GooG DooD

Monday, January 29, 2018

Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2018

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.”

-Martin Luther King Jr.

Today [ 15.01.2018 ] we celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., Baptist minister, Nobel Laureate, and civil rights activist who dedicated his life working tirelessly for peace, social justice, and opportunity for all Americans - irrespective of color or creed.

On November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a federal holiday to honor Dr. King. It was federally observed for the first time on January 20, 1986, and over 30 years later, the day is traditionally celebrated as a day of service, with people volunteering time and talent to help others, thus paying homage to Dr. King’s legacy.

Today’s [ 15.01.2018 ] Doodle by guest artist Cannaday Chapman was also developed in collaboration with the Black Googlers Network (BGN), one of the largest employee resource groups at Google. The image depicts a young girl perched on her father’s shoulders, enthralled by the power and eloquence of Dr. King’s words. The scene is evocative of Dr. King’s dream for children everywhere to one day live in a better world.

Cannaday shares his thoughts on today’s [ 15.01.2018 ] Doodle below:

Q: What does MLK and MLK day mean to you personally?

A: Martin Luther King Jr.'s message is especially relevant today and will be relevant for the remainder of civilization. Dr. King is most remembered for fighting for the rights of African Americans, but he fought for the rights of all Americans. He believed in fairness and equity for everyone. As a black man, I wouldn't be able to do what I'm doing today if it wasn't for him and the brave people of the civil rights movement.

Q: What were your first thoughts when you were approached for this project?

A: I felt very honored to have the opportunity to pay tribute to one of America's bravest leaders. I was pretty busy when I was approached for this assignment, but it's Google and Martin Luther King Jr. That's an opportunity I couldn't pass up.

Q: Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle?

A: I was inspired by people. It may appear that this movement or any civil rights movement was brought about by one person, but it's the people that have the power to bring change. I wanted to make an image about those people.

Q: What message would you like for people to get after seeing the Doodle?

A: I would like people to reflect on this moment in history. I would like people to remember that current events and our actions today will shape the future generations of tomorrow. What kind of example do we want to set for our children and our children's children?

Today, [ 15.01.2018 ] Dr. King’s dream continues to inspire people of all ages, races, and nationalities to stand united against injustice and never abandon hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

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-Early Draft of the Doodle _ 1 _ by guest artist Cannaday Chapman-
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-Early Draft of the Doodle _ 2 _ by guest artist Cannaday Chapman-
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Teachers' Day (Venezuela) 2018

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Mahasweta Devi’s 92nd Birthday

On this [ 14.01.2018 ] day in 1926, legendary author Mahasweta Devi was born in Decca (modern-day Dhaka in Bangladesh). In a literary career spanning six decades, Devi authored over 100 novels and 20 short story collections, becoming one of India’s foremost authors and social activists.

Devi heavily leveraged personal stories and narratives, and wrote using a unique mix of Bengali and tribal dialects. Her style – pragmatic, humorous, witty, and direct – brought to life her deep empathy for her fellow countrymen, immortalizing the lives of the tribal communities of India into an anthology of works that are as much social documentaries as they are literary masterpieces.

Published in 1974, Hajar Churashir Maa (‘Mother of 1084’) is an example of her powerful work, depicting the courageous struggle of a mother who loses her son in the Naxalite uprising of the 1970s and symbolizing the price of political rebellion and subsequent repression.

Devi was the recipient of two of India’s highest civilian awards: the Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan for her social work. For her contributions to the world of literature, she was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award (Bengali), Jnanpith Award, and Ramon Magsaysay Award - among many others.

Today’s [ 14.01.2018 ] Doodle by Mumbai-based illustrator Onkar Fondekar pays homage to the stories narrated by Mahasweta Devi and the lives that her work impacted in such a profound manner.

Happy birthday, Mahasweta Devi!

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14.01.2018-Sunday-ஞாயிறு-Early Draft of the Doodle _ 1 _ by Mumbai-based illustrator Onkar Fondekar-Mahasweta Devi’s 92nd Birthday-JPEG

14.01.2018-Sunday-ஞாயிறு-Early Draft of the Doodle _ 2 _ by Mumbai-based illustrator Onkar Fondekar-Mahasweta Devi’s 92nd Birthday-JPEG

14.01.2018-Sunday-ஞாயிறு-Early Draft of the Doodle _ 3 _ by Mumbai-based illustrator Onkar Fondekar-Mahasweta Devi’s 92nd Birthday-JPEG

14.01.2018-Sunday-ஞாயிறு-Early Draft of the Doodle _ 4 _ by Mumbai-based illustrator Onkar Fondekar-Mahasweta Devi’s 92nd Birthday-JPEG

5th African Nations Championship

Can you feel the excitement in the air?

Once again, the African Nations Championship is upon us!

Today [ 13.01.2018 ] we’re celebrating the start of the 5th African Nations Championship, a football tournament drawing in teams from across Africa to compete for the coveted title. The first tournament was held in Ivory Coast in 2009, designed to showcase the football talent amongst the best African national teams. The Confederation of African Football organizes the competition every two years and only allows footballers playing for their country’s domestic team to participate. As a result, the best African talent will be on display - you won’t want to miss it!

All the action is taking place in Morocco as the first games of the 2018 tournament kick off today. Sixteen teams will descend upon various stadiums across Morocco, but only one will be crowned the champion, during the final game on February 4, played in Casablanca.

Today’s [ 13.01.2018 ] Doodle features players wearing each of the flags of the countries represented. They’re practicing their skills, just like each of the African Nations have done all year.

Good luck to all the players (and fans!) across Africa!

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An alternate version of the players holding traditional African shields by the artist
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Children's Day (Thailand) 2018

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Zhou Youguang’s 112th Birthday

The O’s in today’s Doodle flip from Pinyin (Gǔgē) to Chinese characters (谷歌). Were it not for celebrated linguist Zhou Youguang, this phonetic translation would never have come to life, and the world would still be referring to ‘Beijing’ as ‘Peking,’ and to ‘Chongqing’ as ‘Chungking.’

Popularly dubbed ‘the Father of Pinyin,’ Youguang spent three years developing the system of ‘spelled sounds’ that is now the international standard for Romanized Chinese. The new system transformed China’s literacy rate, providing more natural passage into the written language, which requires mastering thousands of characters. It bridged multiple Chinese dialects with its shared designations of sound. Today, schoolchildren learn Pinyin before characters, and it is often used to input characters on smartphones and computers.

Pursuing his love of language throughout his life, Youguang authored more than 40 books and translated the Encyclopedia Britannica into Chinese. Born on this day as Zhou Yaoping, this storied linguist later adopted the pen name ‘Yougang’ because he wanted to ‘bring light’ to the world. Today, we celebrate what would’ve been Yougang’s 112th birthday with a special place in the spotlight.

Doodle by Cynthia Yuan Cheng