Google doodles

[9A]

25 Jan 2015
Youssef Chahine’s 89th Birthday




Youssef Chahine was an Egyptian film director. He was active in the Egyptian film industry from 1950 until his death. A winner of the Cannes 50th Anniversary Award [for lifetime achievement], Chahine was credited with launching the career of actor Omar Sharif. A well regarded director with critics, he was often present at film festivals during the earlier decades of his work, Chahine gained his largest international audiences as one of the co-directors of 11'9"01 September 11 [2002].

[9A]

26 Jan 2015
Australia Day 2015

[9A]

30 Jan 2015
Vsevolod Nestayko’s 85th Birthday







Our doodle in Ukraine draws inspiration from the children’s book Toreadors from Vasyukivka for writer Vsevolod Nestayko’s 85th birthday. Nestayko is widely considered to be Ukraine’s best-known author of children’s literature.

[9A]

17 May 2019
Anita Conti’s 120th Birthday








“As soon as I put my foot on board, I'm flying,” wrote Anita Conti, who spent much of her life sailing the world as France’s first female oceanographer. Born on this day in 1899, the young adventurer developed a love for the sea while traveling with her parents. Living in Paris after World War I, she became a photographer and an accomplished writer focusing on nature and the sea.

In 1935, the French Fisheries Authorities hired Conti to conduct scientific research assessing fish resources. In 1941, she was the only female to board a trawler bound for Western Africa, spending the next ten years between Senegal and the Ivory Coast, documenting traditional fishing practices, meeting with local elders, and developing detailed fishing maps. Conti’s goal was to nourish French troops and save the local population from hunger, but over time she became increasingly concerned about the danger of overfishing and was one of the first to issue a warning that “seas are under threat.”

In subsequent voyages through the North Atlantic and Canada, she survived rough seas, shot thousands of photos, and wrote about her experiences with poetic flair in books like Géants des mers chaudes [Giants of the Warm Seas]. In 1952 she spent six months in the Arctic Ocean aboard the French trawler Bois-Rosé, capturing the difficulty of life on a fishing boat in her bestselling book, Racleurs d'océans [Scrapers of oceans].

A pioneer of maritime ecology, Conti spent nearly half of her 98 years on the high seas, earning the name La Dame de la Mer or the “Sea Lady.”
Bon anniversaire, Anita Conti!

[9A]

17 May 2018
Alfonso Reyes’ 129th Birthday






Today we wish happy birthday to Alfonso Reyes, one of Mexico’s most distinguished authors.

Born in Monterrey and educated in Mexico City, Reyes studied the works of intellectuals and philosophers before deciding to pursue law. In law school, he wrote La Cena [The Supper], one of the first and most influential pieces of Mexican surrealism. Today’s Doodle puts mirror-like imagery to this tale; La Cena follows a circular narrative, where the action begins and ends at the same time.

After finishing his education, Reyes went on to become a foreign diplomat in France, Spain, Argentina and Brazil. Afterwards, he settled in Spain to dedicate himself to writing and teaching, publishing essays and poetry. He specialized in Greek classic literature and introduced many of these works to Mexico upon his return.

Reyes continued to write until the end of his life. His work earned him five nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Feliz cumpleaños, Alfonso Reyes!

[9A]

19 May 2018
Royal Wedding 2018






The picturesque and medieval town of Windsor is steeped in history, and today it adds another joyous occasion to its book of lore — the wedding of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle.

If your invitation was lost in the mail, join the thousands of merrymaking royal fans who are already lining up to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds as they proceed through this quaint English town in a horse-drawn carriage, after exchanging their vows at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Today’s Doodle depicts the newlyweds waving to well-wishers, who have gathered to join in the celebrations along the Long Walk.

Congratulations!
Doodle by Vrinda V Zaveri

[9A]

20 May 2018
Sam Selvon’s 95th Birthday








Today we celebrate the 95th birthday of novelist, poet, and playwright, Sam Selvon. Born to humble beginnings in rural south Trinidad in 1923, his East Indian heritage and West Indian upbringing would greatly shape his future identity as a writer.

Selvon started writing during his spare time while working in the oilfields, serving in the Royal Naval reserve, and writing for newspapers and literary magazines. In his early twenties, he wrote and published several short stories and poems in his native Trinidad. However, it was his move to England in 1950 which set the stage for his career to blossom.

