Google doodles

[9A]

October 17, 2019

100th Anniversary of Metro de Madrid




On this day in 1919, King Alfonso XIII inaugurated the Metro de Madrid, a new transportation system for Spain’s capital city. The Metro’s distinctive diamond-shaped logo was created by acclaimed Spanish architect Antonio Palacios, who also designed the entrances, corridors, and platforms of some of the early stations. Today’s animated Doodle celebrates the centenary of Madrid’s Metro, now the sixth-longest underground railroad in the world with some 294 kilometers [about 183 miles] of track.

The Metro has come a long way during its first century of operation. On opening day, the route covered a mere 3.48 kilometers [about 2.16 miles], taking 10 minutes to travel 8 stops from Cuatro Caminos to Sol. That first day, just over 56,000 passengers rode what was then called the North-South Line.

Now, close to 2.3 million riders take the Metro every day. Serving over 300 stations, the train remains one of the most efficient ways to move around Madrid.

In honor of the Metro’s 100th birthday, the Regional Government of Madrid has installed an educational exhibition throughout the original route, now called the ‘Centenary Line.’ Period photographs will highlight the Metro’s history, and a new vinyl-wrapped train evoking the first train will run along the rails.

Chamartín Station will host a permanent exhibition of vintage trains, and while Palacios’ original entrance to the Metro de la Red de San Luis was dismantled and donated to the architect’s hometown of Porriño, a replica of the striking design will recapture its former glory.

[9A]

January 29, 2018

Teresa Teng’s 65th Birthday




Pop singer Teresa Teng was born on this day in 1953 in Taiwan. Her music and talent was a dominant and influential force in Asia throughout most of the 1970s and 1980s. Teng was able to move her audiences as much with the sweetness of her voice as with the power of melancholy emotion. One of the “Five Great Asian Divas”, she was known for driving her audience into rapture, and often tears, over a career that spanned three decades.

Teng’s widespread popularity was also driven by her ability to sing in several languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Indonesian, and English. Evoking for many precious memories of childhood and happier times, her legacy endures to this day.

Today’s Doodle pays tribute to one of Teng’s most well-known songs, "The Moon Represents My Heart." By providing an alternative to the mostly revolutionary songs then prevalent in mainland China, Teng’s emotional rendition of this old Mandarin favorite catapulted her to instant and long-lasting fame that lingers to this day.

Happy 65th birthday, Teresa Teng!

Doodle by Cynthia Yuan Cheng

[9A]

April 30, 2020

Stay and Play at Home with Popular Past Google Doodles: Rockmore [2016]




As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people and families everywhere are spending more time at home. In light of this, we’re launching a throwback Doodle series looking back at some of our popular interactive Google Doodle games!

Stay and play at home with today’s featured throwback:

Our 2016 Doodle game celebrating Clara Rockmore!

[9A]

Mar 15, 2016

80th Anniversary of Kasprowy Wierch cableway launch



The great beauty of the Tatra Mountains is rivaled only by the enthusiasm with which hikers and skiers mount its slopes. The panoramic vistas visible at nearly every stage of ascent up the Kasprowy Wierch summit are studded with meadows, streams, and rich pine forests. Snaking between Poland and Slovakia, the Tatra is a highly-protected national park, unreachable by traditional means, unless one is able to hike or ski 3 hours up the trail.

That all changed 80 years ago when a cableway was built in Zakopane to carry people up to the summit of Kasprowy Wierch. In Doodler Alyssa Winans' animation, you can see the cable car sway and swing in the frosty mountain air as it makes its ascent. The cable car was one of the first of its kind, and is still used today. This technological advancement made the grandeur of the mountains accessible to many more people.

[9A]

Mar 16, 2016

Caroline Herschel’s 266th Birthday




Caroline Herschel was diminutive in stature--she stood only 4’3”—but her contributions to cosmological science were monumental. The late astronomer’s parents presumed she would spend her life as a housemaid, but her considerable musical talent and formidable intellect intervened. With the help of her brother Isaac, Herschel left Germany in 1772 for Bath, England, where she took work as a soprano in the Royal Court. Her brother—also a skilled musician—started a small business making telescopes in his spare time, and the two took a deep interest in astronomy and observational cosmology.

Herschel was a keen observer of the universe. She discovered hundreds of stars, eight comets [six of which still bear her name], and became the first female astronomer enlisted by the British monarchy. Today’s Doodle by Juliana Chen celebrates Herschel’s remarkable scientific achievements, which include the publication of Catalogue of Stars and a Gold Medal from the Royal Astronomical Society. Today would have been her 266th birthday.

[9A]

March 16, 2017

Maria Carlota Costallat de Macedo Soares' 107th Birthday



Maria Carlota Costallat de Macedo Soares, known as Lotta, was born on this date in Paris in 1910. A talented designer, Soares had a gift for creating structures and landscapes that reflect and reimagine their surroundings. Samambaia, the house Soares shared with poet Elizabeth Bishop in Petrópolis, Brazil, looked as if it had the wings of a butterfly and might take flight at any moment. The writer's studio Soares built for Bishop featured a breathtaking view of the mountains that often distracted the poet from her writing.

Soares's most famous project was Flamengo Park in Rio de Janeiro, depicted in today's Doodle. She conceived and built this magnificent city park that has been incorporated into marathons and cycling races, including several 2016 Olympic events. Flamengo Park continues to be a prime destination for tourists and locals alike, and is a shining example of Soares's vision and passion.

[9A]

March 16, 2021

Sidonie Werner's 161st Birthday




Happy 161st birthday to German-Jewish educator, feminist, and activist Sidonie Werner. Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Berlin-based guest artist Lihie Jacob, honors her life and legacy as a champion for women's rights and youth social programs.

