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7 surprising things you never knew about Google

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 9:04PM EST
BGR

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“Things you never knew” headlines are almost always a big letdown. In a few rare instances, however, these listicles really do offer some surprising facts that the overwhelming majority of readers will not have known previously. Such is the case here, in a list of truly surprising facts about Google that will, without question, teach you a few things you didn’t know before about one of the world’s most important companies.

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Google is changing the world. Seriously, literally, changing the world. The company’s search engine has already changed the course of history, obviously, and Google’s labs are hard at work on projects that will continue to shape the future.

But it’s not all business over in sunny Mountain View, California.

The executives and developers over at Google have been known to have plenty of fun, and to mix some of that fun into their work. We all know about at least a few funny Easter eggs in Google products, but there are other cool ways Google brings levity to its business.

Here are a few facts about Google assembled by Huffington Post that you almost certainly didn’t know:

Google likes dogs more than cats (as well they should)

Google’s official code of conduct includes the text: “Google’s affection for our canine friends is an integral facet of our corporate culture. We like cats, but we’re a dog company, so as a general rule we feel cats visiting our offices would be fairly stressed out.”

The birth of the Google Doodle

Do you know what the first Google Doodle was? Do you know why it was put up on the site? It’s actually a pretty great little story: Google founders Brin and Page went to the Burning Man festival in August 1998, and they wanted to let everyone know that they would be there and out of the office. So, here’s how they spread the word:

Yes, Google Doodles have certainly come a long way since then…

The birth of… Google

Did you know that Google was born in a garage? Sergey Brin and Larry Page actually founded Google in 1998 while in Susan Wojcicki’s garage.

Do Googlers stick together? You bet: Today, more than 17 years later, Wojcicki isn’t just still friendly with Page and Brin, she’s the CEO of the division behind Google’s flagship video product, YouTube.

Google goats

In 2009, Google announced that it had begun to rent goats to graze its grounds instead of using lawn mowers to cut grass. We’re not sure if Google saved money on the deal, but it was certainly an environmentally friendly was to keep the fields on its campus manicured.

For the rest of these nifty Google facts you didn’t know, follow the link below in our source section.

Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 15 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.