Google doodles

[9A]

10 January 2020

Vicente Huidobro's 127th Birthday






“Let's leave the old once and for all...In literature, I like everything that is innovation. Everything that is original.”

–Vicente Huidobro, Pasando y Pasando: crónicas y Comentarios [1914]


Today’s Doodle, illustrated by London-based guest artist Luisa Rivera, celebrates avant-garde Chilean poet and writer Vicente Huidobro on his 127th birthday. Widely known as the “father of the Creacionismo [Creationism] literary movement,” Huidobro refused to be confined by literary orthodoxy. Instead, he used the written word to push the limits of creativity.

Vicente García-Huidobro Fernández was born in 1893 in Santiago, Chile. He became a poet like his mother, first published at the early age of 12, and went on to study literature at the University of Chile.

Gradually, he began to feel confined by traditional poetic standards, and in 1914 he rejected them in his manifesto, Non Serviam [“I Will Not Serve”].

Huidobro moved to Paris to collaborate with surrealist poets Guillaume Apollinaire and Pierre Reverdy on the literary magazine they founded, Nord-sud [[North-South). In Paris, he invented Creacionismo, the idea that poets should create their own imaginary worlds instead of writing about nature in traditional styles with traditional language. Poemas árticos [“Arctic Poems,” 1918] and Saisons Choisies [“Chosen Seasons,” 1921] are some examples, but the 1931 long-form poem Altazor is Huidobro’s definitive Creacionismo work.

His well-known lines from his poem Arte Poetica [Poetic Art], “Let the verse be like a key / That opens a thousand doors,” represents his style and inspired today’s Doodle art, which infuses different images that appear in his poetry.

Huidobro wrote over 40 books, including plays, novels, manifestos, and poetry. He constantly encouraged literary experimentation and influenced many Latin American poets who succeeded him.


¡Feliz cumpleaños, Vicente Huidobro!

[9A]

10 January 2014

Annette von Droste-Hülshoff's 217th Birthday






Baroness Anna Elisabeth Franziska Adolphine Wilhelmine Louise Maria von Droste zu Hülshoff was a 19th-century German poet, novelist, and composer of Classical music. She was also the author of the novella Die Judenbuche.

In an article for the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia, Francis Joste wrote, "The fame of the poetess rests chiefly on her lyric poems, her pastorales, and her ballads. In the poetic representation of nature, few can equal her. The poetical works of Annette von Droste-Hülshoff are imperishable. What makes them so is their originality, the proof that they are the works of a genius. It is this too that gained for their author the well-earned title of 'Germany's greatest poetess.'

[9A]

10 January 2011

Coming of Age Day 2011




Coming of Age Dayis a Japanese holiday held annually on the second Monday of January. It is held in order to congratulate and encourage all those who have reached or will reach the age of maturity [20 years old] between April 2 of the previous year and April 1 of the current year, and to help them realize that they have become adults. Festivities include coming of age ceremonies held at local and prefectural offices, as well as after-parties among family and friends.

[9A]

14 Jan 2011

Festival of Kites 2011




The Bristol International Kite Festival, full name Bristol International Festival of Kites & Air Creations, is held annually during September in Bristol, England. It takes place at the Ashton Court estate, which is owned by Bristol City Council, although it is actually in the district of North Somerset. Entry is free but there is a charge for car parking. The festival started in 1986 and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2011.

In 1991, the festival hosted the World Cup Sport Kite Championship. Organiser and kite designer Martin Lester was inducted into the World Kite Museum hall of fame in 1998. Funding problems have caused difficulties but have been overcome and the festival pulls in crowds of over 30,000.

[9A]

14 January 2012

National Children's Day 2012




As doodlers, messing with the company logo is part of our job, but every once in a while we really get to mess with it by making it virtually unreadable! Since Children's Day is traditionally all about having lots of fun being kids, we tend to make this annual doodle a little – well, extra fun. But for those who crave neatness or are just curious as to where exactly the letters are hidden, here you go!

And for you art nerds out there [[we're a tech company after all), this second image shows the "movement" throughout the illustration. I, uh, totally meant to do that...

[9A]

18 Jan 2012

Havoc in Heaven





Havoc in Heaven, also translated as Uproar in Heaven, is a Chinese donghua feature film directed by Wan Laiming and produced by all four of the Wan brothers. The film was created at the height of the Chinese animation industry in the 1960s, and received numerous awards.

It earned the brothers domestic and international recognition. The story is an adaptation of the earlier episodes of the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West.The stylized animation and drums and percussion accompaniment used in this film are heavily influenced by Peking opera traditions.

The story is based on the earliest chapters of the Ming Dynasty shenmo novel Journey to the West. The main character is Sun Wukong, aka the Monkey King, who rebels against the Jade Emperor of heaven.

[9A]

20 Jan 2012

Federico Fellini's 92nd Birthday


Federico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time. His films have ranked highly in critical polls such as that of Cahiers du Cinéma and Sight & Sound, which lists his 1963 film 8+1⁄2 as the 10th-greatest film.

For La Dolce Vita Fellini won the Palme d'Or; additionally, he was nominated for twelve Academy Awards, and won four in the category of Best Foreign Language Film, the most for any director in the history of the Academy. He received an honorary award for Lifetime Achievement at the 65th Academy Awards in Los Angeles. His other well-known films include La Strada [1954], Nights of Cabiria [1957], Juliet of the Spirits [1967], the "Toby Dammit" segment of Spirits of the Dead [1968], Fellini Satyricon [1969], Roma [1972], Amarcord [1973], and Fellini's Casanova [1976]. Fellini was ranked 2nd in the directors' poll and 7th in the critics' poll in Sight & Sound's 2002 list of the greatest directors of all time.