Sidonie Werner was born in Poznań, Poland, on this day in 1860. After completing a women’s teacher seminar and attending lessons at a Jewish elementary school, she entered the Hamburg school system, where she remained a teacher until she retired.

In 1893, Werner’s public work as a gender rights activist began in earnest when she co-founded the Israelite-Humanitarian Women’s Association [IHWA]. She also co-founded the Jewish Women’s Association in 1904, an organization she later led as chairwoman. In 1908, she became the leader of the IHWA, where she successfully instituted programs for women and children, such as providing professional training for women to make a living outside of domestic work.

Throughout the early 1910s, Werner strengthened her efforts by serving leadership roles in a number of other organizations including the City Federation of Hamburg Women's Association, the Central Welfare Office of German Jews, and the Hamburg Jewish School Association, where she served as the only woman on the board. In 1929, Werner assembled the World Conference of Jewish Women in Hamburg, which united 200 representatives from 14 countries and increased international solidarity among Jewish women.

Happy birthday, Sidonie Werner!

[9A]

20 January 2022
Get Vaccinated. Wear a Mask. Save Lives. [January 20]


Get vaccinated. Wear a mask. Save lives.

As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world, help stop the spread by finding a local vaccine site and following these steps for prevention.

Learn more about resources to help you and your communities stay informed and connected.

[9A]

20 January 2011

50th Anniversary of JFK's Inauguration



Regardless of how you feel about JFK's politics, it's very difficult to argue that this wasn't one of the most iconic speeches ever made in US history. Visually speaking [literally], I wanted to emphasize that statement by creating a word cloud style illustration made up entirely of words and phrases from John F. Kennedy's famous inaugural address [including the portrait of Kennedy himself], with the most famous line bolded out across the logo.

posted by Mike Dutton

[9A]

20 January 2015

Ji Hyeonok’s 56th Birthday




In 1993, Ji Hyeon-ok led a team of female Korean mountain climbers to the summit of Mt. Everest. She was the first female mountaineer to succeed in climbing peaks above 8000m without supplemental oxygen and without a sherpa.

In addition to Everest, Ji scaled Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II and Annapurna — and was the first female Korean mountaineer to do so. After climbing Annapurna in 1999, she sadly passed away on her descent to the basecamp. Ji, who was also a fine-arts teacher, was remarkably brave and dared to go where few had ventured.

Ji, at the top of Gasherbrum, courtesy of her estate




Other photos of Ji, courtesty of her estate

[9A]

20 January 2019

Louay Kayali’s 85th Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrate the work of Louay Kayali, a modern painter born in Syria and trained in Italy whose quietly powerful portraits convey the strength, resilience, and nobility of everyday folk—bakers, fisherman, and pregnant mothers.

Born in Aleppo on this day in 1934, Louay Kayali began painting at the age of 11 and held his first exhibition when he was 18 at Al-Tajhis Al-Oula School. Awarded a scholarship, Kayali moved to Italy in 1956 for advanced studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome and went on to represent Syria at the 1960 Venice Biennale—a prestigious international art exhibition.

Joining the faculty of the Higher Institute for the Fine Arts in Damascus in 1962, Kayali’s instruction made a profound impact on future generations of Syrian artists. During the mid-1960s, he began a series of charcoal works which marked a departure from his previous paintings. The emotionally challenging images in his 1967 traveling exhibition “Fi Sabil al-Qadiyyah” [For the Sake of the Cause] depicted human suffering, reflecting upheaval in the Arab world. Upset by scathing reviews of the show, the artist announced that he would no longer paint, and destroyed much of his work. Fortunately, he did return to painting, showing new work throughout the 1970s, including a joint exhibition with his old friend Fateh al-Moudarres.

On what would have been his 85th birthday, we remember Louay Kayali, a passionate artist who aimed to paint exactly what he saw—and felt.

[9A]

20 November 2021

Edmond Dédé's 194th birthday



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

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

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

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

[9A]

20 January 2010

Festival of San Sebastian




The San Sebastián Street Festival is a Puerto Rican festival that takes place in the Old San Juan, in honor of Saint Sebastian, celebrated by the Catholic Church on January 20. The event starts the third Thursday of January through Sunday with an attendance of more than 200,000 people, making this activity recognized internationally. The celebration has been introduced in Florida and Texas in the 2010s.

[9A]

20 January 2011

Birthday of Takayanagi Kenjiro



Kenjiro Takayanagi [高柳 健次郎, Takayanagi Kenjirō, January 20, 1899 in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka – July 23, 1990 in Yokosuka] was a Japanese engineer and a pioneer in the development of television. Although he failed to gain much recognition in the West, he built the world's first all-electronic television receiver, and is referred to as "the father of television".

[9A]

20 January 2011

New Year of the Trees 2011




Tu BiShvat is a Jewish holiday occurring on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat [in 2022, Tu BiShvat begins at sunset on January 16 and ends in the evening of January 17]. It is also called Rosh HaShanah La'Ilanot, literally 'New Year of the Trees'. In contemporary Israel, the day is celebrated as an ecological awareness day, and trees are planted in celebration.

[9A]

21 Jan 2011

Grandparents' Day 2011 - Poland

[9A]

21 January 2010

Grandparent's Day 2010 - Poland

[9A]

21 January 2012

Grandparents' Day 2012

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20 Jan 2014

Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2014

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20 January 2012

Federico Fellini's 92nd Birthday [it]



Federico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time. His films have ranked highly in critical polls such as that of Cahiers du Cinéma and Sight & Sound, which lists his 1963 film 8+1⁄2 as the 10th-greatest film.

