30.10.2021 20:45 Date: October 31, 2021 Location: Tags: ,
29.10.2021 00:15 Date: October 29, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates the 98th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey with a depiction of the nation’s First Grand National Assembly of Turkey Building. It was here that the Turkish parliament, also known as the Grand National Assembly, declared independence on this day in 1923. Today, the building stands in the Turkish capital of Ankara as the War of Independence and Republic Museum. Many original artifacts from the early days of the Turkish Republic are preserved in the museum. The parliament moved to its current building in 1961. Happy National Day, Turkey! Location: Tags: , , ,
27.10.2021 21:00 Date: October 28, 2021 Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Los Angeles, CA-based artist celebrates Japan’s “Father of Judo,” Professor Kanō Jigorō, on his 161st birthday. The name Judo means “the gentle way” and the sport is built on principles such as justice, courtesy, safety, and modesty. Kanō saw the martial art as a way to bring people together, even while throwing opponents to the mat. Born in 1860 in Mikage , Kanō moved to Tokyo with his father at age 11. Though he was known as a child prodigy in school, he often faced adversity. To build strength, he became determined to study the martial art of Jujutsu. During his time as a student at Tokyo University, he finally found someone who would teach him—Jujutsu master and former samurai Fukuda Hachinosuke. Judo was first born during a Jujutsu sparring match when Kanō incorporated a western wrestling move to bring his much larger opponent to the mat. By removing the most dangerous techniques used in Jujutsu, he created “Judo,” a safe and cooperative sport based on Kanō’s personal philosophy of Seiryoku-Zenyo and Jita-Kyoei . In 1882, Kanō opened his own dojo , the Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo, where he would go on to develop Judo for years. He also welcomed women into the sport in 1893. Kanō became the first Asian member of the International Olympic Committee in 1909, and in 1960, the IOC approved Judo as an official Olympic sport. お誕生日おめでとうございます Happy birthday, Kanō Jigorō! Location: Tags: , , , , , ,
26.10.2021 18:02 Date: October 27, 2021 Location: , , , , , , , , , , , , , Tags: , , , , , , ,
26.10.2021 00:30 Date: October 26, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates Austrian National Day on the anniversary of major historic developments in the European nation’s history. On this day in 1955, foreign powers left Austria’s soil, leading Parliament to pass legislation declaring permanent neutrality in any future engagements—a commitment to peace that has been celebrated as National Day since 1965. Official ceremonies begin in the capital of Vienna with an annual laying of the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier followed by a televised speech from the federal government to Austrian citizens. Nationally run museums are opened to the public, including the House of Austrian History and the Natural History Museum Vienna. Traditionally, many of the nation’s 83 embassies across the globe open their doors for receptions and other National Day events to honor the nation’s history and give Austrians staying abroad a taste of home. Happy National Day, Austria! Location: Tags: , , , ,
25.10.2021 06:16 Date: October 25, 2021 Today’s Doodle, illustrated guest artist Darya Shnykina, celebrates the 95th birthday of one of the greatest Russian opera singers of the 20th century—Galina Vishnevskaya. Galina Pavlovna Ivanova was born on this day in 1926 in Leningrad, Russia and became enthralled with opera at 10 years old after hearing Tchaikovsky’s epic “Eugene Onegin.” While walking the streets of Leningrad in the early 1950s, Vishnevskaya stumbled upon an invitation to audition for the Bolshoi Theater—Russia’s most prestigious opera hall. She blew the judges away with her audition, earning a spot as the year’s only auditioner accepted into the Bolshoi troupe. In 1953, her childhood dreams were realized at the Bolshoi as she portrayed the lead character Tatyana in “Eugene Onegin” with a fresh interpretation of a classic character that became her signature role. This marked the genesis of a virtuosic opera career that took Vishnevskaya to venues around the world—often with her beloved dachshund Pooks in tow—from New York’s Metropolitan Opera to Helsinki’s Finnish National Opera. It was at the latter venue that she gave her final performance of Tatyana before retiring in 1982. As a devoted humanitarian, Vishnevskaya founded the non-profit children’s welfare organization Rostropovich-Vishnevskaya Foundation in 1991 alongside her husband, the world-class cellist Maestro Rostropovich. She also founded the Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Centre in 2002 to provide a home for aspiring opera singers. Both organizations carry on her legacy of helping and inspiring others to this day. Happy birthday, Galina Vishnevskaya! Early drafts of the Doodle below Location: , , , Tags: , , , , ,
24.10.2021 21:31 Date: October 25, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates the 127th birthday of French author and surrealist photographer Claude Cahun—best-known for their purposefully unsettling yet playful self-portrait photography that challenged the gender and sexuality norms of the early 20th century. Claude Cahun was born on this day in 1894 in Nantes, France, into a Jewish family. As the grandchild of the influential French artist David Leon Cahun and a child of a newspaper owner, Cahun came of age surrounded by creativity. At 14, they met Marcel Moore, their lifelong partner and artistic collaborator. After moving to Paris to study literature in 1919, Cahun shaved their head and adopted their famed gender-neutral name in revolt against societal convention. Despite gender non-conformity being widely considered taboo in 1920s Paris, Cahun’s decision to publicly identify as non-binary