Google doodles

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Nov 13, 2015
Dorothea Christiane Erxleben's 300th Birthday







Throughout her life, Dorothea Christiane Erxleben advocated for women's rights and maintained the unwavering conviction that women should be allowed to—and ought to—pursue an education. After receiving a dispensation from Frederick the Great, Erxleben earned her M.D. from University of Halle in 1754, the first woman in Germany’s history to do so!

Happy 300th birthday, Dr. Erxleben!

[9A]

Nov 1, 2008
Dia de los Muertos / Day of the Dead 2008

[9A]

Nov 8, 2011
Edmond Halley's 355th Birthday







Edmond [or Edmund] Halley, was an English astronomer, geophysicist, mathematician, meteorologist, and physicist. He was the second Astronomer Royal in Britain, succeeding John Flamsteed in 1720.

From an observatory he constructed on Saint Helena in 1676–77, Halley catalogued the southern celestial hemisphere and recorded a transit of Mercury across the Sun. He realised that a similar transit of Venus could be used to determine the distances between Earth, Venus, and the Sun. Upon his return to England, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society, and with the help of King Charles II, was granted a master's degree from Oxford.

Halley encouraged and helped fund the publication of Isaac Newton's influential Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica [1687]. From observations Halley made in September 1682, he used Newton's laws of motion to compute the periodicity of Halley's Comet in his 1705 Synopsis of the Astronomy of Comets. It was named after him upon its predicted return in 1758, which he did not live to see.

Beginning in 1698, Halley made sailing expeditions and made observations on the conditions of terrestrial magnetism. In 1718, he discovered the proper motion of the "fixed" stars.

[9A]

Dec 2, 2013
Carlos Merida's 122nd Birthday






Carlos Mérida was a Guatemalan artist who was one of the first to fuse European modern painting to Latin American themes, especially those related to Guatemala and Mexico. He was part of the Mexican muralism movement in subject matter but less so in style, favoring a non-figurative and later geometric style rather than a figurative, narrative style. Mérida is best known for canvas and mural work, the latter including elements such as glass and ceramic mosaic on major constructions in the 1950s and 1960s.

[9A]

December 16, 2010
Jane Austen's 235th Birthday





Jane Austen was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots often explore the dependence of women on marriage in the pursuit of favourable social standing and economic security. Her works critique the novels of sensibility of the second half of the 18th century and are part of the transition to 19th-century literary realism. Her use of biting irony, along with her realism, humour, and social commentary, have long earned her acclaim among critics, scholars, and popular audiences alike.

[9A]

December 13, 2016
Türkan Saylan’s 81st Birthday

“You, my dear daughter, stop asking yourself, ‘Why am I born a girl?’ and aim at becoming the best you can be.”

Türkan Saylan, one of Turkey’s first female dermatologists and a champion of women’s rights, wrote these words to the young girls of her native country. The message, which was part of a book she authored, perfectly describes her approach to life.

As a young doctor in the 1970s, Saylan played a lead role in the battle against leprosy. She helped to found both the Turkish Leprosy Relief Association and the International Leprosy Union. She also served as a consultant on the disease for the World Health Organization. Later, she shifted her focus to another cause: bringing education to impoverished young girls. And in 1989, she helped start the Association to Support Contemporary Life, an organization that has built hundreds of schools in rural areas and awarded more than 60,000 scholarships.

Showing Saylan in her lab coat with several young girls in tow, today’s Doodle pays tribute to her incredible life’s work on what would’ve been her 81st birthday.

[9A]

September 10, 2018
Professor Dorothy Hill’s 111th Birthday






“I couldn’t really see why a woman couldn’t run a university,” said Dorothy Hill, the trailblazing Australian geologist and paleontologist who became president of the Professorial Board at her alma mater, the University of Queensland, in 1971. A pioneer in her field, Hill was the first woman to become a professor at any Australian university as well as the first female president of the Australian Academy of Science.

After studying chemistry in at university, Hill took an early interest in the geology of coral. After graduating with honours, she won a scholarship to earn her PhD at Cambridge University, where she published papers on the structure and morphology of coral and earned a pilot’s license in her spare time. In 1939, Hill worked with the Geological Survey of Queensland studying early core samples of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

Following the war, Hill continued to win prestigious accolades, becoming president of the Royal Society of Queensland, Chairman of the Geological Society of Australia, Queensland Division, and the first female fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1956. She edited the Journal of the Geological Society of Australia and published more than 100 research papers in various respected journals. In 1964, Hill was awarded the Lyell Medal for scientific research and became the first Australian woman to be a Fellow of the Royal Society of London.

