Google doodles

[9A]

Feb 28, 2020

Marcel Pagnol's 125th Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates the 125th birthday of French filmmaker, playwright, and novelist Marcel Pagnol, often revered as one of the greatest figures in the history of French cinema. With his evocative, realist style, Pagnol painted a heartfelt and comical portrait of everyday French life, influencing generations of filmmakers in the process.

Marcel Paul Pagnol was born on this day in 1895 in the town of Aubagne, just outside of Marseilles in Southern France. He followed in the footsteps of his father, a local school superintendent, and pursued a career in education. In between lessons, Pagnol worked on his own plays, novels, and poetry, and when his comedic drama “Topaze” [1928] became a major hit on the Paris stage, he retired from teaching for good.

Establishing himself as an eminent playwright during cinema’s transformation from silent films to the sound era, Pagnol recognized a new world of opportunity in adapting his stories to the silver screen. By 1931, he had produced his first film, “Marius,” the leading installment of his famous “Marseilles” trilogy, which centered around life in the port town of his birth.

Credited as a pioneer of the neo-realist movement, Pagnol went on to direct and produce a collection of award-winning films, helping to shape French cinema’s golden decade of the 1930s and ‘40s.

In recognition of his contributions, in 1946, Pagnol became the first filmmaker ever elected as a member of the distinguished Acádemie française [“French Academy”], France’s official authority on the French language.

[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 a mostly impoverished region affected by the echoes of colonialism and slavery. Coming of age alongside poor rural families while his own family experienced hunger, 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 conscientização 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]

Sep 17, 2021

Michiyo Tsujimura's 133rd Birthday




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

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

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

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

Happy Birthday, Michiyo Tsujimura!

[9A]

Sep 16, 2021

Mexico Independence Day 2021





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

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

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

Happy Independence Day, Mexico!

[9A]

Sep 16, 2021

Lo Man-fei's 66th Birthday



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

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

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

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

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

[9A]

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.

[9A]

September 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.

[9A]

September 15, 2010

Agatha Christie's 120th Birthday




Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, [née Miller; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976] was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End since 1952, as well as six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.

[9A]

Sep 14, 2010

Akatsuka Fujio's 75th Birthday



Fujio Akatsuka was a pioneer Japanese artist of comical manga known as the Gag Manga King.

Many of his manga featured supporting characters who ended up becoming more popular and more associated with their series than the main character, such as Papa [Tensai Bakabon], Iyami, Chibita [Osomatsu-kun], and Nyarome [Mōretsu Atarō].

[9A]

Sep 4, 2010

25th Anniversary of Buckyball





Who doesn't like the buckyball? They're super strong, compact, nerdy, and fun! Named after Buckminster Fuller, the buckyball is a bit of science gold that all nerds can get behind-- buckyballs are cool. The structure is so strong it appears in architecture around the world, athletes also deemed it a sound shape for the football [or American soccer ball]. Science, however, sees its potential in display technology, medicine, and security!

It was a pleasure to work with a team of engineers on this doodle, as there are actually no drawings for the final interactive product. Our team was able to generate the buckyball using an image of a line and circle, the rest is generated with code.

posted by Jennifer Hom

[9A]

June 6, 2022

Teachers' Day 2022 [June 06] [Bolivia]

[9A]

June 6, 2022

Fasia Jansen's 93rd Birthday



Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Hamburg-based guest artist Ayşe Klinge, celebrates the 93rd birthday of Fasia Jansen—an influential Afro-German singer, songwriter and political activist who helped advance the post-war peace movement in West Germany.

Jansen was born on this day in Hamburg in 1929, at a time when racism, inflation and economic depression plagued the country. Aspiring to become a dance star, Jansen joined a dance academy at age 11. But her dreams were thwarted two years later when the academy expelled her out of fear that the Nazis would punish the school for accepting Black students.

Soon after, she was forced to cook for the Neuengamme concentration camp. Under the Nazis’ Dienstverpflichtung decree, which required people to perform a year of unpaid labor, most young girls could work easier jobs in domestic households. But as a Black girl, her only option was to toil in a concentration camp.

It was in the Neuengamme concentration camp that Jansen began singing with political prisoners who worked tirelessly beside her. Singing together helped them survive this traumatic period. After the horrors of World War II, Jansen dedicated her life to creating powerful music to protest injustices everywhere — from the Vietnam War to labor violations in the Ruhr Valley. Jansen also became a strong advocate for the Women’s Rights Movements in Germany and beyond.

She became famous in the 1960s, after performing Unser Marsch ist eine gute Sache [Our March is a Good Thing] alongside the renowned singer Dieter Süverkrüp during the Easter March in resistance to the nuclear arms race. Her song Verbrannte Erde in Deutschland [“Burnt Earth in Germany”], became an important anthem for the anti-nuclear movement in Europe.

In 1991, the government awarded her the medal Verdienstkreuz der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, recognizing her work to rebuild a more equitable Germany. Today, there is a street, a municipal school and an African education center named in her honor.

Happy 93rd birthday, Fasia Jansen! No one could stop you from spreading hope. Your story and legacy give people a reason to sing.

