Google doodles

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September 23, 2012
Solomiya Krushelnytska's 140th Birthday






Solomiya Amvrosiivna Krushelnytska was a Ukrainian soprano, considered to be one of the brightest opera stars of the first half of the 20th century.

During her life, Solomiya Krushelnytska was recognized as the most outstanding singer in the world. Among her numerous awards and distinctions, in particular, the title of "Wagner's diva" of the XX century. Singing with her on the same stage was considered an honor for Enrico Caruso, Titta Ruffo, Fedor Chaliapin. Italian composer Giacomo Puccini presented the singer with his portrait with the inscription "The most beautiful and charming Butterfly".

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Sep 23, 2012
Saudi Arabia National Day 2012






Saudi National Day is celebrated in Saudi Arabia on every 23 September to commemorate the renaming of the Kingdom of Nejd and Hejaz to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by a royal decree from King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud in 1932. It was made a national holiday by King Abdullah in 2005. The number of lunar, not solar, years are commemorated.

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September 23, 2017
Asima Chatterjee's 100th Birthday





When Dr. Asima Chatterjee was growing up in Calcutta in the 1920s and 1930s, it was almost unheard of for a woman to study chemistry. But that didn't stop Chatterjee: she not only completed her undergraduate degree in organic chemistry, but she also went on to receive a Doctorate of Science — the first woman to do so in India!

Dr. Chatterjee primarily studied the medicinal properties of plants native to India. Throughout her career, her research contributed to the development of drugs that treated epilepsy and malaria. Dr. Chatterjee's most noted contribution to the field, however, was her work on vinca alkaloids. Alkaloids are compounds made from plants, often to treat medical ailments. Vinca alkaloids, which come from the Madagascar periwinkle plant, are used today in chemotherapy treatment because they help slow down or stall the multiplying of cancer cells.

Dr. Chatterjee's groundbreaking contributions to medicine were recognized by universities all over the world. She received numerous accolades from the Indian government, including some of the highest awards [like the Padma Bhushan] and an appointment to the upper house of Parliament!

A firm believer in collaboration and teaching, Dr. Chatterjee also founded and led the department of chemistry at Lady Brabourne College. She started a research institute and mentored many of India's rising chemistry scholars.

Today's Doodle pays homage to this trailblazer and her great accomplishments in the name of science.

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September 23, 2000
2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney - Soccer

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January 26, 2020
Australia Day 2020





January 26th means different things for Australians all around the country. This year, we’re going through a particularly difficult summer, with devastating bushfires affecting many parts of the country.

Today's Doodle on Australia Day is inspired by the spirit of resilience and mateship that binds the country together.

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Jan 26, 2020
India Republic Day 2020



On the 71st Republic Day of India, today’s Doodle, illustrated by Singapore-based guest artist Meroo Seth, highlights the rich cultural heritage that permeates and unites the diverse Asian subcontinent—from its world-famous landmarks like the Taj Mahal and India Gate; to the wide array of fauna such as its national bird [the Indian peafowl]; to classical arts, textiles, and dances—all coming together to find harmony amongst their differences.

Republic Day marks the completion of India’s transition from the British Raj to an independent republic. It also represents the anniversary of the declaration of Purna Swaraj, which translates to “complete freedom,” by the Indian National Congress in 1929.

Festivities embody the essence of diversity found in one of the world’s most populous nations, celebrated over a three-day period with cultural events displaying national pride.
Happy Republic Day, India!

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February 6, 2020
Waitangi Day 2020






Today’s Doodle celebrates New Zealand’s Waitangi Day, a recognition of the signing of the nation’s founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, on this day in 1840. To commemorate the country’s rich collection of bird fauna, the artwork depicts three of the nation’s endemic birds: the iconic flightless Kiwi in the centre, with the Tūī and the Kererū on either side.

The islands of New Zealand are home to around 168 different native birds, and over half of these species cannot be found anywhere else in the world. With the Tūī, prized by the Māori people for their imitation skills using its two voice boxes, the Kererū [whose unique flying noises are a distinctive sound in New Zealand’s bush] and the Kiwi [the world’s only bird with nostrils at the end of their long bill] New Zealand’s avian community has developed unique characteristics from evolving on the isolated South Pacific island.

Look up into the sky, or down to the ground, and enjoy these wonders of biodiversity.

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February 6, 2011
Jan Werich's Birthday



Jan Werich was a Czech actor, playwright and writer.

