Top 50 Unknown and Interesting Facts About Google

Top 50 Unknown and Interesting Facts about Google

Founded in 1998 by Stanford University Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google has evolved from a basic search engine to one of the most significant businesses globally. The company’s expansion into almost every sphere of digital life has been motivated by its fundamental goal, which is “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

Initially renowned for its potent search algorithm, Google swiftly surpassed rival search engines by offering customers pertinent results. The name “Google” was chosen by the founders as a pun on the mathematics word “googol,” signifying the company’s goal of managing enormous volumes of data. Google went public in 2004 and generated over $1 billion in income, mostly from its creative advertising strategy.

Google offers much more than just search. It has produced technologies that are now indispensable to both personal and professional life, such as Gmail, Google Maps, Google Photos, and Google Drive. In addition, Google created Android, the most widely used mobile operating system worldwide, and controls YouTube, the biggest video platform in the world.

The business has also dabbled in AI research, with DeepMind and Google AI advancing computer vision, machine learning, and natural language processing. Additionally, Google’s cloud services, which provide processing power, data storage, and collaboration capabilities, serve companies of all sizes.

Notwithstanding its achievements, Google is criticized for a number of reasons, such as privacy, data gathering, and antitrust concerns. Google’s dominance in digital advertising has drawn scrutiny from governments around the world, and discussions about accountability and regulation are still going strong.

Google, which is currently a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., a holding corporation founded in 2015, is growing in industries including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and even healthcare. Though this position also necessitates striking a balance between innovation, privacy, and ethical responsibility, its reach and impact have placed it at the forefront of technological development.

Google is still a major force in forming the digital era, affecting the way billions of people access and use information on a daily basis as it grows and changes.

Here are 50 interesting facts about Google that you probably didn’t know.

1. Google’s Original Name Was “Backrub”

Before Google was “Google,” it was called “Backrub.” The name referred to the search engine’s original purpose of analyzing backlinks on the internet. However, founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin quickly changed it to something a bit catchier!

2. Google Got Its Name From a Math Term

The name “Google” is derived from “googol,” a mathematical term that represents the number 1 followed by 100 zeros. This name reflects Google’s mission to organize vast amounts of information.

3. The First Google Doodle Was a “Burning Man” Figure

The first Google Doodle, created in 1998, was a stick figure drawing of the Burning Man Festival symbol. Page and Brin added it to let people know they were out of the office at the festival.

4. Google’s First Office Was a Garage

Google’s first workspace was a garage in Menlo Park, California, rented from Susan Wojcicki, who later became CEO of YouTube. She played a key role in the company’s early development.

5. Google Owns the Domain Names for Common Misspellings

To ensure users reach their search engine even if they spell it wrong, Google owns misspelled domain names like “Gooogle.com,” “Googlr.com,” and “Gogle.com.”

6. Google Has a Dinosaur Statue

At Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, a giant T-Rex statue named “Stan” reminds employees not to let Google become extinct.

7. Google’s First Tweet Was Binary Code

In 2009, Google’s first tweet was in binary code. It read “I’m feeling lucky,” a nod to one of the search engine’s popular buttons on its homepage.

8. Google Owns Android

Google purchased Android in 2005 for $50 million before it became the world’s most widely used mobile operating system.

9. Google Earth Was Originally Called “Earth Viewer”

Before Google bought it in 2004, the technology was known as “Earth Viewer,” developed by a company called Keyhole, Inc., which Google acquired.

10. The “I’m Feeling Lucky” Button Costs Google Millions

The “I’m Feeling Lucky” button bypasses search results and directly takes you to the top-ranking page for a query. It reportedly costs Google millions of dollars in lost ad revenue.

11. Google Is One of the Most Valuable Brands Globally

Google consistently ranks as one of the most valuable brands worldwide, alongside tech giants like Apple and Microsoft.

12. Google Hired a Camel to Map the Desert

To map Liwa Desert in Abu Dhabi, Google hired a camel equipped with cameras to create “Street View” images of the vast desert terrain.

13. Google Holds a Monopoly on Search Engine Traffic

Google controls over 90% of the global search engine market, making it the undisputed leader in online search.

14. Google Rents Goats to Mow Its Lawns

To maintain a sustainable approach, Google rents around 200 goats to graze on the lawns at their Mountain View headquarters instead of using lawnmowers.

15. Google Acquires at Least One Company Per Week

On average, Google has acquired more than one company per week since 2010, including big names like YouTube, Waze, and Fitbit.

16. Google Maps Data Is Constantly Updated

Google Maps utilizes data from satellites, Street View cars, and local information providers to keep its maps as accurate as possible.

17. Google’s Search Algorithm Is Secret

Google’s search algorithm is one of the best-kept secrets in tech. It’s updated regularly to improve user experience and combat spam.

18. Google Search Started with 10,000 Searches Per Day

When Google launched in 1998, it handled about 10,000 searches per day. Today, it processes over 3.5 billion searches daily.

19. Google’s Homepage Is Intentionally Minimalist

Google’s original homepage was minimalist because Larry Page and Sergey Brin didn’t know HTML well enough to design a complex page.

