Google doodles

[9A]

Feb 8, 2019
Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge’s 225th Birthday






Today’s Doodle celebrates Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge, a German analytical chemist whose place in history resulted in large part from an accident followed by a chance encounter.

Runge was born outside of Hamburg on this day in 1795. The son of a Lutheran pastor, he expressed interest in chemistry from an early age and began conducting experiments as a teenager.

During one such experiment, Runge accidentally splashed a drop of belladonna extract in his eye, taking note of its pupil-dilating effects. Ten years later, while studying under renowned chemist and inventor Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner at the University of Jena, Runge was asked to reproduce belladonna’s effects as part of a demonstration for one of Döbereiner’s friends: the writer and polymath Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Impressed by the 25-year-old chemist, Goethe handed Runge a bag of rare coffee beans and suggested he analyze their chemical makeup. Shortly thereafter, Runge isolated the active ingredient we know today as caffeine!

After earning his doctorate from the University of Berlin, Runge went on to teach at the University of Breslau until 1831 when he left academia to take a position at a chemical company. During this time, he invented the first coal tar dye and a related process for dyeing clothes. His contributions to the world also include: being one of the first scientists to isolate quinine [a drug used to treat malaria], being considered an originator of paper chromatography [an early technique for separating chemical substances], and even devising a method for extracting sugar from beet juice.

Here’s to Runge, without whom the pain of forgoing one’s morning cup of coffee might never have had a scientific explanation!

[9A]

Mar 5, 2015
Momofuku Ando’s 105th Birthday




If you’ve ever needed to eat something quickly and cheaply, you may be familiar with this mantra:

"Peel off the lid.Pour boiling water into the cup.Let sit for three minutes.Stir well and serve.”

With these four simple steps, Taiwanese-Japanese inventor Momofuku Ando introduced to the world instant ramen, a dish that not only revolutionized food but also serves as a testament to what hard work and perseverance can achieve. Our doodle for the inventor’s 105th birthday showcases Momofuku’s efforts to make instant noodles, but don’t let the speed of the animations fool you – it took Ando years to figure out the recipe!

“It took 48 years of my life for me to come up with the idea of instant noodles. Each and every event in the past is connected to the present by invisible threads.”– Momofuku Ando

[9A]

Jun 29, 2010
Antoine de Saint-Exupery's 110th Birthday






I've always loved the imagery from The Little Prince, written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, but I must confess that until I was assigned this doodle, I had never actually read the book. This was pretty much sacrilege on my part, as I come from working in kids books! My mother-in-law was quick to set me on the right path, lending me her translated copy [claiming it was the best, most poetic translation], and warned me to read the book with a pack of tissue. I followed her advice, finding a very quiet spot on the Google campus to read the book with a pair of sunglasses.

Cover to cover and an empty tissue pack later, I felt an even greater sense of responsibility to portray this beloved character as genuinely as possible. I painted the character in watercolor and ink, knowing there was no way the digital medium could capture the innocent, naive quality of Mr. Saint-Exupery's artwork. When the doodle finally launched, I was able to read user comments about how this doodle brought them joy, or how they recalled a passage from the book with a tear. It was such a wonderful feeling to emotionally connect with so many people at once and is probably one of the most rewarding experiences I've had as a doodler and illustrator.



posted by Mike Dutton

[9A]

June 29, 2012
José Pablo Moncayo's 100th Birthday







José Pablo Moncayo García [June 29, 1912 – June 16, 1958] was a Mexican pianist, percussionist, music teacher, composer and conductor. "As composer, José Pablo Moncayo represents one of the most important legacies of the Mexican nationalism in art music, after Silvestre Revueltas and Carlos Chávez." He produced some of the masterworks that best symbolize the essence of the national aspirations and contradictions of Mexico in the 20th century.

[9A]

June 29, 2021
Pedro Linares López’s 115th Birthday






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

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

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

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

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

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the creation
of today’s papier-mâché Doodle

[9A]

Jun 30, 2021
Celebrating the Wadden Sea





Today’s Doodle celebrates the Wadden Sea, the world’s largest network of intertidal sand and mudflats, which spans the coastlines of the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark. On this day in 2009, UNESCO designated the Wadden Sea a World Heritage Site in recognition of its unparalleled ecological and geological importance and the decades of effort dedicated to its preservation.

Created by storms during the 14th and 15th centuries, the Wadden Sea is a relatively young wetland environment that comprises one of the world’s last remaining undisturbed intertidal ecosystems. This magnificent stretch of sea and sand houses numerous plant and animal species, including the grey seal and harbor porpoise. Considered one of the most critical regions globally for migratory birds, it’s estimated that the wetlands are visited by over 10 million African-Eurasian birds annually and can harbor up to 6.1 million birds at once!

The Wadden Sea isn’t just a pristine habitat for wildlife—popular ways human visitors enjoy the scenery include exploring the mudflats at low tide or touring the barrier islands by boat. However, it's vital for tourists to respect the site’s essential role in maintaining global biodiversity. Current conservation efforts are grounded in a strategic partnership between UNESCO, environmental NGOs, the Wadden Sea Forum, and the governments of Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands so that future generations can enjoy this natural phenomenon.

Here’s to the Wadden Sea and preserving over 4,000 square miles of the natural world!

