Google doodles

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19 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #19

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20 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #20

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20 Jun 2014
Ilan Ramon's 60th Birthday






Ilan Ramon [born Ilan Wolferman; June 20, 1954 – February 1, 2003] was an Israeli fighter pilot and later the first Israeli astronaut. Ramon was a Space Shuttle payload specialist of STS-107, the fatal mission of Columbia, in which he and six other crew members were killed in the re-entry accident. At 48, he was the oldest member of the crew. Ramon is the only foreign recipient of the United States Congressional Space Medal of Honor, which he was awarded posthumously.

[9A]

1 Jul 2014
Canada Day 2014






One of the things Canadians are most proud of is that their country is a cultural mosaic, where people from different cultures live together but retain their strong ethnic identities. In the spirit of uniting countries for the World Cup games, we wanted to celebrate the cultural melting pot that is Canada. The doodle itself resembles a mosaic or patchwork quilt, with various walks of life represented through dress and textile patterns.

[9A]

5 Jul 2014
Venezuela Independence Day 2014






For Venezuelan Independence Day, we’re dining on hallacas, a traditional dish made of meat wrapped in cornmeal and then folded within plantain leaves.

[9A]

6 Jul 2014
Teacher's Day 2014 [Peru]


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9 Jul 2014
Argentina Independence Day 2014

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21 Jul 2014
Belgium National Day 2014

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24 Jul 2014
Robot Taekwon V's 38th Birthday

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28 Jul 2014
Peru Independence Day 2014






We’re serving ceviche for Peruvian Independence Day. The traditional [[and totally yummy) seafood dish is made with raw fish cured in either lemon or lime juice.

[9A]

1 Aug 2014
Swiss National Day 2014




For this year's August 1 celebration, everyone is invited to a festival in the woods by guest artist Jürg Lindenberger. Many of your favorite Swiss friends will be there—Cervelat and mustard, the August 1 roll, and a happy St. Bernard. It should be a great party.

[9A]

6 Aug 2014
Anna Castelli Ferrieri's 94th Birthday







Our homepage in Italy today celebrates pioneering architect Anna Castelli Ferrieri, born this day in 1918. Ferrieri found success using alternative materials like metal and plastic in her designs.

[9A]

12 Aug 2014
Awa Odori





Our doodle in Japan celebrates “Awa Odori,” the country’s largest traditional dance festival. The event brings in 1.3 million tourists to Japan every year and dancers learn choreography that hasn’t changed in more than 400 years.

[9A]

12 Aug 2014
Mother's Day 2014 [Thailand]

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14 Aug 2014
Pakistan Independence Day 2014

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21 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #21






A little sibling rivalry on our home page.

A fun fact from the Google Trends World Cup headquarters:
Germany is searching for Ghana player Kevin Prince Boateng 20% more than for his brother Jerome Boateng, even though the latter plays for Germany.

[9A]

21 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #22

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22 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #2

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22 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #24

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22 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #25

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22 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #26

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23 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #27

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24 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #28

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24 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #29

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24 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #30

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25 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #31

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25 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #32

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25 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #33

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26 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #34

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26 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #35

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26 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #36

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28 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #37

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28 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #38

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29 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #39

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29 Jun 2014
World Cup 2014 #40

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17 October 2019
100th Anniversary of Metro de Madrid





On this day in 1919, King Alfonso XIII inaugurated the Metro de Madrid, a new transportation system for Spain’s capital city. The Metro’s distinctive diamond-shaped logo was created by acclaimed Spanish architect Antonio Palacios, who also designed the entrances, corridors, and platforms of some of the early stations. Today’s animated Doodle celebrates the centenary of Madrid’s Metro, now the sixth-longest underground railroad in the world with some 294 kilometers [about 183 miles] of track.

