Google is famous for its Doodle illustrations that transform Google's homepage into something different in order to celebrate important anniversaries, events, or birthdays. Thankfully Google has an archive full of all its past Google Doodles, so we combed through them to find our favourites. From honouring the first man and woman to adventure into space to creating an interactive Les Paul Google logo that lets you record your own song, we've collected the 13 best Google Doodles we've seen so far.
2014 Olympic Games in Sochi
Google stood up against Russia's anti-gay laws the night before the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi with this Doodle that quoted the Olympic Charter and highlighted why the right to practice sports is a human right.
Playable Pac-Man
To celebrate Pac-Man's 30th anniversary, Google created its first playable Doodle that let you play the classic arcade game right from your browser. You can still play the Pac-Man Doodle by clicking here.
50th Anniversary of the First Man in Space
Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first person to venture into space back in 1961. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of his journey into orbit aboard the Vostok spacecraft, Google created this beautiful and vintage Doodle with a hidden animated space shuttle.
John Lennon's 70th birthday
To mark what would have been musician John Lennon's 70th birthday, the Google Doodle team created this beautiful animation — its very first — to honor the Beatles co-founder.
The Royal Wedding
Google created a Doodle that looks like it could be an illustration from a fairy tale to celebrate the royal wedding between Prince William and Catherine Middleton. While the Google logo is usually easily visible, this Doodle obscured the logo between picturesque castles, buildings, and bridges in London — with a horse-drawn carriage carrying the royal couple at the center.
Gideon Sundback's 132nd Birthday
Gideon Sundback helped invent the zipper, so the Google Doodle team decided to let you "unzip" the Google homepage on his 132nd birthday to reveal the search results for the man himself.
150th Anniversary of the Tube
When the London Underground, otherwise known as "the Tube," turned 150, Google whipped up this genius Doodle that incorporated the Underground's extensive network of train tracks into the Google logo.
Amelia Earhart's 115th Birthday
Google created this gorgeous illustration of Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and a fierce supporter of equal rights. This inspiring Doodle perfectly captures the adventurous spirit of Earhart and was published on what would have been her 115th birthday.
Alessandro Volta’s 270th Birthday
Alessandro Volta was the man who invented the first electrical battery, so Google created a fitting animated Doodle to celebrate the 270th birthday of the 18th century Italian physicist and chemist.
MC Escher's 105th Birthday
Google kept things simple with its Doodle dedicated to renown artist M.C. Escher, known for his drawings that featured impossible geometry. The Google team paid tribute to the Dutch artist with a self-drawing Google log, based on Escher's famous 1948 sketch "Drawing Hands."
