The world’s most used search engine, Google has turned 28 today. A special, retro-themed Google Doodle has officially taken over the search page to celebrate the technology giant’s birthday. By reviving the company’s first-ever 1998-era logo, the nostalgic homepage tribute honors nearly three decades of digital innovation. The vintage design serves as a playful reminder of how far the search engine has come since its humble beginnings. The Doodle also features a birthday trivia quiz on the Google Doodles page, inviting users to test their knowledge of Google’s history.
Over 28 years, Google has expanded well beyond its original search engine, with products and services including Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, Android and Pixel phones. Google was officially incorporated on September 4, 1998, by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who were then PhD students at Stanford University. However, the company marks September 27 as its official birthday.
According to information shared by Google, the company’s formal beginnings can be traced to August 1998, when Sun Microsystems co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim wrote a 100,000 US Dollars cheque to Page and Brin. Google subsequently became incorporated in September that year.
The choice of September 27 as Google’s birthday has varied over the years. The company initially celebrated its birthday on different dates in September but 27th became the consistent date from 2006, while the first birthday-themed Google Doodle appeared on September 27, 2002.
