Google doodles

[9A]

14 Nov 2016

Doodle 4 Google - Children's Day 2016 [India]





The winner for the 2016 Doodle 4 Google competition in India is Anvita Prashant Telang of Vibgyor High School in Balewadi, Pune. This year the theme was, "If I could teach anyone anything, it would be..." Anvita responded with the following statement and illustration:

Enjoy Every Moment

"In the current stressful times, greatest joys of life are often hidden in simple things, thus I would like to teach everyone to take time to enjoy every moment of life and appreciate the simple things around us."

Congratulations, Anvita! We'll do our best to follow your advice.

[9A]

17 Nov 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.

Here are some of Mrs. von Johnson’s early sketch ideas for how Pumuckl could have celebrated Ellis Kaut’s birthday:



In this sketch, Pumuckl appears around a birthday candle with seven different expressions.



In true kobold spirit, Pumuckl plays with the Google letters as if they were gymnastics equipment.



Pumuckl opens a Google curtain to present a birthday cake, carefully balanced over his head.



Pumuckl and his friend, master carpenter Eder, celebrate with a cake and several wrapped gifts.



Pumuckl lights an L-shaped birthday candle in honor of the author.



Pumuckl lights a candle on top of a birthday cake amidst several wrapped presents.





Barbara von Johnson at work.

[9A]

15 September 2021

Celebrating Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde





In celebration of U.S. Hispanic Heritage Month, today’s Doodle—illustrated by Riverside, California-based guest artist Loris Lora—honors Panamanian-American nurse and educator Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde. As a foundational figure in the creation of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses [NAHN], Dr. Murillo-Rohde dedicated her life to enhancing the quality of healthcare for underrepresented communities while equipping other Hispanic nurses with the skills to do the same.

Ildaura Murillo was born on September 6, 1920, in Panama into a family of health professionals. In 1945, she immigrated to San Antonio, Texas, where she found that relatively few of the city’s nurses represented the linguistic and ethnic backgrounds of their largely Hispanic patients. Knowing that language barriers and cultural mannerisms often stood in the way of providing patients with the highest quality of care, Murillo-Rohde set out on a lifelong mission to cultivate a nursing workforce that could best serve America’s growing Hispanic community.

After earning her doctorate from New York University in 1971, Dr. Murillo-Rohde took various positions that allowed her to clearly identify the underrepresentation of marginalized groups in the medical community as a national issue. To combat this problem, she helped found the Spanish Speaking/Spanish Surnamed Nurses’ Caucus in 1975—now known as the National Association of Hispanic Nurses [NAHN]—and served as its first president.

Alongside continued work with the NAHN, Dr. Murillo-Rohde promoted cultural awareness as a psychiatric nurse, faculty member, professor, and dean. The American Academy of Nursing honored her numerous achievements with its prestigious fellowship—one of the highest nursing honors in the nation.

Today, the NAHN provides support for Hispanic nurses through various programs, including the Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde Scholarship. It also honors members who have exhibited outstanding achievements in nursing education, research, and practice with the Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde Award for Education Excellence by a Hispanic Registered Nurse.

Thank you for uplifting the next generation of Hispanic healthcare professionals, Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde!

[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]

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!

I went with the first concept to make it look like the label you might find on a wooden crate or the side of a produce truck. The most enjoyable part of this doodle? The amount of fresh OJ and grapefruit juice I drank as I dove into the... research.
posted by Mike Dutton

[9A]

17 Sept 2011

Anant Pai's 82nd Birthday






Anant Pai [17 September 1929 – 24 February 2011], popularly known as Uncle Pai, was an Indian educationalist and a pioneer in Indian comics. He is most famous as the creator of two comic book series viz. Amar Chitra Katha, which retold traditional Indian folk tales, mythological stories, and biographies of historical characters; and Tinkle, a children's anthology.

[9A]

23 Sept 2011

Jaroslav Seifert's 110th Birthday





Jaroslav Seifert was a Nobel Prize–winning Czechoslovak writer, poet and journalist. In 1984 Jaroslav Seifert won the Nobel Prize in Literature "for his poetry which endowed with freshness, sensuality and rich inventiveness provides a liberating image of the indomitable spirit and versatility of man".

[9A]

24 Sept 2011

Jim Henson's 75th Birthday




We’re thrilled to share this guest post by Brian Henson about his father—puppeteer, director and producer Jim Henson, best known as the creator of the Muppets. For the next 36 hours, we’re honoring Jim’s birthday on our homepage with a special doodle created in tandem withThe Jim Henson Company. -Ed.

When we were kids, my brother and sisters and I were always allowed to stay up late to watch our father’s appearances on The Tonight Show or The Ed Sullivan Show. No matter how late it was or how young we were, my mother would wake us up and trundle us down to the living room television. We’d be giddy—like Christmas. When he came home, he’d head down to the garage where he had a workshop, and repair everything that we broke while he was away—or build a dollhouse for one of my sisters. Jim never stopped making things.

