Stupid Guest Tricks

Nettie Stevens’ 155th birthday



What are the genetics behind gender?

This simple question drove the work of Nettie Stevens. Building on research by Edmund Beecher Wilson and Thomas Hunt Morgan at Bryn Mawr, Stevens discovered the connection between chromosomes and physicality. Her breakthrough evolved into the XY sex-determination system, now taught in classrooms around the world.

Stevens died of breast cancer 155 years ago, but her discovery lives on in today’s Doodle.

Tanabata 2016



Tanabata, known to children and families all over Japan, honors the tale of Orihime and Hikoboshi, forbidden to see each other except on this day. The two were brought together by Orihime's father, but then separated when Orihime no longer had time to weave the beautiful cloth that her father loved so much. He gave in when he saw how unhappy she was, and allowed Orihime and Hikoboshi to see each other once a year if she wove the cloth the rest of the days. Whether they are able to meet on this the 7th day of the 7th month, is determined by the weather.

On this day, we write down our own wishes on colorful paper (known as tanzaku) as we hope for the two lovers to meet. Today’s Doodle honors the Tanabata tradition with its own tanzaku for Orihime and Hikoboshi. May they meet again this year!

Bastille Day 2016



A year after revolutionaries stormed the Bastille in 1789, this historic event and all it represented, was remembered and celebrated in France as the Fête de la Fédération. It’s because of this that the French national anthem is La Marseillaise, and that the flag is colored blue, white, and red.

Following the simple graphic style often seen in French newspaper illustration and echoing the style of Jean-Jacques Sempé, Doodler Helene Leroux aims for today’s Bastille Day Doodle to bring together the themes of Liberté, Unité, and Fraternité. It represents the importance of people coming together to celebrate togetherness and freedom on this most important of French holidays.

Roger Raveel’s 95th birthday



One of Belgium’s most revered painters in the period following World War II, Roger Raveel used white space to great effect. From the mid-20th century until the early 2000’s, Raveel created a body of work that extended beyond the canvas to include ceramics and installations. Drawing inspiration from the world around him, he returned to the same universal motifs, depicting everyday objects in vivid colors and contoured lines. Raveel’s playful, thought-provoking style evolved throughout his career, from abstract to figurative, and is often identified with the pop art movement.

Born on July 15, 1921 in Machelen-aan-de-Leie, Belgium, today’s Doodle celebrates what would have been Raveel’s 95th birthday. His singular work is showcased at the Roger Raveel museum in his hometown, surrounded, of course, by plenty of white space.

Mukesh's 93rd Birthday



Decades before single-name stars Madonna and Prince became superstars, there was the mononymous Mukesh, one of Bollywood’s most acclaimed playback singers. Mukesh first rose to fame as the singing voice of actor, Raj Kapoor in the smash hit Andaz (1949), a Hindi film about a tragic love triangle.

Born Mukesh Chand Mathur in Delhi, India on July 22, 1923, Mukesh was discovered by Motilal, an actor and distant relative, when he sang at his sister’s wedding. The talent that earned him the nickname “The Man with the Golden Voice” took time to develop. Early on, he studied with classical musician Pandit Jagannath Prasad, and for years emulated his idol, singer K.L. Saigal. Working with music director Naushad Ali, who gave him the songs for Andaz, he eventually came into his own.

In 1974, Mukesh won the National Film Award in India for Best Male Playback singer for his song "Kai Baar Yuhi Dekha Hai" from the film Rajnigandha. He followed that up with wins in 1976 at the Filmfare Awards for four songs, most notably "Kabhi Kabhie Mere Dil Mein,” the title track of the film Kabhie Kabhie and the inspiration for today’s Doodle.

Maria Severa Onofriana's 196th Birthday



A legend in her native Lisbon, Maria Severa Onofriana, known simply as Severa, is remembered as the voice that brought fado into popular culture. By performing at taverns across the Alfama district, she helped spread this expressive style of music in the 1830s and 40s.

Often somber in tone, fado (which translates roughly to “fate”) is a lyrical ode to the trials of everyday life. Although Severa told many of these tales through her songs, very little is actually known about her life. For that reason, the singer’s story has been reimagined many times in music, theater, and film.

Today’s Doodle is yet another take on the famous fadista. Donning her signature dark shawl, Severa plays the “Portuguese blues” as we celebrate her contributions to music on what would have been her 196th birthday.

Ounsi el-Hajj’s 79th birthday



The poet, translator, and journalist Ounsi el-Hajj was born in South Lebanon on this date in 1937. His work is rooted in Arab culture and politics, but it also celebrates global citizenship and the borderless joys of nature. In his poem "Is This You or the Tale?" el-Hajj travels from the fifth century to Beirut's Golden Age, settling somewhere timeless: "And as my age / is counted in years, / likewise I wander outside this necklace / like drops of pearl."

In today's Doodle, el-Hajj wanders among sunflowers and butterflies, at home in a universal landscape — yet uniquely himself, sporting his trademark spectacles and suit. El-Hajj's work reminds us that although every birthplace is a particular spot and a precise moment, it's also a thread in the fabric of history that makes next-door neighbors of us all.

Gloria Fuertes' 99th birthday



Gloria Fuertes remembered the typewriter she rented at a young age as her “first toy.” It didn’t take long for her to realize she could make its keys sing. That same year, she wrote her first verse.

Her love of narrative informed her life’s work: teaching and entertaining children, first through the printed word and later through stage and television. The result was some of Spain’s most beloved tales for children.

Today's Doodle is inspired by Fuertes’ inspired public readings that brought the magic of her words to life for the kids.

Munshi Premchand’s 136th Birthday



Today’s homepage celebrates a man who forever changed India’s literary landscape. Born Dhanpat Rai in a small village in northern India, the prolific author is best known under his pen name, Premchand. He’s also been called Upanyas Samrat, or “emperor among novelists,” having produced more than a dozen novels, 250 short stories, and a number of essays throughout his lifetime.

Writing wasn’t always his main focus, though. Premchand was a teacher for many years until he joined the non-cooperation movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in the 1920s. Gandhi influenced much of Premchand’s later work, which brought to light some of India’s most prominent social issues of the time.

His last and most famous novel, Godaan (1936), inspired today’s Doodle, which depicts Premchand bringing his signature working-class characters to life. On what would have been his 136th birthday, this illustration pays tribute to the many important stories he told.

238th Anniversary of the inauguration of Teatro Alla Scala



Bellini’s Norma. Verdi’s Otello and Falstaff. Puccini’s Turandot. All classics from opera’s golden age - and all works that debuted at the Teatro Alla Scala in Milan, a masterpiece itself since its inauguration in 1778.

Today’s Doodle honors La Scala’s legendary stage, known both for its size and the distinction of its players. The opera house’s treasured halls have hosted some of the world’s most inspirational opera, ballet, and classical performances over its long existence. Seating more than 2,000 people, its theater has survived both a WWII bombing and restorative construction, continuing to pack houses and delight audiences for some 238 years.