Google Turns 27: A Retro Doodle and the Journey of a Tech Giant
Google celebrated its 27th birthday on September 27, 2025, with a nostalgic Doodle that brought back the company’s very first logo from 1998. The retro design—complete with the vintage Catull BQ font and exclamation mark—appeared on devices in more than 20 countries, offering users a reminder of the company’s humble beginnings in a Menlo Park garage.
Although Google was officially incorporated on September 4, 1998, the company now celebrates its birthday on September 27. The chosen date has shifted in the past, but since 2006 it has remained fixed, symbolizing not just incorporation but the milestones that defined Google’s rise as the internet’s most influential search engine.
The Doodle also highlights how far the company has come. From processing half a million daily queries in its early years, Google now handles more than 70% of the world’s online searches. Its reach extends beyond search—into Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, Android, Pixel devices, and cutting-edge artificial intelligence through its Gemini platform.
Founded by Stanford PhD students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google’s mission was simple yet ambitious: “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” Backed by an early $100,000 check from Sun Microsystems co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim, the startup quickly grew into a global powerhouse. By 2004, Google was handling 200 million searches daily—a figure that has since multiplied many times over.
Doodles, too, have evolved. What began as playful illustrations marking special occasions has transformed into interactive games and cultural tributes. This year’s throwback logo serves as a bridge between past and future, reminding users that every innovation builds on its roots.
Under the leadership of CEO Sundar Pichai, Google and its parent company Alphabet continue to push boundaries in cloud computing, hardware, AI, and even quantum research. Yet the birthday celebration underscores the same message Page and Brin envisioned 27 years ago: progress is about making information—and innovation—accessible to all.