He also loved games—card games, board games, all kinds of games. He was one of those rare parents who was always ready to play again. He loved dogs, particularly goofy ones. And he lived for those moments when everyone laughed so hard they couldn’t talk. I often walked onto the Muppet set to find everyone just laughing hysterically.

Although he loved family, his work was almost never about “traditional” families. The Muppets were a family—a very diverse one. One of his life philosophies was that we should love people not for their similarities, but for their differences.

Jim often had a little lesson about the important things in life: How to be a good person. How to believe in yourself and follow your dreams. And above all, how to forgive. If anything was stolen from one of us—like when the car was broken into—he would always say, “Oh well, they probably needed that stuff more than we did.”

He loved gadgets and technology. Following his lead, The Jim Henson Company continues to develop cutting-edge technology for animatronics and digital animation, like this cool Google doodle celebrating Jim’s 75th birthday. But I think even he would have found it hilarious the way today some people feel that when they’ve got their smartphone, they no longer need their brain.

Jim was clearly a great visionary. But he also wanted everyone around him fully committed creatively. If you asked him how a movie would turn out, he’d say, “It’ll be what this group can make, and if you changed any one of them, it would be a different movie.” Every day for him was joyously filled with the surprises of other people’s ideas. I often think that if we all lived like that, not only would life be more interesting, we’d all be a lot happier.


Posted by Brian Henson, Chairman of The Jim Henson Company

[9A]

18 Nov 2016

James Welch's 76th Birthday






Today’s Doodle by artist Sophie Diao pays tribute to James Welch, the Blackfeet writer, on what would be his 76th birthday. Through his novels, documentary film, and poems, Welch gave voice to the struggles and humanity of the Native American experience in the United States.

Thirty years ago, Welch published his best known work, Fools Crow, the story of the Blackfeet people during the period of post-civil war encroachment by Europeans. In this award-winning novel, the Blackfeet seek to continue traditional ways, and to avoid both contact and conflict. As a whole, Welch’s works emphasized the humanity of native peoples and their deep attachment to their homelands. He was considered an early part of what was later dubbed the Native American Renaissance, during which native writers celebrated tribal culture and revealed its complex problems in works readily accessible to the larger American public.

Welch, who as a young man described himself as an "Indian who writes," gained an international audience. His works were appreciated universally for both their artistic appeal and ability to bring the experiences of the Native American people to life.

Here’s to James -- thank you for your contributions!

[9A]

20 November 2013

Children's Day 2013 [Multiple Countries]

[9A]

23 Nov 2013

Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary



The Doctor Who doodle started life as a request from a huge fan at Google. It seemed daunting- 11 Doctor's, 50 years of adventures, countless enemies and time travel!

But we loved the idea of science fiction, technology and fun coming together, so we set about creating a multiple level game. The game was always a simple premise- those dastardly Daleks have stolen the Google letters and we need Doctor Who to retrieve them.

Artists don't make games, programmers do. I provided the designs and various pieces of animation but without the engineers the game would only exist in another dimension! I was fortunate to work alongside people that genuinely cared:

Engineering Gurus - Rui Lopes, Corrie Scalisi, Mark Ivey
Additional support - Doug Simpkinson, Jonathan Shneier
All things D of 3 - Leon Hong
Deity of rain, lava & lightning - Kevin Laughlin
Additional game ideas - Gregory Capuano
Sounds - The BBC, Tom Tabanao, Manuel Clement and Cody!
Creative consultant - Chris Dibona
User testing - Jennifer Zamora

We thank the BBC for trusting us and also helping us whenever needed. So what are you waiting for?! Jump in your TARDIS [Time and relative "doodle" in space] and become the fastest time lord in the universe!

[9A]

29 June 2018

Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis’ 125th Birthday





In the 1920s and ’30s, most if not all statistics work in India was done by one man: Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis—an innovator in his field who was known as a “human calculator.”

While studying physics at Cambridge University in England at age 22, Mahalanobis was introduced to statistics by one of his professors. Upon returning home to India he became fascinated with this branch of mathematics, applying statistical methods to anthropology, meteorology, and biology.

Mahalanobis’ early work used random samplings to predict floods and foretell agricultural crop yields. He later applied these same techniques to comparisons of large data sets, devising what came to be called “the Mahalanobis Distance.” His pioneering work impacted economic planning as several major Indian industries ran on the Mahalanobis Growth Model, his statistical forecast of the country’s economy.

