Google doodles

[9A]

1 May 2014
Mahmoud Shokoko's 102nd Birthday







Mahmoud Shokoko was an Egyptian actor and artist. He is best known for his puppet character "Aragouzsho".

Though he was illiterate, “Shokoko” was able to have a huge impact on the world of acting, and will always be remembered for his puppet character of “Aragouzsho" who is still kept at the Music Institute and the Institute of Acting today.

[9A]

1 May 2011
160th Anniversary of the first World's Fair












An event that housed the latest and greatest inventions and cultural treasures of its time, the first World's Fair at the Crystal Palace in London was packed with thousands of wonders. This doodle is a sampling of what the visitors saw when they stepped into the glass building. Amongst the trove are the world's largest diamond, a steam engine, high fashion dresses, textiles, indoor trees, and a gigantic fountain. Users can roll over the doodle to zoom in on the scene and catch hidden animations.

[9A]

1 May 2010
World Expo Opens in Shanghai







Expo 2010, officially the Expo 2010 Shanghai China, was held on both banks of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, China, from 1 May to 31 October 2010. It was a major World Expo registered by the Bureau International des Expositions, in the tradition of international fairs and expositions, the first since 2005. The theme of the exposition was "Better City – Better Life" and signifies Shanghai's new status in the 21st century as the "next great world city". The Expo emblem features the Chinese character 世 ['world', Chinese "shì"] modified to represent three people together with the 2010 date. It had the largest number of countries participating and was the most expensive Expo in the history of the world's fairs. The Shanghai World Expo was also the largest World's Fair site ever at 5.28 square km.

By the end of the expo, over 73 million people had visited – a record attendance – and 246 countries and international organizations had participated. On 16 October 2010, the expo set a single-day record of over 1.03 million visitors.

[9A]

23 July 2009
The 40th Anniversary of Comic-Con - Designed by Jim Lee © DC Comics



A comic book convention or comic con is an event with a primary focus on comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events hosted at convention centers, hotels, or college campuses. They feature a wide variety of activities and panels, with a larger number of attendees participating in cosplay than most other types of fan conventions. Comic book conventions are also used as a vehicle for industry, in which publishers, distributors, and retailers represent their comic-related releases. Comic book conventions may be considered derivatives of science-fiction conventions, which began in the late 1930s.

Comic-cons were traditionally organized by fans on a not-for-profit basis, though nowadays most events catering to fans are run by commercial interests for profit. Many conventions have award presentations relating to comics [such as the Eisner Awards, which have been presented at San Diego Comic-Con International since 1988; or the Harvey Awards, which have been presented at a variety of venues also since 1988].

At commercial events, comic book creators often give out autographs to the fans, sometimes in exchange for a flat appearance fee, and sometimes may draw illustrations for a per-item fee. Commercial conventions are usually quite expensive and are hosted in hotels. This represents a change in comic book conventions, which traditionally were more oriented toward comic books as a mode of literature, and maintained a less caste-like differentiation between professional and fan.

The first official comic book convention was held in 1964 in New York City and was called New York Comicon. Early conventions were small affairs, usually organized by local enthusiasts [such as Jerry Bails, later known as the "Father of Comic Fandom", and Dave Kaler of the Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors], and featuring a handful of industry guests. The first recurring conventions were the Detroit Triple Fan Fair, which ran from 1965–1978, and Academy Con, which ran from 1965–1967. Many recurring conventions begin as single-day events in small venues, which as they grow more popular expand to two days, or even three or more every year. Many comic-cons which had their start in church basements or union halls now fill convention centers in major cities.

Nowadays, comic conventions are big business, with recurring shows in every major American city. Comic book conventions in name only, the biggest shows include a large range of pop culture and entertainment elements across virtually all genres, including horror, animation, anime, manga, toys, collectible card games, video games, webcomics, and fantasy novels.

San Diego Comic-Con International, a multigenre entertainment and comic convention held annually in San Diego since 1970, is the standard bearer for U.S. comic-cons. According to Forbes, the convention is the "largest convention of its kind in the world;" and is also the largest convention held in San Diego. According to the San Diego Convention and Visitor's Bureau, the convention has an annual regional economic impact of $162.8 million, with a $180 million economic impact in 2011. However, in 2017, SDCC lost its record of the largest annual multigenre convention to São Paulo's Comic Con Experience [first held in 2014].

Internationally, the world's largest comic book convention, in terms of attendees, is Japan's Comiket [first held in 1975], which boasts annual attendance of over half a million people. Italy's Lucca Comics & Games [first held in 1965] and France's Angoulême International Comics Festival [first staged in 1974] are the world's second and third largest comic festivals, respectively.

[9A]

23 July 2010
Peder Severin Krøyer's 159th Birthday






Peder Severin Krøyer, also known as P. S. Krøyer, was a Danish painter.Krøyer's best known and best-loved work is entitled Summer Evening on Skagen's Southern Beach with Anna Ancher and Marie Krøyer [Sommeraften ved Skagen Sønderstrand med Anna Ancher og Marie Krøyer], 1893. He painted many beach scenes featuring both recreation life on the beach [bathers, strollers], and local fishermen.

Another popular work is Midsummer Eve Bonfire on Skagen Beach [Sankthansbål på Skagen strand], 1906. This large-scale work features a great crowd of the artistic and influential Skagen community gathered around a large bonfire on the beach on Saint John's Eve [Midsummer Eve].

Both of these works are in the permanent collection of the Skagens Museum which is dedicated to that community of artists, including those who gathered around Krøyer, a great organizer and bon vivant.

[9A]

23 July 2011
Amália Rodrigues' 91st Birthday





Amália da Piedade Rebordão Rodrigues, better known as Amália Rodrigues or popularly as Amália, was a Portuguese fadista [fado singer] and actress.

