18.08.2021 23:01 Date: August 15, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates the 76th birthday of Lebanese singer, composer and actor Melhem Barakat, widely regarded as one of Lebanon's most distinguished musicians. Acclaimed for his unique musical style and extraordinary live performances, Barakat prided himself as one of few musicians to perform primarily in colloquial Lebanese Arabic throughout his iconic career. Melhem Barakat was born on this day in 1945 in the Lebanese town of Kfarshima, near the capital of Beirut. His teachers recognized his vocal gift early on when he performed an original composition to a rapt audience at his school. Barakat went on to sing and act in musical theater productions and proved himself as one of the country’s most promising voices. As Barakat’s career progressed, he began to compose original music and developed a signature style that combined classical elements with improvisation. He established a huge fan base across the Arab world and went on to appear in multiple Lebanese films in the 1980s. His powerful voice reverberated across the globe as he toured internationally from Australia to the United States. In addition, he collaborated with some of the Arab world’s most famous singers and continued to compose music throughout his life. In 2008, for his contributions to Lebanese entertainment, Barakat received the prestigious lifetime achievement award at Lebanon’s annual Murex d’Or ceremony. Happy birthday, Melhem Barakat and thank you for being a vocal ambassador of Lebanese culture! Doodler Q&A Today’s Doodle art was created by Doodler Kevin Laughlin. Below, he shares some thoughts on the making of the Doodle: Q: What was your creative approach for this Doodle? Why did you choose this approach? A: I began by watching old recordings of Barakat’s performances, trying to get a sense of the singer’s stage presence, performance style, and how his fans might have seen him on screen or at home. Q: Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? A: There were two main inspirations, stylistically, for this Doodle. The first were stills from the recordings I mentioned above. There’s a kind of washed-out quality to the image, which results in blown highlights and highly saturated shadows. The second inspiration was pulp fiction covers from the 40s and 50s. The artists who illustrated those covers had a knack for creating life-like portraits with very few colors, which could sometimes add to a heightened sense of drama. Q: What do you hope people will take away from this Doodle? A: If you are already a fan of Barakat, I hope that your heart will be gladdened at the sight of this Doodle. If you didn’t know him prior to visiting the homepage, I hope that you will be curious enough to discover Melhem Barakat and his beautiful music. Location: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Tags: , , , ,
18.08.2021 23:01 Date: August 14, 2021 Seventy-four years ago today, Pakistan achieved independence. Today’s Doodle celebrates Pakistan Independence Day, a public holiday commemorating the day on which the nation became a sovereign republic. Pakistanis across the subcontinent join to celebrate their freedom and honor the centuries of history that comprise its cultural foundation. In honor of this historic day, today’s Doodle artwork depicts the medieval Derawar Fort, a massive square edifice with a symmetrical perimeter of 40 massive circular bastions built in the 9th century. Located in the vast expanse of western Pakistan’s Cholistan Desert, each of these ancient stone fortresses rises nearly 100 feet from the sand and comprise an imposing symbol of Pakistani adaptability and antiquity. The Mughal-style forts once facilitated trade and transportation in a largely inhospitable environment. The forts served as critical infrastructure for both the protection and nourishment of desert caravans on their journeys across Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent. In 2019, the provincial Pakistani government announced a conservation initiative to protect this landmark from being lost to the sands of time. Happy Independence Day, Pakistan! Location: Tags: , , , ,
18.08.2021 23:01 Date: August 14, 2021 Tonight, romance is in the air as two stars reunite in the sky above. Today’s Doodle celebrates the Qixi Festival, or the Double Seventh Festival, which originated from a 2000-year-old myth of star-crossed lovers. According to one of the ancient legends, an ox herder named Niulang married the celestial weaver Zhinü, who was a fairy and the daughter of an empress. Zhinü’s mother soon heard of her daughter’s marriage to a mortal being and forced her to return to the heavens. Heartbroken, Niulang covered himself in a magic ox hide to visit Zhinü. To separate the lovers, the empress filled the sky with the river of stars now called the Milky Way. The couple was cast into the sky as the stars Altair and Vega and allowed by the empress to meet once a year on a bridge of magpies over the Milky Way. This annual reunion occurs on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. Today, couples commemorate this romantic tale by going on dates and exchanging gifts and flowers to show their admiration. Happy Qixi Festival! Early drafts of the Doodle below Location: , , , Tags: , , , ,