Mahalanobis, who would have turned 125 today, founded the Indian Statistical Institute in Calcutta in 1931, housed at Presidency College, and became the honorary statistical advisor to the Indian government in 1949. In 1951, the Institute became its own full-fledged university. Small wonder that the Indian government named June 29 National Statistics Day in 2006.

Happy birthday Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis!


Doodle ilustrated by Nishant Choksi.

Early concepts of the Doodle below

[9A]

29 June 2021

Pedro Linares López’s 115th birthday





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

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

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

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

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

[9A]

29 June 2012

José Pablo Moncayo's 100th Birthday





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

[9A]

4 Jul 2012

Inauguration of Hartland Bridge




The Hartland Covered Bridge in Hartland, New Brunswick, is the world's longest covered bridge, at 1,282 feet [391 m] long. It crosses the Saint John River from Hartland to Somerville, New Brunswick, Canada. The framework consists of seven small Howe Truss bridges joined together on six piers.

[9A]

4 July 2013

Ukichiro Nakaya's 113th Birthday







Ukichiro Nakayawas a Japanese physicist and science essayist known for his work in glaciology and low-temperature sciences. He is credited with making the first artificial snowflakes.

His most famous quote is probably "Snowflakes are letters sent from heaven." He returned to this idea several times, first in his 1939 documentary film Snow Crystals, and again in a handwritten note in a copy of his 1954 book Snow Crystals: Natural and Artificial.

[9A]

7 Jul 2013

Vladimir Durov's 150th Birthday





The Durov Animal Theater or Grandpa Durov's Corner is a circus/theatre in Moscow, Russia. It was founded on January 8, 1912 by Vladimir Durov , who also founded the famous Durov's circus dynasty. Durov was a well-known animal trainer and zoologist who developed his own system of training, that did not involve any punishment of the animals. His theatre also included a natural history museum and a science laboratory.

The theatre building was designed in 1894 by the architect August Weber. The theatre is currently located in the same facility; the street had been renamed in Durov's honour in 1927.

[9A]

7 July 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.



Posted by Mike Dutton

[9A]

7 July 2015

Eiji Tsuburaya’s 114th Birthday



See the interactive version here!


The lights dim. Cameras start to roll. A film crew silently watches. Suddenly! From behind a hand-built skyline, a towering beast appears! Shaking off a layer of dust, the massive foam-and-rubber monster leans back to act out an amazing roar [the sound effect will be added in later]. Then, stomping towards the camera, the giant moves closer, and closer, until…”Cut!”

“Director Eiji Tsuburaya is best known for the famous characters he brought to life, like Ultraman. After many years in the ‘monster business,’ he set up his own practical effects studio, Tsuburaya Productions, which we were lucky enough to visit for this project! Having grown up as a film fan, I’ve always had a deep love for Tokusatsu, so I was eager to find a way to bring attention to Tsuburaya’s art. It’s fascinating to me how long-lasting the results of his work has been – it’s easy to see remnants of the Tokusatsu style in Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim, Evangelion, and even the Power Rangers.”

[9A]

12 Jul 2015

40th Anniversary of the National Monument of Indonesia





On July 12, 1975, Monas [abbreviation of the Indonesian name Monumen Nasional] opened to the people of Indonesia for the first time.

The bowl at Monas’ base represents Yoni, the philosophical concept of femininity. Rising from the foundation is the Monas’ tall obelisk symbolizing Lingga, the concept of masculinity. Together these pieces form a universally recognizable symbol of unity to commemorate the founding of modern Indonesia.

Kevin Laughlin drew today’s Doodle to represent the phases of construction throughout Monas’ 15 year journey to completion. His Doodle is a three-frame timeline of the National Monument’s creation.

[9A]

13 Jul 2015

Ehud Manor’s 74th Birthday






Ehud Manor wrote the songs the whole country continues to sing. Manor was one of Israel’s most prolific songwriters, with more than 1,200 songs to his name. His deeply personal lyrics, whether about mourning his younger brother Yehuda, marrying his beloved wife Ofra or expressing love for his country resonated with so many. The ability to give beautiful words to common feelings helped make him one of Israel’s most popular songwriters. It also earned him the 1998 Israel prize. His other significant achievements, like translating hundreds of plays [from Shakespeare to Grease] and winning the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest, further show just how versatile and talented he was.

Local Googlers wanted to recognize Manor’s remarkable contributions on what would have been his 74th birthday. They collaborated with Doodler Sophie Diao who used generic sheet music and lyrics from ״Le'Olam Be'ikvot Ha'shemesh [״always follow the sun״] to pay tribute to Manor’s beloved songs. Diao also wanted to capture his kindness, positivity and gentle demeanor with a sketch that highlighted his red hair, gap-toothed smile and fondness for black t-shirts!


In celebration of Ehud Manor, may you always follow the sun and always follow the light.

