Google doodles

[9A]

22 June 2023

Dragon Boat Festival 2023




On your mark, get set, row! Today’s Doodle celebrates the Dragon Boat Festival. This traditional holiday occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, so it is sometimes referred to as the Double Fifth Festival. The origins of this holiday date back to third century BCE, and it commemorates the life and death of poet Qu Yuan. Today’s Doodle is a hand-made Dragon Boat replica crafted from yarn and cardboard.

When Qu learned the Chu State was defeated, he was overcome with sorrow and threw himself into the Miluo River. Legend has it that locals rushed out in boats hoping to find and save him. When they couldn’t, they threw sticky rice dumplings into the water to keep fish away from the poet. This is said to be the origin of eating zongzi, rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves that form a pyramid shape, during the festival. The dragon boat races may stem from this story as well, symbolic of how the boaters raced out to find Qu.

While many activities and events occur on this day, the dragon boat races are the most spectacular. People across Asia gather to watch teams pile into long, multicolored, wooden boats and race toward a finish line or flag. Each of the boats hold anywhere between 12 and 32 people, including paddlers, drummers to keep the rowing synchronized, and someone to reach out and grab the flag. The intricate boats feature a dragon head at the front, and before the race begins, teams paint eyes on the dragon to bring their vessel to life.

Other activities on this day aim to bring prosperity. The fifth lunar month is considered an unlucky and unhealthy month, as the summer brings insects and other pests. people may carry sachets full of herbs and plants that deter bugs, or hang plants like mugwort, calamus, or wormwood on doors and windows. Another way to bring good fortune is to partake in an egg-balancing challenge. Balancing an egg on its end at noon is said to bring good luck for a whole year.

And that's what the Dragon Boat Festival is all a-boat! Good luck to everyone racing today.

[9A]

21 June 2017

Summer Solstice 2017 [Northern Hemisphere]




Today’s Doodle celebrates the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. As the longest day of the year, solstice marks the official start of the summer season. If you live north of the equator, today you’ll enjoy the most amount of sunlight in a single day that you’ll have all year. And the farther north, the more sun! In fact, in the Arctic Circle, the sun will shine for a full 24 hours. Whether you'll be outside with the blooms or inside with a good book, enjoy the day. Ready…set…summer!

[9A]

22 June 2018

Dame Cicely Saunders’ 100th Birthday




A pioneer of the modern hospice movement, Dame Cicely Saunders felt that all should live with “a sense of fulfillment and a readiness to let go.”

Born 100 years ago today, Saunders performed many roles in her life, including nurse, doctor, author, and social worker. It was while caring for a terminally ill patient that she recognized certain challenges other medical professionals of her time did not: that his diagnosis required a fundamentally different kind of healthcare.

Through this experience, Saunders envisioned an environment that focused care on a patient’s individual and specific needs. As a result, she went on to found St. Christopher’s, the first modern hospice, in a suburb of London in 1967. There, core values included vigilant pain-management as well as a holistic and individualized understanding of practical, medical, and psychological patient needs.

Not only did Saunders’ work inspire hundreds of other hospices worldwide, but her books and teachings also established a new branch of medicine known as palliative care, which addresses the importance of holistic care among patients with life-limiting illnesses. She also went on to establish a global charity focusing on palliative care research and education, Cicely Saunders International, which still works to improve the lives of patients with progressive illness to this day.

Today’s Doodle, created by London-based guest artist Briony May Smith, was inspired by Saunders' favorite anthology, All In the End is Harvest [1984] which states, “Love and life is an eternal thing, like the growth and reaping of the harvest."

[9A]

19 March 2023

Mario Molina's 80th Birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates the 80th birthday of Dr. Mario Molina, a Mexican chemist who successfully convinced governments to come together to save the planet’s ozone layer. A co-recipient of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Dr. Molina was one of the researchers who exposed how chemicals deplete Earth’s ozone shield, which is vital to protecting humans, plants, and wildlife from harmful ultraviolet light.

Dr. Molina was born on this day in 1943 in Mexico City. As a child, he was so passionate about science that he turned his bathroom into a makeshift laboratory. Nothing could compare to the joy of watching tiny organisms glide across his toy microscope.

Dr. Molina went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and an advanced degree from the University of Freiburg in Germany. After completing his studies, he moved to the United States to conduct postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley, and later at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In the early 1970s, Dr. Molina began researching how synthetic chemicals impact Earth’s atmosphere. He was one of the first to discover that chlorofluorocarbons [[a chemical found in air conditioners, aerosol sprays, and more) were breaking down the ozone and causing ultraviolet radiation to reach Earth's surface. He and his co-researchers published their findings in the Nature journal, which later won them the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.


The groundbreaking research became the foundation of the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty that successfully banned the production of nearly 100 ozone-depleting chemicals. This international alliance is considered one of the most impactful environmental treaties ever made — a precedent that shows governments can work together effectively to tackle climate change.


Thanks to Dr. Molina’s critical scientific discoveries, the planet’s ozone layer is on track to fully recover in the next few decades! The Mario Molina Center, a leading research institute in Mexico, carries on his work to create a more sustainable world.


Thank you, Dr. Molina, for your years of research that truly changed the world.

[9A]

2 October 2019

Sir William Ramsay’s 167th Birthday


Today’s Doodle celebrates the life and work of Scottish chemist Sir William Ramsey, whose research led to the discovery of an unknown group of elements known as the noble gases. Born in Glasgow on this day in 1852, Sir Ramsay’s work led to groundbreaking advances in thermodynamics and nuclear physics.

After traveling to Germany, where he earned his doctorate at the University of Tübingen, Ramsay returned home with a reputation for innovative experimental techniques. As chair of chemistry at University College, London, he published numerous papers and books on liquids and vapors.

Ramsay was intrigued when another British physicist, Lord Rayleigh, observed that nitrogen in the earth’s atmosphere had a higher atomic weight than nitrogen in the laboratory. In 1894, he and Lord Rayleigh announced the discovery of a chemically inert gas, which they named argon.

While searching for argon, Ramsay found helium, which had been previously thought to exist only in the sun. Ramsay’s 1896 book The Gases of the Atmosphere predicted the existence of at least 3 more noble gases. Reducing air to low temperatures at high pressure, his team proceeded to identify neon, krypton, and xenon, reshaping the periodic table of elements forever.

