Google doodles

[9A]

6 September 2021

Labor Day 2021





Today’s Doodle celebrates Labor Day, a federal holiday in honor of the indispensable role of the U.S. workforce. In September 1882, the first unofficial celebrations of Labor Day took place as thousands paraded in New York City’s Union Square. Today, the holiday is observed on the first Monday in September--both to honor this historic march and provide a three-day weekend for millions of workers.

Whether a construction worker, firefighter or medical personnel—today’s Doodle honors the professions of those on the frontline working hard day in and day out for our society.

Here’s to the perseverance of America’s workforce. Happy Labor Day!

[9A]

7 Jul 2011

Miroslav Krleza's 118th Birthday






For this doodle, I worked closely with a Googler in our Hungary office to learn more about Miroslav Krleza and his works. His most iconic character is the folk ballad musician, Petrica Kerempuh, who I ended up depicting in the final artwork. The style itself is based on my personal admiration of Eastern European illustration. This style has often been used to depict Kerempuh in bright, cheerful costume, in some ways to contrast the complex, multi-layered, [and sometimes darker] themes in Krleza’s exploration of Croatia’s historical experience.

[9A]

7 July 2016

Nettie Stevens’ 155th birthday




What are the genetics behind gender?

This simple question drove the work of American geneticist Nettie Stevens. Building on research by Edmund Beecher Wilson and Thomas Hunt Morgan at Bryn Mawr, Stevens discovered the connection between chromosomes and physicality. Her breakthrough evolved into the XY sex-determination system, now taught in classrooms around the world.


Doodle by Lydia Nichols

[9A]

15 Jul 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.

[9A]

5 June 2019

Jacques Demy’s 88th Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates French director Jacques Demy, born in Pont-Château, on this day in 1931. Demy fell in love with the movies early and longed to tell his own vividly colored visual stories. As part of postwar French cinema’s New Wave, Demy and other members of the movement, known as the Nouvelle Vague, reimagined filmmaking as a personal artistic expression rather than a commercial industry, inspiring a generation of independent auteurs in the process.

As a child, Demy created his own puppet shows and animated home movies before convincing his parents to let him study film in Paris. After two years at France’s Technical School of Photography and Cinematography, he assisted animator Paul Grimault and director Georges Roquier in the 1950s before getting the chance to direct his first feature.

Set in his childhood hometown of Nantes, Lola starred Anouk Aimée as a heartbroken cabaret singer awaiting the return of a lost love. The bittersweet film debuted in 1961. A year later, Demy married Agnès Varda, who would later direct her husband’s life story in the singular biopic Jacquot de Nantes, based in part on his own diaries.

Inspired by American musicals, Demy created a world of his own in wistfully romantic films like Les Demoiselles de Rochefort [The Young Girls of Rochefort], which featured Hollywood legend Gene Kelly, and Les Parapluies de Cherbourg [The Umbrellas of Cherbourg], which put Catherine Deneuve in the spotlight and won the grand prize at the 1964 Cannes Film Festival.

A consummate cinephile and audiovisual craftsman, Demy infused his musicals and fantasies with a documentarian’s eye and a poet’s heart.

Bon anniversaire, Jacques Demy!


Doodle by Sophie Diao

[9A]

4 December 2018

Edith Cavell’s 153rd Birthday






Today’s Doodle celebrates Edith Cavell, a British nurse who risked her life to help hundreds of British and French soldiers escape from occupied Belgium during World War I.

On this day in 1865, Cavell was born in Swardenton, a village near Norwich. Caring for her aged father during a serious illness inspired her to become a nurse at age 30, and she began her training with Matron Eva Lückes, a friend of Florence Nightingale, at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel. She went on to work at hospitals in Shoreditch, Kings Cross, and Manchester before being invited to Brussels to lead a new training hospital for nurses. Considered a pioneer of modern nursing in Belgium, she founded the medical journal l’infirmière in 1910.

Visiting family when the war broke out, she returned to Brussels straightaway, where she would treat all casualties of war regardless of their nationality. "I can’t stop while there are lives to be saved,” she stated.

Besides her work as a nurse, Cavell became involved with an underground group that was sheltering French and British soldiers and helping them escape from occupied Belgium. In August 1915, after helping some 200 men, Cavell was arrested and charged with treason. She confessed to the military court and, despite widespread appeals for mercy, was executed on October 12, 1915.

In 1917, the Nation’s Fund for Nurses was launched in her honor to raise funds to assist those who “sought the health of others at the expense of her own.” The fund was later renamed the Cavell Nurses’ Trust.

Here’s to Edith Cavell, whose legacy of heroism and compassion continues on.

[9A]

4 December 2016

Dewi Sartika’s 132nd Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates Dewi Sartika, a leader in women’s education in Indonesia during the late 1800s and early 1900s. At just 18 years old, Sartika started teaching women in a small room in the back of a house. Two years later, she opened the first school for women in Indonesia, and over the next ten years expanded her reach to ten schools.

She was awarded National Heroine by the Indonesian government in 1966 for her positive influence and public service to women across Indonesia.

Happy 132nd birthday to this educational trailblazer!

[9A]

6 Dec 2016

Finland Independence Day 2016



Happy Independence Day to Finland! In December of 1917, the Senate of Finland declared independence from Russian rule. Today, Finns commemorate the occasion in both solemn and merry ways, starting the day by raising the flag. The colors of the flag can be seen everywhere today: in shop windows, on cakes and pastries, and on the candles that are lit in windows to honor veterans. In the evening, friends and family gather for a celebratory meal and to watch the annual presidential reception on television. This year's reception highlights Finland's strengths, including a leading literacy rate, abundant opportunities for girls, and a commitment to environmental protection.

