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Celebrating US National Parks



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Today’s Doodle celebrates the parks and monuments of the U.S. national parks on the occasion of the National Park Service centennial. Designated in 1916, the National Park Service has set aside over 84 million acres of protected land for everyone to explore and enjoy.

Shelton Johnson, Park Ranger at Yosemite National Park and published author, shares his thoughts on this important milestone with us:

“There are national parks older than Yellowstone, or Yosemite, but it was in Yosemite Valley where the national park idea was first lit. It was Yellowstone that fanned that spark to a flame illuminating a world that was old, but seen anew!

No longer were rivers a force to be dammed, virgin forests a source for board-feet, or mountainsides blasted for gemstones or coal. A wild river was as alive as the fish within it. A forest became a network of plants bound to rock, soil, and sky.

Now there are national parks in over 150 nations. The idea of parks has the power to transcend culture, a currency whose value speaks of something profoundly human.

Jasper, Guilin, Serengeti, Sagarmatha, Fiordland, Torres del Paine, Kakadu, and Grand Canyon, are now just local names, out of tens of thousands, for planet Earth.”

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37th Anniversary of The Neverending Story's First Publishing



Every once in a blue moon a book captures the imagination, providing a portal into magical places unknown. So it was with The Neverending Story, a children’s fantasy novel by Michael Ende, which topped best-seller lists in the author’s native Germany following its release on September 1st, 1979. Illustrator Roswitha Quadflieg captured the story’s mythical feel by emblazoning each chapter with a decorative initial inspired by medieval scripts. And today’s Doodle adds a 3D dimension, with an artwork-packed slideshow that uses parallax scrolling—a Doodle first!

At the heart of this book-within-a-book is Bastian Balthazar Bux, a lonely boy who steals a copy of The Neverending Story from an antiques store—and leaps into its pages. Bastian is tapped by a hunter named Atreyu to help save the enchanted but ill-omened world of Fantastica by doing something only a human can do: giving Fantastica’s ruler, the Childlike Empress, a new name. Their companion, Falkor, a luckdragon, remains ever-optimistic that they’ll prevail over wicked creatures and destructive forces to reach the Childlike Empress’s Ivory Tower. In time, Bastian’s journey becomes one of self discovery, in which the words “Do what thou wilt!” inscribed on Atreyu’s talisman, take on personal meaning.

Today’s Doodle takes us along on Bastian’s odyssey in honor of the 37th anniversary of the book’s publication.

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34th Anniversary of Similan Islands National Park



Today’s Doodle takes you under the stunning waters of Thailand’s Similan Islands. Located northwest of Phuket in the Andaman Sea, the archipelago of 11 islands is famous for its breathtaking dives. Sea turtles, zebra sharks, and blue-spotted stingrays are just a few of the species an underwater adventurer might encounter.

Equally as inviting as the coral reefs are the park’s white sandy beaches. From there, long-tail boats can be spotted navigating the waters against a backdrop of ironwood and gum trees. Also fluttering above sea level, a number of feathered species call the islands home — everything from white-bellied eagles to yellow-browed warblers.

Rich in both wildlife and natural beauty, the Similan Islands were named a national park 34 years ago today. Now it’s time to dive in and celebrate!

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First Day of School 2016

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Sybil Kathigasu’s 117th birthday



Sybil Kathigasu was never one to back down. A freedom fighter and nurse, Kathigasu and her husband supported the resistance forces during the Japanese occupation of Malaya until their arrest in 1943. For several years leading up to their capture, the Kathigasus secretly supplied medicine, provided medical services, and shared information obtained by listening to BCC on their shortwave radio.

After her release from prison, Kathigasu was awarded the George Medal for bravery. To this day, she’s the only Malayan woman to have received the award.

Today’s Doodle shows Kathigasu in her nurse’s uniform outside her former residence in Papan, Perak. The patterned ribbon of the George Medal surrounds the Doodle, a tribute to Kathigasu’s courageous contributions to the anti-occupation movement.

On the 117th anniversary of Kathigasu’s birth, we remember and celebrate her tireless dedication to freedom. Thank you, Kathigasu, for your courage and the powerful legacy you’ve left behind.

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Asep Sunandar's 61st Birthday



Today we celebrate what would be the 61st birthday of Asep Sunandar, one of the world’s most famous wayang golek masters. Wayang golek is a style of puppet theater that hails from Sunda, in the western part of the Indonesian island of Java. It’s an art form that takes years to master, and is an important piece of Sunda’s culture.

Wayang golek puppets are made of wood, and are controlled by rods that are connected to their hands and head. The wayang golek master is responsible for the entire show - he or she decides which story they will tell, most often an Indian epic story, and manages all of the wooden puppets’ movements and voices. Well over 10 characters can appear in each show!

Sunandar delighted audiences for years with his performances, which could last from dusk ‘til dawn. Our Google doodle features Sunandar performing with two wayang golek puppets.

Happy birthday, Asep Sunandar!

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Labor Day 2016 (US)

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Fouad el-Mohandes’ 92nd birthday



Today marks the 92nd birthday of legendary Egyptian actor and comedian Fouad el-Mohandes (1924–2006). The son of esteemed Egyptian linguist Zaki Mohandes, el-Mohandes got an early start performing on stage as a child. He later decided to leave business school to follow in the footsteps of his idol, actor Naguib el-Rihani, launching his professional career on the radio program “Sa’a li-Qalbak.”

Over the next five decades, el-Mohandes performed in dozens of plays, TV shows, and motion pictures. He co-starred with then-wife Shwikar in many of his most popular films, and gained fame for his role as “Mr. X” in two movies about “the most dangerous man in the world.” El-Mohandes was also famous for his trademark black-rimmed glasses.

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Paralympics 2016



What started as a small gathering of British WWII veterans in 1948 has bloomed into the world’s largest sporting event for athletes with physical disabilities, drawing 4,500 athletes from 176 countries worldwide.

Today’s Doodle celebrates the opening of the 2016 Summer Paralympics and highlights the incredible feats of athleticism the participants will demonstrate in Rio. They’ll go for gold during a year of firsts: Rio, the first Latin American city to host the Paralympics, will debut canoeing and paratriathlon among the more than 500 existing events.

Tune in to cheer your favorite Paralympians on through September 18 when the Games wrap up.

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Takizo Iwasaki’s 121st birthday



Most of us are familiar with the wax and plastic replica foods that help you decide what to order at a restaurant, but did you know that the practice dates back to the 1930s?

Takizo Iwasaki re-invented a practice that had been around for over a decade, of creating sampuru (or samples) of food served by restaurants. He started with a perfectly 'cooked' omelet made of wax. Reportedly, upon showing it to his wife, she couldn't even tell the difference between the sampuru and the real thing! You can still see the omelet in his home prefecture of Gifu, where most of the world's replica food is still made.

Although replica foods are now more often made of plastic than wax, the practice is still done by hand and rarely mass-produced. This is to maintain the quality of the sampuru and the unique dishes that each restaurant requests.

Today's doodle celebrates Takizo Iwasaki on what would be his 121st birthday, with an homage to that original omelet that changed the landscape of sampuru forever.