Professor Hill retired from the University in late 1972, returning to research her landmark Bibliography and Index of Australian Paleozoic Coral, whichwas published in 1978. A Dorothy Hill chair in Paleontology and Stratigraphy was endowed in her honor, and the Australian Academy of Sciences now bestows the Dorothy Hill Award for female researchers in earth sciences. Her colleagues at the University of Queensland created a 3D model of her rock hammer for an exhibition at the School of Earth Sciences. Her name was also given to numerous species of invertebrate fossils, including Acanthastrea hillae, Australomya hillae, Filiconcha hillae, and Reticulofenestra hillae.

Born on this day in 1907, Professor Hill’s accomplishments inspire countless other young women to pursue careers in academia. Today’s Doodle celebrates the intrepid field researcher, scholar and inspirational role model for future generations.

[9A]

September 2, 2016
Vietnam National Day 2016





Crowds gathered in Ba Đình Square on September 2nd, 1945, as revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh, delivered his historic speech to announce Vietnam’s Declaration of Independence from colonial French rule. Every year, Vietnamese people celebrate National Day by displaying the distinctive red and yellow national flag and with colorful patriotic marches and fireworks.

Today’s Doodle depicts a lotus, which is Vietnam’s national flower. To many people, including Buddhists, it’s a symbol of perfection and purity. During its flowering season, you can easily spot, and often smell, the colorful blooms on ponds across Vietnam. Much of the plant, such as the stem, seeds, and leaves can be used in cooking, plus some parts are also used for natural remedies.

Happy National Day, Vietnam.

[9A]

Sep 1, 2016
34th Anniversary of Similan Islands National Park







Today’s Doodle takes you under the stunning waters of Thailand’s Similan Islands. Located northwest of Phuket in the Andaman Sea, the archipelago of 11 islands is famous for its breathtaking dives. Sea turtles, zebra sharks, and blue-spotted stingrays are just a few of the species an underwater adventurer might encounter.

Equally as inviting as the coral reefs are the park’s white sandy beaches. From there, long-tail boats can be spotted navigating the waters against a backdrop of ironwood and gum trees. Also fluttering above sea level, a number of feathered species call the islands home — everything from white-bellied eagles to yellow-browed warblers.

Rich in both wildlife and natural beauty, the Similan Islands were named a national park 34 years ago today. Now it’s time to dive in and celebrate!

[9A]

September 1, 2020
Celebrating Dr. Harold Moody






Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Dublin-based guest artist Charlot Kristensen, celebrates Jamaican-born British doctor, racial equality campaigner, and founder of the U.K.'s first civil rights movement Dr. Harold Moody. On this day in 1904, Dr. Moody arrived in the U.K. from Jamaica to pursue his medical studies at King’s College London. Alongside his medical work, he dedicated his life to campaigning for racial equality and advocating against discrimination.

Harold Arundel Moody was born on October 8, 1882, in the Jamaican capital of Kingston. He received early exposure to the medical field while in secondary school through his work for his father’s pharmaceutical business. Determined to become a doctor, he left Jamaica in 1904 to study medicine in London.

Dr. Moody soon came face-to-face with rampant racism in Edwardian London. Even though he qualified to practice medicine, finished top of his class, and won numerous academic prizes, he was repeatedly refused work due to the color bar system that denied people opportunities based on race. Instead, he opened his own private medical practice in Peckham, South East London—the neighborhood that inspired the design of the buildings situated below Dr. Moody in today’s Doodle. The children depicted represent the countless impoverished youth Dr. Moody would treat free of charge, in a time before the U.K. had a National Health Service. In doing so, Dr. Moody earned a reputation as a compassionate humanitarian and philanthropist who would always help those in need.

Dr. Moody’s determination to improve the lives of those around him wasn’t limited to his medical practice—he simultaneously focused his attention on combating racial injustice as well. He founded the League of Coloured Peoples in 1931 with the mission to fight for racial equality both in the U.K. and around the world. The group pushed for change, at a government level, to combat discrimination in its many forms.


Thank you, Dr. Moody, for paving the way towards a more equal future.

[9A]

September 1, 2020
Aya Kōda’s 116th Birthday





Today’s Doodle, illustrated by guest artist Yuko Shimizu, celebrates the 116th birthday of Japanese novelist, essayist, and feminist Aya Kōda, widely revered as one of the most luminary Japanese authors of her time. Kōda’s writing eloquently explored topics like familial relationships, gender roles, and traditional Japanese culture, and she came to be closely associated with the appearance of the kimono in her work.

Aya Kōda was born on this day in 1904 in the Japanese capital of Tokyo. Her father, Rohan Kōda, was one of Japan’s most esteemed authors, and Kōda began her writing career at age 43 with an essay about him for a literary journal.