Drawing from his personal experiences as an immigrant, Selvon published his pioneering novel “The Lonely Londoners” in 1956. In it, he gave the unique Caribbean creolised English, or "nation language", a narrative voice of its own on an international stage. “The Lonely Londoners” was later followed by two more London-based novels: “Moses Ascending” [1975] and “Moses Migrating” [1983], both of which continued the saga of Caribbean immigrants and their experiences in London.

Today’s Doodle by guest artist Jayesh Sivan depicts Selvon and other members of the Caribbean migrant community set against the backdrop of London, which served as the inspiration and setting for much of his works.

Happy birthday, Sam Selvon!

[9A]

22 May 2018
Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s 246th Birthday





Today Google is celebrating Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s 246th Birthday. Roy was born in the Bengal Presidency of British controlled India in 1772. He was born to a family of great privilege in the Brahman class. As a young man he traveled throughout the region and learned English, Arabic, Persian, and Sanskrit, in addition to the local languages of Bengali and Hindi. His multicultural education taught him to draw from different religions and philosophies to adapt his own ideologies.

Roy was very much a free thinker and often championed rights for India’s lower classes. In his fight for a more contemporary society, Roy called for an end to India's Caste system.

Also, Roy consistently advocated for women's rights at a time when they had very few. In fact, he is often remembered for his role in abolishing Sati, a ceremonial funeral practice, and his promotion of a more advanced and just society. It is because of Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s transformative and progressive thinking that many consider him to be the Father of modern India.

[9A]

26 May 2015
Sally Ride’s 64th Birthday






In celebration of Sally Ride's 64th birthday, we were fortunate enough to have animator Nate Swinehart create another Behind The Doodle short to share a bit more about Sally's life and the making of the doodle. This time narrated by the artist of the doodle, Olivia When, and Tam O'Shaughnessy, author of our guest blog post.

Refresh to see all five of the different doodles!

A doodle salute for Sally Ride

Today’s guest blog post is from Tam O’Shaughnessy—life partner of astronaut Sally Ride, and co-founder & CEO of Sally Ride Science. Over the past few months, Tam worked with our Doodle team to create a doodle for Sally’s 64th birthday. In this post, she tells us more about Sally’s life, her flight aboard the space shuttle Challenger, and her passion for helping kids stay excited about science and technology.


As the first American woman in space, Sally Ride—who would have been 64 today—captured the nation’s imagination as a symbol of the ability of women to break barriers. But her historic flight represented just one aspect of a remarkable and multifaceted life. She was also a physicist, a science writer, and an inspirational advocate for keeping kids excited about science as they go through school.


Sally was born on May 26, 1951, in Los Angeles. She grew up playing with a chemistry set and small telescope—and playing football in the streets with the neighborhood kids. Later she considered playing professional tennis, but decided instead to study science.


In 1977, Sally was finishing her Ph.D. in physics at Stanford University when she saw an article in the student newspaper saying that NASA was looking for astronauts—and for the first time was allowing women to apply. Sally didn’t hesitate to send in her application, and became one of six women selected as part of the new crop of astronaut candidates. On June 18, 1983, she soared into history as the first American woman in space.


Looking back at Earth through the window of the space shuttle, Sally was moved by the view of our beautiful blue planet wrapped in its thin blanket of air. She realized how important it is for all of us to take care of our fragile home in space, and became an environmentalist. Many years later, we wrote books for young adults about Earth’s changing climate.


After leaving NASA, Sally became a professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego. She loved being a scientist, but she was concerned that many young people—especially girls and minority students—abandon their early interest in science and math.


Studies show that the reason kids turn away from STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math] is not that they don’t like it or aren’t good it. Instead, young people get turned off because society sends false messages about who scientists are, what they do, and how they work. So Sally decided to use her high profile to motivate young people to stick with their interest in science and to consider pursuing STEM careers.


In 2001, Sally and I and three friends started Sally Ride Science to create programs and publications that bring science to life and show young people that STEM is fascinating, creative, and fun. Since then, we’ve trained thousands of teachers on how to spark and sustain interest in STEM and reached millions of students with our books and programs.


