophisticated gears, housed in a wooden and bronze case the size of a shoebox.

The mechanism was initially dated around 85 BC, but recent studies suggest it may be even older [circa 150 BC]. The crank-powered device was way ahead of its time -- its components are as intricate as those of some 18th-century clocks.

Historians continue to ponder the Antikythera Mechanism's purpose and inner workings, and visitors to the National Archaeological Museum of Greece marvel at its delicate complexity. Today's Doodle illustrates how a rusty remnant can open up a skyful of knowledge and inspiration.

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August 2, 2018

Celebrating Mount Olympus






According to ancient Greek mythology, Mount Olympus is the home of the gods. Should mere mortals dare to climb so high? On this day In 1913, three courageous climbers answered “yes,” scaling this 9,573-foot summit sculpted with deep ravines and abrupt upgrades. Swiss photographer Frédéric Boissonnas, his friend Daniel Baud-Bovy, and Christos Kakkalos, a Greek hunter who served as their guide, set off in treacherous weather.

Kakkalos knew the mountain so well that he scaled its sharp inclines barefoot. The Swiss had some experience in mountaineering, but Boissonnas had to lug heavy photographic equipment up the mountain. He and his friend, Baud-Bovy, were tied together with a rope, standard procedure for such expeditions.

During their climb, the summit where Greek gods were said to reside was wreathed with storm clouds, and the climbers mistook a lesser peak for the home of the gods. Thinking their ascent was done, the elated adventurers wrote cards describing their feat and put the notes in a bottle that they buried on a crest they christened Victory Top. When the mist cleared, they spied another, more impressive peak, called Mytikas.

With Kakkalos in the lead, the men continued upward, scrambling across the slippery gorge. Boissonnas later wrote that he was compelled by the fire of Prometheus, who stole fire from Athena and Hephaestus’ workshop on Mount Olympus, gifting it to humans to help them in their labors.

Today’s Doodle celebrates their accomplishment and the fire that inspired them.

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September 24, 2018

Mid Autumn Festival 2018 [Vietnam]







Today, many east Asian nations celebrate Mid-Autumn Festivals, timed with the harvest moon – including China, Taiwan, Hong Hong, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam. This shared holiday is generally a day off work for the whole country, and jumps around on the Roman calendar because it’s based on the lunar one.

Going under various names, Mid-Autumn Festivals occur on the first full moon after the Fall equinox. The position of the moon is important for rice farming, and mid-Autumn festivals are linked this way to agriculture. East Asian countries have their own mythologies and folk traditions associated with Mid-Autumn festivals.

All Mid-Autumn Festivals involve food, and most include some form of “moon cakes.” In general these Mid-Autumn Festivals are about families getting together to express gratitude, and celebrate seasonal change. They often stretch to three days, incorporating the days before and after, and rank among the biggest holidays of the year.

So to East Asia and the entire diaspora: Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

Doodle by Cynthia Yuan Cheng

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September 24, 2000

2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney - Basketball

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September 24, 2014

60th anniversary of the unveiling of the first Routemaster bus

• ‘The wheels on the bus go round and round’ sings the famous nursery rhyme and in London, they've now been going round and round for over 50 years.
  
  Much like the actual London bus, doodle Kevin Laughlin’s design evolved over time before coming full circle. This was the initial sketch idea.
  
  
  The first Routemaster buses left the depot on their maiden journeys in 1956 and with their distinctive red colour, they soon became a popular sight for Londoners and a worldwide icon.
  
  Kevin experimented with a more illustrative style, but felt that perhaps the animation was too rigid.
  
  
  Over the years, millions of commuters, schoolchildren, tourists and evening revellers have all used the humble bus to take them to work, school, see the sights and then take them home again after their busy days.
  
  
  
  In a third version, Kevin went for an updated style of the bus. The fluidity of the animation felt more satisfying… though maybe too fluid-like?
  
