Google doodles

[9A]

Jun 25, 2019

103rd Anniversary of Hua Lamphong



It’s been exactly 103 years since Bangkok Railway Station, unofficially known as Hua Lamphong, first opened its doors to passengers. Although the Bang Sue mega station will eventually become the capital's main rail transport hub, Hua Lamphong holds the title as Bangkok’s oldest train station—whose ornate neoclassical design, featuring a vaulted iron roof with stained glass windows, evokes a time when trains were the ultimate mode of transportation.

During his 1907 tour of Europe, King Rama V was so impressed by the Frankfurt Train Station that he commissioned a similar building for his own country. The Italian architects Mario Tamagno and Annibale Rigotti echoed certain details of the German station in their design, from the half dome façade, to the open-air passenger galleries, to the giant clock on the front gable.

For more than a century, Hua Lamphong has been the entry point to Bangkok for millions of visitors. The station connects with the MRT underground system, and you can also catch both rural commuter lines and the luxurious Orient Express from here. The State Railway of Thailand accommodates some 200 trains a day, with over 27,000 passengers, and will eventually also be a railway history museum.

Happy Anniversary, Hua Lamphong!

[9A]

August 2, 2018

Celebrating Mount Olympus





According to ancient Greek mythology, Mount Olympus is the home of the gods. Should mere mortals dare to climb so high? On this day In 1913, three courageous climbers answered “yes,” scaling this 9,573-foot summit sculpted with deep ravines and abrupt upgrades. Swiss photographer Frédéric Boissonnas, his friend Daniel Baud-Bovy, and Christos Kakkalos, a Greek hunter who served as their guide, set off in treacherous weather.

Kakkalos knew the mountain so well that he scaled its sharp inclines barefoot. The Swiss had some experience in mountaineering, but Boissonnas had to lug heavy photographic equipment up the mountain. He and his friend, Baud-Bovy, were tied together with a rope, standard procedure for such expeditions.

During their climb, the summit where Greek gods were said to reside was wreathed with storm clouds, and the climbers mistook a lesser peak for the home of the gods. Thinking their ascent was done, the elated adventurers wrote cards describing their feat and put the notes in a bottle that they buried on a crest they christened Victory Top. When the mist cleared, they spied another, more impressive peak, called Mytikas.

With Kakkalos in the lead, the men continued upward, scrambling across the slippery gorge. Boissonnas later wrote that he was compelled by the fire of Prometheus, who stole fire from Athena and Hephaestus’ workshop on Mount Olympus, gifting it to humans to help them in their labors.

Today’s Doodle celebrates their accomplishment and the fire that inspired them.

[9A]

Jun 30, 2019

Celebrating Puerto Princesa Underground River





Something strange happens on the Philippine island of Palawan when the Cabayugan River reaches the 1,000-meter [3,280.8-feet] high limestone mountain called Saint Paul: the flowing water vanishes under the earth. Today’s Doodle celebrates the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, a Philippines National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site protected by the Ramsar Convention on this day in 2012.

An international body created for the conservation of important wetlands, Ramsar designated this underground river as “unique in the biogeographic region because it connects a range of important ecosystems from the mountain-to-the-sea, including a limestone karst landscape with a complex cave system, mangrove forests, lowland evergreen tropical rainforests, and freshwater swamps.”

The river is one of the world’s longest underground waterways at 8.2-kilometers [5.1-miles]—and one of the few that flows into the sea, creating the largest subterranean estuary in the world. Small boats carry sightseers underground to marvel at dramatic stalactite and stalagmite formations.

The 24-kilometer [14.9-mile] matrix of caves—including the 360-meter [1181.1-feet] long, 80-meter [262.5-feet] high Italian’s Chamber, one of the largest cave halls in the world—is home to some 800 plant species as well as many animals found nowhere else, including giant spiders, crabs, fish, and snakes, as well as bats, swallows, and fossils dating back millions of years. The critically endangered Philippine cockatoo and Hawksbill turtle, and the endangered Green sea turtle and Nordmann’s greenshank are just a few of the protected species who survive in this one-of-a-kind habitat.

[9A]

June 30, 2015

Copa América 2015 - Semifinals #2 - Argentina v Paraguay



The Copa América [English: America Cup] or CONMEBOL Copa América, known until 1975 as the South American Football Championship [Campeonato Sudamericano de Fútbol in Spanish and Copa Sul-Americana de Futebol in Portuguese], is the top men's football tournament contested among national teams from South America. It is the oldest still-running continental football competition, as well as the third most watched in the world. The competition determines the champions of South America. Since the 1990s, teams from North America and Asia have also been invited to compete.

[9A]

June 30, 2016

165th Anniversary of First Firefighter's Corp in Chile



Since 1851, Chile’s bomberos have risked life and limb to keep citizens safe from fire. There are 307 individual fire departments across Chile bonded together by Chile’s National Board of Fire Departments. What makes the bomberos especially unique is that they all serve on a volunteer basis.

It all started on this day in the bustling seaport of Valparaiso, where the city’s most influential citizens came together to form the First Firefighter’s Corp. More fire departments followed, each created by and for the community it represented.