Sally died almost three years ago on July 23, 2012, from pancreatic cancer. But I know she would be honored by today’s Google Doodle. With whimsy, it expresses Sally’s sense of fun and adventure, and her ability to inspire young people. And who knows—maybe her Doodle will motivate some girl or boy somewhere in the world to become a scientist and adventurer just like Sally.
Sally said it best . . .


Everywhere I go I meet girls and boys who want to be astronauts and explore space, or they love the ocean and want to be oceanographers, or they love animals and want to be zoologists, or they love designing things and want to be engineers. I want to see those same stars in their eyes in 10 years and know they are on their way!

[9A]

26 May 2012
Rafael Escalona's 85th Birthday





Rafael Calixto Escalona Martinez was a Colombian composer and troubadour. He was known for being one of the most prominent vallenato music composers and troubadours of the genre and for being the co-founder of the Vallenato Legend Festival, along with Consuelo Araújo and Alfonso López Michelsen.

He was also a long-time friend of Gabriel García Márquez, who included him in his stories and once told him that his own masterpiece novel, 100 years of solitude, was just a 350-page Vallenato.

Escalona's songs compile the history and stories of the Magdalena Department of the past 20th century. Escalona was an atypical music composer: he does not play any instruments or sing so his songs can in some ways be difficult to analyze. His songs constitute a legacy of a past generation of Colombians in his memory, a pictorial collage, full of grace, that narrates stories, customs and gossips from his region. He also left a legacy of his loves and pains, humour and poetry. In 1991, Caracol TV produced a television series named Escalona, after him.

[9A]

27 May 2012
75th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge

[9A]

1 Jun 2015
Doodle 4 Google 2015 – Vietnam Winner/Children's Day







Today, we are delighted to announce Vietnam’s very first Doodle 4 Google winner: 8-year old Le Hieu from Dong Nai Province, with the doodle “Year of the Goat”.


In Hieu's own words: “The Year of the Goat is here, and the image of the lion dancing with flowers falling from the apricot trees is all I can think of. That is why I want to borrow these symbolic items of Tet to decorate my doodle. This spring, I wish everyone to be happy".

[9A]

1 June 2021
Children's Day 2021 [1 June]

[9A]

1 June 2013
Children's Day 2013 [Russia]

[9A]

1 Jun 2013
Children’s Day 2013 [Poland]

[9A]

4 Jun 2013
Vladislav Gorodetsky's 150th Birthday






Vladislav Gorodetsky Leshek Dezidery or Leszek Władysław Dezydery Horodecki, born 23 May 1863 to Sholudky and died on January 3 , 1930in Tehran , is a Polish architect active in Poland and Russia.

He is called the "Gaudi of Kiev". Already in his lifetime the name of Vladyslav Horodetskiy was covered with many legends and mysteries, his surprising works were not only known around the world, but also very much loved by people. The artistic treasury of the great architect includes multiple constructions, such as temples, palaces, mansions, museums, exhibition pavilions.

He entered the history of architecture as a disciple of the “modern”, the current which has no narrow specialization for the creator. His interest was also aroused by the design of furniture, the making of sketches for wall paintings, sculptures, stained glass, engravings, decoration of books and other art objects. He organically embodied a subtle sense of beauty, a vivid imagination of the painter and an inexhaustible energy of the builder.

[9A]

5 Jun 2013
Federico García Lorca's 115th Birthday





Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca, known as Federico García Lorca,was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director.

García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27, a group consisting of mostly poets who introduced the tenets of European movements into Spanish literature. He was killed by Nationalist forces at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. His remains have never been found.

[9A]

5 June 2019
Jacques Demy’s 88th Birthday







Today’s Doodle celebrates French director Jacques Demy, born in Pont-Château, on this day in 1931.

Demy fell in love with the movies early and longed to tell his own vividly colored visual stories. As part of postwar French cinema’s New Wave, Demy and other members of the movement, known as the Nouvelle Vague, reimagined filmmaking as a personal artistic expression rather than a commercial industry, inspiring a generation of independent auteurs in the process.

As a child, Demy created his own puppet shows and animated home movies before convincing his parents to let him study film in Paris. After two years at France’s Technical School of Photography and Cinematography, he assisted animator Paul Grimault and director Georges Roquier in the 1950s before getting the chance to direct his first feature.

