Google doodles

[9A]

14 July 2018

Bastille Day 2018




Although La Fête Nationale — or Bastille Day as it’s known in English-speaking countries — hearkens back to the dawn of the French Revolution, it’s fundamentally a celebration of culture. At this time each year, French people around the globe, from Nice to New Orleans, honor their heritage and pay homage to those who fought for the principles of Liberté, Egalité, and Fraternité [liberty, equality, fraternity].

In Paris, crowds gather along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées to enjoy parades, heading to the Eiffel Tower for fireworks and live music later on. In Marseille, the Vieux Port plays host to two days of festivities. Wherever the celebration takes place, you’ll surely hear the French national anthem, “La Marseillaise,” resounding throughout the streets.

Seen on church bell towers since the Middle Ages, the French rooster, or Coq Gaulois, also appeared on French flags during the revolution of 1789. The bird that crows at dawn has come to symbolize vigilance as well as the people of France. In today’s Doodle a procession of blue, white, and red hens and roosters enjoy a Bastille Day parade.

Bonne Fête Nationale!

[9A]

16 November 2018

44th Anniversary of the Arecibo Message





Forty-four years ago today, a group of scientists gathered at the Arecibo Observatory amidst the tropical forests of Puerto Rico to attempt humankind’s first communication with intelligent life beyond our own planet. Their three-minute radio message—a series of exactly 1,679 binary digits [a multiple of two prime numbers] which could be arranged in a grid 73 rows by 23 columns—was aimed at a cluster of stars 25,000 light years away from earth.

This historic transmission was intended to demonstrate the capabilities of Arecibo’s recently upgraded radio telescope, whose 1000-foot-diameter dish made it the largest and most powerful in the world at the time. "It was strictly a symbolic event, to show that we could do it," said Donald Campbell, Cornell University professor of astronomy, who was a research associate at the Arecibo Observatory at the time. Nevertheless some of those present were moved to tears.

The message itself was devised by a team of researchers from Cornell University led by Dr. Frank Drake—the astronomer and astrophysicist responsible for the Drake Equation, a means of estimating the number of planets hosting extraterrestrial life within the Milky Way galaxy. ‘‘What could we do that would be spectacular?’’ Drake recalled thinking. “We could send a message!’’

Written with the assistance of Carl Sagan, the message itself could be arranged in a rectangular grid of 0s and 1s to form a pictograph representing some fundamental facts of mathematics, human DNA, planet earth’s place in the solar system, and a picture of a human-like figure as well as an image of the telescope itself.

Since the Arecibo Message will take roughly 25,000 years to reach its intended destination [a group of 300,000 stars in the constellation Hercules known as M13], humankind will have to wait a long time for an answer. How long? In the 44 years since it was first transmitted, the message has traveled only 259 trillion miles, only a tiny fraction of the 146,965,638,531,210,240 or so miles to its final destination. During that same time, our understanding of the cosmos has advanced by leaps and bounds, raising hopes that someone may be out there, listening.

[9A]

17 November 2011

Lola Mora's 145th Birthday





Dolores Candelaria Mora Vega de Hernandez accomplished many things in her lifetime and in widely varying roles. She was an urban planner, researcher, and pioneer in mining within Argentina. She contributed heavily to the rail layout project of the Northern Trans-Andean Railway, or Huaytiquina. But perhaps she is best known for her work as a painter and sculptor. Many of her pieces can be viewed publicly throughout the country, including the Mermaid's Fountain [Fuente de las Nereidas] in Costanera Sur in Buenos Aires, and her grand bas-relief monument, depicting the signing of Argentina's Declaration of Independence, which can be seen at the Historial House of Tucuman.

