Birthdays are often about looking forward, but they are also moments to reflect on the past. This year, Google did exactly that. On September 27, 2025, the tech giant marked its 27th anniversary with a special Doodle on its homepage. Instead of showcasing futuristic tech or glossy visuals, Google brought back its first-ever logo from 1998 a simple, quirky design that once appeared when two Stanford graduates were running their new search engine from a garage in Menlo Park. For millions of users worldwide, the Doodle stirred nostalgia. It was a reminder that the internet as we know it today fast, smart, and ever-present once began with something much simpler, built on passion and vision.

Why September 27?

Interestingly, Google was incorporated on September 4, 1998. So why do we celebrate its birthday on September 27? The answer lies in Google’s playful tradition with Doodles. The company’s first-ever Doodle was actually an “out of office” message, created when founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin went on vacation. Over time, September 27 became the chosen anniversary date, and it stuck. It’s a fitting detail: a company that began with a sense of humor and creativity continues to embrace those values, even as it has grown into a corporate giant.

From a Garage to Global Domination

When Larry Page and Sergey Brin started Google, their mission was simple yet powerful ,  “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” Back in 1998, the internet was messy and chaotic. Search engines existed, but they weren’t efficient. Google’s breakthrough algorithm, PageRank, changed everything by ranking websites based on relevance and authority, setting the stage for its rapid rise. 

In just 27 years, that small garage project has grown into Alphabet Inc., a global conglomerate with diverse ventures. At its core, Google Search continues to power the company’s vast advertising empire, while YouTube has become the world’s largest video platform, shaping culture, news, and entertainment. Android and Chrome dominate as the most widely used mobile operating system and web browser, while Google Cloud plays a major role in the enterprise world. 

The company also expanded into hardware with smart devices like Pixel phones and Nest products, and it is pioneering the future with advancements in artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Today, Google is more than just a company; it has become a verb, a daily habit, and an essential tool for billions of people around the globe

How Google Became Part of Our Lives

What makes Google’s 27th birthday special isn’t just the technology; it’s how deeply it has become part of our everyday lives. Students turn to Google Search for homework and research, families find endless entertainment on YouTube, small businesses expand through Google Ads, and travelers navigate unfamiliar places with Google Maps. In moments of urgency, millions instinctively look to Google first for help. Over the years, it has grown into more than just a company; it has become a constant companion, one that mirrors our own digital journeys, from the slow days of dial-up internet to the fast, AI-driven smart world we live in today.

Sundar Pichai’s Leadership and the AI Era

Under the leadership of Sundar Pichai, Google has continued to evolve. Beyond search and ads, the company is investing heavily in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and e-commerce solutions. AI products like Google Bard (its conversational AI), machine learning tools, and smart assistants show how Google is shaping the future of human-technology interaction. This year’s birthday message even hinted at this, inviting users to “teleport into the future” by exploring Google’s newest AI innovations. 

The nostalgia of the 1998 logo, paired with the vision of tomorrow, captures the essence of Google’s journey: rooted in the past, racing toward the future. At first glance, it’s just a logo, a piece of design from the late 1990s. But Google’s choice to showcase it holds a deeper meaning. It’s a thank you note to its users, an acknowledgment that Google’s success has always been powered by people. Every search, every click, every video watched has contributed to making Google what it is today. The Doodle, in its simplicity, tells us, “Remember where we came from, and see how far we’ve come together.” As we search, stream, learn, and connect, we’re not just using Google; we’re living in a world it helped build. And that is something worth celebrating.