Google doodles

[9A]

May 29, 2018

Alfonsina Storni’s 126th Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates renowned post-modern Latin American poet and feminist Alfonsina Storni. Also known by her pen-names Tao-Lao and Alfonsina, Storni was a prolific Argentine writer and top literary journalist who was dedicated to women’s rights and gender equality.


By age 27, Storni had authored six short stories, two novels, and a series of essays including La inquietud del rosal [[The Restlessness of the Rosebush, 1916), El dulce daño [[Sweet Pain, 1918), Irremediablemente [[Irremediably, 1919), and Languidez [[Languor, 1920), the latter winning first Municipal Poetry Prize and the second National Literature Prize. Her body of work subsequently led her to become known as one of Argentina’s most respected poets.


Active in women’s rights since she was 16, Storni was also a member of Comité Feminista de Santa Fé [[Feminist Committee of Santa Fe], a leader of the Asociación pro Derechos de la Mujer [Association for the Rights of the Woman], and helped establish the Argentine Society of Writers. Today, Storni is featured as one of 999 women on The Heritage Floor, an artwork which displays names of women who have contributed to society and history, at the Brooklyn Museum’s Elizabeth Sackler Center for Feminist Art.

Depicted in today’s Doodle, Storni’s poem La Loba [The She-Wolf, 1916] recounts her experience raising a son as a single mother while defying patriarchal norms of time:

I am like the she-wolf.

I broke with the pack

...

I have a son, the outcome of love without marriage,

For I couldn't be like the others, another ox

With its neck in a yoke; I hold my proud head high!

I plow through the underbrush with my own hands.

Happy 126th birthday, Alfonsina Storni!

[9A]

May 29, 2018

Nepal Republic Day 2018


In today’s Doodle, one of the rose-gold peaks of the Himalayas rises through the clouds in honor of Nepal’s 11th National Republic Day. The holiday commemorates the country becoming a federal democratic republic on May 28, 2008, ending 239 years of monarchy.

Republic Day, also called Ganatantra Diwas, is celebrated throughout Nepal and around the world. Typically, a parade held in Tundikhel—a wide, open space in the heart of Nepal’s capital city Kathmandu—is chief among the celebrations. In years past, government officials have released pigeons, a sign of peace, from the Army Pavilion. Army helicopters splashed with the Republic flag sprinkled flower petals from the sky. The Nepal Army, Nepal Police, and the Armed Police Force marched with artists, musicians, and karatekas [practitioners of karate], displaying different aspects of Nepal’s myriad cultures and traditions.

Today, we wish Nepalis everywhere a happy Ganatantra Diwas with the country’s colorful prayer flags and magnificent mountains—a symbol of national pride.

Doodle by Vrinda V Zaveri

[9A]

May 28, 2022

Chiquito de la Calzada's 90th Birthday



Today’s Doodle by guest artist José Antonio Roda Martínez celebrates Chiquito de la Calzada, a Spanish singer, actor, and stand-up comedian who left a lasting cultural impact in Spain. Born as Gregorio Esteban Sánchez Fernández on this day in 1932, Chiquito’s brilliant comedic style has widely influenced Spanish comedians and entertainers to this day.

As children, Fernández and his two brothers grew up in poverty in post-Civil War Spain in La Calzada de la Trinidad. He began singing and dancing flamenco at eight years old to help feed his family. During this time he received his stage name, Chiquito de la Calzada.

Fernández spent most of his adult life performing flamenco throughout Spain and abroad. After spending 54 years in the flamenco industry, his life took an unexpected turn when he crossed paths with a television producer named Tomás Summers at a restaurant.

After overhearing Fernández tell jokes at a nearby table, Summers offered him a part in an upcoming comedy show airing on Antena 3, a major Spanish television station. The new show was called Genio y figura, and the production team thought Summers was making a mistake by casting an unknown 62-year-old man. Summers took a chance on Fernández anyway and he was sure glad he did.

Soon after the show aired, Fernández transformed into an instant star. Spaniards from all walks of life found his comedic timing, clever puns, and exaggerated movements irresistibly funny. Over the next two decades, Fernández developed an original comedic style that continues to influence Spanish comedians and TV characters today.

In 2019, the Ministry of Culture of Spain recognized his cultural impact by awarding him a Medalla de Oro al mérito en las Bellas Artes [Gold Medal of Merit in Fine Arts].

Happy birthday, Chiquito de la Calzada!

[9A]

May 28, 2009

Dragon Boat Festival 2009 - Multiple Cities on Various Dates

[9A]

7 June 2008

Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Birthday





Charles Rennie Mackintosh [7 June 1868 – 10 December 1928] was a Scottish architect, designer, water colourist and artist. His artistic approach had much in common with European Symbolism. His work, alongside that of his wife Margaret Macdonald, was influential on European design movements such as Art Nouveau and Secessionism and praised by great modernists such as Josef Hoffmann. Mackintosh was born in Glasgow and died in London. He is among the most important figures of Modern Style [British Art Nouveau style].

[9A]

10 March 2021

Dr. Wu Lien-teh's 142nd birthday







Today’s Doodle celebrates the 142nd birthday of Chinese-Malaysian epidemiologist Dr. Wu Lien-teh, who invented a surgical face covering that is widely considered the precursor to the N95 mask.

Born into a family of Chinese immigrants in Penang, Malaya [modern-day Malaysia] on this day in 1879, Wu went on to become the first student of Chinese descent to earn his MD from Cambridge University. Following his doctoral studies, he accepted a position as the vice director for China's Imperial Army Medical College in 1908. When an unknown epidemic afflicted north-eastern China in 1910, the Chinese government appointed Wu to investigate the disease, which he identified as the highly contagious pneumonic plague that spread from human to human through respiratory transmission.