[9A]

13 July 2011

Sir George Gilbert Scott's 200th Birthday





Sir George Gilbert Scott RA [13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878], known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he started his career as a leading designer of workhouses. Over 800 buildings were designed or altered by him.


Scott was the architect of many iconic buildings, including the Midland Grand Hotel at St Pancras Station, the Albert Memorial, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, all in London, St Mary's Cathedral, Glasgow, the main building of the University of Glasgow, St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh and King's College Chapel, London.

[9A]

14 July 2021

Bastille Day 2021




Today’s Doodle celebrates Bastille Day, also known in France as July 14th or National Day. On this day in 1789, the Parisian populace toppled a medieval fortress known as the Bastille, transforming this stone tower from a symbol of historical injustice into a beacon of liberty, equality, and fraternity.

Widely regarded as a major catalyst of the French Revolution, the storming of the Bastille represents the birth of a modern nation. This momentous event incited nation-wide solidarity, and to celebrate its first birthday, national officials organized a 10,000 person ceremony coined the “Festival of the Federation.” Another milestone anniversary which is now commemorated each Bastille Day, this patriotic soirée culminated in a revelatory feast, complete with song and dance.

The 230-year tradition of celebrating these definitive moments in history lives on throughout the international French community. Celebrations around the world host music and dance performances highlighting regional Francophone culture, alongside fireworks, parades, and spreads of staple French dishes!


Vive le 14 Juillet! Long live July 14th!

Check out some Behind-the-Scenes photos for
today’s embroidery artwork by Doodler, Hélène Leroux

[9A]

14 July 2008

Bastille Day 2008

[9A]

16 Nov 2017

Chinua Achebe’s 87th Birthday




“Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”

One man took it upon himself to tell the world the story of Nigeria through the eyes of its own people. Chinua Achebe [born Albert Chinualumogu Achebe] was the studious son of an evangelical priest. A student of English literature, he started writing in the 1950s, choosing English as his medium but weaving the storytelling tradition of the Igbo people into his books.

His characters were insiders — everyday people such as the village chief [in Things Fall Apart], the priest [in Arrow of God], or the school teacher [in A Man of the People]. Through their stories, we witness a Nigeria at the crossroads of civilization, culture, and generations.

His pen brought to life the land and traditions of the Igbo: the hum of everyday village life; the anticipation and excitement of sacred masquerades; the stories of the elders and the honor of warriors; the joy of family and the grief of loss.

Considered by many to be the father of modern African literature, Achebe was awarded the Man Booker Prize in 2007. Surrounded by iconic images of his most famous literary works, today’s Doodle celebrates his legacy on what would have been his 87th birthday.

Daalụ nke ukwuu, Chinua Achebe!

[9A]

18 Nov 2017

Morocco Independence Day 2017




Happy Independence Day, Morocco!

Today’s Doodle features the outstanding architecture of Ksar Aït-Ben-Haddou — a historic fortified village in the passage between the Sahara Desert and the city of Marrakech that is surrounded by traditional earthen wall defences.

The Ksar of Aït-Ben-Haddou is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visitors can glimpse the ancient culture of southern Morocco as they visit local souks or tour a few remaining homes inside the walls. If this impressive site looks familiar, it may be because the Ksar of Aït-Ben-Haddou has been featured on many popular television shows and movies in the past few decades!

In celebration of the holiday, you’ll find Moroccan flags flying along streets across the country. Red and green will adorn homes and sidewalks across bustling cities and little villages as everyone proudly celebrates Morocco’s past and future.


Doodle by Cynthia Yuan Cheng

[9A]

23 Nov 2017

José Clemente Orozco’s 134th Birthday





Celebrated Mexican muralist José Clemente Orozco was born in Ciudad Guzmán in central Mexico 134 years ago today.

After his family moved to Mexico City, the young Orozco would often cross paths with satirical caricaturist José Guadalupe Posada on his way to school. These meetings awakened in the young boy a keen political consciousness and a deep love for art, a powerful medium in the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution. Orozco would later document the social and political change of the era as one of Los Tres Grandes [The Three Greats] of Mexican mural art.

His sprawling, emotive frescos were initially often commissioned by the government. Dissatisfied with the condition of ordinary Mexicans however, he started to contradict his own sponsors - sometimes subtly [Maternidad [Maternity], 1924] and sometimes visibly [La Trinchera [The Trench], 1926]. This paradoxical relationship caused him to leave the country for seven long years, living in the US and earning international renown for works such as Prometeo [Prometheus] [1930] and The Epic of American Civilization [1934]. When he returned to Mexico, Orozco began work on the frescos of Hospicio Cabañas, murals sketching the span of Mexican history from indigenous civilizations to the Revolution.

