Google doodles

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18 October 2018
Laura Esther Rodríguez Dulanto’s 146th Birthday





Born in the Supe District of Lima on this day in 1872, Laura Esther Rodríguez-Dulanto was a physician who broke many barriers for women in Peru. Though she excelled in school from a very young age, her parents were frustrated that educational options were limited for women—no matter how gifted or motivated they might be.

There were no secondary schools for girls, much less universities or postgraduate programs.

Nevertheless, Rodríguez-Dulanto’s parents persisted, appealing to local authorities until a special jury was appointed by the Ministry of Education to allow the gifted young student to advance her studies.

With help from her older brother Abraham, who would teach her everything he learned after returning home from school, Rodríguez-Dulanto passed her high school exams. With a combination of intelligence, motivation, and a very supportive family, Laura Esther Rodríguez-Dulanto became the first Peruvian woman to attend college as well as the first female physician in the nation’s history.

Though it was a great achievement to begin her studies at the National University of San Marcos, 19-year-old Rodríguez-Dulanto still faced numerous obstacles. While the male students worked with human cadavers in anatomy class, she would have to sit behind a screen to conceal her presence.

During her third year of medical school, she was allowed to perform dissections in a special room, accompanied by her brother who was also studying medicine. In September 1900, her hard work paid off when she earned her Bachelor of Medicine, taking her Hippocratic Oath a month later.

Rodríguez-Dulanto specialized in gynecology, publishing papers on ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids. She went on to co-found Peru’s first nursing school, teaching anatomy, physiology and hygiene, and paving the way for other women to pursue careers in medicine. Her legacy is honored with a bust in a public park in Lima, Peru, as well as a hospital in her home town of Supe, which is named after her.

Happy Birthday Dr. Laura Esther Rodríguez-Dulanto!

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22 January 2020
Celebrating 'Sawaddee'





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

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

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

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22 January 2014
Grandfather's Day 2014

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22 January 2015
Grandfather's Day 2015 [Poland]

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22 January 2016
Grandfather's Day 2016 [Poland]






Every year on January 21st, people across Poland take a moment to honor their grandparents, so we thought we’d take a moment, too. We don’t presume to know your babci or dziadek, but hope, whether they’re your family’s best storyteller, the source of Poland’s finest pierogi or simply a cherished memory, that today’s Doodle by artist Lydia Nichols helps bring them to mind.

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22 January 2021
Grandfather's Day 2021 [22 January]

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22 January 2017
Grandfather's Day 2017 [Poland]

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2 January 2018
Grandfather's Day 2018 [Poland]

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14 January 2010
Festival of Kites 2010








Every year, Gujarat celebrates more than 200 festivals. The International Kite Festival [Uttarayan] is regarded as one of the biggest festivals celebrated. Months before the festival, homes in Gujarat begin to manufacture kites for the festival.

The festival of Uttarayan marks the day when winter begins to turn into summer, according to the Indian calendar. It is the sign for farmers that the sun is back and that harvest season is approaching which is called Makara Sankranti/Mahasankranti. This day is considered to be one of the most important harvest day in India as It also marks the termination of the Winter season and the beginning of a new harvest season. Many cities in Gujarat organize kite competition between their citizens where the people all compete with each other. In this region of Gujarat and many other states, Uttarayan is such a huge celebration that it has become a public holiday in India for two days.

During the festival, local food such as Undhiyu [a mixed vegetable including yam and beans], Chikki [sesame seed brittle] and Jalebi is served to the crowds. Days before the festival, the market is filled with participants buying their supplies. In 2012, the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat mentioned that the International Kite Festival in Gujarat was attempting to enter the Guinness World Records book due to the participation of 42 countries in it that year.

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4 Nov 2019
Virginia Gutiérrez de Pineda’s 98th Birthday






Today’s Doodle celebrates Virginia Gutiérrez de Pineda, the acclaimed Colombian anthropologist and educator whose pioneering research reshaped traditional family structures and folk culture of Colombia.

Born in the town of El Socorro on this day in 1921, she was among the first generation of Colombian women allowed to pursue higher education. After studying at Bogotá’s Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Gutiérrez then traveled to attend the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a master's degree in Social and Medical Anthropology before returning home to Colombia to complete her Doctorate of Social and Economic Sciences.

