In the annals of internet history, the story of Google is nothing short of legendary. It all began in January 1996 when two bright minds, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, were pursuing their Ph.D. degrees at Stanford University. They embarked on a quest to revolutionize web search, and their weapon of choice was an algorithm known as PageRank. This clever system analyzed website relationships, determining their relevance based on links to other sites.
Initially, their search engine went by the quirky name “BackRub,” but it soon evolved into “Google.” This name was inspired by “googol,” which represents a 1 followed by 100 zeros, symbolizing the limitless information available on the internet.
On September 15, 1997, Page and Brin registered the domain “google.com,” marking the official birth of Google. As they secured funding from investors, the duo formally incorporated their enterprise in a humble space connected to a friend’s garage in Menlo Park, California.
By December 1999, Google was already answering around 10,000 search queries each day during its beta phase. In 2003, the company moved its headquarters to the now-famous Googleplex in Mountain View, California. The campus’s unique open-concept workspace featured unconventional seating arrangements, with exercise balls serving as chairs.
In 2006, Merriam-Webster recognized “Google” as a verb, signifying the act of using the Google search engine to find information online. Over the years, Google expanded its horizons and services, ultimately leading to the formation of Alphabet Inc. in 2015, with Google as its prominent subsidiary.
And so, Google’s journey from BackRub to global internet dominance is a testament to the power of innovation and determination in the digital age.