[9A]

Aug 30, 2010

Mary Shelley's 213th Birthday




Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus [1818], which is considered an early example of science fiction. She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley.

[9A]

Aug 24, 2010

Ukraine Independence Day 2010



Independence Day of Ukraine is the main state holiday in modern Ukraine, celebrated on 24 August in commemoration of the Declaration of Independence of 1991.

[9A]

Aug 21, 2010

August Bournonville's 205th Birthday




August Bournonville was the son of Antoine Bournonville, a dancer and choreographer trained under the French choreographer, Jean Georges Noverre, and the nephew of Julie Alix de la Fay, née Bournonville, of the Royal Swedish Ballet.

Bournonville's work remains an important link with earlier traditions. He resisted many of the excesses of the romantic era ballets in his work. He is noted for his egalitarian choreography, which gave equal emphasis to both male and female roles, at a time when European ballet emphasized the ballerina. Many of his contemporaries explored the extremes of human emotion, while Bournonville, using enthusiastic footwork and fluid phrases in his work, portrayed a more balanced human nature.

[9A]

Aug 19, 2010

Anniversary of Belka and Strelka Space Flight





Belka spent a day in space aboard Korabl-Sputnik 2 [Sputnik 5] on 19 August 1960 before safely returning to Earth. They are the first higher living organisms to survive in outer space.

They were accompanied by a grey rabbit, 42 mice, two rats, flies and several plants and fungi. All passengers survived. They were the first Earth-born creatures to go into orbit and return alive.

Strelka went on to have six puppies with a male dog named Pushok who participated in many ground-based space experiments, but never made it into space. One of the puppies was named Pushinka [ "Fluffy"[ and was presented to President John F. Kennedy by Nikita Khrushchev in 1961. A Cold War romance bloomed between Pushinka and a Kennedy dog named Charlie, resulting in the birth of four puppies that JFK referred to jokingly as pupniks.

Two of their puppies, Butterfly and Streaker, were given away to children in the Midwest. The other two puppies, White Tips and Blackie, stayed at the Kennedy home on Squaw Island but were eventually given away to family friends. Pushinka's descendants were still living at least as of 2015. A photo of descendants of some of the Space Dogs is on display at the Zvezda Museum in Tomilino outside Moscow.

A Russian animated feature film called Belka and Strelka: Star Dogs [English title: Space Dogs] was released in 2010.

Belka

Strelka

[9A]

Aug 12, 2010

71st Anniversary of The Wizard of Oz





The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. An adaptation of L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's fantasy novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the film was primarily directed by Victor Fleming [who left the production to take over the troubled Gone with the Wind], and stars Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke and Margaret Hamilton. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but others made uncredited contributions. The songs were written by Edgar "Yip" Harburg and composed by Harold Arlen. The musical score and incidental music were composed by Herbert Stothart.

Characterized by its use of Technicolor, fantasy storytelling, musical score, and memorable characters, The Wizard of Oz was moderately successful upon its original release of August 25, 1939. The film was considered a critical success and was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, winning in two categories: Best Original Song for "Over the Rainbow" and Best Original Score by Stothart.

[9A]

August 12, 2012

Closing Ceremony 2012





The closing ceremony of the London 2012 Summer Olympics, also known as A Symphony of British Music, was held on 12 August 2012 in the Olympic Stadium, London. The chief guest was Prince Harry of Wales representing Queen Elizabeth II.

The stadium had been turned into a giant representation of the Union Flag, designed by Damien Hirst. Around 4,100 people partook in the ceremony; which reportedly cost £20 million. The ceremony included a handover to the next host city for the 2016 Summer Olympics, Rio de Janeiro and saw the Olympic flame extinguished and the Olympic flag lowered.

The main part of the evening featured a one-hour symphony of British Music as a number of British Pop acts appeared. Tributes to John Lennon and Freddie Mercury and the fashion industry were included in the section. Rio marked the handover with an eight-minute section known as "Embrace" created by Cao Hamburger and Daniela Thomas, featuring Pelé. Sebastian Coe gave a speech, and the volunteers of London 2012 were thanked.

[9A]

August 12, 2003

Alfred Hitchcock's 104th Birthday



Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was an English filmmaker widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 feature films, many of which are still widely watched and studied today.

Known as the "Master of Suspense", he became as well known as any of his actors thanks to his many interviews, his cameo roles in most of his films, and his hosting and producing the television anthology Alfred Hitchcock Presents [1955–65]. His films garnered 46 Academy Award nominations, including six wins, although he never won the award for Best Director despite five nominations.

[9A]

Jun 16, 2003

MC Escher's 105th Birthday



Maurits Cornelis Escher was a Dutch graphic artist who made mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints. Despite wide popular interest, Escher was for most of his life neglected in the art world, even in his native Netherlands. He was 70 before a retrospective exhibition was held. In the late twentieth century, he became more widely appreciated, and in the twenty-first century he has been celebrated in exhibitions around the world.