[9A]

10 November 2018

Elisa Leonida Zamfirescu’s 131st Birthday



“The future of women in engineering is great,” declared a 1912 edition of Romania’s daily newspaper Minerva, reporting the news that “Miss Elisa Leonida passed the last final exam with great success, obtaining a Diploma in Engineering.”

On this day in 1887, Elisa Leonida Zamfirescu was born in the Romanian port city of Galați. After graduating with high marks from the Central School of Girls in Bucharest, she earned a baccalaureate from Mihai Viteazul High School. But when she applied to the School of Highways and Bridges, she was rejected because of her gender.

Undeterred, she applied to the Royal Technical Academy in Berlin, where one of the deans said she would be better off focusing on “Kirche, kinder, and kuche” [Church, children, and cooking]. She persisted in earning her degree in three years to become one of the first woman engineer in Europe.

Becoming the first female member of A.G.I.R. [General Association of Romanian Engineers], eventually running laboratories for the Geological Institute of Romania. Zamfirescu oversaw numerous Economic Studies analyzing Romania’s supply of natural resources like coal, shale, natural gas, chromium, bauxite and copper. She was known for paying special attention to the training of staff and spending long hours mentoring young chemists.

The mother of two daughters, she also taught physics and chemistry at the Pitar Moş School of Girls as well as at the School of Electricians and Mechanics in Bucharest. In 1993, her legacy was commemorated in Romania’s capital city by naming a street in her honor.

Happy Birthday, Elisa Leonida Zamfirescu!

[9A]

11 Nov 2018

Miriam Tlali’s 85th Birthday






Born in Doornfontein, Johannesburg on this day in 1933, Miriam Tlali was raised in Sophiatown, a black cultural hub that was demolished by the South African government in the 1950s, forcing residents to relocate to Soweto. Tlali was inspired to write by her experiences as a black woman in South Africa during the apartheid regime. She was also encouraged by the example of her father’s family, who owned a printing press in Lesotho and published a newspaper for many years.

Tlali was a gifted student but struggled to afford her education. Finding work as a bookkeeper and typist in a furniture store, she drew on her experiences to write the novel Muriel at Metropolitan, published in 1975. Although she was unhappy with the title [she intended her book to be called Between Two Worlds] and with the fact that her publisher deleted several chapters from her manuscript, the novel made history as Tlali became the first black South African woman to publish a novel.

Despite the fact that her first book was banned in South Africa, Tlali returned in 1980 with Amandla, which focused on a young activist named Pholoso, inspired by the example of Steve Biko to rally a youth movement against the racial divisions of the apartheid regime. Courageously speaking out against injustice made her a target of government-backed forces that harassed and arrested Tlali in an attempt to intimidate her. She would sometimes bury her manuscripts underground to avoid having them confiscated, but she never backed down.

Tlali helped establish Skotaville Press, which published her 1984 collection of stories and essays Mihotli. She was also co-founder of Staffrider, a black literary journal for which she wrote the column “Soweto Speaking.” Life in the black township was an ongoing interest for Tlali, who published a collection of short stories called Footprints in the Quag: Stories and Dialogues from Soweto in 1989, when she also worked as a visiting scholar at Yale University’s Southern African Research Program.

By the early 1990s apartheid legislation was repealed and South Africa had its first multiracial democratic elections in 1994. In 1995 Tlali was honoured by the South African government's Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology with a Literary Lifetime Achievement Award, and received the Order of Ikhamanga from the President of South Africa in 2008.

Happy Birthday, Miriam Tlali

[9A]

11 November 2014

Kemal Sunal's 70th Birthday






Today’s doodle in Turkey celebrates the 70th birthday of actor Kemal Sunal. A beloved comedian in his country, Sunal is best remembered for the four stock characters [the funny one, the naive kid, the rebel and the totally confused guy] he portrayed in his films.

[9A]

12 Nov 2014

Philae robotic lander lands on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko





It may be one small step for the Philae robotic lander, but it’s one giant leap for the rest of us! The European Space Agency just made history by landing one of its robots on a comet–and our homepage–after more than 10 years of travel. Philae is expected to provide the first images ever seen from a comet’s surface.

[9A]

12 November 2011

Hua Luogeng's 101st Birthday







Hua Luogeng was well known for two important contributions. One was his work on one of the greatest unsolved mathematical problems, known as Goldbach's Conjecture.... and yes, it is a little trickier than 1+1, though it involves prime numbers! [We celebrated one of his students, Chen Jungrun, in a previous doodle, who made significant progress on this problem].


Luogeng was also known for his methodology on achieving efficiency, known as "Overall Coordination." His analogy, taught to most schoolchildren, lays out the premise of wanting to drink tea when you don't yet have boiled water. The most optimized approach is that you first rinse and fill the kettle and place it on the burner. Meanwhile, you should wash the serving teapot, the tea cups, and prepare the tea leaves. When the water has boiled, you can immediately brew your tea. That's multi-tasking boiled down for you!

[9A]

2 November 2010

Dr Sun Yat-sen's Birthday






Sun Yat-senwas a Chinese statesman, physician, and political philosopher, who served as the provisional first president of the Republic of China and the first leader of the Kuomintang [Nationalist Party of China]. He is called the "Father of the Nation" in the Republic of China, and the "Forerunner of the Revolution" in the People's Republic of China for his instrumental role in the overthrow of the Qing dynasty during the Xinhai Revolution. Sun is unique among 20th-century Chinese leaders for being widely revered in both mainland China and Taiwan

[9A]

17 Oct 2018

Chiquinha Gonzaga’s 171st Birthday




Born on this day in Rio de Janeiro in, 1847, Francisca Edwiges Neves Gonzaga [famously known as Chiquinha Gonzaga] showed an affinity for music from childhood. Playing the piano by age 11, she studied music with the maestro Elias Álvares Lobo. When she was 16, her parents insisted she enter an arranged marriage, which ended after her husband insisted she devote herself either to him or to music. At a time when independent women faced major social pressure, Gonzaga sacrificed everything to follow her musical ambitions. She would go on to become the first female conductor in South America and one of the most important figures in Brazilian music history.