The Metro has come a long way during its first century of operation. On opening day, the route covered a mere 3.48 kilometers [about 2.16 miles], taking 10 minutes to travel 8 stops from Cuatro Caminos to Sol. That first day, just over 56,000 passengers rode what was then called the North-South Line.
Now, close to 2.3 million riders take the Metro every day. Serving over 300 stations, the train remains one of the most efficient ways to move around Madrid.

In honor of the Metro’s 100th birthday, the Regional Government of Madrid has installed an educational exhibition throughout the original route, now called the ‘Centenary Line.’ Period photographs will highlight the Metro’s history, and a new vinyl-wrapped train evoking the first train will run along the rails.

Chamartín Station will host a permanent exhibition of vintage trains, and while Palacios’ original entrance to the Metro de la Red de San Luis was dismantled and donated to the architect’s hometown of Porriño, a replica of the striking design will recapture its former glory.

[9A]

16 Oct 2019
Celebrating Wanda Rutkiewicz






“I adored the physical movement, the fresh air, the camaraderie, and the excitement,” wrote the Polish mountain climber Wanda Rutkiewicz. On this day in 1978, she reached the summit of Mount Everest, becoming the third woman to ascend the world’s highest peak, and the first Pole, male or female. Rutkiewicz would go on to complete seven more 8,000-meter-plus [26,247-foot-plus] climbs, establishing herself as one of the most celebrated climbers in mountaineering history and one of the greatest female climbers of all time.

Born on February 4, 1943 to a Polish family in the village of Plungiany—now part of Lithuania— Wanda studied electrical engineering at Wroclaw University of Technology. She discovered her passion for climbing by chance after her motorcycle ran out of fuel in 1961. One of the people who stopped to help invited her to join him on a climb of the Falcon Mountains.

Ten years after reaching the peak of Mount Everest, Rutkiewicz became the first woman to climb K2—the world’s second-highest peak—doing so without using supplemental oxygen. Two of her fellow climbers perished on the descent from K2, but she would continue pursuing her dreams.

Rutkiewicz published books and produced documentaries about her climbs, but despite her many accomplishments, she found some male climbers to be condescending. She went on to advocate for women’s climbing and to organize several all-female expeditions. In 1990, she declared her goal of climbing eight 8,000-meter-plus [26,247-foot-plus] peaks in just over a year’s time, a program she called the “Caravan of Dreams.” Although she did not complete that particular mission, Wanda Rutkiewicz has continued to inspire generations of climbers to follow in her footsteps.

[9A]

11 Oct 2019
Maria Firmina dos Reis’ 194th Birthday





“It is horrible to remember that human creatures treat their fellow men like this,” wrote Brazilian author and educator Maria Firmina dos Reis in her 1859 abolitionist novel, Úrsula. Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Porto Alegre and Berlin-based guest-artist Nik Neves, celebrates the life and work of a black woman who boldly spoke out against slavery at a time when few others would dare.

Born on the island of São Luís in Maranhão on this day in 1825, not long after Brazil declared independence from Portugal, Maria was the daughter of a black slave and a Brazilian woman. She grew up to become her nation’s first novelist.

Growing up in her aunt’s house on the mainland, Maria was raised by her mother and grandmother, attaining much of her education at home. Her cousin Sotero dos Reis became a famous writer and teacher, and Maria began teaching primary school at age 22. She eventually founded the country’s first free and mixed school, a radical concept before the passage of the 1888 “Golden Law” ending slavery in Brazil.

Maria published poetry, essays, stories, and puzzles in local newspapers and journals, as well as composing abolitionist songs. Published under the name Uma Maranhense [“a Maranhão woman”], Úrsula depicted slaves as human beings longing for freedom and exposed the evils of those who profited from the slave trade. Now recognized as the first Afro-Brazilian novel, the pseudonymous work fell into obscurity before being revived in the 1960s. Úrsula has since been reprinted, inspiring a new appreciation for this pioneering thinker and activist.