His work features mathematical objects and operations including impossible objects, explorations of infinity, reflection, symmetry, perspective, truncated and stellated polyhedra, hyperbolic geometry, and tessellations. Although Escher believed he had no mathematical ability, he interacted with the mathematicians George Pólya, Roger Penrose, Harold Coxeter and crystallographer Friedrich Haag, and conducted his own research into tessellation.

[9A]

June 16, 2002

Father's Day 2002

[9A]

June 16, 2004

James Joyce Day 2004 / Bloomsday 2004




Bloomsday is a commemoration and celebration of the life of Irish writer James Joyce, observed annually in Dublin and elsewhere on 16 June, the day his 1922 novel Ulysses takes place in 1904, the date of his first sexual encounter with his wife-to-be, Nora Barnacle, and named after its protagonist Leopold Bloom.

In Mel Brooks' 1968 film The Producers, Gene Wilder's character is called Leo Bloom, an homage to Joyce's character. In the 2005 film musical version, in the evening scene at the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, Leo asks, "When will it be Bloom's day?". However, in the earlier scene in which Bloom first meets Max Bialystock, the office wall calendar shows that the current day is 16 June, indicating that it is, in fact, Bloomsday.

Richard Linklater alludes to Ulysses in two of his films. In 1991's Slacker, a character reads an excerpt from Ulysses after convincing his friends to dump a tent and a typewriter in a river as a response to a prior lover's infidelity. The film also takes place over a 24-hour period. In 1995's Before Sunrise, events take place on 16 June.

A 2009 episode of the cartoon The Simpsons, "In the Name of the Grandfather", featured the family's trip to Dublin and Lisa's reference to Bloomsday. Punk band Minutemen have a song on their 1984 Double Nickels on the Dime album entitled "June 16th", which is named after Bloomsday.

U2's 2009 song "Breathe" refers to events taking place on a fictitious 16 June. Dublin band Fontaines D.C.’s song “Bloomsday” from their 2022 album “Skinty Fia” also references the holiday.

[9A]

Jun 19, 2004

Father's Day 2004

[9A]

June 19, 2016

Father's Day 2016

[9A]

June 19, 2021

Juneteenth 2021




Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Detroit-based guest artist Rachelle Baker, honors Juneteenth, an annual federal holiday celebrating the liberation of Black enslaved people in the United States. On this day in 1865, enslaved people in Galveston, Texas received news of the Emancipation Proclamation, an executive order that mandated the end of slavery in Confederate states during the American Civil War.

Despite its passage on January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation remained opposed for years by several states still under Confederate control. Texas represented the westernmost edge of the Confederate territories and was thus among the American regions with the least Union presence. It was in the Lone Star State’s port town of Galveston that some 1,800 Union troops finally arrived to establish Union authority on June 19, 1865.

Here, the now-famous “General Orders, Number 3” was dispatched, which proclaimed the end of slavery to over 250,000 Black Texans. Although this decree did not guarantee immediate independence or equality for Texas’s Black community, an unprecedented freedom and civil rights movement followed in its wake–the legacy of which persists today.

Today’s Doodle artwork celebrates joy within the Black community, as well as the perseverance foundational to this journey toward liberation. With each letter, the Doodle transitions from historical Juneteenth parades to modern-day traditions such as education through storytelling, outdoor gatherings with family and friends, and commemorative festivals and parades. These scenes of celebration and community are brightened by bluebonnets—the state flower of Texas—and forget-me-nots that are layered upon backgrounds of decorative ironwork commonly found on buildings throughout the southern states. This ironwork highlights the often forgotten contributions made by enslaved Black Americans and symbolizes their strength and resilience.

While Juneteenth recognizes over a century and a half of progress, it also reminds Americans to continue to build a more equitable and unified nation.

Happy Juneteenth!

[9A]

December 17, 2021

Celebrating Carrie Best





Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Toronto, Ontario, Canada-based guest artist Alexis Eke, celebrates Canadian activist, author, journalist, publisher, and broadcaster Carrie Best and her record of influential accomplishments, including co-founding The Clarion—one of the first Nova Scotian newspapers owned and operated by Black Canadians. For her humanitarian efforts, Best was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1974, and subsequently became an Officer of the Order of Canada on this day in 1979.

Carrie Mae Prevoe was born on March 4, 1903, in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia during a time of pronounced racial discrimination. Encouraged by her parents to take pride in her heritage, she decided from a young age to refuse racial stereotypes and immerse herself in historical and literary works written by Black Canadians and African-Americans. In 1925, she married Albert T. Best.

In 1943, Best was arrested for sitting in the “white only” section of New Glasgow’s Roseland Theatre—an act of protest against the forcible removal of several Black teens who attempted to sit there only days before. She then sued the theatre based on racial discrimination but lost the case. Her drive for equal rights was only strengthened by this event.

Best founded The Clarion in 1946 to publish news by and for the nation’s Black community. In 1952, Best established her own radio show titled “The Quiet Corner,” where she broadcast music and read poetry often relating to human rights for the next 12 years. Best was also a strong advocate for the rights of Indigenous peoples.

Best’s efforts were recognized with honorary law doctorates in 1975 and 1992. The University of King’s College in Halifax, one of the institutions that awarded Best, continues to carry on her legacy by offering outstanding Black and Indigenous Canadian students a scholarship named in her honor.

