Google Doodles

[Gopher Gary]

Today's Google Doodle is Celebrating Summer 2020 and The Great Conjunction! (Southern Hemisphere)



As Earth’s Southern Hemisphere welcomes summer and winds down from the longest day of the year, it seems Jupiter and Saturn have decided to put on quite an unusual show for the world to see!

The two largest planets in our solar system will nearly overlap to form a “double planet,” an event that hasn’t been easily visible since the Middle Ages—almost 800 years ago. Today’s animated Doodle celebrates the Southern Hemisphere’s first day of summer as well as this rare double planet sighting–or “Great Conjunction”–which can be viewed from anywhere around the globe!   

So what exactly is creating this celestial phenomenon? Based on their orbits, from our vantage point on Earth, Jupiter and Saturn will cross within .1 degrees of each other (a fraction of the width of the full moon), a once-in-a-lifetime rendezvous recreated in the Doodle artwork. But looks can be deceiving, as the two gas giants will actually remain a vast distance of approximately 450 million miles apart!

Make sure you look out low above the horizon tonight and take in this momentous meet-and-greet between Jupiter and Saturn–it’s sure to be out of this world!

[odeon]

We had shitty weather so no conjunction-watching for me.

Today's been almost as bad but I think I have a few more days before they're too far apart. I've had a look at Jupiter many times the last few years - my telescope is powerful enough for plenty of detail - but it's been ages since I last had a look at Saturn.

Hmm. I should start an astronomy thread.

[Gopher Gary]

Today's Google Doodle is Celebrating Elizabeth Peratrovich.



Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Sitka, Alaska-based guest artist Michaela Goade, celebrates Alaska Native civil rights champion Elizabeth Peratrovich, who played an instrumental role in the 1945 passage of the first anti-discrimination law in the United States. On this day in 1941, after encountering an inn door sign that read “No Natives Allowed,” Peratrovich and her husband–both of Alaska’s Indigenous Tlingit tribe–helped plant the seed for the anti-discrimination law when they wrote a letter to Alaska’s governor and gained his support.

Elizabeth Peratrovich—whose Tlingit name is Kaaxgal.aat, a member of the Lukaax̱.ádi clan of the Raven moiety—was born on July 4, 1911 in Petersburg, Alaska during a time of extensive segregation in the territory. She was lovingly raised by adoptive parents, living in various small Southeast Alaska communities throughout her childhood. With a passion for teaching, Peratrovich attended college in Bellingham, Washington where she also became reacquainted with her husband, Roy Peratrovich, who was a student at the same school. The couple married and moved to Klawock, Alaska where their role in local politics and Elizabeth’s knack for leadership drove her heavy involvement with the Alaska Native Sisterhood, one of the oldest civil rights groups in the world, leading to her eventual appointment as the organization’s Grand President.

Seeking better access to lawmakers who could help effect change, the Peratrovichs moved in 1941 with their three children to the Alaskan capital of Juneau, where they were met with blatant discrimination. When attempting to buy a home in their new city, they were denied when the sellers saw they were of Alaska Native descent. Instances like these were unfortunately common for Alaska’s Indigenous peoples and further motivated Peratrovich to take action in the name of systemic change.

Elizabeth and Roy worked with others to draft Alaska’s first anti-discrimination bill, which was introduced in 1941 and failed to pass. On February 5, 1945 following years of perseverance, a second anti-discrimination bill was brought before the Alaska Senate, and Peratrovich took to the floor to deliver an impassioned call for equal treatment for Indigenous peoples. She was met with thunderous applause throughout the gallery, and her moving testimony is widely credited as a decisive factor in the passage of the historic Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945.

In 1988 the Alaska State Legislature declared February 16 as “Elizabeth Peratrovich Day,” and in 2020 the United States Mint released a $1 gold coin inscribed with Elizabeth’s likeness in honor of her historic achievements in the fight for equality.

Thank you, Elizabeth Peratrovich, for helping to build the foundation for a more equitable future.

[Gopher Gary]

I think it's really weird that doodle isn't for Feburary 16th. 

[odeon]

I guess they've reserved that for something else.

[Gopher Gary]

Today's Google Doodle is New Year's Eve 2020.



Happy New Year’s Eve!

It’s been a cuckoo year, but 2020’s clock is ticking. The countdown begins now, and when the clock strikes midnight a new year will spread its wings!

[Gopher Gary]

Today's Google Doodle is New Year's Day 2021.



The time has come to welcome the new,

the clock strikes midnight and out comes the cuckoo!

“All the best for the new year,”

the cuckoo bird chirps for all to hear!

 

Happy New Year’s Day!

[odeon]

Surely 2021 can't be worse? Right??

[Gopher Gary]

 

[odeon]

[Gopher Gary]

Today's Google Doodle is Celebrating Dr. James Naismith.



Today’s Doodle celebrates Canadian-American physical educator, professor, doctor, and coach Dr. James Naismith, who invented the game of basketball in 1891. On this day of the following year, Naismith announced the new game and its original rules in the pages of “The Triangle,” a Springfield College school newspaper. From its humble beginnings in a school gymnasium, the sport has grown into an international colossus played in over 200 countries today.

James Naismith was born on November 6, 1861, near the town of Almonte in Ontario, Canada. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from McGill University, and in 1890 took a job as an instructor at the YMCA International Training College in Springfield, Massachusetts. Here, he was tasked to develop an indoor game that could occupy students during the unforgiving New England winters. With two peach baskets, a soccer ball, and just ten rules, the game of “basket ball” was born.

