Google doodles

[9A]

10 September 2022

Mid-Autumn Festival 2022 [Vietnam]


Today’s Doodle celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival, or Tết Trung Thu in Vietnam, which recognizes the importance of the moon and the sun and honors the year’s successful harvest.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is now celebrated in many Asian countries, but the Vietnamese version has its own unique traditions and legends.

Traditionally, Mid-Autumn Festival was a celebration of the autumn harvest—a time for the Vietnamese to give thanks to the moon for the successful harvest season. However, the festival has transformed to focus on celebrating children. This special emphasis of children has links to the harvest. Many parents and family members involved in tending the fields are very busy right up till harvest, unable to spend as much time with their children. Thus, Mid-Autumn Festival is a time to shower attention on children after the hard work has been completed.

Many towns turn off electricity so they can only see lanterns and moonlight. As the largest moon of the year rises, many lively crowds dance, sing and bask in the moon’s radiant glow.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

[9A]

12 Sept 2022

Celebrating the Lampang Rooster Bowl



Cock-a-Doodle-Do! Today’s Doodle celebrates the iconic Lampang Rooster Bowl, a traditional tableware design featuring a black-tailed rooster with peony flowers and banana leaves. This durable kitchenware is so popular in Asia that the Thai government registered the rooster bowl as a Geographical Indication product of Lampang on this day in 2013. This means international trade law affirms the quality and reputation of rooster bowls made in the region!

The rooster bowl was imported to Thailand from China. In the original artwork, the rooster symbolized hard work while the banana leaf and red peony represented dreams of good fortune.

In 1957, entrepreneurs opened many rooster kitchenware factories in Thailand’s Lampang province. The region, teeming with clay minerals, was better suited for ceramic manufacturing.

As Lampang began mass producing tableware with rooster designs, the bowl became one of the region’s best-selling products—bringing financial stability and freedom to Lampang locals.

Although Lampang continues to manufacture rooster bowls today, few factories can afford to design rooster bowls according to the traditional style and material, causing the original hand-painted rooster bowls to become a rare collector’s item.

Be sure to check your kitchen cabinets for vintage rooster bowls—they just might bring your family good fortune!

[9A]

12 September 2022

Gabriela Brimmer's 75th birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates Mexican-Jewish writer and disability rights activist Gabriela Brimmer on what would have been her 75th birthday. Brimmer made impactful contributions to books and films that authentically portrayed her experience as a person with cerebral palsy, ultimately creating more opportunities for those in the disabled community.

Brimmer was born in Mexico City in 1947 to parents who escaped Nazi Austria. Soon after, her parents learned she had severe cerebral palsy, a muscular disorder that can affect a person's movement, muscle tone and posture. Brimmer’scaregivers taught her to communicate through written words and poetry, as she was nonverbal.

Her left leg and foot, the only part of her body she could move, became her means of communication with the world. As depicted in today’s artwork, she wrote beautiful passages by using a typewriter that she operated with the big toe on her left foot.

Brimmer later teamed up with Mexican novelists and journalists to write three bestselling books that accurately depicted her life. She also worked with producers to repurpose her autobiography into the movie Gaby, a True Story [[1987), which won Golden Globes and Oscar nominations.

Brimmer went on to found the Association for the Rights of People with Motor Disabilities and participated in many other organizations that advocated for disability rights and accessibility.

In 2016, the Gaby Brimmer National Center for Rehabilitation and Educational Integration was created in her honor.

Happy birthday, Gabriela Brimmer!

[9A]

25 June 2022

Honouring Anne Frank





This post includes mentions of the Holocaust, which may be sensitive to some readers.


Today's slideshow Doodle honors globally renowned Jewish German-Dutch diarist and Holocaust victim Anne Frank. Although only written between the ages of 13-15, her personal account of the Holocaust and events of the war remains one of the most poignant and widely-read accounts to date. Today's Doodle features real excerpts from her diary, which describes what she and her friends and family experienced in hiding for over two years. Today is the 75th anniversary of the publication of her diary, which is widely considered one of the most essential books in modern history.

Anne Frank was born on June 12, 1929 in Frankfurt, Germany, but her family soon moved to Amsterdam, Netherlands to escape the increasing discrimination and violence faced by millions of minorities at the hands of the growing Nazi party. World War II ignited when Anne was 10 years old, and soon after, Germany invaded the Netherlands, bringing the war to her family’s doorstep. Jewish people were particularly targeted by the Nazi regime, experiencing imprisonment, execution, or forced relocation to inhumane concentration camps. Unable to live and practice freely and safely, millions of Jews were forced to flee their homes or go into hiding. In the spring of 1942, Anne’s family did just that, hiding in a secret annex in her father’s office building to avoid persecution.

The Frank family, like millions of others, were forced to act quickly and leave nearly everything behind to seek protection. Among Anne’s few possessions was an unassuming gift she had received on her thirteenth birthday just weeks earlier: a checkered hardback notebook. It soon became her vehicle to change the world forever. Over the following 25 months in hiding, she filled its pages with a heartfelt account of teenage life in the “secret annex,” from small details to her most profound dreams and fears. Hopeful that her diary entries could be published after the war, Anne consolidated her writing into one cohesive story titled “Het Achterhuis” [“The Secret Annex”].

On August 4, 1944, the Frank family was found out by the Nazi Secret Service, arrested, and taken to a detention center where they were forced to perform hard labor. They were then forcibly deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland where they lived in cramped, unhygienic conditions. A few months later, Anne and Margot Frank were transported to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany. In addition to the brutal, intentional killings of prisoners by Nazi forces, deadly diseases spread rapidly. Eventually, Anne and Margot succumbed to the inhumane conditions they were forced to live in. Anne Frank was just 15 years old.

Although Anne Frank did not survive the horrors of the Holocaust, her account of those years, commonly known as “The Diary of Anne Frank,” has since become one of the most widely read works of non-fiction ever published. Translated into upwards of 80 languages, Frank’s memoir is a staple in today’s classrooms, utilized as a tool to educate generations of children about the Holocaust and the terrible dangers of discrimination and tyranny.

Thank you, Anne, for sharing a critical window into your experience and our collective past, but also unwavering hope for our future.

[9A]

3 March 2018

Girls' Day 2018



Today, two Japanese hina dolls—an Emperor and Empress—preside over the Google colors in celebration of Hinamatsuri, an annual Japanese festival during which families wish for the health and happiness of their young girls. Also known as Girls’ Day, Hinamatsuri is believed to be rooted in the Heian-period custom nagashi-bina, where straw-and-paper dolls were placed in boats and floated down rivers to spirit away misfortune.

