Google Doodle Mashup Spins Together George Ferris and Valentine’s Day

When a squid meets a bear, and a rabbit meets a whale, that's amore — at least in Google's mind.

  • Share
  • Read Later
Screengrab

The wheels of love are constantly turning — you never know what you’re going to get. When a squid meets a bear, and a rabbit meets a whale, that’s amore — at least in Google’s mind.

Today’s Google Doodle pulls double-duty: it’s both Valentine’s Day and the 154th birthday of George Ferris, the inventor of the Ferris wheel. The letters of the Google logo take the shape of an amusement park, with Ferris’ invention at the heart of the image. The fairground staple has an inherent date-like quality, and today, cartoon animals play the Romeos (and Juliets) awaiting their match-making. Press the heart icon in the middle, and two love-struck animals will appear. Press it again, and a comic strip appears, showing them falling in love.

(LIST: The 10 Most Popular Google Doodles of 2012)

Ferris, born on February 14, 1859 in Galesburg, Ill., was a civil engineer. He constructed the first Ferris wheel for the World’s Fair in Chicago. It seated 1,440 passengers — 40 people in 36 cars.

Google has a tradition of highlighting the amorous day in its February 14th doodles. On Valentine’s Day 2012, the search engine’s homepage played an animated video of a young boy’s search for the perfect gift for his sweetheart, to the tune of Tony Bennett’s “Cold, Cold Heart.”

MORE: A History of Google Doodles