To combat the disease, Wu designed and produced a special surgical mask with cotton and gauze, adding several layers of cloth to filter inhalations. He advised people to wear his newly invented mask and worked with government officials to establish quarantine stations and hospitals, restrict travel, and apply progressive sterilization techniques; his leadership contributed greatly to the end of the pandemic [known as the Manchurian plague] by April 1911—within four months of being tasked with controlling its spread.

In 1915, Wu founded the Chinese Medical Association, the country’s largest and oldest non-governmental medical organization. In 1935, he was the first Malaysian—and the first person of Chinese descent–nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work to control the pneumonic plague. A devoted advocate and practitioner of medical advancement, Wu’s efforts not only changed public health in China but that of the entire world.

Happy birthday to the man behind the mask, Dr. Wu Lien-teh!

[9A]

1 Oct 2013

Emilio Pettoruti's 121st Birthday







Emilio Pettoruti was an Argentine painter, who caused a scandal with his avant-garde cubist exhibition in 1924 in Buenos Aires. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Buenos Aires was a city full of artistic development. Pettoruti's career was thriving during the 1920s when "Argentina witnessed a decade of dynamic artistic activity; it was an era of euphoria, a time when the definition of modernity was developed." While Pettoruti was influenced by Cubism, Futurism, Constructivism, and Abstraction, he did not claim to paint in any of those styles in particular. Exhibiting all over Europe and Argentina, Emilio Pettoruti is remembered as one of the most influential artists in Argentina in the 20th century for his unique style and vision.

[9A]

7 Nov 2013

Ary Barroso's 110th Birthday






Ary de Resende Barroso, better known as Ary Barroso, was a Brazilian composer, pianist, soccer commentator, and talent-show host on radio and TV. He was one of Brazil's most successful songwriters in the first half of the 20th century. Barroso also composed many songs for Carmen Miranda during her career.

[9A]

7 November 2013

Rafael Pombo's 180th Birthday






José Rafael de Pombo y Rebolledo was a Colombian poet born in Bogotá. Trained as a mathematician and an engineer in a military school, Rafael Pombo served in the army and he traveled to the United States of America as Secretary of the Legation in Washington. After completing his diplomatic assignment, he was hired by D. Appleton & Company in New York to translate into Spanish nursery rhymes from the Anglo-Saxon oral tradition. The product of this work, more than a translation, was a transformative adaptation published in two books under the titles Cuentos pintados para niños and Cuentos morales para niños formales.

In spite of his extensive and diverse literary works, Rafael Pombo is mostly remembered for this contribution to children's literature. Among his most popular children's fables are Michín, Juan Chunguero, Pastorcita, La Pobre Viejecita, Simón el Bobito, El Gato Bandido, and El Renacuajo paseador.

[9A]

7 November 2011

Marie Curie's 144th Birthday





A pioneer in the sciences, Marie Curie's research led to such achievements as the discovery of polonium and radium and the development of the theory of radioactivity. Her life's work earned her two Nobel Prizes and solidified her place in history as an icon in physics and chemistry.

[9A]

11 Nov 2011

Magusto 2011





"Magusto" is a Portuguese tradition celebrated by all generations: from grandparents, to moms and dads, and little children. On this day, people come together to eat chestnuts, drink new wine and mingle with friends and family. The event tends to happen around a bonfire, with the younger generation energetically jumping over it [editor's note: kids, don't try this at home, but if you must, ask your parents first]!


We all have great memories of coming to school on this day with a bag of chestnuts, learning how to prepare them and, of course, ending the afternoon eating them together

Happy Magusto to All!

doodle by Mike Dutton. post by Monica Bagagem

[9A]

18 Nov 2011

Louis Daguerre's 224th Birthday







Making a daguerreotype was a very long and tedious process that required very careful and precise chemistry. Since it's been almost 22 years since my last science project and I knew nothing about Chemistry, exposing the team [or myself] to harmful chemicals or any potential spills wasn't sounding like the best idea.


Louis Daguerre was a master chemist... which is why the photo gods named the Daguerreotype process after him. Mr. Daguerre was also a photographer and an artist so I figured from one creative mind to another, that's what I would focus on. The black and white portraits of public figures and families that were taken by Daguerre at the time were such rich moments... moments I tried to convey with an illustrated version of a daguerreotype. Playing dress up with the letters and displaying them in a boxed frame similar to the era sounded like a good [safer] plan.

posted by Willie Real

[9A]

22 Mar 2018

Katsuko Saruhashi’s 98th Birthday



“There are many women who have the ability to become great scientists. I would like to see the day when women can contribute to science & technology on an equal footing with men.”

-Katsuko Saruhashi

[9A]

22 March 2005

World Water Day 2005





World Water Day is an annual United Nations [UN] observance day held on 22 March that highlights the importance of fresh water. The day is used to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. The theme of each day focuses on topics relevant to clean water, sanitation and hygiene [WASH], which is in line with the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 6. The UN World Water Development Report [WWDR] is released each year around World Water Day.

UN-Water is the convener for World Water Day and selects the theme for each year in consultation with UN organizations that share an interest in that year's focus. The theme for 2021 was "Valuing Water" and the public campaign invited people to join a global conversation on social media to "tell us your stories, thoughts and feelings about water"

In 2020, the theme was "Water and Climate Change". Previous themes for the years 2016 to 2019 were "Water and Jobs'", "Why waste water?" "Nature for Water", and "Leaving no one behind". World Water Day is celebrated around the world with a variety of events. These can be theatrical, musical or lobbying in nature. The day can also include campaigns to raise money for water projects. The first World Water Day, designated by the United Nations, was in 1993.

[9A]

Aug 1, 2021

Celebrating the Turkana Human







When fossil hunters spotted a tiny skull fragment in Kenya’s Lake Turkana Basin on this day in 1984, they didn’t yet know they had discovered part of the most intact early hominid skeleton ever found. Today’s Doodle recognizes the discovery of this ancient fossil, dubbed the “Turkana Human,” which revolutionized knowledge of human evolution.

