Google honours founder of Paralympic movement Ludwig Guttmann with a doodle

Google today, on July 3, shared a doodle celebrating birth anniversary of German-born, British neurologist Professor Sir Ludwig Guttmann. Known as the “founder of the Paralympic movement’, this year marks his 112nd birth anniversary.

Taking to Twitter, the tech giant shared a doodle. They also shared a blog link documenting the life and works of Guttmann.

“Happy birthday to German-born, British neurologist Prof. Sir Ludwig Guttmann! An innovator who helped patients rehabilitate through sports, Guttmann is the founder of the Paralympic movement,” they wrote. They also added that the doodle is created by cartoonist Ashanti Fortson.

Guttmann was born in Tost, Germany and received his PhD in 1924, informs the blog shared by Google. He then began his research work and by his early thirties was considered as “one of Germany’s top neurosurgeons.” However, with the rise of Nazi party and “the increasing persecution of Jews in Germany” he escaped to England in 1939.

In the new country, he continued his research in paraplegia and put his innovative approach into practice. Then in 1948, he organized a 16-person archery contest that was “one of the first official competitive sporting events for wheelchair users.” It was later called the “Stoke Mandeville Games”.

Guttmann facilitated the International Stoke Mandeville Games in 1960, following the 1960 Summer Olympics, the first of many Paralympic Games. For his remarkable contributions, he was also knighted by Her Majesty the Queen in 1966.