Google celebrates its 27th birthday with a nostalgic doodle: Here’s a brief look at search engine’s journey so far

Google

Google celebrated its 27th birthday on September 27, 2025, with a doodle that revived its original 1998 wordmark. The anniversary highlighted the company’s transformation from a small research project in a Stanford garage to a technology giant that influences how billions access information every day.

Why September 27?

Although Google was legally incorporated on September 4, 1998, its birthday has been observed on September 27 since the mid-2000s. The date was chosen to commemorate the day when Google marked a major milestone in the size of its search index, symbolizing its rapid growth as a search engine. Since then, the company has consistently tied its celebrations and homepage doodles to this day.

The 2025 doodle

This year’s doodle featured a throwback design showcasing the 1998 logo and a short note thanking users for their support over nearly three decades. The choice reflected both nostalgia and continuity, connecting users to Google’s early identity while underlining its ongoing mission to evolve with new technologies, including artificial intelligence and advanced search tools.

Origins and expansion

Google was started by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were doctoral students at Stanford. Initially called “BackRub,” the project was built on the PageRank algorithm, which ranked web pages based on links. Its efficiency and speed helped the company gain recognition, and by 1998, the search engine was officially launched. In 2015, Google underwent a restructuring that placed it under Alphabet Inc., allowing it to manage a broad portfolio of businesses ranging from autonomous vehicles through Waymo to health research through Verily. Sundar Pichai took over as chief executive of both Google and Alphabet.

Key product milestones

Beyond search, Google has introduced services that have become everyday tools worldwide. Notable launches include Google News in 2002, Gmail in 2004, Google Maps in 2005, and the Chrome browser in 2008. Together with YouTube and Android, these products created a wide digital ecosystem. Today, Google continues to build on this foundation through Pixel smartphones, cloud computing platforms, smart home devices, and its Gemini AI model.

The evolution of doodles

Doodles have been a part of Google’s identity since 1998, when the founders tweaked the logo to indicate their attendance at the Burning Man festival. What started as a playful experiment has evolved into interactive artworks and games marking cultural events, anniversaries, and important historical figures. Birthday doodles, in particular, serve as a tradition for the company to celebrate progress while engaging users directly.

Looking forward

Google’s stated mission has been to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. As it marks its 27th year, the company stands at a point where artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and new digital infrastructures will shape its future. The 2025 birthday doodle, with its vintage wordmark, offered a reminder of Google’s beginnings while pointing to the scale of its ambitions in the years ahead.