Google doodles

[9A]

7 Mar 2012

Alessandro Manzoni's 227th Birthday




Alessandro Francesco Tommaso Antonio Manzoni was an Italian poet, novelist and philosopher. He is famous for the novel The Betrothed [1827], generally ranked among the masterpieces of world literature. The novel is also a symbol of the Italian Risorgimento, both for its patriotic message and because it was a fundamental milestone in the development of the modern, unified Italian language.

[9A]

May 17, 2023

Renate Krößner's 78th Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates the 78th birthday of German actress Renate Krößner. She rose to international fame after her role as the titular character in Solo Sunny – a groundbreaking film from East Germany that resonated with people everywhere.

Krößner was born on this day in Osterode, Germany in 1945. She grew up in Berlin and performed in school theater productions. After studying acting at the Staatliche Schauspielschule Berlin, Krößner worked in East Germany theaters. While she performed smaller roles in a few television programs, Krößner was on her way to becoming a star.

In 1980, she was cast as the lead actress in Solo Sunny, an East Germany film about a band’s singer who longs to be a solo artist. Krößner’s performance as the rebellious and angst-ridden Sonny received critical acclaim around the world. She earned the Berlin International Film Festival’s Silver Bear for Best Actress—the first for an East Germany production. Her character’s attitude and fashion sense also widely influenced German youth.

After receiving permission to leave East Germany in 1985 she moved to West Berlin, Krößner became a mainstay on television shows like Stubbe - Von Fall zu Fall and Einmal Bulle. Her role as the love interest of a Franciscan monk in the show Bruder Esel earned her a Golden Lion award. She also starred in more films, including the thriller Unbesiegbar and the comedy Alles auf Zucker.

In 1991, Krößner was a jury member at the 41st Berlin International Film Festival. She later won a Deutscher Filmpreis Best Actress award for her work in Nordkurve. Krößner continued acting into the 2000s, later moving to Brandenburg, Germany.

Happy Birthday Renate Krößner, your iconic performances are immortalised on the silver screen, and are just as captivating today.

[9A]

Feb 10, 2023

P.K. Rosy's 120th Birthday




Today’s Doodle honours P.K. Rosy, who became the first female lead in Malayalam cinema. On this day in 1903, Rosy was born Rajamma in Thiruvananthapuram, formerly Trivandrum [Kerala’s capital city].

Rosy’s passion for acting began at a young age. In an era when performing arts was discouraged in many sections of society, especially for women, Rosy broke barriers with her role in the Malayalam film Vigathakumaran [The Lost Child]. Though she never received recognition for her work during her lifetime, Rosy’s story is relevant to conversations about representation in the media. Today, her story serves as motivation and inspiration for many.

Thank you for your courage and the legacy you leave behind, P.K. Rosy.

[9A]

Dec 06, 2022

Abdulhussain Abdulredha's 83rd Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrating the 83rd birthday of Kuwaiti actor, singer, playwright, and comedian Abdulhussain Abdulredha was illustrated by Kuwait City-based guest artist Ahmed Al-Refaie [owaikeo].

On this day in 1939, Abdulredha was born in Kuwait to a seaman and homemaker, the seventh of fourteen children. He traveled to Egypt and Germany to study printmaking before he began working in the entertainment industry. He found his niche in the tragi-comedy genre, where his comedy shone a spotlight on social issues. Over his fifty-year career, Abdulhussain performed and produced over 30 plays and television series.

His work precipitated the political and social genre. Abdulhussain founded and directed an entertainment television channel in 2006 called Funoon TV, which was the first Arabic-language channel to focus on comedic material.

Abdulhussain is remembered for his bold social commentary, powerful singing voice, and being a father figure of Kuwait comedy. His comedy not only provided entertainment but also encouraged the audience to contemplate issues affecting Arab societies.

People can enjoy his many movies and plays today for a laugh, and to learn about the snapshots of history he satirizes.

Happy birthday, Abdulhussain Abdulredha!

[9A]

Jul 21, 2022

Lydia Tin Ha Sum's 77th Birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates the 77th birthday of Lydia Tin Ha Sum, one of Hong Kong’s most beloved comedians. Affectionately known as “Fei Fei” [which means “Fat Fat” in Cantonese], as well as “Happy Fruit”, the Shanghai-born actress is a household name in Chinese communities around the world who brought laughter and positive energy through her shows.

Sum was born on this day in 1945. She began her career as a teen actress working for the Shaw Brothers Studio, the largest production company in Hong Kong at the time. In 1967, she landed her breakout role as the emcee for a popular variety show called “Enjoy Yourself Tonight.”

Soon after, she starred in the popular Cantonese film, “The House of 72 Tenants,” which follows the lives of residents in a run-down apartment. Sum’s realistic portrayal of working-class women struck a chord with theater-goers. The film surpassed blockbuster films, topping Hong Kong’s box office in 1973.

Sum went on to play a similar role in “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World,” a four-part blockbuster comedy about an impoverished family in search of wealth. A powerful commentary on social inequality, the classic film series continues to drive conversation in the media today.

Beyond Hong Kong, Sum also starred in Singapore's English-language sitcom,“Living with Lydia,” which won her Best Comedy Performance at the Asian Television Awards in 2003.

Happy 77th birthday, Lydia Sum! Your films and television shows still bring laughter and joy to Chinese communities all over the world.

[9A]

May 30, 2022

Celebrating Edmond Rostand


Today’s Doodle celebrates Edmond Rostand, a Neo-Romantic French poet and playwright. His most famous work was Cyrano de Bergerac, a play about a chivalrous swordsman with an oversized nose. The play’s sentimental hero—plagued by a love triangle—went on to symbolize the spirit of the French. On this day in 1901, Rostand was elected to the French Academy [l’Académie Française].

Born in 1868 in a southern port city called Marseille, Rostand grew up in a wealthy and cultured family. His father, a poet and an economist, was a member of scholarly societies such as Académie de Marseille and Institute de France. As a young adult, Rostand attended Collège Stanislas in Paris, where he studied literature, history and philosophy. By the time he was 20-years-old, he had completed his first play, a one-act comedy called Le Gant Rouge. The play was performed at Cluny Theatre in 1888. Although Rostand’s first play received little fanfare, it didn’t discourage him from continuing to write.

