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Jagadish Chandra Bose’s 158th Birthday



Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose was a master of scientific achievement with numerous accomplishments in various fields. Born in Bangladesh in 1858, Bose was to become known not only for his work in biophysics, but also his innovation in the world of radio and microwave sciences, ultimately inventing an early version of wireless telecommunication. As a testament to his numerous contributions to the field, a moon crater was named in his honor.

Bose’s investigations into nature included the invention of the crescograph – an instrument that measures movement and growth in plant life by magnifying it 10,000 times. He went on to demonstrate the similarities between animals and plants, particularly when it came to reactions to different environmental, electrical, and chemical influences.

Today’s Doodle features Bose and his invention in action on what would be his 158th birthday.

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St. Andrew's Day 2016



St. Andrew’s Day is Scotland’s official national day, celebrating the feast day of St. Andrew—the nation’s patron saint since the 10th century. The Scottish government mandates that the flag, also known as the Saltire or St. Andrew’s Cross, is flown today on every building with a flagpole. Festivities will include traditional Scottish foods like haggis, neeps, and tatties, as well as parades, music, and dancing. The celebrations kick off Scotland’s winter festival season.

Today’s Doodle features the Scottish flag proudly waving against the backdrop of famed locations throughout the country, including Cuillin Hills, Ben Nevis, Broch of Mousa, Isle of Skye, and Loch Lomond.

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30th Anniversary of Film “Kin-Dza-Dza!”



in-Dza-Dza! is a 1986 Soviet sci-fi cult dystopian comedy, created by Mosfilm, the oldest film studio in Europe. A construction worker and a student push the wrong button on an unidentifiable device and end up on an obscure and advanced telepathic planet called Pluke where a series of strange and hilarious events unfold. The lives, philosophies and social structures of those who inhabit this distant planet are explored and paralleled to life here on earth in an unusually entertaining and thought-provoking manner.

Because the Plukanians are inherently telepathic, they only speak a few actual words—ky (pronounced “koo”) and kyu, which is a swear word. One of the fun plot details that permeate the film is that the material used in making the heads of regular matches serves as currency on the planet.

For the 30th anniversary of Kin-Dza-Dza, today’s Doodle depicts the most famous scene from the film where the main characters, Bi and Uef, are squatting and chanting a resounding “ku!”

«Кин-дза-дза!» — культовая советская научно-фантастическая комедия в жанре антиутопии. Она была создана в 1986 году Киноконцерном «Мосфильм», старейшей киностудией в Европе. Прораб и студент нажимают не на ту кнопку на неопознанном устройстве и оказываются на загадочной планете Плюк. Ее жители обладают телепатическими способностями. Там с героями приключается целая вереница странных и смешных событий. В фильме, который не только развлекает, но и заставляет задуматься, необычным способом сравниваются жизненные пути, философские взгляды и социальный строй землян и обитателей этой далекой планеты.

Так как плюкане — врожденные телепаты, при общении они используют всего несколько обычных слов: «ку» и «кю» (последнее является ругательством). Одна из забавных сюжетных деталей, которыми наполнен фильм, заключается в том, что материал, из которого сделаны головки обыкновенных спичек, служит валютой на этой планете. На дудле изображена ключевая сцена картины. Два жителя планеты, Би и Уэф, приседают и выкрикивают звучное «ку!».

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Dewi Sartika’s 132rd Birthday



Today’s Doodle celebrates Dewi Sartika, a leader in women’s education in Indonesia during the late 1800s and early 1900s. At just 18 years old, Sartika started teaching women in a small room in the back of a house. Two years later, she opened the first school for women in Indonesia, and over the next ten years expanded her reach to ten schools.

She was awarded National Heroine by the Indonesian government in 1966 for her positive influence and public service to women across Indonesia.

Happy 132nd birthday to this educational trailblazer!

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340th Anniversary of the Determination of the Speed of Light



While working in the Royal Observatory in Paris in 1667, Danish astronomer Ole Rømer discovered that the speed at which light travels could be measured. His theory built on earlier ideas by Galileo, and the observance of how the timings between Jupiter’s moon eclipses changed depending on its distance from the Earth. His theories gained support from other great scientific minds of the time, including Isaac Newton and Edmond Halley.