For a woman to make a living as a professional musician in nineteenth-century Brazil was unheard of, but Gonzaga persisted, composing 77 operettas and more than 2,000 songs. “Atraente,” published in 1881, may be her best-loved composition, ushering in a sound that would come to be known as “choro.” With her peerless piano skills and gift for improvisation, Gonzaga pioneered this upbeat blend of jazz, waltz, polka, and Afro-Brazilian beats.

On January 17, 1885, Gonzaga made her debut as a conductor with her piece, “Palhares Ribeiro, A Corte na Roça.” Despite the popularity of her music, Gonzaga faced resistance as a woman in a male-dominated business. Often performing with a group headed by her close friend, the flutist Joaquim Antônio da Silva Callado Jr., and including her son João Gualberto on clarinet, Gonzaga managed to thrive in the face of adversity, inspiring others to follow in her footsteps.

During the late 1880s Gonzaga threw her support behind the abolitionist movement, selling her sheet music to raise funds, she paid for the freedom of the enslaved musician Zé Flauta. Her 1899 Carnival march “O abre alas!” [Open Wings] was an homage to freedom. In 1917 she co-founded the artists’ rights society SBAT to ensure that songwriters received a fair share of income from their compositions.

Gonzaga’s legacy lives on as one of Brazil’s most celebrated musical legends. She broke down barriers and directly impacted the development of music in her homeland. Fittingly, Gonzaga’s birthday is now the official National Day of Brazilian Popular Music [Dia da Música Popular Brasileira].

Feliz aniversário Chiquinha Gonzaga!

[9A]

25 Nov 2010

Nikolay Pirogov's 200th Birthday



Nikolay Ivanovich Pirogov was a Russian scientist, medical doctor, pedagogue, public figure, and corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences [1847], one of the most widely recognized Russian physicians. Considered to be the founder of field surgery, he was the first surgeon to use anaesthesia in a field operation [1847] and one of the first surgeons in Europe to use ether as an anaesthetic. He is credited with invention of various kinds of surgical operations and developing his own technique of using plaster casts to treat fractured bones.

[9A]

25 November 2015

Asmahan’s 103rd Birthday





Amal al-Atrash, better known by her stage name, Asmahan, was one of the most acclaimed singers and actresses in Egypt during the 1930s and ‘40s. Known for her powerful voice, versatility, and commanding stage presence, she earned great fame at a time when society often frowned upon women entertainers. Her success helped pave the way for the female performers who came after her.

Sophie Diao’s animated Doodle honors Asmahan, paying tribute to her signature performing style and highlighting the intimate way she would look deeply into the camera and sing directly to her audience. Diao also captured Asmahan’s iconic, glamorous look, and used black and white coloring to simulate film grain from the time. If you look closely, you may be able to tell what Asmahan is saying [hint, it’s written on the homepage]. Today, for her 103rd birthday, we remember Asmahan for her legendary voice and historic career.

[9A]

26 Nov 2015

Verghese Kurien’s 94th Birthday





Verghese Kurien, known as the "Father of the White Revolution" in India, was a social entrepreneur whose "billion-litre idea", Operation Flood, made dairy farming India's largest self-sustaining industry and the largest rural employment sector providing a third of all rural income. It made India the world's largest milk producer, doubled the milk available for each person, and increased milk output four-fold in 30 years.

He pioneered the Anand model of dairy cooperatives and replicated it nationwide, based on various "top-down" and "bottom-up" approaches, where no milk from a farmer was refused and 70–80% of the price by consumers was paid in cash to dairy farmers who controlled the marketing, procurement, and processing of milk and milk products as the dairy's owners. An invention at Amul was the production of milk powder from buffalo milk instead of from cow milk, which was in short supply in India.

He also made India self-sufficient in edible oils and fought against the "oil kings", who used underhanded and violent methods to enforce their dominance over the oilseed industry.

[9A]

29 November 2019

María Ylagan Orosa's 126th Birthday




Today’s Doodle honors Filipino food scientist, war hero, and humanitarian María Ylagan Orosa, credited with over 700 recipes—including the iconic local condiment banana ketchup—on what would have been her 126th birthday.

Born in the municipality of Taal within the Batangas province, Orosa went on to become an outstanding student, winning a partial government scholarship in 1916 to attend the University of Seattle. While living in a YMCA and working odd jobs, Orosa completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in pharmaceutical chemistry, as well as an additional degree in food chemistry.

Orosa was then offered a position as an assistant chemist for the State of Washington before returning to the Philippines in 1922 to focus on addressing the problem of malnutrition in her homeland.

Orosa’s knowledge of chemistry led to numerous culinary innovations. For instance, by fitting a traditional earthenware pot with two sheets of metal, she invented the Palayok Oven, providing remote villages lacking access to electricity with a more effective means of cooking over an open fire.

Although adobo and lumpia are synonymous with Filipino cuisine, Orosa’s banana ketchup is not far behind. Using mashed bananas as a base instead of tomatoes, she made the sauce a long-lasting hit. Two other inventions made her a war hero: Soyalac [a nutrient rich drink derived from soya beans] and Darak [rice cookies packed with vitamin B-1, which could also prevent beriberi disease] saved countless lives during World War II.

In recognition of Orosa's contributions to Filipino society, the National Historical Institute installed a marker in her honor at the Bureau of Plant Industry in Manila in 1983.

Happy birthday, María Ylagan Orosa!