Based on her life's work, I wanted to depict Lola Mora sculpting herself out of bas-relief bronze –our way of recognizing her important contributions and devotion to her country.


posted by Mike Dutton

[9A]

17 November 2016

Elisabeth "Ellis" Kaut's 96th Birthday




Who's that little goblin lighting the birthday cake? The impish Pumuckl, created by Elisabeth "Ellis" Kaut, has been playfully causing mischief since 1962. Pumuckl is a kobold, a kind of sprite based in German folklore. He constantly gets into trouble but never intends any real harm. Kaut, who would be 96 today, wrote more than 100 Pumuckl stories. She received several awards and honors for her work, including the prestigious Bavarian Poetentaler literary award.

Today's Doodle was created by Barbara von Johnson, who became the primary Pumuckl illustrator in Kaut's books after winning a competition at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts in 1963.

[9A]

18 November 2014

Amalia Eriksson's 190th Birthday






Excited because it’s candy cane season? We’ll send your regards to Swedish entrepreneur Amalia Eriksson. Eriksson was the first person to manufacture the peppermint treats, becoming one of Sweden’s first women to own a business. Happy 190th birthday to Amalia!

[9A]

1 Sept 2016

34th Anniversary of Similan Islands National Park






Today’s Doodle takes you under the stunning waters of Thailand’s Similan Islands. Located northwest of Phuket in the Andaman Sea, the archipelago of 11 islands is famous for its breathtaking dives. Sea turtles, zebra sharks, and blue-spotted stingrays are just a few of the species an underwater adventurer might encounter.

Equally as inviting as the coral reefs are the park’s white sandy beaches. From there, long-tail boats can be spotted navigating the waters against a backdrop of ironwood and gum trees. Also fluttering above sea level, a number of feathered species call the islands home — everything from white-bellied eagles to yellow-browed warblers.

Rich in both wildlife and natural beauty, the Similan Islands were named a national park 34 years ago today. Now it’s time to dive in and celebrate!

[9A]

3 Sept 2016

Sybil Kathigasu’s 117th birthday







Sybil Kathigasu was never one to back down. A freedom fighter and nurse, Kathigasu and her husband supported the resistance forces during the Japanese occupation of Malaya until their arrest in 1943. For several years leading up to their capture, the Kathigasus secretly supplied medicine, provided medical services, and shared information obtained by listening to BCC on their shortwave radio.

After her release from prison, Kathigasu was awarded the George Medal for bravery. To this day, she’s the only Malayan woman to have received the award.

Today’s Doodle shows Kathigasu in her nurse’s uniform outside her former residence in Papan, Perak. The patterned ribbon of the George Medal surrounds the Doodle, a tribute to Kathigasu’s courageous contributions to the anti-occupation movement.

On the 117th anniversary of Kathigasu’s birth, we remember and celebrate her tireless dedication to freedom. Thank you, Kathigasu, for your courage and the powerful legacy you’ve left behind.

[9A]

3 September 2009

Doraemon 2009







Doraemon is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio. The manga was first serialized in December 1969, with its 1,345 individual chapters compiled into 45 tankōbon volumes, published by Shogakukan from 1970 to 1996. The story revolves around an earless robotic cat named Doraemon, who travels back in time from the 22nd century to aid a boy named Nobita Nobi.

The manga spawned a media franchise. Three anime TV series have been adapted in 1973, 1979, and 2005. Additionally, Shin-Ei Animation has produced over forty animated films, including two 3D computer animated films, all of which are distributed by Toho. Various types of merchandise and media have been developed, including soundtrack albums, video games, and musicals. The manga series was licensed for an English language release in North America, via Amazon Kindle, by a collaboration of Fujiko F. Fujio Pro with Voyager Japan and AltJapan Co., Ltd. The anime series was licensed by Disney for an English-language release in North America in 2014, and LUK International in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Doraemon received critical acclaim and became a hit in many Asian countries. It won numerous awards, including the Japan Cartoonists Association Award in 1973 and 1994, the Shogakukan Manga Award for children's manga in 1982, and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 1997. As of 2012, it has sold over 170 million copies worldwide, becoming the seventh best-selling manga in history. Doraemon is also one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time, of which the animated film series has the highest number of admissions in Japan. The Doraemon character has been viewed as a Japanese cultural icon, and was appointed as the first "anime ambassador" in 2008 by the country's Foreign Ministry.

