30.11.2021 05:15 Date: November 30, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates Brazilian social activist and lawyer Janaína Dutra, a leader of the Brazilian LGBTQIA+ movement who is widely considered the nation’s first transgender person to practice law. Janaína Dutra was born on this day in 1960 in the Canindé district of Brazil’s northern Ceará state. By age 14, she began facing homophobic discrimination, but the support of her large family never faltered. She followed her sister to Fortaleza, where Dutra took her first steps toward a life devoted to advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community. In 1986, Dutra earned her law degree from the University of Fortaleza, making history as the first transgender graduate accepted as a member of the Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil . Throughout the 1980s, Dutra furthered her career by developing Brazil’s first HIV prevention campaign that focused on the transgender community in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Dutra also contributed to the foundation of the Grupo de Resistência Asa Branca and served as the first president of the Associação de Travestis do Ceará —a landmark non-profit organization focused on developing social and legal support for the LGBTQIA+ community. Known to always carry a copy of an anti-homophobia law passed by her hometown, Dutra spent a lifetime attending conferences, seminars, and round tables to advocate for equality. In 2011, the Janaína Dutra LGBT Reference Center was founded in Fortaleza, which carries on Dutra’s mission by protecting human rights for members of the LGBTQIA+ community to this day. Early drafts of the Doodle Location: Tags: , , , ,
30.11.2021 05:15 Date: November 30, 2021 Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Glasgow, Scotland-based guest artist , celebrates St. Andrew’s Day, the official national day of Scotland. The artwork pays homage to this annual holiday with symbols that illustrate key aspects of Scottish culture and heritage. Although the existence of a brontosaurus-esque monster in its waters is the stuff of fantasy and folklore, the Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands is very real. The upper left of the Doodle artwork reflects these dramatic depths and the ancient legend surrounding them. Reaching over 800 feet in some spots, Loch Ness is among the deepest bodies of water in the United Kingdom! The lower left depicts a red squirrel, part of Scotland’s most beloved wildlife. The national flower of Scotland for over 500 years, the thistle, is illustrated in the artwork’s center as an enduring symbol of St. Andrew and Scottish pride. A medieval castle is depicted on the far right panel, showcasing definitive architecture from Celtic history. Happy St. Andrew’s Day! Searching for the mystery monster? to explore by dropping Nessie in the Loch to take a closer look! Guest Artist Q&A with Fran Caballero Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Glasgow, Scotland-based guest artist . Below, he shares his thoughts behind the making of this Doodle: Q. What was your creative process for this Doodle artwork? A: Initial pencil sketches and then redrawn and coloured digitally. Q. Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? Are there specific elements of the artwork that have symbolic meaning? A. I wanted my Doodle to embody the feeling of living in Scotland, of the stark beauty with elements that primarily focus on landscape. I hoped to avoid a lot of the tour shop representations of Scotland that exist, and channel more of my experience of living there. Early drafts of the Doodle Location: Tags: , , ,
29.11.2021 20:01 Date: November 30, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates world-renowned Azerbaijani-American computer scientist, electrical engineer, and professor, Lotfi Zadeh. On this day in 1964, Zadeh submitted “Fuzzy Sets,” a groundbreaking paper that introduced the world to his innovative mathematical framework called “fuzzy logic.” Lotfi Asker Zadeh was born on February 4, 1921 in Baku, Azerbaijan , and at 10 years old moved with his family to his father’s homeland of Iran. His exceptional academic achievements brought him to the U.S. to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for his graduate studies. He went on to earn his doctorate in electrical engineering in 1949, and later taught systems theory at Columbia University in New York. In 1959 he became a professor at the University of California, Berkeley–which remained his academic home throughout his career and where he made his most famous and fuzzy breakthrough. In 1965, he published “Fuzzy Sets,” which has since been cited by scholars nearly 100,000 times. The theory he presented offered an alternative to the rigid “black and white” parameters of traditional logic and instead allowed for more ambiguous or “fuzzy” boundaries that more closely mimic the way humans see the world. This concept has since been