It's hard to imagine life without Google. From navigating unfamiliar streets to pulling up information with a quick tap of the screen, Google's products and services have woven themselves deeply into our everyday routines. So when exactly does this tech giant mark its birthday?
As it turns out, Google picks its own birthday celebration each year, landing on either September 15 or September 4. Technically speaking, both dates hold legitimate claim to the honor.
Fun Facts
- Back in 1996, Larry Page and Sergey Brin kicked off what would become Google under the original name Backrub. At the time, both were students at Stanford University in California.
- Sergey Brin came into the world in Moscow, Soviet Union, born to a Russian and part Jewish family. Lawrence Page, meanwhile, was born in Michigan into a Jewish family whose relatives included computer science professors.
- On September 15, 1997, the domain name google.com was officially registered.
- Leading Google today is Sundar Pichai, an Indian-American who doubles as the CEO of Alphabet Inc.
- Before restructuring took place, Alphabet Inc. served as the parent company for Google and its various subsidiaries.
- Google now commands over 92% of the global search engine market.
- In one of tech history's most fascinating what-ifs, Lawrence and Sergey attempted to sell Google to AltaVista for 1 million dollars — but their offer was turned down.