Rømer also made significant contributions to Copenhagen, where he spent his later years, having introduced oil lamp street lighting and proper sewers to the city. Another achievement includes the invention of the mercury thermometer in 1709, which was said to have inspired Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit to invent the temperature scale still in use today.

Today’s Doodle shows Rømer hard at work in his observatory 340 years ago.

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Abd al-Rahman Al-Sufi's (Azophi) 1113th Birthday



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181st Anniversary of the Adler's First Run



All aboard! 181 years ago today, the Adler steam locomotive became the first commercial train to begin operation in Germany on Dec. 7, 1835. Meaning “eagle” in German, the Adler was built and designed in 1835 by Robert and George Stephenson in Newcastle upon Tyne, England for the Bavarian Ludwig Railway.

Over its 23 years of service, the Adler was used to transport passengers, goods, and cattle 7.45 kilometers (4.66 miles) between Nuremberg and Fürth with a top speed of 65 km/h (40 mph).

Retired in 1858, the Adler became a national symbol for power and industry. And while the original no longer exists, a working replica is currently on display at the Nuremberg Transport Museum, where it’s occasionally rolled out for exhibitions and special events.

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Türkan Saylan’s 81st Birthday



“You, my dear daughter, stop asking yourself, ‘Why am I born a girl?’ and aim at becoming the best you can be.”

Türkan Saylan, one of Turkey’s first female dermatologists and a champion of women’s rights, wrote these words to the young girls of her native country. The message, which was part of a book she authored, perfectly describes her approach to life.

As a young doctor in the 1970s, Saylan played a lead role in the battle against leprosy. She helped to found both the Turkish Leprosy Relief Association and the International Leprosy Union. She also served as a consultant on the disease for the World Health Organization. Later, she shifted her focus to another cause: bringing education to impoverished young girls. And in 1989, she helped start the Association to Support Contemporary Life, an organization that has built hundreds of schools in rural areas and awarded more than 60,000 scholarships.

Showing Saylan in her lab coat with several young girls in tow, today’s Doodle pays tribute to her incredible life’s work on what would’ve been her 81st birthday.

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105th Anniversary of First Expedition to Reach the South Pole



Today marks the 105th anniversary of Roald Amundsen's expedition to the South Pole. Known as "the last of the Vikings," Amundsen was a lifelong adventurer with a gift for organization and planning. "Victory awaits him who has everything in order," wrote Amundsen, and his South Pole journey was a perfect illustration of that principle.

Amundsen's expedition party consisted of 19 people and nearly 100 Greenland sled dogs. The dogs -- along with the use of skis to cross treacherous terrain -- were key to the team's success. And like their canine companions, the explorers knew that playfulness could help them endure the extreme conditions on the icy frontier. While prepping from Framheim, their base camp in the Bay of Whales, the team maintained a sense of fun. They held guess-the-temperature contests, celebrated birthdays, and told stories. When a subset of the crew made the final trek to the South Pole in December of 1911, their camaraderie and careful preparation helped them win the race to "the bottom of the world."

In honor of that achievement, today's Doodle depicts the crew at the finish line, taking a moment to bask in the glory while the Antarctic wind whips outside their tent.

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Doria Shafik’s 108th Birthday



One of the leading champions for the Egyptian women’s liberation movement came in the form of a powerful female force that set out against the status quo from an early age. Doria Shafik knew she was destined for more than what society offered women during her time—she earned a PHD in Paris, became a prolific feminist activist, philosopher, poet, author and editor. As a direct result of her efforts, Egyptian women were granted the right to vote for the first time. She led protests at the Parliament, initiated hunger strikes and traveled around the world to spread her wisdom.

Doria published an Arabic magazine called “Bint Al Nil,” or “Daughter of the Nile” (her nickname), to educate Egyptian women and empower them to play an active role in their families and in society. The first copy came out in November of 1945 and immediately sold out—fueling the desire for real systemic change.

Today we celebrate what would have been Doria’s 108th birthday with a personal motto that inspired her along the path of reformation and justice: “to know, to be able, to want and to dare.”