met with controversy, but they explicitly rejected the public fuss. Cahun explored gender-fluidity through literature and melancholic self-portraiture such as the 1927 series “I am in training, don’t kiss me.” This work depicted the artist costumed as a feminized weightlifter, blurring the line between masculine and feminine stereotypes. In addition to their lifelong artistic work, Cahun worked with others to resist fascist occupation. The French government awarded their efforts with the Medal of French Gratitude in 1951. In 2018, the Paris City Council named a street in honor of Cahun and Moore in the French capital’s sixth district, where the duo once lived. In addition to increasing focus on their pioneering work in the Surrealist movement and breaking down gender barriers in the photographic arts, Cahun’s work has influenced gender bending celebrities, the modern LGBTQ+ community, and conversations on identity and expression to this day. Happy birthday, Claude Cahun! Early draft of the Doodle below Location: , , , , , , , , , , Tags: , , , , ,
23.10.2021 00:30 Date: October 23, 2021 Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Semarang, Indonesia-based guest artist , celebrates Indonesian singer, songwriter, and actor Ellya Khadam, who is widely considered a pioneer of dangdut, a genre of folk music popular in Indonesia that blends local musical traditions together with diverse styles such as Western rock-and-roll and Indian film scores. Ellya Khadam was born Siti Alya Husnah on this day in 1928 in Jakarta, Indonesia. During her teenage years, Khadam was neighbors with a singer of the Malaysian pop music style known as deli. She developed her musical talent by imitating this genre, which allowed her to make a name for herself by first singing at weddings and later joining local musical outfits. She rose to prominence as a singer in the Kelana Ria Malay Orchestra during the 1950s, a musical collective that drew much of its inspiration from Indian culture and music. Khadam’s career reached its peak with the release of her 1956 break-out hit song “Boneka India” now considered a touchstone of the dangdut genre. She expressed her love for Indian customs not just through using Indian tabla rhythms in her songs but also by donning traditional Indian saris and wearing a sindoor on her forehead. In addition to her musical output, which popularized dangdut and inspired the younger generation to take the genre to new heights, Khadam starred in dozens of films into the late 1970s. Today, dangdut showcases the nation’s culture on a global scale as one of Indonesia’s most popular musical styles—even making a historic on-stage debut in New York’s Times Square earlier this year! Happy birthday, Ellya Khadam—thank you for giving a voice to a new wave of Indonesian culture! Guest Artist Q&A with Fatchurofi Muhammad Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Semarang, Indonesia-based guest artist Fatchurofi Muhammad. Below, he shares his thoughts behind the making of this Doodle: Q. Why was this topic meaningful to you personally? A. Working on this Doodle is nostalgic for me. I grew up listening to the radio as a source of entertainment and news. My family didn't have a TV until I was 9 years old. And Ellya's songs were definitely something I heard on repeat as she's very popular, especially with the "Boneka Cantik Dari India" title. So now, working on this Doodle and listening again to her songs, brings up all my childhood memories. Q. What were your first thoughts when you were approached about working on this Doodle? A. Excited! It's got me singing her songs out loud! Q. Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? A. Mainly, the Doodle was about Ellya's stage identity and celebrating her career and productivity. Her pink sari spreads wide, underlying objects from her career, from music to acting . Her tambourine, tabla, and serunai—musical instruments from Orkes Melayu, a genre that popularised her. And there are strong visual and color hints of India to represent her primary source of inspirations and stage identity. Q. What message do you hope people take away from your Doodle? A. Be productive. Great works live forever. Inspiration comes from anywhere. Early drafts of the Doodle below Location: Tags: , , , , , ,
22.10.2021 06:16 Date: October 22, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates Afro-German author, journalist, actor, government official, and social activist Theodor Wonja Michael, who survived a German labor camp to become the nation’s first Black federal civil service officer. Dedicated throughout his wide-ranging career to the struggle against racism, he lived to become one of the oldest remaining representatives of a historic generation of Black German people. On this day in 2013, Michael published his emotive memoir “Black German: An Afro-German Life in the Twentieth Century.” In 1925, Theodor Wonja Michael was born on January 15 in Berlin, Germany to a father of Cameroonian birth and a native German mother. After elementary school, he was denied occupational training due to Germany’s discriminatory Nuremberg Laws. He pursued acting instead, but at 18 he was sent to work in a forced labor camp. After the end of World War II, Michael went on to earn a master’s degree in political science. He pursued a career in journalism and founded and edited the journal “Afrika-Bulletin.” In 1971, he agreed to contribute his expertise of African issues to West Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service, where he worked as a secret agent and retired as a director in 1987. Initially hesitant to join, Michael used his government service to fight discrimination from within and open doors for other Black Germans. He eventually returned to acting and became one of Germany’s most renowned Shakespearean stage actors. In honor of his role as a representative of the Black German community, Michael became the first recipient of the nation’s Black History Month Award in 2009. Happy birthday, Theodor Wonja Michael! Your story continues to inspire new generations to stand firm in the fight against racial prejudice. Location: Tags: , , , ,