Thank you for fighting for the future of marginalized people in Canada and beyond, Carrie Best!

[9A]

September 11, 2021

Christine de Pizan's 657th Birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates the 657th birthday of Italian writer and poet Christine de Pizan. She is considered the first woman in Europe to support herself solely by writing professionally.

Christine de Pizan was born in the Republic of Venice on this day in 1364. She spent her childhood exploring libraries in the court of France’s King Charles V, where her father served as court astrologer. Armed with a pen and her love of literature, she began writing romantic ballads in 1393. This early foray into wordsmithing enraptured several powerful patrons, including King Charles VI.

De Pizan is best known today for her role in a medieval literary feud that rivals any modern celebrity drama. It began in the early 1400s with heated debates regarding the popular poem “The Romance of the Rose.” De Pizan denounced the work’s treatment of women and struck back in 1405 with one of her most famous works, “The Book of the City of Ladies.” In it, she incorporated stories that highlighted the leadership and wisdom of important women from history and mythology. She released the sequel, “The Treasure of the City of Ladies,” later that year, completing the series now considered to be among the earliest feminist literature.

Throughout her career, de Pizan published 10 volumes of poetry, many of which were “complaints,” the term for medieval protest poems and songs against vice or injustice. Today, de Pizan is among the 1,038 influential women represented in Judy Chicago’s iconic 1970s art installation “The Dinner Party” on display at the Brooklyn Museum.

Happy Birthday, Christine de Pizan!

[9A]

September 11, 2018

Joanna Baillie’s 256th Birthday



The prolific yet soft-spoken Scottish writer, born on this day in 1762, was compared to Shakespeare during her lifetime and is often hailed as one of the greatest female poets of all times. Her first poem, “Winter Day,” evoked the natural beauty of her native Scotland. Her cottage outside London was a hub of the literary scene, where she maintained friendly relationships with many of the important British writers of her time, including William Wordsworth, and Lady and Lord Byron.

In the "Introductory Discourse" to her 1798 Plays on the Passions, Baillie set the tone for what would come to be known as English Romanticism. She spent fourteen years working on her ambitious three-part project, a series of comedies and tragedies about love, hatred and jealousy with the stated goal of “unveiling the human mind under the dominion of those strong and fixed passions.” Today’s Doodle depicts some of her best-loved ‘Plays on the Passions’: Ethwald, De Monfort, The Tryal, Basil, and Orra.

First published anonymously, Baillie’s plays were the talk of London as readers tried to guess the author’s identity. Despite her obvious talents, she was reluctant to publish at all—"were it not that my Brother has expressed a strong wish that I should publish a small vol: of poetry,” she wrote in a letter, ”I should have very little pleasure in the thought”— but she was determined that her plays [psychological dramas featuring strong female characters] be performed by actors on stage rather than simply read. “I have wished to leave behind me in the world a few plays,” she wrote in the preface to her 1804 collection ‘Miscellaneous Plays,’ “some of which might have a chance of continuing to be acted even in our canvas theatres and barns.”

Baillie’s literary legacy is rivaled only by her philanthropy. Though born into a well-off Scottish family, her mother saw hard times following her father’s sudden death. A wealthy uncle’s inheritance helped her and her sister purchase the cottage where she lived and worked for most of her life, but she never forgot the less fortunate, donating half of the earnings from her writing to charity. She wrote an essay in support of chimney sweeps, and advocated for women writers as well as other authors who struggled to provide for themselves.

Happy Birthday Joanna Baillie!

[9A]

Sep 10, 2018

Professor Dorothy Hill’s 111th Birthday






“I couldn’t really see why a woman couldn’t run a university,” said Dorothy Hill, the trailblazing Australian geologist and paleontologist who became president of the Professorial Board at her alma mater, the University of Queensland, in 1971. A pioneer in her field, Hill was the first woman to become a professor at any Australian university as well as the first female president of the Australian Academy of Science.

After studying chemistry in at university, Hill took an early interest in the geology of coral. After graduating with honours, she won a scholarship to earn her PhD at Cambridge University, where she published papers on the structure and morphology of coral and earned a pilot’s license in her spare time. In 1939, Hill worked with the Geological Survey of Queensland studying early core samples of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

Following the war, Hill continued to win prestigious accolades, becoming president of the Royal Society of Queensland, Chairman of the Geological Society of Australia, Queensland Division, and the first female fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1956. She edited the Journal of the Geological Society of Australia and published more than 100 research papers in various respected journals. In 1964, Hill was awarded the Lyell Medal for scientific research and became the first Australian woman to be a Fellow of the Royal Society of London.

Professor Hill retired from the University in late 1972, returning to research her landmark Bibliography and Index of Australian Paleozoic Coral, which was published in 1978. A Dorothy Hill chair in Paleontology and Stratigraphy was endowed in her honor, and the Australian Academy of Sciences now bestows the Dorothy Hill Award for female researchers in earth sciences. Her colleagues at the University of Queensland created a 3D model of her rock hammer for an exhibition at the School of Earth Sciences. Her name was also given to numerous species of invertebrate fossils, including Acanthastrea hillae, Australomya hillae, Filiconcha hillae, and Reticulofenestra hillae.

