Google's Doodle

María Ylagan Orosa's 126th Birthday

November 29, 2019
Today’s Doodle honors Filipino food scientist, war hero, and humanitarian María Ylagan Orosa, credited with over 700 recipes—including the iconic local condiment banana ketchup—on what would have been her 126th birthday.

Born in the municipality of Taal within the Batangas province, Orosa went on to become an outstanding student, winning a partial government scholarship in 1916 to attend the University of Seattle. While living in a YMCA and working odd jobs, Orosa completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in pharmaceutical chemistry, as well as an additional degree in food chemistry.

Orosa was then offered a position as an assistant chemist for the State of Washington before returning to the Philippines in 1922 to focus on addressing the problem of malnutrition in her homeland.

Orosa’s knowledge of chemistry led to numerous culinary innovations. For instance, by fitting a traditional earthenware pot with two sheets of metal, she invented the Palayok Oven, providing remote villages lacking access to electricity with a more effective means of cooking over an open fire.

Although adobo and lumpia are synonymous with Filipino cuisine, Orosa’s banana ketchup is not far behind. Using mashed bananas as a base instead of tomatoes, she made the sauce a long-lasting hit. Two other inventions made her a war hero: Soyalac (a nutrient rich drink derived from soya beans) and Darak (rice cookies packed with vitamin B-1, which could also prevent beriberi disease) saved countless lives during World War II.

In recognition of Orosa's contributions to Filipino society, the National Historical Institute installed a marker in her honor at the Bureau of Plant Industry in Manila in 1983.

Happy birthday, María Ylagan Orosa!

Madeleine Brès’ 177th Birthday

November 25, 2019
Today’s Doodle celebrates French doctor Madeleine Brès on her 177th birthday. As the first French woman to graduate medical school and become a doctor of the Faculty of Medicine of Paris in 1875, she made groundbreaking contributions to women’s health and pediatrics.

A native of Bouillargues, just outside Nîmes, Brès found her passion for medicine at the age of eight. As a volunteer at a local hospital, she learned basic medical treatments from one of the nuns on staff.

After a number of years in Paris, Brès approached the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Paris, Charles-Adolphe Wurtz, to advocate for her enrollment in a doctoral program. Despite not having a formal higher education, Brès’ application was accepted, and she was encouraged to attain the proper qualifications before admission. As a self-taught student, Brès passed her baccalauréat exam and enrolled at the University of Paris (known as the Sorbonne) as a medical student in 1868.

Brès successfully defended her thesis, De la Mamelle et de l'allaitement (Of Breasts and Breastfeeding), in 1875. At a time where wet nurses were employed by women of means, her work advocated for and encouraged natural breastfeeding.

Brès then started her own practice in Paris, focusing on gynecological and pediatric medicine. Her facility remained open for almost 40 years, often eliminating costs for working women and instructed new mothers on proper infant care.

In 1883, Brès directed a medical journal entitled L'Hygiène de la Femme et de l'Enfant (Hygiene of the Woman and the Child), educating women on their own biology, as well as on childcare and disease containment.

Madeleine Brès was a trailblazer in French medicine and continues today to be a model for all those aspiring towards a career in medicine.

Ani Idrus’ 101st Birthday

November 25, 2019
Today’s Doodle celebrates fearless Indonesian journalist and activist Ani Idrus on her 101st birthday. Co-founding one of the longest-running Indonesian daily newspapers in 1947 and still active today, Waspada, Idrus became a leading force in the nation’s journalism, education, and politics.

Born on this day in 1918 in Western Sumatra, Idrus’ life left a wake of tremendous change. Establishing herself as a journalist in the 1930s, she went on to publish Waspada just before Indonesia’s independence from the Dutch. Idrus also served as a foreign correspondent for over a decade before releasing the first edition of a popular women’s magazine. In 1988, in recognition of her accomplishments in journalism, Idrus won the Satya Press Award.

As a member of the Young Indonesia political movement, Idrus’ activism continued to develop. She attended Indonesia’s First Women’s Congress, which led her to chair the North Sumatra Women's Front and became Deputy Secretary-General of the North Sumatra National Front.

Closely tied to Idrus’ dedication to causes that benefited Indonesian women was her push to improve education throughout the country. Her impact on the education system is marked by the opening of eight schools, the establishment of the Ani Idrus Education Foundation (YPAI), as well as her service as Chairperson of the Waspada Soccer School.

Commemorated with a stamp in 2004, Idrus’ life encapsulates her mission to improve the lives of Indonesians throughout the archipelago, especially those of women and children. It may be impossible to know just how many lives were positively affected by her tireless efforts in journalism, education, or politics, but her work stands as a monument to her principles.