A few years later, Rostand created his first successful play, Les Romanesques, which was a parody of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The satirical play follows two families who fake a feud to encourage their children to fall in love. When it premiered in 1894, it put Rostand on the map. Les Romanesques became so popular—even outside of France—that it was later adapted into The Fantasticks, the world's longest-running musical.

Three years after Les Romanesques, Rostand produced his most beloved work, Cyrano de Bergerac, in 1897. To this day, Cyrano de Bergerac remains one of the most popular plays in France, and people all over the world still seek modern versions of this tale.

Today’s artwork celebrates Rostand’s literary brilliance. More than a century later, his endearing tales continue to be performed and resonate with hopeless romantics all over the world.

[9A]

May 04, 2024

Celebrating Hamida Banu



Born into a family of wrestlers in the early 1900s near Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, Banu grew up wrestling, winning over 300 competitions throughout her career spanning the 1940s and 1950s. Women’s participation in athletics was strongly discouraged by prevalent social norms at the time, but Banu was passionate and she competed with men anyway, issuing an open challenge to all male wrestlers and wagering her hand in marriage to the first to defeat her. Her career even extended into the international arena, where she won against a Russian woman wrestler Vera Chistilin in less than two minutes.

Her name appeared in newspaper headlines for years, and she became known as the “Amazon of Aligarh.” The bouts she won, her diet, and her training regimen were widely covered.

Hamida Banu was a trailblazer of her time, and her fearlessness is remembered throughout India and across the world. Outside of her sporting accomplishments, she will always be celebrated for staying true to herself.

[9A]

May 04, 2019

Eddie Aikau’s 73rd Birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates Eddie Aikau, big wave surfer, lifeguard, and enduring symbol of Hawaiian heritage. Born on the island of Maui on this day in 1946, Eddie moved to Oahu with his family in 1959 and went on to become the first lifeguard hired by Honolulu officials to work on the North Shore of the island.

Not a single life was lost while he served as a lifeguard at Waimea Bay, making some 500 rescues without the assistance of a jet ski or any modern equipment. Eddie was famous for making rescues even in surf that reached 30 feet high. His fearlessness went on to inspire the slogan “Eddie would go.”

Hailing from a surfing family, Eddie was one of the first native Hawaiians to win the prestigious Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship in 1977, just four years after his older brother Clyde, who was the very first. Aside from his distinguished surfing career, Eddie found other ways to represent the culture of his native island. In 1978, Eddie joined the crew of the Hokule'a, a historically accurate double-hulled canoe retracing the ancient Polynesian migration route to Hawaii. The vessel sprung a leak and capsized in rough waters. Eddie was last seen heroically paddling off on his surfboard towards the nearest island to seek help for the crew, who were later rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Today, Eddie’s legacy lives on through the Eddie Aikau Foundation as well as the prestigious Eddie Aikau Invitational, which has seen some of big-wave surfing’s greatest names competing with maximum respect for the authenticity of surf culture.

Here’s to you, Eddie.

[9A]

Aug 27, 2018

198th Anniversary of the First Ascent of the Zugspitze




The Zugspitze is Germany’s tallest mountain, standing at a height of 2,962 meters, and situated along the border between Germany and Austria.

The first people to ascend the Zugspitze were Lieutenant Josef Naus, a 27-year-old engineer from the Royal Bavarian Army, his mountain guide Johann Georg Tauschl, and a military orderly named Maier. Lieutenant Naus was employed by the Royal Bavarian Topographic Bureau, putting together an Atlas of Bavaria. Seeking to prove that this pinnacle was the loftiest in the Kingdom of Bavaria, they trekked across glaciers covered with melting ice— conditions ripe for avalanches.

Setting out in July they made their way across the largest glacier, proceeding to a shepherd’s hut from which they would attempt to climb the summit. After a short night’s rest, Naus’ party undertook their ascent on August 27, 1820, reaching the top seven hours and forty-five minutes later. Storms soon enfolded the mountain, hastening the men’s descent.

Today, visitors can take a cable car up the steep incline to the top, where they are rewarded with awe-inspiring views of the many jagged limestone peaks forming the border between Germany and Austria.

Some believe that local climbers—gatherers or hunters—may have beaten the Naus survey team to the summit before 1820. But Naus, Tauschl, and Maier were the first to prove their success in reaching the pinnacle. Today’s Doodle celebrates the Zugspitze immensity, beauty, and its importance to both Austria and Germany.

[9A]

Jan 20, 2015

Ji Hyeonok’s 56th Birthday




In 1993, Ji Hyeon-ok led a team of female Korean mountain climbers to the summit of Mt. Everest. She was the first female mountaineer to succeed in climbing peaks above 8000m without supplemental oxygen and without a sherpa.

In addition to Everest, Ji scaled Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II and Annapurna — and was the first female Korean mountaineer to do so. After climbing Annapurna in 1999, she sadly passed away on her descent to the basecamp. Ji, who was also a fine-arts teacher, was remarkably brave and dared to go where few had ventured.

[9A]

Aug 25, 2014

Althea Gibson's 87th Birthday




Althea Neale Gibson [August 25, 1927 – September 28, 2003] was an American tennis player and professional golfer, and one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis. In 1956, she became the first African American to win a Grand Slam title [the French Championships]. The following year she won both Wimbledon and the US Nationals [precursor of the US Open], then won both again in 1958 and was voted Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in both years. In all, she won 11 Grand Slam tournaments: five singles titles, five doubles titles, and one mixed doubles title. Gibson was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame. "She is one of the greatest players who ever lived", said Bob Ryland, a tennis contemporary and former coach of Venus and Serena Williams. "Martina [Navratilova] couldn't touch her. I think she'd beat the Williams sisters." In the early 1960s she also became the first Black player to compete on the Women's Professional Golf Tour.