Making the most of her educational opportunities, Gutiérrez went on to author a dozen book-length studies that laid out a fundamental understanding of the lives of Colombia’s people, including women and children of lower social and economic status. Her study of the street children of Medellín led to an interest in solving social problems by focusing on the family unit.

In books like La familia en Colombia, Gutiérrez explored different cultural nuances within the various communities of the Andean, Santandereano, Antioqueño, and coastal-mining regions. She also undertook academic surveys of popular medicine in Colombia and traditional remedies known as curanderismo.

Other than studying families, Gutiérrez also raised a family of her own after marrying fellow anthropologist Roberto Pineda Giraldo, whom she met at university. For her invaluable contributions to Colombian society, Gutiérrez was awarded Colombia’s Woman of the Year award in 1967, as well as the 1983 Gold Medal for Scientific Merit from the Inter-American Family Congress.

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4 November 2016
Walter Cronkite's 100th Birthday






Today would be the 100th birthday of the man known widely throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s as “the most trusted man in America.” Walter Cronkite, the legendary broadcast journalist reported, served, and comforted a nation during its most trying times, including World War II, Watergate, the Vietnam War, and the assassination of JFK, to name a few.

Walter perpetuated an objective reporting style rooted in justice and integrity: “Press freedom is essential to our democracy, but the press must not abuse this license. We must be careful with our power. The free press, after all, is the central nervous system of a democratic society.”

Affectionately known as “Uncle Walter” to the American public, he was a devout political advocate in the interest of free speech and media, an enthusiastic NASA supporter, and a sailing aficionado. As a fixture in our living rooms, Walter brought a calm dose of consistency during the most pressing times with his end-of-segment catchphrase: “and that’s the way it is.”

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2 Nov 2016
Day of the Dead 2016







The Day of the Dead, which dates back to Pre-Columbian times, honors the mysteries of life and death, through both celebration and reverence. Every year from November 1-2, both Mexicans and people around the world honor their loved ones with offerings or ofrendas displayed on colorful altars decorated with pictures, bright flowers, candles, and their favorite foods and beverages.

Today's Doodle captures the intricate tissue-paper cutouts that have been used in Mexican celebrations since the 18th century. On Día de los Muertos, the bright, delicate paper banners indicate that life is fragile and fleeting, but it's also full of beauty and delight.

Also, be sure to explore and celebrate one of Mexico's most popular and magical traditions with Google Arts & Culture at g.co/diademuertos

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2 November 2019
Day of the Dead 2019





Today’s Doodle celebrates the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos [Day of the Dead], an occasion when families welcome the spirits of deceased loved ones back home for a sweet reunion with music and dancing during the first two days of November. Despite some similarities to Halloween and starting just one day later, the Day of the Dead is a completely different holiday, more joyful than scary.

The tradition can be traced back thousands of years to Aztec rituals blended with the cultures of medieval Spain and the Roman Catholic Church, which celebrates All Saints Day and All Souls Day on November 1st and 2nd, respectively.

Calacas y calaveras [skeletons and skulls], seen all throughout Mexico during this time, are an essential part of the festive decor. In particular, the finely dressed skeletal woman La Calavera Catrina, also known as Mexico's “Grand Dame of Death,” has become an icon of the season. Depicted in the Doodle artwork wearing her signature hat with feathers and flowers, La Calavera Catrina was created by illustrator José Guadalupe Posada, who was inspired by Mictecacíhuatl, the Aztec goddess of the underworld.

In Mexican communities worldwide, November 1st is reserved for los angelitos, inviting the spirits of little children into their homes first, with adult spirits arriving the day after. To honor the memory of close friends, relatives, and loved ones, families put up ofrendas, or altars adorned with portraits, clothing, and playthings, incense, and favorite drinks and food including the traditional sweet bread known as Pan de Muertos. Trails of marigold flowers lead the way from the cemetery to the front door, making sure the dearly departed can find their way home.

¡Feliz Día de los Muertos!

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2 November 2012
Day of the Dead 2012

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2 November 2020
Day of the Dead 2020





Today’s Doodle commemorates Mexico’s annual Day of the Dead, known in Spanish as Día de los Muertos, a joyful multi-day celebration of the cyclical nature of life and the loved ones who have passed away.

Day of the Dead traces its origins back several thousand years to the rituals of the Aztec and other Indigenous Nahua civilizations of what is now central Mexico. Today, many people observe the holiday through the traditions of the past, like setting out offerings of flowers, such as la flor de cempasúchil [the Mexican marigold] depicted in today’s Doodle, candles, and traditional foods including the sweet and aptly-named pan de muerto [bread of the dead].

