Google doodles

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November 11, 2021

Débora Arango's 114th Birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates pioneering Colombian artist Débora Arango. Her self-described expressionist paintings blended a personal figurative style with techniques borrowed from early 20th-century Mexican muralism to challenge social injustice. Although it first met great controversy, Arango’s work revolutionized the perception of Colombian women’s roles in society and represents a key milestone in the nation’s art history.

Débora Arango was born on this day in 1904 in Medellín, Colombia. Arango was encouraged by her mother to become a painter. She first exhibited her work at a 1939 competition for professional artists in Medellín—the first-ever selection by a woman to include nude paintings. Her work was awarded first place, sparking widespread outrage due to her exhibition’s scandalous nature that rebelled against the status quo.

The broad, defined brushstrokes Arango employed in her paintings were as bold as her subject matter. Her work presented an unfiltered depiction of Medellín from the 1940s to the 1960s, illustrating an era rife with political turmoil, gender discrimination, and social injustice. Overcoming decades of censorship both at home and abroad, Arango was finally able to exhibit 100 paintings in Medellín in 1975.

Arango’s boundary-breaking career was recognized with several distinguished awards later in her life, including the Order of Bocaya—Colombia’s highest civilian honor. Today, Colombians exchange 2,000 peso bills emblazoned with her portrait, and the Medellín Museum of Modern Art displays a permanent collection of Arango’s paintings, which serve as a potent time capsule of Colombian history.

Happy birthday, Débora Arango!

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November 11, 2012

Roberto Matta's 101st Birthday




Roberto Sebastián Antonio Matta Echaurren, better known as Roberto Matta, was one of Chile's best-known painters and a seminal figure in 20th century abstract expressionist and surrealist art.

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Nov 19, 2013

Helena Zmatlíková's 90th Birthday





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

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December 2, 2013

Maria Callas' 90th Birthday



Maria Callas Commendatore was an American-born Greek soprano who was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her bel canto technique, wide-ranging voice and dramatic interpretations. Her repertoire ranged from classical opera seria to the bel canto operas of Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini and, further, to the works of Verdi and Puccini; and, in her early career, to the music dramas of Wagner. Her musical and dramatic talents led to her being hailed as La Divina ["the Divine one"].

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December 2, 2017

Ratiba El-Hefny’s 86th Birthday




In the year 1961, for an admission price of six piaster, Cairo’s Khedivial Opera House opened its doors to the general public for a very special performance — Franz Lehár’s ‘The Merry Widow,’ translated into Arabic and performed by famed Arab soprano, Ratiba El-Hefny. It was the first time that the world of opera opened up to every Egyptian. The performance also propelled Ratiba El-Hefny to a career that spanned more than 500 operatic performances, winning her fame and recognition at home and abroad.

El-Hefny learned to play piano at a very young age, achieving professional proficiency. She was also adept at traditional instruments such as the qanun and the oud. Her fluency in classical and Arabic music led to operatic performances in Egypt and across Europe. German lieds were another speciality.

El-Hefny held several senior influential positions, including the Dean of the Higher Institute of Arabic Music for almost a decade. Her special passion was opening up the world of music to children, and to this end she encouraged the Cairo Opera Children’s Choir and Oum Koulthum Ensemble for Arabic Music.

On what would have been El-Hefny’s 86th birthday, today’s Doodle showcases her love for the piano, her encouragement of young musical talent, and her excellence in Arabic and classical music.

[9A]

May 28, 2021

Celebrating Carolina Beatriz Ângelo



Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Belgium-based guest artist Fatinha Ramos, celebrates Portuguese physician and activist Carolina Beatriz Ângelo, who dedicated her life to the fight for the equal treatment of women and children. On this day in 1911, Ângelo found a loophole in Portuguese law that enabled her to cast her vote in the year’s elections of the Constituent Assembly, becoming the first female voter in the history of Portugal.

Born in Guarda, Portugal, on April 6, 1878, Carolina Beatriz Ângelo went on to receive her doctorate with a specialization in gynecology at the Lisbon Medical-Surgical School. Earnest and determined, she became the first woman to perform surgery at Lisbon’s São José Hospital, breaking down gender barriers with each cut and stitch. The impact of her historic accomplishments was not limited to just the operating room.

In 1906, she worked alongside the Portuguese Committee of the French Association, the first of many groups Ângelo collaborated with to help build a better Portugal. The following year, Ângelo joined forces with the Portuguese Group of Feminist Studies, where she worked closely with renowned figures of the nation’s burgeoning movement for gender equality. Her efforts to improve society peaked in 1911 when she founded the Portuguese Association of Feminist Propaganda, a key force in the fight for rights of Portuguese women and children.

That same year, Ângelo became the first woman to vote in the Portuguese parliamentary election. Although women’s suffrage wasn’t granted in Portugal until decades later, Ângelo’s formidable legacy of advocating for equality is felt at Portuguese ballot boxes to this day.

Thank you, Carolina Beatriz Ângelo, for the great strides you’ve made for a more equitable future.

