The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running annual Burning Man event in Black Rock City, Nevada, and was designed by co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin to notify users of their absence in case the servers crashed. Early marketing employee Susan Wojcicki then spearheaded subsequent Doodles, including an alien landing on Google and additional custom logos for major holidays.

Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin came up with the concept in 1998 when they attended the Burning Man festival in Nevada. That first Doodle was as simple as putting a stick figure — similar to the Burning Man logo — behind the second “o” to signify that the founders were “out of office.”

The very first Doodle was published in 1998 as a quick way for Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin to let people know they would be out of office for Burning Man.