14.10.2021 00:30 Date: October 14, 2021 Location: Tags: , , , , , ,
12.10.2021 13:00 Date: October 12, 2021 Location: Tags: , , ,
12.10.2021 04:00 Date: October 12, 2021 Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Aosta, Italy-based guest artist , celebrates the 125th birthday of Italian poet, critic, and translator Eugenio Montale. Renowned for his masterful ability to capture human emotion, he is widely considered one of the greatest poets of contemporary history. Born on this day in 1896 in the Italian port city of Genoa, Eugenio Montale first pursued a career as a baritone opera singer before finding his true voice as a poet. In a poem from “Ossi di Seppia” , his first published collection, Montale used the rocky Italian coast as a symbol to provide both his readers and himself an escape from the anxiety of postwar Italy. This critically acclaimed collection differed from the extravagant language in poems of the time, and represented a turn in the tide for 20th-century literary symbolists. Although he rejected the label, Montale is considered among the founders of the modernist poetic movement of Hermeticism—a “hermetic” literary style often achieved through purposefully hard-to-interpret analogies and emotional vocabulary. Montale garnered worldwide fame for five volumes of symbolist poetry published during his 50-year writing career. In addition, he worked as an internationally renowned essayist, music and literary critic, and translator of English classics ranging from Shakespeare to Mark Twain. In 1975, Montale’s uncompromising verse was recognized at the highest level when he received the Nobel Prize in Literature. Often alluded to in the work of modern poets—Montale’s famously difficult poetry continues to have a profound effect on the literary world today. Happy birthday, Eugenio Montale! Guest Artist Q&A with Andrea Serio Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Aosta, Italy-based guest artist . Below, she shares her thoughts behind the making of this Doodle: Q. Why was this topic meaningful to you personally? A. I have been happy to portray Eugenio Montale, a great artist whom I love not only for the disruptive beauty of his writings, but also for the courage and coherence of his political and intellectual positions. Q. What were your first thoughts when you were approached about working on this Doodle? A. My first reaction was one of total astonishment. I worked with very prestigious clients, but I never would have imagined to illustrate a Doodle! Q. Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? A. From the Ligurian landscape, with a special reference to the Cinque Terre and Monterosso, these are the places where he spent the summers of his childhood, places that he will cherish forever and that were the roots of his poetical imagination. Q. What message do you hope people take away from your Doodle? A. It would be nice to arouse people’s curiosity about this amazing Italian poet. Early drafts of the Doodle below Location: Tags: , , , , , ,
12.10.2021 04:00 Date: October 12, 2021 Widely regarded as one of the best actors in Polish history and one of the late-19th century’s greatest Shakespearean stage performers in America, Helena Modrzejewska portrayed nearly 300 different roles in over 6,000 plays—both in Polish and English. Her theatrical career took center stage in over 300 cities worldwide spanning 46 years and has yet to be eclipsed by any other Polish artist. Today’s Doodle celebrates Modrzejewska’s prolific life and legacy on her 181st birthday. Helena Modrzejewska was born as Jadwiga Benda on this day in 1840 in Krakow, Poland and was soon renamed Helena Opid. She made her theatrical debut in 1861 in a one-act comedy “The White Camellia,” performing under the stage name Modrzejewska. Modrzejewska’s performances in Poland’s major cities were well received by critics, but she felt her talent surpassed the scope of the nation’s small venues. In 1877, she debuted in America—the new stage for her ambitious career. Renowned for Shakespearean roles, she livened up theater productions across America, sometimes touring for up to 30 weeks while performing 8 to 9 productions each week. If this grueling schedule wasn’t challenging enough, she toured not just as a lead actor but also as a director, producer, costume designer, and publicist! Modrzejewska’s longest-lasting role was Lady Macbeth which she played a staggering 520 times. Plus, she still found time to pursue her love of nature as a botany enthusiast and gardener. Happy birthday, Helena Modrzejewska—here’s to one tough act to follow! Early drafts and sketches of the Doodle below Location: , Tags:
12.10.2021 04:00 Date: October 12, 2021 Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Amsterdam, Netherlands-based guest artist , celebrates the 125th birthday of Martinican-French author Paulette Nardal. She is widely considered one of the founders of Négritude, an intellectual movement produced by Black artists and writers who joined in solidarity to champion their cultural heritage and carve out space in the prevailing literary world for Black voices. Born on this day in 1896 in Saint-Pierre, a French colonial town on the Caribbean island of Martinique, Félix Jeanne Paulette Nardal was the daughter of one of Martinique’s first Black engineers in the Department of Public Works. Nardal followed suit and established a trailblazing legacy of her own when she arrived in Paris in 1920 and became the first Black woman from Martinique to enroll at the city’s prestigious university, La Sorbonne, earning a master’s degree in English. In the 1920s, members of the French Black community, many being West Indian immigrants like Nardal, often faced intense racial discrimination. Paulette Nardal and her sister Jane opened a Paris salon called Le Salon de Clamart in 1929 as an intellectual meeting ground to reflect on the Black condition. Known for its hospitality and elegance, the well-appointed salon allowed Nardal to gather intellectuals for conversation and mutual support. Scholars credit this salon as the birthplace of the Négritude movement, which Nardal helped initiate by authoring social commentary articles in the review journal “La Revue du monde noir” . Another significant moment of her life occurred at the beginning of World War II. Nardal left Martinique for France but suffered a lifelong injury when a submarine attacked her ship. Her demand for France to recognize her as a civilian war victim and survivor highlights the convergence of race, gender, disability, and citizenship. This event eventually inspired Nardal to establish organizations and newspapers encouraging educated women to channel their energies into social improvement and suffrage. Nardal rose to prominence through her writings and fostered an international community of Black women who broke down barriers across race, class, and educational status. In recognition of her unifying work, Nardal was elected as a delegate to the United Nations in 1946 and was awarded the Knight of the Legion of Honour in 1976, the nation’s highest honor. There is the Promenade Jane-et-Paulette Nardal located on 100 rue Didot in Paris, and a plaque honors Nardal’s legacy in the Paris suburb of Clamart, where her salon catalyzed an international movement. Happy Birthday, Paulette Nardal! Early drafts of the Doodle below Location: , Tags: , , , , ,
10.10.2021 07:46 Date: October 10, 2021 Today’s Doodle, illustrated by UK-based guest artist , celebrates one of Jamaica’s most influential feminist thinkers—the writer, advocate, and broadcaster Una Marson. Marson was the first Black woman to be employed as a radio producer at the BBC, where she recorded several significant interviews including one with swing band icon Ken “Snakehips” Johnson, which took place on this day in 1940. Una Marson was born on February 6, 1905, in Santa Cruz, Jamaica. Marson became Jamaica’s first woman magazine publisher and editor in 1928 when she established “The Cosmopolitan”—a publication focused on gender issues and social injustice. The inspiration she drew from London’s political and literary climate led her to move to the city in 1933. Shocked by the racism she encountered, she started fighting for equal rights alongside fellow Caribbean immigrant , the founder of civil rights group The League of Coloured Peoples. Marson returned home in 1936 to cultivate a new generation of Jamaican writers. While writing her own poetry and plays—which she often self-financed—she founded Jamaica’s Save the Children Fund. After relocating again to England in 1938, she took a position at the BBC, where she worked with George Orwell, read her poetry alongside T.S. Eliot, and produced the popular weekly program “Calling the West Indies.” First broadcast in 1943, it featured poems and short stories by Caribbean authors, giving an international platform and voice to writers such as . It also publicized both a woman's perspective to the largely male-dominated Black Internationalist Movement and a culturally relevant voice to Britain's growing Caribbean community. Marson’s literary contributions are not widely known, and even less is known of her later life. However, it was her writing and poetry that influenced the broadcasting she is best known for, and has broadened her legacy for future generations to discover. In 2009, her achievements were celebrated with an installation of a Blue Plaque—which honors individuals who have had great impacts on their community and beyond—at her former home in London’s Brunswick Park. Here’s to a cultural groundbreaker—thank you Una Marson! Special thanks to Dr. Delia Jarrett-Macauley—biographer of Una Marson—for her collaboration on this project. Below she shares their thoughts on the Doodle and Una Marson’s legacy. I’m so proud that