Though nagashi-bina ceremonies are still part of Hinamatsuri festivities in some regions, the day is more widely celebrated with elaborate displays of dolls [hina-ningyo] symbolically arranged on five- to seven-step platforms draped in red carpet. Each step depicts a different scene, always beginning with the Emperor and Empress, who are dressed in colorful kimonos that represent ancient court costumes.

These splendid arrangements decorate restaurants, shops, and family homes in the month leading up to Hinamatsuri. On festival day, people partake in traditional food and drink, such as chirashi-zushi [scattered sushi], shirozake [sweet white sake], and hishimochi [red, white, and green rice cakes shaped like diamonds].

Today’s Doodle honors Hinamatsuri with two hina-ningyo handcrafted from paper. In a special homage, the Emperor and Empress’ robes are fashioned from chiyogami, Japanese origami paper. Cherry blossoms—another symbol of this festive day—bloom above them, imparting good luck.

[9A]

20 September 2018

Josefa Llanes Escoda’s 120th Birthday



When Josefa Llanes Escoda was attending elementary school in Dingras, her hometown in the Philippines, she went to class despite an impending typhoon. “I'll not let the weather keep me away from school,” the determined young student told her mother. After graduating as valedictorian, she went on to join the Red Cross and win a scholarship to the United States, where she studied social work, earning a masters degree from Columbia University.

Born on this day in 1898, Escoda was the eldest of seven children and always showed a great interest in women’s issues. A strong advocate for female suffrage, she worked tirelessly to make sure voting rights were extended to all citizens. She founded the Boy's Town in Manila for underprivileged youth in 1937 and the Girl Scouts of the Philippines in 1940, changing the lives of young people in her native country for the better.

Escoda’s face appears on the 1000 peso bill and streets, buildings, and a monument have been dedicated in her honor. As a living legacy to her work, the Girl Scouts of the Philippines honor Escoda by celebrating her birthday each year with acts of service, carrying the example she set forward for generations to come.

[9A]

20 September 2016

Rachel Bluwstein's 126th Birthday



Rachel Bluwstein Sela was a Hebrew-language poet who immigrated to Palestine, then part of the Ottoman Empire, in 1909. She is known by her first name, Rachel. Rachel was the first Jewish woman poet in Palestine to receive recognition in a genre that was practiced solely by men. Anthologies of her poetry remain bestsellers to this day. Many of her poems were set to music, both during her lifetime and afterwards, and are widely sung by Israeli singers. Her poems are included in the mandatory curriculum in Israeli schools. A selection of her poetry was translated to English and published under the title Flowers of Perhaps: Selected Poems of Ra'hel, by the London publisher Menard. Poems by Rachel have been translated to English, German, Czech, Polish, Esperanto, Italian, Serbo-Croatian, Hungarian, Basque [[by Benito Lertxundi) and Slovak.

In his foreword to the 1994 edition of Flowers of Perhaps, the acclaimed Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai stated: "What may be most remarkable about the poetry of Ra'hel, a superb lyric poet, is that it has remained fresh in its simplicity and inspiration for more than seventy years."

In 2011, Rachel was chosen as one of four great poets whose portraits would be on Israeli currency.

[9A]

26 Sept 2016

US Voter Registration Day Reminder




Today’s National Voter Registration Day Reminder Doodle leads to a tool that will help you register in your state, get basic voter information, and make sure your voice is heard on November 8th.

[9A]

26 September 2017

Gloria E. Anzaldúa’s 75th Birthday


For writer and scholar Gloria E. Anzaldúa, a border wasn't just a line on a map: it was a state of mind and a viewpoint on life. Born on this date in 1942 in the Rio Grande Valley, Anzaldúa possessed an astounding gift for transforming dividing lines into unifying visions.

Growing up on ranches and farms in Texas-Mexico border towns, Anzaldúa developed a profound appreciation for the earth and its riches. She fell in love with art and writing as a way to capture the magic of the landscape around her. She also faced racism and isolation, but that didn't stop her from becoming a stellar scholar. After graduating from Pan American University in 1969, Anzaldúa taught migrant students, traveling with them to serve as a liaison with school boards.

She realized early on that she lived in many worlds at once: she was both American and Mexican, both native and foreigner. "It's not a comfortable territory to live in, this place of contradictions," Anzaldúa noted. She understood that the way forward was not to choose a side, but to embrace a third place — a land of both, not either/or.

Anzaldúa mapped this new frontier with her pen. Her most famous work, Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, alternates between English and Spanish and includes a variety of forms — from poem to prose, from critique to confessional. This striking mix of voices and perspectives earned Borderlands a place on Literary Journal's list of best books of 1987.

In 1977, she moved to California, where her writing soon became known in academic circles. Her theories had impact across disciplines, including Chicano/a Studies, Women's Studies, LGBT Studies, and Postcolonial Studies. She was awarded a posthumous Ph.D. in literature by the University of California Santa Cruz.

Today's Doodle celebrates Anzaldúa's ability to live across borders, whether geographical, social, or philosophical. She put it best: "To survive the Borderlands / you must live sin fronteras / be a crossroads."

[9A]

26 September 2015

200th Anniversary of the Dutch Kingdom




In 1815, William I hoisted a crown upon his head.

For the next two centuries, the small yet mighty Netherlands took shape through a set of visionary milestones: in 1848, the freedoms of assembly, association, and education became rights for Dutch citizens. In 1863, slavery was abolished. In 1958, the Dutch co-founded the European Union. Now, 200 years later, the Netherlands prides itself on its openness, inclusion, and unwavering respect for the democratic rule of law. Plus, it’s one of the happiest countries in the world. Which, if you’ve seen the landscapes, might not be so surprising...


Happy 200th Anniversary to the Dutch Kingdom!

[9A]

10 March 2021

Dr. Wu Lien-teh's 142nd birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates the 142nd birthday of Chinese-Malaysian epidemiologist Dr. Wu Lien-teh, who invented a surgical face covering that is widely considered the precursor to the N95 mask.

Born into a family of Chinese immigrants in Penang, Malaya [modern-day Malaysia] on this day in 1879, Wu went on to become the first student of Chinese descent to earn his MD from Cambridge University. Following his doctoral studies, he accepted a position as the vice director for China's Imperial Army Medical College in 1908. When an unknown epidemic afflicted north-eastern China in 1910, the Chinese government appointed Wu to investigate the disease, which he identified as the highly contagious pneumonic plague that spread from human to human through respiratory transmission.