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September 16, 2020

Mexico Independence Day 2020



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

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

iFeliz Día de la Independencia, México!

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September 16, 2019

Respect For The Aged Day 2019




Today’s Doodle celebrates Japan’s Respect for the Aged Day, also known as Keiro no Hi. Starting in a small village in Hyōgo Prefecture, it was conceived as a time to be kind to seniors and ask for their wisdom and advice about ways to improve life in the village. By 1966, it had become a national holiday to pay respect to elders on the third week of September and is now celebrated all across Japan.

Starting in 2003, the holiday was moved to the third Monday in September. The resulting long weekend allows working people time to visit their parents and grandparents. Those who cannot return home in person often call or write. Some volunteers deliver food to homebound elders, and other communities organize special shows known as keirokai, where young people entertain an aged audience.

Japanese people tend to be very long-lived, with elderly residents making up over 26 percent of the total population. Many Japanese people wear red on their 60th birthday, because according to tradition, age 60 marks a new beginning to be a child once again.

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Sep 16, 2019

Lupicínio Rodrigues’ 105th Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates Brazilian composer and singer Lupicínio Rodrigues, whose sentimental songs made his name synonymous with the musical genre samba-canção, also known as samba triste or “sad samba.” Born on this day in 1914 in the city of Porto Allegre, Rodrigues was a master of dor-de-cotovelo music—which literally translates as “elbow pain music,” or songs that express heartache.

Raised in a family of modest means, Rodrigues lived in the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, but his dramatic songs were spread far and wide by sailors visiting his hometown, a popular cruise ship port. “Carnaval,” one of his first compositions, won a contest when he was just 14 years old.

Starting in the 1940s and ’50s, his work was recorded by the most popular vocalists in Brazil, including Francisco Alves, Orlando Silva, Linda Batista, Nora Ney, Elza Soares, Gilberto Gil, and Jamelão—who eventually recorded an entire album of his compositions.

Asked about the inspiration for his tales of jealousy, betrayal, and lost love, Rodrigues answered, “my life.” A family memoir quoted him as saying, "I've been suffering a lot at the hands of women, because I'm so sentimental, but I've also made fortunes from what they do to me.”

In honor of his 80th birthday, his home state of Rio Grande do Sul announced the Lupicínio Rodrigues Cultural Year, a fitting tribute to the composer’s enduring artistry, full of pathos and passion.

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September 16, 2017

Emilia Pardo Bazán’s 166th Birthday



A 19th-century novelist, professor, and women’s rights activist, Emilia Pardo Bazán was a trailblazer in more ways than one. Born in A Coruña, Spain to a family who believed in the power of education, she took an early interest in literature – and her academic pursuits didn’t stop there. Despite women being forbidden to study science and philosophy, Pardo Bazán became well versed in both by seeking out information on her own.

She went on to write a number of novels, short stories, and essays, winning her first literary prize in 1876. Her affinity for science also came through in her writing, where her reality-driven descriptions introduced the naturalist movement to Spain. Her signature style was on full display in her two most famous novels, Los pazos de Ulloa [1886] and La madre naturaleza [1887]. In her published works and beyond, Pardo Bazán endlessly championed women’s rights. She also taught at the University of Madrid, where she became the first woman to occupy a chair of literature.

Inspired by the statue of Pardo Bazán that stands in her hometown, today’s Doodle pays tribute to the prolific author on what would’ve been her 166th birthday.

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February 10, 2021

Boris Pasternak's 131st Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates renowned Russian writer, poet, musician, and translator Boris Pasternak, who understood the potential of the written word and used the medium to make an impact still felt today.

Born in Moscow on this day in 1890, Boris Leonidovich Pasternak was raised in a household bursting with artistic influence. The son of a painter and a concert pianist, he dabbled in drawing and dedicated years to music composition, but ultimately, Pasternak departed from his family’s legacy in the pursuit of literary greatness.

Pasternak first earned acclaim with his 1922 book “Sestra moya zhizn” [“My Sister Life”], a cycle of poems exploring love and life. As his oeuvre grew, so did his reputation, and he became so popular that oftentimes when he paused during poetry readings, audiences would shout out the words to complete his sentences.

Towards the end of his poetic career, Pasternak plotted to smuggle an 800-page manuscript entitled Doctor Zhivago out of the USSR. A semi-autobiographical story about the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, Doctor Zhivago was first published in Italy in 1957 and was quickly banned by the Soviet Union for its message of personal liberty. Despite the censorship, the epic novel became an international best-seller and led to Pasternak winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1958. These days, it is essential reading in many Russian high schools.

Happy birthday to a literary giant, Boris Pasternak!

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September 19, 2019

Tin Tan’s 104th Birthday





The exact origins of the Mexican-American term “Pachuco” are hard to pin down, but one of the most famous Pachucos in history would have to be Tin Tan. Today’s animated Doodle celebrates the actor, singer, and comedian who got his start in the nightclubs of Ciudad Juarez, just south of the Rio Grande, and went on to redefine a misunderstood youth culture.