Since 2008, the holiday has been recognized by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in honor of this celebration that keeps Mexico's rich history and traditions alive.

iFeliz Día de los Muertos, México!

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2 November 2011
Day of the Dead 2011

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2 November 2009
Day of the Dead 2009

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2 November 2010
Day of the Dead 2010

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22 June 2018
Octavia E. Butler's 71st Birthday






Octavia E. Butler’s legacy calls to mind the age old question of whether life imitates art, or vice versa.
Born in Pasadena in 1947, her extreme shyness, tall build, and mild dyslexia all contributed to young Butler’s social anxiety, which led to her spending a significant amount of time in the local library. There, she discovered her love for science fiction. When her mother bought her a typewriter at the age of ten, Butler also discovered her passion and talent for writing.

In a genre historically populated by only white male protagonists, Butler created characters that she, and millions of others, could identify with. She considered herself to have three central audiences — black readers, feminists, and fans of science fiction — and challenged herself to create a body of work that was accessible to all of them. While Butler faced institutional racism and segregation throughout her life, these experiences influenced her writing and thus shone a light on critical social issues
Stories including Bloodchild [1984] and the Parable series [1993-1998] resonated so strongly with readers of all backgrounds that Butler was the recipient of multiple Hugo and Nebula awards. In 1995 she became the first science fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship, a prize which invests in those with “extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits.”

Today’s Doodle honors the author’s immense contribution to the genre of science fiction, including the diverse worlds and characters she brought to life.

Happy 71st birthday, Octavia!

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Special thanks to the family of Octavia E. Butler for their partnership on this project. Below, her family shares their thoughts on her legacy:


Our family is grateful and honored by the opportunity to invoke the memory of Octavia E. Butler. Her uniqueness emerged at an early age when she expressed a strong interest in the written word. It was clear, even then, that Octavia had found her destiny—she decided to pursue a career as a professional writer.

Her spirit of generosity and compassion compelled her to support the disenfranchised. She sought to speak truth to power, challenge prevailing notions and stereotypes, and empower people striving for better lives. Although we miss her, we celebrate the rich life she led and its magnitude in meaning.

Today, on her birthday, it is with immense pride that we give tribute to Octavia for the magnificent gifts she bestowed upon all of us. Her legacy endures. As long as we speak her name, she lives.

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22 June 2018
Dame Cicely Saunders’ 100th Birthday










A pioneer of the modern hospice movement, Dame Cicely Saunders felt that all should live with “a sense of fulfillment and a readiness to let go.”

Born 100 years ago today, Saunders performed many roles in her life, including nurse, doctor, author, and social worker. It was while caring for a terminally ill patient that she r ecognized certain challenges other medical professionals of her time did not: that his diagnosis required a fundamentally different kind of healthcare.

Through this experience, Saunders envisioned an environment that focused care on a patient’s individual and specific needs. As a result, she went on to found St. Christopher’s, the first modern hospice, in a suburb of London in 1967. There, core values included vigilant pain-management as well as a holistic and individualized understanding of practical, medical, and psychological patient needs.
Not only did Saunders’ work inspire hundreds of other hospices worldwide, but her books and teachings also established a new branch of medicine known as palliative care, which addresses the importance of holistic care among patients with life-limiting illnesses. She also went on to establish a global charity focusing on palliative care research and education, Cicely Saunders International, which still works to improve the lives of patients with progressive illness to this day.

Today’s Doodle, created by London-based guest artist Briony May Smith, was inspired by Saunders' favorite anthology, All In the End is Harvest [1984] which states,“Love and life is an eternal thing, like the growth and reaping of the harvest."

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Special thanks to Christopher Saunders, brother of Dame Cicely Saunders and Life President of Cicely Saunders International, for his partnership on this project. Below, Christopher shares his thoughts on his sister:

Cicely came a long way from being a six-foot tall, shy, very intelligent girl who felt like a bit of an outsider, to being one of the very remarkable people who have positively impacted end-of-life care around the world. Yet there is still much work to be done. The need for palliative care has never been greater and is increasing rapidly given that people are living longer as a result of improvements in tackling acute disease. While each illness brings specific physical symptoms such as pain and fatigue, there are also more invisible ones such as helplessness and loneliness, which can too often become part of the final phase of life. Cicely’s medical research charity, Cicely Saunders International, enters the centenary year of her birth energised with the spirit of Cicely to meet these continuing challenges, and make a positive difference just as she did throughout her life.

