How did Google change your life? Just google it

Hyderabad: Twenty-five years ago, if you visited Google.com, which threw up a mostly plain webpage in white background, you would not have guessed even in your dream that it would become an inseparable part of your life — a guide, a teacher, a friend and much more.

Launched by Stanford University students Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998, Google transformed itself from being a web search engine to a technology giant with interests spread across multiple domains.

As Google.com celebrates its 25th anniversary, people reminisce about their association with a mundane search engine that converted itself into a synonym for search.

"When I first used the internet in the late 1990s, it was a whole new world for me. Google, with its simple interface and lightning-fast search results, made the internet accessible to people like me who were late to the game. I felt it like magic, even though it took me more than a decade to use and understand it," 62-year-old George Samuel, a teaching professional, told Deccan Chronicle.

S Abhishek, an IT professional, said that the search engine was a game-changer during his teenage years. "I can't count how many school projects and research papers I completed with the help of Google. We were all so surprised to see how information was available at the click of a button, and how we could see and learn from things that were on the other side of the globe. Even the current euphoria about Artificial Intelligence could be a match to our astonishment for Google decades ago," he added.

Abhinaya Mamidanna, a final-year degree student, said: "For my generation, Google has always been there. It's like a best friend who knows the answer to everything. Growing up with Google, I can't imagine a life without it. It has been my go-to for homework, learning new things, staying in touch with schoolmates and finding jobs or planning a trip."

Anoop Garg, a software engineer from the city, said that the progress Google has made in 25 years is astonishing. "From search to Gmail, Google Maps, and so much more, it has revolutionised the tech world. Its commitment to innovation and user-centric design has set a high standard for the industry."