Known as the 'Rainha do Fado' ["Queen of Fado"], Rodrigues was instrumental in popularising fado worldwide and travelled internationally throughout her career. Amália remains the best-selling Portuguese artist in history.

Rodrigues was once considered by Variety as one of the voices of the century. She remains one of the most international of Portuguese artists and singers, and in Portugal, a national icon. She put Fado in the world map as a musical genre, and her works continue to inspire other performers and singers today, many of whom sing her repertoire.

Rodrigues remains one of Portugal's most famous artists and singers. She was born into a humble family and became one of Portugal's biggest celebrities, internationally recognised artist and singer. Her career spanned 55 years and she recorded songs in several languages [especially Portuguese, French, English, Spanish and Italian]. Versions of her own songs, for instance "Coimbra" ["April in Portugal"] achieved success in France, Italy, USA, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Mexico, Romania, Japan and The Netherlands, among other countries.

[9A]

23 July 2019
60th Anniversary of 'The Land Of Crimson Clouds' Publication




Today’s Doodle celebrates The Land of Crimson Clouds, a novel by Russian authors Boris and Arkady Strugatsky, published on this day in 1959. Perhaps the most influential science fiction writers in Russian history, the pair was inspired to collaborate on their first book together through a friendly bet. Arkady wagered his wife Yelena that he and his brother, who studied astronomy in Leningrad, could write a better science fiction novel than those being published in Russia at the time.

Censorship guidelines had restricted some of their predecessors, but in the 1950s a “thaw” was taking place, allowing writers greater freedom of expression. Completed in 1957, the same year as Russia’s historic Sputnik mission, Strana bagrovykh tuch [The Land of Crimson Clouds] is the story of a voyage to the planet Venus, set in the late 20th century. Presenting an optimistic view of the future, the Strugatsky brothers foresaw a world where technology and social progress went hand in hand, with photon-drive rockets carrying explorers to Venus in search of uranium to help generate nuclear power.

Although they lived hundreds of miles from each other, the Strugatskys went on to collaborate on over 25 novels. Their follow-up, Noon: 22nd Century, introduced the “Noon Universe,” interpreted by some as an allegory for the ideals of the Soviet Union, a world filled with intelligent, hard-working people happily engaged in interesting work.

By the late 1960s, the brothers increasingly used their writing to offer subtle critiques of authoritarian government, setting the action in faraway universes. Although some of their later works were censored for political reasons, their family has since made all their work available online as the writers originally intended.

[9A]

29 July 2011
Medellin Flower Festival 2011







The Flowers Festival [Spanish: Feria de las Flores] is a festival that takes place in Medellín, Colombia. The festival is the most important social event for the city and includes a pageant, automobiles, a Paso Fino horse parade and many musical concerts.

This flower parade represents the end of slavery when slaves carried men and women on their backs up steep hills instead of flowers. The first silleteros parade also took place with some 40 men from the corregimiento of Santa Elena carrying on their backs flower arrangements to the exposition site.

[9A]

27 April 2018
King's Day 2018





Happy Koningsdag, or King’s Day, to all Dutch people everywhere! Each year on April 27, Dutch families all through the country and around the world partake in commemorating the birthday of King Willem-Alexander.

Planning and preparation for the day is the responsibility of the Oranjecomité, or Orange Committees, sourced from local communities. These groups will plan concerts, parties and vrijmarkt, or flea markets, a longstanding tradition on King’s Day. While towns across the Netherlands will participate in the festivities, the largest events take place in the capital city of Amsterdam. Over a million visitors, decked in orange clothing [and some with orange hair], flock to the city to celebrate in the streets and canals, and honor their country.

Today’s Doodle depicts the Dutch game of Koekhappen, traditionally played by children to celebrate King’s Day. Koekhappen involves a piece of soft sweet cake, such as gingerbread, tied to a string. The game begins as players either close their eyes or are blindfolded, the cake is held just above their heads and each must try to take bites of the cake without opening their eyes!

Doodle by Vrinda V Zaveri

[9A]

8 July 2020
Artemisia Gentileschi’s 427th birthday








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

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

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

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

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

Buon compleanno, Artemisia Gentileschi!

[9A]

8 July 2008
Nasreddin Hodja Festival 2008






Nasreddin or Nasreddin Hodja or Mullah Nasreddin Hooja or Mullah Nasruddin was a Seljuk satirist, born in Hortu Village in Sivrihisar, Eskişehir Province, present-day Turkey and died in 13th century in Akşehir, near Konya, a capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, in today's Turkey. He is considered a philosopher, Sufi, and wise man, remembered for his funny stories and anecdotes. He appears in thousands of stories, sometimes witty, sometimes wise, but often, too, a fool or the butt of a joke. A Nasreddin story usually has a subtle humour and a pedagogic nature. The International Nasreddin Hodja festival is celebrated between 5 and 10 July in his hometown every year.

[9A]

8 July 2008
Kaii Higashiyama's Birthday






Kaii Higashiyama was a Japanese writer and artist particularly renowned for his Nihonga style paintings. As one of the most popular artists in post-war Japan, Higashiyama was awarded the Japan Art Academy Prize in 1956 and the Order of Culture in 1969.In 1953, he was selected to paint 27 fusama-e murals for a Japanese house, called Shofuso Japanese House and Gardens, which was being constructed in Nagoya in 1953 for an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Higashiyama, who had been a classmate of architect Junzo Yoshimura, was chosen above a number of other well-known Japanese painters such as Maeda Seison and Yokoyama Taikan, to paint mountain scenes with black ink on the fusuma and the tokonoma alcove.

The Shofuso was moved to Philadelphia in 1958 where the murals were on view until they were destroyed by vandals in 1974.