Parveen Shakir’s 67th Birthday

Nov 24, 2019
“Give him a chance to come to grow a blossom in my heart, Let him come to wound my heart once more! Give scent a chance to alert in my unfilled entryways, Let him come to enrich my home. Around here, live many individuals he knows, Cannot he go under the affectation of meeting another person?”
–Parveen Shakir, “Let Him Come to Sprout a Flower in my Heart”


Today’s Doodle celebrates the pioneering Pakistani poet Parveen Shakir on her 67th birthday. The release of her first collection of poems titled Khushbu (Fragrance) won her the Adamjee Literary Award in 1976, and her distinguished contributions to Urdu poetry awarded her one of the highest civil prizes in Pakistan, the President’s Award for Pride of Performance in 1990.

An exceptionally accomplished student, Shakir was awarded a Master’s Degree in English Literature, Linguistics, Bank Management, a Ph.D. in Bank Administration, as well as a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard. Professionally, Shakir was a long-time university English teacher and later found herself working for the Civil Service, climbing the ranks to become the second secretary of the Federal Bureau of Revenue of Pakistan.

Throughout her decorated career, Shakir continued to publish notable books of her poetry, including Sad-barg (Marsh Marigold), Khud Kalami (Talking To Oneself), Inkaar (Denial), Kaf-e-Aina (The Mirror’s Edge), and Mah-e-Tamaam (Full Moon), as referenced to the Doodle art.

Writing from a young woman's perspective, Shakir broke the male-dominated mold of the time by being the first poet to use the Urdu word larki (girl) in her work, defying tradition by candidly expressing the female condition emotionally and realistically.

The Parveen Shakir Trust was organized in 1994. The trust holds the Parveen Shakir Urdu Literature Festival, which aims to foster the next generation of Urdu literary figures.

195th Anniversary of Las Piñas Bamboo Organ

November 24, 2019
Today’s Doodle celebrates the 195th anniversary of the Las Piñas Bamboo Organ, the oldest, largest, and only known bamboo pipe organ in existence. Constructed over 8 years with 1,031 pipes, 902 of which are made of native bamboo, the Bamboo Organ of St. Joseph Parish Church in Las Piñas, Manila, was completed in 1824 under the direction of Spanish missionary Fray Diego Cera de la Virgen del Carmel. The organ is still operational and has been playing daily for nearly 45 years since its reconstruction.

In the 1880s, natural disasters severely damaged the instrument, silencing it until a restoration project started in 1972. The organ was moved from Las Piñas to Bonn, Germany, where it underwent a full reconstruction, returning to the island in 1975. The homecoming celebrations morphed into the International Bamboo Organ Festival, held every February. On this day in 2003, the Bamboo Organ was named a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines.

The Bamboo Organ Foundation oversees the annual celebrations where some of the most famous organists from around the world have come to perform. In the 44 years since the return to Las Piñas, the organ and festival in its honor have become synonymous with Filipino cultural expression.

A monument to sustainable building and technological sophistication, the Bamboo Organ stands as a symbol of what’s possible when design draws from native resources, labor, and the ingenuity of its nation’s people.

321st Anniversary of the First Lighting of Eddystone Lighthouse

November 14, 2019
Situated near the mouth of the English channel, the Eddystone reef is among the world’s most hazardous stretches of water, infamously known for causing numerous shipwrecks over the years. Today’s Doodle celebrates the first lighting of Eddystone Lighthouse, the first lighthouse built on those infamous rocks on this day in 1698.

It was English merchant Henry Winstanley, who’d invested in ships that sunk at Eddystone, who accepted the daunting challenge of building a much-needed lighthouse essentially in the wide open sea, 14 miles from the coast of Plymouth.

Work began in 1696 but was delayed when a French vessel arrived and took Winstanley prisoner. Although England and France were at war, the French king Louis XIV released Winstanley, saying that “France was at war with England, not with humanity." It was clear that the importance of the lighthouse transcended international conflicts.

Rising some 80 feet above the rock, the Eddystone Lighthouse was surmounted by a weather vane and domed cupola containing 60 candles and a “great hanging lamp” to warn navigators to steer clear of danger. Requiring extensive repairs after withstanding its first punishing North Atlantic winter, the lighthouse was substantially redesigned before its official completion in 1699.

Although Winstanley believed that the lighthouse could withstand "the greatest storm that ever was," it was destroyed during the historic Great Storm of 1703. Nevertheless, Winstanley had proved it was not just necessary but also possible and vitally important to build a lighthouse on this treacherous site, despite the extreme difficulties and dangers. A series of lighthouses have been erected in the same place since then, all of them safeguarding the lives of maritime travelers for more than three centuries.

Doodle for Google 2019 - India Winner

November 14, 2019
The winner of the 2019 Doodle for Google competition in India is seven-year-old, 2nd grader Divyanshi Singhal from Gurgaon, India! Divyanshi doodles her hope to have “Walking Trees” in the future, to protect the next generations from Deforestation. ​

This year’s contest received submissions from over 1.1 lakh children from classes 1 to 10 across the country, responding to the theme ‘When I grow up, I hope ...’ It was heartening to see so many fresh, creative depictions for a better world—from cleaning up the ocean, to flying solo using technology, to simply dreaming about a world without boundaries.

