14 Surprising Facts About Google That You Didn’t Know
For most people, Google has become the definition of the Internet. It has been more than 20 years since it came into existence and yet we know so less about one of the world’s biggest companies. Read the article to know more facts about Google.
With an aim to organize the world’s information and make it available at your fingertips, Larry Page and Sergey Brin began a research project in 1996 that today we know as Google. It is yet another rags to riches story of a startup that was originally nicknamed as “BackRub”.
According to surveys, Google’s search share is about 92% on the Internet, and it has acquired over 230 companies. Google is so famous that to google or google it have become verbs today. Google owns multiple companies under each alphabet in English and therefore, changed itself to Alphabet (pretentious huh).
And there is so much that you probably don’t know about Google, sorry Alphabet. Check out some amazing facts about Google (it has stuck now!!) one of the most creative companies today.
Some interesting facts about Google!
1. Google’s 40 GB Database
In its primitive days, all of the Google was squeezed inside ten 4 GB hard disks. Do you know how big it is today? Something around 100 million GB.
2. Googol Is It?
The $1 Trillion company was supposed to be named Googol but became Google due to a spelling error by the investors.
3. Minimalistic Homepage
Did you ever wonder why Google has such a sparse and simple homepage? Afterall it can get the best designers, right! When Larry and Brin created Google, they didn’t know enough HTML to make a pretty looking homepage. As it was a simple interface, they stuck with it.
4. Acquiring New Company Each Week
Know why Google is so rich and creative? Because it owns almost every other company. Google has averaged to acquiring one new company each week since 2010.
5. It wasn’t that fast always
Back in 1999, when Google was a newbie it took almost a month for the search giant crawl and 50 million webpages on the internet. Fast forward to today, the job can be done a matter of seconds.
6. Like Google Images? Thank Jennifer Lopez
One of its biggest features, Google Image Search was launched in 2001 and the reason will surprise you. American actress Jennifer Lopez wore a green dress from Versace and so many people Googled the picture of the dress that the search engine couldn’t handle it. That’s when Google Images was born.
7. Low Grades? Awesome!!
Google oversees your GPA’s and instead looks for some real developer skills. In fact, they have had teams where 14% of employees didn’t even attend college. Now, are you feeling lucky?
8. Google Fun Tricks
Google is smart, and it is fun. If you are bored, Google has a bundle of fun tricks for you.
9. New Searches Every Day
Every day Google sees about 16-20% of the search queries that it has never seen before. Everyone is unique I guess…
10. Computer That Can Program Itself
Google is all into advanced tech. It is believed that Google is developing a computer that will be so advanced that it can program itself. God, please don’t create a Skynet. The search giant has managed to create AI systems that can beat humans in games by taking decisions on their own.
11. Best Company To Work For
The company’s employees are its biggest assets, and Google knows that. It has the best work culture and has been named the best company to work for by Fortune several times.
12. Google Used To Plan Weddings
Google.com/weddings was a free service provided by the company that helped people to plan their weddings and thanks to Google wedding planner, many did get married.
13. Google Is Trying To Cure Death
Google has a subsidiary company Calico, that runs experiments to stop aging and ultimately cure death.
14. I’m Feeling Lucky. Not Google Though
Google loses $100 million per year because of the ‘I’m feeling lucky’ button, just to make sure you get an ad-free search.
Did you find the article interesting? Tell us in the comments below.