[9A]

25 August 2009

400th Anniversary of Galileo's Telescope



The history of the telescope can be traced to before the invention of the earliest known telescope, which appeared in 1608 in the Netherlands, when a patent was submitted by Hans Lippershey, an eyeglass maker. Although Lippershey did not receive his patent, news of the invention soon spread across Europe. The design of these early refracting telescopes consisted of a convex objective lens and a concave eyepiece. Galileo improved on this design the following year and applied it to astronomy. In 1611, Johannes Kepler described how a far more useful telescope could be made with a convex objective lens and a convex eyepiece lens. By 1655, astronomers such as Christiaan Huygens were building powerful but unwieldy Keplerian telescopes with compound eyepieces.

Isaac Newton is credited with building the first reflector in 1668 with a design that incorporated a small flat diagonal mirror to reflect the light to an eyepiece mounted on the side of the telescope. Laurent Cassegrain in 1672 described the design of a reflector with a small convex secondary mirror to reflect light through a central hole in the main mirror.

The achromatic lens, which greatly reduced color aberrations in objective lenses and allowed for shorter and more functional telescopes, first appeared in a 1733 telescope made by Chester Moore Hall, who did not publicize it. John Dollond learned of Hall's invention and began producing telescopes using it in commercial quantities, starting in 1758.

[9A]

12 Nov 2014

Philae robotic lander lands on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko








It may be one small step for the Philae robotic lander, but it’s one giant leap for the rest of us! The European Space Agency just made history by landing one of its robots on a comet–and our homepage–after more than 10 years of travel. Philae is expected to provide the first images ever seen from a comet’s surface.

[9A]

4 February 2013

Josef Kajetán Tyl's 205th Birthday





Josef Kajetán Tyl was a significant Czech dramatist, writer, and actor. He was a notable figure in the Czech National Revival movement and is best known as the author of the current national anthem of the Czech Republic titled Kde domov můj?.

[9A]

27 January 2016

Beatrice Tinsley’s 75th Birthday







Today’s homepage celebrates the scientific genius of Beatrice Tinsley, whose work in cosmology and astrophysics made fundamental contributions to our understanding of the universe and the way galaxies behave within it. Despite her enormous intellect—she completed her Ph.D and wrote an “extraordinary and profound” dissertation on the evolution of galaxies in only two years—Tinsley was initially overlooked in the male-dominated world of astronomy. She eventually made her way to Yale University and in 1978 became a professor of astronomy and the chairman of the Conference on Cosmology’s organizing committee. January 27, 2016 would have been her 75th birthday.

[9A]

18 Feb 2021

Celebrating Yee Sang


Lou Hei! Today’s Doodle celebrates Yee Sang, a Malaysian raw fish salad traditionally enjoyed on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year. With chopsticks in hand, families toss the ingredients that make up Yee Sang high above the table while they exclaim “Lou Hei” and wish each other good fortune for the year to come—the higher the toss, the better the fortune!

This ritual traces its origins to the Chinese creation myth of goddess Nu Wa, who is said to have created humanity on the seventh day of the new year. Chinese fishers and sailors commemorated this symbolic day of rebirth by combining the leftovers of the new year’s celebrations to make yu sheng—a salad as thrifty as it was tasty.

By the 1930s, Chinese immigrants brought the Yu Sheng tradition to Malaya, selling fish salad with ginger and lettuce out of hawker carts. But it wasn’t until the 1940s, when Seremban chef Loke Ching Fatta added a twist, that the recipe was adapted to the Yee Sang known today. Fatta combined some 30 ingredients together with his signature sauce to invent the dish now loved by many during the Lunar New Year.

One of the most common combinations of Yee Sang include raw fish, ginger, shredded carrot, radish, pomelo, leek, topped with condiments like crushed peanuts, all mixed thoroughly with several different oils and spices. But there is no wrong way to make Yee Sang, as the dish has infinite variations.

Here’s to Yee Sang and prosperity in the Lunar New Year!

[9A]

11 Jan 2019

Celebrating Earl Scruggs


“Here’s old Earl Scruggs with his fancy five-string banjo,” the introduction for the bluegrass banjo master’s Grand Ole Opry show stated. Today's Doodle celebrates Earl Scruggs, the man who developed the “Scruggs style” [his own three-finger method of picking] on the anniversary of the opening of the Earl Scruggs Center in 2014. His innovation changed the sound of American roots music, but fancy was not a word Scruggs would use to describe his beloved banjo. “It’s just an old hand-me-down,” he said of the Gibson Granada he’d played since the 1940s.

Born in North Carolina on January 6, 1924, Scruggs grew up working on the family farm and playing the banjo. He was 21 years old when he joined Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys band, whose sound coined the term “bluegrass music.” In that band, Scruggs met guitarist Lester Flatt with whom he would launch the Foggy Mountain Boys in the late 1940s. Their televised Flatt & Scruggs Grand Ole Opry show premiered in 1955 and gained a new wave of popularity during the folk music revival, running through 1969.

After Flatt & Scruggs split up in 1969, Earl found new fans when he bridged generations and musical genres by forming the “Earl Scruggs Revue” with sons Gary and Randy. From 1969 to 1980, the Revue was a pioneering band in merging country and bluegrass sounds with elements from rock music. In his latter years, Earl’s musical journey continued with his “Family & Friends” band.

Earl’s wife Louise Scruggs became one of the first female managers in the music industry when she began managing Flatt & Scruggs. The duo’s music appeared in the theme song for The Beverly Hillbillies and their “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” was included on the soundtrack to the 1967 film Bonnie & Clyde.

Scruggs was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, and the Nashville Songwriters’ Hall of Fame. He received several other awards and honors, including the prestigious National Medal of the Arts and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

All because, as Flatt used to put it: “He kind of likes to show off anyway, pickin’ the hot stuff.”

[9A]

18 October 2015

Mother's Day 2015 [Argentina]




Happy Mother’s Day to mothers of all shapes, sizes, and species! Today’s Doodle represents the universality of familial love. I had a few separate concepts, some with animals, some with people, and looking at them all, I thought it would be fun to try to tie them together.

Brainstorming for this Doodle and thinking of my own mom, lots of small moments and gestures of affection came up, so I decided to concentrate on that as a concept. When I started to sketch, early ideas included [but were not limited to] giraffes, gardening, and tossing children into pools.