In 1960, he painted a large mural entitled "Sun, Moon, and The Four Seasons", for the state dining room the Tōgū Palace of the Crown Prince. A second imperial commission followed, resulting in the 1968 mural, "Tide at Daybreak", which is part of the Nami-no-ma hall of Tokyo Imperial Palace. This large painting is apparently modeled on the rocks of the Oumi Island in Yamaguchi prefecture. The dimensions of the painting are approximately 3.8 meters in height and about 14.3 meters horizontally.

He also painted several murals of Japanese and Chinese landscapes, for the Tōshōdai-ji temple, completed in 1975 and 1980.

[9A]

8 July 2007
National Aborigines & Islander Day Observance Committee Week





National Indigenous Peoples Day formerly National Aboriginal Day is a day recognizing and celebrating the cultures and contributions of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Indigenous peoples of Canada. The day was first celebrated in 1996, after it was proclaimed that year by then Governor General of Canada Roméo LeBlanc, to be celebrated annually on 21 June. This date was chosen as the statutory holiday for many reasons, including its cultural significance as the Summer solstice, and the fact that it is a day on which many Indigenous peoples and communities traditionally celebrate their heritage. A proposal to rename the day National Indigenous Peoples Day was made in 2017.

The bill to make that change was still being debated by parliament when the legislature was dissolved. The federal Crown has begun referring to the day as National Indigenous Peoples Day, regardless.

This day has been celebrated as a statutory territorial holiday in the Northwest Territories since 2001 and in Yukon since 2017. It is not however, currently considered a statutory holiday across the rest of the country.

[9A]

9 July 2013
Saturnino Herrán's 126th Birthday





Saturnino Herrán Guinchard [July 9, 1887 – October 8, 1918] was a Mexican painter influential to Latin culture in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Herrán completed majestic paintings of Mexican Indigenous people, giving them heroic strength, beauty, and dignity. In 1910 he participated in the exhibition commemorating the Centennial Anniversary of Mexico's Independence. A desire to be a mural painter appeared during his career, and in 1911 he completed commissioned large-scale, mural-like paintings.

On top of being a professor, Herrán was an activist for modern art, a muralist, book illustrator, draughtsman, and stained glass colorist. While his work had influence from Mexico, Spain, and Catalan it did not fully break away from the traditional European style he was trained to paint in.

Herrán, being of mixed descent himself, recognized the multitude of races Mexico embodied, and painted people in natural habitats, capturing their strength, dignity, and inherent beauty. This realization was a part of a movement called 'indigenismo'-a movement that called for social elevation, for a developed personal identity that is inextricably linked to a plethora of Latin races. His generation marked him as one of the painters that "embodied the nations soul"





^{The Offering, 1913}

[9A]

11 Jul 2013
Anibal Troilo's 99th Birthday





Aníbal Carmelo Troilo was an Argentine tango musician.

Troilo was a bandoneon player, composer, arranger, and bandleader in Argentina. His orquesta típica was among the most popular with social dancers during the golden age of tango [1940–1955], but he changed to a concert sound by the late 1950s.

Troilo's orchestra is best known for its instrumentals, though he also recorded with many well-known vocalists such as Roberto Goyeneche, Edmundo Rivero and Francisco Fiorentino. His rhythmic instrumentals and the recordings he made with vocalist Francisco Fiorentino from 1941 to 1943, known as milongas, were some of the favourites in tango salons. The renowned bandoneonist Astor Piazzolla played in and arranged for Troilo's orquesta típica during the period of 1939–1944.

The bandoneon is a type of concertina particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay. It is a typical instrument in most tango ensembles. As with other members of the concertina family, the bandoneon is held between both hands, and by pulling and pushing actions force air through bellows and then routing air through particular reeds as by pressing the instrument's buttons. Bandoneons have a different sound from accordions, because bandoneons do not usually have the register switches that are common on accordions. Nevertheless, the tone of the bandoneon can be changed a great deal using varied bellows pressure and overblowing, thus creating potential for expressive playing and diverse timbres.

[9A]

13 Jul 2011
Sir George Gilbert Scott's 200th Birthday




Sir George Gilbert Scott, known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he started his career as a leading designer of workhouses. Over 800 buildings were designed or altered by him.

Scott was the architect of many iconic buildings, including the Midland Grand Hotel at St Pancras Station, the Albert Memorial, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, all in London, St Mary's Cathedral, Glasgow, the main building of the University of Glasgow, St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh and King's College Chapel, London.

[9A]

14 Jul 2011
Bastille Day 2011

[9A]

14 July 2014
Safiye Ayla's 107th Birthday





“This heart is the rose that rose with you” crooned Turkish singer Safiye Ayla in one of her self-written songs. Considered a legend of Turkish classical music, our doodle in Turkey honors Ayla’s 107th birthday.

[9A]

10 December 2019
Afifa Iskandar’s 98th Birthday

“I want those who left me to come back from the journey.
I want to give them part of my soul as a keepsake.”—Afifa Iskandar, “It Burned My Soul”

Today’s Doodle celebrates the “Iraqi Blackbird,” Afifa Iskandar, on what would have been her 98th birthday. Inspired by her love of poetry, Iskandar built up an extensive catalog over the course of her career and is widely known as one of the most acclaimed female singers in Iraqi history.

Born in Mosul on this day in 1921, Iskandar started singing at the age of 5, performing her first concert as a teenager in a small cabaret in the city of Erbil. She went on to delight audiences at home and around the region, eventually performing in the U.S. and Europe as well. Her ability to sing the music of maqam al-’iraqi, a 400-year-old style weaving sung poetry together with traditional instrumentation, made her stand out from her contemporaries throughout the Middle East.

Throughout her career, Iskandar performed for Iraqi monarchs and government leaders. Iskandar voluntarily retired following the country’s 1979 political change. Though publicly silent, Iraq’s “blackbird” never lost her passion for singing, performing for friends and loved ones in private.
Her music lives on today through songs like "Ya aqqid alhajibayn" and "Ikhlas meni" for the world to enjoy.