Today’s Doodle—by Mexico City-based artist Santiago Solis—depicts Orozco in front of the jaguar featured in Las Riquezas Nacionales [The National Riches], his mural at La Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación in downtown Mexico City.


Feliz cumpleaños, Señor Orozco!

[9A]

24 Nov 2017

Celebrating Mensch ärgere dich nicht






Mensch ärgere dich nicht, or “Do not get angry,” is a game whose very title tackles the ire that board games can provoke. The premise is simple: the first player to move all of their pieces to the other side of the board wins. But don’t trust the dice — they’ll inevitably force soon-to-be winners back to square one.

The game was invented between 1907 and 1908 by Josef Friedrich Schmidt. Born on this day in 1871, Schmidt was a Munich resident who worked in the city. Inspiration struck when he decided to create an engaging pastime for his three young children. He devised a game similar to others across the globe, including the Indian game Pachisi and the English game Ludo. Today's Doodle, featuring game piece characters made of clay playing the game, was created by stop-motion animator Max Mörtl, with assistance from 2D animator Robert Loebel.

The timelessness of this game is a huge part of what lends it its status as one of the most beloved forms of entertainment in Germany. If today’s Doodle inspires you to give Mensch ärgere dich nicht a shot and your opponent snatches away your victory at the eleventh hour, don’t get angry with us!

[9A]

30 Nov 2017

St. Andrew's Day 2017





November 30 is St. Andrew’s Day in Scotland, a national holiday and cultural celebration that involves traditional food, ceilidh dancing, storytelling, and fireworks - with lots of talk and laughter.

Today’s very special coloring-in Doodle by Scottish artist Johanna Basford is a procession of beloved Scottish symbols, each with a special link to the country’s rich heritage and mythology. Wreathed in the prickly-leaved purple thistle, the unicorn [Scotland’s national animal] leads the parade, symbolizing innocence, purity, power, and joy.

The highlands and the lochs form the perfect backdrop to the country’s favorite mythical monster — Nessie, otherwise known as the Loch Ness monster. Trailing her is a majestic red deer, Scotland’s largest native land mammal, exploring the country’s much-celebrated bluebell woods.

The Saltire, the blue Scottish flag emblazoned with a white diagonal cross, heralds the procession. It is believed to be the oldest flag in Europe, and every building in Scotland is required by law to display it on this day.


Happy St. Andrew’s Day, everyone!

[9A]

30 November 2015

Lucy Maud Montgomery’s 141st Birthday





Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote her first novel in 1905. It was rejected by every single publishing house that received it. A few years later, Montgomery tried shopping it again and succeeded. Her story about the adventures of a red-headed girl in Prince Edward Island became a smash hit. That novel ultimately became one of Canada’s most all-time popular books, being translated into around 20 languages and selling more than 50 million copies to date. Anne of Green Gables and its many sequels made Montgomery a wildly successful author and turned PEI into a destination for the book’s thousands of fans.

One of Canada’s most celebrated writers, Montgomery also wrote hundreds of poems and short stories as well as a number of novels apart from the Anne series. She was the first Canadian woman to be made a member of the British Royal Society of Arts and was also appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Today, on what would have been her 141st birthday, we salute Lucy Maud Montgomery with a Doodle that pays tribute to her most iconic book.

Doodler Olivia When, herself an Anne of Green Gables fan, wanted to honor Montgomery by illustrating several scenes from the beloved novel, including a particularly memorable one in which Anne mistakenly bakes a cake with liniment [a medicated oil] instead of vanilla. Here’s to Anne with an “e” Shirley and her revered creator, Lucy Maud Montgomery.

[9A]

30 Nov 2015

Saint Andrew's Day 2015





Every 30th of November, Scottish pride, ever-present and known worldwide for its fervor and zeal, culminates in glorious fashion.

Saint Andrew’s Day is a time to celebrate all things Scottish, with parties, kilts, and of course, the flying of the iconic blue-and-white Saltire. We went in search of one of Scotland's most reclusive citizens this year and even they have come out to play today, as seen in our animated Doodle by Sophie Diao.

[9A]

8 Dec 2009

E.C. Segar's Birthday




Elzie Crisler Segar [December 8, 1894 – October 13, 1938], known by the pen name E. C. Segar, was an American cartoonist best known as the creator of Popeye, a pop culture character who first appeared in 1929 in Segar's comic strip Thimble Theatre.

Segar is among the first to combine humor with long-running adventures. A revival of interest in Segar's creations began with Woody Gelman's Nostalgia Press. Robert Altman's live-action film Popeye [1980] is adapted from E. C. Segar's Thimble Theatre comic strip. The screenplay by Jules Feiffer was based directly on Gelman's Thimble Theatre Starring Popeye the Sailor, a hardcover reprint collection of 1936-37 Segar strips published in 1971 by Nostalgia Press. In 2006, Fantagraphics published the first of a six-volume book set reprinting all Thimble Theatre daily and Sunday strips from 1928 to 1938, beginning with the adventure that introduced Popeye.