[9A]

30 Nov 2019

St Andrew's Day 2019



St. Andrew’s Day is a celebration of Scotland’s people, culture, and charity highlighted in today's Doodle, illustrated by Scotland-based guest artist Scott Balmer. The holiday marks the officially unofficial start of winter in Scotland.

As the religious feast day of St. Andrew, November 30th has been observed in Scotland for centuries. St. Andrew’s Day as a national holiday did not take shape until an unexpected connection to the USA in the 18th century.

In 1729, the Scottish residents of Charleston, South Carolina, formed the first St. Andrew’s Society as a charitable organization. Choosing the feast day of St. Andrew to celebrate their homeland, the news of their philanthropic efforts spread quickly. The members of the organization embodied the message of the holiday by giving back to those in need, and continue to do so around the world to this day.

Throughout the country, you’ll find the Saltire flag proudly flying, parades through city thoroughfares, fireworks, and lots of Cèilidh dances. Evolving from couples dances in rural villages, Cèilidh dances are meant to welcome all those who wish to join.

If you’re a Scot abroad, in the Highlands, or just Scottish at heart, get ready to dance the night away, and make sure to have some haggis before the night is over.

Happy St. Andrew’s Day!​

[9A]

27 April 2018

King's Day 2018






Happy Koningsdag, or King’s Day, to all Dutch people everywhere! Each year on April 27, Dutch families all through the country and around the world partake in commemorating the birthday of King Willem-Alexander.

Planning and preparation for the day is the responsibility of the Oranjecomité, or Orange Committees, sourced from local communities. These groups will plan concerts, parties and vrijmarkt, or flea markets, a longstanding tradition on King’s Day. While towns across the Netherlands will participate in the festivities, the largest events take place in the capital city of Amsterdam. Over a million visitors, decked in orange clothing [[and some with orange hair), flock to the city to celebrate in the streets and canals, and honor their country.

Today’s Doodle depicts the Dutch game of Koekhappen, traditionally played by children to celebrate King’s Day. Koekhappen involves a piece of soft sweet cake, such as gingerbread, tied to a string. The game begins as players either close their eyes or are blindfolded, the cake is held just above their heads and each must try to take bites of the cake without opening their eyes!

Doodle by Vrinda V Zaveri

[9A]

27 April 2016

King's Day 2016




For King’s Day, or Koningsdag, the Dutch come together to celebrate the birth of their current king, Willem-Alexander. Celebrants wear orange in honor of the royal family’s house color, making King’s Day one of the most vivid of the year.

On this day, the streets are flooded with decorations and orange-clad locals on their way to outdoor concerts and festivities. This is also the one day in which street sales are allowed without a permit, bringing sellers and shoppers out in droves for the flea markets that pop up everywhere.

This year’s doodle highlights the tompouce, a local cream-rich pastry commonly frosted in orange for the occasion. Ga Oranje!

[9A]

27 April 2016

Freedom Day 2016





This important day marks the time that South Africa broke long-standing boundaries created by apartheid with its first ever democratic election. On this historic occasion, citizens of all races and backgrounds could finally vote. Freedom Day has become a symbol of peace, unity, and the hard-earned freedom now enjoyed throughout the country.

This year’s doodle is a tribute to the post-apartheid generation, the bright future of South Africa.

[9A]

27 April 2014
South Africa Freedom Day

[9A]

27 April 2015

Freedom Day 2015

[9A]

27 April 2021

South Africa Freedom Day 2021





On this day in 1994, South Africa held its first post-apartheid elections, which granted citizens—regardless of their race—an equal opportunity to vote for their national leaders. Today’s Doodle honors this milestone anniversary, recognized annually as South Africa’s Freedom Day, with a depiction of the country’s national flower: the protea.

A symbol of South African identity and diversity, over 330 species of protea are found within national borders. The evolutionary origins of the protea trace back approximately 300 million years, making this ancient genus one of the oldest families of flowering plants found on Earth. Protea iconography is featured across South Africa, from passports to birth certificates, to the 5-rand coin and the name of the national cricket team: the Proteas.

Freedom Day honors all of the progress made since the historic 1994 elections, but today’s observances also remind South Africans of the ways they can continue to unify the great nation in the name of equality.

Happy Freedom Day, South Africa!

[9A]

4 May 2021

Geta Brătescu’s 95th birthday




Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Bucharest-based guest artist Irina Selaru, celebrates multidisciplinary Romanian artist Geta Brătescu on her 95th birthday. Credited as one of the first conceptual artists in Romania, Brătescu rose to international prominence with a series of exhibitions celebrating her prolific career in the 80s.

Georgeta Ann Comanescu was born on this day in 1926, north of the capital city of Bucharest in Ploiești, Romania. She worked as a children’s book illustrator in the 1950s, and later in the decade joined the Union of Fine Artists, a state organization through which she travelled the country to sketch Romanians in their everyday lives. A testament to her talent in design, in the early ‘60s she was named the artistic director of the prestigious literary magazine Secolul 20.

But it was in the studio that Brătescu created much of her best-known work across a variety of mediums, including drawing, photography, film, and collages of commonplace materials. She was known for tackling themes like the relationship between art and life with a characteristic dry humor, though she frequently resisted categorization of her work. In 1978, Brătescu opened up her space and process to the world in one of her most famous works, the meta black-and-white film, “Atelierul” [“The Studio”].


In 2017, at the twilight of her seven-decade-long career, Brătescu was given the honor to represent Romania at the prestigious Venice Biennale, and in the same year she was awarded the Ordinul Naţional “Steaua României” [National Order of the “Star of Romania”], the country’s highest civilian honor.


Here’s to an artist who refused to color within the lines–happy birthday, Geta Brătescu!

[9A]

11 May 2021

Go Tik Swan's 90th birthday






Today’s Doodle celebrates Indonesian artist Go Tik Swan, a contemporary master of the ancient art form of designing fabric with hot wax known as batik.

