What was the subject of the first Google Doodle in 1998?

The subject of the first Google Doodle in 1998 was the Burning Man festival.

Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin created the Doodle to mark their attendance at Burning Man in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. The temporary logo also served a practical purpose: it signaled to users that the founders were away and that the company’s servers might not receive immediate attention if a problem occurred.

The original Doodle was a simple stick-figure design placed behind Google’s logo. At the time, Google Doodles were not yet a regular feature of the homepage. Later Doodles commemorated holidays, major events, artists, scientists, and historical figures, eventually becoming a distinctive part of Google’s visual identity.

Burning Man is an annual gathering known for art installations, creative self-expression, and the temporary community built in the Nevada desert. The first Doodle was therefore both a personal announcement from Google’s founders and the beginning of a long-running tradition. It was not created for Christmas, Easter, or the Olympics.