Set in his childhood hometown of Nantes, Lola starred Anouk Aimée as a heartbroken cabaret singer awaiting the return of a lost love. The bittersweet film debuted in 1961. A year later, Demy married Agnès Varda, who would later direct her husband’s life story in the singular biopic Jacquot de Nantes, based in part on his own diaries.

Inspired by American musicals, Demy created a world of his own in wistfully romantic films like Les Demoiselles de Rochefort [The Young Girls of Rochefort], which featured Hollywood legend Gene Kelly, and Les Parapluies de Cherbourg [The Umbrellas of Cherbourg], which put Catherine Deneuve in the spotlight and won the grand prize at the 1964 Cannes Film Festival.

A consummate cinephile and audiovisual craftsman, Demy infused his musicals and fantasies with a documentarian’s eye and a poet’s heart.

Bon anniversaire, Jacques Demy!

[9A]

5 June 2015
Denmark Constitution Day 2015

[9A]

6 Jun 2015
Teacher's Day 2015 [Bolivia]






“A true teacher is one who, keeping the past alive, is also able to understand the present” -Confucius
Teachers are our mentors, friends, and catalysts. They’re the wild, eager sparks that can, with a word, set our passions ablaze. Not quite parents, they nevertheless raise us to be the very best versions of ourselves. And their impressions last lifetimes, as the lessons we’ve learned are passed down to others, like inheritances of wisdom. Today, let’s celebrate teachers, one of the noblest and most selfless of callings, all across Bolivia.

Happy Teacher’s Day!

[9A]

1 July 2020
Celebrating the Litfaßsäule






Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Hamburg-based guest artists Rocket & Wink, celebrates the Litfaßsäule.

These iconic advertising pillars were named after the man who first suggested them, Ernst Litfaß. On this date in 1855, to the fanfare of a live orchestra, Berlin’s very first Litfaßsäule was dedicated at the intersection of Münzstraße and what is today Almstadtstraße.

Before the creation of Litfaßsäule, Berlin had a problem with advertisements—they were scattered all over the city, from walls to fences and everywhere in between. The widespread clutter irked Litfaß, and so the clever printer and publisher proposed these dedicated advertising pillars to be placed on Berlin’s busiest corners and plazas as a more organized alternative.

The city agreed to commission 150 pillars as an official system for paid advertisements, and before long the columns were lined cleanly with eye-catching notices for cultural institutions like theaters and dance halls. The unusual, three-meter-tall fixtures were met with huge popularity among Berlin’s residents. Over the decades, the Litfaßsäule came to serve as a symbol of Berlin, and booklovers may even recognize one from the famous cover of Erich Kästner's 1929 children’s book “Emil and the Detectives.”

Today, there are over 50,000 Litfaßsäule—many like those depicted in the Doodle artwork—in use throughout Germany, and they still serve as a popular and practical advertising channel for local events and small organizations. While many of Berlin’s original pillars have since been removed or replaced by newer models, it’s clear that the Litfaßsäule continue to hold a special place in the hearts of the city’s residents.

Danke to all the Litfaßsäulen that have helped make Berlin such a special place!

[9A]

1 July 2004
Canada Day 2004

[9A]

1 July 2011
Doodle 4 Google 2011 - Poland by Martyna Króliszewska

[9A]

2 Jul 2011
Pedro Paulet's 137th Birthday





Pedro Eleodoro Paulet Mostajo was a Peruvian diplomat who claimed to be the first person to build a liquid-propellant rocket engine and modern rocket propulsion system.

[9A]

5 Jul 2011
Venezuela Independence Day 2011

[9A]

7 October 2017
Begum Akhtar’s 103rd Birthday





Today we celebrate the 103rd birthday of Begum Akhtar — born Aktharibai Faizabadi — one of India’s most iconic singers.

In spite of early personal tragedies, Begum Akhtar’s mother recognized her daughter’s gift at a young age. With the help of family members, she sent her daughter for vocal training with some of the Ustads [masters] of the time. Though her soulful and melancholic voice was featured in many movies, Begum Akhtar ultimately returned to classical music, where she composed many of her own melodies and steeped herself in the rhythm of ghazals.

