Google Doodle celebrates 125th birthday of Hawaiian surf legend Duke Kahanamoku
TODAY Google celebrates the 125th birthday of legendary Hawaiian surfer Duke Kahanamoku and have put a Doodle on its homepage to mark the occasion.
Duke Kahanamoku introduced surfing to a number of countries
The Doodle shows a wooden surf board with the letters G-o-o-g-l-e and a picture of Kahanamoku's face along with palm trees in the background.
Dubbed as the "father" of surfing, Kahanamoku was much more widely known for his reputation as a swimming champion – winning five Olympic medals over the course of his career.
Kahanamoku was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 24, 1890 – he was the oldest of nine siblings and was a strong swimmer from an early age.
In 1912, Kahanamoku represented the United States at the Olympic games – and again in 1920 – bringing home the coveted gold medal in freestyle and relay swimming events.
The legendary surfer brought surfing to a host of countries over his lifetime, such as: California, Australia and New Zealand.
Kahanamoku was elected as sheriff of his home country 13 times and starred as an actor in over a dozen movies.
He is also remembered for helping the Hawaiian islands achieve statehood in 1959.