Google doodles

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Jun 30, 2017
Celebrating Victor Hugo




https://www.google.com/doodles/celebrating-victor-hugo

Today we celebrate world-renowned poet, statesman, and human rights activist Victor Hugo. The final chapter of his epic novel Les Misérables was published on this date in 1862.

Before he turned 30, Hugo was already an established poet, dramatist, artist, and novelist. Today's Doodle depicts some of his best-known works, including Notre Dame de Paris [[The Hunchback of Notre-Dame) [[1831) and the poetry collection Les Contemplations [[1856). Between those milestones, Hugo began his legendary novel Les Misérables, about social injustice, redemption, and revolution.
By the time Les Misérables was published in 1862, Hugo had been exiled almost 10 years for his political views. During that time, he produced three poetry collections, plus numerous books about social and economic disparity, including Les Travailleurs de la Mer [[Toilers of the Sea) and L’Homme Qui Rit [[The Man Who Laughs). Hugo later founded the Association Litteraire et Artistique Internationale to support artists’ rights.

Hugo appeared on a French banknote and is honored with streets, parks, hiking trails, and statues in most large French cities, as well as in Guernsey, where he lived in exile. Today's Doodle is a fitting addition to the long list of tributes to the venerable Victor Hugo.

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February 15, 2020
Irena Sendlerowa's 110th Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates the life of Polish social worker Irena Sendlerowa on her 110th birthday. This courageous humanitarian is credited for saving the lives of Jewish children from the Warsaw ghetto during World War II. She proved to be an excellent strategist and became a symbol of courage and justice by organising the help of those in need, regardless of nationality or religion.

Irena Sendlerowa was born on this day in 1910 just outside the Polish capital of Warsaw. From her father’s work treating tuberculosis patients, Sendlerowa learned at an early age that one should always help those in need—no matter their race, religion, or financial status.

Sendlerowa put those principles into practice, becoming a social worker with the Warsaw City Council in 1939. As World War II progressed, her position gave her unusual access to the Warsaw Ghetto, and she became determined to help save as many Jewish people as possible.

Using ambulances, underground tunnels, and fake identities, Sendlerowa and her colleagues from a secret organisation called Żegota risked their lives to sneak hundreds of children to safety. As shown in the Doodle artwork, written records of the children and their families were buried in the jar under the apple tree, in hopes that the families could be reunited at the end of the war.

Poland honored Sendlerowa’s selflessness in 2003, awarding her the Order of the White Eagle, and in 2008, she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

[9A]

Feb 1, 2020
60th Anniversary of the Greensboro Sit-in





In honor of Black History Month, today’s diorama Doodle, created by Compton-based guest artist Karen Collins of the African American Miniature Museum, remembers the Greensboro sit-in on its 60th anniversary. Organized by four Black college freshmen who became known as the “Greensboro Four,” this protest against segregation was a key part of the Civil Rights Movement, sparking a series of similar demonstrations throughout the nation.

Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s nonviolent protests for racial equality, North Carolina A&T State University freshmen Ezell Blair Jr. [[a.k.a. Jibreel Khazan), David Richmond, Franklin McCain, and Joseph McNeil, met at the local Woolworth’s department store in Greensboro, North Carolina on this day in 1960. The group requested service at the “whites-only” lunch counter—a common discriminatory and segregation practice by US businesses and institutions allowed by Jim Crow era laws. Denied service, the four continued to peacefully occupy their seats and refused to leave until the store closed at night.

In the days and weeks that followed, the “Greensboro Four'' were joined by hundreds of other protesters. As the movement grew however, so too did the opposition, who routinely verbally harassed protesters with racial slurs—even resorting to spitting and throwing food at the nonviolent demonstrators. Undaunted, protestors were willing to repeat the sit-ins for as long as necessary, in hopes that the establishment would feel pressured to desegregate.

As a result of the movement’s passion and resilience, Woolworth's fully integrated their dining area on July 25th, 1960. Catalyzing a much larger nonviolent sit-in movement across the country, the protests played a definitive role in the fight for civil rights. In its wake, segregation of public places became illegal under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In recognition of this historic demonstration, the Woolworth’s Department Store in Greensboro is now the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, and part of the counter is housed at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

[9A]

Jan 23, 2020
Luis Alberto Spinetta's 70th Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates the 70th birthday of Argentine singer, composer, guitarist, and poet Luis Alberto Spinetta. Also known as El Flaco [[“Skinny”), he is often regarded as the father of Spanish-language rock and roll and a Latin American music icon. The Doodle artwork features the color green as an homage to Spinetta’s iconic and irregularly-shaped album cover of Artaud, as well as his famous red and white guitar.

Born on this day in Buenos Aires in 1950, Spinetta learned how to play guitar and sing at a young age. He continued to develop his musical skills, and at age 17 Spinetta formed one of the most influential rock bands in Argentine history, named Almendra, with two of his former high school classmates. Almendra’s self-titled debut studio album revolutionized the genre as the first band to combine Spanish-language lyrics with progressive rock.

During the 1970s and 80s, Spinetta formed and led several impactful bands that inspired the international “Rock en Español” movement, including Pescado Rabioso, Invisible, and Spinetta Jade. In addition to these group projects, he released over twenty albums as a solo artist. In 2016, his latest record Los Amigo won one of the highest honors in Argentinian music, the Gold Gardel Album of the Year award.

His music struck a major chord throughout the world and continues to impact listeners to this day. For instance, in April 2019 it inspired University of Buenos Aires informatics engineer Alex Ingberg to create an artificial intelligence program to generate song lyrics in Spinetta’s style. And in 2014, in honor of Spinetta’s birthday, Argentina moved Día Nacional del Músico [[National Musician’s Day) from November to January 23rd.