[9A]

Jul 1, 2021
Celebrating Mitsuko Mori






Today’s Doodle celebrates prolific Japanese singer and actor Mitsuko Mori, who became the first entertainer in Japanese history to perform 2,000 times in “Horoki” ["A Wanderer's Notebook"], a theater play based on the autobiographical novel of author Fumiko Hayashi. In recognition of this unparalleled lifetime achievement, on this day in 2009, she became the first actress to ever receive Japan’s prestigious People’s Honor Award.

Born Mitsu Murakami in Kyoto, Japan on May 9, 1920, she made her cinematic debut at 14 in a historical drama film. Also a gifted vocalist, Mitsuko moved to Tokyo in 1941, where she sharpened her skills as a jazz singer, a talent she showcased throughout the decade on tours in Japan, China, and Southeast Asia.

In 1952, Mitsuko continued to prove her dynamic range when she made her comedic debut in a stage play featured on radio broadcasts across Japan—widespread exposure that cast her into the national spotlight. An established name in Japanese entertainment, Mitsuko premiered in “Horoki” in 1961 as the lead character Fumiko Hayashi, a role she played well into her 80s for a record 2,017 performances.

Before one of these productions in 2007, over 45 years since it first showed, Mitsuko told reporters that she was retiring her character’s signature reflex to good news—a forward somersault—to avoid injury in her old age. She gave her final “Horoki” performance in 2009, bowing out as a superstar of contemporary Japanese theater.

Here’s to all the memories, Mitsuko Mori!

[9A]

May 13, 2019
60th Anniversary of Torres del Paine National Park







Described by an early visitor as "one of the most ... spectacular sights that human imagination can conceive," Torres del Paine became a national park on this day in 1959. Initially named Lago Grey, the park was expanded and renamed in 1970. Today’s Doodle celebrates the splendor of this natural treasure situated near the Andes mountains at the southernmost tip of Chile.

First settled by the ancient Aonikenk people, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine takes its name from the Paine Massif mountain range and three granite torres or towers that rise some 2000 meters above the Patagonian steppe.

The rugged beauty of the land—forests, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and an enormous blue glacier—attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to enjoy camping, hiking, cycling, kayaking, and boating. Since the 15th century, the area has also been home to the nomadic Kaweskar people who coexist with wild pumas, condors, and llama-like creatures known as guanacos.

The national park was added to UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserve system in 1978 and even received 5 million votes to be elected the “Eighth Wonder of the World” in 2013.

[9A]

April 27, 2017
Celebrating Freedom Day and Enoch Sontonga







Today South Africans celebrate Freedom Day! The first post-apartheid elections were held on this date in 1994, and each year this important event is remembered with a public holiday.

Today's Doodle also honors choirmaster, poet, and composer Enoch Sontonga, who wrote the first version of Africa’s democratic national anthem, “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” [“God Bless Africa”], in 1897.

Over the years, the song developed and gained popularity, even making it to a London recording studio in 1923. It later merged with the country’s other anthem, “Die Stem” [“The Call of South Africa”].

[9A]

April 27, 2012
Tato Bores' 85th Birthday





Mauricio Borensztein, known by the stage name Tato Bores, was an Argentine film, theatre and television comedian, who specialized in political humor. His ironic TV monologues, delivered at a fast pace, became a reference point for generations of Argentines.

[9A]

Apr 28, 2019
Evangelina Elizondo’s 90th Birthday








Today’s Doodle by Mexico City-based guest artist Valeria Alvarez celebrates Evangelina Elizondo, an actress who starred in movies, television shows, and musical theater during an era known as Mexican Cinema’s Golden Age. Born Gloria Evangelina Elizondo López-Llera in Mexico City on this day in 1929, the multi-talented artist was also an accomplished painter, author, and recording artist.

Elizondo’s big break came after being cast as the voice of Cinderella in the Spanish version of the Disney classic. She later made her stage debut dancing in the 1950 stage production of Mariano Azuelo’s Los de Abajo [The Underdogs] and also appeared in Mame and La Viuda Alegre [The Merry Widow] with Plácido Domingo.

Elizondo’s first on-screen appearance came in the 1951 film, Las locuras de Tin-Tan, with Germán “Tin-Tan” Valdés. She would act in over 75 films, specializing in comedies and musicals. “I do not like drama at all,” she said. “I do not want dramas in my life. What I've always wanted is to amuse the public, to whom I owe my career.” In 1995, she appeared with Anthony Quinn and Keanu Reeves in A Walk in the Clouds.

Elizondo also performed in several telenovelas, and her iconic character “Mamá Lena” in Mirada de Mujer was beloved by millions. She continued studying art throughout her life and also earned a degree in theology. The author of two books, she received a Harlequin Prize in 2014 for her contributions to Mexican culture.

Feliz cumpleaños, Evangelina Elizondo!

[9A]

August 28, 2020
Celebrating Alexandre Dumas












In honor of one of the most revered French authors of the 19th century, today’s Doodle slideshow celebrates Alexandre Dumas. Perhaps best known for swashbuckling adventure novels, Dumas produced a prolific body of work that continues to thrill readers around the world today. An abbreviated version of one of his most famous novels, “Le Comte de Monte Cristo” [“The Count of Monte Cristo,” 1844-’45], is included [spoiler-free!] in today’s Doodle artwork. On this day in 1884, the Parisian newspaper Les Journal des Débats [The Journal of Debates] published the first installment of the novel, which appeared serially in the publication through 1846.

Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie was born in 1802 in Villers-Cotterêts, France. He later took the name Alexandre Dumas, assuming the surname of his paternal grandmother Marie-Césette Dumas who was a woman of African descent and a slave in Saint-Domingue [present-day Haiti]. As a child, Dumas was regaled with stories of his late father’s exploits as a general, elements of which later found their way into some of the writer’s most famous works.