I spent awhile trying to figure out how I could use style to keep the characters somewhat minimalistic and relatable since Mother’s Day is celebrated all around world.

Once I settled on the concept I did a quick rough pass at animation to make sure it would work visually. I decided to go with a watercolor texture because I think there’s something very comforting and familiar about it, that shows a more human hand.

Thank you, moms, for bearing us, and bearing with us, every step of the way.

Olivia When, Doodler

[9A]

18 October 2018

Laura Esther Rodríguez Dulanto’s 146th Birthday




Born in the Supe District of Lima on this day in 1872, Laura Esther Rodríguez-Dulanto was a physician who broke many barriers for women in Peru. Though she excelled in school from a very young age, her parents were frustrated that educational options were limited for women—no matter how gifted or motivated they might be.

There were no secondary schools for girls, much less universities or postgraduate programs. Nevertheless, Rodríguez-Dulanto’s parents persisted, appealing to local authorities until a special jury was appointed by the Ministry of Education to allow the gifted young student to advance her studies. With help from her older brother Abraham, who would teach her everything he learned after returning home from school, Rodríguez-Dulanto passed her high school exams. With a combination of intelligence, motivation, and a very supportive family, Laura Esther Rodríguez-Dulanto became the first Peruvian woman to attend college as well as the first female physician in the nation’s history.

Though it was a great achievement to begin her studies at the National University of San Marcos, 19-year-old Rodríguez-Dulanto still faced numerous obstacles. While the male students worked with human cadavers in anatomy class, she would have to sit behind a screen to conceal her presence. During her third year of medical school, she was allowed to perform dissections in a special room, accompanied by her brother who was also studying medicine. In September 1900, her hard work paid off when she earned her Bachelor of Medicine, taking her Hippocratic Oath a month later.

Rodríguez-Dulanto specialized in gynecology, publishing papers on ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids. She went on to co-found Peru’s first nursing school, teaching anatomy, physiology and hygiene, and paving the way for other women to pursue careers in medicine. Her legacy is honored with a bust in a public park in Lima, Peru, as well as a hospital in her home town of Supe, which is named after her.

Happy Birthday Dr. Laura Esther Rodríguez-Dulanto!

[9A]

4 Aug 2018

Pumpuang Duangjan’s 57th Birthday







Luk Thung is a form of Thai country music expressing the trials and tribulations of everyday life in Thailand’s rural provinces. The name, meaning “children of the field,” is also an apt description of Pumpuang “Peung” Duangjan, one of the genres most loved performers who grew up cutting sugarcane in the fields of North Thailand to help her family survive.

When Duangian wasn’t helping her family in the fields, she began an apprenticeship at the age of 12 with a Luk Thung master who taught her a vast catalog of songs and their accompanying dances. She moved to Bangkok at age 15, where she broadened her repertoire by incorporating pop songs. Her career turned a corner when she collaborated with a composer who mixed disco beats with traditional Luk Thung music. Not long after, Duangjan debuted her less reserved style on television, ushering in a new era for female Thai vocalists.

In the mid-1980s, Duangjan released several hit albums that blended traditional Luk Thung music with danceable pop production. Her fur jackets and fashionable wardrobe also made her an icon for Thai people escaping poverty. As she sang in one of her timeless songs, “I came to the city to be a big star/It’s tough, but I can survive.”

Peung’s indomitable spirit, hard work, and determination inspired future generations, cementing her legacy for many years to come.

Doodle by Cynthia Yuan Cheng

[9A]

4 August 2011

Roberto Burle Marx's 102nd Birthday



Roberto Burle Marx was a Brazilian landscape architect [as well as a painter, print maker, ecologist, naturalist, artist and musician] whose designs of parks and gardens made him world-famous. He is accredited with having introduced modernist landscape architecture to Brazil. He was known as a modern nature artist and a public urban space designer. His work had a great influence on tropical garden design in the 20th century. Water gardens were a popular theme in his work. He was deftly able to transfer traditional artistic expressions such as graphic design, tapestry and folk art into his landscape designs. He also designed fabrics, jewellery and stage sets.

He was one of the first people to call for the conservation of Brazil's rainforests. More than 50 plants bear his name. He amassed a substantial collection of plants at his home, including more than 500 philodendrons, including some that were discovered by him or bear his name, like Philodendron burle-marxii.

[9A]

14 August 2018

27th Anniversary of Bunaken National Park





The Indonesian government set aside five islands and surrounding waters in 1991, providing protection to the 58 different types of coral and more than 90 species of fish located in Bunaken National Park. Located to the north of the island of Sulawesi, Bunaken National Park is a place where Hawksbill turtles forage on reefs amid colorful schools of damselfish, clownfish, angelfish, and a dazzling array of marine dwellers.

Spectacular sea creatures are not the only inhabitants of the 280-square-mile marine park, located in the northern part of Sulawesi province. There are some 20,000 human beings, most of whom rely on fishing for at least part of their daily nutrition. Groupers, snappers, and napoleon wrasse feed along the vast coral walls that contain an impressive amount of biodiversity—nearly 70% percent of the marine species found in this part of the world.

Although illegal fishing still occurs, and coral is vulnerable to climate change, the Indonesian government applied for the park to be listed as one of UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites, which provides additional protections. Indonesian schools educate students about the fragility of the ecosystem they live within, ensuring that future generations learn how to safeguard this national treasure.

[9A]

May 12, 2024

Mother's Day 2024 [May 12]



Happy Mother's Day! ❤️

Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in March or May. Wikipedia

[9A]

May 19, 2023

Celebrating Poutine


Today’s Doodle celebrates a delicious Québécois dish you’ll surely want to pout-ine your mouth! On this day in 2014, the word “poutine” was added to the English Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

Poutine originated in Québec, however, its origin story is debated! Several restaurant owners in the province claim to have invented it. One restaurant owner stumbled upon the surprising trio of white cheese curds, brown gravy, and double-fried russet potatoes because they observed customers adding a side of cheese curds on top of their gravy fries. Enticed by the combination, the owner added it to their menu in 1964. Another restauranter in Québec was asked by a customer to add cheese curds to a bag of fries, and the owner responded, “It will make a mess!” The “mess” began to intrigue him and he started to serve the fries and cheese curds together topped with gravy to keep them warm.