This excavation dates back to 1967, when a paleoanthropologist flew over the Lake Turkana Basin and noticed fossiliferous rock. The next year, an expedition was launched into the volcanic valley, where the team uncovered remains of three coexisting Homo species, revealing the first evidence suggesting that early humans didn't have a single lineage, but multiple. This paradigm-shifting theory was reinforced by the discovery of the Turkana specimen, which Leakey’s team classified as Homo erectus, now considered the earliest ancestor of modern humans.

Widely believed to be around 10 in age, the Turkana hominid lived approximately 1.6 million years ago. The skeleton exhibits anatomical characteristics that are similar to those of Homo sapiens from the neck down and reveals a body designed for bipedalism. The preserved facial features are smaller than those of pre-erectus ancestors, which indicates the consumption of a higher-quality diet to sustain a large brain, though not quite the size of the modern human brain. The era’s fossil record indicates that Homo erectus utilized this growing brain by building fires, crafting tools, and traveling outside of Africa—a migration that marked a new chapter in the journey of ancient humans.

From harnessing fire to elucidating the chronology of human evolution, who knows what human exploration will find next?

[9A]

9 May 2012

Royal Ploughing Ceremony and Farmer's Day





The Royal Ploughing Ceremony, also known as The Ploughing Festival, is an ancient royal rite held in many Asian countries to mark the traditional beginning of the rice growing season. The royal ploughing ceremony, called Lehtun Mingala, was also practiced in pre-colonial Burma until 1885 when the monarchy was abolished

[9A]

10 May 2019

Minarni Soedarjanto’s 75th Birthday










Today’s Doodle salutes international badminton champion Minarni Soedarjanto, hailed in her Indonesian homeland as "Queen of all badminton queens."

Born in Pasuruan, East Java, on this day in 1944, Soedarjanto began competing at the age of 13 and went on to win her first title at the 1959 National Championship in Malang at the age of 15. That same year, she was chosen for the Indonesian national team, competing in the world’s top badminton tournament for women, the Uber Cup.

Although Indonesia was defeated in 1960, Soedarjanto won singles and doubles titles for many years, including a historic win in the sport’s oldest tournament, the All-England. Teaming up with Retno Koestijah, Soedarjanto won Indonesia’s first All England title in 1968. She also went on to victory at the 1969 U.S. Open and Canada Open that same year.

Soedarjanto was part of Indonesian teams that competed for the Uber Cup trophy in 1963, 1966, and 1969—but unfortunately came up short every time. "It's hard to just leave, considering it's been 23 years playing badminton," she said in a 1972 interview. By 1975 she was a player-coach and mother of three, but refused to retire without fulfilling her goal. Finally, she beat perennial powerhouse Japan, winning Indonesia’s first Uber cup which was the last title of her illustrious career.

Thanks for paving the way, and happy 75th birthday, Minarni Soedarjanto!

[9A]

10 May 2011

Zhang Daqian's 112th Birthday







Chang Dai-chien or Zhang Daqian was one of the best-known and most prodigious Chinese artists of the twentieth century. Originally known as a guohua [traditionalist] painter, by the 1960s he was also renowned as a modern impressionist and expressionist painter. In addition, he is regarded as one of the most gifted master forgers of the twentieth century.

It can be hard to attribute works to Chang since his style was so varied. Not only did he create his own work as well as forging other artists, but others would forge his originals.

Additionally, in China, "forgery" does not hold the same nefarious connotation as it does in Western culture. What would be considered illegal forgery in the United States is not necessarily as criminal in China. Actions he took to fall under the Western definition of forgery include aging work with electric hairdryers, and creating fake provenance with his collection of seals that he could use to mark past "owners" of the work. To further this provenance, his friend Puru would provide a colophon authenticating the work's imperial origins.

Art historian James Cahill claimed that the painting The Riverbank, a masterpiece from the Southern Tang dynasty, held by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, was likely another Chang forgery. The silk the piece is painted on could be carbon dated to help authenticate it, however since there has been some restoration on it -- the border repaired and the painting remounted and reglued -- not only would getting a sample to test be difficult, but there would be no guarantee the sample only contains original material.

Museum curators are cautioned to examine Chinese paintings of questionable origins, especially those from the bird and flower genre with the query, "Could this be by Chang Dai-chien?" Joseph Chang, Curator of Chinese Art at the Sackler Museum, suggested that many notable collections of Chinese art contained forgeries by the master painter.

It is estimated that Chang made more than 10 million dollars selling his forgeries.

[9A]

6 Jun 2011

Dragon Boat Festival 2011





A notable part of celebrating Dragon Boat Festival is making and eating zongzi [traditional Chinese rice dumpling] with family members and friends. People traditionally wrap zongzi in leaves of reed, bamboo, forming a pyramid shape. The leaves also give a special aroma and flavor to the sticky rice and fillings. Choices of fillings vary depending on regions. Northern regions in China prefer sweet or dessert-styled zongzi, with bean paste, jujube, and nuts as fillings. Southern regions in China prefer savory zongzi, with a variety of fillings including marinated pork belly, sausage, and salted duck eggs.

Zongzi appeared before the Spring and Autumn Period and was originally used to worship ancestors and gods; in the Jin Dynasty, Zongzi became a festive food for the Dragon Boat Festival. Jin Dynasty, dumplings were officially designated as the Dragon Boat Festival food. At this time, in addition to glutinous rice, the raw materials for making zongzi are also added with Chinese medicine Yizhiren. The cooked zongzi is called "yizhi zong".

The reason why the Chinese eat zongzi on this special day has many statements. The folk version is to hold a memorial ceremony for Quyuan. While in fact, Zongzi has been regarded as an oblation for the ancestor even before the Chunqiu period. From the Jin dynasty, Zongzi officially became the festival food and long last until now.