[9A]

7 September 2016

Paralympics 2016





What started as a small gathering of British WWII veterans in 1948 has bloomed into the world’s largest sporting event for athletes with physical disabilities, drawing 4,500 athletes from 176 countries worldwide.

Today’s Doodle celebrates the opening of the 2016 Summer Paralympics and highlights the incredible feats of athleticism the participants will demonstrate in Rio. They’ll go for gold during a year of firsts: Rio, the first Latin American city to host the Paralympics, will debut canoeing and paratriathlon among the more than 500 existing events.

Tune in to cheer your favorite Paralympians on through September 18 when the Games wrap up.

[9A]

12 Sept 2016

Takizo Iwasaki’s 121st birthday





Most of us are familiar with the wax and plastic replica foods that help you decide what to order at a restaurant, but did you know that the practice dates back to the 1920s?

Takizo Iwasaki re-invented a practice that had been around for over a decade, of creating sampuru [or samples] of food served by restaurants. He started with a perfectly 'cooked' omelet made of wax. Reportedly, upon showing it to his wife, she couldn't even tell the difference between the sampuru and the real thing! The omelet was once open for public viewing in his home prefecture of Gifu, where most of the world's replica food is still made.

Although replica foods are now more often made of plastic than wax, the practice is still done by hand and rarely mass-produced. This is to maintain the quality of the sampuru and the unique dishes that each restaurant requests.

Today's doodle celebrates Takizo Iwasaki on what would be his 121st birthday, with an homage to that original omelet that changed the landscape of sampuru forever.

[9A]

13 Sept 2016

Yma Sumac’s 94th birthday





Born Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chávarri del Castillo in the mountains of Peru, Yma Sumac, or the “Peruvian songbird,” came into the world on this day in 1922. As a young girl, Yma would sing to rocks on her mountainside home, pretending they were her audience. As a teenager, Yma’s audience became very real when she was invited to sing on an Argentine radio station. After that moment, her astonishing five-octave vocal range captivated audiences in South America and beyond.

Yma arrived in the United States in 1946 and was signed by Capitol Records shortly after. During her 1950s prime, she sung at Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and Royal Albert Hall - to name a few.

Here’s to Yma, whose captivating voice will always be remembered.

[9A]

13 September 2019

Chuseok 2019






Today’s Doodle celebrates Chuseok, sometimes referred to as Korean Thanksgiving, with an illustration of persimmons trees, whose brightly colored fruit symbolizes the season. One of the most important annual holidays in Korean culture, this three-day harvest festival is a time for far-flung family members to return home and pay tribute to ancestors, while enjoying traditional meals and games.

Chuseok is also known as hangawi, a name that refers to the large “harvest moon” that appears each year on the fifteenth day of the eight month, according to the lunar calendar. The day begins with a memorial service, known as charye, to honor the family’s ancestors. Relatives gather around a table loaded with rice, fruit, and songpyeon. These specially shaped rice cakes are filled with sesame seeds, red beans, or chestnuts, and steamed over a fragrant bed of pine needles.

This holiday would not be complete without a trip to the ancestral burial ground, known as seongmyo. As a sign of respect, family members spend time cleaning the gravesites of loved ones. Once the work is done, the families participate in some light-hearted pastimes, like samulnori [a game using percussion instruments] and talchum [a traditional mask dance where participants represent different characters]. Men take part in some friendly competition with ssireum wrestling matches, while women dress in traditional hanbok dresses for ganggangsullae, joining hands in a circle, singing, and dancing under the light of the full moon.

[9A]

16 Sept 2020

Mexico Independence Day 2020




Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Xalapa, Mexico-based guest artist Ina Hristova, celebrates Mexico’s Independence Day. On this day in 1810, Mexico’s decade-long struggle for independence from Spanish rule began, and the country’s sovereignty was officially recognized by Spain on August 24, 1821.