The etymology [or origin] of the word “poutine” is also debated. The two most common theories are that it’s related to the English word “pudding,” or that it’s derived from the slang word “poutine” meaning “mess.” A legend of the first poutine served corroborates both theories.

As more people tasted the delicious fusion, poutine grew in popularity across Canada and beyond. Specialty chains and bistros serve it, and some high-end restaurants might offer lobster or foie gras poutine. Within Canada, regional variations include Montréal-style poutine which contains smoked meat, and poutine galvaude prepared with chicken and green peas. Across the globe, even more types of poutine exist, such as Italian poutine with tomato sauce instead of gravy, and veggie poutine with mushroom sauce.

No matter where poutine came from, Canadians [and non-Canadians] agree that it’s a favorite comfort food!

[9A]

May 08, 2023

Parents' Day 2023

[9A]

May 05, 2023

Soledad Acosta de Samper's 190th Birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates the 190th birthday of Soledad Acosta de Samper, a Colombian journalist, historian, and novelist who is considered one of the most renowned South American writers of the 19th century. She wrote more than 20 novels, 50 short stories, 4 plays, and more. She was a pioneer in Colombian literature and dedicated much of her work to the recognition of women.

Acosta de Samper was born in Bogotá on this day in 1833. She was the daughter of Joaquín Acosta, a prominent figure in the fight for Colombian independence, and studied in Canada and France when she was young. She found her love for writing when she returned to Colombia in 1855.

She founded several magazines and newspapers like La Mujer [The Woman, 1878], La Familia [The Family, 1884], and more. Acosta de Samper started exploring fictional writing that introduced a historical element while continuing her journalistic work. Traditionally, history was mostly written by men who would exclude important women characters and figures. Acosta de Samper made sure to mention and recognize women in history in her writing — a true disruption at the time.

For the next 35 years, Acosta de Samper published a variety of works including novels, plays, short stories, literary studies, and historical treatises. The Colombian Ministry of Culture declared 2013 “Soledad Acosta de Samper Year” to revive her works and honor her life.

[9A]

May 29, 2022

Mother's Day 2022 [May 29]

[9A]

May 07, 2023

Mother’s Day [May 07]

[9A]

May 03, 2020

Mother's Day 2020 [May 03]

[9A]

May 11, 2014

Mother's Day 2014 [International]

[9A]

9 March 2016

Clara Rockmore’s 105th Birthday



Clara Rockmore made music from thin air. Trained from a young age as a violinist, Rockmore ultimately gave up the violin due to physical strain. This led her to discover the theremin, a gesture-controlled instrument named after its inventor, Léon Theremin. Not only did Rockmore become the instrument's most well-known performer, she also influenced its development. She convinced Theremin that it should be made more responsive and offer a greater range of notes [5 octaves instead of 3]. Though electronic music was uncommon in formal music settings in the 1930s, Rockmore performed as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Toronto Symphony.

Today's interactive Google Doodle was created by artist Robinson Wood, interaction designer Kevin Burke, and engineers Will Knowles and Kris Hom [with support from the larger Doodle engineering team]. The team translated the movement used to play the theremin—one hand controlling pitch and the other volume—to an interactive module, where a point of light controls volume and pitch. Sound designer Manuel Clément helped with the button sound effects.

Engineer Will Knowles explained that the first attempt at recreating the theremin sound was fairly straightforward: just a "single oscillator producing a wave at a given frequency." But Knowles and his team wanted to create a sound quality that resembled Rockmore's own playing. "To accomplish this," he said, "we worked with the Chrome WebAudio team and theremin expert Mark Goldstein to create smooth sliding between frequencies and scaling vibrato to simulate her masterful play style." They also used filters to get across a "a softer, more aged feel."

Robinson Wood and Kevin Burke also reflected Rockmore's world in the visual design of the Doodle, with Art Deco-styled imagery and other period details. "We wanted to give the theremin's controls a feel of realism," Burke said, "so the knob textures were rendered to mimic Bakelite, the early plastic. We chose the wood texture for its similarity to the wood of Clara's RCA theremin."

Today's celebration of Clara Rockmore is a natural accompaniment to Google Creative Lab's launch of the Chrome Music Lab. In the words of designer Alex Chen, the Music Lab aims to "create simple ways for anyone, of any age, to explore how music works."

Have fun playing the theremin! Your playing commemorates Rockmore's 105th birthday.

Very special thanks to the Nadia Reisenberg & Clara Rockmore Foundation and Delos Reco

[9A]

7 March 2011

Sendung mit der Maus 40th Anniversary





Die Sendung mit der Maus [The Show with the Mouse] is a children's series on German television that has been called "the school of the nation". The show first aired on 7 March 1971. Originally called Lach- und Sachgeschichten für Fernsehanfänger ["Laughing and Learning Stories for Television Beginners"], it was controversial because German law prohibited television for children under six years of age. The program was initially condemned by teachers and childcare professionals as bad for children's development, but is now hailed for its ability to convey information to children. The show has received over 75 awards. The first doctoral dissertation on the program was written in 1991. On 7 March 1999 the program's Internet site was launched and received 2,400 e-mails and 4 million hits on the first day.

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7 March 2016

Georges Perec’s 80th Birthday





Where others might feel stifled--even bewildered--Georges Perec felt his most free. The French author and tireless literary innovator saw constraints as a means of liberation. He viewed the craft of writing as a game, a way to upend his readers’ understanding of language and its accepted forms. Perec loved puzzles, and filled his works with anagrams, palindromes, and other verbal trickery.

He belonged to a curious coterie of French writers and mathematicians called the Oulipo, a group of literary experimentalists who proposed things like the S-7 method, a technique that involved rewriting classic poetry by replacing each word with the seventh word after it in the dictionary.

Doodler Sophie Diao’s reimagining of today’s homepage honors Perec’s most challenging, and perhaps most ridiculous experiment--writing an entire novel without using the letter “e”. La Disparition is nearly 300 pages long, and there is nary a hint of our most common vowel in the entire work. That means you won’t find a “the,” a “he,” a “nearly impossible,” or a “Happy birthday, Monsieur Perec.”

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6 March 2014

Elizabeth Browning's 208th Birthday





Elizabeth Barrett Browning [née Moulton-Barrett] was an English poet of the Victorian era, popular in Britain and the United States during her lifetime.

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5 March 2015

Gerardus Mercator’s 503rd Birthday





In 1569, cartographer Gerardus Mercator created the first map that portrayed sailing rhumbs as straight lines, a technical trait of great value to navigation. Our doodle in Belgium marks his 503rd birthday.

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19 September 2022

Emil Zátopek and Dana Zátopková's 100th birthday







In the 1952 Olympics, Dana Zatopkova won a gold medal in the women's javelin throw one hour after her husband, Emil Zapotek, won the men's 5,000 meter run. Today's Doodle celebrates the Czech power couple of track and field’s shared 100th Birthday! This Doodle was created by Prague-based guest artists Ilona Polanski [illustration] and Aliona Saskova [animation].

Both Emil and Dana were born on September 19, 1922. Dana developed a passion for sports while she grew up in Karviná, Czech Republic. Before she ever threw a javelin, Dana was a talented handball player and played in college and professionally where she led her team to a Czechoslovakian handball title. The javelin throw soon caught Dana’s attention. Rumor has it she reached 34 meters the first time she gave it a try. She later became the first Czech woman to throw a javelin over 40 meters, which qualified her for the 1948 Olympic Games.

Over in Zlín, teenage Emil worked at a shoe factory. It was there that he was encouraged to run in a local race where he finished second out of a hundred participants! Emil became a private in the Czech army and trained at night by running in his combat boots while holding his breath to build up his lung capacity. His legend grew after he rode a bicycle from Prague to Berlin and won the 5,000 meter race in an Allied Occupation meet.

Emil witnessed Dana's qualifying javelin throw and congratulated her on making the Olympics. After bonding over their shared birthday, the two formed a relationship. They traveled together to the 1948 Olympic Games in London where Emil won gold in the 10,000 meter race and Dana placed seventh in the javelin throw. Shortly after, the couple married.

Dana and Emil made history at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. Emil won the gold medal in 5,000 meter, 10,000 meter and the marathon—his frist ever—breaking the Olympic record in all three races. Dana not only placed first and set an Olympic record for the javelin throw but became the first Czech woman to win an Olympic gold medal. Due to the couple’s performance that year, Czechoslovakia took home more gold medals than any country besides the United States.

They broke a combined 35 world records in a marriage that lasted 52 years. Dana received the Olympic Order for distinguished contributions to the Olympic movement. The editors at Runner's World Magazine named Emil the Greatest Runner of All Time.

Happy 100th birthday, Emil Zátopek and Dana Zátopková!

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7 Jan 2019

Fahrelnissa Zeid’s 118th Birthday




“I am a descendent of four civilizations,” wrote Fahrelnissa Zeid, describing her 1980 self-portrait Someone from the Past. “The hand is Persian, the dress Byzantine, the face is Cretan and the eyes Oriental, but I was not aware of this as I was painting it.”

One of the first women to attend art school in Turkey, Fahrelnissa Zeid went on to become a member of both the École de Paris [School of Paris] and D Grubu, a Turkish avant-garde group. Celebrated for her abstract paintings, Zeid also did representational work and even painted designs on chicken bones. Bridging western abstraction and eastern styles, her work broke down gender and culture barriers.

Born on the Turkish island of Büyükada on this day in 1901, Zeid was raised in a prestigious Ottoman family. In 1919 she enrolled at the Imperial School of Art in Istanbul, later traveling through Europe and visiting a variety of art and cultural sites across Spain, Italy, and more.. She continued her training at Académie Ranson in Paris.

In the 1930s, Zeid married into the royal family of Iraq and moved to Berlin until World War II forced her to move to Baghdad. “I did not ‘intend’ to become an abstract painter,” she said of the bold abstract paintings she began painting between Baghdad, Turkey, Paris, and London—blending Eastern and Western influences.

In the 1970s Zeid moved to Amman, Jordan, where she founded the Fahrelnissa Zeid Institute for Fine Arts . A 2017 retrospective of her work at the Tate Modern in London referred to Zeid as “one of the greatest female artists of the 20th century.”

Happy Birthday, Fahrelnissa Zeid!

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7 January 2017

Sandford Fleming’s 190th Birthday




It was Ireland in 1876 when a mistake printed in a timetable caused Sandford Fleming to miss his train but alter time as we know it.

Historically, regions used solar time to set their own clocks. It worked well enough until trains came along and the need for standardized time arose, which brings us back to Fleming.

Following his missed train, Fleming—a Canadian inventor and engineer of Scottish birth—proposed a worldwide standard time at a meeting of the Royal Canadian Institute on February, 8, 1879. He advocated for dividing the world into 24 time zones beginning at the Greenwich Meridian and spaced at 15 degree intervals. His proposal gave way to the International Prime Meridian Conference which convened in 1884 and was attended by 25 nations. It was here that Fleming’s system of international standard time was adopted.

Fleming was also known for helping build the Intercontinental Railway, serving as chief engineer of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and designing Canada’s first postage stamp. Today’s Doodle reflects Fleming’s legacy on this, the 190th anniversary of his birth.

Doodle by Sophie Diao

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7 January 2012

Charles Addams' 100th Birthday



Crossposted on the Official Google Blog.

From time to time we invite guests to post about items of interest and are pleased to have H. Kevin Miserocchi, executive director of the Tee and Charles Addams Foundation, join us today to talk about cartoonist Charles Samuel Addams. Addams is best known as the creator of the Addams Family, and is the subject of a doodle today in honor of his 100th birthday. -Ed.

I spent the summer of 1979 fundraising with Tee Matthews Miller for the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons. We spent most of our time in the home she shared with her cartoonist paramour—and too many dogs and cats to name—during his weekends away from Manhattan. I’d met her partner several times before I realized that behind all the stacks of paper and collectibles and layers of dust and pet fur in Tee’s office den, the walls were decorated with familiar art. Not just any art—the original artwork from the pages of The New Yorker magazines that my brother and I had cut up or crayoned across when we were boys. Tee’s boyfriend was the Charles Addams—the one with two d’s. I was home, and our friendship was forever cemented.