Go Tik Swan was born on this day in 1931 in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia. He came of age frequenting his grandfather’s batik workshops, where he absorbed Javanese cultural knowledge from local craftspeople. Fascinated by his ancestry, Swan further explored his heritage by studying Javanese literature and dance at the University of Indonesia.

It was during one of his college dance performances that Indonesia’s president caught wind of Swan’s family background in batik manufacturing and commissioned him to create a new batik style; one that he believed could transcend division and unite the Indonesian people. In the 1950s, Swan fulfilled the president’s request by combining regional batik techniques to introduce “Batik Indonesia.”

Swan held such high reverence for his craft that he considered each piece of batik to carry philosophical meaning, even developing a motif in the 70s entitled Kembang Bangah [“Rotten Flowers''] as a love letter to his national identity. An expert in Javanese culture, he was also a master of kris [an ancient Javanese ceremonial dagger tradition] and a skilled player of gamelan [a popular orchestral form of traditional Indonesian music]. He gave back so much to his heritage, the Surakarta government honored him with the noble title of Panembahan Hardjonegoro.


Happy birthday, Go Tik Swan!

[9A]

11 May 2020

Celebrating Tomris Uyar






Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Istanbul-based guest artist Merve Atılgan, celebrates the prolific Turkish short story writer and translator Tomris Uyar. A leading figure in 1970s Turkish literature, Uyar was known for her realist style that often focused on the authentic depiction of female characters and family dynamics. On this day in 1980 and 1987, Uyar was honored with one of Turkish literature's most esteemed awards for short stories, the Sait Faik Story Award.

Born in Istanbul on March 15, 1941, Uyar grew up attending American schools, and her access to English-language short fiction and Turkey’s contemporary literature served as a strong inspiration for the future writer.

Beginning her career as a translator, Uyar continued in the craft for the rest of her life, tackling avant-garde English fiction, and in the process developing a rare mastery of the intricacies of the Turkish language.

As a writer, she devoted herself to short fiction with a bit of support from her cats. Whenever one entered the room, she credited the felines for stimulating her writing process. These “inspiration cats,” referenced in the Doodle artwork, helped her to publish over 900 pages across 11 volumes of her stories throughout her career.

Amongst her greatest influences was Turkish writer Sait Faik, known for narrating evocative human stories unconstrained by form or plot. Drawing from influences like Faik, Uyar’s work pushed the boundaries of the form, employing postmodern techniques in the exploration of the lives of ordinary people, particularly from a female perspective. Over the years, her writing progressed to a caliber that positioned her to receive the aforementioned Sait Faik Story Award twice, a prize created in honor of the writer that had such a profound impact on Uyar and her narratives.

In current times, Uyar’s writing has been published in over 60 languages and is enjoyed by readers around the world to this day.

[9A]

25 May 2020

Kazi Nazrul Islam’s 121st birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates Bengali poet, musician, writer, and activist Kazi Nazrul Islam on his 121st birthday. A prominent voice of the Indian independence movement, Nazrul was a fierce advocate for religious tolerance, freedom, and the fight against injustice, earning him the nickname “Bidrohi Kobi” [“Rebel Poet”].

Kazi Nazrul Islam was born on this day in 1899 in what is today the Bardhaman district of the Indian state of West Bengal, and as a youth, he developed an interest in poetry and literature through his involvement with his uncle’s traveling theater group. After several years in the British Indian Army during World War I, Nazrul moved to Kolkata and in 1922 published his now-famous revolutionary poem “Bidrohi” [“The Rebel”], which was marked by a vehement stance against colonialism and global oppression and inspired today’s Doodle artwork.

Nazrul’s subversive writing—much of which he published in his own magazine, Dhumketu [The Comet]—resulted in frequent imprisonment, which in turn inspired one of his most well-known works, “Rajbondir Jobanbondi'' [''The Deposition of a Political Prisoner,” 1923]. He used his platform to combat bigotry in all its forms, and through his poetry supported the equality of women at a time when few of his peers were willing to do the same. Not to be confined to the written word, Nazrul also wrote some 4,000 songs, which brought him national popularity and spawned an entirely new genre called Nazrul Geeti [Music of Nazrul].

For his incredible literary contributions, Nazrul was named the national poet of Bangladesh in 1972.

[9A]

21 December 2018

Connie Mark’s 95th Birthday






Today’s Doodle honors the life and legacy of trailblazer Connie Mark, who served in the women’s branch of the British army in Jamaica during World War II. Later moving from her native Jamaica to England, she became a community activist, promoting Caribbean culture and ensuring that the women and people of color who contributed to the war effort received equal recognition.

Connie Mark was born Constance Winifred McDonald in Kingston, Jamaica on this day in 1923. While her family tree included ancestors from Scotland, Calcutta, and Lebanon, Mark also had roots in Africa and grew up speaking Jamaican Patois [also known as Jamaican Creole] with roots in the Ghanaian language Twi.

At age 19, Mark was recruited to work in the British Military Hospital of Kingston as a medical secretary, typing reports of battle injuries. Although she was promoted twice during her service spanning a decade, Mark was denied the usual pay raise for unknown reasons. Due to this, she became an unwavering advocate for fair pay and continued advocating for proper recognition of Caribbean servicewomen throughout her life.

After settling in Britain in the 1950s, Mark became even more passionate about Caribbean culture and joined several charitable and educational projects. She organized community events, using oral history and poetry to instill pride in the youth of Caribbean and African descent.

At the age of 68, Mark received the British Empire Medal, and two years later was given a Member of the British Empire [MBE] award in recognition of a lifetime of public service.

Here’s to Connie Mark on what would have been her 95th birthday.