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February 6, 2010
Sami National Day 2010




The Sami national day was jointly established in 1992, during the 15th Sami conference in Helsinki, to mark and celebrate a crucial event for Sami history. Indeed, on February 6th of 1917, northern and southern Sámi crossed their National borders to come together for their first meeting in Trondheim, Norway. For the first time, they could share and discuss common concerns and work together to find mutual solutions.

The first National day was celebrated on 6th February 1993, in conjunction with the proclamation of the opening of the International Year of Indigenous People in Jokkmokk [Sweden] by the United Nation. Since then, during this important day, Sami flag flies and the Sami national anthem is sung in the local Sámi language, while all Sami, regardless of where they live, celebrate together the event.

Nowadays around 40,000 Sami live in Norway, with 20,000 in Sweden and some 7,000 in Finland. In addition there are an estimated 2,000 Sami in Russia.

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Feb 8, 2021
Shadia's 90th Birthday





If you flip through the channels of cable television in an Arabic-speaking country for long enough, you are bound to stumble upon an Egyptian movie released between the 1940s and ‘60s, an era revered as the nation’s golden age of cinema. Today’s Doodle, illustrated by guest artist Ahmad Thabit, celebrates the 90th birthday of an icon of this era, the beloved Egyptian actress and singer best known by her stage name Shadia.

Born Fatma Ahmed Kamal Shaker on this day in 1931, Shadia was first recognized as a gifted singer by her family. At 16, Shadia’s father entered her into a talent competition where she caught the attention of two eminent Egyptian directors, who later helped launch her film career.

Shadia’s skills as an actress and dancer coupled with her evocative voice made her a darling of the Arab entertainment industry for close to forty years. She appeared in over 100 roles, from movies to radio plays, and garnered widespread critical acclaim for her comedic and dramatic performances alike. Many of her films featured iconic musical numbers now regarded as classics of Egyptian cinema, like her 1957 duet with Farid al-Atrash: “Ya Salam Ala Hobi Wi Hobak” [“Our Love is Exceptional”].

Shadia also released dozens of hit songs, several of which remain popular today. Her patriotic ode “Ya Habibty Ya Masr” [“Oh My Beloved Egypt”] has been played with such frequency during national events and celebrations, some even consider it Egypt’s unofficial national anthem!

Happy birthday, Shadia. Your performances continue to capture hearts across the Arab world and beyond.

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July 18, 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!

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July 18, 2011
Marine Day 2011




This national holiday in Japan was established in 1995 [first held in 1996] as a day of gratitude for the blessings of the oceans and hoping for the prosperity of Japan. Originally held on July 20, the holiday was changed to be celebrated on the third Monday of July in accordance with the Happy Monday System starting in 2003.

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July 18, 2014
Nelson Mandela's 96th Birthday








Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by tackling institutionalised racism and fostering racial reconciliation. Ideologically an African nationalist and socialist, he served as the president of the African National Congress [ANC] party from 1991 to 1997.

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May 21, 2016
Long Night of Museums 2016






Museums across the globe will take part in the Long Night of Museums this year - a night when local, cultural institutions stay open extra-late to celebrate culture, science, and education.

Many museums provide free admission tonight with some cities also subsidizing public transport during this time. Check to see if your local exhibits are open to the public, and enjoy the treasures of our past.

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May 24, 2016
Suzanne Lenglen’s 117th Birthday







Back in the day, tennis was a rigid affair. Amateurs couldn’t compete with pros, and participation fees for important matches were astronomical. Then Suzanne Lenglen came along.

Lenglen picked up her first racket in 1910 for health reasons. In less than five years, she became the sport’s youngest champion. She had a staggeringly successful career, and even starred in one of the earliest instructional films. More importantly, she broke down barriers through her passionate play, non-traditional wardrobe, and outspoken stance against the sport’s formalities.

With Lenglen’s influence, tennis gained the attention it deserved, and became a sport not just for some, but for all.

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May 24, 2019
Concha Michel’s 120th Birthday





She sang duets with Frida Kahlo, performed for John D. Rockefeller, modeled for Diego Rivera, and traveled the world supported only by her voice and her guitar. Today’s Doodle by Mexico-based guest artist Emilia Schettino celebrates the life of the Mexican musician, folklorist, and activist Concha Michel.

Born in Villa de Purificación, Jalisco, on this day in 1899, Concepción Michel was described as “ungovernable” as a child but fell in love with music early, learning to sing and play guitar at a Catholic convent founded by her grandfather.

Known for her indigenous Mexican attire, Michel wore embroidered dresses with braided hair in the style of Mexico’s Tehuana women. She traveled throughout Mexico learning traditional songs and singing her own corridos revolucionarios or revolutionary ballads, becoming one of the few women singing this traditional Mexican form at the time.

