Google doodles

[9A]

July 6, 2018
Viola Desmond’s 104th Birthday





https://www.google.com/doodles/viola...104th-birthday


Today’s Doodle celebrates the 104th birthday of Viola Desmond, the black entrepreneur and businesswoman who refused to give up her seat in the whites-only section of a movie theater, leading to a court case that inspired Canada’s civil rights movement.


A schoolteacher and entrepreneur, Desmond overcame various obstacles in pursuit of her dream, breaking down racial barriers and inspiring others to follow in her footsteps. Her Desmond School of Beauty Culture was the first in Halifax, Nova Scotia to admit black women.


One of the largest milestones of Desmond’s life actually occurred by chance. The Roseland Theater usually reserved floor seats for white patrons, but Desmond refused to sit up the balcony. She was forcibly removed, injuring her hip and spending the night in jail. When she was fined for tax evasion over a $.01 cent tax that she’d offered to pay, Desmond fought the case in court, sparking a nationwide debate about desegregation.


Desmond was officially pardoned in 2010, and a posthumous apology was issued by Nova Scotia’s lieutenant-governor. Earlier this year, Desmond became the first woman to be featured on Canadian currency. Her $10 bill is first Canadian bank note to be oriented vertically.

[9A]

Jul 13, 2010
Naomi Shemer 80th Birthday




Naomi Shemer was a leading Israeli musician and songwriter, hailed as the "first lady of Israeli song and poetry." Her song "Yerushalayim Shel Zahav" [["Jerusalem of Gold") written in 1967, became an unofficial second anthem after Israel won the Six-Day War that year and reunited Jerusalem.

[9A]

July 15, 2013
Rembrandt van Rijn's 407th Birthday





Often regarded as one of the greatest artists in European history, Rembrandt van Rijn is a master not only of form and light but also in portraying human emotion. In his body of work, Rembrandt depicts subjects that range from portraits, to energetic landscapes, to poignant allegories. Such allegories often draw inspiration from his personal hardships and still speak to viewers hundreds of years after his lifetime.

Most striking, perhaps, is his series of self portraits. These paintings are an honest recording of Rembrandt's aging visage and technical skill. One can see his tastes shift from the classical sfumato [[or soft) approach in his early twenties to a more expressive and almost impressionistic technique in his fifties. Ahead of his time, Rembrandt applies his paint with great volume and confidence while many of his contemporaries continue to glaze [[or paint in thin layers).

His paintings also reveal a passion for innovation-- some of his works have unusual substances mixed into the pigments. Glass and wheat flour, though not often found on most artists' palettes, appear on some of Rembrandt's canvases. He may have mixed them in to alter the texture of the paint; to push the medium forward.

[9A]

Jul 22, 2013
Warda Al-Jazairia's 74th Birthday





Warda Ftouki was born in Paris on July 22, 1939. Her father, Mohammed Ftouki, was an Algerian from Souk Ahras, and her mother was Lebanese. She was the youngest of five children.

Warda began singing in the 1950s. She made her debut at the Tam-Tam, a cabaret owned by her father. Located on rue Saint-Séverin, in the Latin Quarter, it is home to many famous stars of Arabic song.

[9A]

August 9, 2020
Celebrating Mekatilili wa Menza








Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Nairobi-based guest artist Wanjira Kinyua, celebrates legendary Kenyan activist Mekatilili wa Menza, known for inspiring the Giriama people to resist colonial rule in the early 20th century. Today on the Kenyan coast, the resilient legacy of Menza is commemorated during the festivities of the traditional Malindi Cultural Festival, an annual celebration of local history and pride.


Mnyazi wa Menza was born in the Giriama village of Matsara wa Tsatsu in coastal Kenya during the mid-19th century. By the early 20th century, British colonial rule had threatened the sovereignty and freedom of the Giriama people with forced labor and taxation. At a time when women’s power was limited within her society, Menza was compelled to organize her people against colonial control.