[9A]

Feb 12, 2012
Anna Pavlova's 131st Birthday




A Russian prima ballerina of the late 19th and the early 20th centuries. She was a principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev. Pavlova is most recognized for her creation of the role of The Dying Swan and, with her own company, became the first ballerina to tour around the world, including South America, India and Australia.

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Oct 13, 2017
56th Anniversary of the Traffic Light Man





What began as a traffic safety measure in 1960s Berlin has become an iconic symbol of the city. Today’s Doodle by guest artist Laura Edelbacher celebrates the 56th anniversary of the Ampelmännchen [[which translates to “little traffic light men”) who have guided Berlin’s pedestrians for decades.


On October 13, 1961, traffic psychologist Karl Peglau met with East Berlin’s traffic commission to present his recommendation for reducing accidents involving pedestrians. His research indicated that accidents could better be avoided if pedestrians had their own traffic lights to follow, instead of relying on the same signals used by drivers.


Karl proposed two symbols: a green figure mid-stride signaling it is safe to walk and a red figure with arms outstretched meaning “stop”. He gave the little characters distinguishing traits — including a large hat and pug nose — hoping to prompt an emotional response that would drive the intended pedestrian behavior.


The first traffic light men were installed in 1969 and were so popular they even showed up in children’s cartoons. After the Berlin Wall fell, a group of East Germans called “Rescue the Ampelmännchen” managed to save the symbols after the government attempted to remove them.

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Nov 16, 2018
44th Anniversary of the Arecibo Message





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

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

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

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

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

[9A]

Dec 18, 2016
Steve Biko’s 70th Birthday



Black is beautiful. Steve Biko knew this fully well, and fought to spread this message across South Africa at the height of the apartheid movement in the 1960s and 1970s.

While in medical school, Biko co-founded the Black Consciousness Movement, which rejected apartheid policies and encouraged black people to take pride in their racial identities and cultural heritages. Biko famously said, “Black Consciousness is an attitude of the mind and a way of life, the most positive call to emanate from the black world for a long time.”

In February of 1973, the pro-apartheid government banned Biko for anti-apartheid activism. Under this ban, Biko wasn’t allowed to speak to more than one person at a time, was forbidden to speak in public and to the media, and was forced to stay in a single district. In spite of this, Biko continued to form grassroots organizations and organize protests, including the Soweto Uprising in June of 1976.

On the 70th anniversary of Biko’s birth, we remember his courage and the important legacy he left behind. Thank you, Steve Biko, for dedicating your life to the pursuit of equality for all.

[9A]

Sep 29, 2016
Ladislao José Biro’s 117th birthday





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

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

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

[9A]

August 28, 2020
Celebrating Alexandre Dumas



https://www.google.com/doodles/celeb...lexandre-dumas [[interactive)

In honor of one of the most revered French authors of the 19th century, today’s Doodle slideshow celebrates Alexandre Dumas. Perhaps best known for swashbuckling adventure novels, Dumas produced a prolific body of work that continues to thrill readers around the world today. An abbreviated version of one of his most famous novels, “Le Comte de Monte Cristo” [[“The Count of Monte Cristo,” 1844-’45), is included [[spoiler-free!) in today’s Doodle artwork. On this day in 1884, the Parisian newspaper Les Journal des Débats [[The Journal of Debates) published the first installment of the novel, which appeared serially in the publication through 1846.

Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie was born in 1802 in Villers-Cotterêts, France. He later took the name Alexandre Dumas, assuming the surname of his paternal grandmother Marie-Césette Dumas who was a woman of African descent and a slave in Saint-Domingue [[present-day Haiti). As a child, Dumas was regaled with stories of his late father’s exploits as a general, elements of which later found their way into some of the writer’s most famous works.

Dumas moved to Paris in 1822 and became an accomplished playwright before he hit upon monumental success with his action-packed serialized novels of the 1840s, including “Les Troi Mousquetaires” [[“The Three Musketeers,” 1844). Today these works have made him one of the most popular French authors in the world, and his books have been translated into over 100 languages.

In the late 1980s, a long-lost Dumas novel was uncovered in Paris’ National Library of France. Titled “Le Chevalier de Sainte-Hermine” [[“The Last Cavalier”), the book was finally published in 2005.

[9A]

January 15, 2021
Celebrating Dr. James Naismith



Today’s Doodle celebrates Canadian-American physical educator, professor, doctor, and coach Dr. James Naismith, who invented the game of basketball in 1891. On this day of the following year, Naismith announced the new game and its original rules in the pages of “The Triangle,” a Springfield College school newspaper. From its humble beginnings in a school gymnasium, the sport has grown into an international colossus played in over 200 countries today.

James Naismith was born on November 6, 1861, near the town of Almonte in Ontario, Canada. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from McGill University, and in 1890 took a job as an instructor at the YMCA International Training College in Springfield, Massachusetts. Here, he was tasked to develop an indoor game that could occupy students during the unforgiving New England winters. With two peach baskets, a soccer ball, and just ten rules, the game of “basket ball” was born.

Introduced to Naismith’s class on December 21, 1891, the game initially featured teams of nine players and combined elements of outdoor sports such as American football, soccer, and field hockey. Despite initial skepticism, the sport exploded in popularity over the following years, and in 1936, basketball made its Olympic debut in Berlin, Germany. None other than the sport’s founder—James Naismith—threw the ball for the tip-off to commence the first game.

Naismith envisioned basketball as a way for all students to better themselves physically and mentally. The sport was introduced in a time when schools were segregated, but Naismith saw everyone as someone with potential for the game. In his lifetime, he took steps to help basketball reach more young people, and it has since evolved into a global phenomenon that crosses racial and gender barriers.

[9A]

November 8, 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.

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Nov 10, 2017
Sabah’s 90th Birthday




In the early 1940’s a young singer from Lebanon traveled from the plum-laden slopes of Bdadoun to the city of Cairo in search of a better life. Her first film ‘El Qalb Louh Wahid’ took the Arab world by storm, and the golden-haired, honey-voiced star became an overnight star. She named herself ‘Sabah’, after the morning. The public nicknamed her ‘Shahroura’ after a singing bird.