For La Dolce Vita Fellini won the Palme d'Or; additionally, he was nominated for twelve Academy Awards, and won four in the category of Best Foreign Language Film, the most for any director in the history of the Academy. He received an honorary award for Lifetime Achievement at the 65th Academy Awards in Los Angeles. His other well-known films include La Strada [1954], Nights of Cabiria [1957], 8½ [1963], Juliet of the Spirits [1965], the "Toby Dammit" segment of Spirits of the Dead [1968], Fellini Satyricon [1969], Roma [1972], Amarcord [1973], and Fellini's Casanova [1976]. Fellini was ranked 2nd in the directors' poll and 7th in the critics' poll in Sight & Sound's 2002 list of the greatest directors of all time.

[9A]

20 Jan 2012

Omar Rayo's 84th Birthday




Omar Rayo Reyes was a renowned Colombian painter, sculptor, caricaturist and plastic artist. He won the 1970 Salón de Artistas Colombianos. Rayo worked with abstract geometry primarily employing black, white, red and yellow. He was part of the Op Art movement. Rayo's work shows that geometric art is as much a part of the past as it is of the future. He used traces of the past to discover new ways to present visual and geometric sketches.

[9A]

18 Jan 2012

Havoc in Heaven





Havoc in Heaven, also translated as Uproar in Heaven, is a Chinese donghua feature film directed by Wan Laiming and produced by all four of the Wan brothers. The film was created at the height of the Chinese animation industry in the 1960s, and received numerous awards. It earned the brothers domestic and international recognition. The story is an adaptation of the earlier episodes of the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West.

The stylized animation and drums and percussion accompaniment used in this film are heavily influenced by Peking opera traditions.

[9A]

23 January 2020

Luis Alberto Spinetta's 70th Birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates the 70th birthday of Argentine singer, composer, guitarist, and poet Luis Alberto Spinetta. Also known as El Flaco [“Skinny”], he is often regarded as the father of Spanish-language rock and roll and a Latin American music icon. The Doodle artwork features the color green as an homage to Spinetta’s iconic and irregularly-shaped album cover of Artaud, as well as his famous red and white guitar.

Born on this day in Buenos Aires in 1950, Spinetta learned how to play guitar and sing at a young age. He continued to develop his musical skills, and at age 17 Spinetta formed one of the most influential rock bands in Argentine history, named Almendra, with two of his former high school classmates. Almendra’s self-titled debut studio album revolutionized the genre as the first band to combine Spanish-language lyrics with progressive rock.

During the 1970s and 80s, Spinetta formed and led several impactful bands that inspired the international “Rock en Español” movement, including Pescado Rabioso, Invisible, and Spinetta Jade. In addition to these group projects, he released over twenty albums as a solo artist. In 2016, his latest record Los Amigo won one of the highest honors in Argentinian music, the Gold Gardel Album of the Year award.

His music struck a major chord throughout the world and continues to impact listeners to this day. For instance, in April 2019 it inspired University of Buenos Aires informatics engineer Alex Ingberg to create an artificial intelligence program to generate song lyrics in Spinetta’s style. And in 2014, in honor of Spinetta’s birthday, Argentina moved Día Nacional del Músico [National Musician’s Day] from November to January 23rd.

¡Feliz cumpleaños, Flaco!

[9A]

27 Jan 2017

Lunar New Year 2017 [Hong Kong, Taiwan, China]



With firecrackers, fried dumplings, and Fai Chun, today’s Doodle welcomes the Year of the Rooster.

A time of celebration with family and friends, Lunar New Year falls on the first new moon between January 21 and February 20 each year. While this means the date is always changing, the traditions surrounding the holiday have long been the same. Leading up to it, families clean their homes to push out bad luck and make room for good fortune. Once New Year’s Eve arrives, loved ones come together for a reunion dinner where poon choi – a large dish packed with meat, fish, and vegetables – is often shared.

On New Year’s Day, red decor and envelopes abound, while lion dancers, paper lanterns, and fireworks fill the streets. Legend has it that many of these traditions stem from fending off the Nian, a mythical beast that would attack an ancient village each New Year’s Day. With the help of a mysterious old man, villagers discovered that the creature was afraid of the color red, as well as loud noises — and so the festivities began. Although the Nian never did return, the celebrations most certainly did.

Here’s to health, happiness, and good fortune in the new year!

[9A]

27 January 2014

Eugène Viollet-le-Duc's 200th Birthday




Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc was a French architect and author who restored many prominent medieval landmarks in France, including those which had been damaged or abandoned during the French Revolution. His major restoration projects included Notre-Dame de Paris, the Basilica of Saint Denis, Mont Saint-Michel, Sainte-Chapelle, and the medieval walls of the city of Carcassonne, and he planned much of the physical construction of the Statue of Liberty [Liberty Enlightening the World]. His later writings on the relationship between form and function in architecture had a notable influence on a new generation of architects, including Victor Horta, Hector Guimard, Antoni Gaudí, Hendrik Petrus Berlage, Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright.

[9A]

31 Jan 2014

Chinese New Year 2014



Chinese New Year is one of the most important holidays in China, and has strongly influenced Lunar New Year celebrations such as the Losar of Tibet, and of China's neighbours, including the Korean New Year, and the Tết of Vietnam. It is also celebrated worldwide in regions and countries that house significant Overseas Chinese or Sinophone populations, including Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, the United States, Mauritius, as well as in Peru, Canada and Europe.

[9A]

29 November 2018

Celebrating 400º of Murillo



Bartolomé Esteban Murillo painted historical and religious scenes, portraits, and still lifes in oil and fresco during the golden era of Spanish art. Known for his dramatic lighting, radiant color palette, and versatility, Murillo brought to life a wide range of subjects, from the grandeur of his Immaculate Conception to the casual grace of Two Women at a Window.

