The world's most popular search engine, Google, is now a household name and a verb in many languages. But how did it all start? Here are some surprising facts about the real story of Google.
Google was not the company's original name. Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin originally called their search engine "Backrub" when they launched it in 1996. It wasn't until 1997 that they changed the name to Google, a play on the word "googol," which refers to the number represented by 1 followed by 100 zeros.
Google was not an overnight success. It took several years for Google to become the dominant search engine it is today. In fact, when it first launched, it was just one of several search engines competing for users.
The Google we know today is the result of several acquisitions and innovations. In 2001, Google acquired Deja.com, a popular online discussion forum, and incorporated its Usenet archive into Google Groups. In 2004, Google launched its email service, Gmail, and in 2006, it acquired YouTube, the world's largest video-sharing website.
Google has faced several legal challenges and controversies. In 2002, Google was sued by Yahoo! for allegedly infringing on Yahoo!'s patented search technology. In 2010, the Federal Trade Commission launched an investigation into Google's search practices, alleging that the company was manipulating search results to favor its own services.
Google has a unique corporate culture. The company is known for its unconventional office spaces, which feature slides, game rooms, and even nap pods. Google also has a policy of allowing its employees to spend 20% of their time working on personal projects, which has resulted in the development of some of the company's most successful products and services, such as Gmail and Google Maps.
Despite these challenges and controversies, Google has continued to thrive and innovate, and it remains a major player in the tech industry. Its impact on the way we access and process information is undeniable, and it will be interesting to see what the future holds for this iconic company.