During the 1930s she traveled to the United States where she performed at the Museum of Modern Art and the Rockefeller’s grand home. Proceeds of her performances paid for trips to Europe and the Soviet Union, where she met feminist thinkers like Clara Zetkin and Alexandra Kollontai.

In 1950, she established the Folklore Institute in Morelia, Michoacán, part of a lifelong effort to preserve Mexico’s indigenous culture. As she put it in her autobiography, “The world was my university; my graduation, voluntary. My experience was direct, confirmed by life.”

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July 12, 2017
Tayeb Salih’s 88th Birthday






“There are many horizons that must be visited, fruit that must be plucked, books read, and white pages in the scrolls of life to be inscribed with vivid sentences in a bold hand,” claims the narrator of Tayeb Salih’s most critically acclaimed novel, Seasons of Migration to the North.

First published in Arabic in 1967, Seasons of Migration to the North was an international hit and is considered a national treasure of Sudan. It was eventually translated into 20 languages, and in 2011 it was deemed the most important Arabic novel of the 20th century by the Arab Literary Academy.

Before his literary successes, Salih was born to a poor family in a village in northern Sudan in 1929. He studied in the capital, Khartoum, before moving to England four years before his country gained its independence in 1956. After leaving Sudan, Salih spent much of his life living in various cities across Europe and the Arab world, but his work always found a firm foundation in his homeland -- mostly the fictional village of Wad Hamid.

Today’s doodle honors his sense of a setting, incorporating recurring elements from some of Salih’s most popular stories, like Seasons, The Wedding of Al Zein [1962], and A Handful of Dates [1964]. Through Salih’s window we can see a boy and his beloved grandfather, the shade of a palm tree, and the river Nile.

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Jul 10, 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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July 10, 2009
Nikola Tesla's Birthday





Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-America inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and futurist best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current electricity suppl system.

Attempting to develop inventions he could patent and market, Tesla conducted a range of experiments with mechanical oscillators/generators, electrical discharge tubes, and early X-ray imaging. He also built a wireless-controlled boat, one of the first-ever exhibited. Tesla became well known as an inventor and demonstrated his achievements to celebrities and wealthy patrons at his lab, and was noted for his showmanship at public lectures.

Throughout the 1890s, Tesla pursued his ideas for wireless lighting and worldwide wireless electric power distribution in his high-voltage, high-frequency power experiments in New York and Colorado Springs. In 1893, he made pronouncements on the possibility of wireless communication with his devices. Tesla tried to put these ideas to practical use in his unfinished Wardenclyffe Tower project, an intercontinental wireless communication and power transmitter, but ran out of funding before he could complete it.

Tesla's legacy has endured in books, films, radio, TV, music, live theater, comics, and video games. The impact of the technologies invented or envisioned by Tesla is a recurring theme in several types of science fiction.

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July 12, 2013
Claude Bernard's 200th Birthday





Claude Bernard was a French physiologist. Among many other accomplishments, he was one of the first to suggest the use of a blinded experiment to ensure the objectivity of scientific observations. He originated the term milieu intérieur, and the associated concept of homeostasis [the latter term being coined by Walter Cannon].

In his major discourse on the scientific method, An Introduction to the Study of Experimental Medicine, Bernard described what makes a scientific theory good and what makes a scientist important, a true discoverer. Unlike many scientific writers of his time, Bernard wrote about his own experiments and thoughts, and used the first person.

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July 12, 2011
450th Anniversary of St. Basil's Cathedral







The Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed, commonly known as Saint Basil's Cathedral, is an Orthodox church in Red Square of Moscow, and is one of the most popular cultural symbols of Russia. The building, now a museum, is officially known as the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat, or Pokrovsky Cathedral. It was built from 1555 to 1561 on orders from Ivan the Terrible and commemorates the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan. It was the city's tallest building until the completion of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in 1600.

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Jul 13, 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.

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Jul 14, 2011
Bastille Day 2011

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Jul 15, 2010
Josef Frank's 125th Birthday





Some people see things in an entirely unique way. Josef Frank's work was equal parts inspiring and surprising when I first came across this doodle proposal. Famous in Austria and Sweden for his vivid textiles and patterns, Frank's work delighted the doodle team so much that we decided to launch this doodle in other countries as well!

