Google’s latest “Google Doodle” on the homepage of the search engine, a riff on the company’s logo that appears for the day, is one that superhero fans will love, a tribute to the late Christopher Reeve. Though he would go on to appear in countless other movies and TV shows, Reeve is best known for starring as Superman in the Richard Donner 1978 feature film and its three sequels. The Google Doodle made in tribute to Reeve was made for today to mark the occasion of what would have been Reeve’s 69th birthday. Check out the image for yourself below!
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After a career that was dominated by his appearances in the Superman movies, but which also included some TV roles and a refusal to be typecast in action films, Reeve suffered a life-changing injury after an accident while riding a horse which left him paralyzed from the neck down. He would go on to be an advocate for persons with disabilities around the globe. In a blog post about the making of the image, the company wrote:
“Reeve used his platform to bring increased awareness to topics related to disabilities and dedicated his life to driving positive change for the community. This included sponsoring bills to raise lifetime insurance “caps” to better support people with disabilities and helping pass the 1999 Work Incentives Improvement Act, which secured ongoing insurance payments to people with disabilities even after they return to work. He focused on efforts to directly improve the quality of life for people with disabilities by distributing millions in individual grants through his foundation and serving on the boards of various disability organizations with this aim. Reeve also advocated for support and government funding of responsible stem cell research to further the knowledge and treatment of numerous health conditions, including spinal cord injuries.”
The Reeve family also released a statement about the Google Doodle, writing:
“We are so thrilled that Google is honoring our father on what would have been his 69th birthday. While the world first knew him for his starring role in the 1978 film Superman, it was his courage and humanity following the accident that left him paralyzed that touched so many people around the globe. Our dream is that his message of hope and optimism, of pushing to achieve goals considered impossible, and his example of striving to make a difference in the world will continue to influence people around the globe.,..His legacy lives on through the work of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.”