In 1971, the National Cartoonists Society created the Elzie Segar Award in his honor. According to the Society's website, the award was "presented to a person who has made a unique and outstanding contribution to the profession of cartooning." The NCS board of directors chose the first winners, while King Features selected recipients in later years. Honorees have included Charles Schulz, Bil Keane, Al Capp, Bill Gallo and Mort Walker. The award was discontinued in 1999.

[9A]

17 Dec 2009

Discovery of the Aztec Sun Stone




The Aztec sun stone is a late post-classic Mexica sculpture housed in the National Anthropology Museum in Mexico City, and is perhaps the most famous work of Mexica sculpture. It measures 358 centimetres [141 in] in diameter and 98 centimetres [39 in] thick, and weighs 24,590 kg [54,210 lb]. Shortly after the Spanish conquest, the monolithic sculpture was buried in the Zócalo, the main square of Mexico City. It was rediscovered on 17 December 1790 during repairs on the Mexico City Cathedral. Following its rediscovery, the sun stone was mounted on an exterior wall of the cathedral, where it remained until 1885. Early scholars initially thought that the stone was carved in the 1470s, though modern research suggests that it was carved some time between 1502 and 1521.

[9A]

25 November 2020

Celebrating Tino Sidin





Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Indonesian-American guest artist Shanti Rittgers, celebrates the 95th birthday of Indonesian artist and teacher Tino Sidin. Lovingly known as Pak Tino [Sir Tino], Sidin became a household name through his television series Gemar Menggambar [Like to Draw], on which he taught a generation of young children how to draw and nurture their creative talents. Fittingly, November 25 is also recognized in Indonesia as National Teachers' Day in commemoration of the establishment of the Indonesian Teachers’ Association on this date in 1945.

Tino Sidin was born on this day in 1925 in Tebing Tinggi in North Sumatra, now a province of Indonesia. He first began teaching in his hometown during his 20s and in 1960 travelled to Yogyakarta–among the country’s cultural hubs–to attend the pioneering Indonesian Academy of Arts [now the Indonesian Art Institute]. In 1969, Gemar Menggambar first premiered on the local TV station TVRI Yogyakarta, and in 1979 it made the leap onto Indonesian national television.

Every Sunday afternoon for the next decade, Pak Tino introduced countless children to the fun and joy of drawing. Like countless teachers celebrated across the country today, Sidin nurtured his young students through positive encouragement. He inspired the students to not be afraid to make mistakes, and he uplifted the children who viewed the show nationwide, showing support for their submitted artwork with his signature catchphrase “Ya, bagus” [“Yes, it’s nice”]. An accomplished artist off camera as well, Sidin’s own work was often inspired by daily life; one of his paintings, Empat Anak Main, [Four Children Play] for example, depicts four of his daughters.

In 2017, a museum was founded at Sidin’s former residence in Yogyakarta, immortalizing the legacy of Indonesia’s beloved teaching artist.

Happy Birthday to an educator who helped spark creativity and draw a brighter future for generations of Indonesian children, and thank you to all of the teachers who have tirelessly fostered the next generation!

[9A]

18 Dec 2020

26th anniversary of the Grotte Chauvet Discovery






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

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

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

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

[9A]

18 December 2011

Christoffer Polhem's 350th Birthday



Christopher Polhammar [18 December 1661 – 30 August 1751] better known as Christopher Polhem, which he took after his ennoblement in 1716, was a Swedish scientist, inventor and industrialist. He made significant contributions to the economic and industrial development of Sweden, particularly mining. He was ennobled by King Charles XII of Sweden for his contributions to Swedish technological development.

[9A]

18 December 2009

Jan Evangelista Purkyne's Birthday





Jan Evangelista Purkyně [also written Johann Evangelist Purkinje] was a Czech anatomist and physiologist. In 1839, he coined the term protoplasm for the fluid substance of a cell. He was one of the best known scientists of his time. Such was his fame that when people from outside Europe wrote letters to him, all that they needed to put as the address was "Purkyně, Europe".

The crater Purkyně on the Moon is named after him, as is the asteroid 3701 Purkyně.

[9A]

18 December 2014

Henrietta Edwards' 165th Birthday





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

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

I think that when it comes to notable people in the women's rights movement in Canadian history, there are names we know like Nellie McClung or Emily White. They are the token examples in the high school history text; the answer to a multiple choice question somewhere. Maybe we know "The Famous Five" and what they did with the Person's Case, but I doubt many of us can list the individual women themselves. I believe Henrietta Muir Edwards is one of the women who deserves a wider recognition for her work. Montreal-born--a transplant to the Prairies later in life--she fought for women's rights, women's education, women's work and women's health, across the country and from a very young age. She was a writer, an artist, a lawmaker and a teacher. She allied herself with likeminded activists and founded a number of movements and societies to improve the lives of women. Henrietta was a woman who made things happen and fought for it all with unflappable conviction. Canada is a richer country for having her as a citizen.

