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Google Earth At 20 From Viral Launch To Time Travel Maps

Leo Migdal
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google earth at 20 from viral launch to time travel maps

We’re taking a look back at the major launches, moments and milestones that made Google Earth what it is today. Google Earth is celebrating 20 years of helping people explore the world. You can now access historical Street View imagery within Google Earth. Professionals can also use new features to evaluate building designs and access city-level insights. Google Earth is 20 years old and it helps people see the world. It has lots of pictures from planes, satellites, and even the street.

People use it to learn about the Earth and help their communities. Now, you can even see old Street View pictures on Google Earth. Okay, here are three haiku summarizing the Google Earth article, mentioning relevant Google products and services: Earth turns twenty now, Google Earth, Street View expands, History unfolds. It's hard to remember that while we can see the world at any time from our smartphones, it wasn't all that long ago that privilege was only available to governments and researchers. Before Google Earth, satellite imagery was only shown in the news or documentaries and was limited to the area being discussed.

But twenty years ago, Google launched Earth to the public, revolutionizing how we see our world and place in the cosmos. While Google Maps launched slightly earlier and has a huge impact on how we get around, Google Earth has been a boon to first responders after natural disasters, scientists looking for features of the... It's one of the most important GEOINT programs ever created, but it came from humble beginnings before Google folded it into its suite of tools. Google Maps has changed the way we see the world and continues to be an indispensable tool for users around the world. Keyhole was a nod to early surveillance satellites used by the U.S. military

Google Earth has its roots in video games, with a stop along the way at the CIA's venture capital firm. The core technology that would become the geospatial mapping tool was developed at Intrinsic Graphics, but the board wanted to focus on 3D engines for games, so the GEOINT tool got spun out as... Google Earth just hit a big milestone, its 20th birthday on June 10, and to celebrate, Google is adding a fun and fascinating new feature: historical Street View imagery. This means you can now see how neighborhoods and places looked in different years, basically taking a virtual trip back in time. This feature first showed up on Google Maps last year, and now it’s making its way to Google Earth’s 3D globe, making the experience even more immersive. With this update, you can easily switch between different time periods to see how a spot has changed.

Whether you want to zoom out for a bird’s eye view or stroll down the street level, this tool lets you watch the years roll by. Imagine revisiting your childhood home, watching a city grow, or tracking how forests and lakes have evolved over time. On Google Maps, the historical images go back as far as 80 years, and now Google Earth brings that same magic with a fresh, interactive spin. For 20 years we’ve been asking…What. Why. How.

When. Where #onEarth? It started with a globe and you took it from there. #onEarth https://t.co/ZtT4sbIeh7 pic.twitter.com/UVQEKPFKbU— Google Earth (@googleearth) June 24, 2025 But this feature isn’t just about nostalgia or fun. Google points out that it’s also a powerful tool for scientists and researchers studying how our planet is changing.

Seeing how places have transformed over decades can shed light on things like climate change, deforestation, and urban growth, helping us understand how human activities affect the Earth. There’s more on the horizon too. Soon, Google Earth Pro users will get AI-powered insights, thanks to Google’s new Gemini technology. This will let people ask natural questions about Earth, like how much tree coverage there is in a region, and get clear, easy-to-understand answers based on Google Earth’s massive data collection. It’s like having a smart assistant for geography right at your fingertips. Google Earth, the interactive digital globe known for its sweeping satellite views and exquisite 3D flyovers, is turning 20 years old this month.

To celebrate two decades of helping people explore every corner of the planet, from their childhood street to the top of Mount Everest, Google is launching new features aimed at both everyday users and... Since its launch in 2005, Google Earth has been used as a visual storytelling tool, a geography educator and an emotional time capsule. In the last year, people turned to Google Earth to search for places more than 2 billion times, according to Google, showing Earth's virtual twin still seems to have plenty to offer, even two... I myself love to use Google Earth when my friends or family travel, like when my sister just took a birthday trip to the Napa Valley, so I can simulate their trip with them... "Over the past two decades, people have used it to build more resilient cities, stronger communities and a healthier planet," Yael Maguire, general manager of Google Maps Platform and Google Earth, wrote in the... Below, I'll break down new features coming to Google Earth, and take a look back at some highlights and milestones of the platform since 2005.

One of the most expansive updates arriving is historical Street View imagery directly in Google Earth. This feature will let people rewind time to see how places have changed over the years. For instance, you can see a city block before it was gentrified or a skyline before a building boom. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Google Earth has turned 20, marking two decades of the service letting us spin the globe on our screens.

