Google doodles

[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.

[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]

[9A]

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.

[9A]

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]

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 Jun 2018

Efua Theodora Sutherland's 94th Birthday






Many great literary works owe their legacies to dedicated teachers who explore their meaning with their students. Prominent writer and teacher Efua Theodora Sutherland played a crucial role in both the creation and exploration of prominent plays across Ghana.

Sutherland [or Aunty Efua, as she was affectionately known], was one of Africa’s earliest female writers recognized locally and internationally for numerous theater works, including Foriwa [1962], Edufa [1967], and The Marriage of Anansewa [1975]. She is credited with bringing literary and theatrical movements in Ghana between the 1950s and 1990s through her own works and helped develop the country’s educational curriculum for children.

At a time when women played a limited role in governance, Sutherland is also remembered for her extensive work on the U.N. Convention on the Declaration of the Rights of the Child.

Because of Sutherland’s dedication to children’s rights and cultural activism, thousands of students in Ghana [and beyond] have access to quality education and theater performance.

Happy 94th birthday to a pioneering dramatist, playwright, and activist.

[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 2021

Tim Bergling's 32nd birthday





Whether blaring from speakers of a music festival mainstage or into the headphones of millions of listeners worldwide, the music of Swedish superstar DJ, producer, songwriter, and humanitarian Tim Bergling—known best by his stage name Avicii—is widely considered to have forever altered the trajectory of the Pop genre. Today’s video Doodle, set to one of his most iconic tracks “Wake Me Up,” celebrates his 32nd birthday and honors his legacy as one of the first artists to elevate electronic music to mainstream global success.

On this day in 1989, Tim Bergling was born into a family of creatives in Stockholm, Sweden. From 60s soul to 80s glam-rock, multi-genre musical experiences played an important role in his upbringing. By 16, he was mixing tunes in his bedroom, and began writing uplifting, melodic electronic music soon after. In 2011 he released the dance anthem ‘Levels’ under the name “Avicii,” breaking ground as one of the first electronic music tracks to climb the Pop charts. Desiring more than just industry success, Bergling also set off on “House for Hunger,” a 2012 American tour that donated its proceeds to combating food insecurity worldwide. That year, Madonna joined him in closing Miami’s Ultra Music Festival, where the pair broke the festival’s live stream viewer record.

From 2011 to 2016, Bergling played an estimated 220 Avicii sets globally, including a five-year residency in Ibiza and sold-out shows at the 16,000 person Ericsson Globe arena in Stockholm. In addition to breaking down sonic boundaries with hits like the 2013 bluegrass-house-hybrid “Wake Me Up,” Bergling was also among the first DJs and producers to share the spotlight previously reserved for vocalists and instrumentalists.

Within a few years, Bergling racked up over a dozen global music awards such as Swedish Grammis Awards for Best Innovator [2012] and Best Artist [2014], as well as a World Music Award for Best Electronic Dance Artist [2014]. In the U.S. he was nominated for several Grammys and won the American Music Award for Electronic Dance Music Artists [2013], the Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Song [2014], and the MTV Music Award for Best Dance Music Video [2018].
Like so many individuals globally, Bergling struggled with his mental health for years. Unfortunately, he died by suicide in 2018 at the age of 28.

In 2021, it was announced that Stockholm’s Ericsson Globe Arena would be changed to Avicii Arena. A symbol of Swedish pride, the arena stands today not only as an events venue but also as a hub for the exchange of ideas focused on mental health. This initiative is led by the Tim Bergling Foundation, an organization founded by the Bergling family to honor Tim’s life and legacy, remove the stigma attached to suicide, and promote mental health awareness, especially among young people worldwide. Additionally, the foundation supports aid work in areas where Tim had a passion such as climate change, global hunger and preservation of wildlife and endangered species.

Here’s to you, Avicii.

[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.

[9A]

11 Sept 2012

Teachers’ Day 2012 [Argentina]

[9A]

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.

[9A]

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.

[9A]

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!