Dumas moved to Paris in 1822 and became an accomplished playwright before he hit upon monumental success with his action-packed serialized novels of the 1840s, including “Les Troi Mousquetaires” [“The Three Musketeers,” 1844]. Today these works have made him one of the most popular French authors in the world, and his books have been translated into over 100 languages.
In the late 1980s, a long-lost Dumas novel was uncovered in Paris’ National Library of France. Titled “Le Chevalier de Sainte-Hermine” [“The Last Cavalier”], the book was finally published in 2005.

Merci, Alexandre Dumas, for all the excitement you’ve given to so many readers!

[9A]

August 28, 2014
Sheridan Le Fanu's 200th Birthday






Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu; [28 August 1814 – 7 February 1873] was an Irish writer of Gothic tales, mystery novels, and horror fiction. He was a leading ghost story writer of his time, central to the development of the genre in the Victorian era. M. R. James described Le Fanu as "absolutely in the first rank as a writer of ghost stories". Three of his best-known works are the locked-room mystery Uncle Silas, the lesbian vampire novella Carmilla, and the historical novel The House by the Churchyard.

[9A]

October 12, 2020
Oğuz Atay’s 86th Birthday






Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Istanbul-based guest artist Enes Diriğ, celebrates the 86th birthday of Turkish author, playwright, engineer, and professor Oğuz Atay. His 1972 novel “Tutunamayanlar”[“The Disconnected”] is widely acclaimed as one of the most significant Turkish novels of the 20th century. With his reliance on shifting narrative perspectives and blend of dreams and reality, Atay was among the first Turkish writers to explore the postmodern style known as metafiction.

Oğuz Atay was born on this day in 1934, in İnebolu, a coastal town on the Black Sea in the Kastamonu Province of Turkey. Raised in a well-connected family, he received a top education and went on to pursue a career in the field of civil engineering. In 1960, Atay became a lecturer at the Istanbul State Engineering and Architecture Academy, but it was the fiction he wrote in his downtime that came to define his legacy.

Atay entered the limelight of Turkish literature with the publication of “Tutunamayanlar” in 1972,a towering literary achievement which he followed up with a rapid string of novels through the ‘70s. All the while, he continued his teaching career and in 1975 was made an associate professor.

Atay’s “Tutunamayanlar” was identified by UNESCO in 2002 as an important literary work in need of an English translation. It has since been translated into English, Dutch, and German, opening Atay’s seminal novel to non-Turkish readers around the world.

Happy birthday, Oğuz Atay!

[9A]

October 12, 2013
Children's Day 2013 [Brazil]

[9A]

Oct 14, 2013
Katherine Mansfield's 125th Birthday






Kathleen Mansfield Murry was a prominent modernist writer who was born and brought up in New Zealand. She wrote short stories and poetry under the pen name Katherine Mansfield. When she was 19, she left colonial New Zealand and settled in England, where she became a friend of D.H. Lawrence, Virginia Woolf, Lady Ottoline Morrell and others in the orbit of the Bloomsbury Group.

[9A]

March 26, 2020
Bangladesh Independence Day 2020




Home to the Sundarbans [the world’s largest mangrove forest], as well as Cox’s Bazar [the world’s longest stretch of beach], the People’s Republic of Bangladesh celebrates its independence today.

An autonomous republic, the nation formerly known as East Pakistan, became Bangladesh 49 years ago. The country then adopted the Shapla or water lily, depicted in the Doodle artwork, as its national emblem and flower.

In honor of the country’s freedom, the Bangladeshi flag proudly flies atop many of its buildings. Featuring a red disk against a green backdrop, the flag of Bangladesh represents the sun rising across the nation’s abundant flora and natural beauty.

Happy Independence Day, Bangladesh!

[9A]

December 16, 2017
Kazakhstan Republic Day 2017





For more than a thousand years, nomadic tribes on horseback wandered the expansive steppes and towering peaks of Kazakhstan. In fact, one possible origin for the name Kazakh is the Turkish word qaz, “to wander.”

Today, the country remains mostly wide open spaces. Golden eagles, important to traditional Kazakh culture and a symbol of national pride, wheel overhead against a bright blue sky. They make their nests on the craggy cliffs of the Alatau and other mountain ranges, as depicted in today’s Doodle.
Kazakhstan declared independence from the Soviet Union on December 16th, 1991, starting a new chapter in its long history. Anniversary celebrations typically include food, fireworks, and festive clothing. Fancy chapans, or long robes, are sewn with dazzling colors and intricate gold embroidery.

Traditional music is also a must-have, as an integral part of Kazakhstan’s cultural heritage. Listeners might pick out the dombra and kobyz, amongst other instruments.

Happy Republic Day, Kazakhstan!

[9A]

October 23, 2020
Gianni Rodari’s 100th Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates the centennial birthday of Italian writer and journalist Gianni Rodari, widely acclaimed as one of the most influential Italian children’s authors of the 20th century. Rodari earned renown for accessible stories of fantasy that incorporated real-world social issues, including “ romanzo di Cipollino” [“The Tale of The Little Onion,” 1951], which is represented in today’s Doodle. In 1970, he became the first–and to this date only–Italian to win the Hans Christian Andersen Award for writing, one of the highest international honors in children’s literature.

