Google is celebrating the invention of the bar code today, with its latest doodle. There is an interesting history of the barcode available on Wikipedia, which of course is the top natural result in Google’s search results for barcode (which you are taken to upon clicking the doodle).

Ready the vegetable-tossers, conspiracy theorists, and patriotic guillotiners: Google and Yahoo have snubbed President’s Day.

Google especially (in part because nobody pays attention to Yahoo unless Microsoft tries to buy them) is known for spicing up its logo on special days, to commemorate artists, historic accomplishments, and often, national holidays.

Ruth Kedar of KedarDesigns.com designed the Google logo in the version that became famous around the world (the original tries at designing the logo were by Google co-founder Sergey Brin, reportedly, using the Gimp software). I asked Ruth how the Google logo design came about originally, and here’s her reply.