Although his exact birthdate is unknown, he was baptized on New Year’s Day 1618 in Seville’s Church of St. Mary Magdalen and lived in Seville most of his life. Studying with the accomplished painter Juan del Castillo, a relative on his mother’s side of the family, Murillo would eventually surpass his master and be considered the head of what became known as the “Sevillian School” of the Baroque era.

Renowned for his Independent spirit, Murillo cultivated his own style of painting, incorporating Flemish and Venetian influences and evolving throughout his career. During two extended trips to Madrid, he was introduced to Diego Velázquez and exposed to works by Venetian and Flemish masters, which deeply influenced his own work. In turn, Murillo’s paintings would go on to influence such future masters as Thomas Gainsborough and Jean-Baptiste Greuze.

In honor of his 400th anniversary, a series of major exhibitions celebrating Murillo’s work is opening at Seville’s Museum of Fine Arts, bringing home the artist’s work from renowned collections all over the world. Guided tours, concerts, and other cultural activities combine to make this the “Year of Murillo.”

Happy Anniversary, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo!

[9A]

29 November 2015

42nd Anniversary of the official recognition of the letter ё






Ë, ë [e-diaeresis] is a letter in the Albanian, Kashubian, Emilian-Romagnol, Ladin, and Lenape alphabets. As a variant of the letter e, it also appears in Acehnese, Afrikaans, Breton, Dutch, English, Filipino, French, Luxembourgish, Piedmontese language, the Abruzzese dialect of the Neapolitan language, and the Ascolano dialect. The letter is also used in Quenya, Seneca, Taiwanese Hokkien, Turoyo and Uyghur when written in Latin script.

Use of the character Ë in the English language is relatively rare. Some publications, such as the American magazine The New Yorker, use it more often than others. It is used to indicate that the e is to be pronounced separately from the preceding vowel [e.g. in the word "reëntry", the feminine name "Chloë" or in the masculine name "Raphaël", or at all - like in the name of the Brontë sisters, where without diaeresis the final e would be mute.

[9A]

16 September 2021

Mexico Independence Day 2021




Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Mexico-based guest artist Magdiel Herrerra, depicts a collection of elements symbolizing Mexico’s rich, cultural heritage in honor of its Independence Day. This year’s holiday holds special significance for the international Mexican community as it commemorates the 200th anniversary of the nation’s step toward independence—officially declared on September 27, 1821.

On the left of the Doodle artwork, a folklórico [folkloric] dancer is dressed in the emblematic red, green, and white of the Mexican flag. A common meal prepared to celebrate this holiday is pozole, a spiced soup traditionally made with hominy and pork that is depicted in the red bowl with radishes and lime. In the center, the artwork recreates a bell that rang before El Grito de la Independencia [The Cry for Independence], a famous speech considered the spark of the Mexican independence movement. A sombrero follows with a handwoven rebozo scarf, next to a cactus standing tall.

On the far right of the artwork, an Indigenous musician [known as a quiquizoani in the Uto-Aztecan language of Nahuatl] blows into a conch shell—a scene similar to an image found in the ancient Aztec Codex Magliabechi—filling the air with the sounds of celebration.

Happy Independence Day, Mexico!

[9A]

16 Sept 2013
Mexico Independence Day 2013

[9A]

6 September 2019

Mexico Independence Day 2019




Today’s animated Doodle, illustrated by Mexico-based guest artist Dia Pacheco, depicts indigenous Mexican crafts and textiles—particularly Oaxacan embroidery and the traditional children’s toys known as rehilete or pinwheels—in honor of Mexican Independence Day. Doodler artist Sophie Diao, inspired by Dia’s work, added to the festivities by animating the rehiletes. This national holiday commemorates Mexico becoming a free nation.

In the town of Dolores, on el dieciséis de Septiembre [September 16th] 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang a bell and delivered his famous cry of independence El Grito de la Independencia, motivating fellow Mexicans to rise up against Spanish rule. Although Hidalgo was captured the following year, the battle had begun. To this day, Mexico’s president pays respect to this historic moment at Mexico City’s National Palace.

Mexico’s national colors—red, white, and green—flood every public place at this time of year as horns, whistles, confetti, and shouts of "Viva Mexico" and "Viva la independencia” fill the streets. Woven as they are into the fabric of this rich culture, traditional Mexican crafts, clothing, and textiles, are very much a part of the festivities, along with food, music, dancing, and fireworks.

¡Viva Mexico!

[9A]

16 September 2021

Lo Man-fei's 66th birthday





Today’s Google Doodle celebrates the 66th birthday of Taiwanese dancer, choreographer, and teacher Lo Man-fei, a lifelong advocate for the development of Taiwanese dancers and performance art.

Lo Man-fei was born on this day in 1955 in Taipei City, Taiwan and took her first steps toward a career in dance at 5 years old. In college, her unique talent was fostered by some of Taiwan’s leading choreographers, including Lin Hwai-min, the founder of one of the nation’s most acclaimed dance troupes—Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. She graduated from National Taiwan University with a degree in English literature and moved to the U.S. in 1978 to study with the Martha Graham Dance Company, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the José Limón Dance Company. However, she decided to return to Taiwan to join Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. In 1979, Lo formally joined Cloud Gate—an acceptance she attributed in part to the skills passed down to her from masters such as Lin.

With a repertoire utilizing techniques from ballet, modern dance, and traditional Chinese dance, she toured the world with Cloud Gate until 1982, capturing a blend of these styles with what she referred to as her own “vocabulary” of movements. Lo worked on Broadway in the early 1980s and in 1985, earned a master’s degree in dance at New York University before returning to Taiwan. She then rejoined Cloud Gate, choreographed original performances, and nurtured a new generation of dancers as a professor at the National Institute for the Arts [now the Taipei National University of the Arts].

