Although Google may have eroded our concept of a dictionary, today's Google Doodle celebrates the 308th birth anniversary of Samuel Johnson, known as the father of modern dictionary. "Johnson: A Dictionary of the English Language" which took 9 years for completion was published in 1755 and contained synonyms, pronunciations, and examples besides verbal deductions.
The original Johnson dictionary's 18-inches length gave it an iconic appearance. It was the chosen solution until the Oxford English dictionary was first published in 1884. Apart from simplifying the complex English language expressions, Johnson's extensive works (poetry, essays, biographies) threw light on 18th-century British culture elaborately.
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