Gianni Rodari was born on this day in 1920 in the northern Italian town of Omegna. Interested early on in children’s education, he first taught at an elementary school before he transitioned to work as a newspaper reporter. Based on his previous experience, his editors asked him to write for the paper’s children’s section, beginning his iconic career in children’s literature. By 1960 he had written enough material to publish his first book, "Nursery Rhymes in the Sky and on Earth.“

Two years later he released his hit story collection “Telephone Tales,” considered by some to be his masterpiece. Rodari went on to craft a variety of beloved literature over the following decades, earning his place as a household name in Italy. He simultaneously contributed heavily to the country’s educational reform movement.

For his contributions to children’s literature, Rodari won many major awards throughout his life, and today his works have been translated into over 20 languages.

Happy birthday, Gianni Rodari, and thank you for bringing your imagination to life for generations to enjoy.

[9A]

October 23, 2015
Lygia Clark’s 95th Birthday



Happy Birthday Lygia Clark!

Today's doodle celebrates the 95th birthday of artist Lygia Clark, famed Brazilian painter, sculptor and teacher. Lygia Clark co-founded the Neo-Concrete movement, which sought to change art from a passive viewing experience to an engaging interaction. Her art pieces, specifically the bichos, were designed to be modified, re-positioned and folded into new configurations by participants. These "critters" were an early step in Clark's attempts to bridge the gap between artist and viewer.

Later in her career, Clark turned the evocative power of her art toward healing, and became a proponent and practitioner of art therapy. Her work focused on bodily awareness as well as unconscious sensory perception, the inner life, and emotions.

[9A]

Mar 5, 2015
Gerardus Mercator’s 503rd Birthday







In 1569, cartographer Gerardus Mercator created the first map that portrayed sailing rhumbs as straight lines, a technical trait of great value to navigation. Our doodle in Belgium marks his 503rd birthday.

[9A]

October 9, 2017
Bagong Kussudiardja’s 89th Birthday





On this date in 1928, Bagong Kussudiardja, better known as ‘Bagong,’ was born in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. A world-renowned choreographer, painter, sculptor, and poet who marched to the beat of his own drum, Bagong spent his formative years studying art, music, and Javanese court dance.
After Indonesia’s independence in 1945, Bagong yearned to expand on his classical training. He started by studying Japanese and Indian dance. From 1957-1958, he trained in the U.S. under Martha Graham, the legendary choreographer famous for her boundary-breaking techniques.

Back on home turf, Bagong incorporated those modern moves to further elevate traditional Indonesian dances. He established the Pusat Latihan Tari Bagong Kussudiardja [Center for Dance] in 1958, followed by the still-thriving Padepokan Seni Bagong Kussudiardja [Center for the Arts] in 1978. And he choreographed more than 200 dances in his creative, intricate style.

But choreography was just one part of the picture. Bagong was also revered for his batik oil paintings and watercolors. He worked in a myriad of styles, including impressionistic, abstract, and realistic.
Today’s Doodle illustrates Bagong in his element — paintbrush in hand, richly costumed dancers leaping for joy.

Happy birthday to this avant-garde Javanese artist.

[9A]

Oct 10, 2017
Clare Hollingworth’s 106th Birthday




Today’s Doodle offers a glimpse into the mind of one of the world’s most inspirational and pioneering journalists, Clare Hollingworth — a woman so keen for adventure, she kept her passport within an arm’s length at all times, just in case.

Just one week after joining The Telegraph, Clare showed the world why she was called “the doyenne of war correspondents.” Venturing alone across the Germany-Poland border, she was the first to scoop the start of World War II after a windy day blew apart hessian screens, revealing a mass of German troops preparing to invade.

Daring in her approach, Hollingworth often said she was happiest roaming the world, traveling light, and ready for danger. This spirit led her reporting across the world, from working with Jewish refugees in Poland, to covering the Greek and Algerian civil wars, to being the first person to interview Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the shah of Iran.

Though much of her early work was not officially attributed to her, Hollingworth’s experience and bold career path led her to win Woman Journalist of the Year, James Cameron Award for Journalism, and a lifetime achievement award from What The Papers Say.

In commemoration of the gust of wind that led to her first scoop in 1939, we’re blowing out the candles for what would be Clare’s 106th birthday.

Guest artist Doodle created by Eleni Kalorkoti.

[9A]

Oct 18, 2017
Celebrating the Studio for Electronic Music




Today we’re feeling the beat as we celebrate the 66th anniversary of the Studio for Electronic Music. Known as the first modern music studio, the Studio for Electronic Music became a haven for innovative musicians and producers around the world. It was here that electronically synthesized sounds were mixed to create an entirely new genre of music that so many have come to love.

The Studio for Electronic Music was established at the West German Broadcasting facility in Cologne, Germany. The concept for a studio to create electronic music was birthed by composers Werner Meyer-Eppler, Robert Beyer, and Herbert Eimert, who for years had brainstormed the technical requirements of the challenge. Artists in the studio created breakthrough beats, editing and mixing sounds using new types of equipment and technical composition. Composers and producers came from far and wide as the studio became a breeding ground for musical innovation.

Until the year 2000, the original studio continued to push the boundaries of electronic music and develop new sounds and ideas. Today’s Doodle, by Berlin-based illustrator Henning Wagenbreth, celebrates the diversity of thought and imagination that built this studio and transformed the possibilities of music!