[9A]

May 26, 2012

Rafael Escalona's 85th Birthday








Rafael Calixto Escalona Martinez [May 26, 1926 – May 13, 2009] was a Colombian composer and troubadour. He was known for being one of the most prominent vallenato music composers and troubadours of the genre and for being the co-founder of the Vallenato Legend Festival, along with Consuelo Araújo and Alfonso López Michelsen.

Vallenato is a popular folk music genre from Colombia. It primarily comes from its Caribbean region. Vallenato literally means "born in the valley". The valley influencing this name is located between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Serranía de Perijá in north-east Colombia. The name also applies to the people from the city where this genre originated: Valledupar [from the place named Valle de Upar – "Valley of Upar"].In 2006, vallenato and cumbia were added as a category in the Latin Grammy Awards. Colombia’s traditional vallenato music is Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, according to UNESCO.

[9A]

May 27, 2014

Rachel Louise Carson's 107th Birthday






This global doodle celebrates famed marine biologist and conservationist Rachel Louise Carson on what would be her 107th birthday. The doodle was originally more aspirational in concept, much like the figure it celebrates. Carson could be seen perched on a seacliff, staring toward the sea with a light animation of her scarf flowing in the wind.








But doodler Matthew Cruickshank eventually went for a different approach.

“As much as I liked the image itself, as well as a chance to do a small piece of animation, I thought it shifted the focus away from the wildlife she sought to learn about and protect,” Matt explains. In the final illustration, Rachel Louise Carson is shown surrounded by a variety of species that dwell within the marine ecosystem, seemingly inspired by this quote from her book, Silent Spring:

“In nature nothing exists alone.”

[9A]

Jun 13, 2013

Dano [Korean Festival Day] 2013


Dano, is a Korean traditional holiday that falls on the 5th day of the fifth month of the lunar Korean calendar. It is an official holiday in North Korea and one of the major traditional holidays in South Korea. South Korea has retained several festivals related to the holiday, one of which is Gangneung Dano Festival designated by UNESCO as a "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity".

[9A]

June 13, 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.

[9A]

June 23, 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

[9A]

Jun 28, 2012

Sergiu Celibidache's 100th Birthday





Sergiu Celibidache was a Romanian conductor, composer, musical theorist, and teacher. Educated in his native Romania, and later in Paris and Berlin, Celibidache's career in music spanned over five decades, including tenures as principal conductor of the Munich Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Sicilian Symphony Orchestra and several other European orchestras. Later in life, he taught at Mainz University in Germany and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Celibidache frequently refused to release his performances on commercial recordings during his lifetime, claiming that a listener could not have a "transcendental experience" outside the concert hall. Many of the recordings of his performances were released posthumously. He has nonetheless earned international acclaim for his interpretations of the classical repertoire and was known for a spirited performance style informed by his study and experiences in Zen Buddhism. He is regarded as one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century.

[9A]

June 28, 2012

JJ Rousseau's 300th Birthday







Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolution and the development of modern political, economic, and educational thought.

[9A]

June 29, 2021

Pedro Linares López’s 115th Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates the 115th birthday of a Mexican artist who turned his dreams into reality, Pedro Linares López. His peculiar yet playful animal sculptures known as alebrijes are beloved worldwide as unique products of Mexico’s folk art tradition.

Pedro Linares López was born in Mexico City, Mexico on this day in 1906. His father worked as a papier-mâché sculptor, or cartonero, and he trained Linares to follow in his footsteps. By the time Linares was 12 years old, he had become a skilled craftsman of papier-mâché items like piñatas and the traditional skeletal figures called calaveras which are featured in the annual Day of the Dead celebration.

In 1945, as Linares tells the story, he became very sick and drifted into a fever dream. There he encountered fantastical creatures who shouted in unison a nonsensical phrase “Alebrijes!” Upon his recovery, he set out to represent these mythical beings in sculpture. The jarring sculptures initially met little success, until over time, Linares refined his alebrijes into the colorfully patterned combinations of reptiles, insects, birds, and mammals recognized today in today’s Doodle artwork. As his reputation grew, he attracted the admiration of the iconic Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, but it was a 1975 documentary about Linares by the filmmaker Judith Bronowski that elevated him to international fame.

In 1990, Linares was honored with the first Mexican National Prize in Arts and Sciences in the category of Popular Art and Traditions.

Thank you, Pedro Linares López, for showing us the power of imagination!

[9A]

September 29, 2016

Ladislao José Biro’s 117th birthday





You may not know the name Ladislao José Bíro, but you certainly know his most famous invention: the ballpoint pen.

Bíro was born in Budapest, Hungary, into a Jewish family. A journalist by trade, Bíro noticed how efficiently newspapers were printed and how quickly the ink dried – in stark contrast to his fountain pen. He worked with his brother, György Bíro, a chemist, to develop a new type of pen made up of a ball that turned in a socket. As the ball turned, it picked up ink from a cartridge and rolled to deposit it on paper, much like a newsprint roller transfers an inked image to paper.

Bíro presented the first prototype of the ballpoint pen at the Budapest International Fair in 1931, later patenting his invention in 1938. To this day, the ballpoint pen is still referred to as the “Biro” in several countries.

Today we celebrate Bíro and his relentless, forward-thinking spirit on the 117th anniversary of his birth.

[9A]

September 29, 2008

Miguel de Cervantes' Birthday






Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was a Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. He is best known for his novel Don Quixote, a work often cited as both the first modern novel and one of the pinnacles of world literature.

[9A]

May 26, 2016

Frankie Manning’s 102nd birthday




One morning in 1929, Frankie Manning--then only fifteen--was walking through Harlem on his way to Sunday school. Passing the Alhambra Ballroom, he made a decision to take dance classes that would change swing forever. Known as the Ambassador of the Lindy Hop--the exuberant style born in Harlem--Frankie Manning is remembered as the first person to take swing from the dancefloor to the air above it. Today’s doodle by Nate Swinehart celebrates Frankie Manning’s acrobatic, powerful style, in which his partners were flipped and spun to the emphatic horns of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and others.