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July 15, 2016
Roger Raveel’s 95th birthday




One of Belgium’s most revered painters in the period following World War II, Roger Raveel used white space to great effect. From the mid-20th century until the early 2000’s, Raveel created a body of work that extended beyond the canvas to include ceramics and installations. Drawing inspiration from the world around him, he returned to the same universal motifs, depicting everyday objects in vivid colors and contoured lines. Raveel’s playful, thought-provoking style evolved throughout his career, from abstract to figurative, and is often identified with the pop art movement.

Born on July 15, 1921 in Machelen-aan-de-Leie, Belgium, today’s Doodle celebrates what would have been Raveel’s 95th birthday. His singular work is showcased at the Roger Raveel museum in his hometown, surrounded, of course, by plenty of white space.

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Jul 22, 2016
Mukesh's 93rd Birthday




Decades before single-name stars Madonna and Prince became superstars, there was the mononymous Mukesh, one of Bollywood’s most acclaimed playback singers. Mukesh first rose to fame as the singing voice of actor, Raj Kapoor in the smash hit Andaz [[1949), a Hindi film about a tragic love triangle.

Born Mukesh Chand Mathur in Delhi, India on July 22, 1923, Mukesh was discovered by Motilal, an actor and distant relative, when he sang at his sister’s wedding. The talent that earned him the nickname “The Man with the Golden Voice” took time to develop. Early on, he studied with classical musician Pandit Jagannath Prasad, and for years emulated his idol, singer K.L. Saigal. Working with music director Naushad Ali, who gave him the songs for Andaz, he eventually came into his own.

In 1974, Mukesh won the National Film Award in India for Best Male Playback singer for his song "Kai Baar Yuhi Dekha Hai" from the film Rajnigandha. He followed that up with wins in 1976 at the Filmfare Awards for four songs, most notably "Kabhi Kabhie Mere Dil Mein,” the title track of the film Kabhie Kabhie and the inspiration for today’s Doodle.

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Jul 26, 2016
Maria Severa Onofriana's 196th Birthday






A legend in her native Lisbon, Maria Severa Onofriana, known simply as Severa, is remembered as the voice that brought fado into popular culture. By performing at taverns across the Alfama district, she helped spread this expressive style of music in the 1830s and 40s.

Often somber in tone, fado [which translates roughly to “fate”] is a lyrical ode to the trials of everyday life. Although Severa told many of these tales through her songs, very little is actually known about her life. For that reason, the singer’s story has been reimagined many times in music, theater, and film.
Today’s Doodle is yet another take on the famous fadista. Donning her signature dark shawl, Severa plays the “Portuguese blues” as we celebrate her contributions to music on what would have been her 196th birthday.

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Jul 27, 2016
Ounsi el-Hajj’s 79th birthday





The poet, translator, and journalist Ounsi el-Hajj was born in South Lebanon on this date in 1937. His work is rooted in Arab culture and politics, but it also celebrates global citizenship and the borderless joys of nature. In his poem "Is This You or the Tale?" el-Hajj travels from the fifth century to Beirut's Golden Age, settling somewhere timeless: "And as my age / is counted in years, / likewise I wander outside this necklace / like drops of pearl."

In today's Doodle, el-Hajj wanders among sunflowers and butterflies, at home in a universal landscape — yet uniquely himself, sporting his trademark spectacles and suit. El-Hajj's work reminds us that although every birthplace is a particular spot and a precise moment, it's also a thread in the fabric of history that makes next-door neighbors of us all.

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Jul 28, 2016
Gloria Fuertes' 99th birthday







Gloria Fuertes remembered the typewriter she rented at a young age as her “first toy.” It didn’t take long for her to realize she could make its keys sing. That same year, she wrote her first verse.
Her love of narrative informed her life’s work: teaching and entertaining children, first through the printed word and later through stage and television. The result was some of Spain’s most beloved tales for children.

Today's Doodle is inspired by Fuertes’ inspired public readings that brought the magic of her words to life for the kids.

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July 28, 2015
Peru National Day 2015





Trek through the rough, scrubby terrain of the Peruvian Andes, and you’ll eventually come upon a vicuña. These llama-like mammals, legendary for their stunningly soft wool, were considered sacred in the eyes of the Incas.

Today, vicuñas are indigenous to not only the mountains, but also Peru’s coat of arms, where they symbolize the country’s diverse wildlife. And they hold a high place in Peruvian society as the country’s national animal. This mix of ancient reverence and modern pride inspired artist Robinson Wood for today’s Doodle — a celebration of independence for Peru National Day.

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Jul 31, 2015
Tu B'Av 2015



Tu B'Av [Hebrew: ט״ו באב‎, lit. 'fifteenth of Av'] is a minor Jewish holiday. In modern-day Israel, it is celebrated as a holiday of love [חג האהבה‎ Ḥag HaAhava].It has been said to be an auspicious day for weddings.