[9A]

16 Dec 2014

Tadas Ivanauskas' 132nd Birthday




Tadas Ivanauskas [December 16, 1882 – June 1, 1970] was a prominent Lithuanian zoologist and biologist, and one of the founders of Vytautas Magnus University.

[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.

[9A]

9 Jan 2016

41st Anniversary of the discovery of the Mountain of the Butterflies





In 1975, after a decades long search that involved thousands of volunteers and spanned an entire continent, Ken Brugger and Catalina Trail unlocked one of nature’s most beautiful mysteries: the overwintering place of the monarch butterfly. Led by a team of Canadian Zoologists under Fred Urquhart, the couple followed clues left by tagged butterflies that had strayed or fallen on their migratory journeys south. The scene, in which millions of monarchs cling to oyamel trees in Mexico’s easternmost Sierra Madre Mountains, would have been overwhelming. “They swirled through the air like autumn leaves,” said Urquhart after his first visit, “carpet[ing] the ground in their flaming myriads on the Mexican mountainside.”

With today’s homepage, Artist Kevin Laughlin recognizes the 41st anniversary of an incredible discovery and the singularly awesome beauty of the monarch butterfly.

[9A]

12 Jan 2016

Charles Perrault’s 388th Birthday





What's that story, with the glass slipper and the pumpkin that turns into a carriage? How about the one where a princess falls into a deep sleep when she pricks her hand on a spindle? We owe the Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty narratives we've known since childhood to Charles Perrault, the 17th-century French author and academician. Perrault was born in Paris 388 years ago today, and spent most of his life in the court of Louis XIV. He began writing his famous stories only in his late sixties, after having retired.

For today's Doodle, artist Sophie Diao created tableaux for Perrault's "Mother Goose" stories [Les Contes de ma Mère l'Oye, 1697]: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Puss in Boots.

Perrault's stories set the standard for the modern fairy tale. Perrault borrowed basic plots and the familiar opening "once upon a time" [il était une fois] from traditional stories told aloud, while modernizing them with both fashionable embellishments and the very act of putting them into writing. [The publication of the tales coincides with the rise of the modern novel: they came after Don Quixote and La Princesse de Clèves, but before Robinson Crusoe and Tom Jones]. The backbone of these fairy tales persist within contemporary novels and movies, making our reading or cinema-going a fundamentally optimistic venture: when we hear "once upon a time," we've come to expect—and anxiously await—a "happily ever after."

[9A]

12 January 2015

11th Anniversary of Kimani Maruge's First Day of School





It’s never too late to learn something new. On this day 11 years ago, Kenyan Kimani Maruge enrolled in primary school at the ripe age of 84, becoming the world’s oldest person to start elementary school. But Maruge’s love for education didn’t end there. In 2005, he boarded a plane–for the very first time–to address the U.N. on the importance of free primary school. 

[9A]

30 Jan 2015

Vsevolod Nestayko’s 85th Birthday





Our doodle in Ukraine draws inspiration from the children’s book Toreadors from Vasyukivka for writer Vsevolod Nestayko’s 85th birthday. Nestayko is widely considered to be Ukraine’s best-known author of children’s literature.

[9A]

5 Feb 2015

Gabriel Vargas’ 100th Birthday




Gabriel Bernal Vargas [5 February 1915 – 25 May 2010] was a Mexican cartoonist, whose comic strip La Familia Burrón was created in 1937. This cartoon has been described as one of the most important in Mexican popular culture. Vargas won Mexico's "Premio Nacional de Periodismo" [National Journalism Prize] in 1983 and the "Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes en el área de Tradiciones Populares" [National Sciences and Arts Prize] in 2003.

[9A]

9 Feb 2013

Barranquilla Carnival






The Carnival of Barranquilla [Spanish: Carnaval de Barranquilla] is one of Colombia's most important folkloric celebrations, and one of the biggest carnivals in the world. The carnival has traditions that date back to the 19th century. Four days before Holy Week, Barranquilla decks itself out to receive national and foreign tourists and joins together with the city's inhabitants to enjoy four days of intense festivities. During the carnival, Barranquilla's normal activities are put aside as the city gets busy with street dances, musical and masquerade parades. The Carnival Of Barranquilla includes dances such as the Spanish paloteo, African Congo, and indigenous mico y micas. Many styles of Colombian music are also performed, most prominently cumbia, and instruments include drums and wind ensembles. The Carnival of Barranquilla was proclaimed a Cultural Masterpiece of the Nation by Colombia's National Congress in 2002. Also the UNESCO, in Paris on November 7, 2003, declared it one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, and it was during Olga Lucia Rodriquez Carnival Queen year.