Today's Doodle depicts the bell-shaped blossoms of the lily of the valley, which is common in many parts of Finland and is often featured in Finnish poetry and music. In 1967, it became the country's national flower, marking 50 years of independence.


Hyvää itsenäisyyspäivää!

[9A]

1 December 2016

30th Anniversary of Film “Kin-Dza-Dza!”





Kin-Dza-Dza! is a 1986 Soviet sci-fi cult dystopian comedy, created by Mosfilm, the oldest film studio in Europe. A construction worker and a student push the wrong button on an unidentifiable device and end up on an obscure and advanced telepathic planet called Pluke where a series of strange and hilarious events unfold. The lives, philosophies and social structures of those who inhabit this distant planet are explored and paralleled to life here on earth in an unusually entertaining and thought-provoking manner.

Because the Plukanians are inherently telepathic, they only speak a few actual words—ky [pronounced “koo” and kyu, which is a swear word. One of the fun plot details that permeate the film is that the material used in making the heads of regular matches serves as currency on the planet.

For the 30th anniversary of Kin-Dza-Dza, today’s Doodle depicts the most famous scene from the film where the main characters, Bi and Uef, are squatting and chanting a resounding “ku!”

[9A]

15 August 2019

India Independence Day 2019





Today’s Doodle, by India-born, Copenhagen-based guest artist Shaivalini Kumar, celebrates Independence Day in India. On this day in 1947 one of the world’s oldest and most ethnically diverse civilizations became a sovereign nation, free from British rule. The Doodle depicts traditional motifs from Indian textiles evoking the complex yet harmonious “patchwork” of Indian culture, ranging from education, to the arts, to courage and compassion.

India is the world’s second most populous country, and many of its 1.3 billion citizens will join in the Independence Day festivities. While the subcontinent marks the occasion in various ways—from patriotic kite-flying to Amritsar’s “beating retreat” ceremony—no site is more historically significant than Lahori Gate at the Red Fort in Delhi, where then Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru first addressed the newly independent nation.

India’s flag will be seen flying proudly today from Delhi to Bombay and everywhere in between. As the flag is raised each year, a 21-gun salute rings out, accompanied by the national anthem “Jana Gana Mana.” Parades, awards, and cultural events complete the momentous occasion.


Happy Independence Day, India!

[9A]

15 August 2016

India Independence Day 2016








“Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now that time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of today's midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.”

These mindful words, spoken by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1947, introduced the world to the free nation of India. Nehru’s speech marked the culmination of the Indian independence movement, which was in motion for nearly a century. “Tryst with Destiny” was the climax; the power of nonviolence had, in the end, freed India.

Today’s Doodle depicts the speech’s historic delivery in the Parliament House before the Indian Constituent Assembly. We celebrate India’s independence and as Nehru so eloquently stated, her leaders’ “pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people.” Jai hind!

[9A]

15 August 2018

Carmen Conde’s 111th Birthday







Poet, teacher, novelist, playwright, author of over 100 books, and cofounder of Cartagena’s Popular University, Carmen Conde Abellán was a pioneer in multiple fields. Born in 1907 on Cartagena’s southeast coast, Conde used to read and write under her bed as a child since her parents didn't appreciate her literary aspirations. Her gift with words became evident early as she saw her first writings published in the national press when she was 15 and published her first book, La Lectura, in 1929.

The first woman elected to the Royal Spanish Academy in 1978, Conde is celebrated in literary circles for her poetry. Yet her restless creativity found other outlets as well. Writing under the pseudonym Florentina del Mar, she produced 20 volumes of children’s literature and went on to premiere children’s plays on the radio.

Her best-known works include Longing for Grace [Ansia de la Gracia] and Woman Without Eden [Mujer sin Edén], an allegorical poem tracing the lives of womankind ever since the Garden of Eden.

Conde was given a a seat in the RAE, the royal Spanish Academy, 300 years after its founding, and after six other women’s candidacy had been considered, voted upon and rejected. Conde attributed her recognition to “40 years of endurance with dignity and courage and work.”

¡Feliz cumpleaños, Carmen Conde!

[9A]

21 July 2014


Belgium National Day 2014







Guest artist Sam Vanallemeersch depicts Adolphe Sax and other icons [check out his diagram!] from Belgian culture in a parade for the country’s National Day.

[9A]

21 July 2018

Belgium National Day 2018




Today is Belgium National Day! July 21st commemorates Belgium’s anniversary of independence and is the perfect occasion to celebrate Belgian culture and food.

Today's Doodle features one of Belgium’s most distinctly delectable treats - the waffle! Depending on where you find yourself in Belgium, you’ll be treated to different types of waffles. In Brussels, waffles are traditionally rectangular and have deep, square pockets throughout. These waffles are typically light and crispy, and might be dusted with powdered sugar or topped with whipped cream and fruit. Should you order a waffle in Liege, you’ll be treated to a thicker waffle made of a dough similar to bread. The waffle may be rounder and have uneven edges, a signature of this style. Both waffles are a delicious treat and an excellent way to celebrate the holiday!

Whether in Brussels or Liege, or even at home whipping up homemade treats from family recipes passed down through generations, Belgians everywhere take today to celebrate their heritage and partake in the festivities.