In the 1940s and ‘50s, Kōda honed her captivating style through a series of similarly autobiographical essays that chronicled her life with the eccentric Rohan. Despite her unexpected literary success, she stopped writing for several months to work as a maid at a geisha house. Kōda’s experience among the kimono-clad women there inspired her 1955 debut novel “Nagareru” [“Flowing”], which is cited as a critical turning point in her career.

Today’s Doodle artwork depicts Kōda dressed in a kimono, a subject she examined so frequently that her first 1958-’59 essay collection featured covers made of hand-stitched kimono fabric. In the background of the Doodle artwork is the Horinji Temple found in Japan’s Nara prefecture. The Kōda family had strong ties to pagodas, and when a fire caused by lightning burnt down the original Horinji Temple in 1944, Kōda raised money that helped fund its 1970s reconstruction. Kōda went on to produce a prolific body of work, much of which can be found in her 23-volume, career-spanning collection published from 1994-’97.

Happy birthday, Aya Kōda, and thank you for sharing the fabric of Japanese culture with the world!

[9A]

May 29, 2018
Nepal Republic Day 2018






In today’s Doodle, one of the rose-gold peaks of the Himalayas rises through the clouds in honor of Nepal’s 11th National Republic Day. The holiday commemorates the country becoming a federal democratic republic on May 28, 2008, ending 239 years of monarchy.

Republic Day, also called Ganatantra Diwas, is celebrated throughout Nepal and around the world. Typically, a parade held in Tundikhel—a wide, open space in the heart of Nepal’s capital city Kathmandu—is chief among the celebrations. In years past, government officials have released pigeons, a sign of peace, from the Army Pavilion. Army helicopters splashed with the Republic flag sprinkled flower petals from the sky. The Nepal Army, Nepal Police, and the Armed Police Force marched with artists, musicians, and karatekas [practitioners of karate], displaying different aspects of Nepal’s myriad cultures and traditions.

Today, we wish Nepalis everywhere a happy Ganatantra Diwas with the country’s colorful prayer flags and magnificent mountains—a symbol of national pride.

Doodle by Vrinda V Zaveri

[9A]

Dec 3, 2011
Nino Rota's 100th Birthday




Giovanni Rota Rinaldi, better known as Nino Rota , was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor and academic who is best known for his film scores, notably for the films of Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti. He also composed the music for two of Franco Zeffirelli's Shakespeare films, and for the first two films of Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather trilogy, earning the Academy Award for Best Original Score for The Godfather Part II [1974].

[9A]

Sep 2, 2018
Vietnam National Day 2018






Rising from beneath the water to open at dawn, the fragrant lotus seen in today’s Doodle is the national flower of Vietnam. A symbol of hope, the pink and white blossom is also associated with purity—which is woven into Vietnamese culture, medicine, architecture, and cuisine. The traditional Lotus Dance dates back to the 1600s, when it was performed in royal palaces celebrating the birth of Buddha. The archways over Ho Chi Minh City’s Nguyen Hue Boulevard are giant neon lotus flowers, and many Vietnamese dishes include lotus root slices.

In cities and towns all over Vietnam, friends and family get together in celebration of National Day. Parties and festivities occur all over the Southeast Asian country today, with large celebrations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The warm summer weather provides an ideal setting for people to enjoy their country’s cultural and natural riches – from food to flowers.

Happy National Day, Vietnam!

[9A]

September 1, 2011
Tarsila do Amaral's 125th Birthday







Besides the 230 paintings, hundreds of drawings, illustrations, prints, murals, and five sculptures, Tarsila's legacy is her effect on the direction of Latin American art. Tarsila moved modernism forward in Latin America, and developed a style unique to Brazil. Following her example, other Latin American artists were influenced to begin utilizing indigenous Brazilian subject matter, and developing their own style. The Amaral Crater on Mercury is named after her.

In 2018 MoMA opened a solo exhibition of her work.

[9A]

Oct 27, 2020
Dr. Stamen Grigorov’s 142nd Birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates the 142nd birthday of Bulgarian physician and microbiologist Dr. Stamen Grigorov, the first scientist to discover the bacterium essential to the fermentation of yogurt. Grigorov also contributed to the development of the world’s first tuberculosis vaccine.

Stamen Grigorov was born on this day in 1878 in the village of Studen Izvor, located in the Trun region of western Bulgaria. Passionate about science from a young age, he went on to earn a doctorate from the Medical University of Geneva, Switzerland. Following his wedding in 1904, Grigorov returned to the university to work as a research assistant.

