The seasonal Doodle features the letters of the search engine's logo enjoying a party, complete with hats and streamers.
Its Zeitgeist 2011: Year In Review video clip is an ambitious attempt to tell the story of the past 12 months.
In
addition to showcasing Google's search products, Google+ and YouTube,
it includes images of a number of events that dominated the headlines,
including the death of singer Amy Winehouse, the Occupy protests, the
wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and the Japanese tsunami.
There
is a focus on events known to have been influenced by the internet and
social networking, such as the Arab Spring revolutions in Egypt and
Tunisia.
The clip also remembers some of those who passed away in
2011, including Apple supremo Steve Jobs, ex-heavyweight boxing champion
Joe Frazier and actress Elizabeth Taylor.