Search giant Google has apologized for a row caused by not honoring the 70th anniversary of D-Day via its Google Doodle.
The seach giant instead briefly posted a doodle on its UK site honoring Honinbo Shusaku, a Japanese Go player who was born June 6, 1829.
According to Google, doodles are “the fun, surprising, and sometimes spontaneous changes that are made to the Google logo to celebrate holidays, anniversaries, and the lives of famous artists, pioneers and scientists.”
The Shusaku doodle was quickly taken down from the UK version of Google
and replaced with links to information about the allied invasion of Europe in 1944. The German version of Google, Google.de, still paid homage to Shusaku.
Twitter was awash in criticism.
“I can't help but feel that today's Google Doodle might be missing out on a slightly more important historical event,” tweeted one user.
Another user was less irate.
“Not only is the google doodle not news, the absence of a Google Doodle isn't news either. C'mon people, get a grip.”
A Google spokesperson told VOA that the company “always intended to highlight a new exhibition of imagery and archive material commemorating D-Day on our UK homepage.”
“Unfortunately a technical error crept in and for a short period this morning an international doodle also appeared,” said a spokesman in an email. “We're sorry for the mistake, and we're proud to honor those who took part in D-Day."
They added that the doodle was not ever on the U.S. site, nor was it planned to be.
Google Doodles are often used for major holidays, the birthdays of famous people and even to highlight the Roswell UFO legend.
The seach giant instead briefly posted a doodle on its UK site honoring Honinbo Shusaku, a Japanese Go player who was born June 6, 1829.
According to Google, doodles are “the fun, surprising, and sometimes spontaneous changes that are made to the Google logo to celebrate holidays, anniversaries, and the lives of famous artists, pioneers and scientists.”
The Shusaku doodle was quickly taken down from the UK version of Google
and replaced with links to information about the allied invasion of Europe in 1944. The German version of Google, Google.de, still paid homage to Shusaku.
Twitter was awash in criticism.
“I can't help but feel that today's Google Doodle might be missing out on a slightly more important historical event,” tweeted one user.
Another user was less irate.
“Not only is the google doodle not news, the absence of a Google Doodle isn't news either. C'mon people, get a grip.”
A Google spokesperson told VOA that the company “always intended to highlight a new exhibition of imagery and archive material commemorating D-Day on our UK homepage.”
“Unfortunately a technical error crept in and for a short period this morning an international doodle also appeared,” said a spokesman in an email. “We're sorry for the mistake, and we're proud to honor those who took part in D-Day."
They added that the doodle was not ever on the U.S. site, nor was it planned to be.
Google Doodles are often used for major holidays, the birthdays of famous people and even to highlight the Roswell UFO legend.
