Google celebrates 27 years: from garage to global giant

Today, September 27, 2025, one of the world's most influential tech giants – Google – celebrates its 27th birthday. This celebration has become a tradition observed by millions of users worldwide, including residents of Azerbaijan, where the Google search engine has long been an integral part of everyday life. In honor of the anniversary, the company presented a nostalgic Doodle featuring the original 1998 logo, reminding us of its humble beginnings. Let's explore how this internet giant was born, why September 27 became the "official" birthday, and what interesting facts its history conceals.

How it all began: from a student project to a corporation

Google was founded on September 4, 1998, by two Stanford University graduate students – Larry Page and Sergey Brin. The idea emerged in 1996 when they were working on a search engine called BackRub, which analyzed links between web pages. The name "Google" is a misspelling of "googol," denoting the number 1 with a hundred zeros, symbolizing the vast amount of information the system was meant to process.

Initially, the company was based in Susan Wojcicki's (current CEO of YouTube) garage in Menlo Park, California. By 2000, Google was already indexing a billion pages, and today its search engine processes billions of queries daily. In Azerbaijan, Google became popular in the early 2000s when the internet began actively developing in the country. According to Statista, more than 90% of Azerbaijani users prefer this search engine for everyday queries – from searching news to online shopping.

Why is Google's birthday September 27, not September 4?

Interesting fact: the official founding date is September 4, but since 2006, the company moved the celebration to September 27. The reason? On this day in 2005, Google reached a record number of indexed pages – more than 8 billion. This became a symbol of growth and innovation. In 2025, the anniversary is celebrated with special grandeur: the search engine's homepage features a Doodle with the first logo, where the letters "G" and "e" are adorned with an exclamation mark, just like in 1998. Additionally, Google launched a limited game, Tap Tower, on its store where users can win promo codes.

Google's achievements: from search to AI and ecosystem

Over 27 years, Google has evolved from a simple search engine into a vast ecosystem. Here are the key milestones:

• 2004: Launch of Gmail, which transformed email communication.
• 2005: Introduction of Google Maps, indispensable for navigation in Baku and other cities of Azerbaijan.
• 2006: Acquisition of YouTube for $1.65 billion – today it's a platform with billions of views daily.
• 2008: Release of Android, which dominates the smartphone market in Azerbaijan (more than 80% of devices).
• Present: Developments in AI, such as Gemini, and cloud services helping Azerbaijani businesses grow.

In Azerbaijan, Google plays a key role in digitalization: from educational projects in schools to supporting startups through Google for Startups. For example, in 2024, the company invested in local AI initiatives, helping young developers from Baku create Android-based applications.

Fun facts about Google you didn't know

• The first Google server was built from Lego bricks to save money.
• The Google office (Googleplex) has a dinosaur skeleton named Stan – a reminder not to "go extinct."
• The company has owned the domain "google.com" since 1997, but initially wanted to name it "Googol," but due to a typo, it became "Google."
• Google processes 8.5 billion search queries daily – it's as if every resident of Azerbaijan searched for something 850 times a day!

This anniversary is an occasion to remember how Google changed the world, making information accessible with just one click. In Azerbaijan, where there are now more than 10 million internet users, the search engine has become synonymous with knowledge and entertainment.

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