The Lindy Hop and Manning’s aerial flourishes became wildly popular, and Manning himself performed the dance in several 40’s era movies. He also served in WWII, toured South America and the UK with his troupe, The Congaroos, performed the Lindy for King George VI, and won a Tony Award for his choreographic work on the Broadway musical Black and Blue.

Frankie Manning often described the dance as a “series of three-minute romances.” Here’s to the Ambassador on what would have been his 102nd birthday, and his role in creating for countless people--even if it lasted only three minutes--a moment that transcended the world around them.

[9A]

June 4, 2019

Mudik 2019




Starting today, the big cities of the Indonesian archipelago empty out as people return home for the annual Idul Fitri feast [also known as lebaran], jamming the roads and railways of over 11,000 islands, including Java, Sumatra, Borneo, New Guinea, Sulawesi, and Kalimantan. Today’s Doodle celebrates this festive mass exodus, known as mudik, an Indonesian term which means ”homebound trip” towards one’s home village.

Mudik is about strengthening the bonds of community, spending quality time with family and loved ones, taking part in traditional rituals, and visiting ancestral gravesites to pay respects. It’s also a time to share treats like sweet Nastar cakes and cheese-filled Kastengel cakes.

The practice of returning home dates as far back as the 14th century, although the term "mudik" became popular during the 1970s. Traffic jams are common and special arrangements are made to ensure that transportation goes as smoothly as possible. Officials estimate that over 20 million Indonesians will make the joyful journey to all parts of the country.

[9A]

June 4, 2008

First Hot Air Balloon Flight




A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket [in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule], which carries passengers and a source of heat, in most cases an open flame caused by burning liquid propane. The heated air inside the envelope makes it buoyant, since it has a lower density than the colder air outside the envelope. As with all aircraft, hot air balloons cannot fly beyond the atmosphere.

[9A]

June 4, 2014

Julija Beniuševičiūtė-Žymantienė's 169th Birthday





Writer Julija Beniuševičiūtė-Žymantienė is best remembered for her stories about life among the peasantry. Our homepage in Lithuania depicts a scene from her book Marti [“Daughter-in-law”], in which the main character realizes she may have made a huge mistake.

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June 4, 2022

Celebrating Kiyoshi Kuromiya





Today’s Doodle celebrates the inspiring life of Kiyoshi Kuromiya and the legacy of activism he left behind. He was involved in movements such as civil rights, anti-war, gay liberation, HIV/AIDS education and more. On this day in 2019, Kuromiya was inducted to the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor at the Stonewall National Monument.

Following the outbreak of World War II and due to Executive Order 9066, Kuromiya’s parents were among the over 120,000 Japanese-Americans forcibly relocated to government prison camps [aka Japanese internment camps]. Kuromiya was born in an internment camp in northern Wyoming on May 9, 1943. After the war ended, Kuromiya’s family moved to California, where as a gay Asian-American man attending a primarily Caucsian schools, he experienced what it felt like to be perceived as different. He later shared that he did not know any of the terminology around gay culture due to a lack of literature. As a result, Kuromiya utilized his public library to learn more about his identity.

He later attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he was inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and found his footing as a social activist. He was one of the few Asian Americans who participated in the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965. He also cultivated a close relationship with the Black Panther Party and championed intersectional solidarity between oppressed communities. Kuromiya participated with the Gay Pioneers in the first organized gay and lesbian civil rights demonstrations which were held at Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell each Fourth of July from 1965 to 1969. During this time the Vietnam War was raging on and he brought awareness to the UPenn campus around the inhumane use of napalm and designed an influential poster protesting the draft.

When the AIDS epidemic began devastating the gay community, Kuromiya turned his activism efforts towards awareness for the virus. He became a self-educated expert after being diagnosed with AIDS, and involved himself in groups such as ACT UP Philadelphia and People with AIDS [PWA]. In 1989, he founded the Critical Path Project, the first organization to provide a 24-hour hotline for the gay community.

In addition to being inducted to the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor at Stonewall, he was named a San Francisco Rainbow Honor Walk Honoree in 2018. As a proud gay man and AIDS survivor, Kuromiya served as a vocal leader for marginalized groups and zealously fought for social justice.

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Jun 3, 2017

Josephine Baker's 111th Birthday





With her kohl-rimmed eyes and exotic costumes, Josephine Baker pounced onto the global stage in the 1920s, becoming a Jazz Age icon and one of the first internationally recognized African-American entertainers.

Born into a vaudevillian family on June 3, 1906, Baker took up the family trade as a teenager. Her early days were spent dancing in public spaces for spare change. She eventually made her way to New York City at the dawn of the Harlem Renaissance, where she joined the chorus line of Shuffle Along, the first all-black Broadway musical. From there, she set off for Paris and found her fame and artistic home in the city’s opulent cabarets, singing and performing uninhibited dance routines that celebrated female liberation and African cultural identity.

A celebrity in Europe – and one of the most photographed women on the planet – Baker nonetheless faced racially charged comments from the press when she returned to the U.S. in 1936 for a short-lived starring turn in the Broadway series Ziegfeld Follies. Championing diversity and fighting for civil rights would become an enduring concern throughout her life. She refused to perform for segregated audiences and worked closely with the NAACP. In 1963, she participated in the March on Washington as the only female speaker to officially address the crowd, which she described as looking like "salt and pepper. Just what it should be." Her family life also mirrored her ideals. She adopted 12 children from around the world, affectionately referring to them as her Rainbow Tribe.

As if all that weren’t enough for one life, Baker had a secret career with the French resistance during World War II, socializing with Axis officials at high-society parties and using her cover as a country-hopping celebrity to gather intelligence — often writing it on her sheet music in invisible ink. Following the war, she was awarded the Croix de Guerre and inducted by Charles de Gaulle into France’s prestigious Legion of Honour.

There’s little doubt why Ernest Hemingway once called her "the most sensational woman anybody ever saw—or ever will."