After marrying, Begum Akhtar gave up singing. However in 1949, deteriorating health drew her back to her calling. Weeping tears of jubilation, she finally returned to a Lucknow studio to record and continued to share her gift with the world until her death in 1974. Her rich voice was comforting, particularly during the years India underwent upheaval caused by partition.

With nearly 400 songs to her credit, Begum Akhtar’s legacy shines on in the musical traditions she loved over her lifetime.

Guest artist Doodle created by Manuja Waldia.

[9A]

26 February 2017
Mihri Müşfik Hanım's 131st Birthday





As a princess, a painter, and a portraitist, Mihri Müşfik Hanım wore many hats in her lifetime.

Hanım established herself as the first contemporary Turkish female artist, and was known mostly for her portraiture. Born in Istanbul in the Anchabadze dynasty to a royal family, Hanım took an early interest in literature, music, and painting. Her father was an anatomy specialist and a well-known instructor in the Military School of Medicine, and it’s believed that he had a strong influence on her artistic pursuits.

Hanım took private lessons in painting, and eventually moved to Rome and Paris, in hopes of immersing herself in art circles. In Paris, Hanım was introduced to Cevit Bey, the Ottoman Minister of Finance. Bey saw Hanım’s talent and sent a recommendation to the Minister of Education to have her appointed as an art teacher at the Istanbul Teachers’ Training School for Girls in 1913. A year later, Hanım was hired as the director and a fine arts instructor. Throughout her career, she also painted portraits of important figures such as Pope Benedict XV.

Today, we remember Hanım and her incredible contributions to art on what would be her 131st birthday.

[9A]

30 May 2019
2019 ICC Cricket World Cup Begins!






Over 100 players, 10 teams, but only one cup.

Today’s Doodle celebrates the International Cricket Council’s 2019 World Cup, which opens at the Oval in London.​

Taking place every four years, the Cricket World Cup is the world’s leading contest in one-day cricket, and has become one of the most popular sporting events on the planet. Ten teams earn their chance to compete for the cup through a qualifying process that takes five to six years. This year’s round robin will be hosted in England and Wales.

Now England’s official national sport, it is said that cricket began as a children’s game in the Weald of rural England. Cricket spread to North America by the 17th century, eventually arriving in the British colonies of the West Indies, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa and has since spread around the world.

The world’s first international cricket match, between Canada and the United States, took place in 1844. The first World Cup tournament was held in 1975, won by the West Indies team, who repeated the feat in 1979. This year’s defending champions are Australia, a perennial powerhouse that has won five of the eleven cups.

No matter how heated the competition may get, cricket is highly respected for maintaining high standards of fair play and good sportsmanship. Hence the phrase “It’s just not cricket,” which describes anything considered unfair.

May the best team win!

[9A]

30 May 2013
Potato Day 2013




The year 2008 was declared theInternational Year of the Potatoby the United Nations, noting that the potato is a staple food in the diet of the world's population, and affirming the need to focus world attention on the role that the potato can play in providing food security and eradicating poverty.Food and Agriculture Organization was invited to facilitate its implementation.

The corresponding resolution adopted on 25 November 2005 by the Food and Agriculture Organization, which was to facilitate the implementation of the year, affirmed "the need to revive public awareness of the relationship that exists between poverty, food security, malnutrition and the potential contribution of the potato to defeating hunger."

This was one of many international observances declared for specific days, months and years. The year 2008 was shared with the International Year of Sanitation.

It was hoped that International Year designation would do for the potato what the International Year of Rice [2004] did for that food staple, namely, inspire exhibits, educational programs, films, publications and greater public awareness of multi-national efforts on behalf of our food resources. The year 2008 was also designated the National Year of the Potato in Peru.

[9A]

30 May 2012
Peter Carl Fabergé's 166th Birthday







An artist whose ornate sensibility earned him royal regard, Peter Carl Fabergé is a jeweler worthy of a doodle! Best known for his intricate eggs, Fabergé caught the attention of the Russian court. The Tsar commissioned eggs from him every year, and each time he crafted gems that were more surprising and florid than the previous. With such a reputation, he even represented his home country in the 1900 World's Fair in Paris.

His discriminating eye did not stop at detail, he and his studio were also perfectionists. Perhaps in the spirit of finding just the right composition to celebrate Fabergé's birthday, I went through numerous positions/designs for this doodle:








And with that, we'd like to wish Peter Carl Fabergé a decadent 166th birthday!

