Google doodles

[9A]

7 March 2021

Celebrating Masako Katsura




Today’s Doodle celebrates ambidextrous Japanese sharpshooter Masako “The First Lady of Billiards” Katsura, who made history as the first woman to compete for an international billiards title on this day in 1952.

Born in Tokyo in 1913, Katsura picked up billiards at age 12 from her brother-in-law, a game room owner, and by 15 she was the Japanese women’s champion in straight rail—a challenging variation of carom billiards in which the cue ball must hit two balls in a row to score points. After 19, she only competed in men’s tournaments; racking up 10,000 points at one exhibition in a mind-boggling four and a half hour run.

By the time Katsura moved to the United States in 1937, word of her unprecedented talent had reached eight-time world champion Welker Cochran. He came out of retirement to challenge her in a series of three-cushion matches, an even tougher version of carom billiards, depicted in the Doodle artwork, that calls for the cue ball to hit at least three cushions before striking the two object balls for points. Katsura so impressed Welker, he organized the World Championship Billiards tournament in 1952 to watch her compete against world’s foremost billiards aficionados. Katsura upset some of the sport’s best players to finish seventh in the tournament, while the progress she made for women in a traditionally male-dominated game was a first.

To celebrate her historic achievements, Katsura was inducted into the Women’s Professional Billiard Association Hall of Fame in 1976 as one of the sport’s all-time greatest players.

So here’s to you, First Lady of Billiards! Thanks for cueing up this sport for generations of women to come.

[9A]

20 March 2018

Spring Equinox 2018 [Northern Hemisphere]




Happy Spring Equinox!

Today’s Doodle welcomes the spring equinox, a celestial event which marks the beginning of spring in many cultures. The term comes from the Latin equi, meaning equal, and nox, meaning night. The earth has seasons because the planet is tilted on its axis, which results in each hemisphere receiving more direct light at opposite times of the year. But on the equinox, the earth’s axis is perpendicular to the sun. In other words, people all over the world experience a day and night of equal length — almost exactly 12 hours.

This year’s seasonal Doodle series protagonist, Quinn, is strumming a pleasant tune to coax a mysterious creature out of hiding. With a mild breeze and beautiful flowers, would it be, could it be, spring?

Doodle by Sophie Diao

[9A]

20 March 2014

First Day of Spring 2014





Illustrated by guest artist Eleanor Davis.

[9A]

20 March 2019

Nowruz 2019




At the precise moment the sun crosses the equator, signalling the spring equinox, millions of families all around the world will come together and welcome Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

The 13-day season of festivities that begins on the first day of Farvardin—the first month of the Iranian Hijri calendar—is an ancient celebration that symbolizes nature’s cycle of rebirth and rejuvenation.

Preparations for Nowruz often begin weeks in advance with a thorough house-cleaning, and many children are gifted new clothing or money from older relatives. On the Wednesday before Nowruz you can find people jumping over public bonfires to cleanse for the new year, as well as children going door to door banging on pots with spoons to ask for candy. Families also put together their haftseen table, a household altar holding items symbolizing the spirit of the season. According to tradition, seven items beginning with the number S are arranged on the table, each with its own significance:

—Seeb [apple], for beauty

—Seer [garlic], for health

—Serkeh [vinegar], for patience

—Sonbol [hyacinth], for spring

—Samanu [sweet pudding], for fertility

—Sabzeh [sprouts], for rebirth

—Sekkeh [coins], for prosperity

Some families also include sumac for the sunrise and senjed [Lotus fruit], for love. Additional items, such as a mirror for reflection, and a goldfish in a bowl to represent life are often included as well as sweets and fruits. On the 13th day of Nowruz the haftseen is taken down and families enjoy a meal of sabzi polo mahi [seasoned rice with fish] before casting the sabzeh [sprouts] into fresh flowing water to symbolize letting go of all baggage and misfortune from the previous year.

Eide Shoma Mobarak! [Happy Nowruz!]

[9A]

20 March 2021

Spring 2021 [Northern Hemisphere]

[9A]

20 March 2021

Autumn 2021 [Southern Hemisphere]

[9A]

20 March 2014

First Day of Fall 2014





Illustrated by guest artist Eleanor Davis.

[9A]

Feb 29, 2012

Gioachino Rossini's 220th Birthday






Gioachino Antonio Rossin was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards for both comic and serious opera before retiring from large-scale composition while still in his thirties, at the height of his popularity.