In a career that spanned six decades, Sabah performed in over a hundred films and plays and sang over 3000 songs. Her voice evoked sweet nostalgia, and her performances sparkled with joy and life. Her signature music was the folkloristic 'mawwal,’ a heritage she proudly presented to the world on the bright stages of Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and the Piccadilly Theatre. In the war years, her humanitarian works brought hope to millions.

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March 26, 2017
Saridjah Niung’s 109th Birthday



Sukabumi-born Saridjah Niung, better known as Mrs. Soed, was a well-loved musician, teacher, radio announcer, playwright and batik artist in Indonesia. Her music delighted the ears of young children, and to this day, they can be heard singing along to the tune of her most popular songs: ”Hi Pedicab,” “Strong Kids,” and “Butterflies.”

Along with music for kindergarten-aged kids, she was also revered for her patriotic hymns. She wrote masterpieces during the Dutch colonial years about the Japanese occupation and Indonesia’s independence. Mrs. Soed also wrote the Indonesian national anthem “Fatherland,” and “Berkibarlah Benderak

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Apr 13, 2017
Celebrating Henrietta Augusta Dugdale






On this date in 1869, the Melbourne Argus published a momentous letter. It was written by Australian feminist and suffragist Henrietta Augusta Dugdale, and its demand was simple but profound: equal justice for women. Dugdale made this plea in response to a bill that claimed to secure property rights for women but did not go far enough. Known for using fiery, provocative language, Dugdale called the bill a "poor and partial remedy for a great and crying evil" and a "piece of the grossest injustice."

Born in 1827 in London, Dugdale moved to Melbourne in 1852. She soon became a prominent figure in the Australian women's rights movement, and she served as president of the first Victorian Women's Suffrage Society. Her 1883 booklet A Few Hours in a Far-Off Age envisioned a utopian future of equality, intelligence, and social justice. Dugdale's inspiring letters and rousing speeches helped make Australia the second country to grant women the right to vote, in 1902.

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Apr 14, 2017
56th Anniversary of Xingu Indigenous Park





Officially dedicated in 1961, Xingu Indigenous Park celebrates its 56th anniversary today. The park is located in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso and spans 6,528,530 acres of savannah and forest.

Xingu’s primary goal was to protect the social diversity of Brazil’s indigenous people, and was created after a long campaign by activist brothers, Orlando and Leonardo Villas-Bôas. Some of the tribes that call Xingu home are the Kamayurá, Kaiabi, Yudjá, Aweti, Mehinako, Wauja, Yawalapiti, Ikpeng, Kalapalo, Kuikuro, Matipu, Nahukwá, Suyá, and Trumai. In all, several thousand indigenous people live within the park’s boundaries.


Today’s Doodle puts Xingu indigenous culture on full display. Hugged tightly by the all-important Xingu River, the design incorporates Xingu cultural elements like fishing baskets, cassava root, buildings, and headdress.

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Apr 26, 2017
Cassini Spacecraft Dives Between Saturn and its Rings!





Saturn, get ready for your close-up! Today the Cassini spacecraft starts a series of swoops between Saturn and its rings. These cosmic acrobatics are part of Cassini's dramatic "Grand Finale," a set of orbits offering Earthlings an unprecedented look at the second largest planet in our solar system.

By plunging into this fascinating frontier, Cassini will help scientists learn more about the origins, mass, and age of Saturn's rings, as well as the mysteries of the gas giant's interior. And of course there will be breathtaking additions to Cassini's already stunning photo gallery. Cassini recently revealed some secrets of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus -- including conditions friendly to life! Who knows what marvels this hardy explorer will uncover in the final chapter of its mission?

Cassini is a joint endeavor of NASA, the European Space Agency [[ESA), and the Italian space agency [[ASI). The spacecraft began its 2.2 billion–mile journey 20 years ago and has been hanging out with Saturn since 2004. Later this year, Cassini will say goodbye and become part of Saturn when it crashes through the planet’s atmosphere. But first, it has some spectacular sightseeing to do!

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Apr 27, 2017
Celebrating Freedom Day and Enoch Sontonga




Today South Africans celebrate Freedom Day! The first post-apartheid elections were held on this date in 1994, and each year this important event is remembered with a public holiday.

Today's Doodle also honors choirmaster, poet, and composer Enoch Sontonga, who wrote the first version of Africa’s democratic national anthem, “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” [[“God Bless Africa”), in 1897. Over the years, the song developed and gained popularity, even making it to a London recording studio in 1923. It later merged with the country’s other anthem, “Die Stem” [[“The Call of South Africa”).

[9A]

May 5, 2015
Nellie Bly's 151st Birthday





https://www.google.com/doodles/nelli...151st-birthday [[interactive)

In 1880, the Pittsburgh Dispatch published an article titled "What Girls Are Good For.” In dismissive terms, the column’s author wrote that women shouldn't be allowed to work because their place was at home.

Days later, a pseudonymous rebuttal appeared in the paper. The response, by a 16-year-old girl whose real name was Elizabeth Jane Cochran, argued how important it was for women to be independent and self-reliant. Within a decade, the author of that response would become known worldwide as Nellie Bly: a hard-hitting young journalist who went undercover at a lunatic asylum and traveled around the world in a record-breaking 72 days.


Throughout her life and career, Nellie Bly spoke up for the underprivileged, the helpless and minorities, and defied society’s expectations for women. We love her adventurous spirit, and we share her belief that women can do anything and be anything they want [[we like to think if she were around today she’d be a fellow fan of trailblazing women like Ada, Anita and Ann). So when it came time to honor Nellie with a Doodle, we wanted to make it special. Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs wrote, composed and recorded an original song about Nellie, and Katy Wu, the artist who created this doodle, created an animation set to Karen O’s music celebrating this intrepid investigative reporter.


