The striking, fiery woman featured on Google’s latest Doodle is none other than Spanish dancer Lola Flores, who would have celebrated her 93rd birthday on Thursday.
Born María Dolores Flores Ruiz in 1923 in the southern Spanish town of Jerez de la Frontera, Flores rose to fame in the 1950s and 1960s as a dancer, singer and actress, not just in her native country but also across Mexico and the U.S.
Known as much for her hit songs like “Pena Penita” (Little Sorrow) as her popular nicknames like “La Faraona” (the Pharaoh, a reference to the supposedly Egyptian features resulting from her partial Gypsy heritage), she died in 1995 after a prolonged battle with cancer.
Describing her in 1952, TIME wrote: “Some other dancers have perhaps been more beautiful. But none combined beauty, grace and voice like Lola Flores.”
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Jane Fonda Champions Climate Action for Every Generation
- Biden’s Campaign Is In Trouble. Will the Turnaround Plan Work?
- Why We're Spending So Much Money Now
- The Financial Influencers Women Actually Want to Listen To
- Breaker Sunny Choi Is Heading to Paris
- Why TV Can’t Stop Making Silly Shows About Lady Journalists
- The Case for Wearing Shoes in the House
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Rishi Iyengar at rishi.iyengar@timeasia.com