applied to a huge range of technological applications—from a Japanese subway system to the anti-skid algorithms that keep cars safe on the road. Known as a gracious yet brilliant thinker, Zadeh received countless accolades throughout his career, including an honorary professorship from the government of Azerbaijan in 1993. So here’s to you, Lotfi Zadeh! There’s nothing fuzzy about your huge impact on the scientific world. Special thanks to the family of Lotfi Zadeh for their partnership on this project. Below his son shares thoughts on his father’s life and legacy: The best way to describe life in the Zadeh house was "serious." Lotfi was a serious fellow. A "party" to him was a bunch of super high-IQ academics gathering together for dinner. When I listened in on the resulting conversations, I was always impressed by how eloquent my father was and how deeply he appeared to understand the matter at hand. As my father put it, "there are various levels of understanding." His understanding was extraordinary. My father was very stubborn when it came to his opinions—the Rock of Gibraltar was more easily moved. He was a good tennis player and an excellent dancer, although he rarely did either. Because he spoke fluent Russian, he often listened to the Russian airwaves. Thank you, Google, for honoring my father. I would also like to thank the people of Azerbaijan for their love. Today, there is a statue of my father in Baku, Azerbaijan , and a technology institute named in his honor. Early draft today's Doodle below Location: , , , , , , , , , Tags:
27.11.2021 23:45 Date: November 28, 2021 In the language of Taiwan’s indigenous Truku people, taroko means magnificent or beautiful. Taroko Park—the Truku people’s ancestral home—reflects the grandiosity of its title as one of Taiwan’s nine national parks. Today’s Doodle celebrates this protected park on the 35th anniversary of the day it was established to formally conserve the nation’s natural beauty and biodiversity. The Doodle artwork depicts the Taroko Gorge Waterfalls and the Eternal Spring Shrine. From the precipitous white marble walls of Taroko Gorge to the active steam vents of Taiwan’s tallest volcano Mount Qixing, Taroko Park serves as an epicenter of scientific research and environmental education. The reserve spans over 350 square miles, ranging across an expansive Pacific shoreline to 140 rugged mountain peaks—27 of which stand among the nation’s 100 tallest mountains! These peaks were formed by the collision of two massive tectonic plates over millions of years, and the Central Mountain Range continues to be elevated by several millimeters annually. As a gathering place for outdoor adventurists and wildlife enthusiasts alike, Taroko’s widely varied geography creates several climate zones that provide habitats for hundreds of species of flora and fauna. The alpine forests of the park’s higher elevations support tree-dwelling mammals like the Formosan rock macaque, Taiwan’s only indigenous primate. Its lower regions harbor an exceptional collection of plant and animal life, including over 300 butterfly species. Happy 35th Anniversary, Taroko National Park! Early drafts of the Doodle Location: , Tags: , , , ,
27.11.2021 05:45 Date: November 27, 2021 Location: Tags: , , , , , ,
25.11.2021 01:00 Date: November 25, 2021 Exactly 78 years ago today, hundreds of representatives from across Bosnia and Herzegovina gathered to form a council that established independent statehood and declared equality for all citizens. To commemorate this anniversary, today’s Doodle honors Bosnia & Herzegovina Statehood Day and the storied history of a nation shaped by the resilience of its multicultural populace. Following the restoration of Bosnia & Herzegovina in 1943, the nation was assigned its own coat of arms. In 1998, the unified national flag depicted waving in today’s Doodle artwork was officially adopted. This flag features a blue band emblazoned with a yellow triangle, seven full stars, and two half stars. The triangle mirrors the shape of the Eastern European country and symbolizes the multiethnic structure of all its citizens. Each color symbolizes Bosnia’s historical neutrality while the blue background illustrates the nation’s solidarity with Europe, referencing the European Union’s flag. Happy Statehood Day, Bosnia & Herzegovina! Location: Tags: , , , ,
25.11.2021 01:00 Date: November 25, 2021 Location: Tags: , , , , , ,
24.11.2021 06:45 Date: November 24, 2021 The classic Thanksgiving spread depicted in today’s Doodle aims to capture why there is much to be thankful for this year. Marching to the beat—it’s all gravy for the yellow potato, yam, pumpkin pie, corn and cranberry! In the spirit of togetherness, take a moment to pass around a favorite dish and express gratitude to a loved one. It’s bound to be a fulfilling feast. Happy Thanksgiving! Early drafts of the Doodle below Location: , Tags: , , , , , , ,