  
  While the London bus has evolved over the years, the reliability of the service and Londoners' love of it remain the same. Those wheels will carry on going round and round for many years to come.
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  Kevin’s final doodle. A simple, whimsical approach just right for the occasion!

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October 10, 2021

Celebrating Una Marson



Today’s Doodle, illustrated by UK-based guest artist Sarah Madden, celebrates one of Jamaica’s most influential feminist thinkers—the writer, advocate, and broadcaster Una Marson. Marson was the first Black woman to be employed as a radio producer at the BBC, where she recorded several significant interviews including one with swing band icon Ken “Snakehips” Johnson, which took place on this day in 1940.

Una Marson was born on February 6, 1905, in Santa Cruz, Jamaica. Marson became Jamaica’s first woman magazine publisher and editor in 1928 when she established “The Cosmopolitan”—a publication focused on gender issues and social injustice. The inspiration she drew from London’s political and literary climate led her to move to the city in 1933. Shocked by the racism she encountered, she started fighting for equal rights alongside fellow Caribbean immigrant Dr. Harold Moody, the founder of civil rights group The League of Coloured Peoples.

Marson returned home in 1936 to cultivate a new generation of Jamaican writers. While writing her own poetry and plays—which she often self-financed—she founded Jamaica’s Save the Children Fund. After relocating again to England in 1938, she took a position at the BBC, where she worked with George Orwell, read her poetry alongside T.S. Eliot, and produced the popular weekly program “Calling the West Indies.” First broadcast in 1943, it featured poems and short stories by Caribbean authors, giving an international platform and voice to writers such as Samuel Selvon. It also publicized both a woman's perspective to the largely male-dominated Black Internationalist Movement and a culturally relevant voice to Britain's growing Caribbean community.

Marson’s literary contributions are not widely known, and even less is known of her later life. However, it was her writing and poetry that influenced the broadcasting she is best known for, and has broadened her legacy for future generations to discover. In 2009, her achievements were celebrated with an installation of a Blue Plaque—which honors individuals who have had great impacts on their community and beyond—at her former home in London’s Brunswick Park.

Here’s to a cultural groundbreaker—thank you Una Marson!

Copyright BBC



Una Marson joined the BBC full-time in March 1941, when she became a Programme Assistant in the "Empire Programmes" department which created radio broadcasts for English speakers across the British Empire. She quickly became committed to expanding the range of Caribbean voices on air.

Copyright BBC



This extraordinary photograph shows Una Marson literally at the centre of international literary life! She is broadcasting in 1942 as part of Voice, a monthly strand of modern poetry programmes created by George Orwell, then a BBC producer on the BBC Eastern Service [you can see him at the back of the group, to the left]. Una is flanked by T.S.Eliot to the left and critic William Empson up right, and writers from India and Sri Lanka [then Ceylon] and other BBC staff members.

Copyright BBC

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October 10, 2016

50th Anniversary of Health and Sports Day





On Japan’s annual Health and Sports Day, everyone wins! That spirit inspired today’s Doodle, which shows Google-hued characters of all ages crossing the finish line together. First celebrated 50 years ago today, the holiday commemorates the opening of the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Since the occasion is all about promoting an active lifestyle, Japanese people both young and old celebrate by going for the gold. Many schools host field days that resemble mini Olympics, featuring events like the relay, long jump, and shot put, along with obstacle courses and tug of war.

For decades, Health and Sports Day was held on October 10th, but it was officially moved to the second Monday in October back in 2000. This year, the holiday happens to fall on its original date — just in time for its 50th birthday.

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October 10, 2014

R. K. Narayan's 108th Birthday






Who’s the man behind the book on our doodle in India? It’s Malgudi’s native son, famed Indian writer R. K. Narayan. Narayan is a well known pioneer of early Indian literature and set most of his stories in the fictional town of Malgudi. Happy 108th birthday to R. K. Narayan!