Una Marson is being recognised through Sarah Madden’s beautiful Doodle. Una was a significant black female voice of the 20th century, advocating for Jamaica’s women and children and initiating the pioneering BBC programme "Caribbean Voices." I believe she would have been amazed to observe her accomplishments gaining wider recognition—students reading her poetry, companies reviving her plays—and I wish she could have seen this special acknowledgement of her lasting legacy. Dr. Delia Jarrett-Macauley Biographer of Una Marson Huge thanks to the BBC and Robert Seatter, Head of BBC History for their support and contribution. Below he shares his thoughts on the Doodle and Una Marson’s legacy. Una Marson was a bold and brave pioneering voice in her brief time at the BBC in the 1940s. In producing the popular radio strand "Calling the West Indies," she created the seminal "Caribbean Voices," featuring poems and short stories by Caribbean authors, many of whom were little known at the time. She gave these voices a new and international platform, and the series would continue as her legacy until 1958. Robert Seatter Head of BBC History Copyright BBC Una Marson joined the BBC full-time in March 1941, when she became a Programme Assistant in the "Empire Programmes" department which created radio broadcasts for English speakers across the British Empire. She quickly became committed to expanding the range of Caribbean voices on air. Copyright BBC This extraordinary photograph shows Una Marson literally at the centre of international literary life! She is broadcasting in 1942 as part of Voice, a monthly strand of modern poetry programmes created by George Orwell, then a BBC producer on the BBC Eastern Service . Una is flanked by T.S.Eliot to the left and critic William Empson up right, and writers from India and Sri Lanka and other BBC staff members. Copyright BBC Learn more about the life and legacy of the pioneering journalist, activist, and poet in a new exhibit celebrating the life of Una Marson. Guest Artist Q&A with Sarah Madden Today’s Doodle was illustrated by UK-based guest artist . Below, she shares her thoughts behind the making of this Doodle: Q. Why was this topic meaningful to you personally? A. As a woman of Jamaican heritage I feel so much joy and pride to shine a light on and celebrate Una Marson. Q. What were your first thoughts when you were approached about working on this Doodle? A. I was very excited to have the opportunity to do a Google Doodle and honoured to illustrate Una Marson. Q. Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? A. Una had many achievements. But this piece was inspired by a legacy she left in the UK broadcasting industry during the war. In 1932, Una travelled from Jamaica to London where she became the first black woman to be employed by the BBC. She then became a producer of the programme Calling the West Indies, where she amplified the voices of unsung West Indian heroes in the UK. The illustration heros Una and depicts her mic as a window to the warm Caribbean from the chilly UK. Q. What message do you hope people take away from your Doodle? A. I hope people will learn more about Una Marson and the important role she played in British history. Despite the prejudice and racism she faced, she strived to follow her passions and built a career in journalism, broadcasting, entertainment and writing. I hope other women can learn about her and be as inspired by her as I am. Early drafts of the Doodle below Location: , , Tags:
09.10.2021 22:45 Date: October 10, 2021 On the tenth day of the tenth month, Taiwan celebrates its National Day—fittingly known as Double Tenth Day. Today’s Doodle honors this annual holiday with a depiction of the endangered Formosan black bear, which is considered both a cultural symbol and the national animal of Taiwan. Endemic to the mountainous cloud forests of eastern Taiwan, the Formosan bear is the nation’s largest land mammal. Unlike other Asiatic black bears who hibernate during the winter, this beloved species is always on the move and descends to lower elevations as the seasons change in search of food. Because of this nomadic adaptation, Formosan black bears are the only bears on the planet to make temporary nests! In 1989, the Taiwanese government signed the Cultural Heritage Preservation Law. This legislation, alongside the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, continues to protect the few hundred Formosan black bears estimated to inhabit the east Asian country today. Happy National Day, Taiwan! Location: Tags: , , , ,