Born on this day in 1907, Professor Hill’s accomplishments inspire countless other young women to pursue careers in academia. Today’s Doodle celebrates the intrepid field researcher, scholar and inspirational role model for future generations.

Happy Birthday Professor Hill!

[9A]

September 10, 2008

Large Hadron Collider






The Large Hadron Collider [LHC] is the world's largest and highest-energy particle collider. It was built by the European Organization for Nuclear Research between 1998 and 2008 in collaboration with over 10,000 scientists and hundreds of universities and laboratories, as well as more than 100 countries. It lies in a tunnel 27 kilometres [17 mi] in circumference and as deep as 175 metres [574 ft] beneath the France–Switzerland border near Geneva.

[9A]

September 10, 2021

Tránsito Amaguaña's 112th Birthday



Today’s Doodle honors Ecuadorian Quechua activist Tránsito Amaguaña on her 112th birthday. She was an advocate who fought to secure legal rights for Ecuador’s farm workers, Indigenous communities, and women.

Rosa Elena Tránsito Amaguaña Alba or “Mama Tránsito” was born on this day in 1909 in San Miguel de Pesillo, Ecuador. Her family were huasipungueros—farmers who labored seven days a week on a hacienda with no pay except a small plot of land for growing food. Although Amaguaña’s mother hoped she could attend school long enough to become literate, her education was cut short when she was forced into domestic work on the hacienda at a young age. In 1930, Amaguaña walked barefoot for several days to Quito with her small children in tow over 25 times to join protesters in demanding a salary and a day of rest each week for hacienda workers like her family and neighbors.

This event marked the start of Amaguaña’s tireless lifelong activism. She fulfilled her mother’s wish on trips to Cuba where she learned to read and write; and how to organize land collectives and labor unions. She helped organize Ecuador’s first farm worker unions and in 1931, she participated in the unions’ first strike in Olmedo. Amaguaña continued traveling throughout the region but returned to Quito often, where she developed a close friendship with fellow activist Dolores Cacuango. Alongside other Indigenous leaders, they co-founded the Federación Ecuatoriana de Indios [Ecuadorian Indian Federation] in 1944 which advocated for terminating hacienda ownership and returning the land to the local workers.

After years of struggle, labor laws were eventually passed to protect farm workers. Not wanting Indigenous children to face the same education restrictions she experienced, Amaguaña helped found four schools with classes taught in Spanish and Quechua. A school in Guayaquil, Ecuador that bears her name preserves her multifaceted legacy.

Happy Birthday, Tránsito Amaguaña!

[9A]

Sep 7, 2017

Sir John Cornforth’s 100th Birthday



Today's Doodle celebrates chemist Sir John Warcup Cornforth, born in Sydney on this date in 1917. During childhood, Cornforth began to lose his hearing, and he was completely deaf by the age of 20. Unable to hear the lectures in his classes at the University of Sydney, he devoured chemistry textbooks on his own.

One fateful day at university, Cornforth met fellow chemist Rita Harradence. She had broken a flask in the lab and asked Cornforth — an accomplished glassblower — to repair it. Thus began a long professional and romantic partnership. In 1939, Cornforth and Harradence both won scholarships to study at Oxford, and they married two years later. Together they wrote more than 40 scientific papers. [Now that's chemistry!]

At Oxford, Conforth joined the team that made great strides in the study of penicillin. He then returned to his earlier research on the three-dimensional structure ["stereochemistry"] of various chemical reactions. In 1975, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for this work. Cornforth and co-laureate Vladimir Prelog studied the enzymes that activate changes in organic compounds. Their conclusions opened the door to many discoveries, including the development of cholesterol-lowering drugs.

When the Nobel Prize was announced, the press release admitted, "This subject is difficult to explain to the layman." But it was already clear that millions of people would benefit from Cornforth's lifelong curiosity about the workings and wonder of the natural world.

[9A]

Sep 6, 2017

Celebrating British Sign Language and the Braidwood Academy




As millions of children head back to school for the start of term, today we celebrate one educational institution in particular: the Braidwood Academy. Opened in 1760 in Edinburgh, Braidwood is considered the UK’s first school for deaf children and the first to include sign language in education.

Thomas Braidwood, the school’s founder, had just one deaf student when the school first opened. It turned out that one student was all it took – by 1780, the number had increased to 20 students as Braidwood found success in his teaching methods.

In addition to helping lay the groundwork for deaf education in Great Britain, Braidwood’s work contributed significantly to the development of British Sign Language [BSL]. He relied on teaching communication through natural gestures, which differed from the focus on speech and lip-reading elsewhere in Europe. His form of sign language ultimately set the standards for BSL as it is known today.

Today’s Doodle features a group of schoolchildren signing the letters below them. It is a celebration of the Braidwood Academy’s work but also of the importance of education for all students with their diversity of needs.

[9A]

September 6, 2013

Leonidas da Silva's 100th Birthday




Leônidas da Silva was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward. He is regarded as one of the most important players of the first half of the 20th century. Leônidas played for Brazil national team in the 1934 and 1938 World Cups, and was the top scorer of the latter tournament. He was known as the "Black Diamond" and the "Rubber Man" due to his agility.