[9A]

Oct 22, 2013
216th Anniversary of the First Parachute Jump






When was the first parachute jump? 216 years ago. Google celebrates the 216th anniversary by honoring Andre Jacques Garnerin with a doodle. You can use the interactive doodle with left and right keys. Andre Jacques Garnerin was the inventor of the frameless parachute. The balloonist was born on Jan. 31, 1769. Garnerin was appointed "Official Aeronaut of France". Garnerin began experiments with early parachutes based on umbrella-shaped devices. The first flight with a silk parachute on October 22, 1797 at Parc Monceau, Paris.

Happy Birthday, André-Jacques Garnerin.

[9A]

October 22, 2011
Franz Liszt's 200th Birthday




Franz Liszt was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor, music teacher, arranger, and organist of the Romantic era. He was also a writer, philanthropist, Hungarian nationalist, and Franciscan tertiary.

Liszt gained renown in Europe during the early nineteenth century for his prodigious virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was a friend, musical promoter and benefactor to many composers of his time, including Frédéric Chopin, Charles-Valentin Alkan, Richard Wagner, Hector Berlioz, Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann, Camille Saint-Saëns, Edvard Grieg, Ole Bull, Joachim Raff, Mikhail Glinka, and Alexander Borodin.

A prolific composer, Liszt was one of the most prominent representatives of the New German School . He left behind an extensive and diverse body of work that influenced his forward-looking contemporaries and anticipated 20th-century ideas and trends. Among Liszt's musical contributions were the symphonic poem, developing thematic transformation as part of his experiments in musical form, and radical innovations in harmony.

[9A]

August 17, 2019
Indonesia Independence Day 2019






Today’s Doodle illustrated by Indonesia-based guest artist Hari Prast, celebrates Indonesia’s Independence Day, also known as Hari Kemerdekaan, colloquially known as Tujuhbelasan [[“the Seventeenth”). On this day in 1945, the Indonesian leader Soekarno read a proclamation at his home in Jakarta, declaring the independence of Indonesia.

August 17th was also the date when the red and white national flag, known to locals as Sang Saka Merah-Putih, was flown for the first time.

Indonesia is the world’s 4th most populous country, with over 300 different ethnic and linguistic groups. Hari Kemerdekaan is a time for members of these diverse groups to come together in joyous celebration, holding ceremonies and festive events throughout the country that have become cherished traditions.

The day starts with flag-hoisting ceremony, followed by a parade and local games competitions like balap karung [a two-person gunny sack race], panjat pinang [where contestants climb up a greased pole or tree to grab a prize at the top], and many more local games.

Community residents also work together to make Gapura gates, as shown in today’s Doodle. These colorful gates are created out of repurposed materials, beautifying the entrances to their village neighborhoods and celebrating Indonesian Independence together.

Embodying a spirit of collaboration [gotong royong] that lies at the very core of Indonesian values, Gapuras serves as a reminder for Indonesians to work together for a better nation on Independence Day—and every day of the year.

Dirgahayu Indonesia!

[9A]

November 20, 2020
Benoit Mandelbrot's 96th Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates the 96th birthday of Polish-born, French and American mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot, widely known as the “father of fractal geometry.” Mandelbrot’s pioneering research was instrumental in introducing the world to the powerful concept of fractals–irregular yet infinitely repeating mathematical shapes found throughout nature and our everyday lives.

Mandelbrot was born on this day in 1924 in Warsaw, Poland to parents of Lithuanian-Jewish heritage. From being a local chess champion to a student of his father’s map collection, at a young age Mandelbrot was exposed to mathematics and geometry in everyday life. In 1936 the family emigrated to France, and Mandelbrot went on to pursue his education in both Paris and the United States, culminating in a doctorate in 1952.

In 1958 Mandelbrot began working at the Watson Research Center at IBM in New York, where his study of peculiar repetitions in signal noise formed an early inspiration for his groundbreaking work. An early pioneer of the use of computers for research, he later used a basic computerized typewriter to develop an algorithm that modeled landforms found in nature. In 1975, he coined the now-famous term “fractal geometry” to describe these mathematical phenomena; with the release of his book “The Fractal Geometry of Nature” in 1982, Mandelbrot’s work reached the world, forever altering the field of applied mathematics.

Mandelbrot went on to receive countless awards for his work, including the Wolf Foundation Prize for Physics in 1993.

Happy birthday to Benoit Mandelbrot, a man whose curiosity helped to expand the way we see the world around us.

[9A]

November 20, 2014
Corita Kent's 96th Birthday





American nun and artist Corita Kent said it best with her quote, “To understand is to stand under which is to look up to which is a good way to understand.” Kent gained popularity in the 1960s and 1970s with her artwork that featured messages of love and peace. Today, we mark her 96th birthday.

[9A]

November 20, 2012
Otto von Guericke's 410th Birthday






Otto von Guericke was a German scientist, inventor, and politician. His pioneering scientific work, the development of experimental methods and repeatable demonstrations on the physics of the vacuum, atmospheric pressure, electrostatic repulsion, his advocacy for the reality of "action at a distance" and of "absolute space" were remarkable contributions for the advancement of the Scientific Revolution.

[9A]

November 22, 2014
Lebanon Independence Day 2014





Lebanese Independence Day is the national day of Lebanon, celebrated on 22 November in commemoration of the end of the French Mandate over Lebanon in 1943, after 23 years of Mandate rule.