Born in Mexico City on this day in 1915, Germán Genaro Cipriano Gómez Valdés de Castillo, also known as Tin Tan, helped to popularize the Mexican-American Pachuco. Known for their streetwise swagger and “zoot suits,” Tin Tan’s Pachuco characters were a variation on the “tramp” often portrayed by Mexican film actor Cantinflas. Often accompanied by Marcelo Chávez on guitar, Tin Tan appeared alongside the actress Famie Kaufman, also known as Vitola, though legend has it that he kissed more leading ladies than any actor in history.

His performance in films like the musical comedy Calabacitas Tiernas helped popularize the dialect known as caló, a mixture of Spanish and English spoken along the border. Besides appearing in more than 100 films, Tin Tan also recorded 11 records and voiced beloved Disney characters like Baloo in The Jungle Book and Cat O'Malley in The Aristocats.

Though he reportedly turned down The Beatles’ invitation to appear on the cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Tin Tan was honored by the Asociación de Actores de México. His legacy lives on in a statue on Génova Street in Mexico City’s Zona Rosa, standing as a symbol of pride in Mexico’s cultural heritage.

Feliz Cumpleaños, Tin Tan!

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Sep 30, 2019

Harry Jerome’s 79th Birthday




“Never give up” was a fitting motto for Harry Jerome, the Canadian athlete who broke barriers as he broke records. Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Toronto-based guest artist Moya Garrison-Msingwana, depicts the statue of Jerome that stands in Vancouver’s Stanley Park. That city also hosts the annual Harry Jerome International Track Classic, a meet named in honor of the champion sprinter.

Born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan on this day in 1940, Harry Winston Jerome broke a Canadian record for the 220-yard sprint at age 18, soon earning an athletic scholarship to the University of Oregon. His grandfather John “Army” Howard had been the first black athlete to represent Canada in the Olympics. Jerome and his younger sister Valerie both carried on the family legacy, traveling to Rome to compete in the 1960 Olympic Games.

Although a pulled muscle prevented him from running in the finals, Jerome went on to represent Canada at two more Olympic Games, winning the bronze medal in 1964. He also won gold medals in the Pan American Games and Commonwealth Games. Starting in 1960, Jerome would equal or break four world sprinting records over the course of his career.

In 1969 Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau invited Jerome to help set up Canada’s Ministry of Sport. He was awarded the prestigious Order of Canada in 1971 and later named British Columbia’s Athlete of the Century. Inspiring young athletes of color to pursue their dreams and achieve their fullest potential, Jerome traveled across Canada holding sports clinics for high school students.

His life inspired the documentary film Mighty Jerome and his legacy is celebrated each year with the Harry Jerome Awards, which recognize excellence in Canada’s black community.

Here's to a champion who never gave up.

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Oct 1, 2019

Julio Jaramillo’s 84th Birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates the life and music of Ecuadorian singer Julio Jaramillo, also known as El Ruiseñor de América, or “The Nightingale of the Americas.” Born to a working-class family in the bustling port city of Guayaquil on this day in 1935, Jaramillo grew up to become an international star who toured Latin America singing boleros, tangos, rancheras, and pasillos––the sentimental love songs that are often considered Ecuador’s national musical genre.

Jaramillo fell in love with music early, learning to play guitar as a youngster. After dropping out of school, he supported himself as a shoemaker, but longed to become a singer, sometimes serenading passersby in the city streets. Traveling to Colombia in hopes of gaining exposure, he once barged into a live radio broadcast, determined to make his voice heard and managed to impress listeners with his vocals. Back home in Ecuador, he recorded “Nuestro Juramanto” [“Our Oath”], a song about undying love that brought him international acclaim and remains to this day one of the most popular of his thousands of recordings.

Jaramillo lived a colorful life, traveling the world, romancing many women, and appearing in the 1966 film Fiebre de Juventud [Youth Fever]. One of Latin America’s most acclaimed singers, he became a sort of unofficial ambassador for Ecuador in pop culture.

Since 1993, October 1st has been celebrated as Día del Pasillo Ecuatoriano, a national holiday honoring the musical form Jaramillo helped to popularize around the world. The singer’s legacy lives on at the Museo Municipal de la Música Popular Julio Jaramillo, welcoming visitors to his hometown all year long.

Happy Birthday, Julio Jaramillo!

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October 1, 2017
Grandparents' Day 2017 [Greece]

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October 1, 2006

Castellers 2006


A castell is a human tower built traditionally at festivals in Catalonia, the Balearic islands and the Valencian Community. At these festivals, several colles castelleres [teams that build towers] attempt to build and dismantle a tower's structure. On 16 November 2010, castells were declared by UNESCO to be amongst the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

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April 22, 2021

Earth Day 2021



This year’s annual Earth Day Doodle highlights how everyone can plant the seed to a brighter future—one sapling at a time!

The planet we call home continues to nurture life and inspire wonder. Our environment works hard to sustain us, which calls for us to return the favor. Today’s video Doodle shows a variety of trees being planted within natural habitats, one of the many ways we can do our part to keep our Earth healthy for future generations.