[9A]

February 25, 2016

Lesya Ukrainka’s 145th Birthday





Lesya Ukrainka was one of Ukrainian literature's foremost writers, best known for her poems and plays. She was also an active political, civil, and feminist activist.

Among her most well-known works are the collections of poems On the wings of songs [1893], Thoughts and Dreams [1899], Echos [1902], the epic poem Ancient fairy tale [1893], One word [1903], plays Princess [1913], Cassandra [1903—1907], In the Catacombs [1905], and Forest Song [1911].

[9A]

6 March 2010

Vasaloppet 2010



Vasaloppet [Swedish for 'the Vasa race'] is an annual long distance cross-country ski race held on the first Sunday of March. The 90 km [56 mi] course starts in the village of Berga, just south of Sälen in western Dalarna, Sweden, and ends in the town of Mora in the central part of the province. It is the oldest cross-country ski race in the world, as well as the one with the highest number of participants.

[9A]

Mar 1, 2012

Quinquela Martín's 122nd Birthday





Benito Quinquela Martín was an Argentine painter. Quinquela Martín is considered the port painter-par-excellence and one of the most popular Argentine painters. His paintings of port scenes show the activity, vigor and roughness of the daily life in the port of La Boca.

[9A]

April 23, 2014

Pixinguinha's 117th Birthday [born 1897]







Alfredo da Rocha Viana Filho, known as Pixinguinha was a Brazilian composer, arranger, flautist and saxophonist born in Rio de Janeiro. Pixinguinha is considered one of the greatest Brazilian composers of popular music, particularly within the genre of music known as choro. By integrating the music of the older choro composers of the 19th century with contemporary jazz-like harmonies, Afro-Brazilian rhythms, and sophisticated arrangements, he introduced choro to a new audience and helped to popularize it as a uniquely Brazilian genre. He was also one of the first Brazilian musicians and composers to take advantage of the new professional opportunities offered to musicians by the new technologies of radio broadcasting and studio recording. Pixinguinha composed dozens of choros, including some of the best-known works in the genre such as "Carinhoso", "Glória", "Lamento" and "Um a Zero".

[9A]

March 22, 2021

Elena Lacková's 100th Birthday



Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Czech guest artist Filip Posivac, celebrates the centennial birthday of Slovakian-Romani writer and dramatist Elena Lacková, who is widely considered the first author in post-war Czechoslovakia to tell the story of the Romani people and the persecution they faced throughout World War II.

Born on this day in 1921 in Veľký Šariš, Czechoslovakia [modern-day Slovakia], Elena Lacková was raised in a settlement of Romani people—a historically oppressed European ethnic group of Indian origin. Although she was unable to pursue higher education due to anti-Romani laws, Lacková became a talented writer of her own accord, penning poems by moonlight as the only girl out of the 600 children in her settlement with the ability to read.

In 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and persecuted its Romani settlements as part of the regime’s Roma Holocaust. Lacková survived these atrocities and became determined to reinvigorate Roma pride through theatre. Her first published work of literature—a play entitled “Horiaci cigánsky tabor” [“The Gypsy Camp Is Burning,” 1947]—depicted the collective hardships of the Romani people during the Holocaust, while providing a new perspective into their culture.

Lacková’s work continually uplifted the Romani community through literary mediums such as short stories, fairy tales, and radio plays. In 1970, she achieved yet another milestone as the first Romani woman in Czechoslovakia to graduate from university. A pioneer who received countless accolades, Lacková became the first Romani woman to receive one of Slovakia’s highest honors, the Order of Ľudovít Štúr III, awarded in 2001.

[9A]

Mar 24, 2008

Béla Bartók's 127th Birthday






Béla Viktor János Bartókwas a Hungarian composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as Hungary's greatest composers. Through his collection and analytical study of folk music, he was one of the founders of comparative musicology, which later became ethnomusicology.

[9A]

Mar 26, 2008

Parametron Computer






Parametron is a logic circuit element invented by Eiichi Goto in 1954. The parametron is essentially a resonant circuit with a nonlinear reactive element which oscillates at half the driving frequency. The oscillation can be made to represent a binary digit by the choice between two stationary phases π radians [180 degrees] apart.

Parametrons were used in early Japanese computers from 1954 through the early 1960s. A prototype parametron-based computer, the PC-1, was built at the University of Tokyo in 1958. Parametrons were used in early Japanese computers due to being reliable and inexpensive but were ultimately surpassed by transistors due to differences in speed.