Today’s Doodle was inspired by those who’ve served the people of Chile through their dedication and selflessness. Though they operate independently, the country’s bomberos share a common goal of working hard to protect local neighborhoods and communities.

[9A]

Jun 29, 2021

Pedro Linares López’s 115th Birthday




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

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

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

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

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

[9A]

Jun 30, 2021

Celebrating the Wadden Sea






Today’s Doodle celebrates the Wadden Sea, the world’s largest network of intertidal sand and mudflats, which spans the coastlines of the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark. On this day in 2009, UNESCO designated the Wadden Sea a World Heritage Site in recognition of its unparalleled ecological and geological importance and the decades of effort dedicated to its preservation.

Created by storms during the 14th and 15th centuries, the Wadden Sea is a relatively young wetland environment that comprises one of the world’s last remaining undisturbed intertidal ecosystems. This magnificent stretch of sea and sand houses numerous plant and animal species, including the grey seal and harbor porpoise. Considered one of the most critical regions globally for migratory birds, it’s estimated that the wetlands are visited by over 10 million African-Eurasian birds annually and can harbor up to 6.1 million birds at once!

The Wadden Sea isn’t just a pristine habitat for wildlife—popular ways human visitors enjoy the scenery include exploring the mudflats at low tide or touring the barrier islands by boat. However, it's vital for tourists to respect the site’s essential role in maintaining global biodiversity. Current conservation efforts are grounded in a strategic partnership between UNESCO, environmental NGOs, the Wadden Sea Forum, and the governments of Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands so that future generations can enjoy this natural phenomenon.

Here’s to the Wadden Sea and preserving over 4,000 square miles of the natural world!

[9A]

June 30, 2017

Assia Djebar’s 81st Birthday






Many women achieve greatness, but few become “Immortal.” Assia Djebar was the first woman from the Maghreb to be given the "Immortal" title, as a member of the Académie Française.

Born Fatima-Zohra Imalayene on this date in 1936, the Algerian novelist, translator, and filmmaker used the pen name Assia Djebar. She was the first Algerian woman to be admitted to the country’s top literary university, the Ecole Normale Superieure. Djebar published her first book at 21; by the time she was 30, she had written 4 novels in French. She quickly became one of North Africa's most influential writers.

A feminist, Djebar wrote about women's independence and encouraged Algerian women to forge their own paths and find their unique voices. She believed that education was the key to giving women a voice in society, and in 1962 began teaching history at the University of Algiers. Her work inspired many women to express themselves freely.

Today’s Doodle reflects a scene from the first chapter of Djebar’s novel Fantasia, in which she explores the history of Algeria through her experiences as a young girl.

[9A]

Jul 1, 2021

Celebrating Mitsuko Mori





Today’s Doodle celebrates prolific Japanese singer and actor Mitsuko Mori, who became the first entertainer in Japanese history to perform 2,000 times in “Horoki” ["A Wanderer's Notebook"], a theater play based on the autobiographical novel of author Fumiko Hayashi. In recognition of this unparalleled lifetime achievement, on this day in 2009, she became the first actress to ever receive Japan’s prestigious People’s Honor Award.

Born Mitsu Murakami in Kyoto, Japan on May 9, 1920, she made her cinematic debut at 14 in a historical drama film. Also a gifted vocalist, Mitsuko moved to Tokyo in 1941, where she sharpened her skills as a jazz singer, a talent she showcased throughout the decade on tours in Japan, China, and Southeast Asia.

In 1952, Mitsuko continued to prove her dynamic range when she made her comedic debut in a stage play featured on radio broadcasts across Japan—widespread exposure that cast her into the national spotlight. An established name in Japanese entertainment, Mitsuko premiered in “Horoki” in 1961 as the lead character Fumiko Hayashi, a role she played well into her 80s for a record 2,017 performances.

Before one of these productions in 2007, over 45 years since it first showed, Mitsuko told reporters that she was retiring her character’s signature reflex to good news—a forward somersault—to avoid injury in her old age. She gave her final “Horoki” performance in 2009, bowing out as a superstar of contemporary Japanese theater.

Here’s to all the memories, Mitsuko Mori!

[9A]

December 4, 2019

Professor Rapee Sagarik’s 97th Birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates horticulturalist and botanist Professor Sagarik on the 97th anniversary of his birth in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand—a country that is home to nearly 1,300 native species of orchid.

Widely known as the “father of Thai orchids,” Professor Sagarik was also later president at Bangkok’s Kasetsart University and also served on the Faculty of Agriculture at Maejo University in the northern city of Chiang Mai. He is widely considered Thailand’s foremost expert in the breeding and conservation of these delicate, beautiful plants.

Once considered an exclusive pastime for the wealthy, orchid-growing became more accessible thanks in part to Professor Sagarik’s research and education efforts. He founded the Orchid Society of Thailand in 1957 and later became a regular speaker at the World Orchid Conference. In 1984, he organized the first Asia Pacific Orchid Conference. Thanks to Professor Sagarik’s efforts, Thailand’s first orchid library opened In December 1993.