Nellie was born on May 5, 1864 in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pa. After her response was published in the Dispatch in 1880, the editor, George Madden, tracked her down and hired her as a reporter. At the time, women reporters commonly used pen names; hers came from a song by fellow Pittsburgher Stephen Foster. She spent several years at the paper before moving to New York for a job at New York World, which was owned by Joseph Pulitzer. In 1887, she went undercover at the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island to write an exposé about the conditions there. Her resulting book, “Ten Days in a Mad-House,” made her famous.


But Nellie is best known for her trip around the world. Inspired by Phileas Fogg, the hero of Jules Verne’s novel, “Around the World in 80 Days,” Nellie set sail from New York in November 1889 determined to beat Fogg’s time. Traveling by steamships and sailboats, she sent dispatches back to her newspaper as she circled the globe. Instead of sitting idly and just observing, she was always a part of the action and conversation, despite the fact that public spaces were typically reserved for men at the time.

[9A]

November 14, 2020
Celebrating Maria Tallchief




https://www.google.com/doodles/celeb...aria-tallchief [[Interactive)


In honor of Native American Heritage Month in the U.S., today’s video Doodle—created in partnership with Native American guest artists Lydia Cheshewalla, Chris Pappan, and Yatika Starr Fields— celebrates Maria Tallchief, member of the Osage Nation who was America’s first, major prima ballerina. Not only a trailblazer for Native American dancers, Tallchief is widely considered one of the country’s most influential ballerinas of all time. On this day in 2007, a bronze sculpture of Tallchief and four other Native American ballerinas was unveiled in Oklahoma at the Tulsa Historical Society in a piece titled “The Five Moons” by artist Gary Henson.

Maria Tallchief was born Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief on January 24, 1925 in the town of Fairfax on the Osage Indian Reservation in northern Oklahoma. She began her ballet training at the age of three and continued to do so upon the family's relocation to Beverly Hills in 1933. Determined to become a dancer, she moved to New York after high school and joined the esteemed Russian troupe Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo that same year.

In 1944, Tallchief first worked with the now-legendary choreographer George Balanchine. Her virtuosic skill and electric energy proved a perfect match for Balanchine’s demanding works. After she became the first American to dance with the Paris Opera Ballet, Tallchief returned to New York and joined the Ballet Society, which was co-founded by Balanchine and soon renamed the New York City Ballet. Her prodigious talent was recognized when she was named the company’s first-ever prima ballerina.

Over the course of 18 years with the company, Tallchief starred in acclaimed productions such as “The Firebird” [[1949), “Swan Lake” [[1951), and “The Nutcracker” [[1954)—all of which are depicted in today’s Doodle. In her iconic role as the Sugar Plum Fairy, she helped elevate “The Nutcracker” from relative obscurity into one of ballet’s most popular, long-running productions.

[9A]

July 18, 2014
Nelson Mandela's 96th Birthday




https://www.google.com/doodles/nelso...-96th-birthday [[Interactive)

Google Doodler Katy Wu tells us a little bit about the creative process behind making the Nelson Mandela doodle.

Getting to celebrate someone as monumental and influential as Nelson Mandela must have been exciting, but also kind of intimidating. Can you tell me a little about your experience working on this project?

A few months ago I was looking to work on a bigger project and the time was right, so I got assigned to work on the Mandela doodle. At first I thought I would have to make a very serious, somber sort of doodle and I wasn’t sure what to do.

But after learning more about Mandela as a person I started to understand that he was a man with a lot of character, and not always just a serious figure. That started to give me more ideas about how to approach this doodle.

[9A]

December 21, 2013
100th Anniversary of the Crossword Puzzle




See the interactive version here!

We were lucky and excited to collaborate on our crossword doodle with Merl Reagle, one of the best and most well-known crossword constructors working today. Merl worked with Google engineer/crossword enthusiast, Tom Tabanao, to craft our puzzle grid and write all the clues. Merl's knowledge of the puzzle world—and perspective on crosswords in particular—is considerable. We thoroughly enjoyed the wit and humor he brought to the whole endeavor. Here are Merl's thoughts on the history of the crossword puzzle. -Ed.

First, it was a huge honor to be asked to do this. Many, many thanks to Tom Tabanao for pulling me in and shepherding the project through.

Second, it was a great opportunity to bring Arthur Wynne’s name into the public spotlight. He never made any money off the crossword, but he made tens of millions of puzzle fans around the world very happy. The fact that the first word across in the first-ever crossword was FUN is very appropriate, too. Crossword puzzles are indeed supposed to be fun—brainy fun, but fun nonetheless. The first puzzle also contained the word DOH, clued as “fiber of the gomuti palm”—but it’s also appropriate today, 100 years later, as something we would say when we don’t get a crossword clue right away. Maybe Arthur could see into the future! In any event, I am thrilled to have been a part of this centennial celebration.

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August 6, 2011
Lucille Ball's 100th Birthday



See the interactive version here!

Lucille Ball may have been born 100 years ago today, but her jokes are timeless. Having grown up with the comedic genius of “I Love Lucy,” it’s hard ​to believe that Lucy, Desi, Fred, and Ethel wrapped up the initial series in 1957. Lucy’s creativity, absurdity, and ever-changing facial expressions [[especially when she was scarfing down candy, stomping on grapes or touting a new energy drink) have brought joy and laughter to generations of viewers.

We’re incredibly happy to celebrate her birthday with a doodle to highlight her brilliant career as an actress and business woman. Through the old-timey TV live on the google.com homepage all day, you can flip the six channels for a special Lucy broadcast.

[9A]

June 6, 2012
79th Anniversary of the First Drive-in Movie



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV7ppqSzfuY [[Interactive)

Camden, New Jersey gave birth to the first American drive-in movie theater 79 years ago. In honor of the anniversary of the opening, today you can grab your ticket on Google’s home page and enjoy the worldwide premiere of a new animated Google Doodle.