Depicted in today’s Doodle is a colorful and eclectic collection of images that represent traditional Independence Day festivities. These illustrations pay homage to an iconic Mexican folk embroidery style developed in the 1960s by the Indigenous Otomí people of Tenango de Doria in central Mexico. The shape of the Doodle artwork is inspired by the central Mexican folk sculptures called “Árboles de la Vida” [“Trees of Life”].


iFeliz Día de la Independencia, México!

[9A]

16 September 2019

B.B. King’s 94th Birthday








Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Little Rock-based guest artist Steve Spencer and animated by Brooklyn-based guest animator Nayeli Lavanderos, celebrates B.B. King—the iconic “King of the Blues” who brought blues music from cotton fields and street corners to grand halls and arenas across the world.

Born on this day in 1925 on a Mississippi Delta plantation near Berclair, Mississippi, Riley B. King was a sharecropper’s son whose soulful, piercing guitar solos became recognizable with a single note. Often imitated but never duplicated, B.B. King became a blueprint for many of the world’s biggest rock stars who followed. “I wish I could just do like B. B. King,” said John Lennon of The Beatles. “If you would put me with B. B. King, I would feel real silly.”

Raised singing gospel music in church, King performed on street corners before hitchhiking to Memphis and landing a job on the air at radio station WDIA. There, locals began calling him “Beale Street Blues Boy,” later shortened to “Bee Bee” and finally “B.B.”

He began recording in 1949 and never looked back after his first hit, “Three O’Clock Blues.” Records like “The Thrill is Gone” and “Every Day I Have the Blues” have become classics of the genre.

King opened for the Rolling Stones on tour and became the first internationally acclaimed blues artist, winning 15 Grammys, being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, receiving honorary doctorates from assorted universities, and performing at the White House. Embodying the traveling bluesman, King was also known for averaging more than 300 shows a year throughout various points in his career.

In 1949, King ran inside a burning nightclub to save a guitar, risking his own life for his beloved instrument. The fire had been caused by two men fighting over a woman named Lucille, and from that day forward, King referred to all his guitars by that name.

“When I sing, I play in my mind,” he once said. “The minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille.”

[9A]

16 September 2016

50th anniversary of the 1st play with Jara Cimrman








Little is known of Jára Cimrman's childhood, but we know everything about this beloved fictional character’s many inventions, awards, and artistic achievements. Created by Zdeněk Svěrák, Ladislav Smoljak, and Jiří Šebánek, Cimrman has done it all [or so he would have you believe], from influencing the plans for the Panama Canal and the Eiffel Tower, to pre-inventing the telephone and the lightbulb, to exploring [near] the North Pole.

Although the character of Jára Cimrman was created for the radio show Nealkoholická vinárna U Pavouka, Cimrman won his way into the hearts of listeners and onto a bigger stage. Shortly after, he started appearing in plays at his very own Jára Cimrman Theatre. Since bursting onto the scene in 1966, he has continued to capture imaginations across the Czech Republic, even being voted The Greatest Czech in 2005.

Today we celebrate the 50 year anniversary of the creation of Jára Cimrman by highlighting a few of his ingenious inventions, such as the broom that's made for sweeping corners and the handled cane for easy carrying. Here's to you, Jára Cimrman, and to many more years adventures!

[9A]

16 Sept 2016

Mexico National Day 2016



From the greens of the ahuejote to the browns and golds of the axolotl, the canals of Xochimilco are known for their cast of colorful flora and fauna. None are quite so colorful as the trajineras, handpainted canoes that carry tourists all around the World Heritage Site via the canals.

These canals used to connect Xochimilco to the heart of Mexico City, where the trajineras were used to transport goods back and forth. Today, tourists floating in the these vibrant boats can flag down food vendors or listen to the upbeat melodies of mariachis while they enjoy the natural beauty around them.