[9A]

1 Oct 2019
Julio Jaramillo’s 84th Birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates the life and music of Ecuadorian singer Julio Jaramillo, also known as El Ruiseñor de América, or “The Nightingale of the Americas.” Born to a working-class family in the bustling port city of Guayaquil on this day in 1935, Jaramillo grew up to become an international star who toured Latin America singing boleros, tangos, rancheras, and pasillos––the sentimental love songs that are often considered Ecuador’s national musical genre.

Jaramillo fell in love with music early, learning to play guitar as a youngster. After dropping out of school, he supported himself as a shoemaker, but longed to become a singer, sometimes serenading passersby in the city streets. Traveling to Colombia in hopes of gaining exposure, he once barged into a live radio broadcast, determined to make his voice heard and managed to impress listeners with his vocals. Back home in Ecuador, he recorded “Nuestro Juramanto” [“Our Oath”], a song about undying love that brought him international acclaim and remains to this day one of the most popular of his thousands of recordings.

Jaramillo lived a colorful life, traveling the world, romancing many women, and appearing in the 1966 film Fiebre de Juventud [Youth Fever]. One of Latin America’s most acclaimed singers, he became a sort of unofficial ambassador for Ecuador in pop culture.

Since 1993, October 1st has been celebrated as Día del Pasillo Ecuatoriano, a national holiday honoring the musical form Jaramillo helped to popularize around the world. The singer’s legacy lives on at the Museo Municipal de la Música Popular Julio Jaramillo, welcoming visitors to his hometown all year long.

[9A]

21 July 2017
Belgium National Day 2017







On this day, Belgium commemorates the inauguration of King Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians. Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a German prince, embraced his royal role on June 26th, 1831, and pledged his allegiance to the fledgling country just a few weeks later, on July 21.

Previously known as Southern Netherlands, Belgium had been governed by various foreign countries over the centuries, including Spain and France. It also withstood the Dutch Period [1815 – 1830] under King William I, a vigorous advocate of industrialization, before finally attaining its longed-for freedom from the United Kingdom of Netherlands.

Belgian National Day is a festive public holiday celebrated with military parades, air force aerial demonstrations, and free concerts, finished with fireworks. Some Belgians also show their national pride by dressing in red, yellow and black, the colors of the country’s flag.

Our Doodle, illustrated by KHUAN+KTRON, takes us on a joyful tour of Belgium’s iconic Flemish and Wallonian landmarks and sights, from the Royal Palace in Brussels, where Leopold I was sworn in, to the Sint-Truiden, known for its blossoming fruit trees, to Antwerp Cathedral and the Pairi Daiza zoo, home of the giant panda, with stops along the way for such Belgian treats as frieten [fries], cheese and chocolate.

[9A]

14 Jul 2017
Bastille Day 2017



When Louis XVI asked a French duke if the storming of Bastille was a revolt on the evening of 14 July 1789, the duke replied by saying, "No, sire, a revolution."

The revolutionary cornerstones of “liberté, égalité, fraternité” color the minds of many today as we celebrate the 228th anniversary of Bastille Day [“La Fête Nationale”] in France and across the world.
In addition to celebratory outdoor picnics and fireworks, the day is customarily marked with Bals des Pompiers, or Fireman’s Balls. For artist Louis Thomas, the holiday represents more than just fireworks. He was inspired to depict a symbol of culture and resilience — the French cafe terrace — where people gather.

Europe’s largest military parade marches down the Champs-Elysees from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde today, displaying France’s rich history, national unity, diversity and pride. Whether you choose to celebrate with a festive outing or a moment of reflection, today’s Google Doodle wishes Bon anniversaire to France

[9A]

20 Jul 2017
Gilberto Bosques Saldívar’s 125th Birthday









Today marks the 125th birthday of Gilberto Bosques Saldívar, the diplomat known as the “Mexican Schindler” who is said to have saved 40,000 lives during WWII while serving as Mexico’s Consul General in France.