[9A]

22 Dec 2018

Teresa Carreño’s 165th Birthday





Born in Caracas on this day in 1853, María Teresa Carreño García de Sena grew up in a musical family. Her father, a government minister descended from a distinguished composer, taught her to play piano at age six. By the time she was eight, her family moved to New York City, where Teresa began studying with the composer Louis Moreau Gottschalk, who was so impressed by her talents that he volunteered to teach her. She soon progressed to public performances. One 1862 review hailed her as a “musical phenomenon,” adding that it was “difficult to believe that it was the performance of a child.”

Carreño was nine years old when she performed for President Abraham Lincoln in the White House during the fall of 1863. ”The President and his family received us so informally,” she wrote in a letter. “They were all so very nice to me that I almost forgot to be cranky under the spell of their friendly welcome. My self-consciousness all returned, however, when Mrs. Lincoln asked me if I would like to try the White House grand piano.”

Carreno went on to study in Paris with distinguished teachers like Georges Mathias and Anton Rubenstein. She composed approximately 75 works—including the ‘Himno a Bolívar’ written in honor of national hero Simón Bolívar at the request of the Venezuelan government. Well known to all Venezuelans, this patriotic song is as familiar as the national anthem.

Her name also lives on via Miami’s nonprofit Teresa Carreño International Piano Competition, recognizing and encouraging artistry in young players.

Happy Birthday, Teresa Carreño!

[9A]

11 Jan 2019

Evelyn Dove’s 117th Birthday






Today’s Doodle celebrates the life and legacy of British star Evelyn Dove, a classically trained singer, pianist, and actress known for her powerful vocals and glamorous image. Dove became the first black singer on BBC Radio, opening doors for women of color in the entertainment industry.

Born in London on this day in 1902, Dove was the daughter of Francis Dove, a successful attorney and businessman from Sierra Leone and his English wife Augusta. Drawn to the performing arts, Evelyn studied voice, piano, and elocution at the Royal Academy of Music, graduating with a silver medal in 1919. Despite her outstanding contralto voice, she found it difficult to break into the classical music scene as a woman of mixed race, so she performed at cabaret and jazz shows all over London. She also became a member of the Southern Syncopated Orchestra, an ensemble featuring West Indian and African musicians that were invited to perform at Buckingham Palace.

Through the mid-1920s, Dove sang with Black jazz revues like the Chocolate Kiddies, gaining worldwide exposure. She performed in around the globe from Russia to Harlem and Bombay, and even replaced Josephine Baker at the Casino de Paris.

Starting in 1939, Dove recorded BBC radio’s Serenade in Sepia along with Trinidadian folk singer Edric Connor. The series went on for a decade, eventually becoming a popular TV show. She later starred in a 1958 West End production of Langston Hughes's Simply Heavenly.

Happy Birthday, Evelyn Dove!

[9A]

11 January 2016

Alice Paul’s 131st Birthday






“I never doubted that equal rights was the right direction. Most reforms, most problems are complicated. But to me there is nothing complicated about ordinary equality.” -- Alice Paul

When the 19th Amendment to the Constitution became law in August of 1920, women finally won the right to vote after a very long fight. Many suffragists played vital roles in this victory, but none more so than Alice Paul. Paul first made a name for herself by organizing a successful women’s suffrage parade the day before Woodrow Wilson’s first inauguration. Paul thought that public demonstrations were the smartest ways to achieve voting rights. That belief put her at odds with the National American Woman Suffrage Association, so she founded her own organization, the National Women’s Party.

Paul’s group organized daily protests in front of the White House [marking the first time anyone demonstrated there]. Police arrested the protestors on a made up charge, and Paul was one of the women to be sent to jail. While in jail she and the other women were treated horribly. Journalists wrote about the mistreatment, people became outraged, and the suffragists gained public support. A short while later President Woodrow Wilson declared his support for a constitutional amendment that would finally give women the right to vote. It would take another couple of years for the amendment to become the law, but his support marked a crucial turning point. Alice Paul dedicated the rest of her life to fighting for the equality of women, authoring the very first version of the Equal Rights Amendment and working the rest of her life towards its passage.

Today, on what would have been her 131st birthday, we salute Alice Paul with a Doodle that pays tribute to her pivotal role in the fight for women’s suffrage and her unyielding dedication to women’s rights.

[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" 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]

3 April 2020

Lola Álvarez Bravo’s 117th Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates one of Mexico’s first professional female photographers, Lola Álvarez Bravo, on her 117th birthday. Known for her portraits of public figures, as well as street photography chronicling decades of Mexican life, she is considered one of the country’s pioneers of modernist photography.

Born Dolores Martinez de Anda in Jalisco, Mexico, on this day in 1903, the future photographer moved to Mexico City as a child. It was from her neighbor, Manuel Bravo, that she first learned the basics of photography, including developing photos in the darkroom. The pair married in 1925, and both went on to achieve enormous acclaim for their work.

Álvarez Bravo became a central figure in Mexico’s post-revolution cultural renaissance, and among her most internationally-renowned photographs were those taken in the mid-1940s of her friend, and one of the country’s most iconic artists, the painter Frida Kahlo. Through her photojournalistic lens, Álvarez Bravo captured scenes of everyday Mexican life, from local traditions to outdoor barbershops, portraying the depth and breadth of the country’s culture across a career spanning more than half a century.

In 1981, Álvarez Bravo’s home state of Jalisco awarded her a medal of distinction for her contribution to the arts, and four years later, a plaque was installed in her honor in Guadalajara’s historic Degollada Theater.

¡Feliz cumpleaños, Lola Álvarez Bravo! Thank you for capturing Mexico from the ground up.

