Doodles are one of Google’s most refreshing traditions. They delight and educate us on special occasions, and we must admit, we absolutely love them!
Yet, did you know that these whimsical alterations of Google’s logo actually go back to 1998? Yes, the first Google Doodle was designed to honour the long-running annual Burning Man event in Black Rock City.
Since then, Doodles have continued to embellish our Chrome browsers and greet us every morning on special occasions with both international and country-specific Doodles.
Today, we’ll take you on a short stroll down memory lane to observe 22 years of the most memorable doodling. So let’s hop on this fun ride together, shall we?
Staring with 1998 — The Burning Man Event
On August 30, founders Larry Page and Sergey created this first Doodle. It was originally used to inform users that they were attending the Burning Man Festival in Nevada and would therefore be “out of the office.”
1999 — Uncle Sam’s Search
Google released two memorable Doodles on November 30 to commemorate the launch of the specialized Uncle Sam search engine.
Uncle Sam focused mainly on governmental and political news of the U.S until Google dropped it in 2011.
2000 — The First Animated Doodle
This Halloween Doodle is the first in a long list of subsequent animated Google Doodles.
2001 — Earth Day
This Doodle might seem pretty basic now, but when released in 2001, it became a very popular international design uniting all people worldwide.
2002 — Google’s First ‘Birthday Doodle’
On 27 Sep 2002 Google celebrated it’s 4th birthday with this Doodle. Yes, google was once only four years old, seems like we’ve had it forever, right?
2003 — Pablo Picasso’s 121st Birthday
This Picasso inspired design attracted plenty of attention when published in 2003 to honor the memory of the prominent Spanish artist on his 121st birthday.
2004 — Athens Olympic Games, Opening Ceremony
The Olympic Games were a big hit for Google Doodles in 2004. Google actually followed this with a number of dedicated Doodles for every game over the following days that year.
2005 — St Patrick’s Day
Google’s green St. Patrick’s Day Doodle for 2005 remains one of it’s best designs that year.
2006 — The Winning ‘Doodle 4 Google’ UK Design
This Doodle by Katherine Chisnall (who was was only 13 back then) was one of the three winning Doodles at the ‘My Britain’ nationwide competition for school children. The Doodle represents what it means to children in the UK to be British.
2007 — Earth Day
This design was one of Google’s first attempts to deviate from the usual colors of the logo and experiment with something more visual and abstract.
2008 — The Anniversary of the First Film Projection
This creative design was definitely one of the top works for the Google Doodles team that year.
2009 — The Discovery of Water on the Moon
Designer Jennifer Horn was so inspired by the discovery of water on the Moon that she had the Doodle live in just about four hours. According to Google, this is still the record for the fastest-ever Doodle launch.
2010 — The Launch of Google Instant
This interactive particle logo was used to celebrate the launch of Google Instant. The logo’s vintage and rustic elements make it one of the most appealing Doodles that year.
2011 — A Tribute to Freddie Mercury
On Freddie’s 65th birthday, Queen guitarist Brian May collaborated with the Google Doodle team on this Doodle which is accompanied by classic Queen track, Don’t Stop Me Now.
2012 — Amelia Earhart’s 115th Birthday
2012 witnessed many fantastic Doodles, but this one in particular, aside from its brilliant design, received great admiration. The Doodle celebrates the remarkable aviation achievements of Amelia Earhart.
2013 — Women’s Day
This logo was a collaboration between the designers Jon Wiley and Micheal Lopez. Valuable feedback was provided by Jamie Divine, Susan Shepard, Margaret Stewart, Michael Leggett, and Nundu Janakiram.
Google states that this was one of the most challenging Doodles it created. It seeks to represent all women worldwide in one design, which is an impossible task of course.
Yet we must say, the designers did a very good job with this one to make it very memorable worldwide.
2014 — Audrey Hepburn’s 85th Birthday
Audrey Hepburn remains a symbol of both inner and outer elegance for many, that’s what makes this particular Doodle one of the most popular designs ever created.
2015 — The Crafty Christmas Homes
Google’s Christmas Doodles for 2015 were a great holiday treat to everyone. Inspired by papercraft models and cut outs, the artist, Robinson Wood, created festive characters and items that sent us to the crafts table making nifty decorations for our homes.
2016 — Antoni van Leeuwenhoek
Considered the first microbiologist, van Leeuwenhoek designed single-lens microscopes to unlock the mysteries of everything from bits of cheese to complex insect eyes. This creative Doodle celebrating his legacy has been one of the highlights of 2016.
2017 — 44th Anniversary of the Birth of Hip Hop
2018 — Google’s VR Doodle Celebrating Georges Méliès.
2019 — Doodle of the Year
Every Doodle created tells a great story, and this year’s Doodle tells a story with a thousand words. Titled ‘’Once you get it, give it back’’.
Arantza Peña Popo won the US 2019 Doodle for Google national competition with this amazing design. In the statement submitted with her design, Arantza stated “When I grow up, I hope to care for my mom as much as she cared for me my entire life.”
The winner was announced on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show, just hours before the Doodle started showing for people across the US and winning the hearts of million of users.
