17 things to search for on Google’s 20th birthday
Happy birthday, Google! While Google Inc. was officially incorporated on Sept. 4 1998 (and Google search is actually one year older), the company has recently been celebrating its anniversary on Sept. 27. On this day, the tech giant marks the occasion with a special birthday Google doodle on its home page.
This year, the company is adding more to the party mix, including surprise spelling suggestions if you type any of the following retro queries into the search bar. These alternatives are reflections of how those phrases and concepts have evolved over the course of 20 years. This unconventional dictionary-of-sorts is both nostalgic and enlightening in how far, for better or for worse, we have come as a society and culture.
- Mp3 file: Stream music
- Watch a DVD: Streaming subscription
- Googol: Google
- Gettin’ jiggy wit it: Floss dance
- Page me: New phone, who dis?
- Butterfly clip styles: Top knot
- Soccer world champions 1998: Soccer world champions 1998 (Hint: Two very good years for the France national team!)
- Chat room: Text the group
- How to tell someone you like them: Swipe right
- Low-rider pants: How to style high wasted pants
- Digital pet: Fidget spinner
- Baby: Bae
- 143: ILYSM
- What is Y2K?: What is cryptocurrency?
- Screen name: Social handle
- Clip art: GIF
- Keepin’ it real: Keep it 100
If you want a further and slightly more literal stroll down memory lane, Google Maps will take you around the Google Garage in Street View, just the way it was two decades ago. There’s a lot to discover, including a “Google Headquarters” sign on a white board, a surf-frog terrarium, and a mini dinosaur.