[9A]

November 24, 2015
41st Anniversary of the discovery of Lucy





On November 24th, 1974, as dusk settled upon the southern edge of the Afar Triangle near a village called Hadar, a team of scientists organized by Yves Coppens, Maurice Taieb and Donald Johanson toasted a tremendous discovery. They had been scouring this region for weeks--an area Taieb had brought to the forefront of anthropological research years earlier--and that morning their search paid enormous dividends with the find of Dr. Johanson and his student Tom Gray. The skeletal fragments unearthed in the Ethiopian landscape made up the most complete example of Australopithecus afarensis ever found.

While they celebrated, a small tape recorder blared ”Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds”, again and again. And then it struck someone--what finer name than Lucy for the incredible specimen pulled from the sand that day?

In the coming months and years, this find would upend our understanding of bipedalism, and rewrite a significant chapter in the story of human evolution. To recognize the 41st anniversary of this historic moment, Kevin Laughlin has brought Lucy and her upright gait to life on our homepage.

[9A]

December 18, 2020
26th Anniversary of the Grotte Chauvet Discovery






On this day in 1994, three speleologists [cave specialists] by the name of Jean-Marie Chauvet, Éliette Brunel, and Christian Hillaire were exploring in the Ardèche region of southern France when they happened upon something remarkable: an enormous display of what turned out to be some of the earliest-known and best-preserved figurative drawings ever made by humankind. Today’s Doodle celebrates this groundbreaking discovery–now known as Grotte Chauvet [French for Chauvet Cave]–which forever altered the archaeological understanding of prehistoric man’s artistic expression and creative development.

Through carbon dating, the extraordinary drawings have been traced back to the Aurignacian period over 30,000 years ago. Thanks to a rock fall that sealed the entrance more than 10,000 years later, the Chauvet Cave–and the more than 1,000 drawings documented on its limestone walls–then remained untouched, preserved for millennia in pristine quality.

As illustrated in today’s Doodle, the cave features depictions of 14 different species— from horses and lions to dangerous prehistoric creatures like the long-extinct wooly rhinoceros and mammoth. The deepest gallery features representations of the human body, while other walls display abstract series of red dots. The images demonstrate great artistic vision and technique through their anatomical accuracy, illusion of depth and movement, masterful use of colors, and skillful combination of both painting and engraving. In addition to the paintings, the cave is also home to human footprints and some 4,000 prehistoric animal fossils.

In recognition of the site's vast significance to the human story, UNESCO inscribed the Chauvet Cave onto the World Heritage List in 2014.

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December 18, 2011
Christoffer Polhem's 350th Birthday




Christopher Polhammar better known as Christopher Polhem, which he took after his ennoblement in 1716, was a Swedish scientist, inventor and industrialist. He made significant contributions to the economic and industrial development of Sweden, particularly mining. He was ennobled by King Charles XII of Sweden for his contributions to Swedish technological development.

[9A]

December 18, 2019
Qatar National Day 2019






Today’s Doodle celebrates Qatar’s National Day, marking 141 years since its unification. Also known as Founder’s Day, this is the day when Qataris come together for special festivities that memorialize their nation’s independence and unique history.

From the modern Drone Air Show featuring an array of synchronized drones over the Katara sky, to the traditional Darb Al Saai celebrations featuring camel and horse exhibitions, falconry, and cultural bazaars, the entire Arabian peninsula of Qatar is energized with patriotism and collective pride for over a week of events.

Some of the many highlights include aerial shows, one of which broke the world record last year for the largest parachute formation at night. No stranger to breaking records, in 2013 the Qatari nation created the world’s largest flag. Made in honor of the country’s National Day, the flag measured 101,978 m², the size of 14 football pitches!​

Happy National Day, Qatar!

[9A]

December 18, 2014
Henrietta Edwards' 165th Birthday






This depiction of one of Canada's greatest advocates for women was illustrated by guest artist, Kate Beaton who has been known to explore the lives of other historical figures in her collection, Hark! A Vagrant.

We asked Kate to share some of her thoughts on Henrietta Edwards below:

I think that when it comes to notable people in the women's rights movement in Canadian history, there are names we know like Nellie McClung or Emily White. They are the token examples in the high school history text; the answer to a multiple choice question somewhere. Maybe we know "The Famous Five" and what they did with the Person's Case, but I doubt many of us can list the individual women themselves. I believe Henrietta Muir Edwards is one of the women who deserves a wider recognition for her work. Montreal-born--a transplant to the Prairies later in life--she fought for women's rights, women's education, women's work and women's health, across the country and from a very young age.

She was a writer, an artist, a lawmaker and a teacher. She allied herself with like minded activists and founded a number of movements and societies to improve the lives of women. Henrietta was a woman who made things happen and fought for it all with unflappable conviction. Canada is a richer country for having her as a citizen.

[9A]

February 22, 2012
Heinrich Rudolf Hertz's 155th Birthday





Heinrich Rudolf Hertz was a German physicist who first conclusively proved the existence of the electromagnetic waves predicted by James Clerk Maxwell's equations of electromagnetism. The unit of frequency, cycle per second, was named the "hertz" in his honor.

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February 22, 2016
Draginja Ljočić Milošević’s 161st Birthday






Today marks the 161st birthday of Draginja Ljočić Milošević. Milošević was one of Serbia’s first ever female doctors and the first woman accepted into the University of Zurich in Switzerland.
Doodler Jennifer Hom wanted to highlight the tools of Draginja’s trade. In this sketch, we see Milošević’s hand clasping a small leather bag, inspired by the stara tora lekarska, one typical of the era and region.

