Google News turns eight

Posted by Krishna Bharat, founder and engineering head, and Chris Beckmann, product manager, Google News

(Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog)

Today we celebrate the eighth birthday of Google News. Not long after the tragic events of September 11, 2001, we started building and testing Google News with the aim of helping you find current events from a wide variety of global and political perspectives. On September 22, 2002, Google News rolled out to all English-language readers, with a dedicated News tab on Google.com.


Over the years we’ve made thousands of changes to deliver more news to more users—faster, and with enhanced customization, sharing and serendipity. We’ve added video, local news, custom sections, scanned newspaper archives and a redesigned homepage. We’ve grown from 4,000 sources to more than 50,000, and from one English edition to 72 editions in 30 languages.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our loyal users and the news publishers working hard to keep you informed. Thousands of stories are made more discoverable through Google News each day. Based on the number of articles indexed by Google News, here are the largest news stories from each of the last eight years:

• 2003: Iraq War begins with the invasion of Iraq by the U.S. and allied forces
• 2004: George W. Bush defeats Senator John Kerry in U.S. Presidential election
• 2005: Hurricane Katrina strikes U.S. Gulf Coast
• 2006: Democrats take Congress and Nancy Pelosi becomes first female speaker of the House
• 2007: Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is assassinated
• 2008: Barack Obama elected 44th president of the United States
• 2009: Death of Michael Jackson
• 2010 (to date): 7.0-magnitude earthquake occurs in Haiti

The 2008 election of President Obama takes the cake as the biggest news story since Google News was born.

This year, as we blow out our candles we’ll make one wish: that we serve you—our users and publishing partners—better than ever before in the years to come.

TV Show Inspires Student Led Clean-up!!

Yazmin Miles-Watson was watching the Erin Simpson Show yesterday after school, and was inspired by the show's star, to go out and clean up her own street. The clean up is part of National Clean Up NZ week which runs from 17 Sept to 24 Sept. In just an hour Yaz, (aged 11 yrs,) filled three supermarket bags from around her street. Today at school, she gave up her morning tea and lunch times to do a thorough clean up of the bushes and trees along the school boundary! She inspired some friends to join her, and they cleaned up other areas of the school.

Most of the boundary rubbish was from people who pass through the school grounds outside of school hours. There were wrappers, cigarette butts and beer bottles which were "disgusting" explained Yaz.

Yaz (pictured with Line Kalolo) hopes to encourage more of her classmates to help clean up other areas of the school community.

Fantastic Addington Attitude Yaz!! We are very proud of the initiative you have taken, and the inspiration you are to our school.

School Up and Running!!

Addington School children were back at school today, catching up with friends, sharing stories and practicing their "Drop, Cover and Hold" moves.
Room 7 produced some great art work for their cloakroom about their experiences during the past week.

We are all pleased to be back and returning to our normal routines.

School Closure

School will not be open until Monday the 13 Sept. See you all then.

School Closure until 13 Sept

Because of the Earthquake to our area on Saturday 4 September Schools and early childhood services within the boundaries of Christchurch City Council, Waimakariri (including Rangiora) District Council and Selwyn District Council will be closed to students and children until Monday 13 September.

Reading Discovery Graduation and Celebration!

Today two students, Mackenzie Wallace and Andrew Sparks celebrated their graduation from Reading Discovery with a special morning tea. At the celebration were Reading Discovery Teacher Pat Watson , class teacher Mrs Douglas, Mrs Barr and invited guests Andrew and McKenzie's Mums, Grandparent reader Mrs Rainey, Ms Heath and Ms Meachen.

Both Andrew and McKenzie entered the programme reading at level 2-3 and have finished off on level 19-20!! Fantastic, and a great example of how successful the partnership between home and school can be.