[9A]

Apr 24, 2012
Gideon Sundback's 132nd Birthday



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owcw0Hzp2qE [[interactive)

Few have heard of Swedish-American inventor Gideon Sundback, though most people use one of his inventions every day. I certainly hadn't heard of him before I began work on this doodle celebrating his work on the zipper, which he filed a patent for in 1914.

Such an iconic piece of fabric fastening needs little introduction, so I collaborated with doodle engineer Kris Hom to develop an interactive zipper on the homepage which zips opens to reveal search results for "Gideon Sundback."

[9A]

Sep 21, 2019
Celebrating the Pretzel!




https://youtu.be/COwMysZnru8

Flip, twist, and bake!

Today’s Doodle, freshly baked by Esther’s German Bakery, celebrates the one and only pretzel—one of the world’s most versatile and beloved foods! As Oktoberfest, the Bavarian fall festival, begins today, Brotfrauen [[or bread ladies) will be carrying baskets of chewy Brezeln through Bierhallen [[massive tents) in Germany, the center of Oktoberfest revelry.

The history of pretzels is a tale with many twists and turns, and some of the accounts over the centuries are still debated to this day. Made without dairy or eggs, pretzels have long been considered a staple during Lent. One of the more colorful pretzel legends involves a group of monks baking pretzels in a Vienna basement who overheard an invading army tunneling under the city walls in 1510. As a reward for helping to thwart the invasion, the pretzel bakers received their own coat of arms. Another story claims that the expression “tying the knot” refers to the 17th-century Swiss custom of using a pretzel during wedding ceremonies.

The soft pretzel’s unique texture is achieved by dipping the dough in a lye solution just before baking, resulting in a chemical process known as the “Maillard reaction.” Smooth and brown on the outside, chewy on the inside, soft pretzels are best eaten fresh. Julius Sturgis in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania was the first to bake them until they got hard, extending their shelf life and allowing them to be shipped far and wide. In 1947, the Reading Pretzel Machinery Company unveiled a pretzel-making machine that cranked out up to 250 pretzels per minute!

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March 8, 2020
International Women's Day 2020

https://youtu.be/gLM1-MOoalg

Today’s annual International Women’s Day Doodle celebrates women coming together throughout the world—and generations—with a special animated video. The multilayered 3D paper mandala animation, illustrated by New York and London-based guest artists Julie Wilkinson and Joyanne Horscroft from Makerie Studio and animated by Zurich-based guest animators Marion Willam & Daphne Abderhalden from DRASTIK GmbH, represents both the history of this powerful celebration and the significance it has for women across generations.

[9A]

March 8, 2019
International Women's Day 2019



https://www.google.com/doodles/inter...omens-day-2019

Today's interactive, slideshow Doodle is told by and made by women. In it, we showcase inspirational quotes across various languages by thirteen international female trailblazers—both past and present. Connecting to the larger theme of “women empowering women,” the quotes were also designed by a talented group of female guest artists from around the globe.


The process of choosing the thirteen quotes was extremely difficult, but we aimed to include a diverse representation of voices on a day which celebrates the past, present, and future community of diverse women around the world.

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Thursday, March 8

International Women's Day 2018




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z60WJ-wxSk

Those familiar with Doodles know that we frequently celebrate extraordinary women throughout history such as prominent inventors, scientists, writers, artists, activists, philanthropists, and so on. Today, we wanted to take the opportunity to celebrate the stories and voices of another group of extraordinary women—the everyday women living all over the world.

For today’s global, interactive Doodle, we reached out to 12 female artists of all backgrounds to share their personal stories in a series of visual narratives. Specifically, each story represents a moment, person, or event that has impacted their lives as women. While each artist tells a unique story, the themes are universal, reminding us of how much we often have in common. We hope that the combined power of words and images help bring these stories to life in a way that invokes feelings of understanding, empathy, and spirit of the day.

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March 8, 2017
International Women's Day 2017



https://www.google.com/doodles/inter...omens-day-2017

This International Women's Day, we’ve chosen to look to the past to celebrate some of the female pioneers who paved the way to where we are today.
Our slideshow Doodle features a little girl whose grandmother tells her the best bedtime story ever: the tale of her favorite historical heroine. The little girl then visits 13 remarkable women in her imagination, taking us along on a journey that spans centuries and circles the globe.


Although some of the women showcased in today’s Doodle aren't household names, each made a mark in her own way. They pursued a range of professions and passions and hailed from an array of backgrounds and countries. In fact, all of these women have been featured in individual Doodles in the past, but often only in their countries of origin. So today we're taking the opportunity to share their stories with everyone.

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February 7, 2018
Aysel Gürel’s 89th Birthday





There will never be another Aysel Gürel. Born on this day in 1929, in Sarayköy in the Denizli Province of Turkey, Aysel Gürel lived life to the hilt. Buoyant and daring, Gürel ruled the Turkish pop music scene from the late 1970s through the 2000s, penning lyrics about love lost and found for both legendary singers as well as up-and-comers including Sezen Aksu, Nilüfer, Tarkan, and Sertab Erener.

New songs are produced from the trove of lyrics she left behind even today!At heart, Gürel was a poet who found her audience through her songs, but she was also a gifted actress, Turkologist, and witty provocateur. She also made her mark as a feminist and animal rights activist.While stars gave voice to her songs, Gürel wasn’t one to hide in the background. She, too, was made for the limelight.

Dressed in her oversized red glasses, pink wigs and head-turning outfits, flirting, and always quick with clever repartee, Gürel was as unforgettable as she was unpredictable.Today’s Doodle celebrates Gürel’s inner [[and outer) wild child. Wearing those signature specs, her hair colored in hues of fuschia, her joy is hard to contain on the screen.