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

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

Posted by Jennifer Hom, doodler, and Olivia When, doodler [<3]

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August 7, 2017
Tu Be'av 2017






Pangolin Love full walkthrough. Google as always surprised and pleased. Watch funny gameplay from that Doogle and learn love story by two Pangolins in Valentine's Day.

Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota. The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: Manis, Phataginus, and Smutsia. Manis comprises the four species found in Asia, while Phataginus and Smutsia include two species each, all found in sub-Saharan Africa. These species range in size from 30 to 100 cm [12 to 39 in]. A number of extinct pangolin species are also known.

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Aug 6, 2017
Luang Pradit Phairoh’s 136th Birthday






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

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

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

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

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August 6, 2002
Andy Warhol's 74th Birthday


Andy Warhol [born Andrew Warhola; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987] was an American artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationship between artistic expression, advertising, and celebrity culture that flourished by the 1960s, and span a variety of media, including painting, silkscreening, photography, film, and sculpture. Some of his best known works include the silkscreen paintings Campbell's Soup Cans [1962]and Marilyn Diptych [1962], the experimental films Empire [1964] and Chelsea Girls [1966], and the multimedia events known as the Exploding Plastic Inevitable [1966–67].

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August 6, 2011
Lucille Ball's 100th Birthday










Lucille Ball may have been born 100 years ago today, but her jokes are timeless. Having grown up with the comedic genius of “I Love Lucy,” it’s hard to believe that Lucy, Desi, Fred, and Ethel wrapped up the initial series in 1957. Lucy’s creativity, absurdity, and ever-changing facial expressions [especially when she was scarfing down candy, stomping on grapes or touting a new energy drink] have brought joy and laughter to generations of viewers.

We’re incredibly happy to celebrate her birthday with a doodle to highlight her brilliant career as an actress and businesswoman. Through the old-timey TV live on the google.com homepage all day, you can flip the six channels for a special Lucy broadcast.

Happy birthday, Lucy — we still love you!

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Aug 31, 2011
110th Anniversary of the Lisbon Tram




The Lisbon tramway network is a system of trams that serve Lisbon, capital city of Portugal. In operation since 1873, it presently comprises six lines. The system has a length of 31 km, and 63 trams in operation [45 historic "Remodelados", 8 historic "Ligeiros" and 10 modern articulated trams]. The depot is located in Santo Amaro, in Alcântara.

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August 31, 2020
Hari Merdeka 2020






Today’s Doodle celebrates Malaysia’s Independence Day, known in Malay as Hari Merdeka, in honor of 63 years of Malaysian autonomy. On this day in 1957, the nation then known as the Federation of Malaya officially gained its sovereignty from British rule.

This holiday, also called Hari Kebangsaan or National Day, is not to be confused with Malaysia Day, which commemorates the date in 1963 when the name Malaysia was officially adopted. Across the Malay Peninsula, the nation's people rejoices in their freedom and independence.

Featured in the Doodle artwork is the orangutan, Asia’s only great ape, which in Malaysia is found in the rainforest of Borneo. These tree-dwelling primates share almost 97% of their genes with Homo sapiens, so they’re considered one of the humans’ closest relatives. This special relationship is reflected in the name “orangutan,” which derives from Malay and translates to “person of the forest.”

Selamat Hari Merdeka! [Happy Independence Day!]

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August 31, 2015
Start of the 2015 US Open Tennis Championship






To usher in the 37th US Open played at Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York, we thought we’d imagine what our letters would look like playing tennis. Fortunately, Serena Williams can’t hit a through-body lob like today’s “O”, but she could be the first woman to win a Grand Slam since Poison had a number-one single. Here’s to a great tradition in American sports and the possibility of a historic moment at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

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Sep 1, 2015
Google's New Logo







Learn all about it on the Offical Google Blog

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December 7, 2016
340th Anniversary of the Determination of the Speed of Light







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

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

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

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Mar 26, 2019
Sanmao's 76th Birthday

"Don't ask from where I have come, My home is far, far away.”
—Sanmao “The Olive Tree”

Today’s Doodle celebrates the life and work of Chinese-born Taiwanese writer and translator Chen Mao Ping, known to her readers as Sanmao. Born in Chongqing, China on this day in 1943, Sanmao moved to Taiwan with her family as a young girl. She went on to become a prolific author and world traveler whose moving prose, independent spirit, and thirst for knowledge touched millions.