To combat the disease, Wu designed and produced a special surgical mask with cotton and gauze, adding several layers of cloth to filter inhalations. He advised people to wear his newly invented mask and worked with government officials to establish quarantine stations and hospitals, restrict travel, and apply progressive sterilization techniques; his leadership contributed greatly to the end of the pandemic [known as the Manchurian plague] by April 1911—within four months of being tasked with controlling its spread.

In 1915, Wu founded the Chinese Medical Association, the country’s largest and oldest non-governmental medical organization. In 1935, he was the first Malaysian—and the first person of Chinese descent–nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work to control the pneumonic plague. A devoted advocate and practitioner of medical advancement, Wu’s efforts not only changed public health in China but that of the entire world.

Happy birthday to the man behind the mask, Dr. Wu Lien-teh!

[9A]

16 Mar 2021

Sidonie Werner's 161st birthday




Happy 161st birthday to German-Jewish educator, feminist, and activist Sidonie Werner. Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Berlin-based guest artist Lihie Jacob, honors her life and legacy as a champion for women's rights and youth social programs.

Sidonie Werner was born in Poznań, Poland, on this day in 1860. After completing a women’s teacher seminar and attending lessons at a Jewish elementary school, she entered the Hamburg school system, where she remained a teacher until she retired.

In 1893, Werner’s public work as a gender rights activist began in earnest when she co-founded the Israelite-Humanitarian Women’s Association [IHWA]. She also co-founded the Jewish Women’s Association in 1904, an organization she later led as chairwoman. In 1908, she became the leader of the IHWA, where she successfully instituted programs for women and children, such as providing professional training for women to make a living outside of domestic work.

Throughout the early 1910s, Werner strengthened her efforts by serving leadership roles in a number of other organizations including the City Federation of Hamburg Women's Association, the Central Welfare Office of German Jews, and the Hamburg Jewish School Association, where she served as the only woman on the board. In 1929, Werner assembled the World Conference of Jewish Women in Hamburg, which united 200 representatives from 14 countries and increased international solidarity among Jewish women.

Happy birthday, Sidonie Werner!

[9A]

1 September 2020

Aya Kōda’s 116th Birthday




Today’s Doodle, illustrated by guest artist Yuko Shimizu, celebrates the 116th birthday of Japanese novelist, essayist, and feminist Aya Kōda, widely revered as one of the most luminary Japanese authors of her time. Kōda’s writing eloquently explored topics like familial relationships, gender roles, and traditional Japanese culture, and she came to be closely associated with the appearance of the kimono in her work.

Aya Kōda was born on this day in 1904 in the Japanese capital of Tokyo. Her father, Rohan Kōda, was one of Japan’s most esteemed authors, and Kōda began her writing career at age 43 with an essay about him for a literary journal.

In the 1940s and ‘50s, Kōda honed her captivating style through a series of similarly autobiographical essays that chronicled her life with the eccentric Rohan. Despite her unexpected literary success, she stopped writing for several months to work as a maid at a geisha house. Kōda’s experience among the kimono-clad women there inspired her 1955 debut novel “Nagareru” [“Flowing”], which is cited as a critical turning point in her career.
Today’s Doodle artwork depicts Kōda dressed in a kimono, a subject she examined so frequently that her first 1958-’59 essay collection featured covers made of hand-stitched kimono fabric. In the background of the Doodle artwork is the Horinji Temple found in Japan’s Nara prefecture. The Kōda family had strong ties to pagodas, and when a fire caused by lightning burnt down the original Horinji Temple in 1944, Kōda raised money that helped fund its 1970s reconstruction. Kōda went on to produce a prolific body of work, much of which can be found in her 23-volume, career-spanning collection published from 1994-’97.

Happy birthday, Aya Kōda, and thank you for sharing the fabric of Japanese culture with the world!

[9A]

September 2020

Celebrating Dr. Harold Moody





Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Dublin-based guest artist Charlot Kristensen, celebrates Jamaican-born British doctor, racial equality campaigner, and founder of the U.K.'s first civil rights movement Dr. Harold Moody. On this day in 1904, Dr. Moody arrived in the U.K. from Jamaica to pursue his medical studies at King’s College London. Alongside his medical work, he dedicated his life to campaigning for racial equality and advocating against discrimination.

Harold Arundel Moody was born on October 8, 1882, in the Jamaican capital of Kingston. He received early exposure to the medical field while in secondary school through his work for his father’s pharmaceutical business. Determined to become a doctor, he left Jamaica in 1904 to study medicine in London.

Dr. Moody soon came face-to-face with rampant racism in Edwardian London. Even though he qualified to practice medicine, finished top of his class, and won numerous academic prizes, he was repeatedly refused work due to the color bar system that denied people opportunities based on race. Instead, he opened his own private medical practice in Peckham, South East London—the neighborhood that inspired the design of the buildings situated below Dr. Moody in today’s Doodle. The children depicted represent the countless impoverished youth Dr. Moody would treat free of charge, in a time before the U.K. had a National Health Service. In doing so, Dr. Moody earned a reputation as a compassionate humanitarian and philanthropist who would always help those in need.

Dr. Moody’s determination to improve the lives of those around him wasn’t limited to his medical practice—he simultaneously focused his attention on combating racial injustice as well. He founded the League of Coloured Peoples in 1931 with the mission to fight for racial equality both in the U.K. and around the world. The group pushed for change, at a government level, to combat discrimination in its many forms.

Thank you, Dr. Moody, for paving the way towards a more equal future.

[9A]

25 September 2021

Christopher Reeve's 69th birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates American actor, director, author, and humanitarian Christopher Reeve, who is best known for his spinal cord research advocacy work alongside his leading role in four “Superman” feature films.

Christopher D’Olier Reeve was born on this day in 1952 in New York City. He graduated from The Juilliard School and made his stage debut in the 1976 Broadway comedy “A Matter of Gravity.” After only two years of acting in soap operas and plays, Reeve auditioned to play the Man of Steel himself in the 1978 “Superman” film, landing the role ahead of 200 other aspiring actors.

His performance as the iconic superhero in the four-part film franchise launched him to international fame, but he refused to be typecast in action roles. To this end, he brought a diverse range of characters to life both in cinema and on stage throughout his career. Outside of acting, he was an enthusiastic equestrian and athlete. In 1995, Reeve was paralyzed from the neck down due to a riding accident; these injuries led him to become an outspoken champion for those with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities across Hollywood, the nation, and the world.

