Black History Month, Pride Month, public holidays no longer appear on Google Calendar
The start of Black History Month and Pride Month will no longer be recognized by Google Calendar, and now users will have to manually add observed commemorative months and public holidays themselves, the tech company said.
Google had previously manually added both months and some other public holidays and national observances on its Calendar app, but that will change going forward.
In a statement emailed to USA TODAY, a Google spokesperson said, "For over a decade we've worked with timeanddate.com to show public holidays and national observances in Google Calendar. Some years ago, the Calendar team started manually adding a broader set of cultural moments in a wide number of countries around the world."
"We got feedback that some other events and countries were missing — and maintaining hundreds of moments manually and consistently globally wasn't scalable or sustainable," the statement continued. "So in mid-2024 we returned to showing only public holidays and national observances from timeanddate.com globally, while allowing users to manually add other important moments.'
According to timeanddate's website, the Stavanger, Norway-based company has 40 employees and contains more than 7,600 holidays in its database.
Some of the other moments that will no longer appear are numerous "celebrations" on various topics around the world, such as Teachers Day, according to the Google spokesperson. Although Black History Month, Lunar New Year and other observed commemorative months won't be on Calendars, Google said they "actively celebrate and promote cultural moments as a company in our products."
The spokesperson also said public holidays and national observances are two categories shown on Google Calendar, and users can customize their settings within the app to either show, hide or unhide them.
This change in Google's Calendar app comes after the company recently changed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on its Maps app. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Jan. 20 to officially rename the Gulf of Mexico.
"I took this action in part because, as stated in that Order, '(t)he area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico has long been an integral asset to our once burgeoning Nation and has remained an indelible part of America," Trump said in a White House news release.
In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, Google said it has a "longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources." The company also said it abides by the U.S. Geological Survey's geographic updates, including changing the Alaskan mountain currently called Denali to "Mount McKinley."
According to Google's X post, official geographical names will vary between countries as Maps users will see their official local name while everyone in the rest of the world sees both names.
Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr./ USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Google Calendar removes public holidays, national observances
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
38 minutes ago
- Forbes
Google's Quiet Confirmation Of The Pixel 10
Google's "Talking Phones Podcast" title card Google is having a little bit of fun in its latest iPhone vs Pixel video. While the Pixel 9 Pro takes pride of place, there's also a surprising cameo for what comes next… the Pixel 10. The Pixel 10 Easter Egg The details come at the end of Google's latest promotional video posted on its Made By Google YouTube channel. In it, an iPhone and a Pixel talk about the recent advances made by Apple's smartphone, with a not at all surprised Pixel noting when that feature arrived on Pixel and Android. These include live translation, hold assistance and call screening arriving four, five and seven years ago respectively., Of course, the capabilities of all these features have improved significantly over the last few years, so there are shades of Oranges to (ahem) Apples here, but it makes Google's point effectively. The story of Android being ahead of iOS is here for all to hear. The little easter egg at the end is part of another story, leading into the next Pixel release. The iPhone quietly asks the Pixel 9 Pro, 'so, what are you working on for Pixel 10… just out of curiosity?' Naming The Pixel 10 It's no secret that Google is working on the next family of Pixel smartphones. Neither is it a secret that we're expecting an entry-level Pixel 10, a premium Pixel 10 Pro, a larger Pixel 10 Pro XL and an innovative Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Yet this is the first time Google has publicly acknowledged that the new handsets will carry the Pixel 10 branding. Although the sharp-eared watchers will note that it was the iPhone confirming the new Pixel 10, not the Pixel 9 Pro. So, did Apple confirm the new name, rather than Google? Google is expected to announce the Pixel 10 family at an upcoming Made By Google event. While dates have not been confirmed, talk within the community picks out Wednesday, Aug. 20 for the launch, and Thursday, Aug 28. for the first handsets to go on sale to the public. Now read how the Pixel 10 will impact every Android smartphone in 2025 and beyond…
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Gold prices should hit $4,000 as U.S. deficits may overshadow the Israel-Iran conflict, BofA says
Wars and geopolitical conflicts typically aren't long-term growth drivers for gold prices, according to analysts at Bank of America, which sees the precious metal reaching $4,000 an ounce over the next year. Despite the Israel-Iran conflict heating up, the outlook for gold is likely to be swayed more by the U.S. budget deficit. Gold is often seen as a safe-haven asset during times of global turmoil, but wars and geopolitical conflicts typically aren't long-term growth drivers for gold prices, according to analysts at Bank of America. In fact, gold has actually dipped 2% in the week since Israel began its airstrikes on Iran. Meanwhile, tensions are ramping as reports Saturday said B-2 stealth bombers are headed over the Pacific. That's as President Donald Trump weighs involvement in the conflict, potentially with bombers dropping massive 'bunker busters' on heavily fortified Iranian nuclear sites. In a note on Friday, BofA analysts said they expect gold prices to reach $4,000 per ounce in the next year, representing an 18% jump from current levels. 