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Aletta Jacobs’ 163rd Birthday

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Carmen Miranda's 108th Birthday



Carmen Miranda is a rare example of a triple threat: talented at acting, singing, and dancing. Born in Portugal and raised in Brazil, Miranda took to the performing arts at a young age. Her father's love of opera and her mother's support led her to pursue a career in show business. Inspired by baianas, Afro-Brazilian fruit vendors, Miranda donned a "fruit hat" when she performed. It would become her signature as her star soared, first in Brazil and then, worldwide.

Miranda’s big break happened following her performance at the National Institute of Music. She landed an audition at a recording studio where she was immediately signed to put out a single. Miranda’s first album was released in 1929, and was immensely popular among Brazilians. Her performing style helped samba gain respect and a place in the Brazilian (and later, the world) spotlight.

By the time she moved to the United States in 1939, Miranda was a national star in Brazil and had the power to ensure her band could travel with her. Hollywood's famous Garuman's Chinese Theatre invited her to leave her hand prints in the cement in 1941, the first Latin American to do so.

Today, we celebrate Carmen Miranda on what would be her 108th birthday.

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Lantern Festival 2017 (Taiwan, China, Hong Kong)



The Lantern Festival arrives on the first full moon of the Chinese calendar and marks the last day of traditional Chinese New Year celebrations. The lanterns are meant to ward off evil spirits and bring families closer together to watch as they flood the streets. Taiwan’s most celebrated Lantern Festival features lanterns that play their own theme music and tower over 10 meters tall, with many featuring ornate designs that correspond with the signs of the zodiac.

Taiwan began recognizing this Chinese festival in 1990 as an effort to spread the traditional folklore to the masses. One of the most important events that takes place on this evening is the Fengpao ceremony, where thousands of firecrackers are burned and hung in the Wumiao Temple. The lantern event and the fire ceremony together are known as “Fireworks in the south, sky lanterns in the north” and are meant to call in wishes for the new year.

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Valentine's Day 2017

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Weiberfastnacht 2017



Today's Doodle is all about dressing up in your finest wig and going all out for Weiberfastnacht. Germany welcomes the opening of Karneval every year with Weiberfastnacht, when celebrations and parties erupt through the carnival regions of Germany. Also known as Old Womens Day, these festivities are often led by women, who might cut off men's ties in one tradition, or storm their town hall, in another. However Germans choose to revel on this day, one thing's for certain: this is a time of joy.

Weiberfastnacht traces its roots back to the Middle Ages, when it was one of the only occasions for women to attend parties and have as much fun as their male counterparts. Although its origins lie with women, no one needs an excuse to celebrate, and men are out in the streets just as much to enjoy the holiday. The streets fill up with merrymakers in costume and confetti flies everywhere. The Krapfen, or jam-filled doughnuts, are plentiful, as is the festive Karneval music, and even the Chicken Dance. There's something for everyone at Weiberfastnacht!

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Seven Earth-size Exoplanets Discovered!



This just in! Turns out it wasn’t just dust on the telescope lens: NASA just announced the discovery of seven earth-size planets orbiting the same star only 235 trillion miles away. In space terms, that practically makes us next-door neighbors!



What exactly does this new solar system TRAPPIST-1 mean for our universe? Well, three of these newly discovered planets land smack-dab in the middle of what scientists call the habitable zone, or the distance from the star it orbits “where a rocky planet is most likely to have liquid water.” Though scientists have some serious studying to do before we can definitively say whether any of the new TRAPPIST-1 planets are habitable, the potential is very promising.

So if three of these new TRAPPIST-1 planets land in the habitable zone, what about the other four? According to NASA, all seven planets could have liquid water, the most crucial ingredient for life -- assuming the right atmospheric conditions.

Unlike our solar system, the planets in TRAPPIST-1 are very close together. If we’re able to visit one of the TRAPPIST-1 planets one day, we could be able to watch each neighboring planet pass by on its orbital journey! Until then, you can explore TRAPPIST-1 d, the third planet in the TRAPPIST-1 solar system in 3D using your computer or mobile device. If you have a virtual reality device, you can also take a stroll around.

Happy solar-searching!

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Celebrating Penpan Sittitrai



In the skilled hands of Penpan Sittitrai, a watermelon was far more than a refreshing treat on a summer day: it was art.

Using just a carving knife, she magically transformed melons into graceful swans, mangoes into rabbits, and potatoes into ducklings. Nature was a favorite theme, and she often formed lotus flowers from common foods like yam beans and garlic bulbs. Her intricate sculptures were used as showstopping centerpieces and serving vessels.