Born in Chiautla de Tapia, Puebla, Saldívar made a career of looking after the good of the public from young adulthood: serving as a teacher, government newspaper director, and ultimately, a public servant. In 1939, he was sent to France to serve as Mexico’s Consul General.

After fleeing the Nazi occupation of Paris in 1940, Saldívar received support from the Mexican government to establish a consulate in southern France. He rented a castle and holiday camp in Marseilles at which he hid Jews and Spanish Civil War refugees, maintaining that they were protected under international law in what he considered a Mexican territory. He land his team issued Visas and chartered travel for tens of thousands of wishing to escape to Mexico until he was arrested by Nazi forces. After one year of imprisonment, he continued his career in public service for the remainder of his life.

[9A]

21 Jul 2017
Marshall McLuhan’s 106th Birthday





Long before we started looking to our screens for all the answers, Marshall McLuhan saw the internet coming — and predicted just how much impact it would have. A Canadian philosopher and professor who specialized in media theory, McLuhan came to prominence in the 1960s, just as TV was becoming part of everyday life. At the center of his thinking was the idea that society is shaped by technology and the way information is shared.

Today’s Doodle, which celebrates the visionary’s 106th birthday, illustrates this theory by showing how McLuhan viewed human history. He saw it through the lens of 4 distinct eras: the acoustic age, the literary age, the print age, and the electronic age. His first major book, The Gutenberg Galaxy [1962], popularized the term “global village” — the idea that technology brings people together and allows everyone the same access to information.

In Understanding Media [1964], McLuhan further examined the transformative effects of technology and coined his famous phrase “The medium is the message.” He believed that the way in which someone receives information is more influential than the information itself. Throughout the '60s and '70s, McLuhan made frequent TV appearances to share his theories with both followers and skeptics.

Decades later, we honor the man whose prophetic vision of the “computer as a research and communication instrument” has undeniably become a reality.

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28 Jul 2017
Albert [Elea] Namatjira’s 115th Birthday




Today is the 115th birthday of renowned Aboriginal Australian artist Albert [Elea] Namatjira. Born in 1902 near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia, he joined the Arrernte community at the age of 13 where he developed his love for the rough and wild Australian landscape.

Namatjira loved sketching from the time he was a young boy, and quickly took to painting the natural beauty around him in the bush. His landscape images earned recognition in Australia and around the world. Namatjira also inspired the Hermannsburg School for his community in Alice Springs, teaching aspiring young artists to depict the Australian landscape.

Today’s Doodle is a painting created by Albert’s granddaughter, Gloria Pannka. To represent her grandfather, Gloria chose to paint the beautiful hills between Hamilton Downs and the West MacDonnell Ranges in central Australia. Albert’s homeland is not far away from this area, and Gloria says that visiting this landscape connects her to her grandparents.

Gloria is also a member of an artistic community, Iltja Ntjarra / Many Hands Art Centre inspired by her grandfather’s works. The art centre works to maintain and promote Aboriginal cultural heritage.
Today we celebrate Albert Namatjira’s substantial contributions to the art and culture of Australia. Happy birthday, Albert!

[9A]

28 Jul 2017
Perú National Day 2017







June 28th is the first of two national holidays commemorating Perú's independence. The festivities begin in Lima with a presidential address, 21-cannon salute, and flag-raising ceremony. Regional celebrations include musical performances in plazas and parks, and street fairs offering delights like ceviche and pisco. And the red-and-white Perúvian flag flies above cities and countryside, saluting General José de San Martín's declaration of independence on this date in 1821.

Today's Doodle, by guest artist Elliot Tupac, captures Perú's breathtaking natural beauty — from the tiniest flutter of hummingbird wings to the soaring peaks of Machu Picchu. Happy Fiestas Patrias!