Reeve used his platform to bring increased awareness to topics related to disabilities and dedicated his life to driving positive change for the community. This included sponsoring bills to raise lifetime insurance “caps'' to better support people with disabilities and helping pass the 1999 Work Incentives Improvement Act, which secured ongoing insurance payments to people with disabilities even after they return to work. He focused on efforts to directly improve the quality of life for people with disabilities by distributing millions in individual grants through his foundation and serving on the boards of various disability organizations with this aim. Reeve also advocated for support and government funding of responsible stem cell research to further the knowledge and treatment of numerous health conditions, including spinal cord injuries. Calling on Hollywood to draw attention to other important social causes, Reeve led by example with his 1997 directorial debut “In the Gloaming,” a five-time Emmy nominated drama centered around a man diagnosed with HIV.

Today, his legacy is carried on by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which he founded in 1998.

Happy birthday, Christopher Reeve—who remains a hero to many both on and off the screen!

[9A]

2 Sept 2020

Vietnam National Day 2020





Today’s Doodle commemorates Vietnam’s National Day in celebration of the date in 1945 when the Southeast Asian nation declared its independence from France.

Featured in today’s Doodle artwork is an idyllic rowboating scene full of traditional Vietnamese symbolism. The man paddling is depicted wearing an iconic Nón Lá, a conical leaf hat that originated thousands of years ago and has since become synonymous with the nation’s culture. Opposite of the man steering the boat, a woman is dressed in the elegant national costume of Vietnam: the Áo Dài, which embodies the pride of the Vietnamese people.

The two are encircled by lily pads and lotus flowers, typical flora found throughout Vietnam’s lakes and ponds. The national flower of Vietnam, the lotus submerges under muddy water at night and resurfaces the next morning. Upon reaching the new dawn’s sunlight, it blooms untarnished by the surrounding mud—even during the most turbulent of times. This act of perseverance demonstrates why many in the country view the lotus blossom as a symbol of strength and optimism.

Not only does this colorful flower brighten the Vietnamese landscape, but it is also deeply ingrained in the nation’s cultural identity, from its towering architecture to its unique cuisine. The lotus’ distinctive shape has found its way into the design of multiple Vietnamese pagodas, temples, and communal houses since the Ly and Tran dynasties, like the prominent One Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi. In addition to its enduring symbolic value, the flower is used to make lotus tea, an essential part of many Vietnamese celebrations.

Happy National Day, Vietnam!

[9A]

7 September 2022

Louise 'Miss Lou' Bennett-Coverley's 103rd birthday





Today's Doodle, illustrated by Jamaican guest artist Robyn Smith, celebrates Louise “Miss Lou” Bennett-Coverley’s 103rd birthday. The Jamaican poet, folklorist, activist and entertainer empowered the country to take pride in its language and culture. Known by many Jamaicans as “Miss Lou,” Bennett's social commentary and sense of humor made her a popular personality in the country.

Bennett was born on September 7, 1919 in Kingston, Jamaica. She developed a passion for literature and Jamaican folklore in school and began writing poetry. Fascinated by her native language, Bennett wrote in the local dialect. Her first public appearance was her recital of a poem in Jamaican patois at a concert.

Soon, Bennett was given a weekly column in The Gleaner, the island’s newspaper at the time, though they originally rejected Bennett’s poems. The majority of Jamaicans speak patois, but critics denounced it as an inferior and improper language. Her column, which captured the experiences of Jamaicans in their own language, gained support across the country.


In 1942, Bennett published her first book of poetry, Dialect Verses. It earned her a British Council scholarship to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. As the school's first Black student, Bennett worked for the British Broadcasting Commission [[BBC) where she hosted the radio program Caribbean Carnival. After completing her degree, she hosted other programs like West Indian Guest Night and acted in theater companies.


Returning to Jamaica in 1956, Bennett worked as a Drama Officer and later Director of the Jamaica Social Welfare Commission. On behalf of the commission, she moved around the country to train village instructors and regional officers with workshops like playmaking, improvisation and mime. She gave lectures on Jamaican folklore in the United States and England. Bennett also hosted radio programs like Laugh with Louise and Miss Lou's Views, and Ring Ding, a beloved Saturday morning children’s TV show airing on Jamaica Broadcasting Commission [JBC].

In 1998, the Jamaican government appointed Bennett as the country’s Cultural Ambassador at Large. She was also inducted into the Order of Merit by Queen Elizabeth II. Bennett was a champion of her country’s language and culture, inspiring Jamaicans to take pride in both.

Happy Birthday, Miss Lou!

[9A]

8 Sept 2022

Dr Bhupen Hazarika's 96th birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates the 96th birthday of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, an acclaimed Assamese-Indian singer, composer and filmmaker who created music for hundreds of films. He was also one of northeast India’s leading socio-cultural reformers, whose creations and compositions united people from all walks of life. Illustrated by Mumbai-based guest artist Rutuja Mali, the artwork celebrates Hazarika’s work to popularize Assamese cinema and folk music.

Hazarika was born on this day in 1926 in northeastern India. His home state, Assam, is a region that has always been home to different tribes and several indigenous groups—such as the Bodo, Karbi, Mising and Sonowal-Kacharis. As a child, Hazarika grew up surrounded by songs and folk tales about life along the mighty Brahmaputra river.

At a young age, Hazarika’s musical talents attracted the attention of renowned Assamese lyricist, Jyotiprasad Agarwala, and filmmaker, Bishnu Prasad Rabha—both doyens of Assam’s rich cultural history. They helped Hazarika record his first song, which launched his music career at 10 years old. By age 12, Hazarika was writing and recording songs for two films: Indramalati: Kaxote Kolosi Loi, and Biswo Bijoyi Naujawan. Over time, Hazarika created numerous compositions, having a penchant for telling people’s stories through songs—stories about happiness and grief, of unity and courage, romance and loneliness, and even strife and determination.

Hazarika was not only a child music prodigy, he was also an intellectual. He graduated with a master’s in political science from Banaras Hindu University in 1946, and went on to earn a PhD in mass communications from Columbia University in 1952.

After completing his studies in America, he returned to India to continue working on songs and films that popularized Assamese culture on both a national and global scale. Over the course of a six-decade career, Hazarika won several prestigious prizes like the ​​Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, for his outstanding contribution to music and culture. He was honored posthumously with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in 2019.

He went on to serve as chairman and director of numerous boards and associations, including the Indian government’s National Film Development Corporation.

Happy birthday, Bhupen Hazarika! Your songs and films continue to command respect for Assam’s rich culture.

