[Update: 2020] Google marks Memorial Day with ‘Taps’ bugle call, gray Doodle

May 27th in the United States is Memorial Day. A Google Doodle today is honoring this national holiday with a special message on its homepage that will play the “Taps” bugle call at 3PM local time.

Update 5/1/20: This year, the Taps bugle call is accessed when searching for “Memorial Day.” The Knowledge Panel at the right has a “Moment of Remembrance” section that links to a YouTube video.

Meanwhile, the Doodle itself is a gray Google logo against a simple white background. On desktop, the American flag is displayed below the search field. This look is particularly striking if you have dark mode enabled on Android in the Google app, as well as Discover to the left of homescreens.

Original 5/1/19: A post on the official Keyword company blog discusses Memorial Day and how it differs from Veterans Day. It’s written by Nick Ralston a Program Manager, Google Veterans Network Lead, and former Marine Major.

People often confuse Memorial Day as another Veterans Day. The more you learn or the closer you are to its true meaning, the harder it is to balance the prescribed celebration with the sadness and solemnity of the sacrifices by the fallen men and women who are remembered on this day. But that’s the point: Remembrance.

At the moment, Google.com, the mobile Search apps, and the New Tab page in Chrome have been updated with a light gray version of the company’s logo. Clicking will perform a search for “memorial day” with an American flag banner visible just below the app bar.

Underneath the Google Doodle for Memorial Day is a folded American flag and message that invites you to observe the National Moment of Remembrance.

If you’re looking for a way to honor those who have sacrificed, we invite you to join us. The National Moment of Remembrance occurs at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day. The act, passed by Congress, asks that all Americans pause for one minute and simply remember. Baseball games will stop. Amtrak whistles will sound.

At 3PM local time, users visiting Google.com will be greeted with a grayed out version of the homepage and a start button. Clicking plays Taps — “the recognizable and haunting bugle call that is played at military funerals and is just about a minute long.” It is performed by Lance Corporal Teal Ewer of The United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corps.

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