In 1999, Cloud Gate 2, an evolution of Taiwan’s renowned troupe, appointed Lo as its artistic director and Cloud Gate later established a scholarship in her honor. She is best known today for her solo performance in “Requiem,” a 10-minute, non-stop spinning routine choreographed specifically for her by none other than Lin Hwai-min himself.

Happy Birthday to Lo Man-fei, who always put her best foot forward!

[9A]

9 August 2020

Celebrating Mekatilili wa Menza




Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Nairobi-based guest artist Wanjira Kinyua, celebrates legendary Kenyan activist Mekatilili wa Menza, known for inspiring the Giriama people to resist colonial rule in the early 20th century. Today on the Kenyan coast, the resilient legacy of Menza is commemorated during the festivities of the traditional Malindi Cultural Festival, an annual celebration of local history and pride.

Mnyazi wa Menza was born in the Giriama village of Matsara wa Tsatsu in coastal Kenya during the mid-19th century. By the early 20th century, British colonial rule had threatened the sovereignty and freedom of the Giriama people with forced labor and taxation. At a time when women’s power was limited within her society, Menza was compelled to organize her people against colonial control.

Today revered as one of Kenya’s first Mau Maus [freedom fighters], Menza traveled from village to village spreading messages of opposition, performing the ecstatic native dance of kifudu to draw large crowds and then unleashing her powerful oratory skills to garner support. Today’s Doodle artwork features a depiction of Menza leading the energetic kifudu dance that called so many to action.

Menza’s leadership contributed to uprisings by the Giriama against the British in 1913 and 1914, and despite her multiple arrests and imprisonments, her campaign of resistance proved successful. The British ultimately relaxed control of the region, effectively granting the demands for which Menza and the Giriama had fought tirelessly for.

[9A]

9 August 2013

Wilbur Norman Christiansen's 100th Birthday



Wilbur Norman "Chris" Christiansen [9 August 1913 in Melbourne, Victoria – 26 April 2007 in Dorrigo, New South Wales] was a pioneer Australian radio astronomer and electrical engineer.

Christiansen built the first grating array for scanning the sun at the radio astronomy field station at Potts Hill, New South Wales. A later array at Badgerys Creek, New South Wales, the Chris Cross Telescope, was named after Christiansen. For many years, he was chairman of the electrical engineering department at the University of Sydney.

[9A]

19 Mar 2021

Dona Militana's 96th birthday






Today’s Doodle, illustrated by guest artist Bel Andrade Lima, celebrates the 96th birthday of Brazilian singer and storyteller Dona Militana, whose vast memory of medieval ballads provided a unique record of generational Iberian and Brazilian tales.

Militana Salustino do Nascimento, also known as Dona Militana, was born in São Gonçalo do Amarante, Rio Grande do Norte on this day in 1925. As a child, Militana worked the fields; planting crops and weaving baskets with her father, who sang as they toiled. Many of his songs told stories from a bygone era of medieval kings, queens, warriors, and lovers—stories Militana never forgot.

Militana’s traditional talent remained largely unknown for decades, until she was discovered by folklorist Deífilo Gurgel in the 1990s. It was then that she shared with the world her prodigious chronicle of songs and stories—some of which were over 700 years old.

In 2000, Militana recorded “Cantares,” a collection of 54 songs that were novel-like in scope, with lyrics and melodies that accurately reflected the times from which they originated. Upon the project’s release, audiences throughout Brazil learned of Dona Militana—the guardian of a Brazilian history nearly lost to time.

In recognition of her impact on Brazilian culture, Dona Militana was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit in 2005.




Feliz Aniversário, Dona Militana!

[9A]

4 August 2018

Pumpuang Duangjan’s 57th Birthday





Luk Thung is a form of Thai country music expressing the trials and tribulations of everyday life in Thailand’s rural provinces. The name, meaning “children of the field,” is also an apt description of Pumpuang “Peung” Duangjan, one of the genres most loved performers who grew up cutting sugarcane in the fields of North Thailand to help her family survive.

When Duangian wasn’t helping her family in the fields, she began an apprenticeship at the age of 12 with a Luk Thung master who taught her a vast catalog of songs and their accompanying dances. She moved to Bangkok at age 15, where she broadened her repertoire by incorporating pop songs. Her career turned a corner when she collaborated with a composer who mixed disco beats with traditional Luk Thung music. Not long after, Duangjan debuted her less reserved style on television, ushering in a new era for female Thai vocalists.

In the mid-1980s, Duangjan released several hit albums that blended traditional Luk Thung music with danceable pop production. Her fur jackets and fashionable wardrobe also made her an icon for Thai people escaping poverty. As she sang in one of her timeless songs, “I came to the city to be a big star/It’s tough, but I can survive.”

Peung’s indomitable spirit, hard work, and determination inspired future generations, cementing her legacy for many years to come.

Doodle by Cynthia Yuan Cheng

[9A]

4 August 2014

Maria Zankovetska's 160th Birthday





Happy 160th birthday to Ukrainian actress Maria Zankovetska! Despite the fame she attained throughout her career, Zankovetska never forgot her roots. She paid homage to the village she was born in [Zankiv] by using it as the basis for her stage name.

[9A]

17 January 2019

Konstantin Stanislavski's 156th Birthday




Born in Moscow on this day in 1863, Konstantin Sergeyevich Stanislavski was raised in a prominent Russian family that supported his interest in theater as it grew from a hobby to a passion. He focused on acting at first, relentlessly refining his craft in a quest to bring emotional truth to the stage.

He later became interested in directing and production, founding the renowned Moscow Arts Theater in 1898. Their 1904 premiere of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard is widely considered a masterpiece of modern theater.