Today’s Doodle depicts a trajinera of Xochimilco, a reminder of the colorful traditions that make Mexican culture so unique.

[9A]

17 Sept 2016

Irena Kwiatkowska’s 104th birthday




Beloved Polish actress Irena Kwiatkowska was born today in 1912. A household name in Poland, Kwiatkowska was celebrated for her work in cabaret, comedy, film, theater, radio, and television. She is best known for the television character "Working Woman," who did many different [and often wacky] jobs, to great humorous effect.

When Kwiatkowska was born, Poland was part of the Russian Empire. She witnessed dramatic changes in Poland's culture and politics during her lifetime. Whether she was advocating for Polish independence, teaching at the Warsaw Theatre Academy, performing a comedic monologue, or singing in a movie musical, Irena Kwiatkowska sought the best for her country -- and brought her best to her audiences.

[9A]

17 September 2015

M.F. Husain’s 100th Birthday






Today's Doodle celebrates the 100th birthday of one of India's most renowned and multifaceted artists, M.F. Husain, who passed away June 9th, 2011, at the age of 95.

Maqbool Fida Husain, commonly known as M.F. Husain, has been called "The Picasso of India.” This was partly due to his modernist, slightly cubist paintings and to the sheer volume of work he produced. His middle name, Fida, can be translated as “obsessed” or “devoted,” which could also describe his approach to making art.

Husain’s first love was cinema and he originally set out to become a film director in Bombay. But in order to make a living, he got a job painting film billboards and making toys. Painting soon became his passion, and inspired by the changes in India in the late 1940s, he helped found The Progressive Artists Group of Bombay [PAG]. He and his fellow artists attempted to address Indian themes, culture and people in a modern way and bring Indian art to an international audience. Husain became particularly known for his energetic painting of horses and serial depictions of classic narratives such as the Mahabharata.

Eventually the recognition and acclaim he received from his early paintings led him back to cinema. With funding from the government of India, he wrote and directed his first film, Through the Eyes of a Painter. The success of that first film led to film projects and a close relationship with cinema that he would maintain throughout the rest of his life. Still he continued to paint, make prints, take photos and find new themes and ideas to explore. He was ever restless, ever prolific and energized by the world around him.

As he said in a television interview in 2010, "What is this physical presence? In today's world with so much technology and communication you are everywhere and a creative person is not bound by any geography." This doodle celebrates Husain's unapologetic devotion to beauty, people, and the world.

[9A]

4 December 2020

Celebrating Noken Papua





Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Depok-based guest artist Danu Fitra, celebrates Noken, the craft of traditional handmade bags that holds great cultural and socio-economic significance throughout Indonesia’s Papua and West Papua Provinces. In recent years the longevity of this staple of Papuan heritage has come under threat, but following its addition to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List in Need of Urgent Safeguarding on this day in 2012, great strides have been taken to secure Noken’s sustainability for future generations.

Noken bags are typically made from materials like tree fibers, bark, or leaves, which are processed into strong threads and then knotted or woven together. This complex handcraft has been passed down through the generations and demands refined tactile skill, dedicated care, and no shortage of artistic vision. The end product is a durable and versatile bag commonly used to transport and store things like food or firewood, and even to carry small children or animals!

Outside of its everyday use, Noken has traditionally fulfilled many social and economic purposes as well. For example, Noken serves as a symbol of cultural unification among more than 250 ethnic groups in the region; due to its value, it can be used as a type of savings; and it often plays a symbolic role in the peaceful resolution of disputes.


Here’s to a timeless craft that’s inextricably woven into the fabric of Indonesian culture!

[9A]

7 Dec 2020

Kateryna Bilokur's 120th birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates the 120th birthday of Ukrainian painter Kateryna Bilokur, a self-taught virtuoso who earned international renown for her detailed and vivid paintings, especially those featuring her signature focus on flowers. Through a courageous devotion to her craft, Bilokur overcame great adversity to earn recognition alongside the master artists of her time.