[9A]

7 July 2015

Eiji Tsuburaya’s 114th Birthday






The lights dim. Cameras start to roll. A film crew silently watches. Suddenly! From behind a hand-built skyline, a towering beast appears! Shaking off a layer of dust, the massive foam-and-rubber monster leans back to act out an amazing roar [[the sound effect will be added in later]. Then, stomping towards the camera, the giant moves closer, and closer, until…”Cut!”

Seen this film before? This live action genre, known as “Tokusatsu” in Japanese, is unmistakable in its style, and still evident in many modern beast-based thrillers. In today’s Doodle, we spotlight one of Tokusatsu’s kings, Eiji Tsuburaya, the quiet pioneer who created Ultraman, co-created Godzilla, and brought Tokusatsu to the global cinematic mainstream. Doodler Jennifer Hom led us through the inspiration behind the interactive Doodle:

Who was Tsuburaya, and what drew you to create this tribute to him?
“Director Eiji Tsuburaya is best known for the famous characters he brought to life, like Ultraman. After many years in the ‘monster business,’ he set up his own practical effects studio, Tsuburaya Productions, which we were lucky enough to visit for this project! Having grown up as a film fan, I’ve always had a deep love for Tokusatsu, so I was eager to find a way to bring attention to Tsuburaya’s art. It’s fascinating to me how long-lasting the results of his work has been – it’s easy to see remnants of the Tokusatsu style in Guillermo del To ro’s Pacific Rim, Evangelion, and even the Power Rangers.”

[9A]

Mar 18, 2014

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's 170th Birthday [born 1844]




Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov ; was a Russian composer, and a member of the group of composers known as The Five. He was a master of orchestration. His best-known orchestral compositions—Capriccio Espagnol, the Russian Easter Festival Overture, and the symphonic suite Scheherazade—are staples of the classical music repertoire, along with suites and excerpts from some of his 15 operas. Scheherazade is an example of his frequent use of fairy-tale and folk subjects.

[9A]

March 12, 2017

Holi Festival 2017 [Nepal]



Today, the Google letters are taking on a fresh set of colors in honor of the Holi festival. Coinciding with the arrival of spring, the vibrant celebration looks a lot like the Doodle: people run around happily covering each other in a rainbow of powdery hues.

Amid the cloud of red, blue, yellow, green, and everything in between, festival-goers can often be found laughing, singing, and dancing in the streets. The joyous event, which takes place in Nepal and other countries around the world, traditionally marks the triumph of good over evil. It also gives family and friends a chance to simply come together, enjoying a spirited “Festival of Colors” that undoubtedly lives up to its name.

[9A]

May 29, 2014

Norman Frederick Hetherington's 93rd Birthday




Norman Frederick Hetheringtonwas an Australian artist, teacher, cartoonist [known as "Heth"], puppeteer, and puppet designer.

He is best remembered as the creator of one of Australia's longest running children's shows Mr. Squiggle. Hetherington was the sole operator and voice of its star performer, the Mr. Squiggle marionette.

[9A]

Jul 21, 2014

Belgium National Day 2014




Guest artist Sam Vanallemeersch depicts Adolphe Sax and other icons [check out his diagram!] from Belgian culture in a parade for the country’s National Day.

[9A]

Oct 24, 2015

R. K. Laxman's 94th Birthday







A humorist and illustrator with an uncommon talent, R.K. Laxman was one of India’s most celebrated cartoonists. His daily political cartoon, You Said It, ran on the front page of The Times of India for more than 50 years. Laxman was best known for his Common Man character, who he drew into his cartoons as a witness to the kinds of hypocrisies and societal inequalities Laxman wanted to silently expose.

[9A]

Oct 9, 2015

Hangul Proclamation Day 2015



Happy Hangul Day! Today's doodle celebrates Korean Alphabet day in South Korea. Hangul Proclamation Day commemorates the 15th century proclamation of Hangul as the national alphabet for Korea by Sejong the Great. The name Hangul can mean either "great script" or "Korean script.”

[9A]

Jul 21, 2015

Belgium National Day 2015



What better way to celebrate Belgium’s National Day than with a Doodle of the ubiquitous and universally treasured Belgian frieten? Whether taken with ketchup, mayonnaise, vinegar, or the much beloved Belgian tartar sauce, Belgian fries are an unmistakable delight never quite perfectly replicated beyond her borders.

[9A]

May 1, 2015

175th anniversary of the Penny Black stamp





Before 1st May 1840, posting a letter was a very complicated and expensive affair. It could cost the equivalent of a days wage, and it was charged by how many sheets of paper were used and how far it had to travel. Normally the recipient had to pay the cost.