Happy birthday, Afifa Iskandar!

[9A]

10 December 2018
Clarice Lispector’s 98th Birthday









“I write very simply,” said the Brazilian author Clarice Lispector. “I don’t dress things up.” Her intensely personal short stories and novels about the innermost feelings of characters searching for meaning in life made her one of the most celebrated literary figures of the 20th century.

Born on this day in 1920, Clarice Lispector fled the Ukraine with her family, who had been persecuted for being Jewish, to the city of Recife in northern Brazil. At age nine she and her two sisters moved to Rio, where they were raised by her father following her mother’s passing.

Lispector began writing stories at age seven. While studying law she cultivated her passion by writing for newspapers and magazines—both fiction and journalism—before publishing her first novel at age 23. Perto do coração selvagem [Near to the Wild Heart] was hailed for its innovative interior monologue style, revealing the thoughts and emotions of an adolescent woman. It earned her the Graça Aranha Prize for the best debut novel of 1943. The same year her book was published she married a diplomat and left Brazil to live nearly two decades in Italy, Switzerland, England, and America. She visited Brazil regularly but did would not move back until 1959.

Collections of stories like Family Ties and The Foreign Legion explore the alienation of modern life by revealing their character’s private reflections on the mundane details of daily existence. Taken as a whole, her 85-story body of work can be read an autobiography: the inner thoughts of a woman’s entire life from adolescence to old age.

In recent years many of her works—including her 1973 masterpiece Água Viva [[The Stream of Life)—have been translated into English, allowing a new generation of readers to discover this enchanting individual author.

Happy Birthday, Clarice Lispector!

Today's Doodle was created by Clarice's granddaughter, Mariana Valente. She writes:

It is very stimulating to work with collage and to be able to make a tribute to my grandmother Clarice, because I feel that I learned from her the redefinition of the meaning of the words in the word itself and to reframe images in the collage. For this celebration Doodle, I decided to tell a little bit about her path, the escape from dangerous Ukraine as a refugee, leaving Europe by ship to arrival at a new, strange and warm Brazilian Northeast harbor to finally witness her ascension as an internationally praised writer.
The mark of the Rio de Janeiro's Botanical Garden, one of her favorite sanctuaries, a hidden cockroach and the building where she started her first job downtown Rio, represent her epiphanies coming from everyday scenes.

[9A]

10 December 2012
Ada Lovelace's 197th Birthday






Augusta Ada King, countess of Lovelace, along with her counterpart Charles Babbage, were pioneers in computing long before the first computer was built. Despite being an uncommon pedagogy for women, Ada was educated in mathematics because her mother hoped would mitigate in Ada her father's, Lord Byron's, penchant for poetry and mania [it didn’t].

While Babbage drew up designs for the first general-purpose computer, which he called the Analytic Engine, he only imagined it would be a powerful calculator. Lovelace, however, anticipated the much more impressive possibilities for such a machine. She realized the engine could represent not just numbers, but generic entities like words and music. This intellectual leap is the foundation of how we experience computers today, from the words on this screen to the colors and shapes in this doodle.

In 1843, Ada published extensive notes on the Analytic Engine which included the first published sequence of operations for a computer, which she would have input to the Analytic Engine using punch cards. It is this program for calculating Bernoulli numbers which leads some to consider Ada Lovelace the world’s first computer programmer, as well as a visionary of the computing age.

Posted by Ida Mayer, Googler

[9A]

24 June 2017
2017 World Taekwondo Championships Muju





Integrity, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit — all of these are on display at the 2017 World Taekwondo Championships in Muju, South Korea. Oh, and some pretty impressive knee strikes and reverse round kicks!

The World Taekwondo Championships have taken place every other year since 1973. Outside of the Olympics, they’re the most prestigious event for those who practice the sport — in fact, the seven days feature more competitors from a greater number of nations than does the four-day Olympic event. Many talented athletes will make names for themselves at the championships this year, and their careers will be carefully followed by taekwondo enthusiasts as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics approach.

Though taekwondo is an intensely physical sport, its philosophical roots center on the building of a more peaceful society. By cultivating a foundation of respect, humility, and control in the individual, practitioners of taekwondo aim to inspire this sense of responsibility and spirituality in others through their actions and teachings.

Today’s Doodle was created with community and diversity in mind. Who will emerge victorious in this year’s Worlds? We can’t wait to find out!

[9A]

24 June 2011
Festa Junina






Festas Juninas are the annual Brazilian celebrations adapted from European Midsummer that take place in the southern midwinter. These festivities, which were introduced by the Portuguese during the colonial period [1500–1822], are celebrated during the month of June nationwide. The festival is mainly celebrated on the eves of the Catholic solemnities of Saint Anthony, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Peter.

Since Northeastern Brazil is largely arid or semi-arid, these festivals not only coincide with the end of the rainy seasons of most states in the northeast, but they also provide people with an opportunity to give thanks to Saint John for the rain. They also celebrate rural life and feature typical clothing, food, and dance [particularly quadrilha, which is similar to square dancing].

[9A]

24 June 2018
Saloua Raouda Choucair’s 102nd Birthday



Today we celebrate the Lebanese sculptor Saloua Choucair, a trailblazer of modern art.

Fascinated with science and mathematics, Choucair explored mathematical patterns through her abstract sculptures, known for their interlocking parts. Works like her Structure with One Thousand Pieces [1966-68] are renowned for their intricacy. A series she called “poems” was composed of numerous movable pieces that could be appreciated as separate pieces or as an assemblage, much like the verses of a Sufi poem.