They were married in Tee’s pet cemetery in Water Mill, NY in 1980—a surprise for the 60 guests coming for cocktails during the Memorial Day weekend. The wedding party all wore black. It was the union of a wonderful woman of gentle spirit and great generosity and a beguiling man with a subtly wicked sense of humor. Bashful and soft-spoken as he was, he had a devil-child glint in his eyes and a Lugosi-like mouth when he laughed, showing none of his teeth.

Eleven years after his 1988 death, his widow and I formed the not-for-profit Tee and Charles Foundation to protect his legacy as an extraordinary cartoonist with a painterly technique, and to educate people about Charlie’s gift by exhibiting his work worldwide. Following Tee’s passing in 2002, the Foundation dedicated the couple’s Sagaponack homestead, “The Swamp,” as a museum. They had moved there in the mid-1980s, and in true Addams style, they took their cemetery with them—a sweet place where their ashes are interred alongside those of their beloved dogs and cats.

Of the thousands of works Charlie published in his 55 years of cartooning, only 150 were devoted to the group of characters who became known as The Addams Family. But the perfectly off-center humor behind these characters won worldwide adoration even before they became the television and film family we know today. Even for those who never had the thrill of knowing the classy gentleman behind this unique art, Charlie’s family continues to capture the hearts of new generations of cartoon aficionados. We hope today’s doodle inspires you to seek out more of his work.

Posted by H. Kevin Miserocchi, Executive Director, Tee and Charles Addams Foundation

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7 Jan 2014

Yasmin Ahmad's 56th Birthday





Yasmin binti Ahmad was a Malaysian film director, writer and scriptwriter. She was the executive creative director at Leo Burnett Kuala Lumpur. Her television commercials and films are well known in Malaysia for being humorous and touching. Her work crossed cross-cultural barriers, particularly her ads for Petronas, the national oil and gas company. Her works have won multiple awards both within Malaysia and internationally. In Malaysia, her films were highly controversial due to their depiction of events and relationships, which have been considered 'forbidden' by social conservatives, especially hard-line interpretations of Islam. She was a central figure of the "first" New Wave of Malaysian cinema.

Yasmin binti Ahmad was a Malaysian film director, writer and scriptwriter. She was the executive creative director at Leo Burnett Kuala Lumpur. Her television commercials and films are well known in Malaysia for being humorous and touching. Her work crossed cross-cultural barriers, particularly her ads for Petronas, the national oil and gas company. Her works have won multiple awards both within Malaysia and internationally. In Malaysia, her films were highly controversial due to their depiction of events and relationships, which have been considered 'forbidden' by social conservatives, especially hard-line interpretations of Islam. She was a central figure of the "first" New Wave of Malaysian cinema.

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May 14, 2024

WNBA Season Begins 2024


WNBA Season Begins 2024

Today’s Doodle celebrates the start of the 2024 WNBA season!

Get ready for tip off, today’s Doodle celebrates the start of the 28th WNBA season!

All twelve teams will play 40 games — 20 home and 20 away. The top eight teams with the best records will make it to the playoffs in September.

With talented rookies entering the league alongside established WNBA legends,expect a season to remember.

Good luck to all the teams!

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May 16, 2024

Celebrating Hank Adams




Henry Lyle Adams was an American Native rights activist known as a successful strategist, tactician, and negotiator. He was instrumental in resolving several key conflicts between Native Americans and state and federal government officials after 1960. Wikipedia

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Jun 03, 2022

Celebrating Rosane Kaingang




Today’s Doodle celebrates the unshakeable spirit of Rosane Mattos Kaingang, an Indigenous Brazilian activist who worked tirelessly to fight for Native rights. She brought representation to the Indigenous community and played a critical role in helping the Council of Human Rights [CNDH] investigate rights violations against Native Brazilians. On this day in 1992, at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development hosted in Rio de Janeiro [or Rio 92 Conference], she began her life of service to the indigenous movement.

Kaingang was a descendant of the Kaingang people, an Indigenous ethnic group primarily from the southern states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. Her indigenous name, Kokoj, means “hummingbird,” and was given to her during a ceremony in honor of her great-grandmother, who died at 120 years old! Just like her name, everything she later worked for was strongly rooted in her community and heritage.

She spent her adult life fighting for the recognition of rightful territories, sustainable community development and access to quality education and medical services. Kaingang was also instrumental in bringing awareness to the struggles of Indigenous women. As one of the founders of the National Council of Indigenous Women of Brazil [CONAMI], she helped create a structure for Indigenous women to organize and protest as a larger body. These protests urged for broader access to resources and Indigenous labor rights.

Kaingang also represented several other social reform groups, most notably the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil [APIB], the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of the South [ARPINSUL] and the National Indian Foundation [FUNAI]. She participated in dozens of meetings, seminars, hearings and mobilization efforts that advocated for a more equitable future for Native Brazilians.

Kaingang is remembered for her dedication and love for the Indigenous community — a true warrior who never stayed silent in the face of injustice and adversity.

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May 12, 2022

Mazisi Kunene's 92nd Birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates the 92nd birthday of Mazisi Kunene, an anti-apartheid activist and South African poet laureate whose work recorded the history of the Zulu people.

Kunene was born and raised in Durban, an eastern South African province now called KwaZulu-Natal. As a child, he loved writing short stories and poetry in Zulu. By age 11, he was publishing his writings in local newspapers and magazines. As he grew older, he became a strong advocate for the preservation of indigenous Zulu poetic traditions. His master’s thesis notably critiqued how Western literary traditions were diluting Zulu literature.

At the start of apartheid, Kunene used his works to resist the government’s racist segregation system. When South African government reacted with violence toward the resistance movement in 1959, and exiled Kunene, he fled to the U.K. [and later the USA], where he helped start anti-apartheid movement. During this time, his work was banned in South Africa.