As a reminder of home, Grigorov’s wife gifted him with some Bulgarian culinary staples, including yogurt. Intrigued by yogurt’s reputed health benefits, Grigorov decided to inspect it under a microscope. Following thousands of experiments, in 1905 he finally found what he was looking for: the rod-shaped microorganism that causes yogurt’s fermentation. The bacterium was later renamed Lactobacillus bulgaricus in honor of Grigorov’s home country.

Later that year, Grigorov took a position as chief physician at a local hospital in his hometown of Trun. In 1906, he released a groundbreaking paper demonstrating the first use of penicillin fungi against tuberculosis. He continued this research and worked as a doctor throughout the rest of his life, saving thousands of lives along the way.

In honor of Grigorov’s legacy, his home village of Studen Izvor today houses one of the world’s only museums of yogurt.

Честит Рожден ден, Dr. Grigorov!

[9A]

[Thought some of you might enjoy this. It was posted a few months ago. Fun to play with.]

CHROME MUSIC LAB

https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/About

What is Chrome Music Lab?

Chrome Music Lab is a website that makes learning music more accessible through fun, hands-on experiments.

What can it be used for?

Many teachers have been using Chrome Music Lab as a tool in their classrooms to explore music and its connections to science, math, art, and more. They’ve been combining it with dance and live instruments. Here’s a collection of some uses we’ve found on Twitter.

Can I use it to make my own songs?

Yes. Check out the Song Maker experiment, which lets you make and share your own songs.

Do I need to make an account?

Nope. Just open any experiment and start playing.

Here’s a collection of some uses we’ve found on Twitter.

[9A]

November 17, 2016
Elisabeth "Ellis" Kaut's 96th Birthday




Who's that little goblin lighting the birthday cake? The impish Pumuckl, created by Elisabeth "Ellis" Kaut, has been playfully causing mischief since 1962. Pumuckl is a kobold, a kind of sprite based in German folklore. He constantly gets into trouble but never intends any real harm. Kaut, who would be 96 today, wrote more than 100 Pumuckl stories. She received several awards and honors for her work, including the prestigious Bavarian Poetentaler literary award.

Today's Doodle was created by Barbara von Johnson, who became the primary Pumuckl illustrator in Kaut's books after winning a competition at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts in 1963.

[9A]

November 17, 2005
Doodle 4 Google 2005 - UK by Lisa Wainaina








The Day of the Child, drawn by 11-year-old Lisa Wainaina.

[9A]

Jun 4, 2014
Alejandro Obregon's 93rd Birthday





Our doodle in Colombie today draws inspiration from the work of painter Alejandro Obregon for what would be his 93rd birthday. Recognized as one of Colombia’s top painters, Obregon’s style is noted for its use of color and geometric forms.

Doodler Betsy Bauer found it both fun and challenging learning to emulate Obregon’s style. “While his work is abstract, you can still find specific forms throughout his pieces. His paint strokes and color choices are bold… I hope to have done his work justice!”

[9A]

Jun 4, 2014
25th anniversary of first free elections in Poland

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May 30, 2014
35th Anniversary of Nezha Conquers the Dragon King





Our homepage in Hong Kong and Taiwan marks the 35th anniversary of Nezha Conquers the Dragon King. A source of pride in China, Nezha was the first Chinese-language animated film to be screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

[9A]

May 30, 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]

May 28, 2021
Celebrating Carolina Beatriz Ângelo




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

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

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

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

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

[9A]

October 16, 2017
Olaudah Equiano’s 272nd Birthday





Born in Nigeria, African writer and abolitionist Olaudah Equiano was sold into slavery as a boy. He braved the harsh conditions of the Middle Passage to the Caribbean and lived to tell his story.

Equiano was a seafarer, often working for captains and merchants. When given the chance to read and write, he learned swiftly. Equiano moved up the ranks, gaining rare promotions to seaman, then merchant. He carefully saved his earnings from side trades over the course of 3 years, eventually earning enough to buy his freedom.

Once a free man, Equiano published his memoir, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, which became one of the earliest bestsellers by an African author. The book detailed his life, travels, and the slave trade, helping to sway public opinion against slavery. He also founded Sons of Africa, an anti-slavery organization consisting of leaders in London’s black community, and gave lectures to the public and politicians.

Change due to Equiano’s efforts would come a decade after his death with the passing of Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in 1807.

As the UK celebrates Black History Month, we wish a Happy 272nd Birthday to Olaudah Equiano!

[9A]

October 16, 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]

March 31, 2017
Sergei Diaghilev’s 145th Birthday





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

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

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

Doodle by Sophie Diao

[9A]

June 4, 2013
Vladislav Gorodetsky's 150th Birthday





Vladislav Gorodetsky Leshek Dezidery or Leszek Władysław Dezydery Horodecki, born 23 May 1863 [ June 4 , 1863 in the Gregorian calendar ] 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 windows, 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]

May 30, 2021
Children's Day 2021 [May 30]

[9A]

May 28, 2019Dorina Nowill’s 100th Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates the 100th birthday of Brazilian educator and advocate Dorina de Gouvêa Nowill, whose tireless efforts made Brazil more responsive to the needs of visually impaired.