Even Thailand’s monarchs tapped Sittitrai for her talents. She once carved water chestnuts into 500 jasmine flowers for a royal wedding, and turned 250 coconuts into urns for a royal dining event.

On February 24, 2010, at the age of 83, Sittitrai was awarded the honorary title of National Artist for her outstanding contributions to Thailand’s arts. Instituted in 1985, “National Artist Day” is celebrated in Thailand on February 24.

In recognition of Sittitrai’s contributions to Thailand’s visual arts, today’s Doodle draws inspiration from her many books, including, “The Art of Thai Vegetable and Fruit Carving.”

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Ida Lewis’ 175th Birthday












It wasn’t until perhaps my fourth or fifth visit to the littlest state of Rhode Island that I spotted the unassuming lighthouse nestled on a tiny island of its own in Newport’s harbor. Usually the title “lighthouse keeper” conjures images of men in beards wearing stiff blue coats, so I was absolutely delighted to learn that Rhode Island’s most famous lighthouse keeper was Idawalley Zorada Lewis. Declared “America’s Bravest Woman” before her tenure was through, Ida had been hailed as Newport’s best swimmer and one of its strongest rowers ever since taking over for her ill father as as guardian of the harbor. She made her first save at twelve and didn’t stop until the age of sixty-three.

There are no definitive records of Ida’s rescues and she was too modest to recount them herself, though some were documented in local newspapers and at least one garnered national attention; in February of 1881 she ventured into the bitter winter winds to rescue two soldiers who had fallen through the ice while traveling on foot. This act of bravery caught the attention of President Grant who shortly thereafter awarded her the prestigious Gold Lifesaving Medal. Eleven years after her death, the Rhode Island legislature voted to rename her former home, Lime Rock Lighthouse, as Ida Lewis Lighthouse in her honor.

It's important to remember that being a lighthouse keeper required unwavering courage, sheer physical strength, constant diligence, and a willingness to put one's own life on the line. Ida was so dedicated that supposedly she would rush into inclement weather without shoes or coat so as not a waste a single second. Her life and legacy were not only an honor to research and illustrate, but truly a source of inspiration.

Happy 175th birthday, Ida Lewis!

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Ida Lewis’ 175th Birthday












It wasn’t until perhaps my fourth or fifth visit to the littlest state of Rhode Island that I spotted the unassuming lighthouse nestled on a tiny island of its own in Newport’s harbor. Usually the title “lighthouse keeper” conjures images of men in beards wearing stiff blue coats, so I was absolutely delighted to learn that Rhode Island’s most famous lighthouse keeper was Idawalley Zorada Lewis. Declared “America’s Bravest Woman” before her tenure was through, Ida had been hailed as Newport’s best swimmer and one of its strongest rowers ever since taking over for her ill father as as guardian of the harbor. She made her first save at twelve and didn’t stop until the age of sixty-three.

There are no definitive records of Ida’s rescues and she was too modest to recount them herself, though some were documented in local newspapers and at least one garnered national attention; in February of 1881 she ventured into the bitter winter winds to rescue two soldiers who had fallen through the ice while traveling on foot. This act of bravery caught the attention of President Grant who shortly thereafter awarded her the prestigious Gold Lifesaving Medal. Eleven years after her death, the Rhode Island legislature voted to rename her former home, Lime Rock Lighthouse, as Ida Lewis Lighthouse in her honor.

It's important to remember that being a lighthouse keeper required unwavering courage, sheer physical strength, constant diligence, and a willingness to put one's own life on the line. Ida was so dedicated that supposedly she would rush into inclement weather without shoes or coat so as not a waste a single second. Her life and legacy were not only an honor to research and illustrate, but truly a source of inspiration.

Happy 175th birthday, Ida Lewis!

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25th Anniversary of Ujung Kulon Park



There are only about 50 Javan rhinos left in the world, and today, we honor their home: Ujung Kulon, a wildlife refuge at the westernmost tip of Java. Twenty-five years ago, it was named one of Indonesia’s national parks. Spanning 475 square miles, the lush peninsula and neighboring islands are home to a number of other endangered species, too, including the banteng (wild cattle) and the Javan leopard.

Although the park is just a few decades old, some of the land has been protected for nearly a century. In 1883, the eruption of the nearby Krakatoa volcano left the area covered in ash, wiping out wildlife and forcing all humans to evacuate. The people never returned, but eventually, the plants and animals did. Once the jungle was thriving again, the land was declared a nature reserve in 1921. Now, the park boasts Java’s largest remaining lowland forest, as well as pristine sandy beaches and coral reefs.

Showing a one-horned rhino splashing with its calf, today’s Doodle pays tribute to the natural beauty and preservation of this important national park.