18.08.2021 23:01 Date: August 12, 2021 Today’s Doodle is popping up to wish everyone a Happy Mother’s Day! ❤️ Check out some early sketches and a behind-the-scenes look at today’s stop-motion artwork by Doodler Olivia When. Location: Tags: , , , , , , ,
18.08.2021 23:01 Date: August 11, 2021 Location: Tags: , , ,
18.08.2021 23:01 Date: August 10, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates Ecuador’s Independence Day, an annual commemoration of when the country ignited its rebellion against Spanish rule and declared sovereignty in 1809. Of the 13 countries that lie upon the Earth’s equator, only one has taken its name: Ecuador. From villages in the vast tropical rainforests of the southern Amazon to cities tucked between Andean mountain peaks, the equatorial South American nation comes to life with celebrations of independence and its diverse heritage. The nation’s capital of Quito typically hosts traditional parades, concerts, and cultural festivals in historic centers such as the Plaza de la Independencia—named in honor of the city’s role as the epicenter of the struggle for freedom. Known as the “rhythm of Ecuador,” pasillo music provides the soundtrack to many of these events and is often accompanied by dancers dressed in traditional and colorful loose-fitting shirts known as guayaberas. The nation’s yellow, blue, and red–striped flag, depicted in the Doodle artwork, flies high across the nation to remind celebrants of their push towards liberation. ¡Feliz Dia de la Independencia, Ecuador! Location: Tags: , , , ,
18.08.2021 23:01 Date: August 9, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates Singapore’s National Day, which commemorates the island nation’s sovereignty and cultural heritage each year. On this day in 1965, Singapore declared its national independence. Today, Singaporeans from all walks of life come together to celebrate their multiethnic national culture and customs. While citizens’ backgrounds vary widely, most find common ground in enjoying the diverse cuisines. Singapore’s hawker culture is a distinctive element in its national identity, and in 2020 this was recognized by its inclusion in the Unesco Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Well-loved hawker dishes , chili crab, and roti prata are depicted in the Doodle artwork. Originating from affordable, on-the-go meals served by early migrant street stalls in the 1800s, hawker cuisine is now traditionally prepared in the nation’s 110 hawker centers. These community dining hubs are found across the island and are great spots to get a taste of Singapore! Happy National Day, Singapore! Location: Tags: , , , ,
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18.08.2021 23:01 Date: August 8, 2021 Today’s high-flying Doodle, illustrated by guest artist , celebrates Indian pilot, designer, and entrepreneur Sarla Thukral on her 107th birthday. Thukral is often best known for being the first Indian woman to pilot an aircraft. We planned to run this same Doodle honoring Sarla Thukral in India last year. However, when the tragic plane crash occurred in Kerala, we withheld the Doodle out of respect to the event and relief effort. Though we don’t usually run Doodles more than once, Thukral left such a lasting legacy for women in aviation that we decided to run the Doodle this year in honor of her 107th birthday. Sarla Thukral was born in Delhi, British India on this day in 1914 and later moved to Lahore in present-day Pakistan. Inspired by her husband who was an airmail pilot from a family of fliers, she began training to follow in their footsteps. At age 21, dressed in a traditional sari, she stepped into the cockpit of a small double-winged plane for her first solo flight. Lifting the craft into the sky, she made history in the process. Newspapers soon spread the word that the skies were no longer the province for only men. And Thukral’s groundbreaking ascent did not stop there. As a student of the Lahore Flying Club, she completed 1,000 hours of flight time to gain her A licence, another first for Indian women. She then began preparation to become a commercial pilot, but the outbreak of World War II put a halt on civil aviation training. Instead, Thukral studied fine art and painting at Lahore’s Mayo School of Arts . She later returned to Delhi where she continued painting and built a successful career designing jewelry and clothing. In the decades since, Thukral’s soaring achievements have paved the way for generations of Indian women to turn their dreams of flight into reality. Dhanyavaad, Sarla Thukral–with one flight, you opened up the door to the skies. Early drafts and sketches of the Doodle below Location: Tags: , , , , , , ,
18.08.2021 23:01 Date: August 8, 2021 Location: , Tags: , , , , , , ,
