In addition to being the world's most popular search engine, Google is also the world's most popular website. However, the road to the top was not an easy one, and many things happened along the way that led to the Google we know today.

Here are some fascinating facts about Google that may surprise you.

1. Google Was Originally Called BackRub

BackRub isn't just the name of your favorite massage technique; it's also the original name of Google.

Before Google was known as Google, co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin brainstormed various names for their search engine—BackRub was the name of their research project when they were students at Stanford University in 1996.

Early versions of their search engine analyzed a website's backlinks to determine its importance, hence the name. A year later, the domain for Google was registered.

2. Google Was Inspired by the Number Googol

While Google sounds like an accidentally catchy name, it is actually a play on the mathematical term googol, which is the number one followed by 100 zeros.

It was rumored that Google is actually a misspelling of googol, which is half true, as when fellow Stanford University student Sean Anderson checked whether the domain for googol was available, he typed "Google" instead.

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin chose the name as a reflection of the large amounts of data being analyzed by their search engine.

3. Global Internet Usage Dropped 40% During Google’s Five-Minute Outage in 2013

Google doesn't go down often, but when it does, the world comes to a standstill.

For a few minutes just before midnight on the 16th of August 2013, there was a blackout affecting all of Google's services, including Search, Gmail, and YouTube. During those few minutes, Internet traffic worldwide dropped 40% according to GoSquared, a web analytics company.

This just goes to show how dependent we are on Google and its services.

4. Google Tried to Sell Its Search Engine to Yahoo for $1 Million in 1997

Back in 1997 when Google was still a little known company, co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin offered to sell it to Yahoo for $1 million. The offer was subsequently refused.

By the time 2002 rolled around, Google had become more successful, at which point Yahoo offered $3 billion to buy it. Google threw back the offer and demanded $5 billion, which Yahoo rejected. Google hit a net worth of $2 trillion in 2022.

One of the biggest blunders in the history of deals, right? Maybe not so, because one of the reasons Google became massively successful is because of the team behind it. If Yahoo had purchased it, Google would not be what it is today.

5. Stanford University Owns the Patent to Google’s Original Search Algorithm

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin filed a patent for their PageRank algorithm while students at Stanford University. The algorithm helps determine a webpage's importance and is just one part of how Google sorts search engine results.

Interestingly, this patent is actually assigned to Stanford University, but Google did obtain a license from Stanford University to use it in exchange for 1.8 million shares of its stock.

6. Jennifer Lopez’s Famous Green Dress Led to the Creation of Google Images

Almost everyone remembers the iconic green Versace dress J.Lo wore to the Grammy Awards in 2000. However, most people are unaware that that green dress led to the creation of Google Images.

The dress that broke the internet was Google's most popular search at the time. However, most people were looking for an image of that dress, not just a text result. The team behind Google created Google Image Search as the answer to this problem.

Former executive chairman of Google Eric Schmidt described the origins of Google Image Search in his essay The Tinkerer's Apprentice: "At the time, it was the most popular search query we had ever seen. But we had no surefire way of getting users exactly what they wanted: J.Lo wearing that dress. Google Image Search was born."

7. 15% of Google Searches Made Every Day Are New

With trillions of searches made every year, you might expect that people are searching the same thing over and over again. However, you may be surprised to learn that 15% of Google searches made every day are actually new and unique.

8. Google Acquired YouTube at Denny’s Over a Bowl of Mozzarella Sticks

What do mozzarella sticks, Denny's, and YouTube have in common? According to YouTube co-founder Steven Chen, that's how Google's acquisition of YouTube took place.

Chen explained that they chose to negotiate YouTube's acquisition at a place that none of them would usually visit. The co-founder then ordered mozzarella sticks, and the deal was sealed.

9. The Word “Google” Was Officially Recognized as a Verb in 2006

Since Google's inception in 1997, its online dominance has skyrocketed, and it has become an essential tool in our day-to-day lives. As a testament to Google's grip of the web, the word "google" was officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary in June 2006 and the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary in July 2006.

“Googling” something is now the go-to phrase for searching for information online.

10. The First Google Doodle Featured Burning Man

Special events and holidays are often marked with a Google Doodle. The first Google Doodle, however, had a very different purpose. It featured Nevada's yearly Burning Man festival and was intended to inform users that co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin were away at the festival in case something went wrong at Google HQ.

There are now 4,000 Google Doodles commemorating special events and notable figures, and Google now has a team of dedicated Doodlers creating doodles.

Google’s Grip on the Web Will Continue

Google has come a long way from its origins as a research project by two PhD students at Stanford University.

The search giant's dominance of the web shows no signs of slowing down, and we are confident that the company will continue to innovate its product and deliver us stories that will surprise and fascinate us.