28.01.2021 06:05 Date: January 28, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates the birthday of Canadian activist, community organizer, poet, author, editor, photographer, radio producer, and historian Jim Wong-Chu, who devoted his life to amplifying the narratives of the Asian Canadian community. Born in Hong Kong on this day in 1949, Wong-Chu moved to Canada when he was 4, and as a young adult, he settled in Vancouver, British Columbia. During the ‘70s he worked as a community volunteer and became interested in the use of literature to explore his identity as a Canadian of Asian heritage. In 1986, while studying creative writing at the University of British Columbia, he compiled his work into the collection “Chinatown Ghosts,” one of the first poetry books ever published by a Chinese Canadian author. But Wong-Chu didn’t just want to tell his story; he wanted to tell the stories of all the undiscovered talent in his community. In 1989, he began to sift through every literary magazine in UCB’s library to identify pieces written by Asian Canadian writers. With co-editor Bennett Lee, he honed this collection into his first of numerous anthologies, “Many Mouthed Birds” , a touchstone in the emergence of the genre of Asian Canadian literature. To promote the genre, Wong-Chu co-founded the Asian Canadian Writer’s Workshop in 1996, which–along with its literary magazine Ricepaper –has continued to elevate the voices of the Asian Canadian literary arts movement to this day. Happy birthday, Jim Wong-Chu! Early concepts and drafts of today's Doodle by David Lu Location: Tags: , , , ,
25.01.2021 21:21 Date: January 26, 2021 Home to approximately one-sixth of the global population, India is among the most diverse countries in the world. Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Mumbai-based guest artist , honors the day 72 years ago when the Indian Constitution took effect and made official the country’s full transition to a sovereign republic. In celebration of India’s Republic Day, today’s Doodle artwork reflects the range of vibrant cultures that bring the colorful nation to life. While Republic Day only dates back to 1949, many elements of the subcontinent’s culture have been evolving for centuries. With origins that stretch back hundreds of years, musical instruments such as the dholak and the sitar , both featured in the Doodle artwork, are just a few examples of India’s rich heritage. From its distinctive architectural styles to the Bollywood film industry, India’s cultural impact is felt across the world, and today, there is much to celebrate. Happy Republic Day, India! Guest Artist Q&A with Onkar Fondekar Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Mumbai-based guest artist . Below, he shares his thoughts behind the making of this Doodle: Q: What were your first thoughts when you were approached about the project? A: I felt fortunate and happy that I got the opportunity to portray India—my country—on a global platform like Google Doodle. At the same time, I knew there were so many things, so much diversity and such a wide canvas I could illustrate. Q: Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? A: I drew inspiration from the people of India—the culture, traditions, history, and architecture. Q: What do you hope people take away from your Doodle? A: Unity. Early concepts and sketches below Location: Tags: , , , ,
25.01.2021 15:00 Date: January 26, 2021 Today’s Doodle recognizes January 26 by honoring Maria Island—a biodiverse protected State Reserve located off the eastern coast of Tasmania. The secluded haven is home to a unique collection of mammal, marine, and avian species, including one of Australia’s rarest birds: the endangered forty-spotted pardalote which is depicted in the Doodle artwork. Native to the island’s dry eucalyptus forests, the tiny pardalote is the first Australian bird known to forage a sugary sap called manna by snipping the leaf stalks of gum trees—a process referred to as “mining” or “farming” by biologists. In response, these trees often heal their wounds with the release of nutritious manna that is then snatched up by the pardalote to feed its offspring. From the northern peaks of Bishop and Clerk to the jagged rock pillars of Cape Peron in the south, Maria Island teems with wildlife and continues to be one of the richest heritage sites in Australia. Today’s Google Doodle was developed in collaboration with Tasmanian Aboriginal community and Elders. We respectfully acknowledge the Tasmanian Aboriginal communities and Elders past and present. Location: Tags: , , , ,
22.01.2021 00:07 Date: January 22, 2021 Location: Tags:
21.01.2021 01:00 Date: January 21, 2021 Location: Tags:
18.01.2021 05:30 Date: January 18, 2021 Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Pittsburgh-based guest artist , celebrates the 26th anniversary of the federal American holiday and day of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A civil rights pioneer, Dr. King’s legacy has forever altered the trajectory of United States history and inspired multiple generations to join in the pursuit of equality and social justice. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929 and devoted his life to the pursuit of racial equality. He spearheaded some of America’s most groundbreaking demonstrations in the name of racial justice. Among these were the Montgomery Bus Boycotts from 1955 to 1956—peaceful protests which were considered the country’s first mass demonstration against segregation— and the Selma to Montgomery March across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965 where protesters marched to demand an end to voter registration discrimination. Also, during the historic 1963 March on Washington, the orator delivered his now-famous “I Have a Dream” speech to some 250,000 people. Dr. King played an key role in the passage of transformative American legislation, from the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which outlawed public segregation and employment discrimination, to the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which implemented sweeping changes to combat the disenfrachisement of voters based on race. In 1964, at the age of 35, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize making him the youngest person in history at the time to receive this honor. Dr. King’s dream of racial equality inspired children, teenagers, and young adults to join the movement, with many of them attending meetings, marches and demonstrations from an early age. Today’s Doodle aims to depict this cross-generation activism in the parallel scenes from rallies of the 1960s on the left and modern day murals for social justice on the right. Today and everyday, people of all ages honor his legacy by pouring into their communities and taking action to build a better future. Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! Take a journey through Dr. King’s life with the grand opening of the miniature museum “Still Dreaming,” created by artist Tammie Knight and curated by Adrian Octavius Walker with photography from the Google Arts & Culture archives. Learn more about the project with . Location: , Tags: , , , ,
18.01.2021 04:16 Date: January 18, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates Argentine doctor and social activist Petrona Eyle. In addition to her trailblazing career in medicine, Eyle fearlessly campaigned for women’s rights across Latin America and led numerous feminist and humanitarian organizations. Petrona Eyle was born on this day in 1866 in Baradero in the Argentine province of Buenos Aires. She earned a teaching degree in 1879 and then traveled to Switzerland to study medicine at the University of Zurich, the first European university to accept female students. Following her graduation in 1891, she returned home to Argentina and made history when she revalidated her degree to officially become a doctor in the country. At the same time, Eyle dedicated herself to the improvement of women’s lives through her involvement with a variety of forward-looking organizations. She co-founded the Association of University Women, a pioneering Argentinian feminist association that fought for equal legal and social rights. Through her involvement there, Eyle also helped organize the First International Feminist Congress, which was held in Buenos Aires in 1910. A writer as well, in the late 1910s she founded the magazine Nuestra Causa , in which she argued vehemently for women’s right to vote. In 1947, Argentina granted women that right, thanks in no small part to Eyle and the women’s suffrage movement to which she contributed throughout her life. Happy birthday, Petrona Eyle, and thank you for helping to lead Argentina toward a more equal future. Location: , , Tags:
15.01.2021 18:16 Date: January 16, 2021 Location: Tags: , , ,
14.01.2021 12:31 Date: January 15, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates Canadian-American physical educator, professor, doctor, and coach Dr. James Naismith, who invented the game of basketball in 1891. On this day of the following year, Naismith announced the new game and its original rules in the pages of “The Triangle,” a Springfield College school newspaper. From its humble beginnings in a school gymnasium, the sport has grown into an international colossus played in over 200 countries today. James Naismith was born on November 6, 1861, near the town of Almonte in Ontario, Canada. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from McGill University, and in 1890 took a job as an instructor at the YMCA International Training College in Springfield, Massachusetts. Here, he was tasked to develop an indoor game that could occupy students during the unforgiving New England winters. With two peach baskets, a soccer ball, and just ten rules, the game of “basket ball” was born. Introduced to Naismith’s class on December 21, 1891, the game initially featured teams of nine players and combined elements of outdoor sports such as American football, soccer, and field hockey. Despite initial skepticism, the sport exploded in popularity over the following years, and in 1936, basketball made its Olympic debut in Berlin, Germany. None other than the sport’s founder—James Naismith—threw the ball for the tip-off to commence the first game. Naismith envisioned basketball as a way for all students to better themselves physically and mentally. The sport was introduced in a time when schools were segregated, but Naismith saw everyone as someone with potential for the game. In his lifetime, he took steps to help basketball reach more young people, and it has since evolved into a global phenomenon that crosses racial and gender barriers. In 1959, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame was incorporated in Springfield, Massachusetts, and this mecca of basketball history carries on Naismith’s legacy to this day. Here’s to Dr. James Naismith—thank you for creating one of the world’s favorite pastimes! Location: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Tags:
14.01.2021 05:13 Date: January 14, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates Chilean engineer Justicia Espada Acuña, one of the first female engineers in Chile and South America. A symbol of women’s progress in Latin America, Acuña forged a path for generations of women to pursue careers in engineering. Justicia Espada Acuña Mena was born in the Chilean capital of Santiago on this day in 1893. Her father was a civil builder who encouraged Acuña and her seven siblings to follow their dreams and challenge unjust societal norms. After high school, she studied mathematics, but she soon took an interest in engineering instead. In 1912, she became the first woman to join the Faculty of Physical Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Chile, and she made history when she graduated with a degree in civil engineering seven years later. The next year, Acuña began her trailblazing career as a calculator for the State Railways’ Department of Roads and Works . Excluding a break to raise her seven children, she worked for the company until her retirement in 1954. To honor her legacy, the College of Engineers of Chile inducted Acuña into its Gallery of Illustrious Engineers in 1981, and around a decade later the Institute of Engineers created an award in her name for outstanding female engineers. In addition, in 2018 the Faculty of Physical Science and Mathematics of the University of Chile renamed its central tower after Acuña to memorialize the faculty’s first female student. Happy birthday, Justicia Espada Acuña, and thank you for helping engineer a brighter future for women in science. Location: , , Tags:
13.01.2021 23:30 Date: January 14, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates the multi-talented Russian geographer, author, and statistician Petr Petrovich Semenov-Tian-Shansky. A pioneering explorer of Asia’s Tien Shan mountain system, Semenov made huge strides in varied fields including geography, botany, statistics, and economics—all while amassing a comprehensive collection of Dutch and Flemish artwork and over 700,00 insects. Petr Petrovich Semenov was born into a wealthy family on this day in 1827 near the city of Ryazan in Western Russia. He took an interest in botany and history as a child and went on to study natural sciences at St. Petersburg University. Following his graduation, he was admitted to the prestigious Russian Geographical Society, where he set out to translate work by the famous German geographer Karl Ritter. It was this project that first inspired Semenov to explore Central Asia’s Tien Shan mountain range, which was almost entirely uncharted by western scientists. In 1856, Semenov embarked on his legendary first expedition of the Tien Shan. Over the course of two journeys, he classified enormous areas of mountainous terrain, and discovered eight new plant species. After his return, Semenov was elected vice president of the Russian Geographical Society and encouraged a new generation to follow in his footsteps as explorers. Semenov became a senator in 1882 and went on to spearhead Russia’s first population census in 1897. In honor of his geographic accomplishments, Semenov was given the honorific title of Tian-Shansky on the 50-year anniversary of his iconic excursion. Happy birthday to a fearless adventurer who reached the highest peaks of scientific progress. Location: Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
08.01.2021 18:37 Date: January 9, 2021 Location: Tags: , ,
06.01.2021 03:43 Date: January 6, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates the Brazilian psychiatrist, scientist, professor, and social reformer Juliano Moreira. Throughout his early 20th-century career, Moreira revolutionized the treatment of people with mental illnesses in Brazil and fought tirelessly to combat scientific racism and the false linkage of mental illness to skin color. Juliano Moreira was born on this day in 1872 in Salvador, Brazil to a mother who was a slave at an aristocratic residence. Based on his exceptional intelligence, Moreira was allowed to matriculate at the Bahia School of Medicine at just 13 years old. He earned his medical degree while he was still a teenager, and in 1896 the University of Bahia appointed him as a professor of psychiatry. Moreira turned his attention to the treatment of mental illness, and he traveled the world to study other countries’ approaches. He gained the opportunity to apply his newfound knowledge in 1903 when he was appointed to run a national hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for patients with mental illnesses. Over nearly three decades in the position, he implemented sweeping reforms to provide a more humanistic and scientific approach to patient care. He also co-authored a 1903 law that compelled the humane treatment of people with mental illnesses in the country. To honor Moreira’s legacy, a hospital in his hometown of Salvador was renamed the Juliano Moreira Hospital in the mid-’30s. Happy birthday, Juliano Moreira, and thank you for your dedication to a brighter future of psychiatric care! Location: Tags: , , , , ,
03.01.2021 17:08 Date: January 4, 2021 Location: Tags: , ,
01.01.2021 01:36 Date: January 1, 2021 The time has come to welcome the new, the clock strikes midnight and out comes the cuckoo! “All the best for the new year,” the cuckoo bird chirps for all to hear! Happy New Year’s Day! Looking for more ways to celebrate? and tap on the New Year confetti popper to bring in 2021 with a little extra flair! Location: Tags: , , , , ,
