Why Is Google So Confused About Its Own Birthday?
Today is Google’s 23rd birthday. Well, maybe it’s today, maybe it’s not – I’m not sure. Even Google doesn’t know the correct answer to this question.
The month of September marks the birthday of the internet giant Google. In 1998, Google turned from a research project at Stanford to a search engine that went on to become a business worth billions. But, there’s a little confusion about Google’s birthday. In the past, Google itself has celebrated this historic day on various dates like September 7th, 8th, 4th, and 27th.
The company has a significant presence in our lives in the form of Search, Android, YouTube, Maps, and a lot more which is sometimes feels worrisome too.
There are rumors that Larry Page and Sergey Brin filed for Google’s incorporation on September 4th, 1998 and it was incorporated three days later. It’s also reported that Google’s domain name was registered on September 15.
On its website, Google writes:
“When’s Google’s birthday?
I’m not sure even we know.”
The company adds, “Still, while there’re some differing opinions about when to bust out the candles and cake, one fun fact is that our first doodle was posted even before Google was officially incorporated (August 30th, 1998 vs. September 4th, 1998). With a company that’s got fun as deeply embedded in its DNA as Google, it seems fitting that any function would be a real bash, if you will.”
However, now, Google officially celebrates its birthday with a Google Doodle on September 27. It is said that Google changed and fixed a date to gain some media attention when Yahoo! started giving tough competition to Google.
In their founders’ letter, Larry Page and Sergey Brin said: “Google is not a conventional company. We do not intend to become one. Throughout Google’s evolution as a privately held company, we have managed Google differently.”
They have managed to turn Google into one of the biggest companies on the face of the Earth that have the power to destroy (or flourish) any other company.
As we celebrate the 23rd birthday, I’m excited about the plans this company plans to execute in the future and the milestones it aims to achieve.