[9A]

June 4, 2022

Celebrating Satyendra Nath Bose






Today’s Doodle celebrates Indian physicist and mathematician Satyendra Nath Bose and his contribution to the Bose-Einstein Condensate. On this day in 1924, he sent his quantum formulations to Albert Einstein who immediately recognized it as a significant discovery in quantum mechanics.

Bose’s journey to fame started in academics. Each day, his father who was an accountant would write an arithmetic problem for him to solve before leaving for work, feuling Bose’s interest in mathematics. At age 15, Bose began pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree at Calcutta’s Presidency College and earned a Master’s in Applied Mathematics at the University of Calcutta soon after. Graduating top of his class for both degrees, he solidified his esteemed position in academia.

By the end of 1917, Bose began giving lectures on physics. While teaching postgraduate students Planck’s radiation formula, he questioned the way particles were counted and began experimenting with his own theories. He documented his findings in a report called Planck’s Law and the Hypothesis of Light Quanta, and sent it to a prominent science journal called The Philosophical Magazine. To his surprise, his research was rejected. At that moment, he made the bold decision to mail his paper to Albert Einstein.

Einstein indeed recognized the significance of the discovery — and soon applied Bose’s formula to a wide range of phenomena. Bose’s theoretical paper became one of the most important findings in quantum theory. The Indian government recognized Bose’s tremendous contribution to physics by awarding him one of the highest civilian award in the country, the Padma Vibhushan. He was also appointed as National Professor, the highest honor in India for scholars.

As a a true polymath, Bose went on to serve as president of many scientific institutions including the Indian Physical Society, National Institute of Science, Indian Science Congress and the Indian Statistical Institute. He was also an adviser to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, and later became a Fellow of the Royal Society. In honor of Bose’s legacy, any particle that conforms with his statistics today is known as a boson. Many scientific breakthroughs have come from his work including the discovery of the particle accelerator and the God particle.

Thank you Satyendra Nath Bose for revolutionizing the world of physics. Your discovery really shook up quantum mechanics!

[9A]

Jun 3, 2022

Celebrating Rosane Kaingang






Today’s Doodle celebrates the unshakeable spirit of Rosane Mattos Kaingang, an Indigenous Brazilian activist who worked tirelessly to fight for Native rights. She brought representation to the Indigenous community and played a critical role in helping the Council of Human Rights [CNDH] investigate rights violations against Native Brazilians. On this day in 1992, at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development hosted in Rio de Janeiro [or Rio 92 Conference], she began her life of service to the indigenous movement.

Kaingang was a descendant of the Kaingang people, an Indigenous ethnic group primarily from the southern states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. Her indigenous name, Kokoj, means “hummingbird,” and was given to her during a ceremony in honor of her great-grandmother, who died at 120 years old! Just like her name, everything she later worked for was strongly rooted in her community and heritage.

She spent her adult life fighting for the recognition of rightful territories, sustainable community development and access to quality education and medical services. Kaingang was also instrumental in bringing awareness to the struggles of Indigenous women. As one of the founders of the National Council of Indigenous Women of Brazil [CONAMI], she helped create a structure for Indigenous women to organize and protest as a larger body. These protests urged for broader access to resources and Indigenous labor rights.

Kaingang also represented several other social reform groups, most notably the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil [APIB], the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of the South [ARPINSUL] and the National Indian Foundation [FUNAI]. She participated in dozens of meetings, seminars, hearings and mobilization efforts that advocated for a more equitable future for Native Brazilians.

Kaingang is remembered for her dedication and love for the Indigenous community — a true warrior who never stayed silent in the face of injustice and adversity.

[9A]

November 16, 2018

44th Anniversary of the Arecibo Message




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

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

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

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

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

The subject of today’s Doodle lends itself to so many possibilities. Earlier concepts experimented with depicting the recipients of the Arecibo Message and their reactions.

Doodler, Gerben Steenks.

[9A]

June 4, 2014

Alejandro Obregon's 93rd Birthday




Our doodle in Colombie today draws inspiration from the work of painter Alejandro Obregon for what would be his 93rd birthday. Recognized as one of Colombia’s top painters, Obregon’s style is noted for its use of color and geometric forms.





Doodler Betsy Bauer found it both fun and challenging learning to emulate Obregon’s style. “While his work is abstract, you can still find specific forms throughout his pieces. His paint strokes and color choices are bold… I hope to have done his work justice!”

[9A]

June 4, 2008

First Hot Air Balloon Flight





A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket [in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule], which carries passengers and a source of heat, in most cases an open flame caused by burning liquid propane. The heated air inside the envelope makes it buoyant, since it has a lower density than the colder air outside the envelope. As with all aircraft, hot air balloons cannot fly beyond the atmosphere. The envelope does not have to be sealed at the bottom, since the air inside the envelope is at about the same pressure as the surrounding air. In modern sport balloons the envelope is generally made from nylon fabric, and the inlet of the balloon [closest to the burner flame] is made from a fire-resistant material such as Nomex. Modern balloons have been made in many shapes, such as rocket ships and the shapes of various commercial products, though the traditional shape is used for most non-commercial and many commercial applications.

