A tour of Google's first garage in 1998
Many of you will remember 1998 as a wonderful year, when you played endless hours of Snake on your mobile phone, listening to "Baby One More Time", at the end of the sound, on the discman. At the same time, in the old, abandoned garage of Susan Wojcicki, California, two college students, Larry and Sergey, decided to organize the information of the world so that it was accessible to all.
So, celebrating Google's 20th birthday, we invite you to travel back in time and take a virtual walk through Google's first "garage" in Street View - which is maintained (almost) exactly as it was 20 years ago.
Entering through the side door of the garage, you will notice a familiar Search box on an old “CRT” computer screen, resting on a heavy wooden work table with yellow legs. Larry and Sergey were excited that the price of renting the space included the use of the washing machine and dryer.
And as you walk down the aisle, chasing the wires that are tangled in your legs, you will come across a bedroom (the so-called "headquarters") with a white board that reads, in black letters, "Google World Headquarters." In another painting, you will see a flattering tribute to the Google logo in 1998. Doesn't it remind you a bit of the wallpaper in your grandparents' house?
As the group grew to six people, the workspaces expanded to three small bedrooms on the ground floor. Search around and you will discover a folding little sphere with the rainbow, a surf track for frogs a dinosaur, a ping pong table and the keyboard for music breaks.
And if you want to take a look at the history of Google, discover the hidden door and turn on the neon lights to find yourself in Wonderland.