[9A]

10 Sept 2022

Chuseok 2022




Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Seoul-based guest artist ​​Dasom Yun, celebrates Chuseok. Also known as the full moon festival, this three-day holiday always begins on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. This year, September 10th marks the day when Koreans return to their ancestral hometowns and celebrate with loved ones.

Chuseok, meaning autumn evening, originated from Korea’s past as an agricultural society. Whenever a full moon appears in a mid-autumn sky, it signals that the harvest season has ended—it’s now time to relax and thank their ancestors for an abundant harvest.

Traditionally, Koreans celebrate Chuseok with special meals and folk games. In the morning, many families hold a memorial service called charye to honor their ancestors with offerings like freshly harvested rice and songpyeon [bite-sized rice cakes]. People also enjoy delicious meals with foods like jeon—a pancake-like dish that can be made with fish, meat or vegetables. In modern times, gift-giving has become a new way for Koreans to show their appreciation for relatives, friends and co-workers.

Happy Chuseok, everyone!

[9A]

14 Sept 2022

Rasuna Said's 112th birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates the 112th birthday of Rasuna Said, remembered as the Lioness of the Indonesian Independence Movement. She was an influential voice on social issues, especially women’s rights, a teacher and a journalist. She was recognized as an Indonesian national hero, the ninth woman to receive the honor.

Rasuna was born near Lake Maninjau in West Sumatra on this day in 1910. From an early age, she was outspoken about the issues of the day. Her tenacity and intelligence as a student quickly paved her way to become an assistant teacher, who motivated young girls to dream big.

In 1926, Rasuna was invited to join the Sarikat Rakyat, or People’s Movement followed by Islamic Movement in 1930 which led her to organize the Persatuan Muslim Indonesia [PERMI] which was critical of Dutch colonialism and its unfair treatment of women.

In 1931, Rasuna moved to Padang to launch a women’s division in PERMI. It focused on opening literary schools for girls all throughout West Sumatra. In 1932, Rasuna was arrested for speaking out against Dutch rule. Thousands attended her trial in Payakumbuh in 1932. Her defense speech was inspiring and given without hesitation.

At 24, after her release from prison in 1934, Rasuna began her journalistic career and wrote for a college journal called Raya. Over the next few years, she opened up more schools for girls and spoke on behalf of countless Muslim women’s groups.

In 1945, after working tirelessly to instill nationalism and anti-colonialism through her writing, Indonesia gained its independence. In 1974, Rasuna was declared a National Hero of Indonesia for her services.

Happy birthday, Rasuna Said!

[9A]

19 Sept 2009

Oktoberfest 2009




The Oktoberfest is the world's largest Volksfest, featuring a beer festival and a travelling carnival. It is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It is a 16- to 18-day folk festival running from mid- or late-September to around the first Sunday in October, with more than six million international and national visitors attending the event. Locally, it is called d’Wiesn, after the colloquial name for the fairgrounds, Theresienwiese. The Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since the year 1810. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations that are modeled after the original Munich event.

[9A]

19 September 2022

Emil Zátopek and Dana Zátopková's 100th birthday




In the 1952 Olympics, Dana Zatopkova won a gold medal in the women's javelin throw one hour after her husband, Emil Zapotek, won the men's 5,000 meter run. Today's Doodle celebrates the Czech power couple of track and field’s shared 100th Birthday! This Doodle was created by Prague-based guest artists Ilona Polanski [illustration] and Aliona Saskova [animation].

Both Emil and Dana were born on September 19, 1922. Dana developed a passion for sports while she grew up in Karviná, Czech Republic. Before she ever threw a javelin, Dana was a talented handball player and played in college and professionally where she led her team to a Czechoslovakian handball title. The javelin throw soon caught Dana’s attention. Rumor has it she reached 34 meters the first time she gave it a try. She later became the first Czech woman to throw a javelin over 40 meters, which qualified her for the 1948 Olympic Games.

Over in Zlín, teenage Emil worked at a shoe factory. It was there that he was encouraged to run in a local race where he finished second out of a hundred participants! Emil became a private in the Czech army and trained at night by running in his combat boots while holding his breath to build up his lung capacity. His legend grew after he rode a bicycle from Prague to Berlin and won the 5,000 meter race in an Allied Occupation meet.

Emil witnessed Dana's qualifying javelin throw and congratulated her on making the Olympics. After bonding over their shared birthday, the two formed a relationship. They traveled together to the 1948 Olympic Games in London where Emil won gold in the 10,000 meter race and Dana placed seventh in the javelin throw. Shortly after, the couple married.

Dana and Emil made history at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. Emil won the gold medal in 5,000 meter, 10,000 meter and the marathon—his frist ever—breaking the Olympic record in all three races. Dana not only placed first and set an Olympic record for the javelin throw but became the first Czech woman to win an Olympic gold medal. Due to the couple’s performance that year, Czechoslovakia took home more gold medals than any country besides the United States.

They broke a combined 35 world records in a marriage that lasted 52 years. Dana received the Olympic Order for distinguished contributions to the Olympic movement. The editors at Runner's World Magazine named Emil the Greatest Runner of All Time.

Happy 100th birthday, Emil Zátopek and Dana Zátopková!

[9A]

22 October 2020

Ivan Bunin's 150th Birthday






Today’s Doodle celebrates the 150th birthday of Russian poet, novelist, and translator Ivan Bunin, who in 1933 became the first Russian to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. Widely acclaimed for his rare mastery of both prose and poetry, Bunin carried the tradition of classical Russian literature into the 20th century, establishing his legacy as one of the nation’s most revered stylists of his time.

Ivan Alekseyevich Bunin was born on this day in 1870 in the western Russian city of Voronezh. He grew up with a passion for painting—an early creative expression he later credited as an influence on his writing style. Bunin began to publish poetry and stories as a teenager, leading to the 1891 release of his first book, “Stikhotvoreniya: 1887–1891” [“Poetry: 1887–1891”].

In 1901, Bunin won the prestigious Academy of Sciences’ Pushkin Prize for his book of poetry titled “Listopad” [“Falling Leaves,” 1901]. Around this time he began to turn his focus towards prose, establishing himself as one of Russia’s most popular writers. Known for his understated and musical writing style, Bunin went on to craft vivid portraits of Russia through works like “Derévnya” [“The Village,” 1910], the autobiographical novel “Zhizn Arsenyeva” [“The Life of Arseniev,” 1930], his diaries “Okayánnye Dni” [“Cursed Days: A Diary of Revolution,” 1936], and the book of short stories “Tyomnye allei” [“Dark Avenues,” 1943].