[9A]

12 Jul 2017
Eiko Ishioka’s 79th Birthday




https://www.google.com/doodles/eiko-...-79th-birthday



Earning her an Oscar, a Grammy, and two Tony nominations, Eiko Ishioka’s work had a way of taking center stage no matter the medium. From print ads and album covers to costumes for film, theater, and the Olympics, the iconic Japanese designer did it all during her decades-long career — often unlike anyone before.

Born and raised in Tokyo, Ishioka pursued a career in graphic design at a time when there were few women in the industry. Despite the challenges she faced, Ishioka pushed through boundaries both socially and artistically. Her early print ads evoked many of the same themes that would later define her costume design: bold, surreal, and consistently unexpected.

Ishioka went on to earn global recognition by designing Academy Award-winning costumes for Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 film Dracula, a Grammy-winning cover for Miles Davis’ 1986 album Tutu, and Tony-nominated sets and costumes for Broadway’s M. Butterfly. She worked closely with director Tarsem Singh on several films throughout her career, including 2012’s Mirror Mirror.

Showcasing some of Ishioka’s famous designs from Singh’s 2006 movie The Fall, today’s slideshow Doodle celebrates her revolutionary work on what would have been her 79th birthday.

[9A]

12 Jul 2017
Tayeb Salih’s 88th Birthday









“There are many horizons that must be visited, fruit that must be plucked, books read, and white pages in the scrolls of life to be inscribed with vivid sentences in a bold hand,” claims the narrator of Tayeb Salih’s most critically acclaimed novel, Seasons of Migration to the North.

First published in Arabic in 1967, Seasons of Migration to the North was an international hit and is considered a national treasure of Sudan. It was eventually translated into 20 languages, and in 2011 it was deemed the most important Arabic novel of the 20th century by the Arab Literary Academy.

Before his literary successes, Salih was born to a poor family in a village in northern Sudan in 1929. He studied in the capital, Khartoum, before moving to England four years before his country gained its independence in 1956. After leaving Sudan, Salih spent much of his life living in various cities across Europe and the Arab world, but his work always found a firm foundation in his homeland -- mostly the fictional village of Wad Hamid.

Today’s doodle honors his sense of a setting, incorporating recurring elements from some of Salih’s most popular stories, like Seasons, The Wedding of Al Zein [1962], and A Handful of Dates [1964]. Through Salih’s window we can see a boy and his beloved grandfather, the shade of a palm tree, and the river Nile.

[9A]

9 Jul 2017
Argentina National Day 2017






Happy National Day Argentina! On this day, 201 years ago, thirty three congressmen gathered in Tucuman, Argentina and declared it to be finally independent of Spain. To celebrate Argentina’s national day this year, we’re diving into the musical instruments and traditions that are dear to its people.

One of these is the milonga, a local event where couples gather to dance tango all over Argentina. If you were to walk past one, you may hear the deep bellow of a bandoneon, the accordion-like instrument stretching between the fingers of the gentleman in today’s doodle. The instrument was brought over by German immigrants to Argentina in the 19th century and is essential to tango dancing. The bandoneon and the tango reflect the rich cultural heritage of Argentina, with deep European and African influences respectively. Tango may not be an easy dance for all to master, but nearly all Argentinians will agree on the importance of keeping this tradition alive.

[9A]

9 Jul 2017
660th Anniversary of Charles Bridge






On this day in 1357, construction began on the Charles Bridge, Prague’s oldest stone bridge, and one of the Czech capital’s most popular tourist destinations. Round the clock, visitors, vendors and locals alike cross the 1,700-ft. expanse from the east bank to the west, taking in views of the Vltava River.

King Charles IV commissioned architect Peter Parler to build the bridge, which was completed in 1402. Originally called the Stone Bridge, it took on the monarch’s moniker centuries later, around 1870. The low-lying medieval structure is comprised of 16 shallow arches and three Gothic towers, and lined with 30 Baroque-style statues, initially made of sandstone. According to legend, during construction, masons added a secret ingredient to the mortar that they thought would make it stronger: eggs!

[9A]

23 Jun 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.