09.10.2021 04:46 Date: October 9, 2021 Pearls are the natural world’s only gemstone formed in a living creature. Out of the 54 countries on the continent of Africa, there is only one natural gem known as the “Pearl of Africa”—Uganda. The East African nation became a self-governing country on this day in 1962, an anniversary celebrating its Independence Day and the adoption of its national flag, which is depicted in today’s Doodle. Home to over 45 million people, Uganda is a nation that has enjoyed massive progress since independence, and countrywide celebrations honor this progress. In past years, there has been a national parade at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds. Local communities have their own festivities with traditional dance and food like matoke—steamed, mashed bananas with a peanut sauce, beans, fish, or beef. Along with being a chance to reflect on almost 60 years of independence, today is also an opportunity for Ugandans to look toward the future of their nation—a forward motion symbolized by the raised leg of the grey-crowned crane found on the center of the Ugandan flag. Happy Independence Day, Uganda! Location: Tags: , , , ,
08.10.2021 20:15 Date: October 9, 2021 In Korea, citizens and scholars alike take great pride in their unique writing script known as Hangul. So much so, in fact, that there is an annual holiday in its honor! Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Seoul, South Korea-based guest artist , commemorates Korea’s Hangul Day , the only holiday in the world for an alphabet! So what makes Hangul important enough to warrant a holiday celebrating it? In the 15th century, many Koreans could not effectively put their thoughts down on paper as the Korean language had no dedicated writing system to express the intricacies of its spoken word. This all changed when the Korean government developed an innovative written script called Hangul that represented the sounds of spoken Korean. Thanks to the implementation of this efficient writing system, literacy increased dramatically. Today, Korea boasts near 100% literacy nationwide! With a growing global interest in learning about Korean culture and its language, a phenomenon known as “Hallyu” or the Korean Wave, what better time than Hangul Day to try learning it for yourself? Happy Hangul Day, Korea! Guest Artist Q&A with Soman Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Seoul, South Korea-based guest artist Soman. Below, she shares her thoughts behind the making of this Doodle: Q. Why was this topic meaningful to you personally? A. Everything around me is based on Hangul, the Korean alphabet. It is the most convenient and easiest character system which exists naturally in every content I make since I am a Korean. So it was such a meaningful experience to work on a topic which is so natural that I am not aware of in my daily life. Q. What were your first thoughts when you were approached about working on this Doodle? A. I thought of the consonants and vowels of Hangul, its system. The image was meant to be a fairy-tale expression including its scientific aspect and philosophical sense. Q. Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? A. The Korean vowels include elements meaning ‘sky ’, ‘land ’, and ‘human ’. Each story of them containing the universe became special to me. So I tried to express that Hangul takes a role to shine on people like stars in the night sky. Q. What message do you hope people take away from your Doodle? A. I hope people remind themselves of the unique story of Hangul and dream of eternal Hangul in the future. Location: Tags: , , , ,
08.10.2021 02:31 Date: October 8, 2021 Location: Tags: , , , ,
08.10.2021 02:31 Date: October 8, 2021 Few professional wrestlers enjoy a career lasting over 40 years, and many fewer retire undefeated from every tournament in which they’ve competed. Today’s Doodle celebrates a world champion Ukrainian wrestler who accomplished both—Ivan Piddubny. Ivan Piddubny was born on this day in 1871 in the small village of Krasenivka in what is now central Ukraine. The young Piddubny developed his grit and brute strength by throwing haystacks into carts and plowing the land on his family farm. After leaving home at 17 in search of a better life, Piddubny found work in the ports of the Crimean town of Feodosia. While spectating a Greco-Roman wrestling match hosted by a touring circus that visited the port town, he decided to put his strength to the test. Piddubny requested to join a match and to everyone’s amazement, he defeated every opponent—including a handful of famous world-class contenders. Piddubny joined the circus as an indomitable wrestler in 1897, marking the start of a whirlwind career entertaining audiences around the globe. By 1906, he was the first wrestler to win two world championships. The winning streak continued with six world titles that earned him prestigious names such as “The Champion of Champions.” He astounded onlookers and fellow athletes alike with both his Herculean strength and unheard of longevity—even winning the 1926 American championship at 55! Although he retired in 1941 at the age of 70, his powerful legacy endures as many Ukrainians are known to still say “like Piddubny” to describe someone's strength. Happy birthday, Ivan Piddubny. Here’s to an athlete who turned the world of wrestling upside-down! Location: Tags: , , , , ,
