Have you peeped Google today? It’s all about Marshall McLuhan, a renowned Canadian philosopher famous for his predictions about the Internet.
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The search engine site, which sometimes uses its homepage to honor prominent figures, is highlighting the pioneer on what would have been his 106th birthday.
Born Herbert Marshall McLuhan in 1911, the scholar grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, gravitating toward the arts and sciences at a young age. He had a passion for education and later earned a bachelors and masters degree from the University of Manitoba and a doctorate from the University of Cambridge in London.
After finishing his studies, McLuhan began teaching at several institutions including Saint Louis University, Assumption College in Windsor and the University of Toronto. And he also added author to his resume.
In his 1962 book “The Gutenberg Galaxy,” he outlined the four eras he foresaw for human history: the acoustic, literary, print and electronic ages.
And a few years later in 1964, he published “Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man,” coining the famous phrase “the medium is the message.” It was his belief that how people consume information would eventually be more important than the information itself.
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Although many of his concepts were controversial, he continued teach until he fell ill in 1969 after suffering a stroke. It affected his ability to speak, and he died in his sleep about a year later.
Since his death, many buildings and programs have been named after him including the Marshall McLuhan Catholic Secondary School in Toronto and the McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology Center at the University of Toronto. He was even referenced in an episode of “The Sopranos.”
Now Google is paying tribute. Check out the doodle archive to see Baker's animated doodle.
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