After visiting the studio of the renowned French artist Fernand Léger, she was inspired to push even farther into abstraction. A small 1947 show of her work at Beirut’s Arab Cultural Gallery is widely recognized as the earliest exhibition of abstract art in the Arab world. “It’s a universal influence,” Choucair once said of her work, which ranged from sculpture and installation to design and architecture. “What I experience, everyone in the world experiences.”

Like many great artists, Choucair gained recognition and acclaim later in life, creating until she was 90 years old. A tireless worker, she filled up her sketchbooks with endless designs before prototyping ideas in stone, wood, metal, plastic or fiberglass. She was 97 years old when London’s Tate Modern put on a retrospective spanning her 70-year career, her first outside of Lebanon.

Happy birthday, Saloua Choucair!

[9A]

24 June 2016
Juan Manuel Fangio’s 105th birthday




As a child, he was El Chueco – ”the bandy-legged one” – due to his gravity-bending soccer skills. But a lifetime of racing victories made him El Maestro – The Master. Such was the transformation of legend Juan Manuel Fangio, who would be 105 today.

A native son of Balcarce, near Buenos Aires, Fangio’s command of the wheel emerged while driving for the military. Post-service, he kept at it, dedicating himself to punishing routines to make up for lost time and compete with his younger opponents. The result: winning the World Championship of Drivers not once, but a record-breaking five times in the 1950s.

Today’s vintage, poster-inspired Doodle commemorates his dedication and commitment to Balcarce, Argentina, and the timeless art of racing.





1950 Simca Gordini T15s, as raced, and retired,
at the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans by
José Froilán González and Juan Manuel Fangio

[9A]

24 June 2015
Copa América 2015 - Quarterfinals #1 - Chile v Uruguay






To play football, all you really need is a ball and two teams, which is part of why it's the world’s most popular sport. But we all know the game isn't just about what's happening on the field. There’s a 3rd key ingredient that turns a simple match into magic. If you look closely, you can find all 3 ingredients in today’s Doodle.

The Copa América tournament started with 12 teams of world-class athletes and is now down 8 squads battling it out in the quarterfinals. Join the fans in the 1st quarterfinal match: Chile v Uruguay!

[9A]

11 June 2015
Copa América 2015





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

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

We’re excited to bear witness to the unifying quality of soccer in its highest form.

See you at the pitch!

[9A]

25 Jun 2015
Mozambique Independence Day 2015





Mozambique's successful war for independence brought an end to the white-ruled cordon of nations separating Apartheid South Africa from the independent black-ruled nations of the continent. As a result, newly-independent nations such as Angola, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo acted as stages for proxy battles between capitalist and communist nations attempting to proliferate their respective ideologies. Independent Mozambique, like Tanzania before it, served as a temporary base for African National Congress [ANC] operatives fighting to release South Africa from its white-led rule.

[9A]

25 June 2019
103rd Anniversary of Hua Lamphong





It’s been exactly 103 years since Bangkok Railway Station, unofficially known as Hua Lamphong, first opened its doors to passengers. Although the Bang Sue mega station will eventually become the capital's main rail transport hub, Hua Lamphong holds the title as Bangkok’s oldest train station—whose ornate neoclassical design, featuring a vaulted iron roof with stained glass windows, evokes a time when trains were the ultimate mode of transportation.

During his 1907 tour of Europe, King Rama V was so impressed by the Frankfurt Train Station that he commissioned a similar building for his own country. The Italian architects Mario Tamagno and Annibale Rigotti echoed certain details of the German station in their design, from the half dome façade, to the open-air passenger galleries, to the giant clock on the front gable.

For more than a century, Hua Lamphong has been the entry point to Bangkok for millions of visitors. The station connects with the MRT underground system, and you can also catch both rural commuter lines and the luxurious Orient Express from here. The State Railway of Thailand accommodates some 200 trains a day, with over 27,000 passengers, and will eventually also be a railway history museum.
Happy Anniversary, Hua Lamphong!

[9A]

25 June 2013
Antoni Gaudí's 161st Birthday






Antoni Gaudí i Cornet was a Catalan architect known as the greatest exponent of Catalan Modernism. Gaudí's works have a highly individualized, sui generis style. Most are located in Barcelona, including his main work, the church of the Sagrada Família.

Gaudí's work was influenced by his passions in life: architecture, nature, and religion. He considered every detail of his creations and integrated into his architecture such crafts as ceramics, stained glass, wrought ironwork forging and carpentry. He also introduced new techniques in the treatment of materials, such as trencadís which used waste ceramic pieces.

Under the influence of neo-Gothic art and Oriental techniques, Gaudí became part of the Modernista movement which was reaching its peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His work transcended mainstream Modernisme, culminating in an organic style inspired by natural forms. Gaudí rarely drew detailed plans of his works, instead preferring to create them as three-dimensional scale models and moulding the details as he conceived them.

Gaudí's work enjoys global popularity and continuing admiration and study by architects. His masterpiece, the still-incomplete Sagrada Família, is the most-visited monument in Spain. Between 1984 and 2005, seven of his works were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Gaudí's Roman Catholic faith intensified during his life and religious images appear in many of his works. This earned him the nickname "God's Architect" and led to calls for his beatification.

[9A]

25 June 2018
Eloisa Díaz’s 152nd Birthday






Today we celebrate the 152nd birthday of Chilean trailblazer, Eloisa Díaz. Born in 1866, Díaz spent most of her life in her native Santiago. Chile was one of the first Latin American countries to create policies designed to expand and improve the quality of women’s education. As a result, Díaz was able to attend the Universidad de Chile. After graduating with her Bachelor’s degree, Díaz enrolled in the Escuela de Medicina [school of medicine]. In 1887, she became the first woman in all of Latin America, to earn the professional title of physician.