The hot air balloon is the first successful human-carrying flight technology. The first untethered manned hot air balloon flight was performed by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes on November 21, 1783, in Paris, France, in a balloon created by the Montgolfier brothers. The first hot air balloon flown in the Americas was launched from the Walnut Street Jail in Philadelphia on January 9, 1793, by the French aeronaut Jean Pierre Blanchard. Hot air balloons that can be propelled through the air rather than simply drifting with the wind are known as thermal airships.



Novelty hot air balloons resembling
anthropomorphized bees



Novelty hot air balloon resembling
the Abbey of Saint Gall – Kubicek Balloons

[9A]

June 4, 2022

Mahmoud Abdel Aziz's 76th Birthday



Lights, camera…action! Today’s Doodle celebrates what would have been the 76th birthday of Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, an acclaimed Egyptian actor who mastered vastly different roles—spanning romance, drama, action and comedy. Throughout his decades of success, Mahmoud Abdel Aziz landed parts in over 100 motion pictures.

Mahmoud was born on this day in 1946 in Alexandria, Egypt. He stayed in his hometown to attend the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at Alexandria University in the 1960s. It was at this university’s theater that he began practicing creative dramatics. Ten years later, his acting career skyrocketed when he starred in a soap opera called Al-Dawama [The Whirlpool]. In 1974, he got his first movie role in an Egyptian classic called Al-Hafeed [The Grandson]. His compelling performances, especially in romantic dramas, landed him 25 movie roles between the 1970s and early 1980s.

After Mahmoud cemented his heartthrob status in the film industry, he began working alongside prominent film directors who specialized in wide-ranging genres—from fantasy to realism. Working with veteran directors introduced Mahmoud to different ways of portraying complex characters, especially characters who tackled important social problems such as women’s rights, the Egyptian population crisis, widowhood and unemployment.

After a lifetime of captivating performances, Mahmoud had a long list of awards to show for his achievements: He has won Best Actor in movies such as: Kit Kat [1991], El Coptain [The Captain, 1997], Souq Al Motaa [Pleasure Market, 2000] and Al-saher [The Magician, 2001]. More recently, he also won a Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2012 Dubai International Film Festival.

Today, his beloved films continue to keep viewers at the edge of their seats. Happy birthday, Mahmoud Abdel Aziz! You are remembered as one of the greatest Egyptian actors of all time.

[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]

Jan 26, 2021

Honoring Maria Island




Today’s Doodle recognizes January 26 by honoring Maria Island—a biodiverse protected State Reserve located off the eastern coast of Tasmania.

The secluded haven is home to a unique collection of mammal, marine, and avian species, including one of Australia’s rarest birds: the endangered forty-spotted pardalote which is depicted in the Doodle artwork.

Native to the island’s dry eucalyptus forests, the tiny pardalote is the first Australian bird known to forage a sugary sap called manna by snipping the leaf stalks of gum trees—a process referred to as “mining” or “farming” by biologists. In response, these trees often heal their wounds with the release of nutritious manna that is then snatched up by the pardalote to feed its offspring.

From the northern peaks of Bishop and Clerk to the jagged rock pillars of Cape Peron in the south, Maria Island teems with wildlife and continues to be one of the richest heritage sites in Australia.

[9A]

Mar 2, 2021

Wangdee Nima [Wang Tae]'s 96th Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates the life and legacy of Thai musician Wangdee Nima, a performer affectionately known by his stage name Wang Tae.

Born on this day in central Thailand in 1925, Wang Tae inherited a love for music from his parents, both of whom were performers of traditional Thai folk genres. As a child, he became a specialist in Lam Tad, a style of music that originated in his home region. This popular folk genre brings groups of men and women together to alternate singing improvised humorous lyrics to elicit laughs from the audience, all set against the background of instruments like the Klong Ramana, a traditional Thai hand drum.

Wang Tae soon established his own troupe, eponymously named “Lam Tad Wang Te,” which earned him national recognition and widespread appeal. Renowned for his clever lyrics with his cunning use of double entendres, Wang Tae was a true master of the Thai language whose witty performances brought smiles to the faces of audiences across Thailand for close to forty years.

In 1988, Wang Tae was named a National Artist of Thailand, an annual prize awarded by the National Culture Commission of Thailand to the country’s most prestigious performing artists.

Happy birthday, Wangdee Nima!

[9A]

September 20, 2021

Respect the Aged Day 2021





On the third Monday of September, the people of Japan honor the eldest in their communities during Respect for the Aged Day. Today's Doodle by Ishikawa, Japan-based guest artist Maiko Dake captures the joy provided by elderly people and their contributions to society.

The holiday, also known as Keirō no Hi, started as a local festival in 1947 when the mayor of Nomadani-mura [now Taka-cho] in the Hyōgo Prefecture wanted to host an event during which people could look to their elders for guidance and wisdom. The idea soon caught on in other communities and Japan declared Respect for the Aged Day a national holiday in 1966.