Happy National Day, Belgium!

[9A]

1 July 2011

Dorothea MacKellar's 126th Birthday




As a poet, Dorothea MacKellar is best known for her vivid and loving descriptions of the Australian landscape. As such, I did my best to capture the brightness of her words, but also keep the doodle a little bit “sketchy” to portray the brevity of her verses.

Posted by Jennifer Hom

[9A]

26 January 2017

Bessie Coleman’s 125th Birthday



Bessie Coleman didn’t just chase her dreams – she soared after them.

Born in Texas to a family of 13 children, Coleman walked four miles each day to her segregated, one-room school. She was a proficient reader and excelled in math, and managed to balance her studies while helping her parents harvest cotton. Even from an early age, she had her sights set on something big.

At age 23, Coleman moved to Chicago where she worked two jobs in an effort to save enough money to enroll in aviation school. After working for five years, she moved to Paris to study, as no school in America would admit her due to her race and gender. Just a year later, Coleman became the first female pilot of African-American and Native American descent, and the first to earn an international aviation license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.

In order to earn a living, Coleman made a plan to become a stunt pilot and perform for paying audiences. However, she was again denied enrollment in a stunt training program in the US, and in 1922, traveled to Europe where she completed her training in France and Germany.

Returning to the US, Coleman excelled at exhibition flying, performing complex stunts in flight for packed audiences. It was during this time that she acquired the nickname “Queen Bessie.” She was an adept, daring, and beloved pilot, until her untimely death at the age of 34.

Although Coleman didn’t live to fulfill her ultimate dream of starting an aviation school to train people of color, she inspired a generation. As Lieutenant William J. Powell writes, "Because of Bessie Coleman, we have overcome that which was worse than racial barriers. We have overcome the barriers within ourselves and dared to dream.”

Today’s Doodle honors Coleman on what would be her 125th birthday.

[9A]

1 December 2017

Romania National Day 2017





Romania observes December 1st as Unification Day or Great Union Day. It was on this day in 1918 that representatives from Transylvania, Banat, Crişana, and Maramureş came together in Alba Iulia to merge with the Romanian kingdom under Ferdinand I. Military parades and cultural celebrations commemorate the occasion.

Today’s Doodle by Romanian illustrator Aitch depicts the country’s rich heritage against the backdrop of a traditional Romanian rug. In it, you can spot national emblems such as the lynx, the hip rose, and the oak. You’ll also find references to deer, mountains, and forests, symbolizing Romania's vibrant landscapes and abundant resources. The country is also famous for its traditional pottery [[present on the "L"), such as the red ceramics of Horezu or the burnt clay artifacts from Marginea.

Finally, the moon is an integral aspect of Romanian folklore and ballads. In the Doodle, the sun and moon appear as well as a traditionally dressed couple reaching out for a kiss.


Happy National Day, Romania!

[9A]

21 Jul 2019

Buchi Emecheta’s 75th Birthday






“I work toward the liberation of women. My books are about survival, just like my own life,” said the Nigerian novelist Buchi Emecheta, whose life and work are celebrated in today’s Doodle.

Born to Ibo parents in the Lagos suburb of Yaba on this day in 1944, Florence Onyebuchi Emecheta grew up listening to her grandmother’s tales and went on to become a prolific author. Although she resisted labeling herself a “feminist” author, much of Emecheta’s writing addressed issues of gender and race.

Married at age 16, Emecheta moved to London with her husband in 1962. She supported her five children by working at a library, pursued her sociology degree, all while writing tirelessly on novels—usually at the kitchen table as her children played.

Emecheta published 16 novels, including In The Ditch, Second-Class Citizen, and Slave Girl, as well as her 1986 autobiography, Head Above Water. She also wrote several plays for stage, TV, and radio.

During the 1970s and ’80s, Emecheta worked as a lecturer and founded the Ogwugwu Afor Publishing Company with her son. She was named an Officer of the British Empire in 2005, a remarkable accomplishment for someone who faced such adversity.

"Just keep trying and trying,” Emecheta once said. “If you have the determination and commitment, you will succeed."

[9A]

19 Sept 2017

Amalia Hernandez’s 100th Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates dancer and choreographer Amalia Hernandez. She founded the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico and used it to share Mexican culture with the world.

Born in 1917, Hernandez developed a passion for performing and dance early in life. She became a choreographer at the Fine Arts National Institute, where she taught modern dance. She then turned her focus to traditional Mexican folk dances. She combined these dances with more choreographed movements from her formal training, helping to create an entirely new style of dance known as baile folklorico.

In 1952, Hernandez founded the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico. Beginning with just eight dancers, the troupe grew to over three hundred in the years to follow. The company performed on television for the first time in 1954, after which they were featured in a weekly broadcast. This success allowed Amalia’s group to tour North America and even represent Mexico in the Pan American Games in 1959.

The Ballet Folklorico de Mexico still performs to this day. Since its inception, the group has danced for more than 22 million people. Hernandez remained involved with the company until her death in 2000, working alongside her daughters and grandson.

Happy 100th birthday to Amalia Hernandez, remembered as an ambassador of Mexican culture whose legacy lives on through the Ballet Folklorico.