And to celebrate its 20th birthday, Google Earth is rolling out a nostalgic update: historical Street View, now baked right into the Earth experience. What started as a 3D map app is now a massive time machine in your pocket, full of satellite snapshots, rare discoveries, and even Hollywood-worthy reunions. With its latest update, you can now hop into Street View and roll back the clock to see how your city or street looked a decade or two ago. This feature even got social media buzzing recently with #somewhereonGoogleMaps as people virtually time-traveled to see how places evolved and find their loved ones in imagery. Beyond the fun of virtual tourism, Google Earth has racked up some pretty impressive milestones. Back in 2005, it was downloaded 100 million times in its first week.

When Hurricane Katrina hit just months later, first responders used updated satellite views from Google Earth to coordinate disaster response. Google Earth wowed everyone 20 years ago, and it’s still pretty cool. After 20 years, being able to look at any corner of the planet in Google Earth doesn’t seem that impressive, but it was a revolution in 2005. Google Earth has gone through a lot of changes in that time, and Google has some more lined up for the service’s 20th anniversary. Soon, Google Earth will help you travel back in time with historic Street View integration, and pro users will get some new “AI-driven insights”—of course Google can’t update a product without adding at least... Google Earth began its life as a clunky desktop client, but that didn’t stop it from being downloaded 100 million times in the first week.

Today, Google Earth is available on the web, in mobile apps, and in the Google Earth Pro desktop app. However you access Earth, you’ll find a blast from the past. For the service’s 20th anniversary, Google was inspired by a social media trend from last year in which people shared historical images of locations in Google Maps. Now, Google Earth is getting a “time travel” interface where you can see historical Street View images from almost any location. While this part isn’t new, Google is also using the 20th anniversary as an opportunity to surface its 3D timelapse feature. These animations use satellite data to show how an area has changed from a higher vantage point.

They’re just as cool as when they were announced in 2021. Google Earth now lets you step back in time at street level, thanks to the launch of historical Street View imagery. The feature arrives for the platform’s 20th anniversary and brings new AI-powered tools for professional users (like urban planners) in the U.S. Google Earth has always helped everyone see the world from above. Now, it lets you see how streets and neighborhoods have changed over the years. With the new update, you can slide through older Street View images right inside Google Earth.

Want to revisit your childhood block or watch a city skyline grow? Just move the timeline slider and see how places looked in the past. Until now, historical Street View was only available in Google Maps and the Earth Pro desktop app. This update brings it to the main Google Earth app on the web and mobile, making it easier for everyone to use. Historical street view imagery in Google Earth follows from its popularity in Google Maps. The #somewhereonGoogleMaps trend captured our nostalgia for places past and present.

Google Earth's 20th anniversary is as good a time as any to catch up with its milestones. The new historical Street View feature turns Google Earth into more than just a virtual globe. Now, it’s a visual time machine. You can trace your history or see how your favorite places have evolved. It’s fascinating to watch a vacant lot become a playground, or a quiet street transform into a busy neighborhood. Google Earth has transformed the way people explore and understand the world from its viral launch to its role in scientific discovery and environmental planning.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Google Earth looks back at some of the most significant moments in its history and highlights how it remains an essential tool for millions worldwide. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Google Earth, a tool that began as a novel way to explore satellite imagery and has grown into a platform with global reach and scientific significance. Launched in 2005, Google Earth captured the public’s imagination almost immediately, reaching 100 million downloads in its first week. Since then, it has evolved beyond a virtual globe to become a multifaceted resource for education, research, emergency response, environmental planning, and historical preservation, as well as a canvas for storytelling. “When we launched Google Earth 20 years ago, our mission was simple, yet powerful: give people a new way to understand our world. Since then, millions of people have been asking Earth questions, big and small, about the planet where we live.

It helps us uncover new insights, tell powerful stories, and see the world — and our impact on it — in a whole new light,” Google Earth says. In honor of its two-decade milestone, Google has introduced a new feature: historical Street View imagery directly within Google Earth. This addition enables users to scroll through time and view how places have evolved, a fitting tribute to a platform that has always sought to deepen our understanding of the world, both past and... Looking back, Google Earth’s impact stretches far beyond casual browsing. In 2005, just months after its launch, Google partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to provide real-time imagery to aid emergency responders during Hurricane Katrina. In the years that followed, scientists utilized the tool to discover previously undocumented coral reefs off Australia’s coast and to aid in locating fossil sites, which ultimately led to the identification of a new...

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