Thailand is now the world's foremost exporter of orchids, and many of the most popular varieties were bred from wild Thai orchids.

“These flowers are not like the ones you see every day, which blossom and then wither away,” Professor Sagarik once observed. Because the beauty of orchids is passed onto future generations, he called the flowers “love in humankind.”

S̄uk̄hs̄ạnt̒ wạn keid, Professor Sagarik!

[9A]

June 30, 2013

Herta Heuwer's 100th Birthday




Herta Charlotte Heuwer owned and ran a food kiosk in West Berlin. She is frequently credited with the invention of the take-out dish that would become the currywurst, supposedly on 4 September 1949. The original Currywurst was a boiled sausage, fried, with a sauce of tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, curry powder and other ingredients.

Heuwer was born in Königsberg. In January 1951, she registered a trademark for her sauce, Chillup.

Heuwer moved her business to a larger facility at Kaiser-Friedrich-Straße 59, which, during its heyday, was open day and night and employed 19 saleswomen. On 29 June 2003, the day before what would have been her 90th birthday, a plaque was dedicated in her honor at this address.

[9A]

June 30, 2020

Celebrating Tebas [Joaquim Pinto de Oliveira]



Today’s Doodle celebrates the legacy of 18th-century Brazilian architect and engineer Joaquim Pinto de Oliveira, also known as Tebas. Historians believe that during this month in 1778, Tebas broke free from the shackles of slavery and ingrained his artistic vision into the streets of São Paulo upon the completed renovation of one of his most iconic designs: the first tower of the original São Paulo Cathedral.

Tebas was born in 1721 in the port city of Santos, Brazil, and was a black slave of the well-known Portuguese architect and builder Bento de Oliveira Lima. They relocated to São Paulo during a period of expansive civil construction in the capital city. Tebas had a rare expertise in working with stone, a skill which placed his services in very high demand there.

By the 1750s, Tebas had risen to become a highly accomplished architect in São Paulo, and over the following decades, he shaped the city with constructions including the pediment of the São Bento Monastery and the facade of the Church of the Third Order of Carmo. He continued working for years after he gained his freedom and lived until the age of 90. Over the course of his long life, he cemented himself as one of the greatest Brazilian architects of his time.

In honor of Tebas’ contributions to the city, in 2019 his name was inscribed at the former site of what is widely considered one of his best-known works, the Chafariz da Misericordia [Fountain of Mercy], Sao Paulo’s first public water fountain which he designed and constructed in 1792.

Thank you, Tebas, for overcoming all obstacles to lay the blueprint for a brighter future!

[9A]

Jun 30, 2020

Celebrating Marsha P. Johnson




Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Los Angeles-based guest artist Rob Gilliam, celebrates LGBTQ+ rights activist, performer, and self-identified drag queen Marsha P. Johnson, who is widely credited as one of the pioneers of the LGBTQ+ rights movement in the United States. On this day in 2019, Marsha was posthumously honored as a grand marshal of the New York City Pride March.

Marsha P. Johnson was born on August 24th, 1945, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. After graduating high school in 1963, she moved to New York City’s Greenwich Village, a burgeoning cultural hub for LGBTQ+ people. Here, she legally changed her name to Marsha P. Johnson. Her middle initial—“P.”—allegedly stood for her response to those who questioned her gender: “Pay It No Mind.”

A beloved and charismatic fixture in the LGBTQ+ community, Johnson is credited as one of the key leaders of the 1969 Stonewall uprising— widely regarded as a critical turning point for the international LGBTQ+ rights movement. The following year, she founded the Street Transvestite [now Transgender] Action Revolutionaries [STAR] with fellow transgender activist Sylvia Rivera. STAR was the first organization in the U.S. to be led by a trans woman of color and was the first to open North America’s first shelter for LGBTQ+ youth.

In 2019, New York City announced plans to erect statues of Johnson and Rivera in Greenwich Village, which will be one of the world’s first monuments in honor of transgender people.

Thank you, Marsha P. Johnson, for inspiring people everywhere to stand up for the freedom to be themselves.

[9A]

June 29, 2013

The 100th Tour de France






The illustration for the 100th Tour De France seemed like a great opportunity to unify design, illustration and animation. From rough drawings to finished animation the choices boiled down to combining 2 key views of a rider. At one point there was no bike at all!

Concerning the event itself the illustration was a great opportunity to take the tour back in time to an era of moustaches and wheel tubing over shoulders! It's a moving graphic that points to the future yet recognises the nostalgia and heritage of early 20th century tour posters.


Posted by Matthew Cruickshank, Doodler

[9A]

June 29, 2020

Celebrating Subak





Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Indonesia-based guest artist Hana Augustine, commemorates the culturally significant Indonesian irrigation system called subak, which was inscribed on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites on this day in 2012. This network of canals, tunnels, and dams has allowed the people of the island of Bali to sustain lush rice paddy fields and live in symbiosis with nature for over a thousand years.

The word subak refers not just to the irrigation infrastructure, but also to the cooperative social tradition that surrounds it. Through this system, a limited water supply is managed peacefully through some 1,200 collectives of individual farmers. Subak is considered to be a reflection of the ancient Balinese philosophy of Tri Hita Karana, which loosely translates to “three causes of well-being” and describes the ideal of spiritual, interpersonal, and natural harmony.

Firmly rooted in this ideology passed down through the generations, the traditional subak system has been upheld with unwavering dedication since its formation as early as the 9th century. In turn, Indonesian agriculturists have achieved an egalitarian rule of order that successfully sustains a harmonious balance between the land and the community of farmers that reap its benefits.

The practice of subak has created a majestic and abundant landscape of tiered rice paddy fields that waterfall for hectares, and is an irreplicable phenomenon that fills both the hearts and bellies of the Balinese people.

[9A]

June 29, 2008

European Football Championship Winner 2008 - Spain

[9A]

June 29, 2018

Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis’ 125th Birthday






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

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

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

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

Happy birthday Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis!

Doodle ilustrated by Nishant Choksi.

Early concepts of the Doodle below

[9A]

June 29, 2016

Edward Koiki Mabo’s 80th birthday




Born on the Australian island of Mer in 1936, Edward Koiki Mabo was an energetic campaigner for the rights of Indigenous people and their claim to the lands declared terra nullius, or belonging to no one, despite the history of its earlier inhabitants. He also set up a health service and a school in Townsville, Queensland where he lived with his wife and their ten children.

The “Mabo Case” triumphed in the courts in 1992 - overturning terra nullius and returning ownership of the islands to the Indigenous people. Although he died shortly before the verdict, his activism changed the lives of so many.

Today’s Doodle is a tribute to Edward Koiki Mabo’s legacy on what would have been his 80th birthday.

[9A]

June 29, 2017

Teachers' Day 2017 [Nicaragua]

[9A]

June 29, 2012

José Pablo Moncayo's 100th Birthday




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

[9A]

June 29, 2012

Josef Ressel's 219th Birthday





Joseph Ludwig Franz Ressel was a forester and inventor of Czech-German descent, who designed one of the first working ship's propellers.

Besides having been called "the inventor of the propeller," he was also called the inventor of the steamship and a monument to him in a park in Vienna commemorates him as "the one and only inventor of the screw propeller and steam shipping." He was also commemorated on Austria's 500 Schilling banknote in the mid-1960s, which shows him on the front and the ship Civetta on the back.

[9A]

June 29, 2010

Antoine de Saint-Exupery's 110th Birthday






I've always loved the imagery from The Little Prince, written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, but I must confess that until I was assigned this doodle, I had never actually read the book. This was pretty much sacrilege on my part, as I come from working in kids books! My mother-in-law was quick to set me on the right path, lending me her translated copy [claiming it was the best, most poetic translation], and warned me to read the book with a pack of tissue. I followed her advice, finding a very quiet spot on the Google campus to read the book with a pair of sunglasses.

Cover to cover and an empty tissue pack later, I felt an even greater sense of responsibility to portray this beloved character as genuinely as possible. I painted the character in watercolor and ink, knowing there was no way the digital medium could capture the innocent, naive quality of Mr. Saint-Exupery's artwork. When the doodle finally launched, I was able to read user comments about how this doodle brought them joy, or how they recalled a passage from the book with a tear. It was such a wonderful feeling to emotionally connect with so many people at once and is probably one of the most rewarding experiences I've had as a doodler and illustrator.

posted by Mike Dutton

[9A]

Jun 21, 2010

First Day of Summer 2010

[9A]

June 21, 2015

Winter Solstice 2015 [Brazil]




Winter is a paradox. Some call it cold and unwelcoming. Temperatures drop a tad too much. And our teeth might chatter a little more than we’d like.

But when you think about it, chilly weather brings people together. Whether we’re bundled up for a snow day, huddled around a campfire, or sharing a home-cooked meal, Winter offers a million ways to enjoy the warmth of those closest to us.


So today, on the shortest day of the year, welcome Winter with a friend, or family.

[9A]

June 21, 2022

Celebrating Norval Morrisseau [Copper Thunderbird]



Today’s Doodle—illustrated by Anishinaabe guest artists Blake Angeconeb and Danielle Morrison—celebrates Norval Morrisseau [Copper Thunderbird], an Indigenous Canadian artist from the Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation. Morrisseau is widely considered the grandfather of contemporary Indigenous art in Canada, and his work paved the way for the emergence of Indigenous artwork in mainstream galleries. Today, on Canada’s National Indigenous Peoples Day, we honor Morrisseau and his paintings that beautifully captured the stories of Indigenous tradition.

Norval Morriseau—whose Ojibwa name was Copper Thunderbird—was born on the Sand Point Ojibwa reserve in Ontario, Canada, on March 14, 1932. He was raised by his maternal grandparents, who helped instill his pride for Anishinaabe culture and traditions. At the age of six, Morriseau was forced to leave his home and attend residential school—a place where traditional Native ceremonies were banned and speaking traditional languages was forbidden. Despite the trauma and hardships he experienced in his youth, Morrisseau was fueled by his desire to preserve his people’s traditions. His grandfather, a Shaman trained within the Midewiwin spiritual tradition, had introduced Morrisseau to shamanism and passed down the stories and legends of the Ojibwa people.

As Morrisseau entered adulthood, he began exploring ways to incorporate Anishinabek oral traditions and imagery through his artwork. In 1962, he hosted an exhibit at the Pollock Gallery in Toronto, marking his official debut to the art world and the first time an Indigenous artist was featured in a major contemporary art gallery in Canada. His art style became known as Woodland painting, combining rich colors, birch-bark scroll etchings and, oftentimes, skeletal animals and people. Morrisseau’s work represented a unique intersection between traditional Indigenous imagery and modern art styles. His path to success has not been simple - Morrisseau’s artwork has unfortunately been the subject of ongoing art fraud and plagiarism cases, as many sought to capitalize on the value earned through his unique style.

Over his multi-decade career, Morrisseau’s artwork was featured in exhibits across Canada, Europe and the world. Some of his notable paintings include Moose Dream Legend [1962], Conquest of the Thunderbird [1982], Androgyny [1983], and Observations of the Astral World [1994]. Morrisseau also leveraged his growing influence to advocate and support emerging First Nations artists, such as Daphne Odjig and Roy Thomas. He was an original member of the Indian Group of Seven—a group dedicated to uplifting the next generations of Indigenous artists. Morrisseau’s contributions led to his recognition as the grandfather of contemporary Indigenous art in North America.

Today, we can see Morrisseau’s legacy recognized on the global stage as a renowned artist, a revolutionary, and Indigenous icon. His ability to shatter societal, sexual, and commonly held stereotypes exemplifies the perseverance and power that countless Indigenous peoples experience. On National Indigenous Peoples Day, and everyday, we look to celebrate these achievements and recognize the contributions that Indigenous peoples have had and continue to have on Turtle Island.

Thank you, Morrisseau for sharing the stories of your Indigenous culture through art with the world!

[9A]

June 21, 2011

First Day of Summer by Takashi Murakami



In the San Francisco Bay Area, we typically experience pretty mild weather. No experts to the seasons, we turned to Japanese art superstar Takashi Murakami to ring in the Summer and Winter Solstice with a pair of super fun doodles for the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.

The doodles feature some of his cute and quirky characters and signature bold colors. It was a great honor to collaborate with Murakami-san and his Kai Kai Kiki team, who create what must be some of our most “kawaii” doodles yet.

Posted by Ryan Germick

[9A]

June 21, 2011

First Day of Winter by Takashi Murakami



In the San Francisco Bay Area, we typically experience pretty mild weather. No experts to the seasons, we turned to Japanese art superstar Takashi Murakami to ring in the Summer and Winter Solstice with a pair of super fun doodles for the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.

The doodles feature some of his cute and quirky characters and signature bold colors. It was a great honor to collaborate with Murakami-san and his Kai Kai Kiki team, who create what must be some of our most “kawaii” doodles yet.

Posted by Ryan Germick

[9A]

Jun 21, 2011

Abdel Halim Hafez's 82nd Birthday



Abdel Halim Ali Shabana was an Egyptian singer, actor, conductor, businessman, music teacher and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest Egyptian musicians along with Umm Kulthum, Mohamed Abdel Wahab, Mohamed Fawzi, and Shadia. As his popularity grew, he was given the nickname 'el-Andaleeb el-Asmar, meaning The Dark-Skinned N

[9A]

June 21, 2010

First Day of Winter 2010 [Southern Hemisphere]

[9A]

June 21, 2009

First Day of Summer 2009 [Northern Hemisphere]

[9A]

April 15, 2021

Eugène Poubelle’s 190th Birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates Eugène Poubelle, the French lawyer, administrator, and diplomat credited with revolutionizing Paris’s waste management system in the late 19th century. Never afraid to get his hands dirty, Poubelle is forever immortalized in the French word for the trash can: la poubelle.

Born in Caen, France on this day in 1831, Eugène René Poubelle earned a law degree and began his career as a professor before transitioning into public service. In 1883, he was appointed prefect of the Seine, and he soon came to the conclusion that Paris needed to clean up its act.

In 1884, Poubelle decreed that Parisian landlords were required to install large, covered receptacles for their tenants’ household trash, and—far ahead of his time—he even mandated three separate bins to facilitate recycling. In 1890, la poubelle was officially inducted into the French dictionary as the term for “garbage can.”

But Poubelle didn’t stop there. Following a severe cholera outbreak in 1892, he also required all buildings to be connected directly to the city’s sewers, another huge step in the name of urban hygiene. Poubelle’s mandates also catalyzed the development of household waste removal vehicles, early versions of which came in the form of horse-drawn carriages. With the advent of the first automobiles, these prototypical garbage trucks evolved into motorized vehicles in 1897; by the dawn of the 20th-century, this sanitation technology cleared the path for garbage collection to become commonplace not just in French urban centers but nationwide.

Thank you, Eugène Poubelle, for refusing to let your visionary ideas be thrown out!

[9A]

April 15, 2009

Mimar Sinan's Birthday





Mimar Sinan was the chief Ottoman architect [Turkish: mimar] and civil engineer for sultans Suleiman the Magnificent, Selim II, and Murad III. He was responsible for the construction of more than 300 major structures and other more modest projects, such as schools. His apprentices would later design the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul and Stari Most in Mostar.

[9A]

May 4, 2021

Geta Brătescu’s 95th Birthday




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

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

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

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

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

[9A]

Apr 21, 2009

Kartini Day 2009




Every 21 April, Indonesians commemorate Hari Kartini [Kartini's Day]. A day to celebrate Indonesian hero of women empowerment – Raden Ajeng Kartini, or more popular with Ibu Kartini. This is akin to International Women's Day and the focus is the issue of women empowerment.

[9A]

Jun 24, 2021

Mohammed Racim's 125th Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates the 125th birthday of Algerian educator and painter Mohammed Racim. Often considered among the first painters in Algeria, Racim fused traditional Persian and Mughal painting techniques to reinvigorate Maghrebi cultural customs and redefine the global perspective of the Arab world through art.

On this day in 1896, Mohammed Racim was born into a family of distinguished artisans in Algiers, Algeria, then a French colony. He began working in a colonial drawing office at 14 , where he copied the designs of carpets, Arab embroideries, copper ornaments, and wood sculptures. Each of these disciplines influenced his craft, but it was Racim’s introduction to Persian miniatures, an ancient form of literary illustration, that formed the foundation of his oeuvre.

In 1914, he met French Orientalist painter Nasreddine Dinet, who later commissioned Racim to embellish one of his books with original illustrations. Throughout the decades that followed, Racim continued to express his talent through vibrant miniatures. “The Rais,” his 1931 painting of a 17th-century Algerian captain that measures less than one square foot, serves as just one example of Racim’s art that helped revitalize Algerian pride, which was instrumental in the North African country’s independence movement.

Racim’s contributions, including pioneering the Algerian School of Miniature, were recognized at the national level in 1933 when he became the first Algerian recipient of the Grand Artistic Prize of Algeria. Today, much of Racim’s personal collection is displayed at the Museum of Fine Arts in Algiers.

There’s nothing miniature about your impact on the world of art, Mohammed Racim. Happy birthday!

[9A]

June 24, 2017

2017 World Taekwondo Championships Muju



Integrity, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit — all of these are on display at the 2017 World Taekwondo Championships in Muju, South Korea. Oh, and some pretty impressive knee strikes and reverse round kicks!

The World Taekwondo Championships have taken place every other year since 1973. Outside of the Olympics, they’re the most prestigious event for those who practice the sport — in fact, the seven days feature more competitors from a greater number of nations than does the four-day Olympic event. Many talented athletes will make names for themselves at the championships this year, and their careers will be carefully followed by taekwondo enthusiasts as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics approach.

Though taekwondo is an intensely physical sport, its philosophical roots center on the building of a more peaceful society. By cultivating a foundation of respect, humility, and control in the individual, practitioners of taekwondo aim to inspire this sense of responsibility and spirituality in others through their actions and teachings.

Today’s Doodle was created with community and diversity in mind. Who will emerge victorious in this year’s Worlds? We can’t wait to find out!

[9A]

Jun 24, 2017

ICC 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup Begins!



It's the opening day of the ICC Women's World Cup! If you haven't yet taken a whack at the whimsical wickets of our Doodle cricket game, prepare to be bowled over!

Ah, summer: the sound of leather on willow, and the spectacle of cricket ... cricket! As the tournament begins, something buzzes outside. A team of crickets sans tickets have set up their own wickets for a game of pest cricket! As they face their archrivals, the snails, it’s sure to be a match for the centuries. Don’t be fooled by their sluggish looks — these fielders can be fast on their feet!

To celebrate the 2017 ICC Women's World Cup, we’re inviting everyone to tap/click and take a swing at our pocket-size game!

We know that cricket is loved worldwide, so we wanted to make sure our Doodle works for everyone, including those on slower mobile networks. We kept the file size fly-sized, and the result is our smallest interactive Doodle ever — even snail networks can load it in seconds.

Whether you're enjoying the tournament at a snail’s pace or bowling faster than the beat of a hummingbird's wings, here's hoping you hit it out of the park this summer!

Eng: Jacob Howcroft

Art Direction: Matt Cruickshank

Additional Eng: Mark Ivey

Additional Sound Design: Leon Hong

Project Management/Production: Greg Capuano, Perla Campos

Below are samples of test animation and development designs along the way:

[9A]

June 24, 2014

World Cup 2014 #30




A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. There are a number of notable popular team sports competitions labeled "world cups", such as the ICC Cricket World Cup, Rugby World Cup, Rugby League World Cup and the Hockey World Cup but perhaps the best known is the FIFA World Cup [an association football tournament, first held in 1930], which is widely known simply as "the World Cup".