[9A]

3 July 2017

140th Anniversary of Wimbledon







Today’s Doodle marks the 140th year of the Wimbledon championships, the world’s oldest tennis tournament. Each year, hundreds of players take a shot at winning this Grand Slam event. Wimbledon has drawn crowds since the dawn of professional tennis, way back when players were using handmade wooden rackets. The tournament is known for its grass courts, perfectly maintained to a neat 8mm — a sturdy height for fast-moving feet.

Like all British institutions, Wimbledon has its endearing quirks. Keep an eye out for the beloved Rufus the Hawk [featured in the Doodle], who dutifully shoos away any pigeons who land on the court during a match. And if you're wondering what the spectators are snacking on, it's strawberries and cream — 28,000kg every year!

To many fans and players, Wimbledon is tennis. Good luck to this year's competitors!

Here’s a look at earlier concepts of this year’s Wimbledon Doodle:


This concept shows just how fickle Wimbledon weather can be!





This idea captures the back-and-forth volley of spectators' attentive eyes:


Doodle by Gerben Steenks

[9A]

July 2008

Turkish Oil Wrestling 2008



Oil wrestling, also called grease wrestling, is a traditional Turkish sport. This is called oil wrestling because they wrestle with oil on their bodies. Competitions are held in "Proving Grounds." Since oiling the wrestlers' bodies make it harder to grab each other, this sport requires great strength and mastery.

It is known that oil wrestling spread out from Thrace and the Balkans. However, it is said that oil wrestling was performed by ancient communities, 4,500 years ago. As Ottoman Empire crossed from Asia to Europe, oil wrestling competitions that reached our day began to be held.

Unlike Olympic wrestling, oil wrestling matches may be won by achieving an effective hold of the kisbet. Thus, the pehlivan aims to control his opponent by putting his arm through the latter's kisbet. To win by this move is called paça kazık. Originally, matches had no set duration and could go on for one or two days until one man was able to establish his superiority, but in 1975 the duration was capped at 40 minutes for the baspehlivan and 30 minutes for the pehlivan category. If there is no winner, play continues for another 15 minutes—10 minutes for the pehlivan category, wherein scores are kept to determine the victor.

[Garment of wrestler consists of one thing: leather pants below the knee long called kıspet. Kıspet is an Arabic word meaning the garment from the belt to the place below the knee, i.e. covering shameful places of the men. The word came to the Ottoman language through Persian. Nowadays kıspets most often are sewn from calfskin. Up to the 1960th they were sewn from buffalo skin and their weight was minimum 12–13 kg. The modern kıspet weights about 1,8 kg, the oiled one 2,5 kg.]

The annual Kırkpınar tournament, held in Edirne in Turkish Thrace since 1346, is the oldest continuously running, sanctioned sporting competition in the world. Oil wrestling festivals also take place in the Turkish-inhabited regions of Bulgaria, as well as northern Greece in Eastern Macedonia and West Thrace. In recent years, this style of wrestling has also become popular in other countries, particularly the Netherlands and Japan.

[9A]

26 October 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]

5 July 2020

Phraya Si Sunthon Wohan's 198th birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates Thai author, poet, and teacher Phraya Si Sunthon Wohan, who has been credited as the top authority on the Thai language during the rule of King Rama V in the late 19th century. Sunthon Wohan authored some of the country’s first Thai language textbooks, which were used to educate the country’s youth and members of the royal family.

Phraya Si Sunthon Wohan— born Noi Achan Yangkun on this day in 1822 in the Thai province of Chachoengsao— moved to Bangkok at the age of 13 to begin his lifelong linguistic journey. Over the next eight years, he studied at one of the capital city’s most ancient temples, the golden Wat Saket, where he mastered a handful of languages, including Thai, Khmer [the official language of neighboring Cambodia], and Pāli [a classical language that originated in India].

Phraya Si Sunthon Wohan’s talents ultimately attracted the attention of King Rama V, and he was appointed to the esteemed role of permanent secretary. He authored the country’s first textbook, which he used to teach the royal family at Suan Kulaab, the rose garden school in Bangkok’s Grand Palace. A poet at heart, Sunthon Wohan is also credited with writing Thailand’s very first national anthem.

[9A]

20 July 2020

Celebrating Dilhan Eryurt






Today’s Doodle celebrates a star in the field of astronomy, Turkish astrophysicist Dr. Dilhan Eryurt. She was the first Turkish woman to work as a scientist at NASA, and her research on the evolution of stars led to an unexpected discovery about the history of the solar system. On this day in 1969, Dr. Eryurt was honored with NASA’s prestigious “Apollo Achievement Award” for her contribution to the moon landing that year.

Dilhan Eryurt was born in İzmir, Turkey, on November 29, 1926. After high school, she studied in the Department of Mathematics and Astronomy at Istanbul University, and then earned a PhD in Astrophysics from Ankara University in 1953. In 1961, Dr. Eryurt began work as the only woman at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in New York.

At the time, the leading scientific model suggested that the sun had been heating up over billions of years to reach its current temperature. Dr. Eryurt’s work helped show that in fact the sun used to be even hotter than it is today. This transformative discovery had huge implications for the chemical makeup of the Earth, as well as the conditions astronauts could expect to find on the Moon.

After Dr. Eryurt returned to Turkey, she established an astrophysics department at the Middle East Technical University, where she went on to become the dean of the faculty. In 1977, she was honored with Turkey’s TÜBİTAK Science Award.

Thank you, Dr. Dilhan Eryurt, for casting a bright light on the mysteries of the universe!