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22 June 2012
Teachers' Day 2012 [El Salvador]

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12 June 2016
Dia dos Namorados 201




Dia dos Namorados is a holiday celebrated on June 12 in Brazil.

The date is celebrated with gifts, romantic activities, decorations and festivities.

The date is June 12 since it is close to Saint Anthony's Day on June 13. The term "Dia dos Namorados" is also used in other Portuguese-speaking countries to refer to Valentine's Day.

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12 June 2019
Dia dos Namorados 2019







Love is in the air all over Brazil today as the largest country in Latin America celebrates Dia dos Namorados, which means “the day of the enamored.” Today’s Doodle celebrates Brazil’s most romantic holiday.

While February 14th is the day when much of the world celebrates loving couples on Valentine’s Day, the date conflicts with Brazil’s Carnival season. June 12th, on the other hand, is the eve before the feast of St. Anthony, one of Brazil’s patron saints, who is sometimes referred to as the “holy matchmaker.” Known for blessing couples with prosperous marriages, the Portuguese friar was said to have reconciled many couples.

Thoughtful gestures are always appropriate on this special day, from love poems to chocolates [Brazilian brigadeiros to be exact], or a bouquet of flowers—white lilies are St. Anthony’s favorite, but you can’t go wrong with red roses. And there’s no shortage of romantic settings for an intimate getaway, from the beaches of Fernando de Noronha to the waterfalls of Foz do Iguaçu.

No matter what the gift or where the location may be, Dia dos Namorados is really about spending quality time together, cherishing one another, and finding a million ways to say Te amo.
Feliz Dia dos Namorados!

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12 June 2013
Dia Dos Namorados 2013

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12 June 2017
Dia dos Namorados 2017

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12 June 2012
Dia Dos Namorados 2012

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2 June 2015
Valentine's Day 2015 [Brazil]






Whether a time for a romantic date, to catch up with friends, or catch up on cat videos, Tu B'Av is a good excuse to connect with the world around you. As nerds, the doodle team wanted to sweeten up our homepage with ways in which technology brings people together. The gesture may be as subtle as charging someone else's laptop or as bold as sending an affectionate text, but technology is fully engrained in the ways we express appreciation for one another.

We hope you enjoy our five quick animations of how love and technology go hand-in-hand!











Posted by Jennifer Hom, doodler, and Olivia When, doodler

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11 Jun 2015
Copa América 2015





Copa América is the oldest international continental football competition, taking place every 4 years with 10 South American National teams and 2 guest teams from other confederations competing for the championship.

The 2015 edition is held in Chile with these teams : Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Perú, Uruguay, Venezuela and guests México & Jamaica, making a first-ever appearance at the Copa América. The first game on June 11th, and the final game on July 4th will take place in the historic Estadio Nacional in Santiago.

We’re excited to bear witness to the unifying quality of soccer in its highest form.
See you at the pitch!

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10 June 2016
UEFA Euro 2016







It’s time for UEFA Euro 2016! France plays host to the world’s second-largest football championships from June 10 – July 10. Nearly 2 million fans are expected to travel to France to cheer teams from 24 countries in stadiums across the nation, while over 300 million are expected to tune in from afar. Whether you’re hoping Spain will defend their title or are counting on an upset, here’s to an exciting tournament!

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12 Jun 2016
Philippines Independence Day 2016




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

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

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13 Jun 2016
Theodosia Okoh’s 94th birthday







Happy Birthday Theodosia Salome Okoh! Affectionately known as “Dosia, Mama Maa” or simply “Maa,” she was a very influential Ghanaian, best known for designing the country’s national flag.
For today's blog post, the Google team collaborated with Okoh's family who shared Okoh’s vision for the flag. From her family: “She always said that the ends of the Black Star must touch the bottom line of the red band and the top line of the green band in the flag.”

Fifty nine years after Okoh first designed the flag, the vibrant stripes of red, yellow, and green behind a black star, remain a strong symbol of national pride and identity for the Ghanaian people.