Because of their chemical inertness, noble gases proved useful in many ways. For instance, helium replaced flammable hydrogen for lighter-than-air travel, and argon was used in lightbulbs.

Described by many as the “greatest chemical discoverer of his time,” Ramsay became a fellow of the Royal Society in 1888, was knighted in 1902, and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1904.

[9A]

19 August 2020

Julius Lothar Meyer's 190th birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates German chemist, professor, and author Julius Lothar Meyer on his 190th birthday. Meyer was one of two scientists to independently discover the periodic law of chemical elements and pioneer the earliest periodic tables.

Julius Lothar Meyer was born into a medical family in Varel, Germany on this day in 1830. Initially devoted to the study of medicine, he soon shifted his focus to physiological chemistry. He earned his doctorate in 1858 and began his career as a science teacher the very next year.

In 1864, Meyer published a seminal textbook called “Die modernen Theorien der Chemie" [“Modern Chemical Theory”]. The treatise included a rudimentary system for the organization of 28 elements based on atomic weight, a precursor to the modern periodic table. But Meyer was not alone in the sprint toward this scientific milestone, as Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev was independently developing similar ideas of his own.

Meyer designed a more comprehensive table in 1868, but before he could publish, Mendeleev released his own paper that placed all the known elements in one table and cemented his place in science history. Meyer’s subsequent 1870 paper was groundbreaking in its own right, as its graphical demonstration of the relationship between atomic volume and atomic weight provided strong evidence for the periodic law describing cyclical patterns among the elements. Meyer’s now-famous display is depicted behind him in today’s Doodle artwork.

Happy birthday, Julius Lothar Meyer, and thank you for braving the elements for the sake of scientific knowledge!

[9A]

4 November 2021

Charles K. Kao's 88th birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates the visionary Chinese-born, British-American physicist and educator Charles K. Kao, considered the father of fiber optics whose innovations revolutionized global communication and laid the groundwork for today’s high-speed internet.

Charles Kuen Kao was born on this day in 1933 in Shanghai, China. Drawn to intellectual work early in life with notable academic success, he went on to study electrical engineering in England. He supported his graduate studies as an engineer at Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd., where his colleagues invented the laser in 1960.

Shortly after earning his doctorate, Kao and his collaborator George Hockham published a groundbreaking paper in 1966 that proposed fibers fabricated with purified glass could carry a gigahertz [1 billion hertz] of information over long distances using lasers. Kao led the development of this revolutionary technology, and in 1977, the first telephone network carried live signals through optical fibers. By the 1980s, Kao was overseeing the implementation of fiber-optic networks worldwide.

Kao was a dedicated educator in addition to being a trailblazing researcher. Beginning in 1987, he spent nearly a decade as Vice-Chancellor of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and founded Hong Kong’s Independent Schools Foundation. Kao’s landmark research in the 1960s earned him a joint Nobel Prize in Physics in 2009 and cleared the path for the over 900 million miles of fiber-optic cables that carry massive quantities of data across the globe today.

Happy birthday, Charles K. Kao—thank you for using every fiber of your being to make the world a more connected place!

[9A]

Aug 19, 2011

George Enescu's 130th Birthday






George Enescu known in France as Georges Enesco, was a Romanian musician. Enescu is regarded as one of the greatest musicians in Romanian history; he was a composer, violinist, pianist, conductor, and teacher. He is featured on the Romanian five lei.

Pablo Casals described Enescu as "the greatest musical phenomenon since Mozart" and "one of the greatest geniuses of modern music". Queen Marie of Romania wrote in her memoirs that "in George Enescu was real gold". Yehudi Menuhin, Enescu's most famous pupil, once said about his teacher: "He will remain for me the absoluteness through which I judge others", and "Enescu gave me the light that has guided my entire existence." He also considered Enescu "the most extraordinary human being, the greatest musician and the most formative influence" he had ever experienced.Vincent d'Indy claimed that if Beethoven's works were destroyed, they could be all reconstructed from memory by George Enescu. Alfred Cortot, one of the greatest pianists of all time, once said that Enescu, though primarily a violinist, had better piano technique than his own.

[9A]

22 June 2012

Teachers' Day 2012 [El Salvador]

[9A]

Aug 19, 2010

Anniversary of Belka and Strelka Space Flight





During the 1950s and 1960s the Soviet space program used dogs for sub-orbital and orbital space flights to determine whether human spaceflight was feasible. In this period, the Soviet Union launched missions with passenger slots for at least 57 dogs. The number of dogs in space is smaller, as some dogs flew more than once. Most survived; the few that died were lost mostly through technical failures, according to the parameters of the test.

A notable exception is Laika, the first dog to be sent into orbit, whose death during the 3 November, 1957 Sputnik 2 mission was expected from its outset.

[9A]

Mar 20, 2021

David Warren's 96th Birthday




Today’s Doodle honors Australian research scientist Dr. David Warren, the inventor of the flight data and voice recording technology commonly known as “the black box”: a virtually indestructible device that has helped save the lives of countless travelers around the globe.

Born on this day on remote Groote Eylandt off the northern coast of Australia, David Warren went on to receive his doctorate in fuels and energy research from London’s Imperial College. After returning to Australia, he embarked on a 31-year career with the Commonwealth’s Aeronautical Research Laboratories in Melbourne.

In 1953, the ARL was tasked with investigating a mysterious crash of the world’s first jet-powered commercial aircraft. Confronted with the difficult task of reconstructing what went wrong, Dr. Warren had an ingenious idea. He envisioned a voice recording device that could capture cockpit conversations in real-time, providing critical insight into what happened before a crash to help prevent the same problems in the future. Facing initial skepticism, Dr. Warren developed an experimental prototype on his own, creating the world’s first “black box” [though his model was actually painted red]. The rudimentary device became the first with the capability to store audio in combination with flight instrument data, a monumental breakthrough in aviation technology.

Today, a modern equivalent of Dr. Warren’s invention is mandatory in cockpits worldwide, playing an integral role in the constant improvement of aviation safety standards.

Thank you, Dr. David Warren, for your selfless dedication to making air travel safer for people everywhere!

[9A]

7 Sept 2019

Celebrating Marcelle Ferron









“My aim has always been modest. I wanted to transform the arranged marriage [of art and architecture] into a love match.” ​—Marcelle Ferron

Today’s Doodle celebrates the life and work of the renowned Canadian painter, sculptor, and glassmaker, whose famous installation in Montreal’s Vendôme station was unveiled on this day in 1981. Marcelle Ferron’s striking design combined colorful stained glass with a spiraling stainless steel sculpture, a unique style that inspired the Doodle’s art.