An opponent of the Russian Revolution, Bunin left the country in 1920, ultimately settling in France, where he continued to publish novels and poetry for the rest of his life.

Happy birthday, Ivan Bunin!

[9A]

22 October 2011

Franz Liszt's 200th Birthday




Franz Liszt was a Hungarian composer, pianist and teacher of the Romantic era.

Liszt gained renown during the early nineteenth century for his virtuoso skill as a pianist.

A prolific composer, Liszt was one of the most prominent representatives of the New German School. He left behind an extensive and diverse body of work that influenced his forward-looking contemporaries and anticipated 20th-century ideas and trends. Among Liszt's musical contributions were the symphonic poem, developing thematic transformation as part of his experiments in musical form, and radical innovations in harmony.

[9A]

22 October 2009

Mei Lanfang's Birthday




Mei Lan [22 October 1894 – 8 August 1961], better known by his stage name Mei Lanfang, was a notable Peking opera artist in modern Chinese theater. Mei was known as "Queen of Peking Opera". Mei was exclusively known for his female lead roles [dan] and particularly his "verdant-robed girls" [qingyi], young or middle-aged women of grace and refinement.

[9A]

21 Oct 2009

Rampo Edogawa's Birthday



Tarō Hirai [October 21, 1894 – July 28, 1965], better known by the pen name Edogawa Ranpo was a Japanese author and critic who played a major role in the development of Japanese mystery and thriller fiction. Many of his novels involve the detective hero Kogoro Akechi, who in later books was the leader of a group of boy detectives known as the "Boy Detectives Club".

[9A]

21 October 2011

Mary Blair's 100th Birthday



I was greatly honored for the opportunity to create a doodle for Mary Blair's 100th birthday. Not to mention somewhat intimidated! Her work was and continues to be a major source of inspiration for a large number of artists working in animation, illustration, and fine art... and the Google Doodle team. So there was some pressure to get it right!

Of course, for all her technical mastery, from her wonderful color schemes to her deceptively simple shapes and compositions, what I've always admired most about her work is the sense of joy that went into making each picture. As a viewer, I can't help but sense that childlike enthusiasm and smile in response. This was Mary's ultimate goal, as she wrote in a letter to her husband, to "live to be happy and paint to express our happiness," and it's a goal very similar to our own as Doodlers -- to inspire happiness in our users when they see something new and unexpected on the Google homepage.

posted by Mike Dutton

[9A]

21 October 2012

Jonas Maciulis-Maironis' 150th Birthday




Maironis was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest and the greatest and most-known Lithuanian poet, especially of the period of the Lithuanian press ban. He was called the Bard of Lithuanian National Revival. Maironis was active in public life. However, the Lithuanian literary historian Juozas Brazaitis writes that Maironis was not.

[9A]

21 October 2017

Nain Singh Rawat’s 187th Birthday





For much of the 19th century, Europe played the Great Game. Explorers vied with each other to map the geographical vastness of Central Asia and understand its people and customs. Knowledge was essential to political success, but Europeans were not welcome everywhere.

A thirst for knowledge and the need for secrecy led to the creation of pandits, a select group of highly educated and brave local men trained in geographical exploration.

Prominent among these was Nain Singh Rawat, the first man to survey Tibet, determining the exact location and altitude of Lhasa, mapping the Tsangpo, and describing in mesmerizing detail fabled sites such as the gold mines of Thok Jalung.

Disguised as a Tibetan monk, he walked from his home region of Kumaon to places as far as Kathmandu, Lhasa, and Tawang. He maintained a precisely measured pace, covering one mile in 2000 steps, and measured those steps using a rosary. He hid a compass in his prayer wheel and mercury in cowrie shells and even disguised travel records as prayers.

Today’s Doodle by Hari & Deepti Panicker is a silhouette diorama illustration, portraying Nain Singh Rawat as he might have looked on his travels — solitary and courageous, looking back over the distances he had walked, rosary beads in hand, and staff by his side. Oh, the wonders he must have seen!

[9A]

20 Oct 2017

Otfried Preußler's 94th Birthday






Otfried Preussler knew all about magic.

Every day, he walked several kilometers to and from his job as a primary school teacher. While others might take this time to consider their schedules, or their grocery lists, or even their troubles, Otfried instead dreamed up stories.

The basis for many were the spoken folktales of his youth. Germany, he knew, was flush with the fantastic, especially when it came to magical beings. The stories are universal, and as a result, Otfried Preussler’s books have been translated into 55 languages and sold 50 million copies worldwide.

Otfried’s stories were quick to spread once they escaped his imagination and appeared in print. It wasn’t long before most German children [[and their parents) were giggling over Kasperl and Seppel spoiling the Robber Hotzenplotz’s plans – or the adventures of the little witch, ghost, and water sprite.

Otfried knew that being “good” is sometimes hard to figure out, for human children and little witches alike. Adults sometimes get it wrong, too. He felt that what’s important is that you try to be kind and brave, and – if you’re a water sprite – don’t ever let your feet dry out.

The author would be 94 today – still far too young to attend the annual witches party, according to The Little Witch. In his honor, Frankfurt-based illustrator Jan Buchczik created a Doodle for all the bold little witches, ghosts, and water sprites of the world. But not you, Robber Hotzenplotz – you should take a page from the Little Witch’s book and try doing only good deeds from now on!

[9A]

27 September 2019

Google’s 21st Birthday




21 years ago, two Stanford Ph.D. students, Sergey Brin and Lawrence [Larry] Page, published a paper about launching a prototype of a “large-scale search engine.”

"We chose our system name, Google, because it is a common spelling of googol, or 10100 and fits well with our goal of building very large-scale search engines,” the students wrote.

Today, Google operates all over the world in over 100 languages, answering trillions of search queries each year.

The scale is large, to say the least.

Happy 21st Birthday, Google!​

[9A]

27 September 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]

28 September 2009

Confucius' Birthday - China, Hong Kong


Confucius [c. 551 – c. 479 BCE) was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. Confucius's teachings and philosophy underpin East Asian culture and society, remaining influential across China and East Asia to this day.

[9A]

21 Mar 2019

Holi 2019




From Bollywood films to music videos, the visual excitement of Holi has become a familiar sight: joyful revellers frolicking in the streets of India throwing handfuls of colorful powder on one another. There is a rich history behind this tradition, which is celebrated in today’s Doodle by Chennai-based artist Chaaya Prabhat.