[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]

5 July 2018
Venezuela Independence Day 2018





From the beaches of Margarita Island to the villages of the Andes mountains, Venezuela National Day is celebrated with fireworks and most importantly, family. Today’s Doodle celebrates Venezuela’s festive culture with a couple in traditional garb dancing the joropo.

A lively dance derived from the Spanish fandango, joropo developed into a distinctly Venezuelan fusion of South American and Caribbean influences. Widely considered Venezuela’s national dance, the joropo is usually accompanied by stringed instruments — guitars, harps, and the cuatro — a four-stringed Venezuelan guitar played by cuatristas.

Dancing joropo on this day also comes in handy to work off the calories from feasting on some of the country’s traditional dishes including: arepas, plantains, griddled white cheese, and the national dish: pabellon criollo — beans, rice, plantains, and spicy shredded beef with an egg on top. On Independence Day it’s often plated to look just like the national flag!

¡Feliz día de la independencia, Venezuela!

[9A]

5 July 2016
Carmen Costa’s 96th Birthday





Throughout the years, the voice of Afro-Brazilian singer Carmen Costa has reverberated from radios, record players, boomboxes and more, with songs such as "Está Chegando A Hora," living on as a festival anthem. Beginning her music career in her late teens in the early 1940s, Costa went on to share the stage with some of the most respected samba and bossa nova artists and musicians of the 20th century. She also spent time touring and living in the U.S. where she appeared in film and produced a long list of hit records.

Born in Rio de Janeiro on July 5th 1920, today’s Doodle celebrates what would have been Costa’s 96th birthday.

[9A]

5 July 2020
Hwang Hye-seong's 100th birthday





Today’s Doodle celebrates the 100th birthday of Korean professor and culinary researcher Hwang Hye-seong. Hwang is widely credited with the preservation and popularization of the traditions of Korean royal cuisine that evolved for hundreds of years under the Joseon Dynasty.

Born on this day in 1920, Hwang Hye-seong attended high school in Fukuoka, Japan before returning to Korea to pursue a career in education. She went on to become a professor of gastronomy and took an interest in the little-studied field of Korean royal court cuisine.

Hwang’s studies brought her to the Nakseonjae complex in Seoul, the home of the last living queen of the Joseon Dynasty. There, she met Han Hui-sun, the only remaining court lady who had worked in the royal kitchen.

Dedicated to the protection of the Joseon traditions against the sands of time, Hwang spent decades learning from Han. She scrupulously documented nearly everything there was to know about the royal culinary practices under the dynasty, from the arrangement of table-setting—a process depicted in today's Doodle—to the terminology used by the royal family. Thanks to Hwang’s efforts, in 1970, the South Korean government named the royal cuisine of the Joseon Dynasty an Important Intangible Cultural Property, and in 1973 Hwang was honored as its official skill holder.

Today, Hwang’s passion has been carried on by her four children, all of whom followed her footsteps into culinary careers.

[9A]

5 July 2008
Tour de France 2008




The Tour de France is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours [the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España], it consists of 21 day-long stages over the course of 23 days.

The race was first organized in 1903 to increase sales for the newspaper L'Auto and is currently run by the Amaury Sport Organisation. The race has been held annually since its first edition in 1903 except when it was stopped for the two World Wars.

[9A]

10 August 2017
Ecuador National Day 2017






The people of Quito, Ecuador declared independence from Spain 208 years ago today. While the city of Quito was relatively small at the time, this declaration laid the foundation for sovereignty for the entire country.

Today, we celebrate Ecuador National Day with a Doodle that features the awe-inspiring Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve – a national park and biodiversity hotspot that’s nearly twice the size of Rhode Island!

If you want to explore the reserve for yourself, you’ll need a boat: the reserve’s forest is submerged in water for two-thirds of the year. This mix of lagoons, swamps, and dry land creates an incredibly diverse ecosystem with over 500 species of birds, 12 species of monkeys, and countless other animals. It’s also just one of 45 protected areas throughout Ecuador, emphasizing the country’s commitment to preserving nature.

In the cities of Ecuador – and especially Quito – the streets come alive during the month of August, celebrating the country’s independence with with parades, concerts, and cultural exhibitions.
Happy National Day, Ecuador!