A voracious reader, Sanmao preferred classic novels like Don Quixote to doing her classwork as a child. After scoring zero on a math quiz, she was humiliated by a teacher who drew zeroes around her eyes. From then on she was home schooled by her family and by a tutor named Echo, who encouraged her love of art and literature.

Sanmao published her first work at 19 before resuming her education studying philosophy in Taiwan. She soon moved to Spain where she met her future husband, José María Quero. They lived together in the Sahara desert, during which time she wrote her best-known book, The Stories of the Sahara [1976]. The moving memoir and travelogue has been translated into numerous different languages.

Sanmao went on to publish over 20 books, including a Chinese translation of the Spanish comic Mafalda. After returning to her native China for the first time since her childhood, Sanmao wrote the script for the acclaimed 1990 film Red Dust.

Her vivid prose, independent spirit, and willingness to travel widely in a search for knowledge inspired many of her readers to retrace her steps. So many Sanmao fans have visited her home in the Canary Islands that an official pilgrimage route was set up to guide them along their journey.

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Mar 26, 2019
Bangladesh Independence Day 2019






Today’s Doodle celebrates Independence Day in Bangladesh, the South Asian nation situated on the Bay of Bengal and a deltaic nation with almost 700 rivers flowing through it!

On this day in 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, often titled Bangabandhu [which translates to “friend of Bengal”], signed a declaration that made the former East Pakistan the sovereign and independent country of Bangladesh with its own unique language and culture. This founding document followed Bangabandhu’s historic speech, delivered on March 7.

A public holiday in Bangladesh, Independence Day is commemorated with parades, fairs, and concerts as well as patriotic speeches. A festive spirit fills the capital city of Dhaka, where the Bangladesh flag flies proudly, and many government buildings are lit up with the national colors: green and red. The green symbolizes Bangladesh’s abundant flora and the potential of the nation’s youth while the red circle in the middle of the flag represents the sun rising over the relatively new and developing country.

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Mar 30, 2019
María Moliner’s 119th Birthday







María Moliner devoted her whole life to working with words, and making their power accessible to all. Born in Paniza [a province of Zaragoza] on this day in 1900, the Spanish librarian, philologist, and lexicographer labored single-handedly to create a new kind of reference book, which was hailed as “the most complete, most useful, most accurate, and funniest dictionary of the Spanish language” by novelist Gabriel García Márquez.

Moliner began working as a librarian at age 22 and was elected head of the University of Valencia library in 1936. She took a special interest in the popular libraries project, developing a plan for Bibliotecas Rurales [Rural Libraries] to help promote literacy and culture. Following the Spanish Civil War, her family was penalized by the new authoritarian government, causing her to be passed over for faculty promotions.

Moliner began compiling her Diccionario de Uso del Español [Dictionary of Spanish Use] in 1952, working at home before and after her day job. A mother of four as well as a grandmother, she had extraordinary powers of concentration. Moliner would research words read in newspapers or heard on the street, aiming to outdo the dictionary published by the Real Academia Española. “The Academy dictionary is the dictionary of authority,” she once said. “Mine has not had much regard for authority.”

Instead of alphabetical organization, Moliner’s dictionary was grouped in families of words, offering not only detailed definitions, but also synonyms, and guidance on usage. When she began the project she estimated it would take two years, but the first edition of the two-volume dictionary was not published until 1966—a total of 15 years later!

Her life inspired a stage drama, The Dictionary, as well as a documentary film, Tending Words. However, the dictionary itself, sometimes referred to as “The María Moliner,” is widely considered her greatest legacy.

[9A]

Oct 31, 2018
40th Anniversary of Titicaca National Reserve



Today’s Doodle honors the 40th anniversary of the La Reserva Nacional del Titicaca [Titicaca National Reserve], which protects one of the rarest ecosystems on earth. Lake Titicaca is one of the planet’s few remaining ancient lakes, estimated to be 3 million years old. Situated in the Andes mountains some 3,810 meters above sea level, it holds the title for highest elevation of any major lake in the world and largest freshwater lake in South America.

Funded by the Peruvian state, the Titicaca National Reserve also supports the ancient civilization of the Uros people, who live on floating islands made from reeds, like the one seen in today’s Doodle. The Uros moved to these islands when the Incas expanded onto their land, and still live and fish there.

The National Reserve is also a living zoo of rare animals that require protection, including the Lake Titicaca frog, whose baggy skin enables it breathe under the surface of the lake. In the national reserve there’s also the Ballivian Sponge, which has been living there for 7,000 years; 60 species of birds; and mammals including the wild guinea pig, the vizcacha [a chinchilla-like rodent], and Andean wolves, llamas, alpacas, skunks, and foxes.