Taking place each year, Holi is an Indian national holiday that marks the start of Spring. A time for renewal, and a reversal of the social hierarchies among ages, classes, and castes, Holi’s also known as the “festival of colors” or the “festival of love” because it marks a time for coming together and releasing old grudges. During Holi, everyone lets loose, while children are encouraged to make mischief with water balloons and squirt guns.

Festivities begin on the night before the full moon during Holika Dahan or Choti Holi, with the building of sacred bonfires. Celebrants sing and dance around the fire—some even walk across hot coals while others smear the ashes on their skin as an act of purification. Symbolizing the victory of good over evil, the fires recall the story of the demon Holika, who tried to destroy her nephew Prahlad in a fire but was burned herself.

The practice of throwing colored powder was inspired by the Hindu Lord Krishna, who loved to play pranks on the beloved gopis. After a full day of chaotic, colorful fun, everyone cleans themselves up, dresses in pure white, and pay respects to family elders and teachers, symbolically restoring order until the next Holi celebration.

Happy Holi 2019!

[9A]

21 March 2013

Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro's 167th Birthday



Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro was a Portuguese artist known for his illustration, caricatures, sculpture, and ceramics designs. Bordalo Pinheiro created the popular cartoon character Zé Povinho and is considered the first Portuguese comics creator.

[9A]

25 Mar 2013

Adalbert Czerny's 150th Birthday




Adalbert Czerny was an Austrian pediatrician and is considered co-founder of modern pediatrics. Several children's diseases were named after him.

The school founded by Czerny was mainly concerned with nutrition physiology and metabolic pathology of neonates. During his time of work at the Berlin University Children's Hospital he carried on with research work on infant mortality, as it had already been started by Heubner and gave it a scientific foundation.

Jos work has basically determined the teaching of nutrition in pediatrics and as a result influenced the development of pediatrics itself up to the present. The term disorder of nutrition, which Czerny used, showed the relation between nutrition on the one and disease on the other hand.

[9A]

12 Apr 2008

Antonio Meucci's 200th Birthday


Antonio Santi Giuseppe Meucci was an Italian inventor and an associate of Giuseppe Garibaldi, a major political figure in the history of Italy. Meucci is best known for developing a voice-communication apparatus that several sources credit as the first telephone.

[9A]

23 Apr 2008

Girl's Day 2008 [Germany]

[9A]

23 October 2020

Gianni Rodari’s 100th Birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates the centennial birthday of Italian writer and journalist Gianni Rodari, widely acclaimed as one of the most influential Italian children’s authors of the 20th century. Rodari earned renown for accessible stories of fantasy that incorporated real-world social issues, including “Il romanzo di Cipollino” [“The Tale of The Little Onion,” 1951], which is represented in today’s Doodle. In 1970, he became the first–and to this date only–Italian to win the Hans Christian Andersen Award for writing, one of the highest international honors in children’s literature.

Gianni Rodari was born on this day in 1920 in the northern Italian town of Omegna. Interested early on in children’s education, he first taught at an elementary school before he transitioned to work as a newspaper reporter. Based on his previous experience, his editors asked him to write for the paper’s children’s section, beginning his iconic career in children’s literature. By 1960 he had written enough material to publish his first book, "Nursery Rhymes in the Sky and on Earth.“

Two years later he released his hit story collection “Telephone Tales,” considered by some to be his masterpiece. Rodari went on to craft a variety of beloved literature over the following decades, earning his place as a household name in Italy. He simultaneously contributed heavily to the country’s educational reform movement.

For his contributions to children’s literature, Rodari won many major awards throughout his life, and today his works have been translated into over 20 languages.

Happy birthday, Gianni Rodari, and thank you for bringing your imagination to life for generations to enjoy.

[9A]

15 June 2019

Celebrating the Jingle Dress Dance




Dancers move in unison and a sound fills the air, like raindrops falling on a tin roof. Today’s Doodle by Ojibwe guest artist Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley celebrates the Jingle Dress Dance, which originated during the 1920s amongst the Ojibwe tribe somewhere between Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Ontario. The dance lives on today, notably in events such as the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Grand Celebration Pow Wow this weekend in Hinckley, Minnesota.

According to stories passed throughout generations, the origin of the jingle dress dates back to when an Ojibwe girl fell sick, and the idea for the dress and dance came to her worried father through a vision. Hundreds of metal cones, known as ziibaaska’iganan, were fashioned and sewed onto her dress so that the dance movements would create a jingling sound.

The girl’s father taught his daughter the sacred dance, instructing her to always keep one foot on the ground—and eventually, her illness was cured. After the girl recovered, she taught her friends to make the dresses. Together, they created the first Jingle Dress Dance Society.


Over time, the choreography and dress style of the jingle dress has evolved, with increasingly intricate footwork learned through years of practice for the competitive pow wow circuit, as well as garments now ranging from aprons to full-length designs. Many dancers make their own dresses, as taught by parents or tribal elders. Some wear eagle feathers in their hair, or carry a feather fan.


Despite some changes over the years, what remains constant is the dance’s jingling sound. Today, the dance also serves to affirm the power of Native American women.

[9A]

14 Oct 2020

Celebrating Claudia Jones



Today’s Doodle commemorates Trinidad-born activist, feminist, journalist, orator, and community organizer Claudia Jones. Among her groundbreaking accomplishments, Jones founded and served as the editor-in-chief for the West Indian Gazette and Afro-Asian Caribbean News—Britain’s first, major Black newspaper. Through its global news coverage, the Gazette aimed to unify the Black community in the worldwide battle against discrimination. The publication also provided a platform for Jones to organize Britain’s first Caribbean carnival in 1959, which is widely credited as the precursor to today’s annual celebration of Caribbean culture known as the Notting Hill Carnival. On this day in 2008, Jones was honored with a Great British Stamp in the “Women of Distinction” series to commemorate her lifetime of pioneering activism.

Claudia Jones was born Claudia Vera Cumberbatch on February 21, 1915 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. At 8 years old, she moved with her family to New York City’s Harlem neighborhood. Passionate about writing, Jones contributed to and led a variety of communist publications as a young adult, and she spent much of her adulthood as an active member of the Communist Party USA.

Throughout her life, Jones tirelessly championed issues like civil rights, gender equality, and decolonization through journalism, community organization, and public speaking. She focused much of her work on the liberation of Black women everywhere from the discrimination they faced due to a combination of classism, racism, and sexism.

Jones’ political activity led to multiple imprisonments and ultimately her deportation to the U.K. in 1955, but she refused to be deterred. Beginning a new chapter of her life in Britain, she turned particular attention to the issues facing London’s West Indian immigrant community. In an effort to counteract racial tensions, she inaugurated an annual Caribbean carnival, whose spirit lives on today as a symbol of community and inclusion.

