Jules Verne honored with underwater Google Doodle

Google celebrates Jules Verne on his 183rd birthday with a new '20,000 Leagues' interactive doodle.

Google celebrates Jules Verne on his 183rd birthday.

Google.com screengrab

February 8, 2011

Ever imagine steering your very own submarine?

Well, Google unveiled a new interactive doodle on its homepage today – one powered by HTML5 and CSS3. The company's name has been transformed into submarine portholes with aquatic scenery in the background.

For a desktop user, the fun begins if you touch the lever that is to the right of the logo. Move it up, down, left, and right with your mouse or the arrow keys on your keyboard and you'll get the tilting experience of being in an actual submarine, steering your way through various sealife. Click on the logo and you'll be redirected to search results on Jules Verne. Think we'll see workplace productivity drop as armchair adventurers explore the depths?

ALSO SEE: Jules Verne on Google: Can you find all the hidden treasures?

So why did Google create this wonder of a doodle?

Today is Jules Verne's 183rd birthday. Vernes is the science-fiction author who 140 years ago penned "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea." He wrote about space, air, and underwater travel and is known by some as the 'Father of Science Fiction.' Other works include "A Journey to the Center of the Earth" and "Around the World in Eighty Days."

This isn't the first time Google has created an interactive Doodle. Remember Pac-Man, well you can still play it here.