Sir Roland Hill was responsible for reforming the British postal system, and as part of this a competition was held for the public to design the world’s first adhesive postage stamp. However none of the entries were thought suitable, so instead they used the profile sketch of a then 15 year old Queen Victoria. This image was used on stamps until the end of her reign. Because the Penny Black was the first postage stamp in the world, it did not show a country of origin, and to this day British stamps are the only stamps in the world that do not state what country they are from.

However, the Penny Black only remained in circulation for a year, as it was soon found that it was possible to remove the ink of the red cancellation mark and re-use the stamp, so the Treasury switched to the Penny Red and black cancellation ink.

[9A]

22 March 2023

Marcel Marceau's 100th Birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates French mime artist Marcel Marceau. The actor and master of silence was born on this day in 1923 in Strasbourg, France with the name Marcel Mangel. During the German occupation of France, he changed his surname to Marceau to avoid being identified as Jewish.

In his childhood, Marceau was introduced to movies and dreamed of starring in silent films. He entertained his friends with impersonations of famous actors and mimes and would later use his silent acting skills to help smuggle Jewish children out of Nazi-occupied France. His pantomimes were used to keep children quiet during dangerous moments on the journey to the Switzerland border. Marceau made three of these trips and liberated at least 70 children during World War II.

After the war, Marceau studied dramatic acting and mime at the School of Dramatic Art of the Sarah Bernhardt Theatre in Paris. In 1947, he began playing his famous character Bip the Clown, a tragicomic figure with a striped shirt, white face paint, and a battered beflowered hat. Bip explored the range of human emotions and his actions spoke louder than words could. Soon after, he founded the Compagnie de Mime Marcel Marceau, the only pantomime company in the world at the time, to develop the art of silence.

Marceau performed in transcontinental tours and introduced people around the world to the art of miming. Millions more would become familiar with Marceau through his television and movie appearances. He played the role of Scrooge in A Christmas Carol in 1973 and earned an Emmy for Best Specialty Act for his 1956 appearance on the Max Liebman Show of Shows. Some of his stand-out performances in the motion picture realm include the 17 roles he played in the film First Class and his silent role in Shanks. Beyond his acting talent, Marceau also directed a mime drama and published two children's books.

Happy birthday, Marcel Marceau, you specialized in silence but continue to leave audiences roaring with laughter.

[9A]

Mar 27, 2015

Tashiro Furukawa’s 170th Birthday







To celebrate Tashiro Furukawa's 170th birthday, students sign "Google" in both his original sign language, and the modern fingerspelling it evolved into.

Tashiro Furukawa was a pioneer in blind and deaf education in Japan. He was a schoolteacher whose many contributions to education included opening the Blind and Deaf School in 1878, which is still opened to students to this day.

[9A]

Mar 21, 2015

First Day of Fall 2015 [Southern Hemisphere]

[9A]

Dec 3, 2014

Anna Freud's 119th Birthday







Take a peek inside the mind of psychoanalyst Anna Freud for her 119th birthday. As the daughter of famed neurologist Sigmund Freud, Anna followed her father’s footsteps into the field and is recognized as the founder of psychoanalytic child psychology.

[9A]

September 21, 2018

Celebrating Mister Rogers





On this date, September 21, 1967, 51 years ago, Fred Rogers walked into the television studio at WQED in Pittsburgh to tape the very first episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, which would premiere nationally on PBS in February 1968. He became known as Mister Rogers, nationally beloved, sweater wearing, “television neighbor,” whose groundbreaking children’s series inspired and educated generations of young viewers with warmth, sensitivity, and honesty.

Fred McFeely Rogers [March 20, 1928 – February 27, 2003], better known as Mister Rogers, was an American television host, author, producer, and Presbyterian minister. He was the creator, showrunner, and host of the preschool television series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, which ran from 1968 to 2001.

Rogers grew up in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, a small town near Pittsburgh. Music was his first love, and he studied music composition at Rollins College. Just before graduating in 1951, he happened to watch some children’s television shows and described them as “a lot of nonsense, pies in faces.” He felt children deserved better and headed for New York, serving as an apprentice and floor manager for the music shows at NBC.

Returning to Pittsburgh, Rogers eventually added the ministry and lifelong studies in child development to his talents, bringing them to WQED, where he produced Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. He drew on all of his talents, including being a gifted communicator, to wear many hats, serving as creator, host, producer, script writer, composer, lyricist, and main puppeteer for almost 900 programs.

