Google Doodles

[odeon]

RIP Christopher Reeve.

[Gopher Gary]

Today's Google Doodle is Google's 23rd Birthday.



It’s said that one chance encounter can change the course of your life. In Google’s case, a chance encounter between two computer scientists changed the course of the Internet and the lives of millions.   

In 1997, Sergey Brin, a graduate student at Stanford University, just so happened to be assigned to show Larry Page, who was considering Stanford for graduate school at the time, around campus. By the next year, the two Google co-founders were building a search engine together in their dorm rooms and developing their first prototype. In 1998, Google Inc. was officially born.

Every day, there are billions of searches on Google in more than 150 languages around the globe, and while much has changed from the early days of Google, from its first server housed in a cabinet built out of toy blocks to its servers now being housed in more than 20 data centers globally, its mission of making the world’s information accessible to everyone remains the same.

Happy 23rd Birthday, Google!

 

[Gopher Gary]

Today's Google Doodle is Helena Modrzejewska's 181st Birthday.



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 (known professionally as Helena Modjeska) 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!

 

[Gopher Gary]

Today's Google Doodle is Claude Cahun's 127th Birthday.



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!

[Gopher Gary]

Today's Google Doodle is Halloween 2021.



Time flies! The spooky season is upon us again. Whatever plans you have brewing, here’s to wishing all an imPECKable Halloween!

[Pyraxis]

Happy Halloween!

[Gopher Gary]

Today's Google Doodle is Dr. Kamal Ranadive's 104th Birthday.



Today’s Doodle, illustrated by India-based guest artist Ibrahim Rayintakath, celebrates Indian cell biologist  Dr. Kamal Ranadive on her 104th birthday. Ranadive is best known for her groundbreaking cancer research and devotion to creating a more equitable society through science and education.

Kamal Samarath, better known as Kamal Ranadive, was born on this day in 1917 in Pune, India. Her father’s encouragement to pursue a medical education inspired Ranadive to excel academically, but she found her calling in biology instead. In 1949, she received a doctorate in cytology, the study of cells, while working as a researcher in the Indian Cancer Research Center (ICRC). After a fellowship at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, she returned to Mumbai (then Bombay) and the ICRC, where she established the country’s first tissue culture laboratory.

As the director of the ICRC and a pioneer in animal modeling of cancer development, Ranadive was among the first researchers in India to propose a link between breast cancer and heredity and to identify the links among cancers and certain viruses. Continuing this trailblazing work, Ranadive studied Mycobacterium leprae, the bacterium that causes leprosy, and aided in developing a vaccine. In 1973, Dr. Ranadive and 11 colleagues founded the Indian Women Scientists’ Association (IWSA) to support women in scientific fields.

Ranadive fervently encouraged students and Indian scholars abroad to return to India and put their knowledge to work for their communities. After retiring in 1989, Dr. Ranadive worked in rural communities in Maharashtra, training women as healthcare workers and providing health and nutrition education. The IWSA now has 11 chapters in India and provides scholarships and childcare options for women in science. Dr. Ranadive’s dedication to health justice and education remains influential to her students who work as scientists today.

Happy birthday, Dr. Kamal Ranadive!

[renaeden]

She was excellent. But I wonder why her arm is so big in the picture?

[Gopher Gary]

She was excellent. But I wonder why her arm is so big in the picture?

That stood out to me too, but I don't generally criticize art. I actually looked up her photo but only saw a couple of head shots, so I don't know if she had normal sized arms and hands. 

[Gopher Gary]

Yesterday's Google Doodle was Veterans Day 2021.



Today’s Doodle, created by Phenix City, AL-based Army veteran and guest artist Steven Tette, celebrates Veterans Day in honor of the efforts and sacrifices made by members of the U.S. armed forces. The occasion first celebrated the end of the first World War, which concluded with a peace treaty that took effect at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918—the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. The first “Armistice Day” was observed one year later before being declared an official federal holiday in 1938 and renamed Veterans Day in 1954.

Veterans Day is an expression of gratitude to those who have served in the military, whether the Air Force, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard, Army, or Space Force—each represented by veterans of their respective branch who have also transitioned to civilian life to serve the nation in other ways in today’s Doodle artwork. Many public buildings fly the American flag at half-mast, and some communities observe a moment of silence at 11 a.m. in remembrance of the moment when the Armistice first took effect in 1918.

Happy Veterans Day, and thank you for your service!

[Gopher Gary]

Today's Google Doodle is Celebrating Johannes Vermeer.



Today’s Doodle celebrates Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, a seminal Baroque artist who is widely regarded among the greatest Dutch painters of all time. On this day in 1995, an eponymous exhibition opened at Washington D.C.’s National Gallery of Art, featuring 21 of his 35 existing works.

Johannes Vermeer was born in Delft, the Netherlands, at the height of the Dutch Golden Age in 1632. Although little is known about Vermeer’s early life, historians estimate from his early mythological paintings that he first aspired to be a historical painter.

By the 1650s, Vermeer began to paint subtly lit interiors with intricate symbology—a style distinguished by traditional Dutch motifs that became his hallmark. He captured the commonplace in radiant and exquisite detail, creating masterworks including “The Girl with the Pearl Earring '' (1665) which is currently on display at the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, the Netherlands. The artistic techniques Vermeer employed are still up for debate. Some art historians suggest he traced images projected from a camera obscura (a predecessor to the photographic camera), but with no physical evidence to back up such claims, some Vermeer specialists remain unconvinced.

On the left, the Doodle artwork references “The Allegory of Painting” (1666-1668) and in the middle, “Woman Writing a Letter, with her Maid” (1670-1671). In 1979, an X-ray revealed a hidden Cupid in Vermeer’s “Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window” (1657-1659), referenced on the right of the Doodle. Researchers continued to analyze the canvas in 2017, determining that the Cupid was covered by another painter. In 2021, a German initiative completely restored the painting. These efforts are just a few of the many attempts to demystify Vermeer and some of the world’s most treasured pieces of fine art he left behind.

Here’s to a true artistic luminary—Johannes Vermeer!

 

[Gopher Gary]

Today's Google Doodle is Edmond Dédé's 194th Birthday.



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” (My Poor Heart) 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.

 

[Gopher Gary]

Today's Google Doodle is Thanksgiving 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!

[Gopher Gary]

Today's Google Doodle is Seasonal Holidays 2021.

[Gopher Gary]

Today's Google Doodle is Celebrating Lotfi Zadeh.



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 (then a Soviet Socialist republic), 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.