During Díaz’s early career, she worked as a physician and teacher. In 1898, she became the School Medic Supervisor of Santiago. Later, Díaz was promoted to the position of School Medic Supervisor of Chile, where she remained for more than 30 years.In addition to practicing medicine, Díaz was an avid philanthropist. She used her position and influence to create reforms focused on helping the children of Chile, including founding kindergartens, creating polyclinics for students with limited resources, and organizing school camps.

Today’s Doodle celebrates Díaz as a pioneer for women in the medical field and depicts her commitment to social initiatives for children. Her legacy still serves as inspiration for women around the world looking to break barriers and pursue higher education.

Happy birthday, Eloisa Díaz!

[9A]

18 July 2018
Gino Bartali’s 104th Birthday








For most cyclists, winning a major race like the Tour de France or the Giro d’Italia would represent the crowning achievement of an athletic career. For champion road cyclist Gino Bartali, winning both of these competitions—thrice and twice, respectively—was just part of his legacy as both an athlete and humanitarian.

Born in Florence on this day in 1914, Bartali was not only a talented athlete, but used his celebrity and skill as a cyclist to help people under threat of deportation, or worse. Having started competitive cycling at age 13, he won more than 180 races, making him a local hero throughout the 1930s and 1940s. During World War II, his status enabled him to ride through the Tuscan and Umbrian countryside undisturbed by wartime officials, making it possible for him to conceal documents in his bike’s handlebars for Jews who needed forged identity cards to save their lives. He continued this work even after being questioned and threatened by Mussolini’s government agents.

It wasn’t until 2003 that stories began to emerge about Bartali’s quiet heroism during the war, which included hiding a Jewish family in his basement. Risking his own freedom and safety to protect others, Bartali turned his sport into a race to save lives.

Buon compleanno Gino Bartali!

[9A]

18 July 2021
Pearl Gibbs 'Gambanyi’s' 120th birthday






Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Yuwi, Torres Strait Islander and South Sea Islander guest artist Dylan Mooney, celebrates revolutionary Aboriginal Australian activist Pearl Gibbs “Gambanyi”, who is widely regarded among the 20th-century’s leading advocates for Aboriginal rights.

Pearl Mary Gibbs “Gambanyi” was born on this day in 1901 to an Aboriginal mother and a non-Aboriginal father in La Perouse, New South Wales. At 16, Gibbs moved with her family to Sydney, where she worked as a servant. It was here that she met Aboriginal girls stolen from their homes and forced into domestic work—injustices that sparked her lifetime devotion to the fight for Aboriginal rights.

In 1937, Gibbs helped form the Aborigines Progressive Association [APA], an all-Aboriginal activist alliance that campaigned for Aboriginal citizenship, suffrage, and an end to unjust governmental bodies. As APA secretary beginning in 1938, she exposed the inhumane conditions and exploitation of women and children at government-run Aboriginal reserves. A public speaker as charismatic as she was influential, Gibbs helped organize the Day of Mourning protest that same year. Widely credited as the catalyst of the contemporary Aboriginal political movement, this demonstration was the first to bring the plight of Indigenous Australians to national attention.

Gibbs never faltered in her efforts for Indigenous justice over the decades that followed, a struggle that culminated in 1954 when the New South Wales Aborigines Welfare Board appointed her as its first—and only—female member. She also helped organize the Aboriginal-Australian Fellowship [AAF] in 1956. With Gibbs at the helm, the AAF petitioned for a change in the Australian constitution, which paved the way for the 1967 referendum that granted Indigenous Australians suffrage and citizenship.
Today’s Doodle artwork depicts Gibbs’ life, legacy, and dedication to improving the lives of Aboriginal Australians—symbolized, for instance, by the Flannel Flowers on her dress, an icon she adopted to represent resilience.

Happy Birthday, Pearl Gibbs “Gambanyi,” and thank you for your lifetime devotion to building a more equitable world.

[9A]

18 Jul 2021
Kadambini Ganguly's 160th birthday





Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Bengaluru, India-based guest artist Oddrija, celebrates the 160th birthday of Indian doctor Kadambini Ganguly—the first woman to be trained as a physician in India.
On this day in 1861, Kadambini Ganguly [née Bose] was born in Bhagalpur British India, now Bangladesh. Her father, a co-founder of India’s first women’s rights organization, enrolled Ganguly in school during an era when education was uncommon for Indian women. She took the reins on the opportunity, and in 1883, Kadambini Ganguly and her peer Chandramukhi BasuIn became the first women to graduate college in Indian history.

Soon after graduating, Ganguly married professor and activist Dwarkanath Ganguly, who encouraged her to pursue a degree in medicine. She persisted—despite numerous initial rejections—until she was eventually admitted to the Calcutta Medical College. She graduated in 1886, making history once again as the first woman to become an Indian-educated doctor. Ganguly had no intention of slowing her groundbreaking momentum. After working and studying in the United Kingdom, she earned three additional doctoral certifications with a specialization in gynecology and returned to India in the 1890s to open her own private practice.

Ganguly sought to uplift other women in India through both medical service and activism in India’s women’s rights movement. Among many other campaigns, Ganguly joined six others to form the first all-women delegation of the 1889 Indian National Congress.

The 2020 “Prothoma Kadambini” biographical television series based on Ganguly’s life reinvigorated her legacy by telling her inspirational story to a new generation.

Happy birthday, Kadambini Ganguly!

[9A]

20 Jul 2021
Colombia Independence Day 2021








Today’s Doodle honors Colombia’s Independence Day. On this day in 1810, the South American nation’s independence movement was sparked by a rather unassuming culprit: a broken flower vase—and culminated with Colombians marching on the Bogota town square to demand liberty.

