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Marko Vovchok’s (Mariya Vilinska) 183rd Birthday



Mariya Vilinska, who wrote under the pen name Marko Vovchok, was born on this day in 1833. Her 1857 story collection Narodni Opovidannia (Tales of the People) is considered one of the first works of Ukrainian realism. Born in Russia, Vilinska moved to the Ukraine when she was 17 and quickly became an expert in Ukrainian language and folklore. She later translated works from French to Ukrainian and Russian, including the novels of Jules Verne. Vilinska was also known for her significant charm, which made her the star of elite social and literary circles.

Additionally, Vilinska was one of the first notable feminists in the Ukraine and Russia. She founded a magazine that focused on women contributors, and she wrote and translated works about women's rights.

Later in life, Vilinska moved to the countryside. As captured in today's Doodle, she spent much of her time writing and reminiscing under a pear tree in her garden. At her request, she was buried under that same tree.

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Very timely for this time of year.

Charles Macintosh’s 250th Birthday

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New Year's Eve 2016

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New Year's Day 2017

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And Happy New Year to one and all!

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Hussein Amin Bicar's 104th Birthday



Hussein Amin Bicar was a renowned Egyptian painter, musician, writer and art educator. He taught and influenced many generations of art students at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo. Bicar was known for his kindness, humanity and passion for making art accessible to all.

As a young artist, Bicar mastered many techniques, styles and mediums. As a more mature painter, he developed a style that simplified and streamlined human figures and landscapes into elegant and refined forms. He drew upon historical Egyptian art traditions and combined them with his knowledge of contemporary and modern art approaches. The subjects of his paintings were often pulled from Egypt’s rural and agricultural cultures.

In addition to painting, Bicar also pursued work as a writer and illustrator. He wrote and illustrated for many newspapers, magazines and his own children’s books. In 1952 he was a founding illustrator for "Sinbad," the first Arabic children's magazine. His work influenced many subsequent children’s magazines in the Arabic-speaking world.

Bicar was also passionate about music. He was a talented Bouzouki and Oud player, and played traditional and classic music in several bands. Today's Google Doodle pays homage to Bicar and his final painting: a portrait of himself, playing the Bouzouki surrounded by blank papers, canvas and his beloved cat.

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Savitribai Phule's 186th Birthday



Today marks the 186th birthday of Savitribai Phule, a heroine of social reform in India. A woman of many accomplishments, Savitribai and her husband opened India’s first school for women in Pune in 1848. Four years later, she and her husband were honored by the British government for their contributions to women’s education. Later in life, Phule set up a care program for widows and led campaigns advocating for Indian citizens deemed “untouchable,” due to being born into what was considered a lower caste.

Savitribai’s legacy lives on today. The Government of Maharashtra has instituted an award in her name and in 2015, the University of Pune in western India was renamed: Savitribai Phule Pune University in her honor.

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Sandford Fleming’s 190th Birthday



It was Ireland in 1876 when a mistake printed in a timetable caused Sandford Fleming to miss his train but alter time as we know it.

Historically, regions used solar time to set their own clocks. It worked well enough until trains came along and the need for standardized time arose, which brings us back to Fleming.

Following his missed train, Fleming—a Canadian inventor and engineer of Scottish birth—proposed a worldwide standard time at a meeting of the Royal Canadian Institute on February, 8, 1879. He advocated for dividing the world into 24 time zones beginning at the Greenwich Meridian and spaced at 15 degree intervals. His proposal gave way to the International Prime Meridian Conference which convened in 1884 and was attended by 25 nations. It was here that Fleming’s system of international standard time was adopted.

Fleming was also known for helping build the Intercontinental Railway, serving as chief engineer of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and designing Canada’s first postage stamp. Today’s Doodle reflects Fleming’s legacy on this, the 190th anniversary of his birth.

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100th Anniversary of The Russian Nature Reserves




A century ago, Russia established its first Zapovednik (nature reserve), Barguzinsky Nature Reserve, located in Buryatia, on the northeast shores of Lake Baikal. On January 11, the country marks the 100th anniversary of its pioneering system of protecting natural areas with Nature Reserves and National Parks Day.

Today, the country’s stewardship of its wild landscapes continues to gain ground, with over 13,000 specially protected natural areas occupying millions of acres—about 11.4 percent of Russia’s vast territory. Ranging from tiny to titanic, they include 103 reserves, 49 national parks, and 68 national nature sanctuaries, with initiatives underway to expand old areas and develop new protected territories. Expansion is in sync with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decree to make 2017 the Year of Ecology in the Russian Federation.

Our Doodle is rendered in a woodblock style reminiscent of Russian postage stamps issued for Barguzin’s half-centennial, and inspired by six specially protected natural areas: Barguzin Nature Reserve, Ergaki National Park (aka Yergaki), Russian Arctic National Park, Lake Baikal (frozen), Kronotsky Nature Reserve, and Dalnevostochny Morskoy Nature Reserve (Far East Marine Nature Reserve).

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Flora Nwapa’s 86th Birthday



Flora Nwapa, Nigeria's first published female novelist and Africa's first internationally-acclaimed English-language female writer, held the spotlight for nearly her entire adult life. She was not only an accomplished author, but a publisher, public servant, and activist.

From Nwapa's first novel, Efuru, published in 1966, to the establishment of her publishing company, Tana Press, Nwapa demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advancing and highlighting the women of Nigeria. Additionally, she used her books, and the books she published, to introduce Nigeria’s rich culture to a global audience.

Nwapa served by day in the Nigerian government, becoming the first female Minister of Health and Social Welfare for Nigeria’s former East Central State in 1970. During that time, she worked to reunite children and their parents who were divided as a result of the Biafran War. Afterwards, she became Minister of Lands, Survey, and Urban Development, a position she held until 1974.

Today’s Doodle pays homage to Nwapa, known as the “mother of modern African literature,” on what would be her 86th birthday.