By Don Tomslee
Copyright indiatimes
TOI-OnlineGoogle celebrates 27 years since Stanford students Larry Page and Sergey Brin accidentally misspelled “googol” as “Google” during domain registration, creating the search giant’s iconic brand name from mathematical term meaning 10 to the power of 100
Google derives from the mathematical term “googol,” representing 1 followed by 100 zeros or 10 raised to the power of 100. The term was coined by Milton Sirotta, nephew of mathematician Edward Kasner, and reflects founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page’s ambition to organize vast amounts of information through their search engine.The name choice represents the company’s goal of handling enormous volumes of data and search queries across the internet. The mathematical reference emphasizes the scale of information processing that Google’s search algorithm was designed to manage.Google was not the original name chosen by Stanford University PhD students Sergey Brin and Larry Page when they developed their search engine concept. The initial name for their search technology was “BackRub,” which operated before the 1997 rebranding effort.Also read: Google turns 27 today: Why the search engine celebrates its birthday today? Check special, nostalgic DoodlThe core development team began brainstorming alternative names in 1997, seeking a title that would reflect the enormous volume of search results their engine could provide. The team wanted a name that conveyed the comprehensive scope of information available through their search technology.Live EventsGoogle spelling mistake: how domain registration error created brandThe Google name resulted from an accidental misspelling during domain availability research. The team initially considered “Googolplex,” representing a number with nearly incomprehensible size – 1 followed by a googol of zeros. However, the team preferred the shorter mathematical term “googol.”Sean Anderson, a Stanford graduate student involved in the naming process, conducted an internet search to verify domain name availability. During this search, Anderson misspelled “googol” as “google,” discovering that the incorrectly spelled domain was available for registration.Larry Page approved the misspelled version, and google.com was registered within hours of the discovery. The accidental spelling mistake became the permanent brand name for the search engine company.Google company history: from Stanford garage to Alphabet subsidiaryGoogle launched in 1998 when Stanford PhD students Sergey Brin and Larry Page established their search engine company. The official incorporation date was September 4, 1998, though Google celebrates its anniversary on September 27 to commemorate internal company milestones.The company began operations from a garage in Menlo Park before growing into a global technology corporation. Google became a wholly owned subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., a holding company established in 2015 to organize Google’s various business ventures.Google current leadership: Sundar Pichai as CEO of Google and AlphabetSundar Pichai currently serves as CEO of both Google and parent company Alphabet Inc. The publicly traded company maintains its original founders as key stakeholders, with Brin and Page continuing as board members with voting control over major corporate decisions.Also read: Shoot, speak, search: New AI led Google Search Live to launch in IndiaThe leadership structure preserves the founders’ influence over company direction while allowing professional management to handle daily operations. Google’s evolution from a Stanford research project to a subsidiary of Alphabet demonstrates the growth trajectory enabled by the accidentally misspelled brand name.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now!
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