In exile, Kunene went on to publish monumental works of literature such as “Emperor Shaka the Great,” “Anthem of the Decades” and “The Ancestors and the Sacred Mountain.” His work is known for exploring South African culture, religion and history in the context of colonialism, apartheid and slavery.

In 1975, Kunene became an African literature professor at University of California, Los Angeles, where he taught for nearly two decades. He also served as a cultural advisor to UNESCO during this time.

Post-apartheid, Kunene returned to South Africa to continue writing in isiZulu. In 1993, UNESCO honored him as Africa’s poet laureate. He later also became the first poet laureate of democratic South Africa. His legacy lives on not only in his poetry, but also the Mazisi Kunene Foundation Trust, which is dedicated to nurturing Africa’s next generation of literary talent.

Happy birthday, Mazisi Kunene!

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Apr 09, 2022

Nomhle Nkonyeni's 80th Birthday




Today’s Doodle celebrates the 80th birthday of Nomhle Nkonyeni, a Black South African actress who overcame discrimination to take the stage during apartheid.

Nomhle Nkonyeni was born on this day in 1942 in Aggrey Road, in the city of Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth. Her notable acting career began as early as age 19 when she co-founded the Serpent Players. This interracial theater troupe’s name was inspired by the abandoned snake pit in which they were forced to first perform due to discrimination. Nkonyeni continued to defy discrimination laws, with the acting group eventually drawing interracial audiences to view political protest theater.

Almost two decades later, Nkonyeni made history by becoming the first Black actress to perform at The CAPAB theater, a major performing arts center in Cape Town. She played the lead role in Die Swerfjare van Poppie Nongena, which details the struggles of a Black South African woman navigating discriminatory laws. Nkonyeni’s talent became known on the small and big screens as well, where she held numerous roles in television shows and films such as Tsha Tsha, Scandal!, Zulu, and Red Dust—her career spanning over five decades.

Nkonyeni also dedicated her life to empowering the next generation. She volunteered as a drama teacher for homeless youth in her spare time and led youth theater programs in Cape Town. In 2016, Nkonyeni received a lifetime achievement award from the South African Film and Television Awards for her legacy and impact—both on and off the stage.

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Sep 15, 2021

Celebrating Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde




In celebration of U.S. Hispanic Heritage Month, today’s Doodle—illustrated by Riverside, California-based guest artist Loris Lora—honors Panamanian-American nurse and educator Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde. As a foundational figure in the creation of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses [NAHN], Dr. Murillo-Rohde dedicated her life to enhancing the quality of healthcare for underrepresented communities while equipping other Hispanic nurses with the skills to do the same.

Ildaura Murillo was born on September 6, 1920, in Panama into a family of health professionals. In 1945, she immigrated to San Antonio, Texas, where she found that relatively few of the city’s nurses represented the linguistic and ethnic backgrounds of their largely Hispanic patients. Knowing that language barriers and cultural mannerisms often stood in the way of providing patients with the highest quality of care, Murillo-Rohde set out on a lifelong mission to cultivate a nursing workforce that could best serve America’s growing Hispanic community.

After earning her doctorate from New York University in 1971, Dr. Murillo-Rohde took various positions that allowed her to clearly identify the underrepresentation of marginalized groups in the medical community as a national issue. To combat this problem, she helped found the Spanish Speaking/Spanish Surnamed Nurses’ Caucus in 1975—now known as the National Association of Hispanic Nurses [NAHN]—and served as its first president.

Alongside continued work with the NAHN, Dr. Murillo-Rohde promoted cultural awareness as a psychiatric nurse, faculty member, professor, and dean. The American Academy of Nursing honored her numerous achievements with its prestigious fellowship—one of the highest nursing honors in the nation.

Today, the NAHN provides support for Hispanic nurses through various programs, including the Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde Scholarship. It also honors members who have exhibited outstanding achievements in nursing education, research, and practice with the Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde Award for Education Excellence by a Hispanic Registered Nurse.

Thank you for uplifting the next generation of Hispanic healthcare professionals, Dr. Ildaura Murillo-Rohde!

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Apr 29, 2024

Celebrating Tari Rangkuk Alu



This animated Doodle celebrates Tari Rangkuk Alu, a dancestyle that originates from the traditional Rangkuk Alu game in Manggarai, Indonesia, which involves maneuvering through a moving bamboo grid.

People of all ages participate in Tari Rangkuk Alu, which originates from the traditional game known as Rankuk Alu, Ranku Alu, or Rangkuk pestle game. Bamboo sticks are arranged in a grid on the ground, and while some players move the sticks to a continuous beat, others step in an intricate pattern avoiding the bamboo. The game evolved into a dance as people saw similarities between the cadenced jumping and dancing. Beginners move in simple patterns while skilled dancers navigate more bamboos moving in multiple directions, maneuvering around the edges and through the middle.

Instruments like drums and xylophones sometimes complement the rhythmic beating of the bamboo sticks. Dancers may wear long skirts, a headdress, or wave the ends of a scarf as they navigate the bamboo.

It requires focus to avoid hitting the bamboo, and players will use the game to train for agility, balance, and coordination. Those in the Manggarai tribe also find spiritual and philosophical value in the dance. People who jump in contribute to preserving the cultural treasure of Tari Rangkuk Alu.

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Apr 23, 2023

St. George's Day 2023



Today’s Doodle celebrates St. George’s Day and the lore surrounding him. On this day in 303, St. George passed away, but the tales of his adventures live on.

Legend has it that St. George visited a town in Libya called Silene, where a dragon guarded the only well. When he realised the people’s access to fresh water was heavily limited, he slayed the dragon and liberated the city from it. Bushes with the reddest roses ever seen are said to have begun growing throughout Silene after the dragon was defeated — so some people give a red rose to a loved one on St. George’s Day, or wear one on their lapel. Today’s Doodle artwork [made from hand-cut acrylic glass] features the dragon and roses from the tale of St. George.

Those who celebrate the day may hang a flag featuring St. George’s cross, which is a red cross on a white background. And the celebrations aren’t limited to the United Kingdom — ceremonies take place across Venice, Genoa, Portugal, Ethiopia, and Catalonia on this day as well.

Happy St. George’s Day! 🌹