Google's iconic logo gets a creative makeover through Google Doodles — tribute artwork honoring people, events, and cultural moments. Here's a ranked list of 12 standout favorites.
The most popular search engine in the world, Google has one of the most recognizable logos in existence. Occasionally, they change the logo to honor an event, famous person, or cultural icon. They call these Google Doodles.
Sometimes the change is purely artistic, weaving the letters of Google into a drawing. Other times it links to a video or an interactive game.
The very first Google Doodle was created by founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin on August 30, 1998 — the Burning Man festival logo, a stick figure man, placed in the second "O" as an out-of-office message.
Since then, Google has become even more creative. Here is a ranked list of some of the most memorable Doodles that have appeared over the years.
12. Dr. James Naismith — January 15, 2021
130 years after James Naismith invented basketball, Google introduced this Doodle titled Celebrating Dr. James Naismith, on the same day he released the official rules to the world.
Naismith was the first head basketball coach at the University of Kansas — and the only coach there with a losing record. But he did invent the game, so we'll let that slide.
11. Celebrating 50 Years of Kids Coding — December 4, 2017
The interactive Google Doodles are always the most fun.
This one celebrates fifty years of kids learning to code through an interactive game involving rabbits and carrots, where users apply basic programming logic to solve puzzles.
10. Teacher Appreciation Week — May 6, 2024
Google makes a Google Doodle for Teacher Appreciation Week almost every year. This particular edition was charming for its nod to classic classroom culture — evoking the spirit of old poems teachers of a certain era will recognize instantly.
9. Magic Cat Academy Halloween — October 31, 2016
The interactive Google Doodle always ends up being the most popular. The Magic Cat Academy Halloween Doodles have been so beloved that Google brought them back two more times after 2016.
In the Doodle, a magic cat named Momo casts spells based on swiping or drawing matching symbols.
8. Berlin Wall — November 9, 2019
Google provided this Doodle on the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. So much has changed in Europe and the world since that extraordinary weekend in 1989.
7. Baseball — July 4, 2019
This Fourth of July Google Doodle featured an addictive batting practice baseball game — one of their more popular interactive experiences.
6. Dr. Maya Angelou — April 4, 2018
Google made this Doodle on what would have been her 90th birthday. She died at the age of 86 in 2014. Play the Doodle and you'll hear a recording of her reading her famous poem, "Still I Rise."
As she once wrote:
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
5. Louis Braille's 107th Birthday — January 4, 2006
This Doodle was remarkable for its simplicity — Google spelled out their entire name in Braille. A quietly powerful tribute to accessibility and the millions who rely on it every day.
4. Doodle Champion Island Games — July 23, 2021
To celebrate the Tokyo Olympic Games, Google released the Champion Island Games Doodle — one of their most popular ever.
Players can explore a full island world while competing in sports including skateboarding, climbing, and rugby.
3. Rubik's Cube — May 19, 2014
Although the Rubik's Cube became an 80s phenomenon, it was invented by the Hungarian Ernő Rubik back in 1974. Google honored the 40th anniversary with an interactive virtual 3D cube that users could actually rotate and solve in-browser.
2. Les Paul Birthday — June 9, 2011
To celebrate what would have been the famous guitar maker's 96th birthday, Google built an interactive guitar in the shape of the letters G-O-O-G-L-E. Users could pluck the strings, record a melody, and play it back. A genuinely delightful piece of interactive design.
1. Pac-Man — May 21, 2010
The Pac-Man Doodle is, by far, the most clicked Doodle in Google history. Built to honor the 30th anniversary of the legendary arcade game, the Doodle let users play a fully functional version of Pac-Man directly on the Google homepage.
It remains the gold standard of what a Google Doodle can be.
Those are just a handful of the thousands of Google Doodles that the company has created. They even make different Doodles for different regions and countries around the world.
What are your favorite Google Doodles?