Rogers’ reputation as a champion of high standards—for children’s programming and for television in general—was highlighted by his now-famous testimony before Congress in 1969 advocating against proposed budget cuts to public television. The committee was so moved by his simple, genuine, and powerful plea that the budget was increased for the following year.

Although production on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood ended in 2000, many PBS stations continue to broadcast the series for a new generation of children to discover. Today, young viewers also get to “visit with” Daniel Tiger [son of the beloved puppet from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood] on Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, the animated spin-off, which delves into many of the same important topics Rogers did.

Today’s stop-motion, animated video Doodle celebrating Mister Rogers was created in collaboration with Fred Rogers Productions, The Fred Rogers Center, and BixPix Entertainment. Set to the iconic opening song of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood [“Won’t You Be My Neighbor"], the Doodle aims to be a reminder of the nurturing, caring, and whimsy that made the show feel like a “television visit” between Mister Rogers and his young viewers. Everyone was welcome in this Neighborhood. Through his honest words, thoughtful songs, and imaginative Neighborhood of Make-Believe stories, Mister Rogers took us by the hand, helping us feel good about who we are. He encouraged us to find positive ways to deal with our feelings, to treat others with respect and kindness, and to appreciate the world around us.

-Hedda Sharapan, Child Development Consultant, Fred Rogers Productions

[9A]

Mar 26, 2015

Hwang Sun-won’s 100th Birthday







Hwang Sun-wŏn [March 26, 1915 – September 14, 2000] was a Korean short story writer, novelist, and poet.

[9A]

March 26, 2018

45th Anniversary of the Chipko Movement





Embrace the trees and

Save them from being felled;

The property of our hills,

Save them from being looted.


These words are from a poem by Ghanasyam Raturi, an Indian poet writing about the Chipko movement in the 1970s to protect the regional forests in Uttar Pradesh [Uttrakhand]. The success of this nonviolent, grassroots resistance was felt around the globe, serving as the inspiration for future environmental movements. The Chipko Andolan also stands out as an eco-feminist movement. Women formed the nucleus of the movement, as the group most directly affected by the lack of firewood and drinking water caused by deforestation.

The original Chipko movement dates back to the 18th century, when a group of 363 people from 84 different villages, led by Amrita Devi, laid down their lives to protect a group of khejri trees that were to be cut down at the order of the maharaja, or king, of Jodhpur. After this event, the maharaja decreed that the trees were to be left standing. The original movement was called "angalwaltha", the Garhwali word for "embrace," as the protesters protected the trees by surrounding them and linking hands, physically preventing the loggers from touching the plants. The movement was later named for the Hindi word “chipko,” which means “to stick.”

Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Svabhu Kohli and Viplov Singh, remembers the modern movement and those involved.

[9A]

Mar 28, 2018

Hannah Glasse’s 310th Birthday






If the thought of Yorkshire pudding and gooseberry fool makes your mouth water, you have Hannah Glasse to thank for making these two delectable dishes staples in English cuisine. Born on this day in 1708, Glasse was a pioneering English cook and author of the most popular cookbook of the 18th century. Published in 1747, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy was unique; it was one of the first cookbooks written in a simple and conversational style, which meant that any English speaker and reader – regardless of their class – could learn how to cook.

Glasse’s cookbook was popular not only because it was easy to read, but also because of its massive scope. It included a whopping 972 recipes, covering everything from puddings and soups, to what to serve at Lent, to preparing food for the sick.

Today’s Doodle features Glasse whipping up a batch of classic Yorkshire puddings. Her recipe for Yorkshire pudding, among many others, is one of the earliest known ever published.

Happy 310th birthday, Hannah Glasse!

Illustration by Matthew Cruickshank

[9A]

March 28, 2016

Ángela Ruiz Robles’s 121st Birthday





Ángela Ruiz Robles, born 121 years ago today, was a writer, teacher, inventor, and pioneer of the e-book. Inspired by technological advancement in things like television and cars, she aimed to bring innovation to education as well. Her ingenious "mechanical encyclopedia," with information on scrolling coils that could be switched out for new ones, made it possible for students to study at home without carrying around heavy books. The invention also included a light source, so that students without access to electricity could read unimpaired. After she patented her invention, Robles continued to work on the fabrication of the encyclopedia, with the intention of making it more affordable for students everywhere.

Doodler Kevin Laughlin's design spells "Google" with the looping coils of the Enciclopedia Mecánica. The seafoam green of the encyclopedia's case [a characteristic feature] was a key detail that was added just before finishing.