Okoh, who would have been 94 years old today, was not only an artist but an athlete who led the Ghanaian hockey team to their first ever World Cup appearance. The team also won the Fair Play Award, Ghana's first ever international hockey award, during her tenure. She went on to become the first female chairman of the Ghana Hockey Association and later, served as President of the Ghana Hockey Federation for 20 years. To honor her contributions, the hockey stadium in the center of Accra is named after her.

When the Mayor of Accra sought to change the name, she defended it with the same zeal she showed during games. According to Okoh's family, "Many people in Ghana will remember the infamous cartoon of her pulling the mayor of Accra’s beard in one hand with an oversize pair of scissors in the other, threatening to cut off his beard for having the gall to try and change the name of the hockey stadium."

We hope today’s Doodle by Alyssa Winans inspires people everywhere to pursue their passions, and Ghanaians to celebrate their magnificent flag and the powerful woman behind it.

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20 Jun 2016
45th Anniversary of The First Broadcast of El Chavo del Ocho





El Chavo made his TV debut 45 years ago today, marking the beginning of a beloved TV institution in Mexico, parts of the United States, and in many other countries in Latin America. At the height of its popularity, El Chavo del Ocho was the most-watched show on Mexican television. The show’s courageous orphan and his friends got themselves into and out of trouble, all the while endearing themselves to generations of fans. Tens of millions of viewers still watch the animated version of the show, El Chavo Animado, every day.

Today’s Doodle pays tribute to the creation by Roberto Gómez Bolaños. Thank you, Chesperito, for forty-five years of laughs.

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20 Jun 2016
Summer Solstice 2016 [Northern Hemisphere]







Today is the first day of summer! Doodler Nate Swinehart created a family of anthropomorphized rocks to commemorate the change of season. Happy summer!

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20 Jun 2016
Winter Solstice 2016 [Southern Hemisphere]




Today is the first day of winter in the Southern hemisphere. Doodler Nate Swinehart created a family of anthropomorphized rocks to commemorate the winter equinox. Happy winter!

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20 June 2020
Winter 2020 [Southern Hemisphere]

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20 Jun 2020
Swedish Midsummer 2020






Today’s Doodle commemorates one of the oldest and most important holidays in Sweden: Midsommar [Midsummer]. In a country where winter can bring just hours of light each day—if that—it’s no surprise that Swedes pull out all the stops for this celebration of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.

Friends and family traditionally begin the day’s festivities with dance and song around the Midsommarstången [Midsummer maypole], a massive pole decorated in garlands and flowers, as depicted in today’s Doodle artwork. With flower wreaths on their heads, revelers may sing one of the most popular songs of Midsummer: “Små grodorna”[“The Little Frogs”]. To join in the fun, simply hop around the maypole like a frog and sing along to lyrics like, “The small frogs, the small frogs, are funny to look at!”

All that jumping can work up quite an appetite, which is traditionally satiated with a classic Midsummer meal. The menu typically includes Swedish favorites like inlagd sill [pickled herring], snaps [Swedish liquor] , and knäckebröd [crisp bread], all finished off with the iconic desert of jordgubbstårta [strawberry cake].

Glad Midsommar! HOP-py Midsummer!

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23 June 2012
Alan Turing's 100th Birthday







Alan Turing was a completely original thinker who shaped the modern world, but many people have never heard of him.

Before computers existed, he invented a type of theoretical machine now called a Turing Machine, which formalized what it means to compute a number. Our doodle for his 100th birthday shows a live action Turing Machine with twelve interactive programming puzzles [hint: go back and play it again after you solve the first six!].

A statue of Turing by sculptor Stephen Kettle, on display at Bletchley Park, where he worked to decipher the Enigma code during World War II.

Turing’s importance extends far beyond Turing Machines. His work deciphering secret codes drastically shortened World War II and pioneered early computer technology. He was also an early innovator in the field of artificial intelligence, and came up with a way to test if computers could think – now known as the Turing Test. Besides this abstract work, he was down to earth; he designed and built real machines, even making his own relays and wiring up circuits. This combination of pure math and computing machines was the foundation of computer science.

A photo of Turing completing a race, on display at Bletchley Park.

As a human being, Turing was also extraordinary and original. He was eccentric, witty, charming and loyal. He was a marathon runner with world class time. He was also openly gay in a time and place where this was not accepted. While in many ways the world was not ready for Alan Turing, and lost him too soon, his legacy lives on in modern computing.

Various iterations of the Turing doodle’s design.