[9A]

17 September 2021

Michiyo Tsujimura's 133rd birthday





Have you ever wondered why green tea tastes so bitter when steeped for too long? Thanks to Japanese educator and biochemist Michiyo Tsujimura, and her groundbreaking research into the nutritional benefits of green tea, science has the answers. Today’s Doodle celebrates Michiyo Tsujimura on her 133rd birthday.

Michiyo Tsujimura was born on this day in 1888 in Okegawa, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. She spent her early career teaching science. In 1920, she chased her dream of becoming a scientific researcher at Hokkaido Imperial University where she began to analyze the nutritional properties of Japanese silkworms.

A few years later, Tsujimura transferred to Tokyo Imperial University and began researching the biochemistry of green tea alongside Dr. Umetaro Suzuki, famed for his discovery of vitamin B1. Their joint research revealed that green tea contained significant amounts of vitamin C—the first of many yet unknown molecular compounds in green tea that awaited under the microscope. In 1929, she isolated catechin—a bitter ingredient of tea. Then, the next year she isolated tannin, an even more bitter compound. These findings formed the foundation for her doctoral thesis, “On the Chemical Components of Green Tea” when she graduated as Japan’s first woman doctor of agriculture in 1932.

Outside of her research, Dr. Tsujimura also made history as an educator when she became the first Dean of the Faculty of Home Economics at Tokyo Women’s Higher Normal School in 1950. Today, a stone memorial in honor of Dr.Tsujimura’s achievements can be found in her birthplace of Okegawa City.

Happy Birthday, Michiyo Tsujimura!

[9A]

16 Sept 2021

Mexico Independence Day 2021




Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Mexico-based guest artist Magdiel Herrerra, depicts a collection of elements symbolizing Mexico’s rich, cultural heritage in honor of its Independence Day. This year’s holiday holds special significance for the international Mexican community as it commemorates the 200th anniversary of the nation’s step toward independence—officially declared on September 27, 1821.

On the left of the Doodle artwork, a folklórico [folkloric] dancer is dressed in the emblematic red, green, and white of the Mexican flag. A common meal prepared to celebrate this holiday is pozole, a spiced soup traditionally made with hominy and pork that is depicted in the red bowl with radishes and lime. In the center, the artwork recreates a bell that rang before El Grito de la Independencia [The Cry for Independence], a famous speech considered the spark of the Mexican independence movement. A sombrero follows with a handwoven rebozo scarf, next to a cactus standing tall.

On the far right of the artwork, an Indigenous musician [known as a quiquizoani in the Uto-Aztecan language of Nahuatl] blows into a conch shell—a scene similar to an image found in the ancient Aztec Codex Magliabechi—filling the air with the sounds of celebration.

Happy Independence Day, Mexico!

[9A]

16 Sept 2021

Lo Man-fei's 66th birthday






Today’s Google Doodle celebrates the 66th birthday of Taiwanese dancer, choreographer, and teacher Lo Man-fei, a lifelong advocate for the development of Taiwanese dancers and performance art.

Lo Man-fei was born on this day in 1955 in Taipei City, Taiwan and took her first steps toward a career in dance at 5 years old. In college, her unique talent was fostered by some of Taiwan’s leading choreographers, including Lin Hwai-min, the founder of one of the nation’s most acclaimed dance troupes—Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. She graduated from National Taiwan University with a degree in English literature and moved to the U.S. in 1978 to study with the Martha Graham Dance Company, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the José Limón Dance Company. However, she decided to return to Taiwan to join Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. In 1979, Lo formally joined Cloud Gate—an acceptance she attributed in part to the skills passed down to her from masters such as Lin.

With a repertoire utilizing techniques from ballet, modern dance, and traditional Chinese dance, she toured the world with Cloud Gate until 1982, capturing a blend of these styles with what she referred to as her own “vocabulary” of movements. Lo worked on Broadway in the early 1980s and in 1985, earned a master’s degree in dance at New York University before returning to Taiwan. She then rejoined Cloud Gate, choreographed original performances, and nurtured a new generation of dancers as a professor at the National Institute for the Arts [now the Taipei National University of the Arts].

In 1999, Cloud Gate 2, an evolution of Taiwan’s renowned troupe, appointed Lo as its artistic director and Cloud Gate later established a scholarship in her honor. She is best known today for her solo performance in “Requiem,” a 10-minute, non-stop spinning routine choreographed specifically for her by none other than Lin Hwai-min himself.

Happy Birthday to Lo Man-fei, who always put her best foot forward!