Google Doodles

Google is the go-to search engine for computer users who want a fast-loading, simple search page with reliable results. Google is also known for their sense of fun, as evidenced by their popular Google Doodles.

On occasions like holidays, important birthdays, big events like the Olympics, significant anniversaries and more, Google changes its logo into a Google Doodle reflecting the event being celebrated. Here is a look at the top five Google Doodles.

Google fans noticed something strange on the screen of their favourite search engine in August of 1998. Their familiar Google logo had an odd-looking stick figure lurking behind the "Os." This was the first Google Doodle, created on a whim by Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin in order to commemorate their attendance of the Burning Man festival. The stylized stick figure is the mascot and centrepiece of the bohemian arts festival held yearly in Black Rock Desert, Nevada. The doodle became a hit and it just went on from there.

This simple enough Google Doodle was actually groundbreaking. Sure, the O's were replaced by Jack O' Lanterns, but there is additional historical significance. The October 31st, 1999 Google Doodle marked the first use of Google's new logo font, which dropped the blocky feeling old font for a thinner, more calligraphic typeface based on Catull BQ font. They also dropped the exclamation point at this time.

More big changes on All Hollow's Eve for Google! After 10 years of interesting but static Doodles, Google released its first interactive, animated Google Doodle. The simple logo featured a piece of Halloween candy for the "E." When users clicked on it, the entire logo became fashioned from candy, following by a huge pile of candy, the logo indecipherable, in subsequent clicks.

Google Doodles moved to being fully interactive on many occasions after Halloween of 2009 and this was one of the most popular. To celebrate the popular arcade game's 30th anniversary, the Google logo was fashioned into a Pac Man maze. Users just looking for a search were surprised to find the logo was a fully interactive Pac Man game! The playable logo proved so popular that Google made it permanent at google.com/pacman, another first.

To celebrate the 96th birthday of guitar innovator Les Paul, Google unveiled an interactive guitar logo. Users could strum the guitar strings with a mouse or keyboard and even save their rock masterpieces for others to hear. Just like the Pac Man Doodle, the Les Paul guitar logo was very popular and was saved for Google fans to use in the future.