Google is celebrating the 142th birthday of Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori with a colourful doodle which shows the educational tools required in Montessori education. Born on August 31, 1870, in Italy, Montessori was the first Italian women to get a degree in medicine.  Her method of teaching was aimed at the innate psychological development of children through freedom of movement and practical activities. Her ideas became the hallmarks of her educational philosophy

She opened her first pre-school in 1907 and travelled to various countries including India, to spread the word about her educational system.

Maria Montessori died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Netherlands at the age of 81 on May 6, 1952.