[9A]

3 October 2017
Gerardo Murillo's [Dr. Atl] 142nd Birthday








Today's Doodle celebrates "Dr. Atl," born Gerardo Murillo in Guadalajara in 1875.

In a time of revolution and renaissance, Murillo greatly influenced Mexico’s political and cultural identity. He was an activist, artist, writer, journalist, and overall cultural leader.

Murillo pioneered the idea of artistic nationalism. To show his pride in his Mexican heritage, he took on the name "Atl," meaning water in Náhuatl. He worked his entire life to promote Native Mexican culture, writing extensively on folk art, music, and dance.

Murillo loved nature, and in volcanoes, he found his greatest inspiration. He frequently hiked to Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, living and painting on the volcanic slopes for weeks at a time. In 1943, he witnessed the birth of Paricutín and documented the experience in his book Cómo nace y crece un volcán, el Paricutín [How a Volcano Is Born and Grows – Paricutín].

For his contributions to the artistic and cultural heritage of Mexico, he was awarded the Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor and the National Arts Award.

Today’s Doodle, by artist Julian Ardila, depicts Murillo painting one of his beloved volcanoes.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Dr. Atl!

[9A]

3 October 2011
German Reunification Day 2011

[9A]

3 October 2019
180th Anniversary of the First Italian Railroad Inauguration






On this day in 1839, a steam locomotive called Vesuvio pulled an eight-carriage train from Portici to Naples, inaugurating the first Italian Railroad. Today’s Doodle celebrates the historic event that ushered a new era in transportation and put Italy on the fast track to unification.

Departing at noon, the train completed the four-and-a-half-mile journey to Naples in less than 10 minutes, carrying passengers including King Ferdinand II of Bourbon, King of the Two Sicilies—or Regno delle Due Sicilie as Naples and Sicily were then known—as well as the French engineer Armando Giuseppe Bayard de la Vingtrie, whom King Ferdinand hired to construct the railway.

More than 85,000 passengers rode the line during the following two months, proving that there was public demand. In years to come, new ferrovie [or “iron ways”] were laid down, connecting the capital city of Naples to Caserta in the north as far south as Salerno.

When Vesuvio made its maiden voyage, the Italian peninsula was still divided territory—but the establishment of railways helped to unite the Kingdom of Italy. By the time of unification in 1861, over 1400 miles of railway crisscrossed the country. The new government expanded the national railway network, and by 1875, some 5,600 miles [about 9,012 kilometers] of track connected most of Italy’s major cities. In years to come railways would provide a means of transporting perishable food in refrigerated cars, facilitating trade between regions.

Trains have played a vital role in Italian history and culture, inspiring art from folk songs to posters, showing the profound impact of train travel.

Tutti a bordo!

[9A]

3 October 2014
German Reunification Day 2014






It’s true what they say, some things are better together. In Germany, our homepage honors the 24th anniversary of East and West Germany’s reunification.

Guest doodled by Jens Bonnke, who had this to say about the occasion:

From my personal view, it has been a true stroke of luck in history that not a single person had to die in these turbulent times before, during and after the fall of the wall until the reunification in 1990. What better reason could exist to have this holiday?

[9A]

3 October 2016
German Reunification Day 2016



On this day in 1990, East Germany and West Germany officially joined together as one for the first time since 1945. Though the Berlin Wall separating the two countries fell in 1989, it wasn't until 1990 that East and West Germany signed a treaty to re-unify and on October 3, East Germany formally joined West Germany.

To celebrate the Day of German Unity, festivals are held all over the country, with traditional food, drink, concerts, and horse racing. In addition to a large celebration at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the headquarters of German Unity Day change every year. The headquarters of the celebration always takes place in the state home of the current president of the Bundesrat, the legislative body of Germany. This year, Saxony hosts the celebration.

The artist collective WRK collaborated with the Doodle Team today to celebrate the union of East and West Germany. The colors of the German flag come together today, as the country comes together to commemorate this unity.

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21 January 2018
Eua Sunthornsanan’s 108th Birthday





Today, we celebrate Eua Sunthornsanan, or “Khru Eua,” the prolific composer and musician behind such popular Thai songs as “Ram Wong Wan Songkran” and “Loy Krathong” and the man credited with pioneering a style of Thai music that struck a chord around the world.

