Have you peeped Google today? It's all about Chinua Achebe, a famed Nigerian author.
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The search engine site, which sometimes uses its homepage to honor prominent figures, is highlighting the artist to celebrate him on what would have been his 87th birthday.
Born Albert Chinualumogu Achebe in the Igbo village of Ogidi, the writer grew up in a household of storytellers. He later pursued an education to learn to tell his own.
But he didn’t initially choose English as his major. He studied medicine at first, but, after reading European literature and its negative portrayal of African people, he abandoned the sciences.
His first story was for his college’s newspaper. The article was called, “Polar Undergraduate,” and it used irony to celebrate the intellect of his classmates.
His most famous piece, however, came in 1958 with “Things Fall Apart.” Based on his own upbringing, the novel documented an Ibo man in Nigeria during the 19th century British rule. The book was so popular and influential that it became required reading for many schools.
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The award-winning novelist continued to write “the story of Nigeria through the eyes of its own people,” Google wrote.
"His pen brought to life the land and traditions of the Igbo: the hum of everyday village life; the anticipation and excitement of sacred masquerades; the stories of the elders and the honor of warriors; the joy of family and the grief of loss," the company continued.
Known as the father of modern African literature, he was awarded the Man Booker Prize in 2007 and has received more than 30 honorary degrees from universities across the globe. Now, Google is paying tribute to him.
Check out the doodle archive to see Achebe's animated doodle.
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