Happy Birthday Google, which turns 12 years old on 27 September 2010. The California-based company was first incorporated as a privately held corporation on 27 September 1998.
To mark the occasion, users of Google’s home search page are met with a Wayne Thiebaud cake, reproduced by permission of VAGA, Visual Artists and Galleries Association. Most of Thiebaud’s cakes were painted in the 1950s and 1960s.
Although Thiebaud is associated with the Pop art movement due to his interest in objects of mass culture, his work is earlier than Andy Warhol.
Over its 12 years, Google has many milestones.
In 2009, The Vatican gets its own YouTube Channel and the latest version of Google Earth includes Ocean that provides a 3D look at the Ocean floor.
In 2008, Google finalises its acquisition of Doubleclick, real time stocks go live in Google Finance and Streetview is trialled in Japan and Australia.
In 2007, Gmail is opened up to everyone, Hot Trends is launched and the Queen of England starts up a YouTube Channel.
In 2006, Google goes live in China, and launches Google Calendar and Google Trends, and buys YouTube.
In 2005, Google Images index reaches 1.1 Billion and both Google Maps and Analytics are launched.
In 2004, its index of web pages reaches 8 Billion and Orkut, a social media offer, is launched.
In 2003, Google launches its controversial book search product.
In 2002, Google opened its first Australian office and launched Google News.
In 2001, it launched Google Images, offering users access to 250M images.
In 2000, the company launched its immensely popular and highly profitable Adwords product.
In 1999, the company moves out of a garage and into company offices.
Discover more Google Milestones at Google’s Official Site or read other posts about Google.