Happy birthday, Ángela Ruiz Robles! Thanks for getting education and technology off on a roll.

[9A]

March 28, 2016

240th Anniversary of the Bolshoi Theater's Foundation






A famous choreographer once said: “wherever a dancer stands is holy ground.” If so, then there are few stages more sacred than the Bolshoi Theatre, which has hosted the world’s finest opera and ballet performances for more than two centuries. Today’s doodle by artist Lydia Nichols commemorates the order by Empress Catherine the Second to build a public theater. Today, 240 years later, this stately neoclassical venue still stands in the heart of Moscow, a timeless symbol of artistic excellence.

[9A]

March 28, 2020

Wubbo Ockels’ 74th Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates the 74th birthday of Dutch astronaut, physicist, and professor Dr. Wubbo Ockels, the Netherlands’ first citizen in space. A champion of sustainable energy renowned for his positive outlook on life, Dr. Ockel’s contributions to science and space exploration were truly out of this world.

Born on this day in 1946 in Almelo, Netherlands, Wubbo Johannes Ockels went on to pursue a doctorate in physics and mathematics from the University of Groningen. Taking a break from his research on nuclear energy, he stumbled across an advertisement from the European Space Agency looking for candidates to go to space, and the rest is history. In 1978, the ESA selected Ockels and two others to begin astronaut training as part of an ambitious series of missions utilizing Spacelab, the agency’s manned research module.

On October 30th, 1985, Dr. Ockels launched into space aboard the Challenger space shuttle as a scientific research specialist, the eight-person crew becoming the largest ever to do so aboard the same craft. In honor of the Netherlands, he carried onboard a large bag of gouda cheese. After logging 168 hours in space, a dizzying 110 orbits of Earth, and over 75 scientific experiments, the crew returned safely home.

After that, Dr. Ockels never made it back to space, but his unique experience of the world’s beauty revealed the vulnerability of our planet. Instilled with the profound notion that humankind has no spare home, he used his newfound fame as an astronaut to promote sustainability back on Earth. In 2003, he became a full-time aerospace engineering professor, with a focus on developing alternative sources of energy.

Thank you, Dr. Wubbo Ockels, for defying gravity to create a better future for us all! ​

[9A]

September 7, 2015

Brazil's Independence Day 2015







Orchids! Palm trees! Passion flowers! There’s no landscape in the world quite as colorful as Brazil’s, whose independence we celebrate today. In 1822, from the banks of the grassy Ipiranga Brook in São Paulo, Dom Pedro I declared Brazil a free nation. Centuries later, visitors to the Terra do Brasil come to enjoy its awesome mix of natural offerings, captured in this doodle by Kevin Laughlin. Its main rainforest “is home to as many as 80,000 plant species,” according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. Brazil’s fauna is also impressive, with hundreds of unique mammals roaming its land, and thousands of fish species swimming through its waters. Happy independence day to beautiful, bountiful Brazil!

[9A]

September 15, 2014

Guatemala Independence Day 2014



We’re having a feast of Latino dishes to mark Independence Day in three different countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala. All three celebrate the holiday on September 15. Viva Centroamérica!

Most traditional foods in Guatemalan cuisine are based on Maya cuisine, with Spanish influence, and prominently feature corn, chilies and beans as key ingredients. Guatemala is famously home to the Hass avocado and the birthplace of chocolate, as first created by the Maya.

There are also foods that are commonly eaten on certain days of the week. For example, it is a popular custom to eat paches [a kind of tamale made from potatoes] on Thursday. Certain dishes are also associated with special occasions, such as fiambre for All Saints Day on November 1 and tamales, which are common around Christmas.

[9A]

December 4, 2020

Celebrating Noken Papua



Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Depok-based guest artist Danu Fitra, celebrates Noken, the craft of traditional handmade bags that holds great cultural and socio-economic significance throughout Indonesia’s Papua and West Papua Provinces. In recent years the longevity of this staple of Papuan heritage has come under threat, but following its addition to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List in Need of Urgent Safeguarding on this day in 2012, great strides have been taken to secure Noken’s sustainability for future generations.


Noken bags are typically made from materials like tree fibers, bark, or leaves, which are processed into strong threads and then knotted or woven together. This complex handcraft has been passed down through the generations and demands refined tactile skill, dedicated care, and no shortage of artistic vision. The end product is a durable and versatile bag commonly used to transport and store things like food or firewood, and even to carry small children or animals!