20. Google’s Mission Statement Is Short but Ambitious

Google’s mission is “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” This mission has guided its growth since the beginning.

21. The “I’m Feeling Lucky” Button Has Hidden Features

Hovering over the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button reveals various fun features, like “I’m Feeling Trendy” or “I’m Feeling Puzzled,” which link to different Google tools.

22. Google Image Search Was Inspired by Jennifer Lopez

Google Image Search was created after Jennifer Lopez wore her iconic green dress at the 2000 Grammy Awards. The public demand for photos of the dress led Google to develop image search.

23. Google’s “Project Oxygen” Studies Employee Happiness

“Project Oxygen” is an ongoing study by Google to determine what makes employees happy and productive. Findings have influenced Google’s workplace culture.

24. Google Uses Free Food as an Employee Perk

Google employees, or “Googlers,” enjoy a wide array of free meals and snacks on-site. They even have celebrity chefs cooking at their headquarters.

25. Google Has a “Death Benefit” for Employees

If a Google employee dies while working for the company, their spouse or partner receives half of their salary for the next decade as part of Google’s generous benefits program.

26. Google’s Employee Death Benefit Includes Stock Vesting

In addition to the “death benefit,” Google also allows the deceased employee’s stock to continue vesting for their spouse or partner.

27. Google Translate Was Inspired by Frustration

After a particularly frustrating translation experience with Korean, Google’s co-founder Sergey Brin decided to start the Google Translate project.

28. Google Owns Over 200 Patents

Google has over 200 patents that help protect its innovative technologies, many of which focus on search algorithms and ad delivery.

29. Google’s Biggest Competitor Was Yahoo

In the early 2000s, Yahoo was Google’s biggest competitor. Ironically, Yahoo passed up the opportunity to buy Google for $1 million in 1998.

30. Google Rewards Hackers

Google offers rewards to ethical hackers who find security vulnerabilities in its software through its “Bug Bounty” program, awarding up to $50,000 in some cases.

31. Google Flights Was Inspired by Google Engineers’ Passion

The team behind Google Flights includes avid travelers who wanted a more efficient way to find flights, which led to the development of the tool.

32. Google.com Is the Most Visited Website Globally

Google.com consistently ranks as the most visited website on the planet, processing billions of searches daily.

33. Google Fiber Was Created to Test Fast Internet

Google Fiber began as an experiment to test high-speed internet in select U.S. cities, offering speeds up to 100 times faster than average connections.

34. Google Has Easter Eggs

Google is known for its quirky “Easter eggs” in search, including “Do a Barrel Roll” and the “Zerg Rush” game.

35. Google’s Largest Acquisition Was Motorola Mobility

In 2011, Google acquired Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, marking its largest acquisition at the time.

36. Google’s Street View Cars Are Packed with Technology

Each Street View car is outfitted with GPS devices, cameras, lasers, and other equipment to capture panoramic views of roads worldwide.

37. Google’s Office Floors Are Named After Search Results

At Google’s Mountain View headquarters, each office floor is named after search results associated with that number. For example, “404” is “Page Not Found.”

38. Google Is a Leading Player in Artificial Intelligence

Google has heavily invested in artificial intelligence research, including the development of Google DeepMind and TensorFlow.

39. Google Chrome Was Built in Secret

In 2008, Google developed its own web browser, Chrome, under the radar. It was initially an internal project before it became the world’s leading browser.

40. Google Employees Are Called “Googlers”

Google employees are referred to as “Googlers,” while new employees are often called “Nooglers.”

41. Google Owns YouTube

Google acquired YouTube in 2006 for $1.65 billion, recognizing its potential as a platform for video sharing and advertising.

42. Google’s Android Mascot Is Named “Bugdroid”

The iconic green robot representing Android is officially called “Bugdroid,” though most people refer to it simply as the Android logo.

43. Google’s “20% Time” Policy Encourages Innovation

Google’s “20% Time” policy allowed employees to spend 20% of their time on personal projects, resulting in products like Gmail and AdSense.

44. Google Provides Scholarships for Computer Science Students

Google funds numerous scholarships to encourage students to pursue careers in computer science, focusing on underrepresented groups.

45. Google Employees Help Improve Accessibility

Google has a team dedicated to making Google products more accessible, including those for people with disabilities.

46. Google’s Autonomous Car Project Became Waymo

Google’s self-driving car project, known as Waymo, has been a pioneer in autonomous vehicle technology and now operates as a separate company.

47. Google Has Solar-Powered Data Centers

Google has invested in renewable energy, powering some data centers with solar energy to reduce its carbon footprint.

48. Google Hosts “Google I/O” Every Year

Google I/O is Google’s annual developer conference, where they reveal new products, software, and technology advancements.

49. Google Translate Can Translate More Than 100 Languages

Google Translate, initially launched with just a few languages, now supports more than 100 languages, making it one of the most comprehensive translation tools.

50. Google’s Parent Company, Alphabet, Owns Many Startups

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, oversees a vast array of companies beyond Google, from healthcare and biotech to AI research and autonomous vehicles.