This truly amazing place is unlike any other on Earth, rich in biodiversity and culture — and the reserve is invaluable to its continued survival.

[9A]

Oct 27, 2018
Stella Adadevoh’s 62nd Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh, the physician whose expertise and heroic efforts curbed the spread of Ebola in Nigeria in 2014.

Born in Lagos, Nigeria on this day in 1956, Dr. Adadevoh descended from a long line of respected scientists and statesmen. Dr. Adadevoh completed her residency at Lagos University Teaching Hospital West African College of Physicians and Surgeons credential before doing a fellowship in London. Following her fellowship in endocrinology at Hammersmith Hospital, she returned to Lagos, Nigeria where she spent 21 years at the First Consultants Medical Center and served as the Lead Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist.

In July 2014 a Liberian-American attorney arrived in Lagos on a flight from Monrovia heading to a conference on economic development and collapsed in the airport. The patient was taken to First Consultant Medical Center, where one of Dr. Adadevoh’s colleagues first diagnosed him as suffering from malaria. Although no Nigerian doctor had seen a case of Ebola before, Dr. Adadevoh suspected the patient might have been exposed to the highly contagious virus and subsequently ordered blood tests to confirm while also alerting Nigerian health officials.

While awaiting test results, Dr. Adadevoh was pressured by Liberian government officials to let the patient go so he could attend the conference as planned. Despite threats of lawsuits, Dr. Adadevoh stood firm, stating that she would not release the patient “for the greater public good.”

The test results came back positive for the Ebola virus and while the patient could not be treated in time, Dr. Adadevoh’s medical insight and the courage of her convictions ensured that other exposed patients could be treated rapidly and that the outbreak was contained. Unfortunately, in treating the initial patients, Dr. Adedevoh contracted the virus and passed away, along with three of her colleagues at the medical center.

Her legacy lives on through DRASA [Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh] Health Trust, a nonprofit organization devoted to public health that works with communities and health workers to reduce the spread of infectious diseases and ensure that Nigeria is well prepared for future outbreaks.
Happy Birthday Dr. Adadevoh!

[9A]

Oct 26, 2018
Austria National Day 2018






Each year on October 26, Austrians celebrate the day in 1955 when the Austrian Parliament declared permanent neutrality, establishing the country as independent democratic and multicultural state, respecting its neighbors and the human rights of all its citizens. This year’s Nationalfeiertag [national holiday] is special because it also marks 100 years since the formation of the Republic of German Austria.

Today’s Doodle depicts the Pallas-Athene-Brunnen Fountain, situated on Vienna’s famous Ringstrasse in front of the Parliament building. The Austrian sculptor Karl Kundmann created the marble figure of the Greek goddess of wisdom, seen here wearing a sash to commemorate Austria’s centennial.

National Day celebrations include a ceremony at Heldenplatz [Hero’s Square] featuring the Federal President and Minister of Defense, a televised state of the union address, and the swearing-in of new recruits to the Austrian armed forces. At the Heldenplatz the Austrian military performs, twirling and tossing their rifles in the air as the music plays.

Happy National Day, Austria!

[9A]

October 26, 2017
40th Anniversary of Film "Office Romance"





Romance is in the air! Today marks the 40th anniversary of Office Romance, the hit 1977 film that brilliantly blends romantic drama with screwball comedy.

Fifty-eight million people [nearly half the population in 1977] saw Office Romance upon its Soviet Era release. Praised for its depiction of everyday life in Soviet society, the film is still celebrated for its unconventional love story, talented acting, and wistful humor.

Office Romance made a lasting impact on Russian culture with its memorable one-liners and catchy soundtrack, inspiring homage through remakes and stage performances. Today’s Doodle pays homage as well, depicting Kalugina catching Novoseltsev in the middle of an embarrassing conversation, one of the film’s iconic scenes.

[9A]

Oct 25, 2017
Âşık Veysel Şatıroğlu 123rd Birthday





Âşık Veysel [born Veysel Şatıroğlu; 25 October 1894 – 21 March 1973] was a Turkish ashik and highly regarded poet of the Turkish folk literature. He was born in the Sivrialan village of the Şarkışla district, in the province of Sivas. He was an ashik, poet, songwriter, and a bağlama virtuoso, the prominent representative of the Anatolian ashik tradition in the 20th century. He was blind for most of his lifetime. His songs are usually sad tunes, often dealing with the inevitability of death. However, Veysel used a wide range of themes for his lyrics; based on morals, values, and constant questioning of issues such as love, care, beliefs, and how he perceived the world as a blind man.

