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Google Turns 13: A History of Google's Birthday Doodles

 

 

Happy birthday, Google. Today, the search engine turns 13. In keeping with tradition, Google has posted a birthday Doodle. This year’s logo is a throwback to the early 2000s, when Google’s logo emulated Yahoo in adding an exclamation point.

The exact date of Google’s birthday has changed and been debated a bit through the years. Google filed for incorporation on September 4, 1998, was established three days later on September 7, and the Google.com domain was registered September 15. All have been considered Google’s “birthday” at one point, but Google has officially chosen September 27 as their day.

Search Engine Watch has covered Google since Day 1 – whatever day you choose that to be. Search Engine Watch provided one of the earliest reviews of Google in August 1998, at which time then Ph.D. student and future Google CEO Larry Page said his goal was to "build a service where the priority is on giving users great results."

As for Doodles, the special logos have been around since Aug. 30, 1998. The first Doodle was created when Page and Sergey Brin attended the Burning Man festival. The first Google Doodle celebrating their birthday appeared on Sept. 27, 2002, for their fourth birthday.

Here’s a look back at Google birthday Doodles through the years:

 

Sept. 27, 2010

                                  

Sept. 27, 2009

                                   

Sept. 27, 2008

                                    

Sept. 27, 2007

                                              

Sept. 27, 2006

                                            

Sept. 27, 2005

                                              

Sept. 27, 2004

                                               

Sept. 27, 2003

                                                

Sept. 27, 2002