An unfortunate illness left Nowill blind at the age of 17. As the first blind student to enroll in a regular school in São Paulo, she found it difficult to find the books she needed. As a result, she began advocating for all students’ access to culture and information. Becoming a teacher at her alma mater, Nowill implemented training for education of the blind and won a scholarship to further her studies at Columbia University in the United States. In 1946 she and some friends established the Foundation for the Book of the Blind in Brazil with the country’s first large Braille press, enlisting volunteers to transcribe various publications.

After working to found the Department of Special Education for the Blind, Nowill helped pass a law guaranteeing blind people’s right to an education. Such accomplishments led to new opportunities on a wider scale. Elected president of the World Council of the Blind in 1979, she went on to speak at the United Nations General Assembly and campaigned for the creation of the Latin American Union of the Blind.

Having won numerous philanthropic awards, Nowill’s legacy lives on in the work of her nonprofit organization, Fundação Dorina Nowill, which prints braille editions for Brazil’s Ministry of Education as well as everything from menus to airline safety cards. The foundation also distributes audio and digitally accessible books to schools and libraries all over Brazil, ensuring the just and inclusive society that Dorina Nowill foresaw.

Happy birthday, Dorina Nowill!

[9A]

March 31, 2013
Cesar Chavez's 86th Birthday





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

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

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

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

[9A]

May 5, 2019
Stanislaw Moniuszko’s 200th Birthday





Today’s Doodle by Warsaw-based illustrator Gosia Herba honors Stanisław Moniuszko, the Polish musician, composer, conductor, and teacher. Born on May 5, 1819, Moniuszko went on to become director of the Warsaw Opera House where he premiered many of his own works, including one of the most beloved operas in Polish history.

After being taught music by his mother as a child, Moniuszko was sent to study harmony, counterpoint, instrumentation, and conducting with the director of the Singakademie Music Society. There, he decided to become a composer, with a special interest in the human voice.

While working as an organist in Wilno, Moniuszko began writing his songbook, Śpiewnik Domowy [Home Songbook], publishing the first of 12 volumes in 1843. During a trip to Warsaw, he met the poet Włodzimierz Wolski, who’d written a libretto for an opera named Halka, based on a Polish folk story. Moniuszko composed the music, drawing inspiration from traditional Polish dance music known as polonaises and mazurkas. Halka premiered in Wilno in 1848 and later traveled to Prague, Moscow, and St. Petersburg. Expanded to four acts in 1858, the opera was hailed as a Polish cultural treasure, making Moniuszko a national hero.

A statue of Moniuszko stands outside Warsaw’s Opera House to this day, and his legacy lives on in The Stanislaw Moniuszko Music Academy in Gdansk. An international vocal competition in his name also takes place every three years. In it, finalists compete for a chance to sing with Poland’s National Opera on the stage where Moniuszko’s legend began.

[9A]

March 26, 2019
Bangladesh Independence Day 2019





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

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

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

Joy Bangla!

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Mar 26, 2013
Bangladesh Independence Day 2013






The Independence Day of Bangladesh, taking place on 26 March, is a national holiday. It commemorates the country's declaration of independence from Pakistan in the early hours of 26 March 1971.

[9A]

February 28, 2019
Trịnh Công Sơn's 80th Birthday






Today’s Doodle celebrates the life and legacy of Trịnh Công Sơn, a prolific and powerful Vietnamese musician, songwriter, poet, and painter.

Born in Đắk Lắk in Vietnam’s central highlands on this day in 1939, Sơn was raised in a Buddhist family by parents who both wrote poetry. His father was imprisoned for several years during Sơn’s youth in the capital city of Buôn Ma Thuột for his vocal resistance to the Vietnamese War. In fact, around the age of 10, Sơn spent a year living with him in Thừa Phủ Prison. Educated at the Lycée Francais school in the ancient imperial capital city of Huế, Sơn also studied philosophy at Lycée Jean Jacques Rousseau in Saigon.

Sơn first worked as a teacher before pivoting careers to become a songwriter in the 1950s. His songs protesting the Vietnam War—particularly those on the 1966 collection Songs of Golden Skin—were popular with soldiers on both sides of the conflict. After the war ended, much of his family fled their homeland, but Sơn chose to stay, writing songs about the unification of North and South Vietnam that displeased government authorities, who sent him to do forced labor in a “re-education camp.”

Following his release, he continued to record music and paint throughout his life.

