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Google doodle pays tribute to Kitty O’Neil, illustrating her in a orange suit with helmet

Google commissioned a deaf artist to portray her life for her 77th birthday. Meeya Tjiang’s doodle depicted O’Neil leaping from a helicopter, riding a race vehicle, and smiling triumphantly in an orange costume on a blue and white background.

New Delhi: On Friday, Google Doodle paid homage to Kitty O’Neil, an American stunt artist who was once the world’s fastest woman. Ms. O’Neil was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, on this date in 1946 to a Cherokee Native American mother and an Irish father. Despite her deafness, she was an amazing lady who carved a career in the highly competitive fields of high-speed sports and deadly feats.

Google commissioned a deaf artist to portray her life for her 77th birthday. Meeya Tjiang’s doodle depicted O’Neil leaping from a helicopter, riding a race vehicle, and smiling triumphantly in an orange costume on a blue and white background.

According to Google, Ms O’Neil battled various ailments when she was only a few months old, resulting in a high fever that rendered her deaf. Throughout her childhood, she acquired many communication modes and adapted for diverse audiences, eventually liking speaking and lip reading the most.


Ms O’Neil never considered her deafness as a hindrance; rather, she saw it as an advantage. Despite her difficulties, she remained determined to achieving her dream of being a professional athlete, according to Google.

Ms O’Neil accomplished her greatest feat in 1976, when she drove a rocket-powered car at 512.76 miles per hour across Oregon’s Alvord Desert. She surpassed the previous women’s land-speed record and had her sights set on breaking the men’s record as well. She was never given the opportunity to break the overall record, nevertheless, because doing so would have upset the status quo. She even went to court to fight her case, but it was futile.