Outside of its everyday use, Noken has traditionally fulfilled many social and economic purposes as well. For example, Noken serves as a symbol of cultural unification among more than 250 ethnic groups in the region; due to its value, it can be used as a type of savings; and it often plays a symbolic role in the peaceful resolution of disputes.

Here’s to a timeless craft that’s inextricably woven into the fabric of Indonesian culture!

[9A]

Dec 25, 2013

Salah Jahin's 83rd Birthday






Muhammad Salah Eldin Bahgat Ahmad Helmy, known as "Salah Jaheen" or "Salah Jahin," was a leading Egyptian poet, lyricist, playwright and cartoonist

[9A]

Mar 13, 2006

Percival Lowell's 151st Birthday





Percival Lawrence Lowell was an American businessman, author, mathematician, and astronomer who fueled speculation that there were canals on Mars. He founded the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, and formed the beginning of the effort that led to the discovery of Pluto 14 years after his death.

[9A]

March 31, 2017

Sergei Diaghilev’s 145th Birthday






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

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

Anna Pavlova, Henri Matisse, Jean Cocteau—all figured into Diaghilev’s sensational productions. Today, on Sergei Diaghilev’s 145th birthday, we salute his boundless imagination with a Doodle that depicts the impresario flanked by his vividly costumed Ballets Russes dancers against an onion-domed Russian backdrop. Diaghilev wowed the world, both then and now.

Doodle by Sophie Diao

[9A]

March 31, 2013

Cesar Chavez's 86th Birthday




Cesar Chavez was an American labor leader and civil rights activist. Along with Dolores Huerta, he co-founded the National Farm Workers Association [[NFWA), which later merged with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee [AWOC] to become the United Farm Workers [UFW] labor union. Ideologically, his world-view combined leftist politics with Roman Catholic social teachings.

Chavez was referenced by Stevie Wonder in the song "Black Man" from the 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. The 2014 American film César Chávez, starring Michael Peña as Chavez, covered Chavez's life in the 1960s and early 1970s. That same year, a documentary film, titled Cesar's Last Fast, was released. He received belated full military honors from the US Navy at his graveside on April 23, 2015, the 22nd anniversary of his death. In 2015, statues of Chavez and Huerta were erected above a pizzeria in Downtown Napa, financed by a wealthy private citizen, Michael Holcomb, rather than the city authorities.

There is a portrait of Chavez in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. In 2003, the United States Postal Service honored Chavez with a postage stamp. A three-dimensional mural by artist Johanna Poethig, Tiene la lumbre por dentro [He Has the Fire Within Him] [2000] at Sonoma State University, honors Chavez and the Farm Workers Movement. The American Friends Service Committee [AFSC] nominated him three times for the Nobel Peace Prize.

At the start of the presidency of Joe Biden, a bust of Chavez was placed on a table directly behind the Resolute desk in the Oval Office.

[9A]

March 26, 2019

Bangladesh Independence Day 2019







Today’s Doodle celebrates Independence Day in Bangladesh, the South Asian nation situated on the Bay of Bengal and a deltaic nation with almost 700 rivers flowing through it!

On this day in 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, often titled Bangabandhu [which translates to “friend of Bengal”], signed a declaration that made the former East Pakistan the sovereign and independent country of Bangladesh with its own unique language and culture. This founding document followed Bangabandhu’s historic speech, delivered on March 7.

A public holiday in Bangladesh, Independence Day is commemorated with parades, fairs, and concerts as well as patriotic speeches. A festive spirit fills the capital city of Dhaka, where the Bangladesh flag flies proudly, and many government buildings are lit up with the national colors: green and red. The green symbolizes Bangladesh’s abundant flora and the potential of the nation’s youth while the red circle in the middle of the flag represents the sun rising over the relatively new and developing country.

Joy Bangla!

[9A]

January 31, 2010

Tapati Rapa Nui Festival 2010




Tapati Rapa Nui literally means “Rapa Nui Week” in the local language, but under that name a series of unique events take place to constitute the most important cultural festival of Easter Island and one of the most important in all Polynesia.

The Tapati festival is celebrated every year during the first half of February, so the original concept that gave it its name has extended one more week. The Tapati Rapa Nui, which was born more than 40 years ago and had its origins in the ancient “spring festivities” that were celebrated in Chile, has been transformed over time to become a tribute to the ancestral traditions of the Rapanui people, and on a unique occasion to relive, share and preserve the cultural identity of this fascinating corner of the planet.

