For over a decade Google doodles have honored people and events of importance. Today, to celebrate the 183rd birthday of science fiction author Jules Verne, the Internet giant launched a first-of-its-kind interactive Google doodle themed after the French writer’s famous novel “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.”
On its homepage, a Google logo is displayed resembling a collection of submarine portholes looking out onto an underwater landscape. But the fun really begins when you click on a lever to the right of the nautical-looking logo.
As you “pull” the lever down, the doodle takes you on a virtual voyage to the bottom of the ocean, giving you glimpses of starfish, octopi, coral and a few other deep sea mysteries.
If you click on the logo it takes you to a Google search results page for Jules Verne.
Some sci-fi fans defer to Verne as the “father of science fiction,” though others argue the title belongs to H.G. Wells. Among his contributions to the genre are “Journey to the Center of the World” and “Around the World in 80 Days.”
“Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” recounts the underwater journey of Captain Nemo and his submarine, The Nautilus. It’s the work that Verne is probably most remembered for, and the one that still captivates people to this day.