Happy 111th birthday, Josephine Baker!

Doodle slideshow by Lydia Nichols
Animated gifs by Tracey Laguerre

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June 3, 2022

Dragon Boat Festival 2022





Today’s Doodle celebrates the annual Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Jie. The festival always occurs on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. This year, June 3rd marks the day when people across Asia gather to watch dragon-shaped boats race along river banks and lakes.

The holiday originated over 2,000 years ago in China to commemorate a beloved poet named Qu Yuan. When the Chu State was defeated in 278 B.C., Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Miluo River as a final act of loyalty to the King of Chu. As legend has it, villagers boarded their boats and threw rice dumplings in the water to keep fish away from the body of the poet. The fifth lunar month is also considered a “poisonous” month in Chinese agriculture since summer is the high season for insects and pests. That’s why traditional Duanwu Jie customs involve hanging mugwort leaves and herbs on doors and windows to repel insects.

Today, the festival’s most popular tradition is, of course, the exciting dragon boat race. The boats seat a crews of up to 90, which includes a drummer for morale and pace setting. Locals often watch the race while drinking realgar wine and eating zongi, a sticky rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaves.

Happy Dragon Boat Festival to all! Let’s get ready to row.

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May 30, 2022

Celebrating Edmond Rostand



Today’s Doodle celebrates Edmond Rostand, a Neo-Romantic French poet and playwright. His most famous work was Cyrano de Bergerac, a play about a chivalrous swordsman with an oversized nose. The play’s sentimental hero—plagued by a love triangle—went on to symbolize the spirit of the French. On this day in 1901, Rostand was elected to the French Academy [l’Académie Française].

Born in 1868 in a southern port city called Marseille, Rostand grew up in a wealthy and cultured family. His father, a poet and an economist, was a member of scholarly societies such as Académie de Marseille and Institute de France. As a young adult, Rostand attended Collège Stanislas in Paris, where he studied literature, history and philosophy. By the time he was 20-years-old, he had completed his first play, a one-act comedy called Le Gant Rouge. The play was performed at Cluny Theatre in 1888. Although Rostand’s first play received little fanfare, it didn’t discourage him from continuing to write.

A few years later, Rostand created his first successful play, Les Romanesques, which was a parody of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The satirical play follows two families who fake a feud to encourage their children to fall in love. When it premiered in 1894, it put Rostand on the map. Les Romanesques became so popular—even outside of France—that it was later adapted into The Fantasticks, the world's longest-running musical.

Three years after Les Romanesques, Rostand produced his most beloved work, Cyrano de Bergerac, in 1897. To this day, Cyrano de Bergerac remains one of the most popular plays in France, and people all over the world still seek modern versions of this tale.

Today’s artwork celebrates Rostand’s literary brilliance. More than a century later, his endearing tales continue to be performed and resonate with hopeless romantics all over the world.

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May 30, 2013

Potato Day 2013



“The potato is native to the Andes, rich in vitamins and antioxidants that are absorbed from the mountains and are marketed in different parts of the world”, said Perú 21 [a
leading newspapers of Peru]. This celebration comes from the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation [Minagri], which also promotes campaigns for the consumption and the benefits of this food.

There are more than 3,500 varieties of potatoes in Peru, and the country is the main producer in Latin America. Only in Cusco are more than 1,200 types of this tuber are produced, with a great variety of textures and colors. They are grown 4 thousand meters above sea level.

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10 July 2017

Eva Ekeblad’s 293rd Birthday




Today we celebrate Eva Ekeblad’s 293rd birthday. The Swedish scientist brought potatoes, then a greenhouse curiosity, to the people. Eva discovered the starch was humble but mighty – potatoes could be ground into flour or distilled into spirits. Her discovery helped reduce famine in years to come.

For her scientific and delicious work, Eva Ekeblad became the first woman elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1748. She was truly a pioneer - the next woman recognized in those ranks would come 203 years later.

Today we we honor Eva Ekeblad's ingenuity and her scientific achievements. Happy birthday, Eva!

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Jun 8, 2005

Frank Lloyd Wright's 138th Birthday


Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright believed in designing in harmony with humanity and the environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture. This philosophy was exemplified in Fallingwater [1935], which has been called "the best all-time work of American architecture." Wright played a key role in the architectural movements of the twentieth century, influencing generations of architects worldwide through his works.

Wright was the pioneer of what came to be called the Prairie School movement of architecture and also developed the concept of the Usonian home in Broadacre City, his vision for urban planning in the United States. He also designed original and innovative offices, churches, schools, skyscrapers, hotels, museums, and other commercial projects. Wright-designed interior elements [including leaded glass windows, floors, furniture and even tableware] were integrated into these structures. He wrote several books and numerous articles and was a popular lecturer in the United States and in Europe. Wright was recognized in 1991 by the American Institute of Architects as "the greatest American architect of all time." In 2019, a selection of his work became a listed World Heritage Site as The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Raised in rural Wisconsin, Wright studied civil engineering at the University of Wisconsin and then apprenticed in Chicago, first with Joseph Lyman Silsbee [1887] and then with Louis Sullivan [1888]. He opened his own successful Chicago practice in 1893, and established a studio in his Oak Park, Illinois home in 1898.

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Mar 22, 2009

Sabiha Gökçen's Birthday



Sabiha Gökçen was a Turkish aviator. During her flight career, she flew around 8,000 hours and participated in 32 different military operations. She was the world's first female fighter pilot, aged 23. Others such as Marie Marvingt and Evgeniya Shakhovskaya preceded her as military pilots in other roles, but not as fighter pilots and without military academy enrollment. She was an orphan, and one of the thirteen adopted children of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

She is recognized as the first female combat pilot by The Guinness Book of World Records and was selected as the only female pilot for the poster of "The 20 Greatest Aviators in History" published by the United States Air Force in 1996.

Sabiha Gökçen Airport, the second airport in Istanbul, was named after her.

