Who was Steve Irwin whose birthday Google is celebrating with a Doodle?

Steve Irwin’s birthday is being celebrated today with a Google Doodle, depicting his life and interests.

(Courtesy: sunshinecoastdaily.com.au)

Many of us know Irwin as the TV star who used to anchor the hit show The Crocodile Hunter with his wife Terri, in which his two little kids Bindi and Robert were regular fixtures. But before becoming this Pop Culture figure, he created a legacy for himself which is still cherished not just in Australia, but all over the world.

Steve Irwin was given the love for wildlife by his parents, Bob and Lyn Irwin in the form of his 6th birthday’s present. The gift was an eleven-foot python. So you can understand that the whole family had a thing for wildlife.

Irwin’s parents even opened a wildlife park in Beerwah, then known as Beerwah Reptile Park. It is now famously known as the Australian Zoo.

(Courtesy: Kodkey)

Later in his life, Irwin chose wildlife conservation as his career and passion and wrestled with crocodiles. He met his wife, Terri on her visit to the Australian Zoo, where he used to work. It was their honeymoon in the zoo which triggered the idea of having a TV show on wildlife and hence came “The Crocodile Hunter” into being.

For his achievements and contributions towards the safety and conservation of wild animals, he received many honors such as the Centenary Medal for a lifetime of service in 2001. He was also nominated for the Australian of the Year Award in 2004 and endowed a star of the Hollywood Wall of Fame after his death.

Irwin died in 2006 as he was impaled through the chest by a stingray in the Great Barrier Reef.