Born in 1924, Ferron studied at the École des beaux-arts de Québec, but left upon realizing she was unable to find answers to her questions about modern art. Upon meeting Québec abstract painter Paul-Émile Borduas, she joined his Automatiste group and became one of the youngest artists to sign their 1948 manifesto Refus global. Ferron went on to spend 13 years painting in Paris, exhibiting her work at the 1961 São Paulo Biennial in Brazil, where she won a silver medal.

Her meeting with glassmaker Michel Blum sparked an interest in glass as an art medium. Over time, she devised her own methods, building “walls of light” connected by invisible joints that allowed her to create large planes of color. These innovative techniques can be seen in her mural for Expo 67 and public commissions in the Champ-de-Mars train station, Sainte-Justine Hospital, and the Granby courthouse.

Throughout her 50-year career, Ferron became one of Canada’s most important contemporary artists and was made a Knight of the National Order of Québec in 1985, then promoted to Grand Officer in 2000. This restless visionary’s achievements blazed a trail for women aspiring to make a mark in what was a traditionally male-dominated space.

[9A]

4 Sept 2019

50th Anniversary of Mexico City Metro





Today’s Doodle celebrates the 50th anniversary of one of the world’s great public transportation systems, the Mexico City Metro. On this day in 1969, the first subway line of the Sistema de Transporte Colectivo began running east and west from Zaragoza to Chapultepec.

Today the Metro’s 12 lines correspond with 12 different colors, as shown in today’s Doodle artwork, with connections to light railways in the south and cable cars in the north, crisscrossing the most populous metropolitan area in the Western Hemisphere and transporting some 5 million passengers every day.

When the idea for the Metro was first proposed in the 1950s, Mexico City’s population was much smaller than it is today, but the bus and tramway system was severely strained. To address the issue, the city government approved the Metro construction plan in 1967, with the 1968 Olympics just around the corner.

It was no small challenge for engineer Bernardo Quintana to tunnel underneath a mega city built over a lake, in an area with a history of seismological activity as well as archaeological riches. Metro construction crews have unearthed some remarkable finds, including an 11,000-year-old mammoth skull, which is now on display at the Talismán station; a circular pyramid dedicated to Ehécatl, the Aztec God of wind, around which the Pino Suárez station was built; and in 2010, a 500-year-old Aztec gravesite.

Each of the 195 Metro stops has its own color and symbol, designed to make the system easy to navigate. La Raza station boasts a 600-meter-long [1969-feet-long] science museum, the Túnel de la Ciencia, stimulating the minds of passengers as they walk between lines 3 and 5. Other stations are designed to resemble the Art Nouveau entrances to the Paris Metro. Rubber wheels on many lines keep noise to a minimum, and the fare to ride can be as low as 5 pesos.

[9A]

October 5, 2022

Celebrating Elizabeth Kenny




Today’s Doodle celebrates Elizabeth Kenny, an Australian nurse who founded an alternative treatment for polio known as the Kenny Method. Her exercises rehabilitated thousands of polio victims all over the world, and is considered one of the most effective forms of treatment prior to vaccines. The Sister Kenny Memorial House, which celebrates her life’s work, opened on this day in Nobby, Queensland in 1997.

Kenny was born in 1880 in Warialda, New South Wales. She grew up in an impoverished farming community in rural Australia, where she received little formal education but was an avid reader who loved learning about medicine and human anatomy.

Although Kenny did not have the option to attend medical school, at 17 she forged her own path by volunteering at a hospital in Guyra. After shadowing nurses and doctors for more than a decade, Kenny gained enough working knowledge to open her own nursing practice in Darling Downs, Queensland.

In 1911, she encountered her first case of polio. She was unaware of the standard treatment at the time, which forced polio patients to lay in body casts for months which, in turn, caused muscle atrophy. This caused many polio victims to become permanently paralysed.

With her fresh perspective, Kenny realised the affected muscles were stiff, not permanently damaged. So she healed her patients by applying hot, wet compresses to the affected limbs, before having them perform gradual muscle strengthening exercises.

To the surprise of the medical community, her method worked! From then on, the exercises became known as the Kenny Method and news of this effective treatment spread far and wide.

Kenny traveled to America in the 1940s to open rehabilitation centers such as the Sister Kenny Institute in Minneapolis, which became a world-renowned center for polio treatment.

Her alternative method was so effective that she received honorary degrees from Rutgers University and the University of Rochester. President Franklin D. Roosevelt even invited her to lunch to discuss his own treatment.


Impressed by the number of polio victims that the Kenny Method rehabilitated, President Harry Truman authorised Kenny to enter the U.S. as she wished without a visa, a great honor only previously granted to one other non-US citizen.

[9A]

October 5, 2012

Brian Ó Nualláin's 101st Birthday




His English novels appeared under the name of Flann O’Brien. Flann O'Brien is considered a major figure in twentieth century Irish literature. Flann O'Brien novels have attracted a wide following for their bizarre humour and Modernist metafiction.

[9A]

October 5, 2017

Magda Szabó's 100th Birthday



Symbolically, a door can be interpreted in countless ways. It can represent anything from the extraordinary to the mundane: the promise of a new opportunity, a mysterious gateway to the unknown, or just the point of entry to the next room. Today, we celebrate Magda Szabó, the Hungarian author whose most internationally recognized book takes its title from this symbol. Her ability to craft an evocative narrative within an everyday setting is a part of what’s made her the most translated author in Hungary, with publications reaching 42 countries and translated into over 30 languages.

Though she is recognized today as one of the most influential figures of contemporary Hungarian literature, Szabó was actually forced into literary exile during the early 1950’s by the Communist Party. Before being censured, she began her career as a poet, winning several awards for her art. After being brought back into favor by the very same group that had enforced her silence, she explored the implications of this in what became her most well known novel “The Door”. She also went on to publish well-known children’s books, collections of plays, and works of fiction and drama.

One hundred years may have passed since the day she was born, but Szabó’s works live on, thanks in large part to the timelessness of her characters, her settings, and her stories.

[9A]

January 26, 2022

Soad Hosny's 79th Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates the 79th birthday of Egyptian actress, singer, and dancer Soad Hosny. Known as a highly versatile performer who became an icon of women’s empowerment, Hosny is remembered as one of Egypt’s most influential actresses.

Soad Muhammad Kamal Hosny was born to a large, artistic family in Cairo, Egypt on this day in 1943. Her career in show business began at just three years old as a singer for “Papa Sharo,” a popular Egyptian children’s radio program. She performed her first starring role at 17 in the 1959 Arabic adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, “Hassan and Naima,” a breakout role that marked the start of a prolific on-screen career spanning more than 80 comedies, musicals, dramas, and romance films alongside some of Egypt’s top entertainers.

Dubbed the “Egyptian Cinderella,” Hosny helped redefine 1960s popular culture in Egypt by juxtaposing refined glamor and rebellious independence. Hosny's work is said to have been intertwined with many social and political moments in modern Middle Eastern history and has long been recognized for making specific efforts to address gender equality. Her acting, singing, and dancing transcended genre barriers as she delivered nuanced performances in roles ranging from ingenue to bold revolutionary in some of Egypt’s most iconic films over more than three decades.

Today, the young and daring characters that Hosny portrayed in films remain a source of inspiration for some of Egypt’s contemporary young feminist activists.

Here’s to a star that keeps on shining— Soad Hosny!

[9A]

January 26, 2022

Katarzyna Kobro's 124th Birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates the 124th birthday of Russian-born, Polish avant-garde sculptor and art theoretician Katarzyna Kobro. Her utilitarian and geometric sculptures explored the relationship between expression and the infinitude of space, carving out Kobro’s place as a leading innovator of early 20th century Central European abstract art.

Katarzyna Kobro was born into a multicultural family in Moscow on this day in 1898. Following an early interest in arts and sciences, Kobro enrolled in the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture in 1917 where she collaborated with progressive groups re-envisioning Russian art. Her stylistic development was complemented by emerging attitudes in the Polish avant-garde, in which artists believed art could be incorporated into everyday life through mass production.

On this creative foundation, Kobro created her first sculpture in 1920—an amalgamation of metal, wood, glass, and cork titled “Tos 75 - Struktura” [Tos 75 - Structure]. She moved to Poland soon after, where she created her most famous works—the 1925–1933 sculpture series “Kompozycja Przestrzenna” [Spatial Compositions] and the 1931 philosophy book, “Composition of Space: Calculations of Space-Time Rhythm,” co-written with her husband, Władysław Strzemiński. Kobro further declared her conceptual philosophy in signing the 1936 Parisian “Manifeste Dimensioniste” [“Dimensionist Manifesto”], which called for the integration of scientific advancements into art.

In the mid-twentieth century, art historians began restoring Kobro’s works, which reignited interest in her influence on the social and artistic movements of her time. Much of Kobro’s remaining artworks are currently on display in the Museum of Modern Art in New York’s 2021 exhibition “Collection 1940s–1970s.”

Here’s to an intellect who shaped the art world—Katarzyna Kobro!

[9A]

Mar 20, 2023

Sapardi Djoko Damono's 83rd Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates the birthday of Sapardi Djoko Damono, the poet who revolutionized lyrical poetry in Indonesia.

Damono was born on this day in Solo, Central Java in 1940. He spent his childhood in libraries reading every book he could get his hands on and started writing poetry while attending high school in Surakarta. After earning an English degree from Gajah Mada University, Damono studied Indonesian literature in graduate school. While working as a radio broadcaster and theater assistant during this time, he started taking his poetry more seriously.

In 1969, Damono released his first poetry collection, dukaMu abadi [Your Sorrow is Eternal]. At a time when most Indonesian poets focused on societal reflection and ideas, Damano’s groundbreaking debut reflected on the human condition. Due to the book’s success, Damano was hired as a literature professor at the University of Indonesia.

Damono wrote three more collections of poetry in his straightforward and introspective style before he received the ASEAN-sponsored Southeast Asian Write Award for poetry in 1986. Intent on promoting the artform across the country, he founded the Indonesian Literary Scholars Association and served as chairman for three consecutive terms. Damono also translated literary works from around the world into Indonesian, with one of his most celebrated translations being of Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea.

In 1994, Damono published Hujan Bulan Juni [A June Rain], a collection of some of his greatest poems. This work inspired several musicians to create compositions with similar themes. The University of Indonesia elected Damono as the dean of faculty and held a poetry recital in 2010 to celebrate his life's work.

Later in his career, Damono earned prestigious honors including the Achmad Bakrie Award for Literature in 2003 and the Akademi Jakarta Award in 2012. Today, his poetry is still read throughout the world, serving as an ode to the next generation of writers.

[9A]

October 22, 2022

Esther Chapa Tijerina's 118th Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates the birthday of Esther Chapa Tijerina, a distinguished Mexican surgeon, professor and feminist who played a pivotal role in advancing women’s voting rights in Mexico.

Tijerina was born on this day in 1904 in Tamaulipas. She went on to study medicine at one of Latin America’s leading institutions—the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Although Tijerina came of age in a privileged environment, she was aware of the challenges of disadvantaged groups. During her time in college, she would often advocate for a stronger safety net for underserved women and children.

After graduating from medical school, she became one of the country’s few female surgeons and went on to teach microbiology at her alma mater. She later became Director of the National School of Nursing and Obstetrics, and president of the National School of Nursing.

Tijerina galvanized Mexico’s feminist movement when she co-founded the Single Front Pro-Women's Rights group in 1935 with Mexico’s first female psychiatrist, Dr. Matilde Rodríguez Cabo . Also known as Frente Unico Pro-Derechos de la Mujer [[FUPDM], the group advocated for lower taxes, electricity bills and rent prices for working-class women. It became Mexico’s largest women’s rights organization at the time.

In 1936, Tijerina published a groundbreaking book, El derecho al voto para la mujer, which played a significant role in mobilizing Mexican women to join the suffrage movement.

Happy 118th birthday, Esther Chapa Tijerina! Thank you for laying the foundation for the women’s suffrage movement in Mexico.

[9A]

November 1, 2021

Celebrating the late We:wa







In honor of Native American Heritage Month in the U.S., also in honor of Pride Month, today’s interactive Doodle—illustrated by Zuni Pueblo guest artist Mallery Quetawki—celebrates Zuni [A:shiwi] Native American fiber artist, weaver, and potter the late We:wa. As a Łamana, the late We:wa was a revered cultural leader and mediator within the Zuni tribe, devoting their life to the preservation of Zuni traditions and history.

As advised by the Zuni tribe, it is discouraged to speak of community members who have passed on within the present tense. Therefore, we refer to We:wa as “the late We:wa” out of respect for their memory and spirit.

The term “Two Spirit” became widely adopted in the 1990s to encompass the various non-binary gender identities and expressions amongst Indigenous peoples. In the Zuni tribe, Łamana is the recognized third gender outside of the male-female binary system. Historical records have used both “he” and “she” pronouns in reference to Łamana and the late We:wa. Because Łamana and many modern Indigenous Two-Spirit people are considered distinct from male and female genders, we have aligned with our Zuni community collaborators and elected to use the ungendered singular pronoun “they.”

Go behind-the-scenes of today’s Doodle below!



The late We:wa was born of the Donashi:kwi [Badger clan] and a child of the Bit'chi:kwe [Dogwood clan] around 1849 in Zuni Pueblo, a community indigenous to the land that is now known as New Mexico. In the Zuni tribe, Łamana is a recognized third gender outside of the male-female binary system and revered as a traditional cultural concept reflecting harmony and balance. Like most Łamana, at a young age the late We:wa began learning a variety of skills done by both men and women in the tribe. They became an expert weaver, a role traditionally taken on by men in the community, and created textiles using different looms. After years of training, the late We:wa became one of the first Zuni craftspeople to sell ceramics and woven goods to non-Indigenous people, which catalyzed the process of Indigenous crafts being appreciated as a fine art in the U.S.

The late We:wa also mastered essential Zuni myths, songs, and ceremonies to become a highly respected spiritual leader in the community. Their cultural expertise led to the late We:wa traveling with American anthropologists James and Matilda Stevenson to Washington, D.C. in 1885 in hopes of fostering cultural exchange. During the late We:wa’s landmark visit to the U.S. capital, they called upon high-ranking U.S. officials to protect Zuni lands and culture from encroaching settlers.

Even in the face of colonial policy, which threatens Indigenous peoples nationwide, the late We:wa’s dedication to their community never faltered. They returned to Zuni Pueblo, where they spent the remainder of their life as an artist and community leader. Today, the late We:Wa’s legacy lives on in the approximately 10,000 Zuni people who safeguard the rich tapestry of Zuni heritage and retain one the most uninterrupted cultural lineages of modern Indigenous tribal communities in the U.S.

Give the art of weaving a try in today’s interactive Doodle in honor of the late We:wa and their craft!

[9A]

June 23, 2017

Hokiichi Hanawa’s 271st Birthday




When Helen Keller visited the memorial house of Hanawa Hokiichi in 1937, she said of the revered scholar, "I believe that his name would pass down from generation to generation like a stream of water." Indeed, traces of Hokiichi's legacy can be found in many fields today. Like a river originating from humble beginnings in Tokyo in 1746, his influence has stretched through law, politics, economics, history, and medicine.

Even during his lifetime, Hokiichi's impact was far-reaching. He is best known for editing the Gunsho ruijū, a collection of more than 500 volumes of kokugaku studies [philology and philosophy]. Later in life, Hokiichi established the Wagakusho school, where he taught Japanese classics to a rapt audience of adoring students.

Hokiichi’s early life was not easy — at the age of seven, he lost his vision. But his remarkable memory began to impress local scholars, and he was encouraged to pursue a life of study, ultimately becoming one of the most learned men in the country. Hanawa Hokiichi’s legacy is one of dogged learning, committed teaching, and enduring perseverance, and it lives on in Japanese scholarship and culture.

[9A]

June 23, 2013

Mt. Fuji becomes a World Heritage site



Mount Fuji, located on the island of Honshū, is an active stratovolcano in Japan, with a summit elevation of 3,776.24 m [12,389 ft 3 in]. It is the tallest mountain in Japan, the second-highest volcano located on an island in Asia [after Mount Kerinci on the island of Sumatra], and seventh-highest peak of an island on Earth.

[9A]

June 23, 2012

Father's Day June 23, 2012 [Poland]

[9A]

22 May 2016

2016 Hockey World Championship Finals



The 2016 IIHF World Championship final was played at the VTB Ice Palace in Moscow, Russia, on 22 May 2016 between Finland and Canada. Canada defeated Finland 2–0 to win the championship. Finland and Canada entered the tournament as the fourth and first place seeds, respectively.

[9A]

28 May 2021

Celebrating Carolina Beatriz Ângelo


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

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

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

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

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

[9A]

28 May 2012

Ruby Payne-Scott's 100th Birthday



Ruby Violet Payne-Scott, BSc was an Australian pioneer in radiophysics and radio astronomy, and was one of two Antipodean women pioneers in radio astronomy and radio physics at the end of the second world war, Ruby Payne-Scott the Australian and Elizabeth Alexander the New Zealander.

[9A]

31 May 2012

100th Anniversary of the Pushkin Museum




The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts is the largest museum of European art in Moscow, located in Volkhonka street, just opposite the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. The International musical festival Sviatoslav Richter's December nights has been held in the Pushkin Museum since 1981.

[9A]

31 May 2017

Celebrating Zaha Hadid



Today’s Doodle honors architect Zaha Hadid, who captured the world's attention and shattered glass ceilings [in addition to designing some] by becoming the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize on this day in 2004. She was also the first woman awarded the Royal Gold Medal by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Born in Iraq in 1950, Hadid learned about abstract art and architecture at the Architectural Association in London. There, she found inspiration in unconventional forms. Before computers made her designs easier to put on paper, Hadid's studio was known to use the photocopier in creative ways to bend lines and create new shapes. The type in today's Doodle finds inspiration in Hadid's energetic sketches, which explored both form and function.

Hadid broke new ground on modern architecture using the surrounding landscape for building inspiration. The straight lines and sharp angles of the Vitra Fire Station in Germany were inspired by nearby vineyards and farmland, while the roof of the London Aquatic Centre forms the shape of a wave. You can see the London Aquatic Centre and some of Hadid's other impressive work in Google Earth's interactive exhibit.

The Heydar Aliyev Center, pictured in today's doodle, sets itself in contrast to the block-like structures that surround it in Baku, Azerbaijan. At the same time, this cultural center takes inspiration from historic Islamic designs found in calligraphy and geometric patterns to create something entirely new. The building takes an open form to invite the public into its space. The center has played host to modern art by Andy Warhol and Tony Cragg, and world-class performances from Kitaro and Alessandro Safina.