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Apr 13, 2011

240th Birthday of Richard Trevithick










Richard Trevithick was a British inventor and mining engineer from Cornwall, UK. The son of a mining captain, and born in the mining heartland of Cornwall, Trevithick was immersed in mining and engineering from an early age. He was an early pioneer of steam-powered road and rail transport, and his most significant contributions were the development of the first high-pressure steam engine and the first working railway steam locomotive.

The world's first locomotive-hauled railway journey took place on 21 February 1804, when Trevithick's unnamed steam locomotive hauled a train along the tramway of the Penydarren Ironworks, in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.

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24 March 2023

Kitty O'Neil's 77th birthday





Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Washington DC-based, deaf guest artist Meeya Tjiang, celebrates the 77th birthday of Kitty O’Neil, once crowned the “the fastest woman in the world.” Kitty was a legendary American stunt performer, daredevil, and rocket-powered vehicle driver who was deaf since childhood.

O’Neil was born on this day in 1946 to a Cherokee Native American mother and Irish father in Corpus Christi, Texas. When she was just a few months old, she contracted multiple diseases which led to an intense fever that ultimately left her deaf. She learned various communication modes and adapted for different audiences throughout her life, ultimately preferring speaking and lip reading mostly. O’Neil refused to see her deafness as a roadblock, often referring to it as an asset. She later found a love for diving, but a wrist injury and illness ended her chances of competing. However, she remained committed to fulfill her dream of becoming a professional athlete.

O’Neil began experimenting with high-speed sports like water skiing and motorcycle racing. A true action-lover, she also performed dangerous acts such as falling from daunting heights while set on fire and jumping from helicopters. In the late 70s, she made it onto the big screen as a stunt double for films and TV series including The Bionic Woman [1976], Wonder Woman [1977-1979], and The Blues Brothers [1980]. She was the first woman to join Stunts Unlimited, an organization for Hollywood’s top stunt performers.

In 1976, O’Neil was crowned “the fastest woman alive” after zooming across the Alvord Desert at 512.76 miles per hour! She drove a rocket-powered car called the Motivator and surpassed the previous women’s land-speed record by almost 200 mph. Once she broke the women’s record by a landslide, it became evident that she could likely beat the men’s mark too. Unfortunately, her sponsors did not allow her to break the overall record as it threatened the status quo — they wanted to reserve the feat for a male driver. Legal action to fight this failed and O’Neil was never given the opportunity to break the overall record. However, this didn’t hold her back from going on to break records piloting jet-powered boats and rocket dragsters.

A biopic about O’Neil’s life, titled Silent Victory: The Kitty O’Neil Story, was released in 1979 and recaps the impressive Alvord Desert feat.

Thank you for inspiring us all to race towards our dreams, Kitty!

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11 February 2021

Fredy Hirsch's 105th birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates the 105th birthday of German-Jewish educator and athlete Fredy Hirsch. Known for his charismatic spirit and commitment in supporting children, Hirsch helped save Jewish youth during World War II and enriched their lives with the arts.

Alfred “Fredy” Hirsch was born on this day in 1916 in Aachen, Germany, where he started his career as a teacher at several Jewish youth organizations and sports associations. He was openly gay at a time when queer people were being prosecuted by the growing Nazi party. In an effort to escape, Hirsch sought refuge in Czechoslovakia, until the Nazi regime invaded the country and deported him to the Terezin Ghetto and later Auschwitz in 1943.

Against all odds, Hirsch continued teaching at Auschwitz and set up a children’s daycare. He did everything in his power to give hope to the youth in his block—organizing concerts, encouraging children to paint scenes from fairy tales, and even salvaging tin cans to help children create sculptures. Many of the children that Hirsch taught credit him for sparking their creative pursuits, like Zuzana Růžičková who survived Auschwitz and later became one of the world’s greatest harpsichordists.

On February 11, 2016, in commemoration of Hirsch’s 100th birthday, the high school he attended in Aachen renamed its gymnasium and cafeteria in his honor. Today, these buildings stand as testaments to his unbreakable spirit and carry forward his legacy of improving the lives of young people.

Happy birthday, Fredy Hirsch. Here’s to an indomitable hero who reminds the world to push forth with courage and optimism, even during the most trying of times.

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8 February 2023

Kamn Ismail 's 67th Birthday





Today’s animated Doodle celebrates the 67th birthday of Kamn Ismail, a cartoonist and pioneer in Malaysian animation. He created Keluang Man, Malaysia’s first superhero, and played a pivotal role in modernizing the country’s animation industry.

Ismail was born on this day in 1956 in Pengkalan Balak, Malacca, a small town by the sea. He fell in love with drawing as a child and dreamed of becoming a comic artist. When he was a teenager, his skills attracted the attention of McMillen Film Company, which hired him to oversee the creative aspects of a movie called Paper Tiger.

Ismail wanted to continue his career as a cartoonist but his father cautioned him against it. He feared Malaysia’s emerging animation industry couldn’t give his son a stable income.

Ismail reluctantly put his aspirations on hold. For the next 17 years, he worked as a clerk and held several positions at the Keretapi Tanah Melayu railway. But Ismail never gave up on his dreams and secretly learned computer animation techniques in his spare time.

His skills eventually landed him an opportunity to work for Kharisma Pictures. He trained the company’s animators and directed Malaysia’s first animated television series, Usop Sontorian, in 1996. Soon after, Ismail became a director at UAS Animation Studios, where he created the hit animation series Keluang Man. He brought the character to life by blending 2D and 3D animation. An innovative technique for its time, Ismail helped modernize Malaysia’s animation industry.

Ismail’s work has won numerous prizes such as the Best Animated Film at Malaysia Film Festival and was awarded as a Malaysian Animation Icon.

Happy 67th birthday to the father of Malaysian animation!