From urban centers in the valleys of Antioquia to the villages harbored along the Amazon River, Colombians come together today to celebrate freedom and their cultural heritage. It’s common to prepare the national dish of bandeja paisa, which typically consists of minced meat, white rice, red beans, fried egg, plantains, pork, and avocado and is served in such generous portions it has to be brought out on a tray! Other traditions include gathering to play tejo, a game believed to have originated with central Colombian Indigenous cultures, in which opponents throw metal disks at explosive targets.

Today’s Doodle artwork features the critically-endangered Andean Condor, the national animal of Colombia and long-standing cultural symbol in the region dating to around 2500 BCE.

Happy Independence Day, Colombia!

[9A]

20 July 2020
Colombia Independence Day 2020







Today’s Doodle celebrates the Independence Day of the country often called the gateway to South America: Colombia. On this day in 1810, residents of Bogotá called for freedom from Spanish rule. This crucial event resulted in a temporary independence that helped pave the way for Colombia’s eventual permanent sovereignty.

Featured in today’s Doodle artwork is Colombia’s national flower, the Cattleya trianae. Also known in Spanish as the Flor de Mayo [May Flower], the Cattleya trianae orchid commonly grows throughout the cloud forests of the Colombian Andes.

Colombia is home to upwards of 4,000 unique species of orchid, more than any other country in the world, and the Cattleya trianaeis among 1,500 varieties that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Named after Colombian botanist José Jerónimo Triana, the Cattleya trianae was chosen as the country’s national flower in 1936 due to its red, blue, and yellow coloring, the same as the stripes of Colombia’s flag.

¡Feliz Día de la Independencia, Colombia! Happy Independence Day!

[9A]

1 October 2020
Chuseok 2020






Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Koreanguest artist Haleigh Mun, commemorates Chuseok [추석], also known in English as Korean Thanksgiving. Among the country’s most important holidays, Chuseok falls each year on the date of the harvest moon and is celebrated over a three-day period that includes the preceding and following days.

In keeping with Chuseok’s origins as a harvest celebration, culinary traditions are integral to the holiday. Among the most significant centerpiece dishes is songpyeon, small round rice cakes traditionally packed full of nutritious ingredients like sesame seeds, beans, and nuts and steamed along with an aromatic layer of pine needles. A lot can ride on the preparation of the dish—it is said that whoever crafts beautiful songpyeon will be met with good fortune.

Happy Chuseok!

[9A]

4 April 2018
Dr. Maya Angelou’s 90th Birthday

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel.”-Dr. Maya Angelou

In a life rich with experiences and stories, author, poet, memoirist, and activist Dr. Maya Angelou touched the lives of millions around the globe through her teachings, her writings, her voice, and her actions.

Born Marguerite Annie Johnson in 1928, her incredible story began with tragedy when a sexual assault at the age of seven rendered her mute for five years. During those years, however, books and poetry became her solace and constant companions, eventually helping her find her voice again to embark upon an intellectual and creative journey that defies description.

In her her teens and early adult life Dr. Angelou saw more experiences than many do in a lifetime: from motherhood, to becoming San Francisco’s first female and black streetcar conductor, to touring the world as a cast member of the opera Porgy and Bess — all while mastering several languages. She sang and danced in professional cabarets, worked as a journalist in Africa, and became one of the most prominent civil rights activists of her generation.

The success of her first book, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” in 1969 brought her mainstream attention as an author. Six other autobiographical works followed, in addition to poetry, children’s literature, and non-fiction [even cookbooks!].

Through her works, Dr. Angelou gave a voice to millions. She championed women’s rights and gender equality. She redefined black beauty and celebrated African-American oral traditions. She advocated against war and campaigned for universal peace.

She was also the recipient of numerous honors during her lifetime. She became the first poet to make an inaugural recitation in three decades when Bill Clinton became President in 1992. Her vast impact on popular culture was also felt through a host of award nominations, public accolades, and more than 50 honorary degrees.

Today’s video Doodle celebrates Dr. Maya Angelou on what would have been her 90th birthday. Set to her poem “Still I Rise,” the Doodle includes her own voice along with the voices of other individuals whose lives she has inspired, and who aspire to live by her legacy today.

Special thanks to these project partners who include [in order of appearance]:
​“Maya Angelou, I love her so much. Everything she represented as a woman, her creativity, her story, who she is. She was a renaissance woman of all types, she recreated though levels, all angles, all places in her mind. She is brilliant...I am honored to be able to say her words."

"Being around Maya was so powerful and inspiring. I count myself very blessed to be one of the ones chosen to be a part of this. For some reason she took a liking to me and went out of her way to extend herself to me and I am forever grateful for that."
"Dr. Angelou's work is filled with such incredible wisdom and spiritual teachings. It feels like the ultimate privilege to have the opportunity to speak her words. She is a national treasure we should always celebrate.”
“Maya Angelou is not what she has done or written or spoken, it's how she did it all. She moved through the world with unshakeable calm, confidence, and a fiery, fierce grace and abounding love.”

Here’s to Dr. Maya Angelou for her courage, compassion, and words, which continue to inspire hope around the world.

[9A]

4 April 2011
100th Birthday of Vaclav Ctvrtek






Václav Cafourek [4 April 1911, in Prague, Austria-Hungary – 6 November 1976, in Prague, Czechoslovakia], commonly known under his pen name of Václav Čtvrtek was a Czech poet and author. His most famous works include Křemílek and Vochomůrka, Rumcajs, Manka and Cipísek, and Víla Amálka. He primarily wrote fairy tales for children, and some of his works have been adapted on the Czech children's television program Večerníček. On 4 April 2011, Google celebrated his 100th birthday by replacing the original Google logo with a doodle celebrating his works for a day on Google Czech Republic.

[9A]

4 April 2021
Senegal Independence Day 2021






Today’s Doodle celebrates Senegal’s Independence Day. On this day in 1960, Senegal signed a historic transfer of power agreement which paved the way for its formal declaration of sovereignty on June 20 that same year.