[9A]

4 Apr 2020

Celebrating Hashim Khan





Today’s Doodle celebrates legendary Pakistani squash player Hashim Khan, widely revered as one of the sport’s all-time greatest players. On this day in 1951, Khan won the British Open Squash Championships propelling him from relative obscurity to the status of an international icon.

Born in 1914, Khan was raised in Peshawar, a small village in what was then India. His father worked at a British officers’ club with squash courts where Khan apprenticed as a ballboy. Learning the ropes of the sport while on his off-hours, Khan played barefoot on the club’s rough brick courts—an early testament to his tenacity. By age 28, Khan became a squash pro and soon after, a national champion of the sport. After winning three All-of-India titles, the newly independent government of Pakistan drafted him to represent the country at the 1951 British Open.

Khan dominated during his first appearance at the British Open, considered squash’s world championship at the time, and went on to take home the grand prize. He returned to Pakistan a national hero with a million people greeting him upon his arrival. This monumental victory became the first hurrah of the Khan family’s squash dynasty. Over the next 46 years, the tournament was won 29 times by either Khan or one of his relatives, including renowned players Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan. Establishing a career that earned him a spot in the U.S. Squash Hall of Fame, Khan won seven British Opens, five British Professional Championships, three U.S. Opens, and three Canadian Opens.

Thank you, Hashim Khan, for proving that through hard work and determination, people from every background can achieve greatness.

[9A]

12 April 2019

100th Anniversary of Bauhaus





Both a school for the arts and a school of thought, the Bauhaus was founded by architect Walter Gropius exactly 100 years ago in Weimar, Germany, gathering many of Europe’s most brilliant artists and designers with the aim of training a new generation of creatives to reinvent the world. Today’s animated Doodle celebrates the legacy of this institution and the worldwide movement it began, which transformed the arts by applying the principle “form follows function.”

Gropius envisioned the Bauhaus—whose name means “house of building”—as a merger of craftsmanship, the “fine” arts, and modern technology. His iconic Bauhaus Building in Dessau was a forerunner of the influential “International Style,” but the impact of the Bauhaus’s ideas and practices reached far beyond architecture. Students of the Bauhaus received interdisciplinary instruction in carpentry, metal, pottery, stained glass, wall painting, weaving, graphics, and typography, learning to infuse even the simplest functional objects [like the ones seen in today's Doodle] with the highest artistic aspirations.

Steering away from luxury and toward industrial mass production, the Bauhaus attracted a stellar faculty including painters Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee, photographer and sculptor László Moholy-Nagy, graphic designer Herbert Bayer, industrial designer Marianne Brandt, and Marcel Breuer, whose Model B3 tubular chair changed furniture design forever.

Though the Bauhaus officially disbanded on August 10, 1933, its students returned to 29 countries, founding the New Bauhaus in Chicago, Black Mountain College in North Carolina, and White City in Tel Aviv. Bauhaus affiliates also took leadership positions at the Illinois Institute of Technology, the Harvard School of Architecture, and the Museum of Modern Art. Through all of these institutions, and the work created in their spirit, the ideas of the Bauhaus live on.

Happy 100th anniversary, Bauhaus!

[9A]

12 April 2011

50th Anniversary of the First Man in Space





Yuri Gagarin made headlines and history as the first man to launch into space back in 1961. This doodle was a particularly fun project because it allowed me to research everything from mid-century toy packaging to vintage space-race posters. Together with one or our engineers, we made the Vostok spacecraft launch when users roll over the doodle.

[9A]

13 Apr 2011

240th Birthday of Richard Trevithick





Richard Trevithick was a British inventor and mining engineer from Cornwall, UK. The son of a mining captain, and born in the mining heartland of Cornwall, Trevithick was immersed in mining and engineering from an early age. He was an early pioneer of steam-powered road and rail transport, and his most significant contributions were the development of the first high-pressure steam engine and the first working railway steam locomotive. The world's first locomotive-hauled railway journey took place on 21 February 1804, when Trevithick's unnamed steam locomotive hauled a train along the tramway of the Penydarren Ironworks, in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.

[9A]

13 April 2013

Songkran Festival 2013






The Songkran celebration is rich with symbolic traditions. Mornings begin with merit-making. Visiting local temples and offering food to the Buddhist monks is commonly practiced. On this specific occasion, performing water pouring on Buddha statues and the young and elderly is a traditional ritual, representing purification and the washing away of one's sins and bad luck. As a festival of unity, people who have moved away usually return home to their loved ones and elders. Paying reverence to ancestors is an important part of Songkran tradition.

The holiday is known for its water festival. Major streets are closed to traffic, and are used as arenas for water fights. Celebrants, young and old, participate in this tradition by splashing water on each other. Traditional parades are held and in some venues "Lady Songkran" or "Miss Songkran" is crowned where contestants are clothed in traditional Thai dress.

[9A]

13 April 2018

Songkran 2018




Songkran Day is one of the most significant holidays in Thailand. Typically celebrated between April 13th and 15th, it marks the beginning of the Thai New Year. There are many ways to celebrate Songkran Day, but most involve getting very, very wet. Water fights erupt throughout Thai streets, sparing no bystanders.

Today's Doodle depicts traditional bowls of water infused with flower petals, which are used by participants during various traditions, such as the pouring of water by younger generations into the hands of elders as a sign of respect. Several special guests even peek from under the surface to take part in the day's festivities.


Happy Songkran, 2018!

[9A]

24 March 2020

Celebrating Banh Mi






Today’s Doodle celebrates the savory and satisfying Vietnamese street-food sandwich known as bánh mì, a smorgasbord of flavors that represents a true melting pot of cultures and ingredients alike. On this day in 2011, bánh mì was admitted into the Oxford English Dictionary.

Some accounts posit bánh mì’s humble beginnings in the late 1950s street stalls of Saigon’s noisy alleys, but an official origin story is yet to be verified. What is universally accepted about bánh mi’s history: its French inspiration, the staple baguette sandwich.