This Earth Day—and everyday—we encourage everyone to find one small act they can do to restore our Earth. It’s bound to take root and blossom into something beautiful.


Happy Earth Day 2021!

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April 28, 2021

Rogelio Salmona’s 92nd Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates Colombian architect Rogelio Salmona on his 92nd birthday. Known for his visionary red-brick constructions in the capital city of Bogotá, Salmona is widely considered one of the most important figures in Latin American architecture.

Rogelio Salmona was born on this day in 1929 in Paris, France. But in the face of rising tensions in Europe, his family relocated to Bogotá in 1934. Salmona formed a strong attachment to his new home city until he returned to Paris in 1948 to apprentice under the legendary Swiss architect Le Corbusier.

Salmona eventually settled in Bogotá for the majority of his career, transforming the city with a unique blend of traditional global influences and modern aesthetics. Salmona first came to international attention with his Torres del Parque [Park Towers, 1964-1970], a curved apartment complex of exposed red brick in the center of the city, which is widely considered the architect’s masterpiece. Salmona continued to feature his signature brick fingerprint throughout his career, including in the sprawling Biblioteca Pública Virgilio Barco [Virgilio Barco Public Library, 2001] which remains one of his most famous structures.

With his innovative urban structures, Salmona is widely credited as a driving catalyst of the rebirth of Bogotá in recent decades. In addition to winning many significant architecture prizes throughout his prolific career, Salmona became the first Latin American architect to receive the prestigious Alvar Aalto Medal in 2003.

Happy birthday to Rogelio Salmona, a visionary architect who recognized the infinite potential of the humble red brick!

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Apr 21, 2014

Charlotte Brontë's 198th Birthday [born 1816]





Charlotte Brontë was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood and whose novels became classics of English literature.

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April 28, 2016

Girls' and Boys' Day 2016 [Germany]





We all bring different skills to the table, some of us are great at crunching numbers, some of us have exceptional interpersonal skills. But when it comes to choosing careers, the path is not always as clear. To tackle that, Germany instituted Girls’ and Boys’ Day, which seeks to show kids the full array of career opportunities out there. On this day, girls and boys take a brief residence as working professionals — in doctors’ offices, in science labs, schools, and more. We join Germany in celebrating all these career choices, and the children who will one day seize them with the full force of their potential.

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April 28, 2016

Hertha Marks Ayrton’s 162nd birthday




When a wave washes over sand, ripples will appear.

This simple observation was a scientific mystery until Hertha Marks Ayrton read "The Origin and Growth of Ripple Marks" to the Royal Society in 1904. She was the first woman to do so. Her words were then published, marking a permanent contribution to the canon of physical science and a victory over discrimination and exclusion.

Lydia Nichols’ doodle shows Ayrton framed by her breakthrough findings. Today, 162 years after her birth, we celebrate her legacy as engineer, mathematician, physicist, and inventor, her impact still rippling through the scientific community.

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June 12, 2018

Füreya Koral’s 108th Birthday




If you’ve ever felt you were still searching for your life’s true calling, draw some inspiration from the life of Füreya Koral, Turkey’s foremost modern ceramist. While seeking treatment for tuberculosis in Lausanne, Switzerland, the 37-year-old took interest in ceramics after attending a workshop. What started as a hobby soon became a passion that would reinvigorate her life with new purpose.

Born 108 years ago on June 12, 1910, Koral grew up in a house situated between a church and a mosque. This intersection of Western and Ottoman cultures inspired her to experiment with different textures of clay to create ceramic works that intertwined elements of abstract Western art and the Islamic culture of Turkey, as well as influences from neighboring East Asian nations.

Molding the clay to fit her artistic vision, Koral made statuettes, imaginative kitchenware largeceramic panels that would adorn the walls of national institutions, hospitals, and universities from the Turkish capital of Ankara to Istanbul.

Her work endures as a testament that age is only a number and that it’s never too late to discover your passion. Happy 108th birthday, Füreya Koral!

[9A]

Jun 7, 2018

Dr. Virginia Apgar’s 109th Birthday




Dr. Virginia Apgar came into this world on June 7, 1909. 109 years later, her presence can still be felt in delivery rooms across the globe. That’s because she invented the Apgar score, the first standardized method for assessing a newborn’s health. It looks at 5 factors, which doctors remember by spelling out her last name: appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, and respiration. Apgar first came up with this scoring system in 1952, and it has been used in nearly every hospital birth since.

Before Apgar’s life-saving invention, she already had a number of impressive accolades under her belt. She was the first woman to become a full professor at her alma mater, the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and was the director of the school’s department of anesthesiology. After Apgar left Columbia in the late 1950s, she devoted the rest of her years to the prevention of birth defects as a director at the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis [now the March of Dimes].

Today, on what would’ve been her 109th birthday, we celebrate a woman whose incredible life’s work continues to touch – and sometimes save – brand new lives every day.