05.10.2021 21:00 Date: October 6, 2021 In 1970s Australian kitchens, no other cookbooks were more common than those authored by beloved Scottish-born Australian food writer and journalist Margaret Fulton. Today’s Doodle celebrates Fulton’s 97th birthday and her legacy of spicing up the Australian palate with international cuisine. Born on this day in 1924 in Nairn, Scotland, Margaret Fulton emigrated to New South Wales at three years old. At 18, Fulton moved to Sydney in the hope of becoming a dress designer, but after hearing a prediction that the food industry would boom in post-war Australia, she instead pursued a career in cookery. In 1947, Fulton took a position as a cooking teacher for a utility company, where she found her passion for developing easy-to-follow recipes while teaching a class for visually impaired home cooks. Fulton refined her recipes in the decades that followed while working as a pressure cooker salesperson, advertising executive, and food journalist. In 1968, she published the first of 25 cookbooks titled “The Margaret Fulton Cookbook” which has sold over 1.5 million copies. Although international fare was already the standard in countless kitchens around the continent, the bulk of the Anglo-Australian populace had retained a relatively simple culinary tradition for decades. Thanks to innovators such as Fulton who were inspired by these cooking traditions, many Australian households broke convention to embrace new ways to feed their families—a powerful cultural phenomenon that contributed to the country’s modern status as a culinary melting pot. Happy birthday, Margaret Fulton—here’s to your gastronomical impact on the world of food! Special thanks to the family of Margaret Fulton for their partnership on this project. Below, Margaret Fulton’s granddaughter Kate Gibbs shares her thoughts on her legacy. She was a woman who forged the way for other female cooks, stepping outside the stereotypes and what was expected of most young women at the time. She always had us laughing, but she could hold intelligent conversations with any person, from chefs in restaurant back kitchens to academics, children, and her own family. She showed us how to cook spaghetti Bolognese and paella, but also that the best food is about simple, in-season ingredients. She taught Australia how to cook, and in this way she was a culinary pioneer. We loved her. She is deeply missed. She inspired each of us. My sister Louise Keats, myself, and my mother Suzanne Gibbs have all gone into food because Margaret showed us that if you can cook, and teach people how to cook and eat well, you can make people happy and even change their lives. This is her legacy. Kate Gibbs, Margaret Fulton’s granddaughter with Margaret Photo courtesy of Margaret Fulton’s Family Margaret Fulton and Louise Keats Photo courtesy Margaret Fulton’s Family Margaret Fulton with daughter Suzanne Gibbs Photo courtesy of Margaret Fulton’s Family Margaret Fulton at the cutting board Photo courtesy of Margaret Fulton’s Family From left: Kate Gibbs; Margaret Fulton, Louise Keats Photo courtesy of Margaret Fulton’s Family Location: Tags: , , , ,
05.10.2021 03:15 Date: October 5, 2021 Location: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Tags: , , , , , ,
03.10.2021 08:31 Date: October 3, 2021 Location: Tags: , ,
03.10.2021 08:31 Date: October 3, 2021 On this day in 1990, East and West Germany reunited as one state, a historic turning point in the nation’s history known in German as die Wende. Today’s Doodle honors German Unity Day or Tag der Deutschen Einheit, a national holiday that celebrates German culture and over 30 years of unification. The Gruenes Band , a symbol of togetherness, is illustrated in the Doodle. This former border between east and west has been rehabilitated into 1,400 kilometers of protected greenspace. The renewal of the Gruenes Band started in late 1989. Through public and private partnerships, a once inaccessible stretch of terrain has turned into a biodiverse landscape with animal habitats and vegetation flourishing. Home to rare orchids like Lady’s Slipper and birds like the Kingfisher, the Gruenes Band preserves this unique geography for generations. Although the observances of Unity Day are scaled-down across the country, this year’s host city of the outdoor exposition, Unity Expo 2021 is Halle , and German culture is on display in a big way. Shipping container-sized glass boxes, each representative of a different region or aspect of German culture, give visitors a window into both history and the future with exhibitions about projects ranging from sustainability to digitization. Regional food and music performances top off the week. Happy Unity Day, Germany! Location: Tags: , , , , ,