Introduced to Naismith’s class on December 21, 1891, the game initially featured teams of nine players and combined elements of outdoor sports such as American football, soccer, and field hockey. Despite initial skepticism, the sport exploded in popularity over the following years, and in 1936, basketball made its Olympic debut in Berlin, Germany. None other than the sport’s founder—James Naismith—threw the ball for the tip-off to commence the first game.

Naismith envisioned basketball as a way for all students to better themselves physically and mentally. The sport was introduced in a time when schools were segregated, but Naismith saw everyone as someone with potential for the game. In his lifetime, he took steps to help basketball reach more young people, and it has since evolved into a global phenomenon that crosses racial and gender barriers.

In 1959, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame was incorporated in Springfield, Massachusetts, and this mecca of basketball history carries on Naismith’s legacy to this day.

Here’s to Dr. James Naismith—thank you for creating one of the world’s favorite pastimes!

[Gopher Gary]

Today's Google Doodle is Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2021.



Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Pittsburgh-based guest artist Noa Denmon, celebrates the 26th anniversary of the federal American holiday and day of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A civil rights pioneer, Dr. King’s legacy has forever altered the trajectory of United States history and inspired multiple generations to join in the pursuit of equality and social justice.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929 and devoted his life to the pursuit of racial equality. He spearheaded some of America’s most groundbreaking demonstrations in the name of racial justice. Among these were the Montgomery Bus Boycotts from 1955 to 1956—peaceful protests which were considered the country’s first mass demonstration against segregation— and the Selma to Montgomery March across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965 where protesters marched to demand an end to voter registration discrimination. Also, during the historic 1963 March on Washington, the orator delivered his now-famous “I Have a Dream” speech to some 250,000 people.

Dr. King played a key role in the passage of transformative American legislation, from the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which outlawed public segregation and employment discrimination, to the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which implemented sweeping changes to combat the disenfrachisement of voters based on race. In 1964, at the age of 35, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize making him the youngest person in history at the time to receive this honor.

Dr. King’s dream of racial equality inspired children, teenagers, and young adults to join the movement, with many of them attending meetings, marches and demonstrations from an early age. Today’s Doodle aims to depict this cross-generation activism in the parallel scenes from rallies of the 1960s on the left and modern day murals for social justice on the right. 

Today and everyday, people of all ages honor his legacy by pouring into their communities and taking action to build a better future.

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

[Gopher Gary]

It's not a doodle, but today under the search bar there's a video link and it says, " Watch Life in a Day
, a historic documentary about a single day in 2020." I posted in this thread about them taking video submissions back in July.
http://www.intensitysquared.com/index.php/topic,23146.msg1224551/topicseen.html#msg1224551

Here's the video from the link.



It's long so I haven't watched it yet. 

[Gopher Gary]

Today's Google Doodle is Celebrating María Grever.



Today’s Doodle celebrates Mexican singer and songwriter María Grever, considered to be one of the country’s greatest composers. Grever spent a lifetime producing hundreds of songs that went on to be covered by some of the world’s most famous artists, like Placido Domingo, Aretha Franklin, and Frank Sinatra. On this day in 1938, Grever recorded “Ti-Pi-Tin,” a waltz about serenading your loved ones that became one of her biggest hits.   

María Joaquina de la Portilla Torres was born in the late 19th century in the city of León in central Mexico. As a child, she moved to Seville, where she studied English, French, and music. Grever’s natural musical abilities were evident as she composed a holiday carol for her school. This led her father to provide her some of the finest tutors, including distinguished composers, Debussy and Lehár. Her first record, “A Una Ola” (“To a Wave,” 1912), sold millions of copies, and was eventually covered by several singers.

In 1916, Grever moved to New York, where she soon composed background music in films for both Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox. All the while, Grever continued to produce songs that married folk rhythms with styles like tango to captivate audiences throughout the Americas and Spain. Some of her biggest hits included “Júrame” (“Promise, Love,” 1926) and “What a Difference a Day Makes” (originally “Cuando Vuelva a Tu Lado,” 1934). The latter went on to win a Grammy in 1959 as sung by jazz legend, Dinah Washington.

In recognition of her contributions to music, the Union of Women of the Americas (UWA) named Grever “Woman of the Americas” in 1952.

Thanks for all the music María Grever; it continues to strike a chord with listeners around the world today!

[SBI_Patience]

Today's Google Doodle: Lunar New Year 2021

Today’s Doodle celebrates the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar—officially starting the Year of the Ox! Lunar New Year, also referred to as Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival, is a time to honor ancestors and look forward to prosperity in the year ahead.

This Lunar New Year marks the official transition out of the Year of the Rat–believed to be one of constant change–and into the Year of the Ox, which is traditionally associated with things moving at a more slow and steady pace. The ox is the second animal of the Chinese zodiac and symbolizes hard work, positivity, and fertile harvest.

Throughout most of Asia and around the world, the lunar new year is warmly welcomed with traditional foods such as yú (fish), nian gao (new year cake), and tang yuan (sweet rice ball). Also, as depicted in today’s Doodle artwork, Lunar New Year is often celebrated with lively lion dances. The lion symbolizes power and wisdom, and the spirited dance is performed during numerous Chinese and other Asian cultural and religious festivals to bring good luck and fortune.

So take this year by the horns—here’s to this next lunar cycle being as strong as an ox!

Source: https://www.google.com/doodles/lunar-new-year-2021-multiple-countries