In her early work, Hadid visualized her projects through paintings that resembled abstract modernist art. She famously said, "There are 360 degrees, so why stick to one?" You can explore some of these early concepts - including via virtual reality - on the Google Cultural Institute.

Today we celebrate Dame Zaha Hadid's contributions over her lifetime to the world of architecture. Thank you, Dame Zaha Hadid, for all you've done to bring people together in the service of art and culture!

[9A]

31 May 2020

Celebrating the Galápagos Islands





Today’s slideshow Doodle celebrates Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands, first made famous as a source of inspiration for Charles Darwin’s seminal theories of natural selection. Home to hundreds of unique species of plants and animals from green turtles to fur seals, the islands were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on this date in 1978.

The Galápagos archipelago, which straddles the equator some 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, consists of 19 mostly uninhabited islands and countless islets, formed through volcanic and seismic activity over many millennia. Due to their unique geology and isolation, these Pacific islands are home to flora and fauna that can be found nowhere else on the planet, including the giant tortoise depicted first in today’s Doodle—the galápago is the largest living species of tortoise—along with the only penguin species that lives north of the Equator.

The islands are closely associated with British naturalist Charles Darwin, who arrived on the HMS Beagle in 1835 as part of a fateful journey around the world. Here, Darwin observed closely related but highly specialized species of wildlife, like finches with distinctive beaks specialized to their diets—memorialized today with the name “Darwin’s finches.”

It took Darwin over 20 years after he first observed the islands’ marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies to synthesize his observations into his groundbreaking theories of natural selection, published in “On the Origin of Species” in 1859.The fundamentals of his work remain a cornerstone of biological science to this day.

[9A]

31 May 2012

Francisco Pascasio Moreno's 160th Birthday





Francisco Pascasio Moreno was a prominent explorer and academic in Argentina, where he is usually referred to as Perito Moreno [perito means "specialist, expert"]. Perito Moreno has been credited as one of the most influential figures in the Argentine incorporation of large parts of Patagonia and its subsequent development.

[9A]

9 June 2016

Phoebe Snetsinger’s 85th birthday

Phoebe Snetsinger was an American birder famous for having seen and documented birds of 8,398 different species, at the time, more than anyone else in history and the first person to see more than 8,000. Her memoir, Birding on Borrowed Time, explores this achievement. She traveled the world multiple times to find birds in their habitats. She was described as having had an excellent memory, and a strong competitive spirit.
Sometimes it takes dire circumstances to compel us toward action. Phoebe Snetsinger, who would have been 85 years old today, became the world’s most prolific bird-watcher — a feat she achieved by surmounting tremendous odds.

It wasn’t until 1981 — when she was diagnosed with cancer — that Phoebe truly came into her own as a birder. In subsequent years, she scoured the globe for obscure or unknown bird species, ultimately raising her bird count to 8,393, the highest in the world at the time. Some of the notable birds she sighted include the Blackburnian Warbler and the Red-Shouldered Vanga, depicted among many other interesting birds by animator Juliana Chen.

[9A]

9 Jun 2016

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson’s 180th birthday





Born 180 years ago today, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson was the first woman to qualify as a physician and surgeon in Britain. She had a penchant for “firsts,” snagging many more during her illustrious career. She co-founded the first hospital staffed by women, and became the first dean of a British medical school. She even broke barriers across borders as France’s first female doctor.

Her accomplishments were gained through struggle and tenacity. When she was barred from medical school, she studied privately through tutors. Though the system prevented women from obtaining a medical degree, Garrett Anderson found a loophole and passed her medical exam with the highest marks.

As Britain’s first female doctor, Garrett Anderson was a fearless advocate for the care and advancement of women. Today’s doodle memorializes the infrastructure she set up to usher other women into the profession, as well as her devotion to the poor women and children she treated at her clinic.

After a long and successful career, Garrett Anderson broke one more barrier: becoming Britain’s first female mayor in 1908.

[9A]

21 June 2002

La Fête de la Musique 2002





The Fête de la Musique, also known in English as Music Day, Make Music Day or World Music Day, is an annual music celebration that takes place on 21 June. On Music Day, citizens and residents are urged to play music outside in their neighborhoods or in public spaces and parks. Free concerts are also organized, where musicians play for fun and not for payment.

The first all-day musical celebration on the day of the summer solstice was originated by Jack Lang, then Minister of Culture of France, as well as by Maurice Fleuret; it was celebrated in Paris in 1982. Music Day later became celebrated in 120 countries around the world.

[9A]

21 Jun 2017

Machado de Assis’ 178th Birthday



In 1839, Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis was born to a simple family in Morro do Livramento, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was the grandson of freed slaves, in a country where slavery wouldn't be fully abolished until 49 years later. Machado faced the many challenges of being of mixed race in the 19th century, including limited access to formal education. But none of that stopped him from studying literature. While working as a typographer, he experimented with poems, romances, novels and plays.

Machado's work shaped the realism movement in Brazil. He became known for his wit and his eye-opening critiques of society. Today's Doodle features some scenes from his novels — Quincas Borba, Dom Casmurro, and The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas are considered masterpieces to this day. Machado was also a founder and the first president of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.

Happy 178th birthday to a literary genius!

Doodle by Pedro Vergani

[9A]

29 March 2023

Jorge Lafond's 71st Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates the 71st birthday of Brazilian actor, drag queen, comedian, and dancer Jorge Lafond. Jorge Luiz Souza Lima was born in Rio de Janeiro on this day in 1952.

Jorge realized he was gay at a very young age, and tried to hide it in his adolescence. What he never disguised was his love for dancing. He studied classical ballet and African Dance, and later graduated in performing arts from the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro. He began dancing at nightclubs and cabarets, then toured the United States and several countries in Europe with a folk group he belonged to for 10 years.

In 1974, he landed one of his first TV jobs and became a dancer for the Globo TV program Fantástico. After his television break, he went on to appear in various programs including Viva o Gordo, the soap opera Sassaricando, and the telenovela Kananga do Japan. With his rising popularity on television shows, he was soon casted in several films and received praise for his roles in Rio Babilônia, Sonhei com Você, and Bar Esperança.

Lafond began openly practicing his drag artistry in 1992 on the SBT program A Praça é Nossa as the character Vera Verão. The humorous Vera put Jorge in the spotlight, but he sometimes wasn’t invited to show up as his full authentic self. Many spaces did not welcome Jorge as an openly gay man who wore non-traditional clothing.