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February 22, 2016
Tamaki Miura’s 132nd Birthday





A master of operatic performances in French, German, and Italian, Tamaki Miura was the first internationally heralded Japanese soprano. She was best known for her role in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, which she performed for enraptured audiences over 2,000 times in theaters from London to San Francisco. As one critic for The Evening Post noted after a 1920 performance in Chicago, her artistry was sensational both “vocally and dramatically”, and “many [in the audience] were in tears.”

To celebrate what would have been Miura’s 132nd birthday, artist Nate Swinehart recalls her most famous role by sketching the singer amid a swirl of butterflies. Check out some of Nate’s early concepts for today’s homepage below. Happy birthday, Tamaki.

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February 24, 2017
Celebrating Penpan Sittitrai



In the skilled hands of Penpan Sittitrai, a watermelon was far more than a refreshing treat on a summer day: it was art.

Using just a carving knife, she magically transformed melons into graceful swans, mangoes into rabbits, and potatoes into ducklings. Nature was a favorite theme, and she often formed lotus flowers from common foods like yam beans and garlic bulbs. Her intricate sculptures were used as showstopping centerpieces and serving vessels.

Even Thailand’s monarchs tapped Sittitrai for her talents. She once carved water chestnuts into 500 jasmine flowers for a royal wedding, and turned 250 coconuts into urns for a royal dining event.
On February 24, 2010, at the age of 83, Sittitrai was awarded the honorary title of National Artist for her outstanding contributions to Thailand’s arts. Instituted in 1985, “National Artist Day” is celebrated in Thailand on February 24.

In recognition of Sittitrai’s contributions to Thailand’s visual arts, today’s Doodle draws inspiration from her many books, including, “The Art of Thai Vegetable and Fruit Carving.”

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Feb 27, 2018
Celebrating May Ayim







Today’s Doodle celebrates author, poet, and activist May Ayim. It was on this date in 2010 that "May Ayim Ufer" or "May Ayim Street" was named in her honor in Berlin.

Born in 1960 to a Ghanaian father and a German mother, Ayim drew inspiration from a difficult childhood to become a prominent figure in the Black German movement.

Ayim’s pioneering work helped lay the groundwork for the field of Black German history. Her 1986 thesis, “Afro-Germans: Their Cultural and Social History on the Background of Social Change,” was the first scholarly work on Afro-German history from the Middle Ages to the present. This thesis also provided the foundation of her renowned book, “Farbe Bekennen.” In addition to her scholarly publications, Ayim’s poetry collections brought the Black German struggle for equality to an international stage.

Ayim’s journey as an author and poet also intersected with her work as an activist. For example, she partnered with other activists to form the Initiative Schwarze Deutsche [ISD], which served as a network of Blacks in Germany striving for self-empowerment.

Ayim’s 1992 speech, “My Pen Is My Sword: Racism and Resistance in Germany,” stressed the importance of writing as a vehicle for social transformation. Today's Doodle by Berlin-based illustrator Laura Breiling celebrates Ayim’s scholarly and literary work, which continues to educate and inspire people across the globe.

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April 14, 2017
56th Anniversary of Xingu Indigenous Park






Officially dedicated in 1961, Xingu Indigenous Park celebrates its 56th anniversary today. The park is located in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso and spans 6,528,530 acres of savannah and forest.

Xingu’s primary goal was to protect the social diversity of Brazil’s indigenous people, and was created after a long campaign by activist brothers, Orlando and Leonardo Villas-Bôas. Some of the tribes that call Xingu home are the Kamayurá, Kaiabi, Yudjá, Aweti, Mehinako, Wauja, Yawalapiti, Ikpeng, Kalapalo, Kuikuro, Matipu, Nahukwá, Suyá, and Trumai. In all, several thousand indigenous people live within the park’s boundaries.

Today’s Doodle puts Xingu indigenous culture on full display. Hugged tightly by the all-important Xingu River, the design incorporates Xingu cultural elements like fishing baskets, cassava root, buildings, and headdress.

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October 31, 2019
Carlos Drummond de Andrade’s 117th Birthday






“What now, José?” asked Brazilian writer Carlos Drummond de Andrade in a popular poem from his 1942 anthology, Poesias. Today’s Doodle celebrates an individual whom many consider one of the greatest poets in modern Brazilian literature. Born in the mining town of Itabira on this day in 1902, Drummond composed poems that broke formal rules in verse and expressed the stresses of modern life. He also worked as a literary critic and journalist, writing short semi-fictional newspaper essays, known as crônicas, about the lives of ordinary people, including children and the poor.

After co-founding the literary journal A Revista in 1925, Drummond spent years on his poetry collection Alguma Poesia, emerging as a leading figure in Brazilian modernism. Having earned his degree in pharmacy, he went on to work for Brazil’s Ministry of Education as well as the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Service of Brazil. Throughout his career, he published over a dozen volumes of poetry and a handful of collections of crônicas. His 1986 collection Traveling in the Family: Selected Poems includes English translations by prominent poets Elizabeth Bishop and Mark Strand.

Drummond has received many awards—including the Brazilian Union of Writers Prize—and has become a fixture of Brazilian popular culture. His “Canção Amiga” [“Friendly Song”] was printed on Brazilian currency, and a statue of the poet stands near the ocean in Rio de Janeiro.

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Nov 1, 2019
Rugby World Cup 2019 Final





The 2019 Rugby World Cup Final was a rugby union match played on 2 November 2019 at the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan. It marked the culmination of the 2019 Rugby World Cup and was played between England and South Africa, a rematch of the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final.

