Google Doodle started out when Google creators, Lary and Sergey, played with the official Google logo to mark their presence in the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert. That was back in 1999. Now, Google Doodle has evolved into Google’s own calendar, reminding people all around the world about holidays and other special days that are worth remembering.
The Google Doodle team has created over 1000 designs. Being one of the most popular search engines today, Google has successfully reminded millions of people about people and events that made their marks in history. Not only does Google Doodle celebrate holidays with us, it also gives us history lessons without having to bring out those boring history books.
Let’s go through some of the most interesting Google Doodles created over the years.
Burning Man – Aug. 30, 1998
This is the doodle that started it all. While this is just a very simple logo with a stick figure drawing in the middle, it has paved way for a very innovative project that is Google Doodle over 10 years ago.
US Elections – Nov. 7, 2000
Not only does Google Doodle help us celebrate holidays and events, it also is an effective way of making a statement. This particular Google logo encouraged the American people to vote and make a difference.
Piet Mondrian’s Birthday – Mar. 7, 2002
Pieter Cornelis “Piet” Mondrian was the Dutch abstract painter who left a mark in the art community through his famous paintings of simple cubes and lines. He painted in a precise, geometric manner using mostly just primary colors. He called his style of painting “neoplasticism”, a style that is still very popular in the art community today.
Dilbert – May 24, 2002
This logo was one of the 5 Google Doodle logos created as a tribute to the Dilbert worldwide comic phenomenon. Dilbert embodies all the white-collar office workers out there, and its satirical office humor has made it so popular since it was first published in April 1989.
Albert Einstein’s Birthday – Mar 14, 2003
Albert Einstein did it all in his lifetime; he was a theoretical physicist, philosopher, and author. His contribution in theoretical physics, particularly his discovery of the photoelectric effect has earned him a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.
50th Anniversary of Understanding DNA – April 25, 2003
There have been several advanced developments in the field of genetics in the past couple of years, but nothing compares to the achievement of James Watson and Francis Crick in April 1953: their Nobel Prize winning description of the DNA double helix.
Vincent Van Gogh’s Birthday – March 30, 2005
Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most famous painters known today. However, Van Gogh lived a rather sad and lonely life and his works were only recognized after he died. Some of his most famous paintings are “Starry Night”, and “Sunflowers”.
Anniversary of Lunar Landing – July 20, 2005
“One small step for man, one giant step for mankind,” was astronaut’s Neil Armstrong’s first words as he stepped into the moon. Millions of people worldwide watched the historic event of the Apollo 11 moon landing, and it was considered to have the largest television audience for a live broadcast at that time.
Doodle 4 Google Competition – Nov. 17, 2005
Google Doodle does not only use logos created by its expert Doodle team, they also host competitions where young adults are invited to send in their best doodles for a specific theme. This particular logo by Lisa Wainaina won the honor for the theme “Day of the Child”.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Day – Jan. 16, 2006
Martin Luther King, Jr. was and is still an iconic figure in the United States. He was an activist during his time, who conquered the world though his powerful words and passion for justice. He championed the advancement of civil rights in the United States and globally as well.
Mozart’s Birthday – Jan. 27, 2006
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an influencial composer during the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, some of which are still played by pianists worldwide.
Louis Braille’s Birthday – Jan. 04, 2006
Louis Braille was the inventor of the Braille system, a phenomenal system that allowed the blind and visually-impaired to read and write using the sense of touch.
Earth Day – April 22, 2006
Google participates in the fight to save electricity and energy through this logo. Earth Day is a worldwide awareness and appreciation day for Mother Earth.
Halloween – Oct. 31, 2006
Of course, the year would not be complete without celebrating Halloween. Kids look forward to trick-or-treating, teenagers look forward to playing pranks, and adults prepare to be pranked and give out candies. There’s always something for everyone on Halloween.
Doodle for Google Competition – Nov. 7, 2006
This winning piece by Katherine Chisnall for the theme “Five Wonders of Britain”. Britain is certainly one of the must-see places in the world with its rich history, unique architecture, and hundreds of unique landmarks ranging from the pre-historic Stone Henge to the regal Buckingham Palace.
Countdown to the 2008 Olympics – Aug. 8, 2007
2007 was certainly a big year for China as it hosted the highly-anticipated 2008 Olympic Games.
50th Anniversary of the LEGO Brick – Jan. 28, 2008
Kids and adults alike love to play with these colorful interlocking bricks that fulfill our hidden architectural ambitions. A fact that most people don’t know is that the Lego Group began in the workshop of a carpenter in Denmark, who sold wooden toys. His products evolved into plastic toys and eventually into the Lego bricks we all know today.
Invention of the Radio – May 7, 2009
Before the internet, even before television, there was the radio.
Invention of the Laser – May 16, 2008
Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation or LASER was a product of a US Air Force experiment in 1960. Since then, the laser technology has had several innovations that has improved the technology and created specialized laser types for a variety of uses.
Josef Frank’s 125th Birthday – July 15, 2010
Josef Frank was a famous architect, artist, and designer who was known throught Europe in the 1920s because of his unique and modernist designs. Today, his furniture and fabric is still being produced and used to decorate homes all over the world.
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