Google Doodle Celebrates George Peabody, ‘The Father of Modern Philanthropy’
On March 16, 1867, philanthropist George Peabody received the Congressional Gold Medal for his charitable contributions to the world. And 151 years later, Google Doodle is honoring the "father of modern philanthropy" for his achievement with a colorful animation.
Peabody was born in 1795 in South Danvers, Massachusetts to a poor family and moved to London — then a hub for banking — in 1837. He played a major role in establishing national credit for the United States, which was a young country at the time. As he got older, he became known for donating generous amounts of his income to charitable causes. He established the Peabody Trust to assist in housing for the poor in London. Back home, he established the Peabody Education Fund to assist in the intellectual and moral development of underprivileged children in southern states.
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He earned a long list of awards and honors both during his lifetime and posthumously. His hometown of Danvers was renamed to Peabody in his honor a year before his death in London in 1869.
Check out the creation of today's Doodle below:
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