Nonetheless, Lafond was a trailblazer who introduced new identity representation into the culture which helped break down traditional, homophobic ways of thinking. He was and continues to be a role model for other gay in South America and around the world. He showed off his dance, fashion, and comedy skills and never apologized for being outside of anyone’s expectations about what an entertainer should be.

Happy birthday, Jorge Lafond! Thank you for showing us all how to show up in the world as our true selves.

[9A]

21 June 2012

Yuri Kondratyuk's 115th Birthday




Yuri Kondratyuk was a self-educated mechanic who, 50 years before lunar flights, foresaw ways of reaching the moon, calculating the best means of achieving a lunar landing. His theory of the gravitational slingshot trajectory to accelerate a spacecraft, known today as the "Kondratyuk Route", was eventually adopted by the engineers of the Apollo program for American lunar expeditions.

His personal story is also fascinating, though ultimately heartbreaking. Yuri's developing theories on space travel were happening during a time when such pursuits were considered "absurd", and consequently were prohibited by the ruling government of his time. Because of this, his work – and much of his life – was shrouded in secrecy. Even his real name was a secret [it was Aleksandr Gnatovich Shargei]. Fortunately, history has been much kinder to his legacy, and today he is considered an early pioneer of space exploration. For his doodle, we felt that while it is not quite the real thing, it was only right to show an aspirational Kondratyuk gazing about – and amongst – the stars.

[9A]

21 June 2022

Celebrating Norval Morrisseau [Copper Thunderbird]




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

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

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

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

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

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

[9A]

24 Jun 2011

Festa Junina




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

Since Northeastern Brazil is largely arid or semi-arid, these festivals not only coincide with the end of the rainy seasons of most states in the northeast, but they also provide people with an opportunity to give thanks to Saint John for the rain. They also celebrate rural life and feature typical clothing, food, and dance [particularly quadrilha, which is similar to square dance].

[9A]

23 May 2021

Celebrating the Obelisk of Buenos Aires





The Obelisk of Buenos Aires towers over Argentina as a symbol of national pride. Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Buenos Aires-based guest artists Carolina Silvero and Juan Elizalde of Estudio Guardabosques, celebrates this historic monument, which was inaugurated on this day in 1936 in honor of four centuries since Buenos Aires’ foundation.

Built in just 31 days from blocks of white Córdoba stone, the monument juts into the skyline where the Argentinian flag was first hoisted above Buenos Aires in 1536. Designed by illustrious Argentine architect Alberto Prebisch, each of the four shafts of the Obelisk signifies critical moments of Buenos Aires history: the city’s foundation in 1536 and again in 1580, the first celebration of the Argentinian flag in 1812, and the induction of Buenos Aires as the nation’s capital in 1880.

But the strategic location of the monument carries much more than just historical significance. The Obelisk also stands at the intersection of two of the capital’s iconic streets: Avenida Corrientes and Avenida 9 de Julio. Underneath the landmark, three of the city’s underground metro lines converge, making it a magnetic meet-up spot for the sprawling Argentine megalopolis.

While today’s Doodle artwork scales down the monument, you can enjoy a view of the over 200-foot tall Obelisk from many parts of the Argentine capital.

[9A]

23 May 2015

Eurovision Song Contest 2015 Final





The Eurovision Song Contest, sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union [EBU], featuring participants representing primarily European countries. Each participating country submits an original song to be performed on live television and radio, transmitted to national broadcasters via the EBU's Eurovision and Euroradio networks, with competing countries then casting votes for the other countries' songs to determine a winner.

Based on the Sanremo Music Festival held in Italy since 1951, Eurovision has been held annually since 1956 [apart from 2020], making it the longest-running annual international televised music competition and one of the world's longest-running television programmes.

[9A]

19 Nov 2014

Ofra Haza's 57th Birthday





Our homepage in Israel features a portrait of singer Ofra Haza for her 57th birthday. Popular in both her homeland and countries across the Middle East, Haza gained wider international recognition after she won second place in the 1983 Eurovision Song Contest.

[9A]

3 Dec 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]

17 Nov 2014

25th Anniversary of the Velvet Revolution





Today, our homepage in the Czech Republic and Slovakia honors the 25th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. The jingling of keys, depicted in our doodle, became a symbol of support for the demonstration and signified the unlocking of closed doors. This peaceful movement led to Czechoslovakia’s transition from communism to a parliamentary republic.

[9A]

18 June 2022

Ștefania Mărăcineanu's 140th birthday


Ștefania Mărăcineanu was one of the pioneering women in the discovery and research of radioactivity. Today’s Doodle celebrates the Romanian physicist’s 140th Birthday.

Mărăcineanu graduated with a physical and chemical science degree in 1910, starting her career as a teacher at the Central School for Girls in Bucharest. While there, Mărăcineanu earned a scholarship from the Romanian Ministry of Science. She decided to pursue graduate research at the Radium Institute in Paris.

The Radium Institute was quickly becoming a worldwide center for the study of radioactivity under the direction of physicist Marie Curie. Mărăcineanu began working on her PhD thesis on polonium, an element that Curie discovered.

During her research on the half-life of polonium, Mărăcineanu noticed that the half-life seemed dependent on the type of metal it was placed on. This got her wondering if the alpha rays from the polonium had transferred some atoms of the metal into radioactive isotopes. Her research led to what is most likely the first example of artificial radioactivity.

Mărăcineanu enrolled at Sorbonne University in Paris to finish her PhD in physics, which she earned in just two years! After working for four years at the Astronomical Observatory in Meudon, she returned to Romania and founded her homeland’s first laboratory for the study of Radioactivity.

Mărăcineanu dedicated her time to researching artificial rain, which included a trip to Algeria to test her results. She also studied the link between earthquakes and rainfall, becoming the first to report that there is significant increase of radioactivity in the epicenter leading up to an earthquake.

In 1935, Irène Currie, daughter of Marie Curie, and her husband received a joint Nobel prize for their discovery of artificial radioactivity. Mărăcineanu didn’t contest the Nobel prize, but asked that her role in the discovery be recognized. Mărăcineanu’s work was recognized by the Academy of Sciences of Romania in 1936 where she was elected to serve as a Director of research, but she never received global recognition for the discovery.

The Curie Museum in Paris contains the original chemical laboratory in the Radium Institute, where Mărăcineanu worked. Today’s Doodle honors Ștefania Mărăcineanu’s 140th birthday and pays tribute to her legacy.

