If Mark Twain — also known as Samuel Clemens — were alive today, he would be celebrating his 176th birthday right now. But since the author isn't around to blow out candles or eat cake, Google is marking the occasion by putting some of his beloved characters onto its homepage.
This isn't the first time that Google has decided to celebrate the anniversary of a notable individual's birth, of course. Scientist Marie Curie, musician Freddie Mercury, photography pioneer Louis Daguerre, and many others have already been honored with a Google doodle — a redesigned version of the Google homepage logo — on their respective birthdays.
Like those other doodles, Twain's is a charming tribute to one of his most memorable accomplishments. The illustration features characters from two of Twain's most popular novels, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." The two fellas are recreating a well-known scene — one in which a boy by the name of Tom Sawyer tricks friends into whitewashing a fence for him — with a slight Google twist.
This latest Google doodle isn't exactly as elaborate as some of its animated and interactive predecessors, but it's certainly delightful and captures a familiar moment from a beloved childhood read.
Related stories:
- 'Feeling lucky' is Google doodle shortcut
- 'Don't stop' Google doodles now, or ever, with Freddie Mercury
- Whoa! Google homepage is a playable Les Paul guitar
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