Among his contributions to the world of theatre, Stanislavksi developed an influential system for training actors, and his ideas were profoundly important to the development of what is now known as method acting. “There are no small parts,” Stanislavski observed. “Only small actors.” By devising a series of seven questions, he helped aspiring actors to understand their characters and motivation more fully The questions, which are featured in the animation of today’s Doodle include:

Who Am I?

Where Am I?

What Time Is It?

What Do I Want

Why Do I Want It?

How Will I Get What I Want?

What Must I Overcome To Get What I Want?

As simple as they may seem, answering these questions required extensive research and reflection. During rehearsals, Stanislavski would often comment “I do not believe you,” pushing actors to bring their performances to life by digging into their own psyches.

In recognition of his contributions to Russian theater, he was awarded the Red Banner of Labor, the Order of Lenin, and the title “People's Artist of the U.S.S.R.”

On what would have been his 156th birthday, here’s to a creative innovator who revolutionized modern theater as we know it. ​

[9A]

11 May 2021

Go Tik Swan's 90th birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates Indonesian artist Go Tik Swan, a contemporary master of the ancient art form of designing fabric with hot wax known as batik.

Go Tik Swan was born on this day in 1931 in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia. He came of age frequenting his grandfather’s batik workshops, where he absorbed Javanese cultural knowledge from local craftspeople. Fascinated by his ancestry, Swan further explored his heritage by studying Javanese literature and dance at the University of Indonesia.

It was during one of his college dance performances that Indonesia’s president caught wind of Swan’s family background in batik manufacturing and commissioned him to create a new batik style; one that he believed could transcend division and unite the Indonesian people. In the 1950s, Swan fulfilled the president’s request by combining regional batik techniques to introduce “Batik Indonesia.”

Swan held such high reverence for his craft that he considered each piece of batik to carry philosophical meaning, even developing a motif in the 70s entitled Kembang Bangah [“Rotten Flowers''] as a love letter to his national identity. An expert in Javanese culture, he was also a master of kris [an ancient Javanese ceremonial dagger tradition] and a skilled player of gamelan [a popular orchestral form of traditional Indonesian music]. He gave back so much to his heritage, the Surakarta government honored him with the noble title of Panembahan Hardjonegoro.

Happy birthday, Go Tik Swan!

[9A]

11 May 2020

Saadat Hasan Manto’s 108th birthday




Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Lahore-based guest artist Shehzil Malik, honors Pakistani author, journalist, playwright, and screenwriter Saadat Hasan Manto on his 108th Birthday. Known for his candid and often provocative narratives, Manto has been widely credited as one of South Asia’s most accomplished modernist fiction writers.

Saadat Hasan Manto was born on this day in 1912 in Samrala in the British Indian state of Punjab. He came of age during an era of significant civil unrest amid the growing movement to liberate India from British rule. Despite early troubles in school, Manto discovered a passion for literature, and by his early twenties, he had published his own translations of European classics in his native Urdu tongue. He soon progressed to original fiction, channeling his iconoclastic spirit into short stories like the aptly titled “Revolutionary” [“Inqilab Pasand", 1935].

By the 1940s, Manto’s Urdu literature was a tour de force. Through his unfiltered exploration of marginalized characters and social taboos, he charted controversial territory that few writers dared to explore. The partitioning of India in 1947 prompted Manto’s migration to the newly formed Pakistan, and he is perhaps best remembered for his work examining this tumultuous historical moment. Manto published 22 collections of short stories throughout his prolific career, but he wasn’t limited to the medium; he also wrote a novel, three collections of essays, over 100 radio plays, and more than 15 film scripts.

Thank you, Saadat Hasan Manto, for courageously sharing your truth.

[9A]

11 May 2017

80th Anniversary of Los Glaciares National Park




Argentina’s stunning Los Glaciares National Park was established on May 11, 1937. Although the park is only 80 years old, its biggest attractions have been shaping the landscape for millennia.

The park’s northern boundary is a cluster of soaring, sharp-toothed peaks, including the forbidding Mt. Fitz Roy. Dominating the southern stretch is the awe-inspiring Perito Moreno Glacier, a towering wall of ice grinding a path through the Patagonian Andes. Its terminus, where the glacier flows into Argentina’s largest freshwater lake, is 5 km wide at an average height of 74 m above the lake’s surface.

As the powdery blue glacier advances, the ice often gives way with a resounding crack, plunging into the chilly lake and calving enormous icebergs. This dramatic icefall makes it one of the park’s most popular tourist attractions. Visitors can also hike across the rippled surface of the glacier.

Los Glaciares National Park was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981, as an area of outstanding natural beauty and an important example of the geological processes of glaciation.

[9A]

7 May 2018

Teacher Appreciation Week Begins!



Happy US Teacher Appreciation Week 2018!

This week aims to cast a special spotlight on educators who have and continue to dedicate their lives to the intellectual and personal development of students across the nation. Created in partnership with all 55 2018 US State Teachers of the Year, today’s Doodle explores the theme: “What does it mean to be a teacher?”

We’ve invited one of our Doodle collaborators, 2018 Ohio Teacher of the Year Jonathan Juravich, to share a bit more about his story, what this theme means to him, and his experience working on the Doodle!

One of my first teachers was my grandmother, Josie. She was bright, kind, and creative. She was also blind. She taught me empathy and tenderness and how our relationships with others often define our identities. Because of our connection, I always felt a kinship with Helen Keller. A few years ago, I was asked to find a quote that defined my professional and personal life, and I offered this one attributed to her: “I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.”

The lessons learned with my grandmother have shaped the art educator I am today. Teaching is about forming genuine relationships built on mutual respect. I’ve often found the small day-to-day moments are where we can have the biggest impact. I challenge my students to find ways to quietly shine each day: greeting others with smiles and warm hellos, respectfully listening to other people’s stories, and coming to school open to ideas and perspectives. I hope by being a part of my classroom that students are challenged to live their lives with enthusiastic, empathetic resilience through tough times and small tasks alike. The results can inspire others when least expected.