Turing is a hero to us, so we wanted to make a special doodle for his centennial. We started by doing deep research into his work. Much of it is abstract and hard to show, so we went through a lot of designs before finding one that seemed workable. Turing Machines are theoretical objects in formal logic, not physical things, so we had to walk a fine line between technical accuracy and accessibility. We struggled especially to find a good representation for programs, and to choose puzzles of appropriate complexity; we did a lot of user testing and iteration, more than for any past doodle. We hope you will enjoy our tribute to this great man.

Posted by Jered Wierzbicki and Corrie Scalisi, Software Engineers, and Sophia Foster-Dimino, Doodler

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23 June 2019
Father's Day 2019 [Poland]

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23 June 2017
Hokiichi Hanawa’s 271st Birthday








When Helen Keller visited the memorial house of Hanawa Hokiichi in 1937, she said of the revered scholar, "I believe that his name would pass down from generation to generation like a stream of water." Indeed, traces of Hokiichi's legacy can be found in many fields today. Like a river originating from humble beginnings in Tokyo in 1746, his influence has stretched through law, politics, economics, history, and medicine.

Even during his lifetime, Hokiichi's impact was far-reaching. He is best known for editing the Gunsho ruijū, a collection of more than 500 volumes of kokugaku studies [[philology and philosophy). Later in life, Hokiichi established the Wagakusho school, where he taught Japanese classics to a rapt audience of adoring students.

Hokiichi’s early life was not easy — at the age of seven, he lost his vision. But his remarkable memory began to impress local scholars, and he was encouraged to pursue a life of study, ultimately becoming one of the most learned men in the country. Hanawa Hokiichi’s legacy is one of dogged learning, committed teaching, and enduring perseverance, and it lives on in Japanese scholarship and culture.

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23 June 2012
Father's Day 23 June 23 2012

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23 June 2020
Huda Sha'arawi’s 141st Birthday






Today’s Doodle,illustrated by Cairo-based guest artist Aya Tarek, celebrates the 141st birthday of Egyptian activist, feminist, nationalist, and author Huda Sha’arawi, widely considered one of the pioneers of the women’s movement in Egypt.

Huda Sha’arawi was born Nur Al-Huda Sha’arawi into a wealthy family in Minya, Egypt on this day in 1879 and grew up in the Egyptian capital of Cairo. Following World War I, Sha’arawi became a prominent leader in the country’s nationalist fight against British rule. In 1919, following the arrest of several nationalist leaders, she organized Egyptian women into one of the largest protests of the movement.

In 1923, after Egypt gained its independence, Sha’arawi founded and led one of the first formal feminist organizations in Egypt, the Egyptian Feminist Union, to fight for women’s education, suffrage, and legal equality, including representation in parliament.

Through her tireless advocacy for women’s rights and education, Sha’arawi helped pave the way for Egypt’s first secondary school for women, and in 1933, the country honored its first female university graduates. In 1956, another one of her biggest goals was finally achieved when Egypt granted women the right to vote and run for office.

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20 Jun 2020
Summer 2020 [Northern Hemisphere]

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20 June 2009
Opening of the Acropolis Museum







The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological museum focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on the surrounding slopes, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. It also lies over the ruins of a part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens.

The museum was founded in 2003, while the Organization of the Museum was established in 2008. It opened to the public on 20 June 2009. More than 4,250 objects are exhibited over an area of 14,000 square metres.

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20 June 2013
Aleksander Fredro's 220th birthday








Aleksander Fredro was a Polish poet, playwright and author active during Polish Romanticism in the period of partitions by neighboring empires. His works including plays written in the octosyllabic verse and in prose as well as fables, belong to the canon of Polish literature. Fredro was harshly criticized by some of his contemporaries for light-hearted humor or even alleged immorality which led to years of his literary silence. Many of Fredro's dozens of plays were published and popularized only after his death. His best-known works have been translated into English, French, German, Russian, Czech, Romanian, Hungarian and Slovak.

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6 Jan 2021
Juliano Moreira's 149th birthday






Today’s Doodle celebrates the Brazilian psychiatrist, scientist, professor, and social reformer Juliano Moreira. Throughout his early 20th-century career, Moreira revolutionized the treatment of people with mental illnesses in Brazil and fought tirelessly to combat scientific racism and the false linkage of mental illness to skin color.