The match saw South Africa claim their third Rugby World Cup title with a 32–12 victory, with tries from Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe adding to six penalties and two conversions from Handré Pollard. The official player of the match was South Africa's number eight, Duane Vermeulen.

The match was the United Kingdom's most watched TV broadcast in 2019 with a peak audience of 12.8 million watching on ITV.

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March 1, 2018
St. David's Day 2018





March 1st is celebrated in the UK as St. David’s Day [Dewi Sant], named after the patron saint of Wales. The musical country earned the title “Land of Song” through its rich history of choral singing, dating all the way back to the 19th century.

Today’s Doodle was created by Sander Berg, an illustrator from Sweden who now makes his home in Wales. It features a woman in historic Welsh dress—now traditionally worn on St. David’s Day—plays the Welsh National Anthem on a Welsh Triple Harp. The harpist plays in front of Mt. Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales, and is surrounded by Cenhinen Pedr [St. Peter’s Leek], also known as the daffodil. As one of the first signs of spring, the cheerful flowers are an important symbol on Welsh National Day, and can be seen popping up in fields and on lapels throughout the country.

Wales boasts several well-known musical institutions, including The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, the Welsh National Opera, the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales, and a myriad of Welsh Male Voice Choirs. Eisteddfod, an eight-day festival of literature, music, and performance, is a common way for Welsh communities around the world to honor their patron saint and celebrate their musical heritage.

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus! Happy St. David’s Day!

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January 26, 2017
Australia Day 2017







Today’s Doodle celebrates Australia's most awe-inspiring feature: its big, blue backyard and treasured natural World Heritage Site: the Great Barrier Reef.

This vast underwater world is home to a whole host of protected and majestic creatures, including the green turtle, pipefish, barramundi cod, potato cod, maori wrasse, giant clam, and staghorn coral, to name a few. Made up of over 2,900 individual reefs, the earth’s largest coral reef system can be seen from space, and is our planet’s single largest structure made up of living organisms.

The reef is tightly woven into the culture and spirituality of island locals who cherished it long before it became a popular tourist destination. A large part of the reef is now under protection in an effort to preserve the shrinking ecosystem impacted by heavy tourism.

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September 16, 2018
Mexico Independence Day 2018





Today Mexico celebrates the independence movement that began with El Grito – a cry for freedom – in the village of Dolores, Guanajuato. In cities all over Mexico a full day of parties usually begins the night before, with citizens chanting in unison, “¡Viva México!”

Brass bands fill the streets, columns of willow and palm are set aflame, and fireworks light up the sky. Mexican food is central to the celebration—street vendors sell tamales while party foods like queso fundido are usually consumed at home. After a long night of partying, a hearty bowl of menudo soup is a fortifying and restorative meal.

Today’s Doodle shows a street vendor handing out Mexican flags, which are omnipresent on this day in public spaces and outside homes. Its colors feature in people’s outfits as well: green for independence, white for the Roman Catholic Church, and red for unity.
Happy National Day, Mexico!

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March 22, 2017
P. Ramlee’s 88th Birthday




Born 88 years ago today, P. Ramlee’s artistic achievements left a permanent mark on the cultural history of Malaysia. P. Ramlee was a prolific actor, director, writer, and musician who contributed to more than 60 films and composed around 250 songs. After his death in 1973, Malaysians kept his legacy alive, honoring him with posthumous awards and naming halls, museums, and other buildings after him.

Today’s Doodle highlights the Malaysian legend’s diverse artistry and shows him as people best remember him — sporting a thin mustache and a checkered suit, his head cocked slightly to the side.

We liked the original concept drawings so much we decided to combine them for the final Doodle!

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March 22, 2016
Holika Festival 2016






Today, people around the world will pelt each other with colored powder in celebration of Holika, the Nepalese version of Holi, which is now celebrated throughout the world. Holika coincides with the beginning of Spring, and for many it’s an opportunity to indulge in the bright, colorful festivity of the new season. It’s an occasion for spreading good will, and getting a little messy in the process. Our Doodle honors the tradition, and all those who are celebrating on this joyous day.

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March 22, 2021
Elena Lacková's 100th Birthday




Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Czech guest artist Filip Posivac, celebrates the centennial birthday of Slovakian-Romani writer and dramatist Elena Lacková, who is widely considered the first author in post-war Czechoslovakia to tell the story of the Romani people and the persecution they faced throughout World War II.

Born on this day in 1921 in Veľký Šariš, Czechoslovakia [[modern-day Slovakia), Elena Lacková was raised in a settlement of Romani people—a historically oppressed European ethnic group of Indian origin. Although she was unable to pursue higher education due to anti-Romani laws, Lacková became a talented writer of her own accord, penning poems by moonlight as the only girl out of the 600 children in her settlement with the ability to read.

In 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and persecuted its Romani settlements as part of the regime’s Roma Holocaust. Lacková survived these atrocities and became determined to reinvigorate Roma pride through theatre. Her first published work of literature—a play entitled “Horiaci cigánsky tabor” [“The Gypsy Camp Is Burning,” 1947]—depicted the collective hardships of the Romani people during the Holocaust, while providing a new perspective into their culture.

Lacková’s work continually uplifted the Romani community through literary mediums such as short stories, fairy tales, and radio plays. In 1970, she achieved yet another milestone as the first Romani woman in Czechoslovakia to graduate from university. A pioneer who received countless accolades, Lacková became the first Romani woman to receive one of Slovakia’s highest honors, the Order of Ľudovít Štúr III, awarded in 2001.

Happy birthday, Elena Lacková!