Google doodles to celebrate 229th anniversary of Mont Blanc ascent

Google has an innovative way of getting millions of users to focus on an event, occasion or festival. It’s the best way to celebrate the day and it’s significance in history through effective visual communication. A few days back, the Google Doodle celebrated the 229th anniversary of the Mont Blanc ascent. Compared to the several Doodles done by Google so far, today’s Doodle is rather plain and simple. But before we could write it off, we wondered what all the hype was about.   According to Google, “Capped by snow and shrouded in mist sits Mont Blanc, the highest point in the Alps. Its summit, forever white, towers 15,000+ feet above Europe’s sea level. Lord Byron called it “the monarch of mountains.” And for centuries, no human had ever reached its peak. Until 1786. That year, armed only with alpenstocks and measuring equipment (the trek was for scientific purposes), Frenchmen Michel Gabriel Paccard and Jacques Balmat set foot at the top. Now, 229 years later, thousands of hopeful hikers annually descend upon the Alpine towns of Chamonix, Saint-Gervais, and Courmayeur to recreate this exceptional feat, and take in this incredible view. Today we celebrate Europe’s pioneering spirit, stunning landscapes, and one-of-a-kind landmarks including the incredible Mont Blanc. Despite the simplicity in the Doodle, it has managed to capture the attention of millions towards a significant mountaineering feat accomplished over 200 years ago!