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December 30, 2017
Etab's 70th Birthday



A Saudi Arabian musical pioneer, Tarfa Abdel-Kheir Adam was one of the first female singers from the Gulf to perform publicly. Her talent, first discovered when she was 13 years old, spread worldwide—and she became known by the stage name "Etab."

Etab's strong personality helped kick-start her career in the 1960s, later launching her to international pop stardom. With more than 15 albums to her name, Etab mixed traditional and contemporary Arab songs to create a style of her own, collaborating with top poets and singers from around the region. She used her distinctive, husky voice not just for singing, but also for advocating for female equality within her field. Etab was a prominent member of the Union of Arab Artists and the Egyptian Music Syndicate.

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September 20, 2018
Josefa Llanes Escoda’s 120th Birthday





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

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

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

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May 14, 2018
Celebrating Chantal Akerman







Today we celebrate the life of Chantal Akerman, a legend among feminist and avant garde filmmakers through history. Born in Brussels, Belgium in 1950, Akerman was especially close to her mother, a Holocaust survivor from Poland, who encouraged her to pursue a career.


This relationship between mother and daughter, as well as the daily, intimate lives of women, greatly influenced her filmmaking. Her most well-known film, Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles [[Jeanne Dielman, 23 Commerce Quay, 1080 Brussels), debuted on May 14, 1975 and is now considered one of the most influential pieces in feminist film. Her works brought viewers into the most intimate moments of womens’ lives, highlighting the beauty and tension women experience in the most routine chores of life.


Akerman’s works have been recognized in exhibits around the world, including the Museum for Contemporary Art in Antwerp, Belgium; MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts and the Centre George Pompidou, in Paris. Through her movies and the conversations they began, her influence on cinema and feminism live on.

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April 15, 2020
Thank You: Packaging, shipping, and delivery workers



As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people are coming together to help one another now more than ever. We’re launching a Doodle series to recognize and honor many of those on the front lines.

Today, we’d like to say: To all packaging, shipping, and delivery workers, thank you.

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May 29, 2017
Hibari Misora’s 80th Birthday







In 1945, 8-year-old Hibari Misora sang before an audience at a concert hall in Yokohama. So went the debut of a long and storied musical career spanning nearly 45 years, 1,200 recorded songs, and 80 million records sold worldwide.


Over the decades, Misora became a beloved figure of modern Japanese pop culture, acting in more than 150 movies while continuing her extensive musical pursuits. Her status as a cultural icon has inspired museums, monuments, tributes, movies, and other homages to her life and work.

Though today’s Doodle depicts Misora in her most well-known costume, the Doodler considered an early draft that highlighted her career from start to finish, through album covers and movie posters. The final Doodle shows Misora donning her phoenix wings to showcase her larger-than-life personality.

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June 19, 2017
Mudik 2017




Today’s Doodle marks the start of Mudik, a yearly homecoming in Indonesia. City folks take this time to travel far and wide to visit family in rural villages. Travelers get home any way they can — by motorbike, train, car, and bus. Local governments even offer mudik gratis, discounted tickets helping motorbike travelers to take ferries and buses. Leading up to Mudik, cities become ghost towns when their residents leave. In fact, electricity use in Jakarta can decrease by up to 70% during Mudik!

Despite all the traffic, Indonesians happily jump into the hustle and bustle of travel in order to bring back loads of oleh-oleh, or souvenirs, for their relatives.

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July 19, 2019
Lucha Reyes’ 83rd Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates Lucha Reyes, a Peruvian singer whose powerful and poignant voice was known to move people deeply. Born in Lima’s Rímac district into a poor family with 15 brothers on this day in 1936, Reyes went on to become one of her country’s most beloved singers.

Supporting herself by selling newspapers, washing clothes, and working long hours in restaurant kitchens, Reyes’ vocal talents were discovered while working at El sentir de los barrios, a Creole club whose name means “the feeling of the neighborhoods.” Soon she was performing at venues like the Pizarro Theater and singing on “Peña Ferrando,” Augusto Ferrando’s popular show on Victoria radio.
In 1970, she released her first album entitled La morena de oro del Perú [[The Golden Brunette Of Peru), which included songs that came to be well-known amongst Peru, such as Regresa. This Vals Criollo [[Peruvian Waltz) adapted the European musical form with South American sabor, using two guitars and a box-shaped drum called a cajón. Lucha Reyes’ heartrending rendition of lyrics like "Come back, even if it's to say goodbye” made it one of her biggest hits.

During her career, Reyes helped popularize música criolla, a unique style of Creole music blending Afro-Peruvian and Andean musical traditions and expressing the feelings of everyday people. The last day of her life, October 31st, happened to coincide with Día de la Canción Criolla [[“Day of the Creole Song”), keeping her legacy and música criolla alive for generations to come.

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December 27, 2017
Marlene Dietrich’s 116th Birthday

Iconic. Marlene Dietrich.

Born Maria Magdalene Dietrich in Berlin on this day in 1901, Marlene Dietrich lit up the silver screen during Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Dietrich rocketed to international fame from the moment she appeared in her breakout role as cabaret singer Lola-Lola in Germany’s first talking picture, Der Blaue Engel [[1930) and its English version, The Blue Angel. The actress crossed the Atlantic soon after its premiere, continuing to work with Blue Angel director Josef von Sternberg in a string of memorable Hollywood films, including Morocco, Shanghai Express, and The Devil Is a Woman.

But Dietrich was more than a femme fatale with an unforgettable voice. Ever the risk-taker, she turned pat notions about femininity upside down, donning a tuxedo and top hat in her part as a sultry nightclub dancer in Morocco, and wearing men’s silk suits offscreen. A U.S. citizen as of 1939, she captivated World War II troops as a USO entertainer and was awarded the U.S. Medal of Freedom and French Légion d'Honneur for her wartime work.