[9A]

Oct 21, 2017
Nain Singh Rawat’s 187th Birthday







For much of the 19th century, Europe played the Great Game. Explorers vied with each other to map the geographical vastness of Central Asia and understand its people and customs. Knowledge was essential to political success, but Europeans were not welcome everywhere.

A thirst for knowledge and the need for secrecy led to the creation of pandits, a select group of highly educated and brave local men trained in geographical exploration.

Prominent among these was Nain Singh Rawat, the first man to survey Tibet, determining the exact location and altitude of Lhasa, mapping the Tsangpo, and describing in mesmerizing detail fabled sites such as the gold mines of Thok Jalung.

Disguised as a Tibetan monk, he walked from his home region of Kumaon to places as far as Kathmandu, Lhasa, and Tawang. He maintained a precisely measured pace, covering one mile in 2000 steps, and measured those steps using a rosary. He hid a compass in his prayer wheel and mercury in cowrie shells and even disguised travel records as prayers.

Today’s Doodle by Hari & Deepti Panicker is a silhouette diorama illustration, portraying Nain Singh Rawat as he might have looked on his travels — solitary and courageous, looking back over the distances he had walked, rosary beads in hand, and staff by his side. Oh, the wonders he must have seen!

[9A]

October 21, 2013
Celia Cruz's 88th Birthday






Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso [21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003], known as Celia Cruz, was a Cuban-American singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during the 1950s as a singer of guarachas, earning the nickname "La Guarachera de Cuba". In the following decades, she became known internationally as the "Queen of Salsa" due to her contributions to Latin music in the United States.Cruz's legacy has been honored since years before her death, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame [1987], the asteroid name 5212 Celiacruz [1989], the Excellence Awards at the 1990 Lo Nuestro Awards, and Celia Cruz Way in Miami [1991].

She was also recognized with a star on Boulevard Amador Bendayán in Caracas, Venezuela, and a figure in the Hollywood Wax Museum. Besides, Cruz received three Honoris Causa doctorates from three universities in the United States: Yale University, Florida International University and University of Miami. Cruz, along with fellow Afro-Cuban musician Cachao, were inducted into the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame in 1994. She was also inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 1999. In the same year, she was presented with the ASCAP Latin Heritage Award becoming the first recipient of the accolade.


^{In 2003, a music school was opened in the Bronx, named the Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music. Pedro Knight visited this school before his death to meet the students and share stories about her life. On June 4, 2004, the heavily Cuban-American community of Union City, New Jersey heralded its annual Cuban Day Parade by dedicating its new Celia Cruz Park [also known as Celia Cruz Plaza], which features a sidewalk star in her honor, at 31st Street and Bergenline Avenue, with Cruz's widower, Pedro Knight, present. There are four other similar dedications to Cruz around the world. Cruz's star has expanded into Union City's "Walk of Fame", as new marble stars are added each spring to honor Latin entertainment and media personalities, such as merengue singer Joseíto Mateo, salsa singer La India, Cachao, Cuban tenor Beny Moré, Tito Puente, Spanish language television news anchor Rafael Pineda, salsa pioneer Johnny Pacheco, singer/bandleader Gilberto Santa Rosa and music promoter Ralph Mercado.}

On 18 May 2005, the National Museum of American History, administered by the Smithsonian Institution and located in Washington, D.C., opened "¡Azúcar!", an exhibit celebrating the life and music of Celia Cruz. The exhibit highlights important moments in Cruz's life and career through photographs, personal documents, costumes, videos, and music. Her biography Celia: Mi vida was also published in 2005, based on more than 500 hours of interviews with the Mexican journalist Ana Cristina Reymundo. The journalist and TV presenter Cristina Saralegui planned to take the story of her life to the cinema and the American actress Whoopi Goldberg, admirer of the singer, expressed her interest in representing her, but the project was cancelled.^[46] From 26 September 2007 to 25 May 2008, Celia, a musical based on the life of Celia Cruz, played at the Off-Broadway venue New World Stages. The show won four 2008 HOLA Awards from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors.

On 16 March 2011, Celia Cruz was honored by the United States Postal Service with a commemorative postage stamp. The Cruz stamp was one of a group of five stamps honoring Latin music greats, also including Selena, Tito Puente, Carmen Miranda, and Carlos Gardel. The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History collaborated with photographer Robert Weingarten to create an object-based portrait of Celia Cruz featuring artifacts in the museum. The portrait was unveiled on 3 October 2012.