After three months, and with participation from over 50 cities across India, we are thrilled to announce this year’s National winner of our Doodle for Google contest: seven-year-old Divyanshi Singhal from Gurgaon, with her imaginative, thoughtful, and inspiring Doodle titled "The Walking Tree." Divyanshi’s Doodle will be featured on the Google India homepage on November 14th as part of our celebration of Children’s Day.



Divyanshi's Doodle titled "The Walking Tree"

Hailing frrom DPS, Gurgaon, Divyanshi expressed her dismay of trees being cut down. She says, “When I grow up, I hope the world’s trees can walk or fly. The land could be cleared so easily without making them die. There would be so little deforestation and humans can just ask the trees and their friends to move to another place.”

When asked how she came up with this delightful idea, she explained, “When I visited my grandmother, I was so sad to see the trees around her house being cut. So I thought that if trees could walk or fly, we will not have to cut them."

This year’s Doodle for Google jury included creative masterminds such as Rajiv Chilaka (creator of Chhota Bheem & CEO of Green Gold Animation), Prajakta Koli (India’s leading female YouTube Creator), Neha Sharma (famous artist and creator of Neha Doodles), and the Google Doodle team. Together, they had a mammoth task at hand; first, to shortlist from the submissions received, then to choose the 20 finalists from across the nation—with every piece of art as compelling as the other. All entries were evaluated on the criteria of artistic merit, creativity and theme communication, as well as the uniqueness and novelty in the approach.

The 20 finalist Doodles were then showcased online for public voting. The submissions for this year’s theme were incredibly creative across all class groups. In addition to the national winner, 5 group winners were also selected. Over 6 lac public votes helped us determine the following group winners for the 5 class groups:



Class group 1-2:

G.S.S. Sharvan, Sri Prakash Vidya Niketan, Visakhapatnam

Doodle Title: Ocean Friendly

“When I grow up, I hope to live in a world where the underwater sea animals become free from plastic waste. I would like to clear the underwater using a machine to help sea animals and plants.”



Class Group 3-4:

Bhaswati Bishoi, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Bhubneswar

Doodle Title: From moon to moon!

“My parents gave me the nickname “Moonmoon”, telling me go moon to moon. When I grow up, I hope to fulfill my parent’s dream, and to participate in the space voyage to discover the undiscovered.”



Class Group 5-6:

Ankit Bhattacharya, Delhi Public School, Kolkata

Doodle Title: Learning with Fun

"Grades place students in predefined categories like A, B, C which compel them to run after marks rather than to acquire real knowledge. So when I grow up, I hope there is no fear of exams. Learning is more fun and students expand their horizons, improve creativity and skill without any stress."



Class Group 7-8:

Pyla Vijay Kumar, Sri Prakash Vidyaniketan, Visakhapatnam

Doodle Title: Khadi, an evergreen Indian pride

“When I grow up, I hope to spread the significance and genuinity of KHADI material in order to increase its production and utilisation, thereby restoring the Indian

Veterans Day 2019

November 11, 2019
Today’s Doodle, painted by Massachusetts-based veteran and guest artist Pete Damon, celebrates Veterans Day in the United States. One of the country’s 10 federal holidays, this day specifically honors members of the nation’s armed forces.

Below, Pete shares his story and thinking behind the Doodle:

As a severely injured Iraq War veteran, the celebration of all those who serve is of paramount importance to me. In 2003, I lost parts of both arms while serving in-theater as a helicopter mechanic. I would not be alive today were it not for my fellow service members who sprang into action to save my life.

I started painting as a form of therapy, which led me to pursue a career in art. I've been painting scenes of children planting flags for some time now. As a young Cub Scout, my son's troop would often be recruited to plant flags to honor veterans. My wife and I would often tag along. I found the scene of those children honoring veterans to be very moving and profound. I would ask my wife Jenn to take photos for possible future paintings.

I've witnessed children taking part in similar displays of patriotism on Veterans Day when large fields, usually in public spaces, are filled with a sea of little flags. I thought it would make for the perfect painting subject. I asked permission from a friend and fellow veteran, Hillary Moll, who captured these scenes in photographs to use some of them as a reference.

Those photographs provided me with the perfect inspiration for this Doodle. When I was approached about the project, I was extremely honored and more than a little apprehensive. I was not sure I was up to the task, but was willing to give it my best.

I named this piece “Paying Tribute,” showing two children, one wearing camouflage and the other with a sailor’s cap and navy blue shirt, setting up a Veterans Day flag display. It is meant to honor all of those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

With this piece, I hope people will realize and appreciate the personal sacrifice that all who serve in the military endure securing the liberty of all Americans. I particularly hope that people will recognize the importance of teaching children to honor their service.