Google, the popular search engine, has been known for delighting its users with creative doodles to mark special occasions for the past 25 years. These doodles range from celebrating birthdays of famous scientists and musicians to highlighting international events and interactive games. Since 1998, Google has transformed its logo into more than 5,000 fun designs.

The concept of Google Doodles originated from a simple out-of-office message when Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin added a man behind the second O in the logo to inform people about their absence during the US arts festival, Burning Man.

Today, on May 23, 2024, Google’s Doodle features an accordion, a box-shaped free-reed musical instrument with a keyboard and bass casing. The accordion was created in Germany in the 19th century and has a unique history of evolving features that make it versatile in music.

The reason behind celebrating the accordion in today’s Google Doodle is that on this day in 1829, the instrument was patented with the name “accordion,” derived from the German word “akkord.” The accordion is widely used in folk music, Latino polka, tango, cajun music, and is a staple at events like Oktoberfest.

While instruments like the guitar and piano are more common in pop music, bands like The Rolling Stones, Counting Crows, The Pogues, and E Street Band have incorporated accordions into their music. Notable accordion players include “Weird Al” Yankovic, Astor Piazzolla, Radojka Zivkovic, Lawrence Welk, Frank Marocco, Richard Galliano, and Yuri Shishkin.

The accordion’s influence in German celebrations and music around the world continues to be felt even after 200 years since its patent. Celebrating this iconic instrument through a Google Doodle highlights its cultural significance and musical versatility.