Mountain View, California – September 27, 2023
Google, the ubiquitous search engine that has become an integral part of our digital lives, marked its 25th birthday today with a special Google Doodle. The tech giant celebrated its journey from a humble startup to one of the most influential companies in the world by taking a nostalgic “walk down memory lane.”
The commemorative Google Doodle for its 25th birthday features a playful GIF that transforms the familiar ‘Google’ logo into ‘G25gle,’ creatively denoting a quarter-century of its existence. When users click on the logo, colorful confetti rains down on the search page, adding to the festive atmosphere.
In a blog post, Google expressed its gratitude to its global user base, stating, “Today’s Doodle celebrates Google’s 25th year. And while here at Google we’re oriented towards the future, birthdays can also be a time to reflect. Let’s take a walk down memory lane to learn how we were born 25 years ago.”
The company’s mission, “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful,” has remained unwavering since its inception. Google thanked its users for evolving alongside them over the past 25 years and expressed excitement about the future.
Google’s History: From Dorm Room to Global Dominance
Google’s journey began in 1998 when doctoral students Sergey Brin and Larry Page, studying in Stanford University’s computer science program, founded the company. Their shared vision was to enhance the accessibility of the World Wide Web, and on September 27, 1998, Google Inc. was officially established.
Initially, Google celebrated its birthday on September 4th for the first seven years, but it later shifted the date to coincide with the announcement of the record number of web pages indexed by the search engine.
Sundar Pichai, the current CEO of Google, succeeded Larry Page on October 24, 2015. Page transitioned to the same position at Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, on December 3, 2019. Pichai subsequently became the CEO of Alphabet as well, overseeing the conglomerate’s diverse ventures.
The Evolution of Google Doodles
The tradition of Google Doodles, imaginative alterations of the Google logo to commemorate special occasions, dates back to 1998, a month before Google’s official founding. The inaugural doodle paid homage to the “Burning Man” event in Black Rock City, Nevada.
Sundar Pichai Reflects on 25 Years of Innovation
Last month, Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO, penned a blog post reflecting on the company’s 25th anniversary. He highlighted Google’s achievements and expressed gratitude to its users, employees, and partners who have contributed to its success.
Pichai noted, “An essential truth of innovation is that the moment you push the boundary of a technology, it soon goes from extraordinary to ordinary. That’s why Google has never taken our success for granted.” He also emphasized the continued importance of search to Google’s mission and acknowledged the company’s expanding product portfolio, which now serves billions of users and businesses worldwide.
As Google enters its next quarter-century, it does so with a rich history of innovation, a global user base, and a commitment to shaping the future of technology and information accessibility. Happy 25th birthday, Google!
