The original "Google in 1998" Easter egg was created by Google to celebrate its 15th anniversary in 2013. Users could activate it by typing "Google in 1998" into the Google search bar and pressing Enter. This would change the search results page to resemble Google's appearance in 1998, when Larry Page and Sergey Brin were just starting the company. It was a way for users to take a nostalgic trip back to the early days of the search engine. The domain google.com was registered on September 15, 1997.

The original Easter egg displayed a recreation of the Google search results page (SERP) from 1998. It featured the older Google logo (with an exclamation point!), a simpler layout, and links to resources like "Stanford Search" and "Linux Search." The page also included a copyright notice from 1998. The design was very basic, reflecting the early days of web design, with minimal HTML. It offered a glimpse of the early search algorithm developed by Larry Page and Sergey Brin at Stanford.

The Easter egg was well-received as a fun, nostalgic throwback. It reminded users of how far Google had come in 15 years, from a Stanford research project to a global technology giant. It generated buzz online and in news articles, highlighting Google's history and evolution. Many users appreciated the glimpse into the simpler, less cluttered internet of the late 1990s. It also highlighted how much search engine results pages had changed, from simple blue links to the more complex and dynamic results of the modern era, including integrated features like images, videos, and news.

We decided to enhance this Easter egg because the original version, while nostalgic, only showed the search results page. It didn't capture the full experience of using Google in 1998, which started with the homepage. We wanted to provide a more complete and immersive trip back in time, allowing users to see what it was like to arrive at Google's front door in its early days. We felt that recreating the homepage was more suitable and fun than a simple display of old search results.

The key difference between our enhanced version and the original is that we've recreated the full Google homepage from 1998, not just the search results page. The original Google Easter egg only changed the appearance of the SERP after a search for "Google in 1998." Our version presents the 1998 homepage immediately. Furthermore, we've embedded the recreated homepage within a simulated Internet Explorer 4.0 browser window, adding another layer of authenticity to the experience. IE 4.0 was a popular browser at that time, and its interface contributes to the retro feel. We also utilized a pixelated font that closely mimics the visual style of the original 1998 Google homepage.

When you scroll to the top of this page and click the button, you'll be transported to a recreation of the Google homepage as it appeared in 1998. You'll see the classic Google logo with its exclamation point, the simple search box, and links to "Stanford Search," "Linux Search," "About Google," and options to get Google updates monthly. It's all presented within the frame of an Internet Explorer 4.0 window, complete with the old-style browser buttons and menus (though these are primarily for visual effect). You can type in a search query just like you would have back then, and it will utilize the Google search engine of 1998. You will see how search results used to be displayed in that period.

The "Google in 1998" Easter egg is a fascinating look back at the early days of the internet and the search engine that would come to dominate it. Our enhanced version on this website takes the nostalgia a step further, offering a more complete and immersive recreation of the 1998 Google experience. It's a reminder of how quickly technology evolves and how far Google has come. We encourage you to explore this and other restored and enhanced Easter eggs on this website, each a unique piece of internet history.