A world cup is generally, though not always, considered the premier competition in its sport, with the victor attaining the highest honour in that sport and able to lay claim to the title of their sport's best. However, in some sports the Olympic title carries at least as much prestige, while other sports such as diving and artistic gymnastics differentiate between their premier competitions, such as World Championships and Olympic Games, and their "World Cup", which is organised as a smaller scale but high-level showcase event with small elite fields.

Japanese tech fans come up against a Columbian vulture!

[9A]

Jun 25, 2014

World Cup 2014 #32


The 2014 FIFA World Cup was an international football tournament that was held in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014. The 32 national teams involved in the tournament were required to register a squad of 23 players, including three goalkeepers. Only players in these squads were eligible to take part in the tournament.

[9A]

Jun 25, 2015

Mozambique Independence Day 2015





Independence Day, also known in Portuguese as Dia da Independência Nacional, is a national holiday celebrated on June 25th.

It commemorates Mozambique's independence from Portugal on June 25th 1975.

[9A]

June 25, 2018

Eloisa Díaz’s 152nd Birthday



Today we celebrate the 152nd birthday of Chilean trailblazer, Eloisa Díaz. Born in 1866, Díaz spent most of her life in her native Santiago. Chile was one of the first Latin American countries to create policies designed to expand and improve the quality of women’s education. As a result, Díaz was able to attend the Universidad de Chile. After graduating with her Bachelor’s degree, Díaz enrolled in the Escuela de Medicina [school of medicine]. In 1887, she became the first woman in all of Latin America, to earn the professional title of physician.

During Díaz’s early career, she worked as a physician and teacher. In 1898, she became the School Medic Supervisor of Santiago. Later, Díaz was promoted to the position of School Medic Supervisor of Chile, where she remained for more than 30 years.

In addition to practicing medicine, Díaz was an avid philanthropist. She used her position and influence to create reforms focused on helping the children of Chile, including founding kindergartens, creating polyclinics for students with limited resources, and organizing school camps.

Today’s Doodle celebrates Díaz as a pioneer for women in the medical field and depicts her commitment to social initiatives for children. Her legacy still serves as inspiration for women around the world looking to break barriers and pursue higher education.

Happy birthday, Eloisa Díaz!

[9A]

June 25, 2021

Slovenia National Day 2021



Today’s Doodle honors Slovenia’s National Day, also known as Dan državnosti or Statehood Day. On this day in 1991, Slovenia became an independent state.

Spreading from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea, the central European nation celebrates 30 years of independence, displaying the Slovenian flag on official state buildings, private residences, and any other place appropriate for the celebration of national pride. Look closely at the Slovenian flag and you’ll see the three peaks of Mount Triglav—also depicted in today’s Doodle artwork—the middle of which is the nation’s highest point at 9,396 feet [2,864 meters]! After choosing this flag as the national symbol 30 years ago, it was taken to the top of Mount Triglav as celebration of Slovenia’s independence.

National Day is also a perfect occasion to enjoy Slovenian delicacies like žlikrofi [tiny potato dumplings], Štruklji [boiled, steamed, or fried rolls filled with cheese], and Potica [a ring-shaped nut cake].

Vesel Dan državnosti! Happy Statehood Day, Slovenia!

[9A]

Jun 27, 2021

Mina Wylie's 130th Birthday



Today’s Doodle, illustrated by guest artist Alice Lindstrom, celebrates the 130th birthday of Australian athlete Wilhelmina Wylie, the first Australian woman to win a silver medal in Olympic swimming.

On this day in 1891, Wilhelmina “Mina” Wylie was born in Sydney, Australia, as the second child of Australasian distance-diving champion Henry Wylie. Her swimming achievements began much earlier than most–Wylie joined her father and brothers in successfully swimming with her hands and feet tied at only five years old! She placed second in her first conventional swim meet before turning 10, and continued to train rigorously throughout her youth at Wylie’s Baths, a coastal tidal pool founded in Coogee by her father in 1907.

The next year, Wylie broke the world record in the 100-yard freestyle event. She set her sights on the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, which was the first to hold a women’s swimming event. But Wylie’s aims were complicated by an outdated rule of the New South Wales Ladies’ Amateur Swimming Association that prohibited women from competing with men. Public uproar ensued until restrictions loosened, allowing Wylie to dive headfirst into Olympic history as a silver-medal 100-meter freestyle champion.

By the time she hung up her competitive swimming cap in 1934, Wylie held 115 state and national titles, complemented by freestyle, breaststroke, and backstroke world records. In honor of her lifetime achievements, the International Swimming Hall of Fame inducted Wylie into its ranks in 1975, and today, a sculpture in her likeness inspires swimmers at Wylie’s Baths.

Happy birthday, Mina Wylie, and thank you for inspiring future generations of swimmers to take the plunge!

