Google doodle celebrates Percy Julian's birthday

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Google honors late chemist Percy Julian with today’s Google doodle.

The Alabama native was born to two former slaves, and while he faced much adversity, still attained his Ph.D. at the University of Vienna in Austria.

His research led to advances in birth control and treatments for both arthritis and glaucoma.

After establishing his own laboratory, Julian became one of America’s first black millionaires when he sold it in 1961.

In 1973, Julian was the first black chemist ever to be elected to the National Academy of the Sciences.

Today would have been Julian’s 115th birthday.

This Google doodle is the latest in Google’s effort to diversify their doodles.

Ella Fitzgerald, Zora Neale Thurston and Dorothy Height are among the African-Americans honored by Google in the past year.

Follow Carrie Healey on Twitter @CarrieHeals.