Google turns 25: Facts about the tech giant, pranks and more

Published by: Vivek Dubey

From its humble beginnings in a Menlo Park garage to its creative April Fools’ Day pranks, here are 11 fascinating facts about Google’s origin and more:

Naming

Google was initially named Backrub by the founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. The name was a reference to the system’s ability to analyse ‘backlinks’ on the web.

Birthplace

Google was born out of a garage in Menlo Park, California. Google subsequently bought the garage and filled it with sweets, snacks, and lava lamps.

Name Origin

The name Google is a misspelling of the mathematical term googol, which is written as the digit '1' followed by one hundred zeroes.

First Tweet

Google’s first tweet was “I’m feeling lucky” posted on February 26, 2009.

First Doodle

The first Google Doodle was created in 1998 as a playful way to indicate that the founders were attending the Burning Man festival.

Gmail Launch

Google’s email service, Gmail, came out on April Fool’s Day, 2004. The announcement was written in such a way that many people assumed it was a joke at first.

April Fools’ Pranks

Google is famous for its creative April Fools’ Day pranks.

“Google Nose” claimed to allow users to search and smell scents on the internet.

Google Nose

April Fools’ Pranks

April Fools’ Pranks

“Google Maps Pac-Man” turned real streets into Pac-Man games.

Google Maps Pac-Man

The unique ethos of Google extends to its headquarters, where employees ride coloured “gBikes” around the Googleplex.

Unique Ethos

The historic acquisition of YouTube by Google took place at a Denny’s restaurant in Palo Alto, California.

YouTube Acquisition

To mow the lawns at Google headquarters more sustainably, they once hired a herd of goats to graze the fields.

Sustainable Lawn Mowing

“Google” was certified as a verb in 2006 by both the Oxford English Dictionary and Merriam-Webster.

Verb Certification