[9A]

June 7, 2004

Transit of Venus




A transit of Venus across the Sun takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and a superior planet, becoming visible against [and hence obscuring a small portion of] the solar disk. During a transit, Venus can be seen from Earth as a small black dot moving across the face of the Sun. The duration of such transits is usually several hours [the transit of 2012 lasted 6 hours and 40 minutes]. A transit is similar to a solar eclipse by the Moon. While the diameter of Venus is more than three times that of the Moon, Venus appears smaller, and travels more slowly across the face of the Sun, because it is much farther away from Earth.

Venus transits are historically of great scientific importance as they were used to gain the first realistic estimates of the size of the Solar System. Observations of the 1639 transit provided an estimate of both the size of Venus and the distance between the Sun and the Earth that was more accurate than any other up to that time. Observational data from subsequent predicted transits in 1761 and 1769 further improved the accuracy of this initial estimated distance through the use of the principle of parallax. The 2012 transit provided scientists with a number of other research opportunities, particularly in the refinement of techniques to be used in the search for exoplanets.

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Dec 17, 2018

80th Anniversary of “The Rapid Arrows”




A group of five boys with a thirst for adventure, the Rapid Arrows [or Rychlé šípy in the original Czechoslovakian] premiered as an action-packed comics series 80 years ago. Mirek Dušín, Jarka Metelka, Jindra Hojer, Červenáček [aka "Red Cap"], Rychlonožka [aka "Speedy"], and their trusty dog Bublina [aka "Bubble"] were an instant hit with young readers—and remain popular in the Czech Republic and Slovakia today.

Created by the Czech writer Jaroslav Foglar, the Rapid Arrows comic quickly became a household name in families with young children. The group leader’s name, Mirek Dušín, has become a figure of speech for someone who is exemplary in every way—now used in a humorous way. Adapted into audio, film, and stage versions, the Rapid Arrows left a strong impact on pop culture in Eastern Europe and even inspired a wave of real-life youth clubs with many thousands of readers.

The comic ran from 1938 to 1989, with two breaks in production caused by war and political changes. All the original comics were collected into one book in 1998, which has been reprinted several times since. The Rapid Arrows also appear in Foglar’s novel Mystery of the Conundrum, which was adapted into a 1969 TV series and later into a 1993 film.

The boys’ search for the mechanical puzzle known as “Hedgehog in a Cage,” the Tleskač flying bicycle, and the sinister region of Stínadla continue to be loved by generations of readers and viewers.

Doodle illustrated by Czech artist, Marek Rubec

[9A]

December 18, 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.

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April 21, 2012

Friedrich Fröbel's 230th Birthday





Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel or Froebel was a German pedagogue, a student of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, who laid the foundation for modern education based on the recognition that children have unique needs and capabilities. He created the concept of the kindergarten and coined the word, which soon entered the English language as well. He also developed the educational toys known as Froebel gifts.

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April 21, 2015

81st Anniversary of the Loch Ness Monster's most famous photograph








Colonel Robert Wilsons grainy photograph of Nessie made a big splash. The iconic image of a sea serpent rising out of the water paved the way for the myth of the Loch Ness Monster.

Sketching boats in dockyards was the inspiration for this illustration. Once I'd assemble working cogs as the Google logo, all that was left was to show a cut away and reveal of what REALLY took place under the surface.

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December 2, 2021

Georges Seurat’s 162nd Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates French painter Georges Seurat, who captured the natural qualities of light in scenes of contemporary Parisian life with his signature painting techniques known as Pointillism and Divisionism. Seurat’s innovative methods gave rise to the school of Neo-Impressionism, an avant-garde 19th century movement that forever changed the course of modern art.

Georges Seurat was born into a prosperous family in Paris, France, on this day in 1859. He began formal artistic training as a teenager and furthered his education at the prestigious fine arts institution École des Beaux-Arts in 1878. Seurat developed a fascination with the science behind art during his studies, but soon became disenchanted with the confines of academic tradition. He delved into the scientific study of color theory and optical physics to develop an original style he coined “chromo-luminarism,” later known as Pointillism or Divisionism.

After many drafts on small boards, a meeting with a 100-year-old chemist, and years of experimentation, Seurat finished the painting widely considered his masterpiece at only 26, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte — 1884,” now in the Helen Birch Bartlett Memorial Collection, The Art Institute of Chicago. An encapsulation of the Pointillist technique is recreated in the Doodle artwork. When viewed from the proper distance, the mural-sized painting tricks the observer into perceiving over 200,000 tiny brushstrokes and dabs of contrasting color on its canvas as a shimmering, cohesive scene of an island in the Seine outside of Paris.

Seurat’s obsession with color theory has prompted some art historians to hypothesize that his techniques were influenced by the atmospheric effects of the volcanic eruptions that created some of the most colorful sunsets recorded during the 1800s. Although the exact inspirations for his artistic innovations remain up for debate, Seurat has had an impact on the visual culture. His monumental work has inspired countless artists across disciplines, a Broadway musical, and has even been featured in a blockbuster film.

Here’s to an artist who never lost sight of the big picture!