24.11.2021 06:45 Date: November 24, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates the first woman to become a doctor in Belgium—Isala Van Diest. On this day in 1884, a government decree went into effect that allowed Van Diest to practice medicine in Belgium. Isala Van Diest was born in Leuven, Belgium in 1842. Her father was a doctor who owned a medical practice and her mother was active in progressive, feminist organizations. Van Diest made the decision early on to take over her father’s practice, marking a departure from gender conventions of the era. Unable to enroll in medical school in Belgium due to gender discrimination, Diest left home to study in Bern, Switzerland, where she became the first Belgian woman to graduate with a university degree in 1879. After a short stint in a British women’s hospital, Van Diest shifted her focus to opening her own practice, but many societal and institutional obstacles hindered her progress. Belgium finally began to allow women to formally study medicine in 1880, and in 1883, Van Diest graduated as a doctor of medicine, surgery, and obstetrics. Following years of working in a women’s refuge hospital and advocating for women’s rights, Diest at last opened her own practice in 1886. In honor of the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day in 2011, the Belgian government issued a €2 coin in Van Diest’s honor alongside Belgium's first woman lawyer, . In Brussels, the street of Van Diest's former practice was named in her honor in 2018. Here’s to a medical trailblazer—Isala Van Diest! Early draft of the Doodle: Location: Tags: , , ,
24.11.2021 06:45 Date: November 24, 2021 Location: Tags: , , , , , ,
23.11.2021 21:31 Date: November 24, 2021 Today’s Doodle, illustrated by guest artist , celebrates Sudanese–Libyan poet, playwright, and diplomat Muhammad al-Fayturi. Thread together by the language of revolution, al-Fayturi’s work breathed new life into contemporary Arabic literature with a fusion of mystic philosophy, African culture, and a call for a future free from oppression. Muhammad Muftah Rajab al-Fayturi was born on this day in 1936 in Al-Geneina, a town on the western border of Sudan, to a Libyan father and Egyptian mother. At 3 years old, he moved to Egypt, where he spent the remainder of his childhood. He went on to study literature and the sciences at university and found work as an editor for Egyptian and Sudanese newspapers following graduation. In 1956, al-Fayturi published his first collection of poems entitled “Songs of Africa,” which explored the impacts of colonialism on the collective African identity and encouraged his readership to embrace their continent’s cultural roots. He published numerous plays, books, and other poetry collections as he lived and worked as a writer and journalist across North Africa, from Lebanon to his birth country of Sudan. Almost 50 years after the release of his first collection, al-Fayturi’s literary career climaxed with the release of his final two books in 2005. Today, he is widely regarded as a pioneer of modernist Arabic literature. Happy birthday, Muhammad al-Fayturi! Guest Artist Q&A with Nora Zeid Today’s Doodle was illustrated by guest artist . Below, she shares her thoughts behind the making of this Doodle: Q. Why was this topic meaningful to you personally? A. I enjoy nudging people's perception of the status quo through my illustrations.Neocolonialist ideas have a great impact on how we perceive ourselves and our environment in Egypt and the region as a whole. Challenging such ideas, as Muhammad al-Fayturi did, is a must, which is why this topic was very meaningful to me. Q. What were your first thoughts when you were approached about working on this Doodle? A. My thoughts were a mix of excitement and worry. Excitement because I was eager to create a Doodle honoring al-Fayturi. It's a dream project to be quite honest. Worry because I questioned whether or not I could do al-Fayturi's work justice through my illustration. His poetry tackles topics of racism and colonialism in the region, which are still relevant today. So it was very important for me that I do his work justice. Q. Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? A. The following version from al-Fayturi's poem “Sorrows of the Black City” really struck a chord with me: "And yet, on the streets of the city, when night constructs its barriers of black stone — they stretch out their hands, in silence, to the balconies of the future. Look, there they are, heads slumped in silence. And you think they are calm. But you're wrong. Truth is, they're on fire…." Al-Fayturi's poetry is extremely descriptive and vivid. The bustling market scene is a reflection of that. Additionally, I sensed it was sombre while still inspiring hope, hence the mix of emotion etched on his face. Q. What message do you hope people take away from your Doodle? A. The topics al-Fayturi tackles in his body of work are still very relevant today. Which is why I hope this Doodle motivates people to read more about him and his work. Early drafts of the Doodle Location: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