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6 Feb 2023

Waitangi Day 2023









Today’s Doodle commemorates Waitangi Day, Aotearoa New Zealand’s national day, and was illustrated by local guest artist Hori-te Ariki Mataki. This marks the anniversary of the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi [Treaty of Waitangi] in 1840. The treaty is widely considered the country’s founding document.

In 1840, British Crown representatives and hundreds of Māori chiefs gathered on the ground of Waitangi. Today, the Treaty grounds remain a central part of celebrations. An annual gathering features speeches from Māori dignitaries and cultural performances like kapa-haka—a powerful group dance that expresses strength and unity. New Zealanders across the motu [country] attend events to mark the day.

Today’s Doodle artwork features a Māori-inspired design — a tiki form with outstretched arms representing the ancestors of Māori and non-Māori and their aspirations in the Treaty of Waitangi, for the protection of land, community and partnership. The colour is representative of pounamu, or jade, which is considered a taonga [treasure] in Māori culture.

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30 Dec 2020

Celebrating Elizabeth Peratrovich





Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Sitka, Alaska-based guest artist Michaela Goade, celebrates Alaska Native civil rights champion Elizabeth Peratrovich, who played an instrumental role in the 1945 passage of the first anti-discrimination law in the United States. On this day in 1941, after encountering an inn door sign that read “No Natives Allowed,” Peratrovich and her husband–both of Alaska’s Indigenous Tlingit tribe–helped plant the seed for the anti-discrimination law when they wrote a letter to Alaska’s governor and gained his support.

Elizabeth Peratrovich—whose Tlingit name is Kaaxgal.aat, a member of the Lukaax̱.ádi clan of the Raven moiety—was born on July 4, 1911 in Petersburg, Alaska during a time of extensive segregation in the territory. She was lovingly raised by adoptive parents, living in various small Southeast Alaska communities throughout her childhood. With a passion for teaching, Peratrovich attended college in Bellingham, Washington where she also became reacquainted with her husband, Roy Peratrovich, who was a student at the same school. The couple married and moved to Klawock, Alaska where their role in local politics and Elizabeth’s knack for leadership drove her heavy involvement with the Alaska Native Sisterhood, one of the oldest civil rights groups in the world, leading to her eventual appointment as the organization’s Grand President.

Seeking better access to lawmakers who could help effect change, the Peratrovichs moved in 1941 with their three children to the Alaskan capital of Juneau, where they were met with blatant discrimination. When attempting to buy a home in their new city, they were denied when the sellers saw they were of Alaska Native descent. Instances like these were unfortunately common for Alaska’s Indigenous peoples and further motivated Peratrovich to take action in the name of systemic change.

Elizabeth and Roy worked with others to draft Alaska’s first anti-discrimination bill, which was introduced in 1941 and failed to pass. On February 5, 1945 following years of perseverance, a second anti-discrimination bill was brought before the Alaska Senate, and Peratrovich took to the floor to deliver an impassioned call for equal treatment for Indigenous peoples. She was met with thunderous applause throughout the gallery, and her moving testimony is widely credited as a decisive factor in the passage of the historic Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945.

In 1988 the Alaska State Legislature declared February 16 as “Elizabeth Peratrovich Day,” and in 2020 the United States Mint released a $1 gold coin inscribed with Elizabeth’s likeness in honor of her historic achievements in the fight for equality.

Thank you, Elizabeth Peratrovich, for helping to build the foundation for a more equitable future.

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6 Jan 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 1892–93, is often considered the first Art Nouveau house. 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.

Horta's 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 [1895–1899]; Brussels' Centre for Fine Arts [1923–1929]; and Brussels Central Station [1913–1952].

In 1932, King Albert I 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 January 2009

La Befana 2009



In Italian folklore, the Befana is an old woman who delivers gifts to children throughout Italy on Epiphany Eve [the night of January 5] in a similar way to Santa Claus or the Three Magi Kings.

A popular belief is that her name derives from the Feast of Epiphany. In popular folklore, the Befana visits all the children of Italy on the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany to fill their socks with candy and presents if they are good, or a lump of coal or dark candy if they are bad. In many poorer parts of Italy and in particular rural Sicily, a stick in a stocking was placed instead of coal. Being a good housekeeper, many say she will sweep the floor before she leaves. To some the sweeping means the sweeping away of the problems of the year. The child's family typically leaves a small glass of wine and a plate with a few morsels of food, often regional or local, for the Befana.

She is usually portrayed as a hag riding a broomstick through the air wearing a black shawl and is covered in soot because she enters the children's houses through the chimney. She is often smiling and carries a bag or hamper filled with candy, gifts, or both.

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June 2, 2021

Celebrating Frank Kameny


In celebration of Pride Month, today’s Doodle honors American astronomer, veteran, and gay rights activist Dr. Frank Kameny, widely hailed as one of the most prominent figures of the U.S. LGBTQ rights movement.

Franklin Edward Kameny was born in Queens, New York, on May 21, 1925. Gifted from a young age, Kameny enrolled at Queens College to study physics at just 15 years old. He saw combat during World War II and upon his return to the U.S. obtained a doctorate in astronomy at Harvard University. In 1957, Kameny accepted a job as an astronomer with the Army Map Service, but he was fired just months later based on an executive order effectively barring members of the LGBTQ community from federal employment.

In response to his termination, Kameny sued the federal government and in 1961 filed the first gay rights appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Denied but undeterred, Kameny embarked upon a lifelong fight for equal rights. Years before the Stonewall Riots, he organized one of the country’s first gay rights advocacy groups. In the early ‘70s, he also successfully challenged the American Psychiatric Association’s classification of homosexuality as a mental disorder, and in 1975, the Civil Service Commission finally reversed its ban on LGBTQ employees.

In 2009, over 50 years after his dismissal, Kameny received a formal apology from the U.S. government. In June 2010, Washington D.C. named a stretch of 17th Street NW near Dupont Circle “Frank Kameny Way” in his honor.

Thank you, Frank Kameny, for courageously paving the way for decades of progress!