'While the war between Israel and Iran can always escalate, conflicts are not usually a sustained bullish price driver,' they wrote. 'As such, the trajectory of the US budget negotiations will be critical, and if fiscal shortfalls don't decline, the fallout from that plus market volatility may end up attracting more buyers.' The Israel-Iran conflict has drawn attention away from Trump's tax-and-spending bill making its way through Congress. While the House and Senate versions have key differences that need to be reconciled before it can become law, the bill's fiscal impact is still expected to add trillions of dollars to U.S. deficits in the coming years. That's raised fears about the sustainability of U.S. debt and global demand for the flood of Treasury bonds that will be issued to finance all the red ink. And amid Trump's trade war, the U.S. dollar—traditionally viewed as a haven asset—has suffered as well, slumping against other top currencies and providing more upside to gold. Central banks around the world have dumped $48 billion in Treasuries since late March alone. At the same time, central banks keep buying gold, continuing a trend that began years earlier. A recent survey from the World Gold Council found that geopolitical instability and potential trade conflicts are chief reasons why central banks in emerging economies are shifting toward gold at a much faster rate than those in advanced economies. BofA estimated the central banks' gold holdings are now equivalent to just under 18% of outstanding U.S. public debt, up from 13% a decade ago. 'That tally should be a warning for US policymakers. Ongoing apprehension over trade and US fiscal deficits may well divert more central bank purchases away from US Treasuries to gold,' analysts warned. Meanwhile, the market still doesn't appear to be overexposed to gold. BofA estimated that investors have allocated just 3.5% of their portfolios to gold. And regardless of how Congress ends up rewriting the budget bill, analysts said deficits will remain elevated. 'Therefore, market concerns over fiscal sustainability are unlikely to fade no matter the result of Senate negotiations,' BofA predicted. 'Rates volatility and a weaker USD should then keep gold supported, especially if the US Treasury or the Fed are ultimately forced to step in and support markets.' This story was originally featured on
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Top economist who previously sounded the alarm on tariffs sees a possible scenario where Trump ‘outsmarted all of us'
Torsten Sløk, chief economist at Apollo Global Management, laid out a potential scenario where President Donald Trump's tariffs are extended long enough to ease economic uncertainty while also providing a significant bump to federal revenue. That comes as the 90-day pause on Trump's 'reciprocal tariffs' is nearing an end. Businesses and consumers remain in limbo over what will happen next with President Donald Trump's tariffs, but a top economist sees a way to leave them in place and still deliver a 'victory for the world.' In a note on Saturday titled 'Has Trump Outsmarted Everyone on Tariffs?', Apollo Global Management Chief Economist Torsten Sløk laid out a scenario that keeps tariffs well below Trump's most aggressive rates long enough to ease uncertainty and avoid the economic harm that comes with it. 'Maybe the strategy is to maintain 30% tariffs on China and 10% tariffs on all other countries and then give all countries 12 months to lower non-tariff barriers and open up their economies to trade,' he speculated. That comes as the 90-day pause on Trump's 'reciprocal tariffs,' which triggered a massive selloff on global markets in April, is nearing an end early next month. The temporary reprieve was meant to give the U.S. and its trade partners time to negotiate deals. But aside from an agreement with the U.K. and another short-term deal with China to step back from prohibitively high tariffs, few others have been announced. Meanwhile, negotiations are ongoing with other top trading partners. Trump administration officials have been saying for weeks that the U.S. is close to reaching deals. On Saturday, Sløk said extending the deadline one year would give other countries and U.S. businesses more time to adjust to a 'new world with permanently higher tariffs.' An extension would also immediately reduce uncertainty, giving a boost to business planning, employment, and financial markets. 'This would seem like a victory for the world and yet would produce $400 billion of annual revenue for US taxpayers,' he added. 'Trade partners will be happy with only 10% tariffs and US tax revenue will go up. Maybe the administration has outsmarted all of us.' Sløk's speculation is notable as he previously sounded the alarm on Trump's tariffs. In April, he warned tariffs have the potential to trigger a recession by this summer. Also in April, before the U.S. and China reached a deal to temporarily halt triple-digit tariffs, he said the trade war between the two countries would pummel American small businesses. More certainty on tariffs would give the Federal Reserve a clearer view on inflation as well. For now, most policymakers are in wait-and-see mode, as tariffs are expected to have stagflationary effects. But a split has emerged. Fed Governor Christopher Waller said Friday that economic data could justify lower interest rates as early as next month, expecting only a one-off impact from tariffs. But San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly also said Friday a rate cut in the fall looks more appropriate, rather than a cut in July. Still, Sløk isn't alone in wondering whether Trump's tariffs may not be as harmful to the economy and financial markets as feared. Chris Harvey, Wells Fargo Securities' head of equity strategy, expects tariffs to settle in the 10%-12% range, low enough to have a minimal impact, and sees the S&P 500 soaring to 7,007, making him Wall Street's biggest bull. He added that it's still necessary to make progress on trade and reach deals with big economies like India, Japan and the EU. That way, markets can focus on next year, rather near-term tariff impacts. 'Then you can start to extrapolate out,' he told CNBC last month. 'Then the market starts looking through things. They start looking through any sort of economic slowdown or weakness, and then we start looking to '26 not at '25.' This story was originally featured on