This past fall of 2017, I was named the 2018 Ohio Teacher of the Year. In January, the 55 State Teachers of the Year met for the very first time at Google headquarters. We were there to learn about our role within our states, develop our advocate voices, and bond as a supportive network of professionals. During that time, we also had the incredible opportunity to work on the US Teacher’s Appreciation Week Doodle! As an art educator, I visit Google’s homepage every morning just to see what beautiful work of art might be awaiting the world. I believe the power of visual art can connect us all.

During the workshop, teachers were broken off into 5 groups and tasked to develop concepts for each of the individual letters of Google, while processing what it means to be a teacher. What a huge question with endless possibilities! The groups brainstormed, sketched, and developed their plans for their letter, much like what my students and I do every day in my art room.

When our time was up, each group shared their ideas. The teachers spoke of connections, the search for answers, and the resulting new inquiries. We discussed the journey we take with our students as they process who they are and their place within the world. Being a teacher is about those relational connections, telling our students “I am here with you. Let’s do this together.”

This is what I hope the world takes away from this Doodle. That as teachers, we are a part of the quest for discovery. That we are there to guide, to encourage and to support our students as unique individuals. That this journey is one that is full of challenges, but also joy.

The Doodle ends with that little E graduating… but that is not where our students’ stories end. I hope our students know, both in moments great and small, that we will continue to support and celebrate them into their futures.

Happy Teacher’s day to the incredible educators who inspire the future change-makers of the world!

-Jonathan Juravich, 2018 Ohio Teacher of the Year

Art Educator, Liberty Tree Elementary School

[9A]

15 May 2018

Maria Reiche’s 115th Birthday






As the sun peeks over the high desert horizon in southern Peru, it illuminates a rust-colored “blackboard” scrawled with curious white lines — some perfectly straight, many with hairpin curves — that stretch for miles. Only from the air are the subjects revealed: a monkey, a spider, a hummingbird, and many more.

These are the Nazca Lines, and for decades, Maria Reiche was their staunch guardian — a lone woman perched on a stepladder, bearing a sextant, compass, broom, and mathematical mind.

Reiche was born in Dresden on May 15th, 1903, and went on to study mathematics, astronomy, and geography. In 1932, she was selected from a slew of applicants to take a job in Peru — a move that would decide the course of her life. Working with historian Paul Kosok in 1941, Reiche was first introduced to the ancient figures, or geoglyphs, that stretch across the pampa.

Intrigued, Reiche fully dedicated herself to the study of the mysterious white shapes. Using a measuring tape, sextant, and compass, she measured almost 1000 lines, investigating their astronomical orientation. Reiche discovered that many of the Lines function as markers for the summer solstice, and theorized their builders used the figures as an astronomical calendar. [Today, the Lines are believed to have served a more ceremonial purpose.] Upon mapping the area [with the help of the Peruvian Air Force], she discovered the figures represent 18 different kinds of animals and birds, in addition to hundreds of geometric shapes.

Reiche was was also devoted to the Lines’ protection. With only a household broom, she physically shielded the figures from people and vehicles, in addition to raising money for their overall preservation. Gradually, the “woman who swept the desert” became known worldwide as the “Lady of the Lines.”

Reiche’s immense dedication deeply endeared her to the people of Peru, so much that in 1992 she was granted Peruvian citizenship, and the Nazca airport is named after her. In 1995, UNESCO declared the Nazca Lines a World Heritage Site.

Today’s Doodle by Guille Comin and Elda Broglio depicts the “Lady of the Lines” in her element on what would have been her 115th birthday.

[9A]

15 May 2015

80th anniversary of the opening of the Moscow Metro




All aboard! When you take a ride on the Moscow Metro, you’re not just commuting, you’re also going on a trip through time. One of the busiest public transport systems in the world, the vast network of Russian metro stations double as a world-class museum. From the mosaics and frescoes of Kiyevskaya through the stained glass of Novoslobodskaya, the ornate chandeliers of Komsomolskaya and to the modern homage to Dostoyevsky in Dostoyevskaya -- it’s an experience far beyond a daily commute. Since it was developed throughout 8 decades, Russia’s phases in art, poetry and science all shine through as an organic retelling of the nation’s past.

80 years ago today, hundreds camped out on the streets overnight hoping to be on the very first metro train at 7am. It took more than 30 years to come up with a solution to the city’s transport problems, but the final result was a feat of engineering to be able to tunnel through the city’s challenging soils and rivers. The first train travelled along an 11-km route, with one line and 13 stations. Fast forward 80 years, it now travels along 327.5 km, with 12 lines and 196 stations, and almost 10 million passengers a day.

To celebrate this day, Doodler Matt Cruickshank drew inspiration from vintage russian posters. He started with the map in the metro’s current lines colors and distinctive radial-circle structure but decided to combine the old with the new and ended up using sepia-toned fashion of a vintage Russian poster. He also added a classic train with ‘80’ on the front to pay homage to the anniversary.

[9A]

17 September 2020

Mandawuy Yunupingu's 64th birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates musician, educator, and civil rights activist Mandawuy Yunupingu. In addition to starting the internationally acclaimed band Yothu Yindi, whose powerful music spread traditional Indigenous sounds around the world, Yunupingu was the first Indigenous Australian to be appointed a school principal in the country.

Mandawuy Djarrtjuntjun Yunupingu was born Tom Djambayang Bakamana Yunupingu on this day in 1956 in Yirrkala in the Northern Territory. In 1987, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in education from Deakin University, before returning to Yirrkala to teach.

