Google's 27th Birthday: Search Giant Celebrates With A Throwback To "First-Ever" 1998 Logo

Google is marking its 27th birthdat by taking us back 27 years with a nostalgic birthday celebration that brings users right back to the '90s. If you head over to the homepage today, you will find the original 1998 version. The original 1998 version was a retro emblem that marked the beginning of a journey that would change the internet forever.

To mark the occasion, Google has rolled out a special Doodle featuring its very first logo. "The Doodle artwork features Google's first-ever logo (created in 1998). This vintage logo transports you back to the '90s and teleports you into the future by checking out Google's newest AI innovation," the company shared in a statement.

Although Google was officially incorporated on September 4, 1998, it celebrates its birthday each year on September 27. That tradition dates back to one of the earliest Google Doodles, an “out of office” message created by founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin as a lighthearted note while they were away on vacation.

Back in 1998, Google was just a passion project run out of a garage in Menlo Park by two Stanford PhD students with the goal to “organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” It’s a mission that still defines the company today.

Fast forward nearly three decades, and Google which is now part of parent company Alphabet Inc., is much more than a search engine. Its reach spans cloud computing, advertising, Android, YouTube, smart devices, and groundbreaking work in AI and quantum computing.

Google’s iconic Doodles have also come a long way. What started as simple illustrations have evolved into animations, mini-games, and tributes celebrating global events, cultural icons, and scientific achievements. But for this milestone, Google is keeping things simple and heartfelt, honoring its roots with a logo that reminds us just how far it’s come and thanking the billions of users who made it all possible.