Widely considered one of Vietnam’s most important modern musicians, Sơn was admired by international singers such as Joan Baez. His song “Ngủ Đi Con” [Lullaby] about the mother of a fallen soldier was a hit in Japan. Today, his music is still recorded by popular Vietnamese singers, such as Hồng Nhung.

Happy Birthday, Trịnh Công Sơn!

[9A]

January 31, 2010
Tapati Rapa Nui Festival 2010





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

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

[9A]

November 9, 2019
Celebrating the Edmonton Grads






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

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

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

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

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

[9A]

November 9, 2016
Bang Jeong-hwan’s 117th Birthday







In 1923 Korea, children were treated as 'lesser' adults. Bang Jeong-hwan, a children's writer from Seoul, changed all that when he invented the term eorini, a more respectful term for children than the one commonly used. He started a magazine by the same name, to spread the notion that children should be celebrated. Today's Doodle depicts Jeong-hwan flying through the sky, holding a copy of the magazine he founded, symbolizing his commitment to championing the children of Korea.

[9A]

February 12, 2018
Rosenmontag 2018






Floats and candies and costumes, oh my!

While Carnival is observed by countries all across the world, celebrations in Germany are marked by delightful traditions, and take on different names in different parts of the country.

For Karneval celebrators in Rhineland, the Rosenmontag [Rose Monday] parade takes center stage on the Monday before Ash Wednesday. Every town hosts a parade complete with floats and candy-tossing, while participants dress up in Funkenmariechen [[traditional costumes). Shouts of "Alaaf!" [[the fool’s call, which translates roughly to “may he live well” and "Helau!" [a call representing the fun of joy] fill the streets until Veilchendienstag, [Violet Tuesday] the next day.

In Berlin, Brandenburg or Saxony, Fasching celebrations take a similar form, but begin in earnest on Schmutziger Donnerstag, or ‘Fat Thursday’. In southwestern Germany and northern Bavaria, you may find yourself celebrating Fastnacht, sporting elaborately carved masks depicting witches and other animals in the wild.

Today’s Doodle is by German illustrator Sebastian Schwamm. No matter where you find yourself this Carnival season, or what you call the festivities, may your days be full of candy, flowers, and celebrations. Alaaf!

[9A]

February 12, 2011
Naomi Uemura's 70th Birthday




Naomi Uemura [ Uemura Naomi, February 12, 1941 – disappeared February 13, 1984] was a Japanese adventurer who was known particularly for his solo exploits. For example, he was the first man to reach the North Pole solo, the first man to raft the Amazon solo, and the first man to climb Denali solo. He disappeared a day after his 43rd birthday while attempting to climb Denali in the winter.

Uemura gave frequent public lectures and wrote about his travels. His adventure books for children were popular in Japan. There is a museum dedicated to him in Tokyo and another in Toyooka, Hyōgo.
An award named for him was created in Japan after his death.

One of the best-known compositions of experimental guitarist Michael Hedges, "Because It's There", was a tribute to Uemura written for a film about the explorer's life.

He is remembered not only as a gifted climber and a driven adventurer but also as a gentle, self-effacing man who cared about others. In the words of Jonathan Waterman, "[Just as remarkable] as his solo achievements were his sincere modesty and unassuming nature. Another part of his greatness lay in his deep interest in everyone he met."

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February 12, 2009
Charles Darwin's 200th Birthday





Charles Robert Darwin was an English naturalist, geologist and biologist, best known for his contributions to the science of evolution. His proposition that all species of life have descended from common ancestors is now widely accepted and considered a fundamental concept in science. In a joint publication with Alfred Russel Wallace, he introduced his scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection, in which the struggle for existence has a similar effect to the artificial selection involved in selective breeding. Darwin has been described as one of the most influential figures in human history, and he was honoured by burial in Westminster Abbey.

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November 9, 2012
Paul Abadie's 200th Birthday




Paul Abadie [9 November 1812 – 3 August 1884] was a French architect and building restorer. He is considered a central representative of French historicism. He was the son of architect Paul Abadie Sr..

Abadie worked on the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris, Église Sainte-Croix of Bordeaux, Saint-Pierre of Angoulême and Saint-Front of Périgueux. He won the competition in 1873 to design the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur on Montmartre in Paris, and saw construction commence on it, though he died long before its completion in 1914.

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January 31, 2019
Celebrating Nasi Lemak






Today’s Doodle celebrates the rich, fragrant, and spicy dish, known as Nasi Lemak. The dish — considered the national dish of Malaysia and widely eaten year-round — is what many Malaysians start their day with. Also popular in Singapore and Thailand, the humble delicacy is believed to have originated as a hearty farmer’s breakfast on the west coast of the Malaysian peninsula.

