Ever since New Year’s Day 2000, Google has made itself known for altering its logo in remembrance of a holiday, anniversary, or other special day. In this gallery, we take a look at 30 of the most memorable, geeky Google Doodles from 2009 and 2010 so far.
In what is possibly the most popular Google Doogle ever, Google created a fully functioning PAC-MAN game to replace its logo on May 21, 2010 in celebration of PAC-MAN’s 30th anniversary. While the image above is not functioning, Google has left a working version here. Simply click “Insert Coin” and you’re on your way.
Image credit: Google
Nearly a year before the PAC-MAN celebration, we also celebrated another major gaming milestone: June 6, 2009 was the 25th anniversary of Tetris. Unfortunately for us, this is not a working Tetris game.
Image credit: Google
On August 25, 2009, Google celebrated the 400th anniversary of the first telescope, created by Galileo, with this Doodle. This telescope ushered in a whole new era of space observation and eventually exploration of local space.
Image credit: Google
During the 1950s and 1960s, the USSR frequently used dogs and other animals to test whether human spaceflight would be possible. On August 19, 2010, Google Doodled Belka and Strelka — the first dogs to successfully orbit the Earth and then return safely — on the 50th anniversary of the feat.
Image credit: Google
On October 9, 2009, NASA crashed the LCROSS craft into the moon’s south pole to search for water and other materials essential for human habitation. About a month later, the reports were out: NASA found water! Of course, Google beat me to the punch and released this Doodle on November 13, 2009.
Image credit: Google
In 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched into orbit, ushering in an era that has lasted more than 20 years. On April 24, 2010, Google honored that 20-year milestone with this Doodle.
Image credit: Google
The Japanese asteroid explorer Hayabusa returned to Earth on June 13, 2010 after successfully rendezvousing with an asteroid (Itokawa), running tests, and taking samples.
Image credit: Google
40 years after the Apollo 11 moon landing, Google remembered the anniversary with this Doodle on July 20, 2009.
Image credit: Google
Occurring every year in late July and early August is the Perseid Meteor Shower, which is caused by the Swift-Tuttle comet. Google marked the event with this Doodle on August 12, 2009.
Image credit: Google
On June 11, 2010, Jacques Cousteau would have celebrated his 100th birthday. Instead, Google celebrated it for him with this Doodle.
Image credit: Google
Charles Darwin was 100 years older than Jacques Cousteau. Google celebrated Darwin’s birthday on February 12, 2009 with this Doodle.
Image credit: Google
During the presentation of the study team’s findings, Google Doodled this fossil of Darwinius masillae, which was originally found in 1983, but it took some time to study and categorize. The Doodle ran on May 20, 2009.
Image credit: Google
On July 10, 2009, Google celebrated Nikola Tesla’s 153rd birthday with this Doodle. Tesla is most famous for his work with electricity, but he worked in several other areas of science as well. For more information, take a look at our Nikola Tesla patent gallery.
Image credit: Google
In the late 1800s, Alexander Popov was continuing the work of earlier scientists on the transmission and reception of radio waves. On May 7, 1895, he demonstrated his first radio receiver, which Google celebrated with this Doodle on May 7, 2009.
Image credit: Google
Buckminsterfullerene, named for Buckminster Fuller whose geodesic domes the molecule represents, was discovered in 1985. Google celebrated this anniversary with this Doodle on September 4, 2010.
Image credit: Google
Another animated Google Doodle, this one celebrates Sir Isaac Newton’s 367th birthday (he doesn’t look a day over 200) on January 4, 2010. To see the animation, click here and scroll to the second from the bottom. Click the image to make an apple fall.
Image credit: Google
In an inventive Doodle, Google celebrated Samuel Morse’s birthday using his Morse Code to spell out the company’s name. This Doodle was on Google on April 27, 2009.
Image credit: Google
As Google pointed out in this Doodle, typing “date +%s” into a Unix shell at a specific second on this February 14, 2009 would return “0123456789” seconds since the Unix Epoch (January 1, 1970).
Image credit: Google
To celebrate the 100th birthday of the inventor of the first Turing-complete computer, Google Doodled this image to remember Konrad Zuse on June 22, 2010.
Image credit: Google
On June 5, 2010, Google Doodled this logo to celebrate the 100th birthday of Dennis Gabor, the inventor of holography.
Image credit: Google
On October 7, 1952 a patent was filed for a “Classifying Method and Apparatus” that would later be termed the Barcode. Google Doodled this barcode, which reads “Google” in the Code 123B symbology on October 7, 2009.
Image credit: Google
Google attempted to fool us with this one, stating that April 1st, 2009 was the 200th anniversary of Gogol. Google enjoys messing with visitors’ minds on April Fool’s Day each year.
Image credit: Google
Opening a series of three alien-related Doodles, this one shows aliens abducting the second o in the Google logo. No one really figured out why these were posted, but Google has begun to post weird Doodles during the month of September, perhaps to celebrate their birthday at the end of the month.
Image credit: Google
Aliens have abducted the L in this Google Doodle posted on September 15, 2009.
Image credit: Google
Ending a stream of three alien-related Doodles in September 2009, Google used this one to remember the birthday of famous author H.G. Wells.
Image credit: Google
Author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley‘s 213th birthday would have been on August 30, 2010, which Google remembered with this Doodle.
Image credit: Google
Who doesn’t love Dr. Seuss? Google definitely loves him based on this Doodle, which appeared on March 2, 2009 to celebrate his 105th birthday.
Image credit: Google
Google spent a week from November 4 – 10, 2009 remembering Sesame Street‘s 40th anniversary. Their string of logos (some country-specific) culminated in this Doodle.
Image credit: Google
To celebrate Comic-Con 2009, Google Doodled this logo on July 23 with help from DC Comics staff Jim Lee (design/pencil), Scott Williams (ink), and Alex Sinclair (color).
Image credit: Google