Kateryna Bilokur was born on this day in 1900 in Bohdanivka, a village in Ukraine’s Kyiv region. She was denied a primary education and spent her days as a farm worker, but she refused to let this stand in her way. She crafted brushes out of raw materials and paints out of foods like beets and elderberries to pursue her artistic passion in her free time, with nature as her muse.

Then when she was nearly 40, her life took a fortuitous turn. Inspired by a song on the radio, Bilokur wrote a letter of admiration to the Ukrainian singer Oksana Petrusenko with an original work attached. Petrusenko was so impressed that she helped pave the way for the first exhibitions of Bilokur’s work. Over the next two decades, her unique depictions of transcendent natural beauty reached an international audience, notably earning huge praise from the Spanish master Pablo Picasso at a 1954 exhibition in Paris.

For her lifetime achievements, Bilokur was named a People’s Artist of Ukraine, the highest arts award for Ukrainian citizens.

Happy birthday to an artist who proved it’s never too late to blossom into your potential.

[9A]

7 December 2016

340th Anniversary of the Determination of the Speed of Light





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

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

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

[9A]

7 December 2016

181st Anniversary of the Adler's First Run







All aboard! 181 years ago today, the Adler steam locomotive became the first commercial train to begin operation in Germany on Dec. 7, 1835. Meaning “eagle” in German, the Adler was built and designed in 1835 by Robert and George Stephenson in Newcastle upon Tyne, England for the Bavarian Ludwig Railway.

Over its 23 years of service, the Adler was used to transport passengers, goods, and cattle 7.45 kilometers [4.66 miles] between Nuremberg and Fürth with a top speed of 65 km/h [40 mph].

Retired in 1858, the Adler became a national symbol for power and industry. And while the original no longer exists, a working replica is currently on display at the Nuremberg Transport Museum, where it’s occasionally rolled out for exhibitions and special events.

[9A]

7 December 2014

250th Anniversary of the Hermitage Museum






The State Hermitage Museum is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The largest art museum in the world, it was founded in 1764 when Empress Catherine the Great acquired an impressive collection of paintings from the Berlin merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky. The museum celebrates the anniversary of its founding each year on 7 December, Saint Catherine's Day. It has been open to the public since 1852. It attracted 968,604 visitors in 2020, a drop of eighty percent from 2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 it ranked eleventh on the list of most visited art museums in the world.

Its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display, comprise over three million items [the numismatic collection accounts for about one-third of them]. The collections occupy a large complex of six historic buildings along Palace Embankment, including the Winter Palace, a former residence of Russian emperors. Apart from them, the Menshikov Palace, Museum of Porcelain, Storage Facility at Staraya Derevnya, and the eastern wing of the General Staff Building are also part of the museum. The museum has several exhibition centers abroad. The Hermitage is a federal state property. Since July 1992, the director of the museum has been Mikhail Piotrovsky.

Of the six buildings in the main museum complex, five—namely the Winter Palace, Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage, New Hermitage, and Hermitage Theatre—are open to the public. The entrance ticket for foreign tourists costs more than the fee paid by citizens of Russia and Belarus. However, entrance is free of charge the third Thursday of every month for all visitors, and free daily for students and children. The museum is closed on Mondays. The entrance for individual visitors is located in the Winter Palace, accessible from the Courtyard.

[9A]

10 Dec 2012

Ada Lovelace's 197th Birthday






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

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

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


Posted by Ida Mayer, Googler

[9A]

5 September 2016


Labor Day 2016 [US]

[9A]

2 September 2019

Labour Day 2019 [United States]





Labor Day, observed on the first Monday of September in honor of working people all across America, is a time for some well-deserved time off for the nation’s laborers. Today’s Doodle celebrates Labor Day by depicting a wide range of professions⁠—from farming, to construction, to teaching.