[9A]

15 September 2011

Honduras Independence Day 2011

[9A]

15 September 2014


Honduras Independence Day 2014





Our doodle in Honduras depicts the country’s national animal, the white-tailed deer, for Honduran Independence Day.

[9A]

15 September 2014

Guatemala Independence Day 2014





We’re having a feast of Latino dishes to mark Independence Day in three different countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala. All three celebrate the holiday on September 15. Viva Centroamérica!

[9A]

15 September 2016

Mid-Autumn Festival 2016 [Taiwan, Hong Kong]




How incredible it is that we all look up and see the same moon. Tonight’s in particular is one worthy of a celebration that dates all the way back to the Tang Dynasty. Families have gathered since the 600s to share a meal together under the autumnal harvest moon—the time of year that this beaming sphere in the sky is said to be at its brightest and roundest. As the tradition goes, offerings of fruit, wine, and of course, mooncakes, are made to mythical moon goddess, Chang’e, in gratitude for her blessings on the harvest to come. Step outside and soak up the gravity of this moment in moon history.

[9A]

15 September 2016

Mid Autumn Festival 2016 [Japan]






What an incredible thing that we all look up and see the same moon. Tonight marks the beginning of the 2016 Mid Autumn Festival known as “Tsukimi”—which literally means “moon viewing”—a tradition that began over 1,000 years ago.

The shadows on the surface of this full moon are believed to form the shape of a rabbit pounding rice to create mochi. Because of its relative position in the cosmos, the Autumnal moon appears to be at its brightest, making it the perfect party moon to celebrate this traditional moment with poetry and offerings of Pampas grass, rice dumplings, taro and sake as prayer for an abundant harvest.

[9A]

15 September 2016

Jean Batten’s 107th birthday



In the 1930s, female aviator Jean Batten took the skies by storm and brought the winds of change with her. After two failed attempts to fly from England to Australia, Jean made her comeback with a record-breaking return journey in 1934.

Her success elevated in 1935 when she became the first woman to ever fly solo across the south Atlantic, and then it soared in 1936 when Jean and her lucky black cat, Buddy, made the first-ever direct flight from England to New Zealand. She described the moment the wheels hit the turf as “the very greatest moment of my life,” proving to the world that the sky’s only the limit if you let it.

Today we celebrate what would have been this pioneering pilot’s 107th birthday with a reminder to fly fiercely towards our boldest dreams.


Doodle by Sophie Diao

[9A]

15 September 2011

Guatemala Independence Day 2011





The resplendent quetzal plays an important role in various types of Mesoamerican mythology. It is the national bird of Guatemala, and its image is found on the country's flag and coat of arms. It also lends its name to the country's currency, the Guatemalan quetzal [abbreviation GTQ].

The resplendent quetzal is a bird in the trogon family. It is found from Chiapas, Mexico to western Panama [unlike the other quetzals of the genus Pharomachrus, which are found in South America and eastern Panama]. It is well known for its colorful plumage. There are two subspecies, P. m. mocinno and P. m. costaricensis.

[9A]

15 Sept 2011

Nicaragua Independence Day 2011






The national bird of Nicaragua is the Guardabarranco. It has a mostly green body with a rufous back and belly. There is a bright blue stripe above the eye and a blue-bordered black patch on the throat. The flight feathers and upperside of the tail are blue. The tips of the tail feathers are shaped like rackets and the bare feather shafts are longer than in other motmots

Guardabarrancos can be seen in forests throughout Nicaragua, mostly in the southwest of the country. Their habitat is not limited by city boundaries, as this bird can even be seen in Nicaragua's capital city, Managua.

[9A]

16 Sept 2011
Albert Szent-Gyorgyi's 118th Birthday






To say thanks to the scientist responsible for discovering Vitamin-C, I thought it’d be fun to not only rebrand our logo with a few replaced or redrawn letters, but to rebrand Google the Company, right down to our core product, so to speak. In this case, Google became the distributor of all foods and herbs rich in Vitamin-C content!