Dietrich’s Doodle was illustrated by artist Sasha Steinberg who captured her mid-performance, suited up in her gender-bending tux and top hat. Steinberg, who is also a drag performer under the name Sasha Velour and winner of RuPaul's Drag Race [[Season 9), counts Dietrich as a major influence in creating their drag alter ego.

“She was a wild original!” says Velour. “Despite the pressures of the time, she followed her own course, especially in terms of politics and gender. As a drag queen, that's particularly inspiring to me. Plus, she just had this power to her...in every role she's mysterious and strong, brilliant. That's what I aspire to be when I step

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August 6, 2017
Luang Pradit Phairoh’s 136th Birthday





136 years ago, Luang Pradit Phairoh was born Sorn Silapabanleng to a musician's family in the Amphawa District of Thailand. As a young boy, he accompanied his father and performed as part of a traditional Thai piphat [[musical ensemble) across the countryside. At one of these soirees, his musical genius was discovered by a nobleman, and he encouraged 19-year-old Sorn to move to the capital to study music.


Today, he is regarded as the greatest composer of traditional Thai music.
Luang Pradit tutored some of Thailand’s finest musicians and composers, including King Rama VII and Her Majestic Queen Rambhai Barni. In 1925, he was titled ‘Luang’ [[a title similar to ‘Sir’), and in keeping with the tradition of the times, was also renamed with the honorific, Pradit Phairoh – loosely translated as ‘Master of Symphony’).


Today’s Doodle depicts Luang Pradit Phairoh, against the backdrop of the ranat ek – a type of xylophone that forms the centerpiece of a traditional piphat. Luang Pradit was particularly known for his mastery of this instrument.

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Mar 20, 2020
Recognizing Ignaz Semmelweis and Handwashing

Today’s Doodle follows the official recommendation on how to properly wash your hands from the World Health Organization. Learn more handwashing tips here, or check out the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7e8...e=emb_imp_woyt

Today’s Doodle recognizes Hungarian physician Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis, widely attributed as the first person to discover the medical benefits of handwashing. On this day in 1847, Semmelweis was appointed Chief Resident in the maternity clinic of the Vienna General Hospital, where he deduced and demonstrated that requiring doctors to disinfect their hands vastly reduced the transmission of disease.

Born in Buda [[now Budapest), Hungary on July 1st, 1818, Ignaz Semmelweis went on to obtain a doctorate from the University of Vienna and master’s degree in midwifery. When he began his tenure at the Vienna General Hospital in the mid 19th century, a mysterious and poorly understood infection known as “childbed fever” was leading to high mortality rates in new mothers in maternity wards across Europe.

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Aug 11, 2015
Gustavo Cerati’s 56th Birthday






When he was 9 years old, Gustavo Cerati’s parents gave him his first guitar. Thus began the long career of one of the most unique, inspiring, and cherished Ibero-American rock musicians of all time.


Gustavo Cerati started his first band only a few years later. When Soda Stereo formed in 1982, Gustavo and his bandmates broke the mold on Latin rock, captivating Spanish-speaking audiences throughout the Americas, all the way across the ocean to Spain. After 15 years as a band, they said an emotional goodbye with El Último Concierto [[The Last Concert).


Gustavo wasn’t done setting the stage for Latin rock. As a solo act, he’d release 5 albums and receive dozens of awards for his influence on Latin rock. His larger-than-life musical persona was so beloved that his passing in 2014 inspired tributes from musicians like Shakira and U2.

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Aug 26, 2015
La Tomatina 70th Anniversary





All around Buñol on the last Wednesday of every August, storefronts are shuttered. Trucks hauling thousands of pounds of tomatoes grown and harvested specifically for this day head for Plaza del Pueblo, the town square, where a Spanish ham is suspended from the top of a greased pole. What ensues once this ham is successfully retrieved [[or not retrieved, as is often the case, by a succession of hapless climbers) is arguably the world’s largest food fight: La Tomatina. For a moment of blissful, heartwarmingly innocuous chaos, tens of thousands of visitors to this small Spanish town indulge a universal childhood fantasy and shower each other with tomatoes in a wild, watery mess.


For its 70th anniversary, Doodler Nate Swinehart captures the energy of today’s festivities with an animation awash in splattered tomatoes and brimming with the youthful delight of its characters.

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Sep 1, 2015
Google's New Logo


https://www.google.com/doodles/googles-new-logo


Learn all about it on the Offical Google Blog & design.google.com...and take a stroll down memory lane with a search for Google Logo History.

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Oct 18, 2015
Melina Mercouri’s 95th Birthday





Melina, a Greek word for honey and the nickname given to Maria Mercouri by her grandfather, could also have been used to describe the actress’s low, unmistakable voice. Known to the world for her brilliant smile and award-winning performances on Broadway and the silver screen, Melina Mercouri was also known to Greeks as a champion of the proletariat who cared deeply about Greek art and its classical roots. As the first female Minister of Culture, Mercouri poured her considerable energies into building libraries, preserving Greek archaeological sites and establishing the European Capital of Culture, a designation that highlights shared cultural heritage in a new European city every year. Today’s Doodle by Kevin Laughlin celebrates a woman whose magnetism and exuberance were matched only by her love of Greece.

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October 9, 2019
Hangeul Day 2019





Today’s animated Doodle, created by Seoul-based guest artists Yunho Lee and Kangin Kim of Studio Kimgarden to reflect a merging of Hangeul and English, celebrates Hangeul Proclamation Day in Korea. Locally known as Hangeulnal, or 한글날, it is the world’s only national holiday that honors an alphabet.


Designed in the 1440s by a royal committee convened by King Sejong the Great, Hangeul would change Korean society in a big way. Koreans once used Chinese characters, and the writing system was so complicated that access to education was confined to society’s elite. Hangeul was designed to be easy to learn. Consonants are drawn to mimic the shape of the mouth when making a particular sound while vowels are based on combinations of three elements: a dot symbolizing the sun in the sky, a line symbolizing a human being, and a horizontal line symbolizing the earth.