A time-honored tradition dating back to before 1894, when President Grover Cleveland made Labor Day a federal holiday, New York City’s Central Labor Union organized a march in early September 1882 that ended in a Manhattan park with an evening of speeches, dancing, and fireworks. Oregon was the first state to legislate its own Labor Day in 1887, with many other states soon following suit.

So to all you working folks: whether you’re planning a long weekend at the beach or hosting a family barbecue, make sure to take it easy and enjoy yourself.


Happy Labor Day!

[9A]

8 December 2011

Diego Rivera's 125th Birthday





Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez, known as Diego Rivera, was a prominent Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the mural movement in Mexican and international art.

Between 1922 and 1953, Rivera painted murals in, among other places, Mexico City, Chapingo, and Cuernavaca, Mexico; and San Francisco, Detroit, and New York City, United States. In 1931, a retrospective exhibition of his works was held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York; this was before he completed his 27-mural series known as Detroit Industry Murals.

[9A]

8 December 2018

145th Anniversary of Lacerda's Lift Opening





Today’s Doodle celebrates the iconic Lacerda Elevator of Salvador, Brazil, which has been in operation for the past 145 years. Situated on Brazil’s southeastern coast overlooking the Bay of All Saints, São Salvador, Bahia was the nation’s capital until 1763. Constructed in two sections, at the top and bottom of a steep embankment, Salvador is divided into a lower city [Cidade Baixa] and an upper city [Cidade Alta], which were initially connected by a long flight of stairs.

In the early 1600s Jesuit missionaries installed a rope-and-pulley elevator to lift people and parcels on the 72-meter journey to the top. However, In the late 1860s construction began on a mechanical elevator under the leadership of developer Antonio de Lacerda and his brother, engineer Augusto Frederico de Lacerda.

A complex system of counterweights, hydraulics, and steam engines powered the elevator, which opened 145 years ago, in 1873. In the 1900s the elevator was revamped with electric power, and it received an Art Deco makeover in 1930. Today there are two towers with a total of four bays, each of which can accommodate up to 32 passengers for the 30-second journey—roughly a million people use the elevator each month. Exactly 12 years ago the elevator was recognized by Brazil’s National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage. Dawn is a great time to ride this legendary lift, when it’s decorated with lights and there’s a gorgeous view of Fort Santo-Antonia-da-Barra. More than a means of transportation, the Lacerda Elevator has become a tourist attraction and a symbol of Brazilian ingenuity.

[9A]

22 June 2018


Dame Cicely Saunders’ 100th Birthday





A pioneer of the modern hospice movement, Dame Cicely Saunders felt that all should live with “a sense of fulfillment and a readiness to let go.”

Born 100 years ago today, Saunders performed many roles in her life, including nurse, doctor, author, and social worker. It was while caring for a terminally ill patient that she recognized certain challenges other medical professionals of her time did not: that his diagnosis required a fundamentally different kind of healthcare.

Through this experience, Saunders envisioned an environment that focused care on a patient’s individual and specific needs. As a result, she went on to found St. Christopher’s, the first modern hospice, in a suburb of London in 1967. There, core values included vigilant pain-management as well as a holistic and individualized understanding of practical, medical, and psychological patient needs.

Not only did Saunders’ work inspire hundreds of other hospices worldwide, but her books and teachings also established a new branch of medicine known as palliative care, which addresses the importance of holistic care among patients with life-limiting illnesses. She also went on to establish a global charity focusing on palliative care research and education, Cicely Saunders International, which still works to improve the lives of patients with progressive illness to this day.

Today’s Doodle, created by London-based guest artist Briony May Smith, was inspired by Saunders' favorite anthology, All In the End is Harvest [1984] which states, “Love and life is an eternal thing, like the growth and reaping of the harvest."

[9A]

22 June 2012

Teachers' Day 2012 [El Salvador]

[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]

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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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]

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.

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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.

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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!”

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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."

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.