Although the name translates from Malay as “rich rice” [a reference to the coconut milk included in the recipe] there is another origin story for the name. According to legend, the daughter of a widow named Mak Kuntum accidentally spilled coconut milk into the rice pot. “What did you cook?” Mak asked and her daughter answered. "Nasi le, Mak!" [Rice, mother!]

There are many variations of the dish across the multiethnic melting pot of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and other indigenous and imported cultures, but the fundamental recipe — featured in today’s video Doodle — is rice cooked with santan or coconut milk and flavored with pandan leaf and galangal root, served with ikan bilis [fried anchovies], crispy peanuts [skin on], sliced cucumber, hard-boiled egg, and sambal [hot sauce] or a splash of tamarind juice, with an optional piece of fried chicken or beef rendang on the side. Sold at roadside stalls wrapped in a “bungkus” of banana leaf or brown paper, Nasi Lemak is so popular it’s also eaten for lunch and dinner, too!

[9A]

November 9, 2012
Feng Zikai's 114th Birthday






Feng Zikai [November 9, 1898 – September 15, 1975] was an influential Chinese painter, pioneering manhua artist, essayist, and lay Buddhist of twentieth century China.

Born just after the First Sino-Japanese War [1894-1895] and passing away just before the end of the Cultural Revolution [1966-1976], he lived through much of the political and socio-economic turmoil that arose during the birth of Modern China. Much of his literary and artistic work comments on and records the relationship between the changing political landscape and the daily lives of ordinary people.

Although he is most famous for his paintings depicting children and the multi-volume collection of Buddhist-inspired art, Paintings for the Preservation of Life, Feng Zikai was a prolific artist, writer, and intellectual, who made strides in the fields of music, art, literature, philosophy, and translation.

[9A]

February 11, 2021
Celebrating María Grever






Today’s Doodle celebrates Mexican singer and songwriter María Grever, considered to be one of the country’s greatest composers. Grever spent a lifetime producing hundreds of songs that went on to be covered by some of the world’s most famous artists, like Placido Domingo, Aretha Franklin, and Frank Sinatra. On this day in 1938, Grever recorded “Ti-Pi-Tin,” a waltz about serenading your loved ones that became one of her biggest hits.

María Joaquina de la Portilla Torres was born in the late 19th century in the city of León in central Mexico. As a child, she moved to Seville, where she studied English, French, and music. Grever’s natural musical abilities were evident as she composed a holiday carol for her school. This led her father to provide her some of the finest tutors, including distinguished composers, Debussy and Lehár. Her first record, “A Una Ola” [“To a Wave,” 1912], sold millions of copies, and was eventually covered by several singers.

In 1916, Grever moved to New York, where she soon composed background music in films for both Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox. All the while, Grever continued to produce songs that married folk rhythms with styles like tango to captivate audiences throughout the Americas and Spain. Some of her biggest hits included “Júrame” [“Promise, Love,” 1926] and “What a Difference a Day Makes” [originally “Cuando Vuelva a Tu Lado,” 1934]. The latter went on to win a Grammy in 1959 as sung by jazz legend, Dinah Washington.

In recognition of her contributions to music, the Union of Women of the Americas [UWA] named Grever “Woman of the Americas” in 1952.

Thanks for all the music María Grever; it continues to strike a chord with listeners around the world today!

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February 18, 2021
Audre Lorde's 87th Birthday







https://www.google.com/doodles/audre...-87th-birthday


In honor of U.S. Black History Month, today’s Doodle—illustrated by Los Angeles-based guest artist Monica Ahanonu—celebrates internationally-acclaimed American poet, feminist, professor, and civil rights champion Audre Lorde, a key figure of the Black and LGBTQ+ cultural movements of 20th century. For Lorde, poetry was more than just a form of emotional expression, it was a way of life–providing the vehicle for her lifetime advocacy against discrimination and racial injustice.

Audre Geraldin Lorde was born the daughter of Caribbean immigrants on this day in 1934 in Harlem, New York City. Introverted as a child, she learned how to read and write from her neighborhood librarian Augusta Baker, who influenced her profoundly. Poetry soon became second nature for Lorde. When asked how she was, her response was often a poem she had memorized, and by eighth grade, she began to write her own verse.

A precocious student, she became the first Black student at Hunter High School, a public school for gifted girls. Her 1951 love poem “Spring” was rejected as unsuitable by the school’s literary journal, but was printed by Seventeen magazine when she was just 15—making it her first published poem. Lorde went on to earn her Master's of Library Science from Columbia University in 1961, and continued to write poetry as a librarian and English teacher in New York public schools throughout the ‘60s.

