Google Doodle facts for kids
A Google Doodle is a special, temporary change to the Google logo you see on Google's homepage. These fun and creative designs celebrate important holidays, events, amazing achievements, and famous historical figures. The very first Google Doodle appeared on August 30, 1998. It honored the Burning Man event and was created by Google's founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. They wanted to let users know they were away in case the website had problems!
Over time, Google Doodles became more frequent and complex. At first, they were just images with a small message. But by the early 2010s, Doodles started to move and even let you play games! The first animated Doodle celebrated Halloween in 2000. In 2010, the first interactive Doodle let people play Pac-Man right on the Google homepage. Today, a special team of artists and engineers called "Doodlers" creates over 5,000 Doodles for Google's homepages all around the world. These Doodles often link to a search page where you can learn more about the topic.
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Discovering Google Doodles
Google Doodles celebrate many different things. They honor well-known events and holidays. They also celebrate the birthdays of famous artists and scientists. Sometimes, Doodles mark big moments for Google itself, like the company's anniversary. Historic events are also common Doodle topics. For example, a Lego brick design celebrated the 50th anniversary of the interlocking Lego block. Some Doodles appear only in specific countries, while others are seen globally.
Yearly Celebrations and Special Days
Since the first Thanksgiving Doodle in 1998, many Doodles have appeared every year for holidays and other celebrations. These include:
- New Year's Day (since 2000)
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day (since 2003)
- Lunar New Year (since 2001)
- Valentine's Day (since 2000)
- International Women's Day (since 2005)
- Saint Patrick's Day (since 2000)
- Earth Day (since 2001)
- Mother's Day (since 2000)
- Father's Day (since 2000)
- Juneteenth (since 2020)
- U.S. Independence Day (since 2000)
- Bastille Day (since 2000)
- German Unity Day (since 2002)
- Swiss National Day (since 2001)
- Olympic Games (since 2000)
- Halloween (since 1999)
- Hinamatsuri (since 2009)
- U.S. Thanksgiving Day (since 1998)
- Christmas Day (since 1999)
- New Year's Eve (since 1999)
Meet the Doodlers: Google's Creative Team
The people who design Google Doodles are called Doodlers. They are a team of talented illustrators, engineers, and artists. They bring the Google logo to life with their creative ideas. Famous artists like Ekua Holmes and Eric Carle have been part of this amazing team.
Exciting and Interactive Google Doodles
Google Doodles have become famous for their creativity and interactivity. Here are some memorable examples:
Playing Pac-Man on Google
In May 2010, Google celebrated the 30th anniversary of the classic arcade game Pac-Man. They released their first ever interactive logo worldwide. This special Pac-Man Google Doodle let anyone play Pac-Man directly on the Google homepage! The letters of "Google" were even part of the maze. It made the same sounds as the original game. People loved it so much that Google created a permanent website where you can still play it today.
Musical Doodles and Creative Tools
Google has also created Doodles that let you make music.
- On June 9, 2011, an interactive electric guitar Doodle honored Les Paul, a famous musician. You could strum the strings with your mouse or play notes using your keyboard. In the U.S., you could even record a 30-second clip and share it!
- On May 23, 2012, a Doodle celebrated Robert Moog, who invented the synthesizer. This Doodle was a fully playable and recordable mini-synthesizer. You could control its keys and knobs with your mouse or keyboard.
- On March 21, 2019, a Doodle celebrated composer Johann Sebastian Bach. It was the first Doodle to use artificial intelligence to create music. You could make a melody, and the Doodle would harmonize it in Bach's style!
Fun Games and Challenges
Many Doodles have turned the Google homepage into a game.
- On May 19, 2014, for the 40th anniversary of the Rubik's Cube, Google made an interactive virtual Rubik's Cube. Users could try to solve it online.
- For Halloween in 2016, Google launched Magic Cat Academy. In this game, a cat named Momo fought ghosts by having users draw shapes on the screen. A second part of this game was released in 2020, set underwater. A third part was released in 2024, set in space.
- In August 2021, Google released an exciting RPG-style game called Doodle Champion Island Games. This game celebrated video gaming, Japanese folklore, and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
- In October 2022, Google re-released the Great Ghoul Duel multiplayer game from 2018 for Halloween. Two teams of ghosts raced to collect spirits. This was the first Doodle to support multiplayer online.
- In January 2023, an interactive game celebrated bubble tea. In September 2024, another interactive game celebrated popcorn.
Celebrating Important People and Ideas
Google Doodles also highlight important figures and concepts.
- On March 20, 2020, Google honored Ignaz Semmelweis for his work on hand washing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Doodle showed how to wash hands properly.
Doodle 4 Google: Your Chance to Create!
Google also hosts special competitions for school students called Doodle 4 Google. Kids get to create their very own Google Doodles! The winning designs are shown on the Doodle4Google website. The public then votes for their favorite. The winner gets a trip to the Googleplex (Google's headquarters) and their Doodle is featured on the Google homepage for 24 hours! This competition started in the United Kingdom and has spread to many other countries, including the United States, Ireland, India, and Singapore.
See also
In Spanish: Doodle de Google para niños