[9A]

June 27, 2018

Efua Theodora Sutherland's 94th Birthday






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

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

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

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

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

[9A]

June 27, 2016
R. D. Burman’s 77th birthday




When R.D. Burman was growing up, it was assumed he would follow in his father's footsteps and compose music for Bollywood. But no one quite predicted that his disciplined practice and extensive music training would lead him to become one of the most popular Bollywood composers of his time!


Early on, he was given the nickname Pancham, from the Bengali word for 5. In fact, at the age of 9, R.D. Burman was already composing music for hit films, since his father S.D. Burman included his son's Sar jo tera chakraaye in the film Pyaasa. As his career developed, he was known for making music out of anything from laughter to blowing over the tops of glass bottles. Bringing in influences from all over the world, from disco, to funk, to cabaret, R.D. Burman revolutionized Bollywood and brought films like Caravan to life with the iconic Piya Tu Ab To Aaja.


Today's doodle celebrates R.D. Burman's 77th birthday and honors his lifelong commitment to composing top-notch music for Bollywood.

[9A]

June 27, 2021

Krzysztof Kieślowski's 80th Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates the 80th birthday of internationally-acclaimed Polish filmmaker and screenwriter Krzysztof Kieślowski, who is widely regarded as one of the world’s most influential directors of art-house cinema.

Born in Warsaw, Poland, on this day in 1941, Kieślowski developed a love for storytelling through a childhood passion for literature. He pursued his obsession with the narrative arts at the esteemed Lódz Film School, where his first original feature film came in the form of a short silent drama in 1966. In his early films, such as his 1971 documentary about a shipyard labor strike entitled “Workers ‘71,” Kieślowski explored the complexities and moral dilemmas of everyday life through candid depictions of contemporary Poland.

Kieślowski moved beyond the documentary format in his 1975 feature film “Personnel,” the first of many cinematic works of fiction. It wasn’t until the 1988 release of “The Decalogue”—ten hour-long TV episodes that followed the residents of a Warsaw housing complex—that Kieślowski’s work gained international fame. His trademark philosophical explorations climaxed in the 1993-94 “Three Colors” trilogy, each a reflection on the ideals of the French Revolution, which comprised his final films.

In addition to dozens of prestigious awards throughout his career, Kieślowski received three Academy Award nominations, including Best Director in 1994 for “Three Colors: Red,” the final installment of his iconic triptych. After retiring from cinema that year, Kieślowski returned to the medium that first inspired his devotion to the art of the story: literature.


Happy birthday, Krzysztof Kieślowski!

[9A]

June 24, 2011

Festa Junina




Festas Juninas June Festivals, "festivities that occur in the month of June"], also known as festas de São João for their part in celebrating the nativity of St. John the Baptist [June 24], are the annual Brazilian celebrations adapted from European Midsummer that take place in the southern midwinter. These festivities, which were introduced by the Portuguese during the colonial period [1500–1822], are celebrated during the month of June nationwide. The festival is mainly celebrated on the eves of the Catholic solemnities of Saint Anthony, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Peter.

[9A]

Jul 1, 2021

Celebrating Mitsuko Mori




Today’s Doodle celebrates prolific Japanese singer and actor Mitsuko Mori, who became the first entertainer in Japanese history to perform 2,000 times in “Horoki” ["A Wanderer's Notebook"], a theater play based on the autobiographical novel of author Fumiko Hayashi. In recognition of this unparalleled lifetime achievement, on this day in 2009, she became the first actress to ever receive Japan’s prestigious People’s Honor Award.

Born Mitsu Murakami in Kyoto, Japan on May 9, 1920, she made her cinematic debut at 14 in a historical drama film. Also a gifted vocalist, Mitsuko moved to Tokyo in 1941, where she sharpened her skills as a jazz singer, a talent she showcased throughout the decade on tours in Japan, China, and Southeast Asia.

In 1952, Mitsuko continued to prove her dynamic range when she made her comedic debut in a stage play featured on radio broadcasts across Japan—widespread exposure that cast her into the national spotlight. An established name in Japanese entertainment, Mitsuko premiered in “Horoki” in 1961 as the lead character Fumiko Hayashi, a role she played well into her 80s for a record 2,017 performances.

Before one of these productions in 2007, over 45 years since it first showed, Mitsuko told reporters that she was retiring her character’s signature reflex to good news—a forward somersault—to avoid injury in her old age. She gave her final “Horoki” performance in 2009, bowing out as a superstar of contemporary Japanese theater.

Here’s to all the memories, Mitsuko Mori!

[9A]

Jun 26, 2011

Women's World Cup Opening



The 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup was the sixth FIFA Women's World Cup competition, the world championship for women's national association football teams. It was held from 26 June to 17 July 2011 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in October 2007. Japan won the final against the United States on a penalty shoot-out following a 2–2 draw after extra time and became the first Asian team to win a senior FIFA World Cup.

[9A]

July 1, 2011

Dorothea MacKellar's 126th Birthday




As a poet, Dorothea MacKellar is best known for her vivid and loving descriptions of the Australian landscape. As such, I did my best to capture the brightness of her words, but also keep the doodle a little bit “sketchy” to portray the brevity of her verses.

Posted by Jennifer Hom