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December 2, 2013

Carlos Merida's 122nd Birthday




Carlos Mérida [December 2, 1891 – December 21, 1985] was a Guatemalan artist who was one of the first to fuse European modern painting to Latin American themes, especially those related to Guatemala and Mexico. He was part of the Mexican muralism movement in subject matter but less so in style, favoring a non-figurative and later geometric style rather than a figurative, narrative style. Mérida is best known for canvas and mural work, the latter including elements such as glass and ceramic mosaic on major constructions in the 1950s and 1960s. One of his major works, 4000m2 on the Benito Juarez housing complex, was completely destroyed with the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, but a monument to it exists at another complex in the south of the city.

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Dec 3, 2013

Carlos Juan Finlay's 180th Birthday




Carlos Juan Finlay was a Cuban epidemiologist recognized as a pioneer in the research of yellow fever, determining that it was transmitted through mosquitoes Aedes aegypti.

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April 5, 2019

Hedwig Kohn’s 132nd Birthday




Taking us inside Hedwig Kohn’s lab, today’s Doodle by Hamburg-based guest artist Carolin Löbbert celebrates the life and science of the pioneering physicist. After earning her doctorate in 1913, Kohn went on to become one of only three women certified to teach physics at a German university before World War II.

As a Jewish woman living in Nazi Germany, Kohn was barred from her teaching position in 1933. She spent the next several years fulfilling research contracts in industrial physics before fleeing to the US in 1940. There, she returned to her passion, teaching at the Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina and Wellesley College in Massachusetts until 1952. After retiring from the classroom, Kohn took on a research associate position at Duke. In the sub-basement of the school’s physics building, where her lab was located, she directed Ph.D students in their research while continuing her own work in flame spectroscopy—something she had started in 1912.

Over the years, Kohn’s work resulted in more than 20 publications, one patent, and hundreds of textbook pages that were used to introduce students to the field of radiometry [a set of techniques meant to measure electromagnetic radiation, including visible light] well into the 1960s.

Happy 132nd birthday, Hedwig Kohn!

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April 7, 2016

Pandit Ravi Shankar’s 96th birthday




Today we celebrate Pandit Ravi Shankar, who was born 96 years ago today. Shankar evangelized the use of Indian instruments in Western music, introducing the atmospheric hum of the sitar to audiences worldwide. He performed frequently with the violinist Yehudi Menuhin, and composed a concerto with sitar for the London Symphony Orchestra. Shankar also taught George Harrison of the Beatles how to play the sitar, and widely influenced popular music in the 1960s and 70s.

Shankar's music popularized the fundamentals of Indian music, including raga, a melodic form. Raga, as Shankar explained, has "its own peculiar ascending and descending movement consisting of either a full seven-note octave, or a series of six or five notes in a rising or falling structure." The distinctive character of Shankar's compositions attracted the attention of composer Philip Glass, with whom Shankar wrote the 1990 album Passages.

The centerpiece of today's Doodle, by artist Kevin Laughlin, is a sitar. It has two bridges, one for the "drone" strings and the other for the melody strings. Laughlin's design shows the style of sitar Shankar played, which includes a second gourd-shape resonator at the top of the instrument's neck.

Happy birthday, Pandit Ravi Shankar! See archival photos of Shankar at the Google Cultural Institute.

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April 7, 2015

Gabriela Mistral’s 126th Birthday




Happy 126th birthday to Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral. She was the first and remains the only Latin American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

[9A]

Mar 31, 2015

Seif Wanly’s 109th Birthday




Our doodle in the Middle East for Seif Wanly’s 109th birthday is inspired by one of this Egyptian painter's untitled pieces of work.

[9A]

April 4, 2022

Dr. Ogino Ginko's 171st Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates the 171st Birthday of Dr. Ogino Ginko, the first woman to become licensed to practice Western medicine in Japan. As the first female to attend Kojuin, a private medical school for men, she opened the door for women to attend prestigious medical schools in Japan.

Her decision to go into the medical field was spurred by the prejudice she experienced as a female patient. She never gave up despite the hurdles she faced. After graduating from medical school in 1882, the government initially refused to let her take the medical licensing exam. Dr. Ginko petitioned multiple times over the course of two years before women were finally allowed to take the test. After getting licensed, she opened an OB/GYN clinic in Tokyo that specialized in providing safe, non-judgmental care for women.

Outside of medicine,she also advocated for women in Japan to gain the right to vote. Today’s Doodle artwork celebrates Dr. Ginko’s legacy and her commitment to gender equality in Japan.

[9A]

January 18, 2021

Petrona Eyle's 155th Birthday






Today’s Doodle celebrates Argentine doctor and social activist Petrona Eyle. In addition to her trailblazing career in medicine, Eyle fearlessly campaigned for women’s rights across Latin America and led numerous feminist and humanitarian organizations.

Petrona Eyle was born on this day in 1866 in Baradero in the Argentine province of Buenos Aires. She earned a teaching degree in 1879 and then traveled to Switzerland to study medicine at the University of Zurich, the first European university to accept female students. Following her graduation in 1891, she returned home to Argentina and made history when she revalidated her degree to officially become a doctor in the country.