[9A]

November 9, 2019

Celebrating the Edmonton Grads






The Edmonton Commercial Graduates Basketball Club, better known as “The Grads,” started as a high school girls basketball team and became a sports dynasty. Today’s Doodle celebrates The Grads’ induction into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame on this day in 2017. It was a fitting honor for a team that holds arguably one of the best winning percentages in North America—approximately 95 percent over 25 years—in any sport.. With outstanding sportsmanship and determination, The Grads also defeated stereotypes that had discouraged women from participating in competitive sports.

Teacher Percy Page started the team in 1914 as a physical education program for the 60 girls at McDougall Commercial High School in the Canadian city of Edmonton. In their first season, they won the provincial championship, and when some of the graduating seniors indicated that they’d like to continue playing, Page was inspired to set up The Grads after they graduated in 1915.

During the next quarter century, The Grads went on to win 23 of 24 Provincial Championships and racked up stats that would be the envy of any team, including earning winning streaks of 147 and 78 games, separated by just a single loss. They went undefeated in the Western Canadian Championships from 1926 to 1940 and won 29 of 31 games in the Canadian Championships, never losing a series. After the Grads won the Underwood International tournament, also known as the “North American championship,” for 17 years straight, tournament organizers decided to let them keep the trophy permanently.

The Grads additionally won seven of nine games against men's teams and went unbeaten in 27 exhibition games at four Olympic Games—though they never won a medal since women’s basketball was not yet an Olympic sport.

When The Grads first started, basketball was a fairly new sport, having been invented in 1891 by Canadian James Naismith. He would later recognize the Grads as “the finest basketball team that ever stepped out on a floor.

[9A]

August 3, 2016

238th Anniversary of the inauguration of Teatro Alla Scala





Bellini’s Norma. Verdi’s Otello and Falstaff. Puccini’s Turandot. All classics from opera’s golden age - and all works that debuted at the Teatro Alla Scala in Milan, a masterpiece itself since its inauguration in 1778.

Today’s Doodle honors La Scala’s legendary stage, known both for its size and the distinction of its players. The opera house’s treasured halls have hosted some of the world’s most inspirational opera, ballet, and classical performances over its long existence. Seating more than 2,000 people, its theater has survived both a WWII bombing and restorative construction, continuing to pack houses and delight audiences for some 238 years.

[9A]

Mar 1, 2012

Quinquela Martín's 122nd Birthday





Benito Quinquela Martín was an Argentine painter. Quinquela Martín is considered the port painter-par-excellence and one of the most popular Argentine painters. His paintings of port scenes show the activity, vigor and roughness of the daily life in the port of La Boca.

[9A]

Feb 29, 2012

Marcela Paz's 110th Birthday





Marcela Paz was the pen name of Esther Huneeus Ramos Falla Salas de Claro, a Chilean writer. She also used the pen names of Paula de la Sierra, Lukim Retse, P. Neka and Juanita Godoy. She was a recipient of the National Prize for Literature.

[9A]

February 25, 2016

Lesya Ukrainka’s 145th Birthday





Lesya Ukrainka was one of Ukrainian literature's foremost writers, best known for her poems and plays. She was also an active political, civil, and feminist activist.

Among her most well-known works are the collections of poems On the wings of songs [1893], Thoughts and Dreams [1899], Echos [1902], the epic poem Ancient fairy tale [1893], One word [1903], plays Princess [1913], Cassandra [1903—1907], In the Catacombs [1905], and Forest Song [1911].

[9A]

August 8, 2012

Basketball 2012




With the addition of a video game console in our home, my brothers and I used to spend as many hours playing sports in front of the tv as we did outside.

The good ol' fashion button mashin' of my youth was no small part of the inspiration for the 2012 Summer Games interactive doodles. [In fact, collaborator Marcin Wichary even wired up these doodles with the then newly released Gamepad API, allowing users to mash actual buttons.]

To my great joy, over one billion games were played on the Google homepages in this four-day interactive doodle run. [Besides this basketball game, there're doodles for hurdles, slalom canoe, and soccer/football.] With each game presenting an opportunity to share your high score, I'm sure quite a few brothers, sisters, friends, etc. were able to play, compete, and grow closer with these doodles.

As a personal touch, the setting of this particular "event" was inspired by another place I used to spend a lot of time with my brothers – our elementary school gym.

Here's a video of us performing at a talent show in that very gym. I'm exhibiting my talent for choreographed dancing in a shark costume, obviously.

Posted by Ryan Germick, Doodle Team Lead