[9A]

18 June 2019

Celebrating Falafel



Today’s Doodle celebrates falafel, the best thing that ever happened to chickpeas—with the possible exception of hummus, of course.

Although the exact origins of this spicy street food have been lost to the mists of time, falafel has been enjoyed for centuries in many different cultures. India produces the vast majority of the world’s chickpea crop, which currently is in high season. In Egypt, fava beans are ground to make these delicious, crispy balls of fried plant protein, known in Egypt as “ta'amiya.” Israel has a song to celebrate its love affair with the tried-and-true treat, entitled And We Have Falafel.

Over time, more eclectic toppings has been introduced all over the world, ranging from German sauerkraut, to Iraqi fried eggplant, to Indian mango sauce, to Yemeni hot sauce. Even newer variations such as the red falafel—made with jalapeños roasted peppers, tomatoes, and spicy yogurt—or the orange falafel—made with sweet potatoes, cabbage, honey, and ginger tahini—preserve the basic formula of ground legumes, seasoned and fried in oil. The world’s largest falafel, weighing 74.8 kilograms [164.8 pounds] and reaching 152 centimeters [59.8 inches] in height, was fried for 25 minutes at the Landmark Hotel in Amman, Jordan.

Happy chickpea season!

[9A]

8 November 2022

Celebrating Dusty Springfield


Today’s Doodle celebrates performer and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Dusty Springfield. Known for her impressive versatility across genres, eye-locking stage presence, and her signature blonde beehive, Springfield was a cultural icon whose successful career spanned over five decades. On this day in 1963, Dusty released her first solo single, 'I Only Want to Be with You.'

Springfield found her love for music at an early age, and dedicated her life to performing right out of school. Her professional career began when she briefly joined the Lana Sisters in 1958. Soon after, Dusty joined the likes of Tom, her brother, and Tim Field to form a pop-folk trio called The Springfields. In 1962, the group released “Silver Threads and Golden Needles,” which became a top 20 hit in America—a rare feat for a British group at the time. On her way to Nashville for a recording session, she made a career-changing stop in New York and realized her creative calling was closer to that of soul and R&B.

Although the group disbanded, Dusty continued the Springfield stage persona into her solo career. Over the next decade, she released a number of hits like the overwhelmingly successful “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me.” The peak of her career success came in 1968 when her album “Dusty in Memphis” found critical acclaim across the U.S. and U.K.

In the years that followed, Springfield’s career journey spanned across various genres and styles. In the 90’s, she released her last studio album, was inducted into the Class of 1999 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and recognized as Britain's best-ever pop singer by The Rolling Stones!

Thank you for always keeping us wishin’ and hopin’, Dusty. Proud to be celebrating you today!

[9A]

8 November 2017

Sitara Devi’s 97th Birthday



Today’s Doodle pays homage to Sitara Devi, the legendary Kathak dancer who was described as Nritya Samragini [“Empress of Dance”] for her vibrant energy, effortless footwork, and unparalleled ability to bring a story to life.

Her performances on and off the silver screen revived popular interest in the classical dance of Kathak. Showcases at international venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, London and Carnegie Hall, New York brought the dance form a global audience.

Her significant achievements over a career spanning six decades were recognized by several awards, including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the Padma Shree. Her legacy continues to inspire young talent in dance.

Thanks to guest artist Ranganath Krishnamani, and happy 97th birthday to Sitara Devi, Empress of Dance!

[9A]

8 November 2012

Bram Stoker's 165th Birthday





Bram Stoker created a legendary villain when he penned his 19th century story Dracula. Few other characters have haunted popular culture for generations as much as the eponymous Count Dracula, whose fanged face has long been a staple of haunted houses and Halloween costumes. He's also featured in at least 200 feature films since the dawn of cinema, played by such acclaimed actors as Bela Lugosi in 1931 and Gary Oldman in 1992.

An epistolary novel, Dracula is innovative in that it is a story told through diary entries, transcribed phonograph recordings, dictated essays, scholarly articles, records, reciepts, and news stories. In this way, Stoker paints a vivid picture not only of the horror of Dracula's evil power, but of the fascinating Victorian England which he terrorized.

When I set out to create this doodle, I immersed myself in the source material by reading the thoroughly well-documented annotated edition by Leslie S. Klinger. Klinger's notes served to further contextualize the story, which capitalizes on the strict Victorian moral code to spin a tale that is all the more terrifiying for how thoroughly it deviated from contemporary mores.

I wanted to give a nod to each of the major characters in the story, as it is their collective observations which shape the saga. I invite our users to see if they can identify 7 protagonists, 4 antagonists, and 1 who falls somewhere in-between. For the visual style, I was very much influenced by the works of Edward Gorey and Aubrey Beardsley, whose artwork embodied the debauched Gothic horror that Stoker so skillfully conveyed in his work.

Posted by Sophia Foster-Dimino, Doodler

[9A]

8 November 2010

Discovery of X-Rays




The discovery of x-rays is a fascinating story. It’s a moment that had a sudden and profound impact, but it took place quietly, in secret and by accident, in the laboratory of one inquisitive scientist. It’s a story about a naturally curious person who was paying attention to the right things at the right time. And like any good story about curiosity, it begins with an experiment.

On November 8, 1895, physicist Wilhelm Röntgen was testing the effects of sending electrical currents through glass vacuum-filled bulbs called cathode ray tubes. During one of his tests, Röntgen noticed that a screen on the other side of his lab began to glow whenever he sent electricity through the tube, even when the tube was fully covered with an opaque piece of cardboard.

Röntgen’s theory was that the tube was emitting an unknown kind of ray. He tried blocking the ray with different materials, but it seemed to pass through solid matter untouched. Then, by accident, he moved his hand through its path, and the shadows of his own bones were projected onto the screen.

For seven weeks, he worked in secret. He x-rayed his wife’s hand, wearing her wedding ring. When his wife saw the first-ever radiographic image, she said, “I have seen my death!”

In December of 1895, he published his findings. Röntgen gave his discovery the temporary name “X-ray,” for the mathematical term for an unknown quantity [“x”]. Within weeks, the first clinical x-rays were taking place all over the world. Röntgen never patented his discovery, believing it should be freely available. In 1901, Röntgen received the first Nobel Prize in Physics.

The x-ray gave us a new way of observing the world and ourselves. We could see right down to our bones, and even now, more than a century later, those eerie black and white images are still strange and powerful.