[9A]

20 July 2020

Tatyana Lioznova’s 96th birthday





Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Moscow-based guest artist Sveta Mullari, celebrates Russian director, screenwriter, and professor Tatyana Lioznova on her 96th Birthday. Lioznova was widely known for the beloved 1973 spy thriller television series “Seventeen Moments of Spring,” and through her work explored themes like alienation and perseverance, often inspired by her personal life.

Tatyana Lioznova was born in the Russian capital of Moscow on this day in 1924 and went on to graduate from the world’s oldest film school, the All-Union State University of Cinematography, or VGIK.

Lioznova broke new ground as a female director, a rare profession for women in Russia at the time. She made her directorial debut in 1958 with “The Memory of the Heart” and saw nationwide success with the 1967 romance “Three Poplars at Plyushchikha.” Lioznova reached new heights of fame with her hugely popular 12-part series “Seventeen Moments of Spring.” The series—which inspired the Doodle artwork on Lioznova’s right side—takes place during World War II and follows protagonist Maxim Isayev, a fictional Soviet spy often compared to his British counterpart James Bond. Referenced on the left side of the artwork is Lioznova’s 1982 hit film “Carnival,” a musical comedy she both wrote and directed.

Lioznova also returned to her alma mater VGIK and taught workshops on acting and directing to a new generation of Russian filmmakers. In honor of her contributions to Russian cinema, Lioznova was named a People’s Artist of the USSR in 1984.

Thank you, Tatyana Lioznova, for entertaining the world through the unique lens of Russian culture.

[9A]

20 July 2012

Santos Dumont's 139th Birthday




Alberto Santos-Dumont was a Brazilian inventor and aviation pioneer, one of the very few people to have contributed significantly to the early development of both lighter-than-air and heavier-than-air aircraft.

The heir of a wealthy family of coffee producers, Santos-Dumont dedicated himself to aeronautical study and experimentation in Paris, where he spent most of his adult life. In his early career he designed, built, and flew hot air balloons and early dirigibles, culminating in his winning the Deutsch de la Meurthe prize on 19 October 1901 for a flight that rounded the Eiffel Tower. He then turned to heavier-than-air machines, and on 23 October 1906 his 14-bis made the first powered heavier-than-air flight in Europe to be certified by the Aéro-Club de France and the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. It was also the first powered flight to be publicly witnessed by a crowd and takeoff unassisted by an external launch system. His conviction that aviation would usher in an era of worldwide peace and prosperity led him to freely publish his designs and forgo patenting his various innovations.

Santos-Dumont is a national hero in Brazil, where it is popularly held that he preceded the Wright brothers in demonstrating a practical airplane. Countless roads, plazas, schools, monuments, and airports there are dedicated to him, and his name is inscribed on the Tancredo Neves Pantheon of the Fatherland and Freedom. He was a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters from 1931 until his suicide in 1932.

[9A]

1 October 2020

Mid-Autumn Festival 2020 [Taiwan]







Today’s Doodle commemorates Taiwan’s Mid Autumn Festival, a holiday observed each year on the date of the harvest moon–the first full moon after the autumnal equinox. Mid Autumn Festival provides an annual opportunity to look up at the night sky and appreciate the natural beauty of the moon, all while enjoying some delicious culinary treats.

The signature snack of the festival is mooncakes–round, filled cakes that come in countless sweet and savory varieties. One traditional variant contains a salted egg yolk in the center, symbolic of the bright full moon around which the holiday orbits. Once you’ve had your fill, try one of the large citrus fruits called pomelos. And don’t be surprised to see children donning the peels as festive hats, which are traditionally said to bring good fortune to those who wear them.

Happy Mid Autumn Festival, Taiwan!

[9A]

1 October 2019

Celebrating Dr. Herbert Kleber






“Of course I’m an optimist,” psychiatrist Dr. Herbert Kleber once remarked. “How else do I work with addicts for 40 years?” Today’s Doodle celebrates Dr. Kleber—born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 19th, 1934, and hailed for his pioneering work in addiction treatment—on the 23rd anniversary of his election to the prestigious National Academy of Medicine [formerly the Institute of Medicine]. This Doodle was illustrated by Massachusetts-based artist and author of the graphic memoir Hey, Kiddo Jarrett J. Krosoczka.

Volunteering for the United States Public Health Service in 1964, Dr. Kleber was assigned to a prison hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, where thousands of inmates were being treated for addiction. Noticing that the vast majority of patients would relapse shortly after release, he began to develop a new approach.

Describing his method as “evidence-based treatment,” Dr. Kleber viewed addiction as a medical condition as opposed to a moral failure. Rather than punishing or shaming patients, as many of his predecessors in the field had done, Dr. Kleber stressed the importance of research, helping to keep many patients on the road to recovery and avoid relapse through the careful use of medication and therapeutic communities.

Dr. Kleber’s success attracted the attention of President George H.W. Bush, who appointed him Deputy Director for Demand Reduction at the Office of National Drug Control Policy. As co-founder of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Dr. Kleber was a leader in reframing the field of substance abuse research and treatment as a medical discipline.

At the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, he and his then-wife Dr. Marian W. Fischman established America’s leading research program on substance abuse. During his 50-year career, Dr. Kleber authored hundreds of articles, wrote important books, and mentored numerous other medical professionals in the field of addiction treatment. A self-described “perpetual optimist,” Dr. Kleber changed the landscape of addiction treatment, allowing patients to be diagnosed and treated rather than shamed—and saving countless lives in the process.