Describing herself as a “Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet” Lorde emerged as an essential voice in the confrontation of homophobia and racism when she published her first collection of poems, ”The First Cities” [1968]. Throughout her career, Lorde published poetry that explored identity and sexuality, while demanding social and racial justice—not only in the United States, but also abroad.

Between 1984 and 1992, Lorde spent extensive time in West Germany teaching poetry at the Free University in Berlin and organizing the local feminist movement. While in Germany, Lorde led numerous lectures and workshops on feminism, homophobia, classism, and racism. She also connected and mentored Black German women, encouraging them to define and own their identities; Lorde’s guidance was influential in sparking the Afro-German movement of the ‘80s.

Poetry wasn’t the only literary medium that Lorde was fluent in; she also earned great acclaim for her prose. Her book “Sister Outsider” [1984] is a notable collection of her essays and speeches—including “Learning from the 60s” [excerpts of which are featured in today’s Doodle artwork]. In this speech and throughout her career, Lorde explored how the complexities of contemporary social justice activism lie at the intersections of our individual differences, which include gender, class, race, and sexuality.

She noted that personal identity isn’t shaped by a single factor, rather that it’s the result of the myriad aspects of experience exclusive to each individual. Lorde felt that understanding this concept was the best way to make progress against oppression; understanding that the prejudices others face vary greatly from person to person, as they are unique to their own life’s journey. Lorde is often regarded as one of the forefront voices of intersectionality and its role within the global feminist movement.

For her literary achievements, Audre Lorde was awarded the American Book Award in 1989. She was later honored as the poet laureate of New York State through the Walt Whitman Citation of Merit in 1991.

Happy birthday, Audre Lorde!

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Special thanks to the family of Audre Lorde for their partnership on this project.

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August 3, 2016
238th Anniversary of the inauguration of Teatro Alla Scala






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

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

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August 3, 2017
Celebrating Dolores del Río






When Dolores Del Río met American filmmaker Edwin Carewe, her talent was so captivating that he convinced her to move to California. Once there, Del Ríos acting career would establish her as an iconic figure during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Considered the first major Latin American crossover Hollywood star, she would pave the way for generations of actors to follow.

Just a year after her first film, Del Río’s first major success came in the 1926 comedy-drama war film What Price Glory? When she moved from silent films to “talkies” in the 1930s, she earned starring roles and appeared in films opposite stars like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, eventually returning to Mexico where she quickly became one of the top actresses in the Mexican film industry.

Del Río is also remembered as a philanthropist and advocate for the arts. She was the first woman to sit on the jury of the Cannes film festival. She co-founded the Society for the Protection of the Artistic Treasures of Mexico, a group dedicated to preserving historical buildings and artwork in her home country. In 1970, she helped open a center to provide childcare for members of the Mexican Actor’s Guild, which bears her name and still operates to this day.

A trailblazer for women in Hollywood and beyond, Dolores Del Río’s legacy endures in American and Mexican cinema.

Doodle by Sophie Diao

[9A]

22 September 2004
Ray Charles' 74th Birthday



Ray Charles Robinson [September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004] was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer. Among friends and fellow musicians he preferred being called "Brother Ray." He was often referred to as "The Genius." Charles was blinded during childhood due to glaucoma.

Charles pioneered the soul music genre during the 1950s by combining blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel styles into the music he recorded for Atlantic. He contributed to the integration of country music, rhythm and blues, and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, notably with his two Modern Sounds albums.While he was with ABC, Charles became one of the first Black musicians to be granted artistic control by a mainstream record company.

Charles' 1960 hit "Georgia On My Mind" was the first of his three career No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. His 1962 album Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music became his first album to top the Billboard 200. Charles had multiple singles reach the Top 40 on various Billboard charts: 44 on the US R&B singles chart, 11 on the Hot 100 singles chart, 2 on the Hot Country singles charts.

Charles cited Nat King Cole as a primary influence, but his music was also influenced by Louis Jordan and Charles Brown. He had a lifelong friendship and occasional partnership with Quincy Jones. Frank Sinatra called Ray Charles "the only true genius in show business," although Charles downplayed this notion. Billy Joel said, "This may sound like sacrilege, but I think Ray Charles was more important than Elvis Presley".

For his musical contributions, Charles received the Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, and the Polar Music Prize. He won 18 Grammy Awards, including 5 posthumously. Charles was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987, and 10 of his recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone ranked Charles No. 10 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, and No. 2 on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

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March 2, 2012
János Arany's 195th birthday





János Arany was a Hungarian poet, writer, translator and journalist. He is often said to be the "Shakespeare of ballads" – he wrote more than 102 ballads that have been translated into over 50 languages, as well as the Toldi trilogy.