Thank you, Claudia Jones, for your lifelong commitment to a more equitable world.

[9A]

5 Oct 2020

First Day of School 2020 [05 October] [Philippines]

[9A]

3 Oct 2020

30th Anniversary of German Unity Day



Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Berlin-based guest artist Christoph Niemann, commemorates German Unity Day or Tag der Deutschen Einheit on the 30th anniversary of the country's reunification. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in late 1989, government officials from East and West Germany signed an agreement on August 31, 1990, that consolidated the two countries into one nation. Known as the Unification Treaty, the historic resolution went into effect just over a month later on October 3rd, a date now celebrated each year as a national holiday across Germany.

Einen schönen Tag der Deutschen Einheit! Happy German Unity Day!

[9A]

5 June 2011

Richard Scarry's 92nd Birthday



I had a lot of fun working with the folks at Random House — including one of Richard Scarry's actual art directors, as well as his son, Huck — to create an original pencil and watercolor piece depicting Busytown.

Scarry's technique allowed him to work pretty loosely with his watercolors, and he'd frequently paint off-register, that is, not quite up to [or way beyond] the line drawing. This gave his illustrations an even more lighthearted quality. In our case, it's Richard Scarry's Best Google Doodle Ever!


posted by Mike Dutton

[9A]

27 September 2022

Celebrating Jale İnan




Today’s Doodle celebrates Dr. Jale İnan, the first female Turkish archaeologist. She famously located the missing half of the Farnese Hercules statue at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and worked with the government to return the statue to Turkey. The return of the statue was successfully concluded on this day in 2011.

İnan was born in Istanbul in 1914. Her father, the director of the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, was one of Turkey’s first archeologists. He inspired her interest in the ancient world.

In the 1930s, she won scholarships to study archeology at the universities of Berlin and Munich. Unfortunately for İnan, World War II began shortly after her arrival in Germany. Despite the war around her, she never lost focus on her studies. She stayed through the war and finished her thesis, “Examination of Art History in Sacrifice Rituals on Roman Coins,” from a bunker in 1943.

After she completed her PhD, she returned to Turkey and became an assistant to the Chair of Ancient History and Numismatics at University of Istanbul. During this time, she joined an excavation at Perga, an ancient Greek city in Anatolia where she helped unearth one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: The Temple of Artemis.

İnan went on to lead the restoration of several significant ancient cultural sites, such as the Temple of Apollo in Side. Over the course of her prolific career, she uncovered so many artifacts that the Antalya Museum had to undergo expansion not once, but twice, to make space for the relics.

Each year, the Antalya Women's Museum bestows the Dr. Jale İnan Award to a remarkable Turkish woman carrying on her legacy.

[9A]

29 Sept 2015

Evidence of water found on Mars



Today’s news stirred us like a long, cool drink in the blistering heat. Science has gestured at the presence of water on Mars before, but evidence of liquid water--briny, creeping flows that appear in a crater during Martian summers--has tremendous implications in the search for life beyond our planet. We felt compelled to honor such an exciting discovery with a Doodle, and staring at satellite images of Mars for inspiration made Doodler Nate Swinehart really, really thirsty.

[9A]

29 September 2016

Ladislao José Biro’s 117th birthday


You may not know the name Ladislao José Bíro, but you certainly know his most famous invention: the ballpoint pen.

Bíro was born in Budapest, Hungary, into a Jewish family. A journalist by trade, Bíro noticed how efficiently newspapers were printed and how quickly the ink dried – in stark contrast to his fountain pen. He worked with his brother, György Bíro, a chemist, to develop a new type of pen made up of a ball that turned in a socket. As the ball turned, it picked up ink from a cartridge and rolled to deposit it on paper, much like a newsprint roller transfers an inked image to paper.

Bíro presented the first prototype of the ballpoint pen at the Budapest International Fair in 1931, later patenting his invention in 1938. To this day, the ballpoint pen is still referred to as the “Biro” in several countries.

Today we celebrate Bíro and his relentless, forward-thinking spirit on the 117th anniversary of his birth.

[9A]

24 August 2021

Ukraine Independence Day 2021


On this day in 1991, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted the Act of Declaration of Independence. Today’s Doodle celebrates Ukraine’s Independence Day, an annual commemoration of the nation’s rich cultural heritage and journey toward freedom. The Doodle uses the colors of the national flag of Ukraine--blue and yellow. A stylized image of a Cossack chaika [Ukrainian for seagull] is in the center with a Ukrainian trident on its sail.

Cossack chaikas were light, maneuverable sailing boats of the Zaporozhye Cossacks in the 16th and 17th centuries. It is believed that the chaika owes its name to the unusual speed and lightness that the boat demonstrated on the water. The innovative design of the Cossack chaikas gave them an advantage over other vessels.

In addition to their use as defensive vessels, chaikas could capsize while retaining the air inside the submerged reed hull—a feature that historically played a key role in reconnaissance and infiltration missions. This unique Ukrainian innovation allowed chaika crews to breathe underneath the vessel as they walked along the river floor undetected!

Happy Independence Day, Ukraine!

[9A]

29 September 2008

Miguel de Cervantes' Birthday






Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. He is best known for his novel Don Quixote, a work often cited as both the first modern novel and one of the pinnacles of world literature.

[9A]

16 September 2022

Mexico Independence Day 2022




Today’s Doodle, hand-embroidered by Mexico City-based guest artist Maité Jiménez, celebrates Mexico’s Independence Day. On this day in 1810, Mexico began a decade-long conflict that resulted in their freedom from Spain.

The holiday originated when revolutionary leaders gathered in the small village of Dolores, Mexico. A local priest rang the church bell to summon the villagers and gave a powerful and famous speech that urged his fellow citizens to revolt against Spanish rule—now known as the Cry of Dolores. Today, the President of Mexico rings that very bell and recites the same speech on a live broadcast the night before Independence Day. Fireworks light the sky across the country as Mexicans prepare for the next day’s festivities.

On Independence day, the national military and local bands parade through the heart of Mexico City. People dressed in red, white and green gather in the streets as mariachi music fills the air. Embroidery is woven into the fabric of Mexican culture and the crowd proudly displays hand-embroidered dresses and flags. Other popular designs include the Bell of Dolores, like the one in today’s Doodle. In the evening, families and friends host dinner parties with traditional meals like pozole, a stew that’s seasoned with Chile peppers, onion and limes.

Happy Independence Day, Mexico!