Google has updated its online calendar by removing default references to several holidays and cultural events. Users have reported that mentions of Pride Month and Black History Month, among other observances, are no longer visible in their desktop and mobile apps.
The changes sparked discussions online over the past week, especially with notable upcoming events that are missing from the automatic listings. However, Google stated that this modification was made in the middle of last year.
The tech giant, based in California, explained that it had been adding “a broader set of cultural moments across various countries” over the years, supplementing public holidays and national observances sourced from timeanddate.com, which have populated Google Calendar for over a decade. Nevertheless, the company noted that it received feedback about other events and countries that were not included.
“Maintaining hundreds of moments manually and consistently on a global scale wasn’t viable or sustainable,” Google remarked in a statement to The Associated Press. “Thus, in mid-2024, we reverted to displaying only public holidays and national observances from timeanddate.com for global users, allowing them to add other significant moments manually.”
Google did not supply a comprehensive list of the cultural events that were previously included before last year’s revisions, which are now absent by default.
However, users on social media and product specialists on community forums have highlighted several holidays and cultural observances that are no longer visible. This includes the initial days of Pride Month and Black History Month, as well as the commencement of Indigenous Peoples Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Verge first reported on many of these missing events last week.
Time and Date AS, based in Norway and responsible for timeanddate.com, did not respond immediately to requests for comment on Tuesday. The website provides various country-specific lists of holidays and observances around the globe — some of which include cultural awareness events such as Pride and Black History Month — yet those related to public holidays are more limited.
Google Maps: Gulf of America
In addition to the Calendar changes, Google has also drawn attention for its recent decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico and Denali on Google Maps. This follows directives from President Donald Trump to refer to the body of water bordering the U.S., Mexico, and Cuba as the Gulf of America, and to revert the name of America’s tallest mountain back to Mt. McKinley.
“We have a long-standing practice of implementing name changes when they have been officially updated in government sources,” Google stated last month. The company also noted that its maps would reflect updates from the Geographic Names Information System, which catalogs over a million geographic features in the U.S.
Google confirmed on Monday that the Gulf of America name has officially come into effect. Users of Google Maps in the U.S. now exclusively see the Gulf of America, while users in other countries still see both names. Denali continues to be displayed on both Google Maps and the GNIS.
Moreover, the renaming on Google Maps is not the only adjustment the company has made in response to recent actions from the Trump administration. Last week, Google announced its plans to eliminate some diversity hiring goals — aligning with a growing trend among U.S. companies that have scaled back or abandoned diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. This decision followed an executive order that pressured government contractors to cease DEI efforts. Being a federal contractor, Google stated it was assessing the necessary changes.