Posted by Mike Dutton

[9A]

16 September 2015

Mexico National Day 2015






On September 16th, 1810, at the heels of revolutionary leader Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, Mexico declared herself a free state and began its eleven-year struggle for independence. To celebrate the centennial of this moment in Mexican history, a team of artists and engineers erected the gold victory column that juts into the sky above Mexico City and finds itself at the center of today’s Doodle. The statue--a rendering of Nike, the Winged Goddess of Victory--holds a severed chain in her left hand and sits atop a mausoleum in which the remains of Mexico’s most cherished revolutionary figures are entombed.

Today, guest artist Ana Ramirez celebrates El Ángel with a burst of color befitting the fervor and exuberance of Miguel Hidalgo’s centuries-old Grito de Dolores. ¡Viva México!

[9A]

17 November 2017

Czech Republic National Day of Freedom 2017




November 17th is celebrated as the National Day of Freedom in the Czech Republic. To Czechs around the world, today represents decades of work that were necessary for government reform. The nation’s transition to democracy began on this day in 1989 with a peaceful demonstration started by university students in Prague. Hundreds of thousands of protesters eventually joined, creating a movement that is now known as "The Velvet Revolution" or "The Gentle Revolution."

The jingling of keys featured in today's Doodle are an important symbol of this movement. Czechs would jingle their keys during protests to represent the unlocking of new doors and a hopeful future as political parties changed.

Celebrations today are spread throughout the Czech Republic, with the red, blue, and white of the Czech flag flying proudly. If you find yourself in Prague, the country’s capital, you can be part of the celebrations with parades, music, and candle-lighting ceremonies. ​

Happy National Day of Freedom to the Czech Republic!

[9A]

18 November 2016

Morocco National Day 2016




On November 18th, the people of Morocco celebrate their 61st year of independence from France and Spain. Known as Eid Al Istiqulal, celebrations for this day will commence at the imperial palace in Rabat with a grand reception and address. Outside of the city, festivals and parades take place across the country commemorating the nation’s independence with art, music, and traditional street foods like tagine, pastillas, and stuffed sardines.


Happy National Day, Morocco!

[9A]

19 Nov 2013

Helena Zmatlíková's 90th Birthday





Helena Zmatlíková was a Czech illustrator, especially of children's books. For her works she received numerous awards. She also participated in the 1958 World Exhibition.

[9A]

3 Dec 2011

Nino Rota's 100th Birthday





Giovanni Rota Rinaldi, better known as Nino Rota, was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor and academic who is best known for his film scores, notably for the films of Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti. He also composed the music for two of Franco Zeffirelli's Shakespeare films, and for the first two films of Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather trilogy, earning the Academy Award for Best Original Score for The Godfather Part II [1974].

During his long career, Rota was an extraordinarily prolific composer, especially of music for the cinema. He wrote more than 150 scores for Italian and international productions from the 1930s until his death in 1979 — an average of three scores each year over a 46-year period, and in his most productive period from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s he wrote as many as ten scores every year, and sometimes more, with a remarkable thirteen film scores to his credit in 1954. Alongside this great body of film work, he composed ten operas, five ballets and dozens of other orchestral, choral and chamber works, the best known being his string concerto. He also composed the music for many theatre productions by Visconti, Zeffirelli and Eduardo De Filippo as well as maintaining a long teaching career at the Liceo Musicale in Bari, Italy, where he was the director for almost 30 years.

[9A]

3 December 2012

Hryhorii Skovoroda's 290 Birthday




Gregory Skovoroda, also Hryhorii Skovoroda, or Grigory Skovoroda was a philosopher of Ukrainian Cossack origin, who wrote primarily in the Sloboda Ukraine dialect of the Russian language. He was also a poet, teacher and composer of liturgical music. His significant influence on his contemporaries and succeeding generations and his way of life were universally regarded as Socratic, and he was often called a "Socrates."

Skovoroda's work contributed to the cultural heritage of both modern-day Ukraine and Russia, both countries claiming him as a native son.