18.10.2021 03:00 Date: October 18, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates Azerbaijan’s Independence Day, also known as State Sovereignty Day or as Istiqlaliyyət günü in local Azerbaijani. On this day 30 years ago, the constitutional act titled, “On the State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan” was approved by the local government. This legislation paved the way for the official affirmation of independence later that year, when a nationwide referendum officially established the Republic of Azerbaijan with the support of 95 percent of the voting population! Turkey became the first nation to recognize Azerbaijani independence, with both nations sharing ethnic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds. Just months later, the newly sovereign country on the shore of the Caspian sea became a member of the United Nations and adopted its national anthem, coat of arms, and the blue, red, and green striped national flag, which is depicted in the Doodle artwork. Today’s observation begins with the raising of the Azerbaijani flag as citizens reflect on their nation’s path to freedom. Another historical note, from 1918 to 1920, Azerbaijan first became an independent country as the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic —the first, successful democratic republic in the Turkic and Muslim worlds. Happy Independence Day, Azerbaijan! Location: Tags: , , , ,
17.10.2021 18:00 Date: October 18, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates the 95th birthday of Polish-born, Australian director, scriptwriter, producer, and animation giant Yoram Gross—a survivor of the Holocaust who became the creative mastermind behind some of Australia’s most iconic cartoons. Gross captivated generations with stories that surpassed mere entertainment as each passed down a lesson drawn from a lifetime of optimism and overcoming hardship. Yoram “Jerzy” Gross was born on this day into a Jewish family in 1926 in Krakow, Poland. After the near collapse of the Polish film industry during World War II, Gross worked as an assistant on his first movie in 1947. He moved to Israel in 1950, where his independent film work garnered renown globally, especially in Australia. He heeded the enthusiastic praise of Australian critics and migrated down under in 1968 to further evolve his production repertoire by founding Yoram Gross Film Studios with his wife, Sandra Gross. To address the lack of Australian-made children’s movies, Gross combined animation with live-action backgrounds—a style that became his trademark—to produce the full-length 1977 animated blockbuster “Dot and the Kangaroo.” This quintessential Aussie story became the nation’s first animated feature to achieve commercial success. The film’s excellent reception set the stage for Gross to create an empire of family-friendly animated television series. His work has since been aired in over 70 countries and continues to entertain and inspire millions with beloved characters such as Blinky Bill, the mischievous Koala. Gross and his legacy live on in the Yoram Gross Animation Award, an annual award acknowledging the best animated feature at the Sydney Film Festival. Happy Birthday, Yoram Gross—here’s to an animated life! Special thanks to the family of Yoram Gross for their partnership on this project. I wanted to make Australian animated films about Australian life and Australian characters but with timeless and universal appeal that will make children from all over the world smile. - Yoram Gross Yoram Gross behind the camera Photo courtesy of the Yoram Gross family Yoram Gross with his Order of Australia Award in 1995 Photo courtesy of the Yoram Gross family Location: , , , Tags: , , , , , , ,
17.10.2021 09:00 Date: October 17, 2021 Today’s Doodle is popping up to wish everyone a Happy Mother’s Day! ❤️ Location: Tags: , , , , , , ,
16.10.2021 06:31 Date: October 16, 2021 Location: Tags: , , , , , ,
16.10.2021 06:31 Date: October 16, 2021 Get vaccinated. Wear a mask. Save lives. As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world, help stop the spread by finding and following . about resources to help you and your communities stay informed and connected, and the latest ways we're responding. Location: Tags: , , , , ,
14.10.2021 18:45 Date: October 15, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates Singaporean activist Che Zahara binte Noor Mohamed, a lifelong champion of women’s and children’s rights who founded Singapore’s first Muslim women’s welfare organization—the Malay Women’s Welfare Association . In protest of restrictive measures instituted by the 1950 Marriage Bill, Che Zahara held a large rally on this day in 1950 that achieved significant progress for women’s rights across the country. Che Zahara binte Noor Mohamed was born in 1907 in Singapore. She married a businessman deeply involved in social welfare. He encouraged her to pursue a career advocating for economically challenged women and orphaned children. In the aftermath of World War II, many children and women were left without homes, so Che Zahara opened her home to provide them with shelter, education, and basic care. She requested a $500,000 donation from the government in an appeal that led to the establishment of the MWWA at her home in 1947. Known for her unyielding determination to help those in need, she earned the nickname “Che Zahara Kaum Ibu,” which loosely translates to “Che Zahara who protected women and children.” Che Zahara’s lifelong work was built upon the belief that education could empower people and lift them out of poverty. She educated hundreds of women and orphans from all walks of life. In 1961, she helped pass the Women’s Charter of Singapore, a legislative landmark that continues to protect the rights of Singaporean women and girls to this day. Here’s to you, Che Zahara binte Noor Mohamed! Location: Tags: , , , ,