The official Senegalese Independence Day observance begins with a national flag-raising ceremony in Dakar, the cosmopolitan capital city located on the Cape Verde Peninsula which is the westernmost point in all of mainland Africa. During the ceremony, Senegal remembers its fight for freedom as the red, green, and golden striped flag—depicted in the Doodle artwork—is hoisted high above the Dakar streets.

Along with honoring its proud history, Independence Day is also filled with a celebration of the country’s rich cultural legacy. Annual festivities include dancing to traditional music such as mbalax, a popular percussion-based blend of vocals and Wolof instrumentation, as well as enjoying meals like the national dish of thieboudienne, a Senegalese take on Jollof rice traditionally served with vegetables and marinated fish.

Happy Independence Day, Senegal!

[9A]

4 Apr 2011
Senegal Independence Day 2011

[9A]

4 April 2013
Senegal Independence Day 2013

[9A]

4 April 2016
Cazuza’s 58th birthday



Like so many great rock musicians, Agenor Miranda Araújo Neto, better known as Cazuza, began his career rattling the walls of neighborhood garages. A native of Rio de Janeiro, he fell in with the fledgling rock group Barão Vermelho when a friend urged him to audition for their open lead vocalist position. After landing a song on the soundtrack for a local film, the group played at the first ever Rock in Rio music festival, and their popularity soared.

After four years with the band, Cazuza embarked on an enormously successful solo career. His music and profound lyrics were a testament to his travels in the UK and his brushes with Beat poetry in San Francisco. In 1988, Cazuza’s health declined, and in 1989 he announced that he had been living with AIDS. He continued to compose and perform despite the illness. Through his openness, charm, and advocacy, Cazuza helped ease the stigmas surrounding the LGBT and HIV-positive communities in Brazil. When he died in July of 1990, thousands lined the streets of Rio for his funeral procession.

To honor the late singer’s musical career, Doodler Helene Leroux sketched the rocker on stage in his iconic and ever-present bandana.

[9A]

11 December 2019
Noel Rosa’s 109th Birthday








Today’s Doodle celebrates the 109th birthday of the beloved Brazilian singer and songwriter Noel Rosa. Known as the “Poeta da Vila” [Poet from Vila], his observational and comedic style earned him a special place in the history of samba, the popular music of the Brazilian people.

Born in the Vila Isabel neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro on this day in 1910, Rosa grew up in a musical family. He started playing the mandolin at age 13 and soon learned the guitar as well.

A gifted student, he entered medical school in 1931. However, when he had to choose between medicine and music, Rosa’s choice became clear. Rosa devoted his energy to writing music and created his own style of samba by mixing witty lyrics with unpredictable twists and turns of melody and bridging the gap between rural Afro-Brazilian traditions and the sound of urban nightlife.

He had his breakthrough with "Com que roupa?," which became one of the biggest hits in 1931 in Brazil and the first of many memorable songs. With his songwriting partner Vadico, he also wrote a series of popular compositions such as "Feitiço da Vila" ["Witchcraft of the Villa"] and "Feitio de Oração" ["In the Form of a Prayer"].

Composing around 260 songs over a period of eight years, Rosa established a body of work that has remained popular to this day. His legacy lives on in the hearts of cariocas [residents of Rio de Janeiro] and samba lovers around the world.

Parabéns, Noel Rosa!

[9A]

1 June 2021
Celebrating Daniel Balavoine





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

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

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

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

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

Here’s to you, Daniel Balavoine!

[9A]

1 June 2015
Nargis’ 86th Birthday





From the carefree laughter of a mischievous runaway girl in ‘Chori Chori’, to the stoic stance of a suffering Radha in ‘Mother India’, film actress Nargis still reigns the hearts of many Indian cinema lovers.

Born to a Muslim immigrant family, Nargis made her first screen appearance at the tender age of 4, in the movie ‘Talash-e-Haq’ in 1935. She later went on to give several memorable performances in cinematic masterpieces such as ‘Awara’, ‘Shree 420’, ‘Barsaat’ and perhaps most memorably the Academy Award nominated film ‘Mother India’. India's award for best film on national integration in the annual National Film Awards is named the 'Nargis Dutt Award' in her honour.

But Nargis was not only a cultural icon, she also devoted herself to help spastic children and became the first patron of The Spastics Society of India. Her charitable work gained her recognition as a social worker.

Nagris lifted her ghoonghat headpiece and blazed the silver screen with her portrayal of strong women protagonists. Today’s Doodle pays tribute to her magnetic charisma, peeking underneath the ghoonghat.

Illustrated by guest artist, Patrick Leger.

[9A]

1 June 2021
Get vaccinated. Wear a mask. Save lives. [1 June]

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, and the latest ways we're responding.

[9A]

1 June 2015
Children's Day 2015 [Multiple Countries]






Today, around three hundred and fifty thousand children will open their eyes for the very first time.
They’ll arrive from all over, but will eventually learn a universal language: one of surprise, fascination, fear, joy and hope. And as they grow, they’ll use these emotions to teach us how to live, and to see our lives through newer, fresher eyes. This is why we honor Children’s Day – to raise awareness about the possibilities within each and every young person, and how they can improve our world, and ourselves.

The potential of children is limitless. Let’s help them achieve their best, so that we, as a society, can achieve ours.

[9A]

1 Jun 2015
Doodle 4 Google 2015 – Vietnam Winner/Children's Day







Today, we are delighted to announce Vietnam’s very first Doodle 4 Google winner: 8-year old Le Hieu from Dong Nai Province, with the doodle “Year of the Goat”.

In Hieu's own words: “The Year of the Goat is here, and the image of the lion dancing with flowers falling from the apricot trees is all I can think of. That is why I want to borrow these symbolic items of Tet to decorate my doodle. This spring, I wish everyone to be happy".

[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.