Google Doodle Tips Hat to the World’s Workers on Labor Day

As workers in many parts of the world enjoy a day off on May 1, Google’s new Doodle celebrates the history of Labor Day, also known as International Workers’ Day.

Drawing inspiration from vintage posters and murals made under the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression in the U.S. in the 1930s, Monday’s illustration honors a range of workers from farmers, to architects, to manufacturers and more.

May 1 commemorates a 1886 strike of thousands of American workers, and nationwide protests numbering an estimated 300,000 people, demanding the implementation of an 8-hour workday. Days after the demonstrations began, a firebomb launched at police in Chicago triggered days of deadly riots known as the Haymarket Affair.

The holiday was initially promulgated by Second International, a group of socialist and labor parties founded in Paris in the late 1880s, and has been observed regularly since 1891. Labor Day is celebrated on May 1 in many countries offering a brief respite for workers across the globe. Some countries mark the holiday on other dates of national significance, however, such as the U.S., where it is observed on Sept. 1.