As a result of these improvements, literacy rates increased throughout Korea. Despite some resistance—a 16th-century king actually banned Hangeul for a time to preserve the status of the elite class—the language grew in popularity. Today, Hangeul is Korea’s official written language, with a national holiday in its honor.

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Jan 22, 2020
Celebrating Anna May Wong



http://www.google.com/doodles/celebrating-anna-may-wong [[slide show)




Today’s slideshow Doodle celebrates the first-ever Chinese American movie star in Hollywood, Anna May Wong, on the 97th anniversary of the day The Toll of the Sea went into general release, which was her first leading role. Featured in the D oodle slideshow are scenes from her life, including some of her most famous characters from the more than 50 movies she was featured in throughout her career.

The Los Angeles native was born Wong Liu Tsong on January 3rd, 1905. Originally from Taishan, China, Wong’s family taught their children both English and Cantonese. When not at school or in her father’s Sam Kee laundry, Wong began spending her time hanging around movie studios and asking directors for roles, and by age 11, she had chosen her stage name: “Anna May Wong.”

Wong was often overlooked or only offered small roles due to prevailing racial barriers. However, refusing to be limited to or typecast as Asian stereotypes, she moved to Europe in 1928. There, Wong starred in many plays and movies, such as Piccadilly [[1929) and The Flame of Love [[1930), and was soon promised leading roles in the U.S.

Upon returning to the U.S., one of the roles Wong was cast for was opposite her friend Marlene Dietrich in the 1932 release of Shanghai Express, which became one of her most famous roles. Shortly after, she was named the “world’s best-dressed woman” by the Mayfair Mannequin Society of New York, cementing her position as an international fashion icon. In the 1950s, she also became the first Asian American to land a leading role in a U.S. television series, playing a mystery-solving detective in the show The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong.

In recognition of her many accomplishments, Wong was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.

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September 21, 2017
Noor Jehan’s 91st Birthday

​



The sad longing in the plaintive strains of "Awaaz De, Kahaan Hai." The dreamy romance of the sweetly sung "Chandni Ratein." The playful affection in the lilting melody of "Ve Mundiyan Sialkotiyan." These are just a few of the thousands of songs sung by the legendary Noor Jehan, known as Malika-E-Taranum [[Queen of Melody) in the world of Punjabi, Urdu, and Hindustani music.

Born Allah Rakhi Wasai to a family of local musicians in Kasur, Punjab, Jehan began her singing career when she was just five years old. Success at rural taka theater performances encouraged the family to move to Calcutta and the bigger stage of maidan theater. Theatrical recognition soon led Jehan to the silver screen.
After Partition, Noor Jehan moved to newly independent Pakistan, but her voice continued to endear her to millions across the entire subcontinent. Her renditions of patriotic songs gave courage to many Pakistanis, and her visit to India in 1982 was met with overwhelming love and enthusiasm.

Madam, as she was popularly addressed, was best known for her voice. But she was also an accomplished actress, and became Pakistan’s first female director when she codirected Chan Wey in 1951. For her contributions to the arts, the Government of Pakistan awarded her the Sitara-i-Imtiaz [[Star of Excellence) and the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz [[Medal of Excellence).

Today’s Doodle captures Jehan's unique singing stance — her chin tilted up, her hand flung out, and a flower in her hair. Happy Birthday, Madam!

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December 11, 2019
Noel Rosa’s 109th Birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates the 109th birthday of the beloved Brazilian singer and songwriter Noel Rosa. Known as the “Poeta da Vila” [[Poet from Vila), his observational and comedic style earned him a special place in the history of samba, the popular music of the Brazilian people.

Born in the Vila Isabel neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro on this day in 1910, Rosa grew up in a musical family. He started playing the mandolin at age 13 and soon learned the guitar as well.

A gifted student, he entered medical school in 1931. However, when he had to choose between medicine and music, Rosa’s choice became clear. Rosa devoted his energy to writing music and created his own style of samba by mixing witty lyrics with unpredictable twists and turns of melody and bridging the gap between rural Afro-Brazilian traditions and the sound of urban nightlife.

He had his breakthrough with "Com que roupa?," which became one of the biggest hits in 1931 in Brazil and the first of many memorable songs. With his songwriting partner Vadico, he also wrote a series of popular compositions such as "Feitiço da Vila" [["Witchcraft of the Villa") and "Feitio de Oração" [["In the Form of a Prayer").

Composing around 260 songs over a period of eight years, Rosa established a body of work that has remained popular to this day. His legacy lives on in the hearts of cariocas [[residents of Rio de Janeiro) and samba lovers around the world.

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January 13, 2018
Zhou Youguang’s 112th Birthday




The O’s in today’s Doodle flip from Pinyin [[Gǔgē) to Chinese characters [[谷歌). Were it not for celebrated linguist Zhou Youguang, this phonetic translation would never have come to life, and the world would still be referring to ‘Beijing’ as ‘Peking,’ and to ‘Chongqing’ as ‘Chungking.’

Popularly dubbed ‘the Father of Pinyin,’ Youguang spent three years developing the system of ‘spelled sounds’ that is now the international standard for Romanized Chinese. The new system transformed China’s literacy rate, providing more natural passage into the written language, which requires mastering thousands of characters. It bridged multiple Chinese dialects with its shared designations of sound. Today, schoolchildren learn Pinyin before characters, and it is often used to input characters on smartphones and computers.

Pursuing his love of language throughout his life, Youguang authored more than 40 books and translated the Encyclopedia Britannica into Chinese. Born on this day as Zhou Yaoping, this storied linguist later adopted the pen name ‘Yougang’ because he wanted to ‘bring light’ to the world. Today, we celebrate what would’ve been Yougang’s 112th birthday with a special place in the spotlight.