Google is commemorating its 27th anniversary with a nostalgic Doodle featuring its initial logo from 1998. This special design nods to Google’s modest beginnings as a research project in a garage and serves as a testament to its monumental growth over the years.
Founded in 1998, Google’s mission has consistently been to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. The anniversary Doodle not only celebrates the company’s historical journey but also encourages exploration of its latest technological advancements, particularly its innovations in artificial intelligence.
The inception of Google traces back to 1995 at Stanford University, where Larry Page and Sergey Brin first met. Despite initial disagreements on various topics, the two quickly formed a partnership. They developed a search engine named Backrub, which evaluated the significance of web pages by analyzing their links. In 1997, Backrub was rebranded as Google, a name inspired by the mathematical term “googol,” symbolizing their ambition to manage an immense amount of information.
Google’s potential was soon recognized by both the academic community and Silicon Valley investors. In August 1998, with substantial backing from Sun Microsystems co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim, Google Inc. was officially launched. The team relocated to a Menlo Park garage owned by Susan Wojcicki, who later became YouTube’s CEO. Early office culture mixed innovation with unconventional setups, featuring a server constructed from Lego and a playful first Google Doodle marking their trip to the Burning Man Festival. Google’s early motto, “Don’t be evil,” highlighted its unique culture.
As the company expanded, it welcomed new engineers and sales team members. It even adopted its first “office dog,” Yoshka, and outgrew its garage operations, eventually moving to the sprawling Googleplex in Mountain View, California.
Today, Google has a vast suite of products, such as Gmail, YouTube, Android, and Google Search, serving billions across the globe. Despite its evolution from a cramped dorm room to a major tech giant, Google’s commitment to developing accessible technology remains steadfast.
Google’s celebration of its 27th birthday through this Doodle not only reflects on its rich history but also emphasizes the company’s ongoing dedication to innovation and technological advancement.