In years past, many people used the long weekend to visit aging relatives or bring meals to the elderly. Some cities also hold athletic competitions for seniors! Others call or send flowers like those represented in today’s Doodle to honor their loved ones.

People who have recently celebrated their 100th birthdays can look forward to official congratulations, and of these more than 80,000 centenarians, some appear on television to share their advice for a long and healthy life.

Happy Respect for the Aged Day, Japan!

[9A]

September 27, 2021

Google's 23rd Birthday



It’s said that one chance encounter can change the course of your life. In Google’s case, a chance encounter between two computer scientists changed the course of the Internet and the lives of millions.

In 1997, Sergey Brin, a graduate student at Stanford University, just so happened to be assigned to show Larry Page, who was considering Stanford for graduate school at the time, around campus. By the next year, the two Google co-founders were building a search engine together in their dorm rooms and developing their first prototype. In 1998, Google Inc. was officially born.

Every day, there are billions of searches on Google in more than 150 languages around the globe, and while much has changed from the early days of Google, from its first server housed in a cabinet built out of toy blocks to its servers now being housed in more than 20 data centers globally, its mission of making the world’s information accessible to everyone remains the same.

Happy 23rd Birthday, Google!

[9A]

March 2, 2022

Discovery of Thailand's Largest Dinosaur Remains





On this day in 2016 in the Chaiyaphum province, Thailand’s Department of Mineral Resources discovered a dinosaur fossil estimated to be 100 million years old that is believed to be the largest herbivore dinosaur fossil ever found in Thailand or Southeast Asia.

While out and about, a local noticed something quite unusual–massive bones. He contacted the authorities, who then uncovered over 20 individual fragments of sacrum, pelvis spine, and femur all belonging to a single titanosauriform sauropod species estimated to be anywhere between 23 to 30 meters [approximately 74 to 98 feet] long!

Scientists believe the bones of the brontosaurus-like sauropod species characterized by its long neck and tail could be attributed to a previously discovered species called Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae, but the remains also could indicate the existence of an entirely new species—which would be the largest to have ever roamed Cretaceous-era Thailand.

[9A]

March 2, 2009

Dr. Seuss' 105th Birthday




Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American children's author, political cartoonist, illustrator, poet, animator, and filmmaker. He is known for his work writing and illustrating more than 60 books under the pen name Dr. Seuss. His work includes many of the most popular children's books of all time, selling over 600 million copies and being translated into more than 20 languages by the time of his death.

Geisel adopted the name "Dr. Seuss" as an undergraduate at Dartmouth College and as a graduate student at Lincoln College, Oxford. He left Oxford in 1927 to begin his career as an illustrator and cartoonist for Vanity Fair, Life, and various other publications.

[9A]

Mar 14, 2022

Celebrating Dr. Maggie Lim





Today’s Doodle celebrates Singaporean physician, professor, and public health official Dr. Maggie Lim, the first young woman in Singapore and second Singaporean ever to win the prestigious Queen’s Scholarship in the 45 years of the award’s history. On this day in 2014, Dr. Lim was posthumously inducted into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame.


Maggie Lim, née Tan, was born in January 1913 in Singapore. She began her studies at Raffles Girls’ School, where she excelled in academics with a record six distinctions in her Senior Cambridge examinations. In 1929, she entered the then all-men’s Raffles Institution in preparation for the Queen’s Scholarship examination.

In 1930, Lim made history by winning the scholarship. She left home to attend the London School of Medicine for Women, one of the city’s only training hospitals that exclusively trained women. After years of dedicated study, Lim joined the Royal College of Surgeons and earned her physician's license. She returned to home in 1940 and served her community with a specialization in maternity and child health, helping to establish a system of specialized clinics across Singapore.

In 1963, Dr. Lim contributed her experience from a lifetime of fieldwork as the head of the Ministry of Health's Maternity and Child Welfare Department before retiring from this position to teach epidemiology and public health at the University of Hawaii for the remainder of her career.

[9A]

Mar 16, 2022

Rosa Bonheur's 200th Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates the 200th birthday of French painter Rosa Bonheur, whose successful career inspired a future generation of women in the arts.

Rosa Bonheur was born on this day in 1822 in Bordeaux, France. Her early artistic education was facilitated by her father, a minor landscape painter. Although her aspirations for a career in the arts were unconventional for women of the time, Bonheur closely followed the development of artistic traditions through years of careful study and preparing sketches before immortalizing them on canvas.

Bonheur's reputation as an animal painter and sculptor grew into the 1840s, with many of her works exhibited at the prestigious Paris Salon from 1841 to 1853. Scholars believe an 1849 exhibition of “Plowing in Nivernais,” a government commission that is now housed in France’s Musée Nationale du Château de Fontainebleau, established her as a professional artist. In 1853, Bonheur garnered international acclaim with her painting “The Horse Fair,” which depicted the horse market held in Paris. As her most well-known work, this painting remains on exhibit in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

To honor this celebrated painting, the French Empress Eugénie awarded Bonheur the Legion of Honor—one of the nation’s most prestigious awards, in 1865.

[9A]

March 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.