A traditional bánh mì consists of crispy and airy bread packed with a meat of choice [such as pork pâté, giò lụa, Vietnamese cold cuts, or meatballs], sweet, crunchy veggies and herb] [pickled radishes, carrots, and cilantro], a spread of mayonnaise or margarine, and savory soy sauce, finally topped with chili sauce or peppers. Voilà! By replacing European flavors with Vietnamese ingredients, a tangy and sweet while simultaneously spicy and salty takeaway food was born.

In current times, one can find countless spin-offs of the sandwich in street stands, markets, and restaurants across the world, from New York, to Seoul, to Saigon. Koreans often enjoy bánh mì’s stuffed with their signature bulgogi [barbeque beef] and kimchi. In the U.S., many popular recipes have traded the baguette with a brioche bun to create a miniaturized version: bánh mì sliders.

No matter the variation, you can relish the taste of cultures coming together!

[9A]

26 Mar 2020

Bangladesh Independence Day 2020





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

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

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

Happy Independence Day, Bangladesh!

[9A]

31 March 2015

126th Anniversary of the public opening of the Eiffel Tower





On this day 126 years ago, construction of the Eiffel Tower came to an end–marking the arrival of one of the most famous and recognized landmarks on the planet. Guest doodler Floriane Marchix depicts this anniversary on our homepage today.

The Eiffel Tower is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.

Locally nicknamed "La dame de fer" [French for "Iron Lady"], it was constructed from 1887 to 1889 as the entrance to the 1889 World's Fair and was initially criticised by some of France's leading artists and intellectuals for its design, but it has become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognisable structures in the world. The Eiffel Tower is the most-visited paid monument in the world; 6.91 million people ascended it in 2015.

[9A]

6 Apr 2015

Leonora Carrington’s 98th birthday






For surrealist artist Leonora Carrington’s 98th Birthday, our doodle is based off her painting “How Doth the Little Crocodile.”

[9A]

4 Apr 2017

Chu Ming Silveira’s 76th Birthday





“Hello? Can you hear me?” In Brazil’s phone booths before 1971, the answer was usually, “No.” Chu Ming Silveira, an architect, answered her country’s call to design a better payphone booth. Durable yet lightweight, and inexpensive to manufacture, install, and maintain, her Orelhão has become one of the country’s most recognizable and beloved pieces of “street furniture.”

Orelhão, which is Portuguese for “big ear,” shelter callers from Brazil’s baking sun and torrential downpours, as well as a wide range of temperatures. Best of all? Callers can actually hear the person on the other end of the line. Chu Ming drew her inspiration from the shape of an egg, which provides excellent acoustics and has a pleasing natural form.

There are more than 52,000 Orelhão in Brazil today, and adaptations of Chu Ming’s design can be found in Peru, Colombia, Angola, Mozambique, and China.

Today’s Doodle pays tribute to Chu Ming’s creativity and innovation on what would have been her 76th birthday.

Doodle by Pedro Vergani

[9A]

4 April 2016

Cazuza’s 58th birthday






Like so many great rock musicians, Agenor Miranda Araújo Neto, better known as Cazuza, began his career rattling the walls of neighborhood garages. A native of Rio de Janeiro, he fell in with the fledgling rock group Barão Vermelho when a friend urged him to audition for their open lead vocalist position. After landing a song on the soundtrack for a local film, the group played at the first ever Rock in Rio music festival, and their popularity soared.

After four years with the band, Cazuza embarked on an enormously successful solo career. His music and profound lyrics were a testament to his travels in the UK and his brushes with Beat poetry in San Francisco. In 1988, Cazuza’s health declined, and in 1989 he announced that he had been living with AIDS. He continued to compose and perform despite the illness. Through his openness, charm, and advocacy, Cazuza helped ease the stigmas surrounding the LGBT and HIV-positive communities in Brazil. When he died in July of 1990, thousands lined the streets of Rio for his funeral procession.

To honor the late singer’s musical career, Doodler Helene Leroux sketched the rocker on stage in his iconic and ever-present bandana.

[9A]

13 Apr 2016

Songkran Festival 2016






Songkran Day is one of the most significant holidays in Thailand. Typically celebrated between April 13th and 15th, it marks the beginning of the Thai New Year. There are many ways to celebrate Songkran Day, but most involve getting very, very wet. Water fights erupt throughout Thai streets, sparing no bystanders. As you can see from the Doodle, even a classic Thai TukTuk can’t guarantee a dry ride. We’re delighted to join in celebrating Thailand, the New Year, and this wonderful tradition—now can we please borrow a change of dry clothes?

[9A]

22 Apr 2020

Earth Day 2020





See what all the buzz is about in today’s interactive Earth Day Doodle, made in collaboration with The Honeybee Conservancy based in New York! Guide your bee to pollinate flowers while learning fun facts about bees and our planet that they help to sustain.

[9A]

28 Jan 2016

Hidetsugu Yagi’s 130th Birthday



Today we celebrate Hidetsugu Yagi's 130th birthday, and thank him for keeping our television and radio signal coming in loud and clear. Because of the Yagi antenna, radios and televisions can receive stronger signals from a specific direction, which helps avoid interference from surrounding signals.
Hidetsugu Yagi was a Japanese electrical engineer. He and his colleague Shintaro Uda developed and spread the technology for this antenna together, which is why the full name is the Yagi-Uda antenna.

Their invention was patented in 1926 and is used today on millions of houses throughout the world for radio and television reception. If you look outside, you can probably see one or two of these right in your neighborhood—maybe even on your own roof!

Below, you can see Doodler Alyssa Winans' early sketch animations of how quickly, and broadly, Yagi and Uda's new technology was adopted.