[9A]

14 Dec 2012

Xul Solar's 125th Birthday






Xul Solar was the adopted name of Oscar Agustín Alejandro Schulz Solari, Argentine painter, sculptor, writer, and inventor of imaginary languages.

[9A]

14 December 2016

105th Anniversary of First Expedition to Reach the South Pole




Today marks the 105th anniversary of Roald Amundsen's expedition to the South Pole. Known as "the last of the Vikings," Amundsen was a lifelong adventurer with a gift for organization and planning. "Victory awaits him who has everything in order," wrote Amundsen, and his South Pole journey was a perfect illustration of that principle.

Amundsen's expedition party consisted of 19 people and nearly 100 Greenland sled dogs. The dogs -- along with the use of skis to cross treacherous terrain -- were key to the team's success. And like their canine companions, the explorers knew that playfulness could help them endure the extreme conditions on the icy frontier. While prepping from Framheim, their base camp in the Bay of Whales, the team maintained a sense of fun. They held guess-the-temperature contests, celebrated birthdays, and told stories. When a subset of the crew made the final trek to the South Pole in December of 1911, their camaraderie and careful preparation helped them win the race to "the bottom of the world."

In honor of that achievement, today's Doodle depicts the crew at the finish line, taking a moment to bask in the glory while the Antarctic wind whips outside their tent.

[9A]

4 December 2018

Dolores Olmedo’s 110th Birthday









Today’s Doodle celebrates the life and legacy of Dolores Olmedo, a close friend of Diego Rivera and owner of the world’s most important private collection of the modernist master’s work—as well as several xoloitzcuintles, the Mexican hairless dogs she adored. Olmedo also acquired many paintings by Rivera’s wife, Frida Kahlo, and donated her collection to the people of Mexico, where it is displayed in her former home. “I lived with this art for most of my life,'' she said. “Who knows better than me how it should be displayed?”

Born in Mexico City on this day in 1913, Dolores Olmedo was 17 years old when she visited the Ministry of Education with her mother, who worked as a schoolteacher. On the elevator, they bumped into Rivera, who was painting murals in the building. He asked Olmedo’s mother if he could make some sketches of her. The artist completed 27 sketches of Olmedo and established a lifelong connection.

During the 1940s, Olmedo—also known as Doña Lola—went on to become a successful real estate developer, one of the first Mexican women to excel in the field. During Rivera’s final years in the 1950s, he moved into Olmedo’s estate in Xochimilco, a neighborhood in the southern part of Mexico City. The artist sold her dozens of his own paintings and drawings, as well as 25 paintings by Kahlo, in hopes that the work would remain in their homeland. OImedo also oversaw both artists’ estates.

The Museo Dolores Olmedo opened in September 1994, inside her sixteenth-century stone residence, formerly known as the Hacienda La Noria. The museum is also a centerpoint for Day of the Dead celebrations as Olmedo would often organize an ofrenda, or altar, in honor of Diego Rivera. The museum’s collection includes a wide range of Rivera’s works over the many decades of his career as well as the world’s largest collection of Kahlo paintings and illustrations by Angelina Beloff, who worked with Rivera in Europe during the early 20th century. The work is displayed in an intimate setting, amidst Olmedo’s personal furnishings and peacocks strolling through gardens. ''I will always defend his work energetically,'' she wrote about Rivera in her museum's catalog, and she has stood by her word.

Feliz cumpleaños, Doña Lola!


Doodle by Sophie Diao

[9A]

16 December 2015

Remedios Varo’s 107th Birthday






One of the most accomplished surrealist painters of the 20th century, Remedios Varo is best known for striking oil paintings that blended together elements of science, magic and mysticism.

Varo was born in Spain and moved around a bit before ultimately settling in Mexico, where she created her finest works, including “La Llamada” [The Call], which is replicated in today’s celebratory Google Doodle. Varo lived during a time when male painters viewed their female counterparts as inferior, but she didn’t hesitate to make women the powerful centerpieces of her paintings. Today’s Google Doodle honors Varo on what would have been her 107th birthday, for her extraordinary imagination and complex paintings that allow her rare talent to live on.