At the same time, Eyle dedicated herself to the improvement of women’s lives through her involvement with a variety of forward-looking organizations. She co-founded the Association of University Women, a pioneering Argentinian feminist association that fought for equal legal and social rights. Through her involvement there, Eyle also helped organize the First International Feminist Congress, which was held in Buenos Aires in 1910. A writer as well, in the late 1910s she founded the magazine Nuestra Causa [[Our Cause), in which she argued vehemently for women’s right to vote.

In 1947, Argentina granted women that right, thanks in no small part to Eyle and the women’s suffrage movement to which she contributed throughout her life.

Happy birthday, Petrona Eyle, and thank you for helping to lead Argentina toward a more equal future.

[9A]

Feb 11, 2021

Celebrating María Grever





Today’s Doodle celebrates Mexican singer and songwriter María Grever, considered to be one of the country’s greatest composers. Grever spent a lifetime producing hundreds of songs that went on to be covered by some of the world’s most famous artists, like Placido Domingo, Aretha Franklin, and Frank Sinatra. On this day in 1938, Grever recorded “Ti-Pi-Tin,” a waltz about serenading your loved ones that became one of her biggest hits.

María Joaquina de la Portilla Torres was born in the late 19th century in the city of León in central Mexico. As a child, she moved to Seville, where she studied English, French, and music. Grever’s natural musical abilities were evident as she composed a holiday carol for her school. This led her father to provide her some of the finest tutors, including distinguished composers, Debussy and Lehár. Her first record, “A Una Ola” [“To a Wave,” 1912], sold millions of copies, and was eventually covered by several singers.

In 1916, Grever moved to New York, where she soon composed background music in films for both Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox. All the while, Grever continued to produce songs that married folk rhythms with styles like tango to captivate audiences throughout the Americas and Spain. Some of her biggest hits included “Júrame” [“Promise, Love,” 1926] and “What a Difference a Day Makes” [originally “Cuando Vuelva a Tu Lado,” 1934]. The latter went on to win a Grammy in 1959 as sung by jazz legend, Dinah Washington.

In recognition of her contributions to music, the Union of Women of the Americas [UWA] named Grever “Woman of the Americas” in 1952.

Thanks for all the music María Grever; it continues to strike a chord with listeners around the world today!

[9A]

February 11, 2012

May Ziade's 126th Birthday




May Elias Ziadeh was a Lebanese-Palestinian poet, essayist, and translator, who has written many different works both in Arabic and in French.

[9A]

Mar 16, 2022

Celebrating Ladi Kwali



Today’s Doodle celebrates the life of Nigerian educator, ceramicist, glassworker, and potter Ladi Kwali, who helped introduce the international community to the beauty of Nigerian art through intricately decorated earthenware designs. On this day in 2017, an exhibition of Ladi Kwali’s work at the Skoto Gallery in New York opened.

Ladi Dosei Kwali was born around 1925 to a family of potters in Kwali, Abuja, Nigeria. Her aunt taught her the coil and pinch methods of pottery during her childhood, which Kwali later refined into her own style as she fabricated everyday containers ornamented with animal iconography. Local aristocrats soon showcased her masterful work as home decorations, and it was in a royal palace that Michael Cardew—the founder of Abuja’s first potter training facility—discovered her talent in 1950.

In 1954, Kwali joined the Abuja Pottery Center, where she made history as the first Nigerian woman to train in advanced pottery techniques. She fused her traditional style with these innovative methods to craft a hybrid collection of pottery stylized with zoomorphic illustration. Kwali continued to break the mold into the 60s with exhibitions across Europe and the Americas, achieving international acclaim.

Later in her career, Kwali shared the secrets of her craft with the local community as a university lecturer. She received a doctorate from Ahmadu Bello University in 1977 and the Nigerian National Order of Merit Award in 1980, which is among the nation’s most distinguished academic awards, in honor of her contributions. Kwali is remembered today with each exchange of Nigeria’s twenty Naira note, the first and only Nigerian currency to feature a woman.

Here’s to you, Ladi Kwali! Thanks for putting your unique spin on a traditional craft and sculpting a place for future generations of women artisans.

[9A]

March 31, 2013

Shoshana Damari's 90th Birthday





Shoshana Damari was a Yemeni-Israeli singer known as the "Queen of Hebrew Music."

[9A]

March 31, 2017

Sergei Diaghilev’s 145th Birthday





Born in 1872 to a wealthy Russian family, art critic, visionary, and all-around provocateur Sergei Diaghilev made his mark on the performing arts with his influential Ballets Russes, a trailblazing dance company that united talents from the disciplines of art, fashion, dance, choreography, and music, and vaulted them to dizzying creative heights.

From 1909-1929, the Ballet Russes performed on stages around the globe, mesmerizing, even scandalizing, audiences with its unprecedented costumes, stage sets, compositions, and choreography. In Schéhérazade, which premiered at the Théâtre national de l’Opéra, Paris, in 1910, dancers traded tutus for artist Léon Bakst’s risqué harem pants while Vaslav Nijinsky performed in gold body paint and bejeweled costumes. Firebird, based on Russian fairy tales, marked Diaghilev’s first commissioned score from Igor Stravinsky, kicking off a collaboration that would include the primal work, The Rite of Spring and Pulcinella [with costumes and sets by Pablo Picasso].

