Google Doodles introduce us to interesting people, achievements, cultures, and holidays from various parts of the world. Let’s look at some interesting tidbits about these fun tributes to our shared history.

1. The first Google Doodle was an out-of-office message. Google’s founders designed it to notify users of their absence in readiness to attend the Burning Man festival in 1998.

2. The first animated doodle was in honor of Sir Isaac Newton. It was created to commemorate his 367th birthday. No, it didn't use Flash and it wasn't a GIF. Two images and a bit of JavaScript code went into the making of that doodle.

3. The first interactive Google Doodle was a tribute to Pac-Man, the world-changing video game. Search for play pacman on Google and the Google Doodle version will appear in the Quick Answers Box. Click on it to start playing it right away!

Browse the Google Doodle Archive for more interactive games like the Rubik’s cube, Snake, and Slalom canoeing (which is based on an Olympic event).

4. Google gives you a special Google Doodle for your birthday. If you added your birth date to your Google+ profile, you’re set to see a special doodle on your birthday (as long as you’re signed in to Google).

What do you know about the Google Doodle that the rest of us don’t? Surprise us!

Image Credit: Hand drawn Did You Know? by dizain via Shutterstock