15.08.2021 03:00 Date: August 6, 2021 Today’s Doodle celebrates Jamaica’s Independence Day, an annual holiday that commemorates the Caribbean island’s establishment as a sovereign nation on this day in 1962. Following the passage of legislation that made independence official, Jamaica hoisted its national flag for the first time. Depicted in the Doodle artwork, the Jamaican flag is the only flag in the world that is not adorned with red, white, or blue. Instead, the national symbol features a golden cross on the center, creating two black and two green triangles. This distinctive design was chosen in a national contest and earned this flag the nickname “The Cross.” The flag’s colors have their own symbolic meanings: green represents the Jamaican island itself, gold symbolizes the sun that shines onto it, and black signifies the peoples’ strength in the face of hardship. Happy Jamaican Independence Day! Location: Tags: , , , ,
15.08.2021 03:00 Date: August 6, 2021 Home to the world’s highest salt flats, lake, and road, the sovereign nation of Bolivia was born on this day in 1825. Today’s Doodle celebrates Bolivia’s Independence Day, also known in Spanish as Dia de la Patria, which commemorates the country’s victory establishing independence. On Independence Day, Bolivia’s high-altitude landmarks are mirrored by the high spirits of its celebrations, which are typically marked by parades of uniformed school children waving the Bolivian flag. Depicted in the Doodle artwork, Bolivia’s flag features its coat of arms emblazoned on three horizontal bands of red, yellow, and green, representing the nation's fight for independence, vast mineral resources, and wealth of agriculture and landscapes, respectively. The coat of arms further symbolizes Bolivia’s natural landscape with a depiction of the sun rising adjacent to Mount Potosi, an emblematic peak that towers over the world’s highest-altitude city: La Paz. ¡Feliz Día de la Independencia, Bolivia! Location: Tags: , , , ,
15.08.2021 03:00 Date: August 5, 2021 Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Mexico-based guest artist , celebrates the 44th birthday of Mexican Olympic-champion weightlifter Soraya Jiménez, the first Mexican woman to ever win an Olympic gold. Soraya Jiménez Mendivil was born on this day in 1977 in Naucalpan de Juárez, Mexico. As a child, she swam competitively and played basketball and badminton but ultimately found her true athletic calling in weightlifting. She secured her first podium win at just 17 years old, placing third at the 1994 NORCECA Cup in Colorado Springs. In 1996, Jiménez earned her first major championship win at the Simón Bolívar International in Venezuela, where her performance proved her to be a serious contender on the international circuit. The years that followed were decorated with titles from across the Americas, which included a weight-class win in the Central American and Caribbean Games as well as a silver at the Pan American Games. A combination of 1999 championship wins at the NORCECA Cup, the Greek Tofalos International, and the Bulgarian National Championships established Jiménez as a favored front-runner heading into the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Jiménez’s athletic career reached its apex when she lifted a staggering total of 497 pounds, taking home the gold in the 58 kg class weightlifting event at the 2000 Summer Games. Although she retired in 2004, Jiménez continued to share her passion for sports as a broadcaster for Televisa, the world’s largest Spanish-language media company. Happy birthday, Soraya Jiménez—thanks for using your strength to make history! Early drafts and sketches of the Doodle below Location: Tags: , , , , ,
15.08.2021 03:00 Date: August 4, 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: , , , , ,
15.08.2021 03:00 Date: August 1, 2021 Today’s Doodle honors Switzerland’s National Day, the official holiday celebrated each year on August 1. This date was selected by the Swiss federal council in the late 1800s to honor the historic alliance between the three cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden. With the formation of this alliance in early August of 1291, the Swiss Confederation was founded. To celebrate this historic anniversary, festivities typically begin on the eve of National Day with a grand display of fireworks and lighting effects at Rhine Falls, Europe’s largest waterfall. On the holiday itself, local cultural leaders deliver speeches during community gatherings, complemented by concerts, gymnastic displays, and choruses performing the national anthem in any of the country's official national languages: French, German, and Italian, and Romansh. Swiss National Day traditions are brightened by paper lanterns, which illuminate the cobblestone streets of villages at night. Many of these streets are filled with the aroma of bread rolls traditionally adorned with a miniature Swiss flag, as depicted in the Doodle artwork. Happy National Day, Switzerland! Location: Tags:
