Larry Page & Sergey Brin

---

Larry Page was born in 1973 in East Lansing, Michigan, to a Jewish mother and a father who was a pioneer in computer science. Though raised in a secular household, Page was exposed to Jewish cultural identity and intellectual tradition. He credits his home environment—full of computers, magazines, and curiosity—for sparking his lifelong passion for technology and information.

Sergey Brin was born in 1973 in Moscow, USSR, to a Russian-Jewish family. His parents were scientists who faced anti-Semitic discrimination under Soviet rule, which limited their academic and career opportunities. In 1979, when Brin was six, the family immigrated to the United States as Jewish refugees. His experience as a Jewish immigrant shaped his values around freedom, access to knowledge, and the power of information—all of which would later influence Google’s mission.

Both were deeply curious, math-loving children who went on to earn degrees in computer science. They met at Stanford University, where their shared interest in organizing and accessing information changed the course of history.

Larry Page and Sergey Brin co-founded Google in 1998. While working on a research project at Stanford, they developed a revolutionary system called PageRank, which ranked web pages based on how many other pages linked to them—making search results far more useful than anything available at the time.

What began as a student project in a dorm room exploded into a global company that has shaped how people search for information, navigate the world, use email, store data, watch videos, and more. Google’s influence now spans across technology, education, communication, advertising, and even artificial intelligence.

Under their leadership, Google became one of the most influential tech companies in the world, pioneering products like Gmail, Google Maps, Android, YouTube (acquired), Chrome, and Google Translate—tools now used by billions of people daily. 

The impact of Larry Page and Sergey Brin is profound and global. Their innovation democratized access to information, putting the world’s knowledge within reach of anyone with an internet connection. Google changed how we learn, think, make decisions, and interact with technology. The phrase “Google it” became part of everyday language.

They also introduced ethical challenges: privacy, data collection, digital addiction, and the power of large tech companies. These debates continue today, as society grapples with how technology should evolve and be regulated.

Yet, their core idea—that access to information can empower people—remains one of the most transformative concepts of the 21st century. 

• Co-founded Google, the world’s most used search engine
   
• Developed PageRank, changing how we navigate the web
   
• Made global knowledge accessible to billions
   
• Launched tools like Gmail, Google Maps, Chrome, Android, and Drive
   
• Brought innovation to fields like AI, translation, and self-driving cars (Waymo)
   
• Embodied Jewish values of curiosity, justice, and freedom of thought
   
• Inspired global entrepreneurship and tech leadership

Scenario:
It’s 1997. You’re at Stanford. The web is messy and disorganized. You want to help people find what they’re looking for.

Task:
Students work in teams to “invent” their own search engine. They must:

• Name it
   
• Design a basic homepage
   
• Explain how it ranks results (What matters more: links? words? pictures?)
   
• Present to the class
   

Bonus: Compare with how PageRank works and discuss why it was groundbreaking. 

Game Setup:
Students are given 5–10 unusual questions they must “Google” responsibly.

BUT:

• They must explain why they chose the sources they did.
   
• They must verify whether it’s true or biased, fact or opinion.
   

Example Questions:

• What’s a googolplex?
   
• How does Google Translate work?
   
• Who owns your YouTube data?
   
• How many languages does Google support?
   

Skills Reinforced:

• Media literacy
   
• Responsible tech use
   
• Critical thinking