Juliano Moreira was born on this day in 1872 in Salvador, Brazil to a mother who was a slave at an aristocratic residence. Based on his exceptional intelligence, Moreira was allowed to matriculate at the Bahia School of Medicine at just 13 years old. He earned his medical degree while he was still a teenager, and in 1896 the University of Bahia appointed him as a professor of psychiatry.

Moreira turned his attention to the treatment of mental illness, and he traveled the world to study other countries’ approaches. He gained the opportunity to apply his newfound knowledge in 1903 when he was appointed to run a national hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for patients with mental illnesses. Over nearly three decades in the position, he implemented sweeping reforms to provide a more humanistic and scientific approach to patient care. He also co-authored a 1903 law that compelled the humane treatment of people with mental illnesses in the country.
To honor Moreira’s legacy, a hospital in his hometown of Salvador was renamed the Juliano Moreira Hospital in the mid-’30s.

Happy birthday, Juliano Moreira, and thank you for your dedication to a brighter future of psychiatric care!

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6 January 2015
Victor Horta’s 154th Birthday






Victor Pierre Horta was a Belgian architect and designer, and one of the founders of the Art Nouveau movement. His Hôtel Tassel in Brussels built in 1892–1893, is often considered the first Art Nouveau house, and, along with three of his other early houses, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The curving stylized vegetal forms that Horta used influenced many others, including architect Hector Guimard, who used it in the first house he designed in Paris and in the entrances he designed for the Paris Metro. He is also considered a precursor of modern architecture for his open floor plans and his innovative use of iron, steel and glass.

His later work moved away from Art Nouveau, and became more geometric and formal, with classical touches, such as columns. He made a highly original use of steel frames and skylights to bring light into the structures, open floor plans, and finely-designed decorative details. His later major works included the Maison du Peuple/Volkshuis in Brussels, [1895–1899]; the Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels [1923–1929]; and Brussels Central Station [1913–1952].

In 1932, King Albert I of Belgium conferred on Horta the title of Baron for his services to the field of architecture. Four of the buildings he designed have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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6 Jan 2015
Gaspar Henaine [Capulina]’s 89th Birthday





Gaspar Henaine, more commonly known by his pseudonym Capulina, was a Mexican comedian, actor, singer, film producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for partnering with Marco Antonio Campos as the double act Viruta and Capulina and for his subsequent solo career. He was later given the nickname "El Rey del Humorismo Blanco" [The King of White Humor], due to his clean, innocent style of comedy.

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12 Jan 2015
11th Anniversary of Kimani Maruge's First Day of School




It’s never too late to learn something new. On this day 11 years ago, Kenyan Kimani Maruge enrolled in primary school at the ripe age of 84, becoming the world’s oldest person to start elementary school. But Maruge’s love for education didn’t end there. In 2005, he boarded a plane–for the very first time–to address the U.N. on the importance of free primary school. 

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19 Jan 2015
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2015






We take a moment to celebrate a man who settled for nothing less then peace, love and justice–and forever changed the United States. Guest artist Ekua Holmes depicts Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. standing in unity on our doodle to honor MLK Day.

Below Ekua shares her personal thoughts on Dr. King and the inspiration for her artwork:
No quote of Martin Luther King, Jr. resonates more for me than:
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

Its power was the inspiration for my collage featured today in his honor.

I chose to illustrate his successful march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge because it captured the strength of spirit and leadership of the man. It also acknowledges those who marched and put their lives on the line with him. The linked arms and rhythm of the hands hopefully convey a message of collaboration, strength, unity and determined action. This movement of hearts and minds led to great changes in America and around the world. As we face the complex social and racial challenges of today, we should look to this legacy for encouragement, strength, strategy and inspiration.

On a personal note, Dr. King and I share something in common: geography. The place he called home while earning his divinity degree at Boston University is just 2 blocks from my art studio in Boston's South End. He preached and mentored at 12th Baptist Church in Roxbury, 8 blocks from my home.

And there he also met and fell in love with his future wife, Coretta Scott, who was studying voice at New England Conservatory of Music.

I recently learned of a neighbor and friend whose family hosted King for Sunday dinner just around the corner. While it is true that I was born a year after he earned his doctorate degree here, there is a strong connection I feel as we share as we are all greatly influenced by where we live.

Thank you to the Google Doodle team for inviting me to illustrate for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. I will always cherish this experience.

Ekua Holmes, Artist
Roxbury, Massachusetts

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21 Jan 2015
Grandmother's Day 2015 [Poland]