[9A]

1 October 2020

Mid-Autumn Festival 2020 [Japan]







Today’s Doodle commemorates the Japanese Mid Autumn Festival, also known as Otsukimi, which translates to “moon viewing.” Dedicated to the celebration of the harvest moon–the first full moon after the autumnal equinox–the holiday provides an opportunity to appreciate the year’s harvest and reflect on the passage of the seasons.

The Japanese tradition of Otsukimi is said to date back well over a millennium to the country’s Nara period of the 700s. During the Heian period that followed, Japan’s aristocrats were known to celebrate with festive banquets, boat outings, and moonlit poetry recitals. The holiday gained popularity over the centuries and today is celebrated across the country.

One way many honor Otsukimi is to decorate their homes with pampas grass or susuki, a symbol of the season’s bounty. Custom also calls for the preparation of special dishes like tsukimi-dango, bite-sized rice dumplings [a staple food in Japan] that resemble the full moon and are reputed to bring health and good fortune.

Happy Mid Autumn Festival, Japan!

[9A]

1 October 2006

Castellers 2006






A castell is a human tower built traditionally at festivals in Catalonia, the Balearic islands and the Valencian Community. At these festivals, several colles castelleres [teams that build towers] attempt to build and dismantle a tower's structure.

Large castells contain five main levels. The base is called the pinya, followed by the folre, the manilles, the tronk, and the pom de dalt. The tronk is the vertical structure in the center of the castell that holds the most weight.

The highest castell in history was a 10-floor structure with three people in each floor. Members of Vella de Xiquets de Valls try to complete their human tower during the Human Tower Competition in Tarragona, Spain.

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18 June 2019

Celebrating Michaelina Wautier






Today’s Doodle celebrates the Belgian artist Michaelina Wautier, born 415 years ago. Although many of Michaelina’s paintings were once misattributed to other artists, including her own brother, she’s now known as “Baroque’s leading lady.”

On this day last year, the definitive monograph on Wautier’s work was published by two institutions in Antwerp—Rubenshuis and Museum aan de Stroom—who also collaborated to showcase the first-ever Wautier retrospective, an exhibition of some 30 works that shed new light on “mysterious Michaelina.” Contemporaries of Flemish masters like Rubens and Van Dyck, Michaelina and her younger brother Charles Wautier grew up in a well-to-do family, moving around 1640 from their birthplace of Mons to Brussels, where they lived in a stately townhouse near the Kappellekerk. Neither sibling married, devoting themselves to painting.

While researching her brother, art historian Pierre-Yves Kairis discovered Michaelina’s work, struck by her mastery of portraiture, historical paintings, and genre pieces during a time when female painters were, as he put it, “at best tolerated for painting flowers.” During her lifetime, she impressed prominent patrons like Archduke Leopold-Willem, who collected four of her paintings.

Her large-scale work The Triumph of Bacchus, widely considered her masterpiece, offers a glimpse of the artist’s personality. Michaelina painted herself into the scene, disguised as a half-naked bacchante, staring boldly at the viewer without apology.

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18 June 2019

Celebrating Falafel



Today’s Doodle celebrates falafel, the best thing that ever happened to chickpeas—with the possible exception of hummus, of course.

Although the exact origins of this spicy street food have been lost to the mists of time, falafel has been enjoyed for centuries in many different cultures. India produces the vast majority of the world’s chickpea crop, which currently is in high season. In Egypt, fava beans are ground to make these delicious, crispy balls of fried plant protein, known in Egypt as “ta'amiya.” Israel has a song to celebrate its love affair with the tried-and-true treat, entitled And We Have Falafel.

Over time, more eclectic toppings has been introduced all over the world, ranging from German sauerkraut, to Iraqi fried eggplant, to Indian mango sauce, to Yemeni hot sauce. Even newer variations such as the red falafel—made with jalapeños roasted peppers, tomatoes, and spicy yogurt—or the orange falafel—made with sweet potatoes, cabbage, honey, and ginger tahini—preserve the basic formula of ground legumes, seasoned and fried in oil. The world’s largest falafel, weighing 74.8 kilograms [164.8 pounds] and reaching 152 centimeters [59.8 inches] in height, was fried for 25 minutes at the Landmark Hotel in Amman, Jordan.


Happy chickpea season!

[9A]

23 September 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.

Discover more about Dr. Asima Chatterjee's life and work by visiting Google Arts & Culture.

[9A]

30 December 2017

Etab's 70th Birthday






A Saudi Arabian musical pioneer, Tarfa Abdel-Kheir Adam was one of the first female singers from the Gulf to perform publicly. Her talent, first discovered when she was 13 years old, spread worldwide—and she became known by the stage name "Etab."

Etab's strong personality helped kick-start her career in the 1960s, later launching her to international pop stardom. With more than 15 albums to her name, Etab mixed traditional and contemporary Arab songs to create a style of her own, collaborating with top poets and singers from around the region. She used her distinctive, husky voice not just for singing, but also for advocating for female equality within her field. Etab was a prominent member of the Union of Arab Artists and the Egyptian Music Syndicate.

Today’s Doodle celebrates the cultural legacy of Etab, who would've been 70 years old today.


Happy Birthday, Etab!




Tarfa Abdel-Kheir Adam [Etab]

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22 Jun 2018

Octavia E. Butler's 71st Birthday





Octavia E. Butler’s legacy calls to mind the age old question of whether life imitates art, or vice versa.

Born in Pasadena in 1947, her extreme shyness, tall build, and mild dyslexia all contributed to young Butler’s social anxiety, which led to her spending a significant amount of time in the local library. There, she discovered her love for science fiction. When her mother bought her a typewriter at the age of ten, Butler also discovered her passion and talent for writing.

In a genre historically populated by only white male protagonists, Butler created characters that she, and millions of others, could identify with. She considered herself to have three central audiences — black readers, feminists, and fans of science fiction — and challenged herself to create a body of work that was accessible to all of them. While Butler faced institutional racism and segregation throughout her life, these experiences influenced her writing and thus shone a light on critical social issues

Stories including Bloodchild [1984] and the Parable series [1993-1998] resonated so strongly with readers of all backgrounds that Butler was the recipient of multiple Hugo and Nebula awards. In 1995 she became the first science fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship, a prize which invests in those with “extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits.”

Today’s Doodle honors the author’s immense contribution to the genre of science fiction, including the diverse worlds and characters she brought to life.

Happy 71st birthday, Octavia!

[9A]

27 June 2021

Mina Wylie's 130th birthday






Today’s Doodle, illustrated by guest artist Alice Lindstrom, celebrates the 130th birthday of Australian athlete Wilhelmina Wylie, the first Australian woman to win a silver medal in Olympic swimming.

On this day in 1891, Wilhelmina “Mina” Wylie was born in Sydney, Australia, as the second child of Australasian distance-diving champion Henry Wylie. Her swimming achievements began much earlier than most–Wylie joined her father and brothers in successfully swimming with her hands and feet tied at only five years old! She placed second in her first conventional swim meet before turning 10, and continued to train rigorously throughout her youth at Wylie’s Baths, a coastal tidal pool founded in Coogee by her father in 1907.

The next year, Wylie broke the world record in the 100-yard freestyle event. She set her sights on the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, which was the first to hold a women’s swimming event. But Wylie’s aims were complicated by an outdated rule of the New South Wales Ladies’ Amateur Swimming Association that prohibited women from competing with men. Public uproar ensued until restrictions loosened, allowing Wylie to dive headfirst into Olympic history as a silver-medal 100-meter freestyle champion.

By the time she hung up her competitive swimming cap in 1934, Wylie held 115 state and national titles, complemented by freestyle, breaststroke, and backstroke world records. In honor of her lifetime achievements, the International Swimming Hall of Fame inducted Wylie into its ranks in 1975, and today, a sculpture in her likeness inspires swimmers at Wylie’s Baths.

Happy birthday, Mina Wylie, and thank you for inspiring future generations of swimmers to take the plunge!

[9A]

27 Jun 2021
Krzysztof Kieślowski's 80th birthday






Today’s Doodle celebrates the 80th birthday of internationally-acclaimed Polish filmmaker and screenwriter Krzysztof Kieślowski, who is widely regarded as one of the world’s most influential directors of art-house cinema.

Born in Warsaw, Poland, on this day in 1941, Kieślowski developed a love for storytelling through a childhood passion for literature. He pursued his obsession with the narrative arts at the esteemed Lódz Film School, where his first original feature film came in the form of a short silent drama in 1966. In his early films, such as his 1971 documentary about a shipyard labor strike entitled “Workers ‘71,” Kieślowski explored the complexities and moral dilemmas of everyday life through candid depictions of contemporary Poland.

Kieślowski moved beyond the documentary format in his 1975 feature film “Personnel,” the first of many cinematic works of fiction. It wasn’t until the 1988 release of “The Decalogue”—ten hour-long TV episodes that followed the residents of a Warsaw housing complex—that Kieślowski’s work gained international fame. His trademark philosophical explorations climaxed in the 1993-94 “Three Colors” trilogy, each a reflection on the ideals of the French Revolution, which comprised his final films.

In addition to dozens of prestigious awards throughout his career, Kieślowski received three Academy Award nominations, including Best Director in 1994 for “Three Colors: Red,” the final installment of his iconic triptych. After retiring from cinema that year, Kieślowski returned to the medium that first inspired his devotion to the art of the story: literature.

Happy birthday, Krzysztof Kieślowski!

[9A]

27 June 2009

Seven Sleepers Day 2009




Seven Sleepers' Day on June 27 is a feast day commemorating the legend of the Seven Sleepers as well as one of the best-known bits of traditional weather lore [expressed as a proverb] remaining in German-speaking Europe. The atmospheric conditions on that day are supposed to determine or predict the average summer weather of the next seven weeks.

[9A]

4 Jul 2009

Anniversary of the 'Miracle of Berne'



The Miracle of Bern [German: Das Wunder von Bern] is a 2003 film by Sönke Wortmann, which tells the story of a German family [particularly of a young boy and his depressed ex-POW father] and the unexpected West German miracle victory in the 1954 World Cup Final in Bern, Switzerland.

The film can be regarded as a portrait of post-war Germany. With over 6 million cinema visitors, it is one of Germany's best-selling films. Among those attending the première were Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, Peer Steinbrück, Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Otto Schily, Federal Minister of the Interior [a position whose holder is also informally known as Minister for Sports].

Since November 2014, Hamburg's new musical theatre Theater an der Elbe [de] is home to a successful musical production of the same name.

[9A]

30 May 2019

2019 ICC Cricket World Cup Begins!






Over 100 players, 10 teams, but only one cup.