22.11.2021 01:00 Date: November 22, 2021 With influences from ancient cultures such as the Phoenicians, Assyrians, Romans, and Ottomans, the history of Lebanon makes the nation home to one of the most diverse cultures in the region. Today’s Doodle celebrates Lebanon’s Independence Day, which commemorates the end of the French Mandate over Lebanon in 1943. Traditionally, a grand parade is held featuring Lebanese officials as locals display the national flag on their homes. The center of the national flag, depicted in today’s Doodle artwork, features a Lebanese cedar tree, which is an ancient symbol of resilience and longevity. Happy Independence Day, Lebanon! Location: Tags: , , , ,
21.11.2021 07:00 Date: November 21, 2021 Location: Tags: , , , ,
20.11.2021 04:31 Date: November 20, 2021 Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Brooklyn, NY-based guest artist Lyne Lucien, celebrates Creole classical musician and composer Edmond Dédé. The melody to his 1851 composition “Mon Pauvre Cœur” remains one of the oldest surviving pieces of sheet music by a Black Creole composer in New Orleans. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. on this day in 1827, Dédé picked up the clarinet from his father, a bandmaster in a local military band. He switched to the violin, which soon became Dédé’s instrument of choice as he developed into a musical prodigy. Apprenticing under prominent New Orleans musicians, Dédé left home for Mexico to escape the increasing racial prejudice in the American South. He returned home in 1851 and published “Mon Pauvre Cœur.” He worked briefly to save money before leaving again to continue his classical studies in France. In the late 1850s, he landed a position at the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, where his creativity thrived. He also worked at the Théâtre de l'Alcazar and the Folies Bordelaises. His ballets, operettas, overtures, and over 250 songs achieved massive success in France yet gained little traction in the U.S. In 1893, en route to his only musical appearance back in New Orleans, Dédé lost his favorite Cremona violin in a shipwreck but managed to find a replacement just in time for his performance! Despite living in a time of severe racial discrimination, Dédé’s talent led him to become a world-class composer. Most of Dédé’s sheet music is preserved in the National Library of France and several American universities. His story continues to inspire contemporary classical musicians to take pride in their heritage and honor the contributions of musicians from historically overlooked communities. Guest Artist Q&A with Lyne Lucien Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Brooklyn, NY-based guest artist Lyne Lucien. Below, she shares her thoughts behind the making of this Doodle: Q. Why was this topic meaningful to you personally? A. As a Haitian-American artist, I took pride in depicting Edmond Dédé, an incredible artist of Haitian descendent. Through his music compositions, he captured the joyful and vibrant spirit present in Haitian culture. Dédé’s revolutionary music compositions reminded me of my childhood growing up in Port-au-Prince, which was colored in passion and spirit. Q. What were your first thoughts when you were approached about working on this Doodle? A. I felt very honored to have the opportunity to pay tribute to one of the greatest composers in history. I think we need more visibility on our black heroes. Edmond Dédé paved the way for so many black musicians in New Orleans, France, and the U.S. I was humbled to have a part in sharing in his legacy. Q. Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? A. I drew from Haitian Paysan art, a style which captures people in all of their vibrancy as they are. I wanted to capture Dede in all of his glory. Like most artists, his genius was well before his time and he didn’t receive the necessary praise that he deserved. I wanted to honor his legacy by depicting him through the lens of his heritage. I draw from Haitian art because Haitians are resilient. Dédé overcame a lot of hatred and controversy to create his art. His resiliency coupled with joy is definitive of the Haitian spirit. Q. What message do you hope people take away from your Doodle? A. I hope that Dédé’s journey inspires others to chase their dreams no matter what hurdles they may experience. He is perhaps one of the greatest composers of our time. I admire that he relentlessly explored his curiosity. He was true to his craft and fearless in exploring his talents in a time where black men had limited opportunities. I want to honor Edmond Dédé and contribute to his legacy as one of the greatest composers in history. Early drafts of the Doodle Location: , , Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
20.11.2021 04:31 Date: November 20, 2021 Location: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Tags: , , ,