Born on this day in 1910, Sunthornsanan started playing violin in an orchestra at nine years old. The young musician learned the instrument at a primary school in Bangkok and later sharpened his skills in harmony and arrangement at music school.

While playing in a big band for the government’s Performance Department, Sunthornsanan noticed the band’s concerts drew far bigger crowds than classical performances. His eclectic musical upbringing led him to experiment with different styles, mixing jazz and Westernized classical music with more traditional Thai classical music to create the romantic style that would earn him international acclaim. With the Suntaraporn band, one of the most prominent Thai big bands, he composed more than 2,000 songs.

On what would’ve been the musician’s 108th birthday, today’s Doodle depicts Sunthornsanan performing one of his lively compositions.

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21 January 2010
Grandparent's Day 2010 - Poland

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21 January 2009
Grandparents' Day 2009 - Poland

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21 January 2013
Emma Gad's 161th Birthday





Emma Gad born Emma Halkier, was a Danish writer and socialite who wrote plays and books that were often satirical. Although she was a prolific writer, many of her works fell into obscurity after her death. One work that remained popular was Takt og Tone, a book of etiquette she wrote in old age.

She received a gold Medal of Merit in 1905. Today her plays are preserved in Denmark's Royal Library.

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23 Jan 2013
Andrija Mohorovičić's 156th Birthday




Andrija Mohorovičić was a Croatian geophysicist. He is best known for the eponymous Mohorovičić discontinuity and is considered as one of the founders of modern seismology.

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26 Jan 2013
Australia Day 2013

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30 Jan 2013
Leonid Gaidai's 90th Birthday




Leonid Iovich Gaidai was a Soviet and Russian comedy film director who enjoyed immense popularity and broad public recognition in the former Soviet Union. His films broke theatre attendance records and were some of the top-selling DVDs in Russia. He has been described as "the king of Soviet comedy".

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31 Jan 2013
Jackie Robinson's 94th Birthday





Jack Roosevelt Robinson [January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972] was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball [MLB] in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. When the Dodgers signed Robinson, it heralded the end of racial segregation in professional baseball that had relegated black players to the Negro leagues since the 1880s. Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

During his 10-year MLB career, Robinson won the inaugural Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, was an All-Star for six consecutive seasons from 1949 through 1954, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949—the first black player so honored. Robinson played in six World Series and contributed to the Dodgers' 1955 World Series championship.

In 1997, MLB retired his uniform number 42 across all major league teams; he was the first professional athlete in any sport to be so honored. MLB also adopted a new annual tradition, "Jackie Robinson Day", for the first time on April 15, 2004, on which every player on every team wears No. 42.

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20 July 2020
Tatyana Lioznova’s 96th birthday







Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Moscow-based guest artist Sveta Mullari, celebrates Russian director, screenwriter, and professor Tatyana Lioznova on her 96th Birthday. Lioznova was widely known for the beloved 1973 spy thriller television series “Seventeen Moments of Spring,” and through her work explored themes like alienation and perseverance, often inspired by her personal life.

Tatyana Lioznova was born in the Russian capital of Moscow on this day in 1924 and went on to graduate from the world’s oldest film school, the All-Union State University of Cinematography, or VGIK.

Lioznova broke new ground as a female director, a rare profession for women in Russia at the time.

She made her directorial debut in 1958 with “The Memory of the Heart” and saw nationwide success with the 1967 romance “Three Poplars at Plyushchikha.” Lioznova reached new heights of fame with her hugely popular 12-part series “Seventeen Moments of Spring.” The series—which inspired the Doodle artwork on Lioznova’s right side—takes place during World War II and follows protagonist Maxim Isayev, a fictional Soviet spy often compared to his British counterpart James Bond.

Referenced on the left side of the artwork is Lioznova’s 1982 hit film “Carnival,” a musical comedy she both wrote and directed.

Lioznova also returned to her alma mater VGIK and taught workshops on acting and directing to a new generation of Russian filmmakers. In honor of her contributions to Russian cinema, Lioznova was named a People’s Artist of the USSR in 1984.

Thank you, Tatyana Lioznova, for entertaining the world through the unique lens of Russian culture.