Anna Pavlova, Henri Matisse, Jean Cocteau—all figured into Diaghilev’s sensational productions.

Today, on Sergei Diaghilev’s 145th birthday, we salute his boundless imagination with a Doodle that depicts the impresario flanked by his vividly costumed Ballets Russes dancers against an onion-domed Russian backdrop. Diaghilev wowed the world, both then and now.


Doodle by Sophie Diao

[9A]

March 31, 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.

[9A]

March 31, 2011

Robert Bunsen's 200th Birthday






Science or chemistry was never one of my stronger classes in school [as the chemically unsound set-up within the doodle might indicate], but I get nostalgic every time I see a chemistry set and a bunsen burner. I think we can all relate to that feeling of anticipation and discovery in the classroom, not to mention feeling just a little more grown up. If only we got to wear the white lab coats too!

Working on the doodle itself was a bit of an experiment as well. I collaborated with software engineer, Jonathan Tang, giving him all of the artwork assets, which he then recreated using modern web technology. On updated web browsers, you can move your mouse anywhere on the screen to control the intensity of the flame and the level of the fluids in the beakers. It was a pretty intense session getting all of the work done in time for the doodle to launch, but don't worry, we managed to avoid any [major] lab disasters and/or explosions in the process.

posted by Mike Dutton

[9A]

September 19, 2021

Paulo Freire's 100th Birthday




Today's Doodle celebrates the centennial birthday of Brazilian philosopher, educator, and author Paulo Freire. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential educational thinkers of the 20th century.

Paulo Reglus Neves Freire was born on this day in 1921 in Recife, Brazil, then mostly impoverished region affected by the echoes of colonialism and slavery. Coming of age alongside poor rural families while his own family experienced hunger, he grounded his understanding of the interconnected relationship between socioeconomic status and education. From then on, Freire made it his mission to improve the lives of marginalized people.

In 1947, Freire began a decade-long position providing social services to the Brazilian working class, which was foundational to the creation of his universal educational model一conscientização [the development of critical consciousness]. This groundbreaking methodology calls for the cultural exchange between teacher and student through the lens of their socio-historical circumstances with the aim of creating a democratic society free of illiteracy.

In 1962, he applied awareness with radical success—teaching 300 farmworkers to read and write in only 45 days! However, these ideals proved too radical for the newly established Brazilian government in 1964 and he was forced into exile until 1979. During this period, Freire published his acclaimed 1968 book “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” which brought his revolutionary teaching philosophy to a wide international audience.

He continued his educational journey abroad before returning to Brazil in 1980 to lead an adult literacy project. In 1988, Freire began working as São Paulo's Minister of Education, implementing innovative literary programs. Today, his work lives on at the Freire Institute, an international organization devoted to educational advancement and societal transformation through his teachings.

Happy Birthday, Paulo Freire!

[9A]

September 19, 2013

Robert Storm Petersen's 131st Birthday





Robert Storm Petersen [19 September 1882 – 6 March 1949] was a Danish cartoonist, writer, animator, illustrator, painter and humorist. He is known almost exclusively by his pen name Storm P.

[9A]

September 19, 2017

Amalia Hernandez’s 100th Birthday




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

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

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

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

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

[9A]

Sep 18, 2013
203rd Anniversary of the First Government Assembly in Chile

[9A]

Sep 18, 2013

Uzeyir Hacibeyov's 128th Birthday [Azerbaijan]



Uzeyir bey Abdulhuseyn oghlu Hajibeyli, known as Uzeyir Hajibeyov was an Azerbaijani composer, conductor, publicist, playwright, and social figure. He is recognized as the father of Azerbaijani composed classical music and opera. Uzeyir Hajibeyov composed the music of the national anthem of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic [which was re-adopted after Azerbaijan regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991]. He also composed the anthem used by Azerbaijan during the Soviet period. He was the first composer of an opera in the Islamic world.

[9A]

September 18, 2017

Samuel Johnson’s 308th Birthday





If you wanted to know what the word 'lexicographer' means today, you might Google it. If you fancy a throwback however, you might grab a dictionary. Today’s Doodle celebrates the 308th birthday of British lexicographer – a person who compiles dictionaries – Samuel Johnson.

Samuel Johnson published A Dictionary of the English Language in 1755 after 9 years of work. It was described as “one of the greatest single achievements of scholarship,” and had a far-reaching effect on modern English. It was “colossal” at nearly 18 inches tall! Johnson’s was the premier English dictionary until the publication of the Oxford English Dictionary 150 years later.

Johnson was also a poet, essayist, critic, biographer and editor. Johnson’s dictionary was more than just a word list: his work provided a vast understanding of 18th century's language and culture. His lasting contributions guaranteed him a place in literary history.

Today we pay homage to this pioneer lexicographer who dedicated years to his craft.

Doodle by Sophie Diao