Google Video Doodle, YouTube Celebrate John Lennon’s Birthday

Posted on October 9, 2010 by Jennifer Latkiewicz

In honor of John Lennon’s 70th birthday today, Google is paying tribute with their first video Doodle – a pitch perfect animated clip set to his iconic ballad “Imagine”.

Click on Lennon’s cartoon self-portrait to play  the 32-second video — once it’s finished playing, Google will automatically direct you to a John Lennon search so you can read how fans around the world are celebrating this bittersweet occasion in what Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, has called an explosion of sentiment.


MORE on GLOSS: Google Commemorates Pac-Man’s 30th Anniversary with Interactive Doodle

Google isn’t the only big website to celebrate the singer. YouTube has set up an official John Lennon channel which includes video tributes from Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr and other notables including model Marissa Miller, Aerosmith, Brian Wilson, rapper Too Short, to Penn of Penn & Teller, and Cirque de Soleil. The channel is also inviting fans to upload their own video messages – submit yours here.

A few other ways to mark the occasion online:

Lennon-Inspired Phone Apps

iDevice users can test their John Lennon knowledge with the John Lennon Trivia, a free app which includes five quizzes for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. For 99 cents, download Lyrics Studio – this app includes videos and karaoke-style lyrics so you can sing along.

Android users can download John Lennon Quotes, a free app that includes over 100 quotes you can share via Twitter or Facebook, including one of my favorites – “Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.”


Interesting Online Features

The Many Faces of John Lennon - Check out this cool NY Mag slideshow of the many actors who have portrayed Lennon onscreen with varying degrees of success. Brilliant, of course is Paul Rudd, who seethes “I wonder if your songs’ll still be s*** when I’m 64.” in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Hilarious.

Vanity Fair ‘Imagines’ Lennon at Age 70 – The mag imagines an interview with Lennon today had he survived to see his 70th birthday — that ’87 Beatles reunion? Sigh.

Will you be celebrating John Lennon’s 70th today?