Back home, Yunupingu devoted himself to his band Yothu Yindi, whose name translates to “mother and child” in the language of the Yolngu people. Committed to the concept of balance, the band included both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal musicians and blended traditional Indigenous music with modern rock and pop. Yothu Yindi released its debut album in 1989, the same year that Yunupingu became the principal of the Yirrkala Community School. Echoing his approach to music, he developed an educational philosophy that included both Aboriginal and Western teachings. Yothu Yindi went on to achieve worldwide fame with hits like “Treaty” [1991], which spent 22 weeks on the Australian music charts.

In 1992, Yunupingu was named Australian of the Year for helping to foster a deeper understanding between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians.

Happy birthday, Mandawuy Yunupingu, and thank you for sharing your music and principles with the world.

[9A]

17 September 2011

Anant Pai's 82nd Birthday



Anant Pai, popularly known as Uncle Pai, was an Indian educationalist and a pioneer in Indian comics. He is most famous as the creator of two comic book series viz. Amar Chitra Katha, which retold traditional Indian folk tales, mythological stories, and biographies of historical characters; and Tinkle, a children's anthology.

[9A]

7 March 2021

Celebrating Masako Katsura





Today’s Doodle celebrates ambidextrous Japanese sharpshooter Masako “The First Lady of Billiards” Katsura, who made history as the first woman to compete for an international billiards title on this day in 1952.

Born in Tokyo in 1913, Katsura picked up billiards at age 12 from her brother-in-law, a game room owner, and by 15 she was the Japanese women’s champion in straight rail—a challenging variation of carom billiards in which the cue ball must hit two balls in a row to score points. After 19, she only competed in men’s tournaments; racking up 10,000 points at one exhibition in a mind-boggling four and a half hour run.

By the time Katsura moved to the United States in 1937, word of her unprecedented talent had reached eight-time world champion Welker Cochran. He came out of retirement to challenge her in a series of three-cushion matches, an even tougher version of carom billiards, depicted in the Doodle artwork, that calls for the cue ball to hit at least three cushions before striking the two object balls for points. Katsura so impressed Welker, he organized the World Championship Billiards tournament in 1952 to watch her compete against world’s foremost billiards aficionados. Katsura upset some of the sport’s best players to finish seventh in the tournament, while the progress she made for women in a traditionally male-dominated game was a first.

To celebrate her historic achievements, Katsura was inducted into the Women’s Professional Billiard Association Hall of Fame in 1976 as one of the sport’s all-time greatest players.

So here’s to you, First Lady of Billiards! Thanks for cueing up this sport for generations of women to come.

[9A]

4 December 2020

Celebrating Noken Papua



Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Depok-based guest artist Danu Fitra, celebrates Noken, the craft of traditional handmade bags that holds great cultural and socio-economic significance throughout Indonesia’s Papua and West Papua Provinces. In recent years the longevity of this staple of Papuan heritage has come under threat, but following its addition to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List in Need of Urgent Safeguarding on this day in 2012, great strides have been taken to secure Noken’s sustainability for future generations.

Noken bags are typically made from materials like tree fibers, bark, or leaves, which are processed into strong threads and then knotted or woven together. This complex handcraft has been passed down through the generations and demands refined tactile skill, dedicated care, and no shortage of artistic vision. The end product is a durable and versatile bag commonly used to transport and store things like food or firewood, and even to carry small children or animals!

Outside of its everyday use, Noken has traditionally fulfilled many social and economic purposes as well. For example, Noken serves as a symbol of cultural unification among more than 250 ethnic groups in the region; due to its value, it can be used as a type of savings; and it often plays a symbolic role in the peaceful resolution of disputes.

Here’s to a timeless craft that’s inextricably woven into the fabric of Indonesian culture!

[9A]

7 Dec 2020

Kateryna Bilokur's 120th birthday






Today’s Doodle celebrates the 120th birthday of Ukrainian painter Kateryna Bilokur, a self-taught virtuoso who earned international renown for her detailed and vivid paintings, especially those featuring her signature focus on flowers. Through a courageous devotion to her craft, Bilokur overcame great adversity to earn recognition alongside the master artists of her time.

Kateryna Bilokur was born on this day in 1900 in Bohdanivka, a village in Ukraine’s Kyiv region. She was denied a primary education and spent her days as a farm worker, but she refused to let this stand in her way. She crafted brushes out of raw materials and paints out of foods like beets and elderberries to pursue her artistic passion in her free time, with nature as her muse.

Then when she was nearly 40, her life took a fortuitous turn. Inspired by a song on the radio, Bilokur wrote a letter of admiration to the Ukrainian singer Oksana Petrusenko with an original work attached. Petrusenko was so impressed that she helped pave the way for the first exhibitions of Bilokur’s work. Over the next two decades, her unique depictions of transcendent natural beauty reached an international audience, notably earning huge praise from the Spanish master Pablo Picasso at a 1954 exhibition in Paris.

For her lifetime achievements, Bilokur was named a People’s Artist of Ukraine, the highest arts award for Ukrainian citizens.

Happy birthday to an artist who proved it’s never too late to blossom into your potential.

[9A]

7 December 2016

340th Anniversary of the Determination of the Speed of Light




While working in the Royal Observatory in Paris in 1667, Danish astronomer Ole Rømer discovered that the speed at which light travels could be measured. His theory built on earlier ideas by Galileo, and the observance of how the timings between Jupiter’s moon eclipses changed depending on its distance from the Earth. His theories gained support from other great scientific minds of the time, including Isaac Newton and Edmond Halley.

Rømer also made significant contributions to Copenhagen, where he spent his later years, having introduced oil lamp street lighting and proper sewers to the city. Another achievement includes the invention of the mercury thermometer in 1709, which was said to have inspired Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit to invent the temperature scale still in use today.

Today’s Doodle shows Rømer hard at work in his observatory 340 years ago.