Today’s Doodle celebrates the International Cricket Council’s 2019 World Cup, which opens at the Oval in London.​

Taking place every four years, the Cricket World Cup is the world’s leading contest in one-day cricket, and has become one of the most popular sporting events on the planet. Ten teams earn their chance to compete for the cup through a qualifying process that takes five to six years. This year’s round robin will be hosted in England and Wales.

Now England’s official national sport, it is said that cricket began as a children’s game in the Weald of rural England. Cricket spread to North America by the 17th century, eventually arriving in the British colonies of the West Indies, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa and has since spread around the world.

The world’s first international cricket match, between Canada and the United States, took place in 1844. The first World Cup tournament was held in 1975, won by the West Indies team, who repeated the feat in 1979. This year’s defending champions are Australia, a perennial powerhouse that has won five of the eleven cups.

No matter how heated the competition may get, cricket is highly respected for maintaining high standards of fair play and good sportsmanship. Hence the phrase “It’s just not cricket,” which describes anything considered unfair.

May the best team win!

***********************

Dates	30 May – 14 July 2019
Administrator[s]	International Cricket Council
Cricket format	One Day International
Tournament format[s]	Round-robin and Knockout
Host[s]	England Wales
Champions	England [1st title]
Runners-up	New Zealand
Participants	10
Matches	48
Attendance	752,000 [15,667 per match]
Player of the series	Kane Williamson
Most runs	Rohit Sharma [648]
Most wickets	Mitchell Starc [27]
Official website	Official

[9A]

8 September 2015

First Day of School 2015 [Canada]






School’s back in session! Happy first day to all of the students and teachers who are welcoming the start of a new school year

[9A]

8 September 2014

Ludovico Ariosto's 540th Birthday





Ruggiero from Ludovico Ariosto's epic poem Orlando Furioso saves princess Angelica from a sea-dwelling orc [sounds terrifying] on our homepage in Italy today. Happy 540th birthday to Ariosto!

[9A]

8 September 2012

Macedonia Independence Day 2012




North Macedonia [Macedonia until February 2019], officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. North Macedonia is a landlocked country bordering with Kosovo[e] to the northwest, Serbia to the north, Bulgaria to the east, Greece to the south, and Albania to the west. It constitutes approximately the northern third of the larger geographical region of Macedonia. Skopje, the capital and largest city, is home to a quarter of the country's 2.08 million population. The majority of the residents are ethnic Macedonians, a South Slavic people. Albanians form a significant minority at around 25%, followed by Turks, Romani, Serbs, Bosniaks, and Aromanians.

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11 Sept 2012

Teachers’ Day 2012 [Argentina]

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12 Sept 2014

Ernesto Carneiro Ribeiro's 175th Birthday





Fellow grammarians, today you meet your hero on our homepage in Brazil. We’re celebrating the 175th birthday of linguist, educator and physician Ernesto Carneiro Ribeiro, who worked to revise Brazil’s official grammar code to include conversational speech.

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12 September 2011

Moon Festival/Mid-Autumn Festival 2011





The Mid-Autumn Festival also known as Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a traditional festival celebrated by many East and Southeast Asian people. It is the second-most important holiday after Chinese New Year with a history dating back over 3,000 years, when the Emperor of China worshipped the moon for bountiful harvests.

The festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night, corresponding to mid-September to early October of the Gregorian calendar. On this day, the Chinese believe that the moon is at its brightest and fullest size, coinciding with harvest time in the middle of Autumn.

Lanterns of all size and shapes, are carried and displayed – symbolic beacons that light people's path to prosperity and good fortune. Mooncakes, a rich pastry typically filled with sweet-bean, yolk, meat or lotus-seed paste, are traditionally eaten during this festival.

[9A]

12 September 2011

Korean Thanksgiving 2011



Chuseok, is a major harvest festival and a three-day holiday in both North and South Korea celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar on the full moon. Like many other harvest festivals around the world, it is held around the autumn equinox, i.e. at the very end of summer or in early autumn. It is one of the biggest traditional holidays.

As a celebration of the good harvest, Koreans visit their ancestral hometowns and share a feast of Korean traditional food such as songpyeon and dongdongju . There are two major traditions related to Chuseok: Charye [Korean: ancestor memorial services at home, also known as Jesa], and Seongmyo [Korean: family visit to the ancestral graves], which is usually accompanied by Beolcho [Korean: tidying graves, removing weeds around them].

[9A]

15 Sept 2011

Ismail Yasin's 96th Birthday






Ismail Yasin [also known as Ismail Yasseen], born on September 15 , 1912 and died May 24 , 1972, is an Egyptian comedian . He is famous for a series of films with his name in the title.

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15 September 2017

Guatemala National Day 2017






September 15th is important in Guatemala - it’s Independence Day! Blue and white flags fly proudly and citizens parade through the streets across the country. Once the center of the Maya civilization, Guatemalan culture has become a unique blend of ancient and Spanish influences.

Today’s Doodle showcases the beautiful Santa María Volcano, one of the many volcanic landscapes in Guatemala. The Santa María Volcano is part of the Sierra Madre mountain range and can be seen from the city of Quetzaltenango. It was one of the most active volcanoes in the region centuries ago, but has not erupted since 1902. Many visitors to Guatemala hike across Santa Maria and the mountains to take in the beautiful scenery of the country.

If you’re in Guatemala today, join in on the festivities of dancing, fireworks and feasts to commemorate the country’s history and the patriotism of Guatemalans everywhere!

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15 September 2011

Honduras Independence Day 2011