Google Doodle Marks Charles Dickens' 200th Birthday

(EndPlay Staff Reports) - Master storyteller Charles Dickens' influence on culture lives on about 142 years after his death as Google and others celebrate what would have been his 200th birthday today.

Dickens is the subject of Google's latest homepage doodle , a tradition as the search engine both remembers history's greats and showcases its staff's artistic talents.

This doodle features some of the English author's more famous characters such as Ebenenezer Scrooge and Bob Cratchit from "A Christmas Carol."

Dickens was born on Feb. 7, 1812 in the southern British city of Portsmouth. He is famous for novels such as "David Copperfield," "Great Expectations" and "Oliver Twist."

Much of it, The Washington Post reported, is shaped by his own experiences with poverty. "David Copperfield" is considered to be the most autobiographical.

He also was a crusader who worked to champion the problems of the poor with his stories about social inequality and greed, topics which Voice of America said make his writing still relevant today.

Dickens' influence is also being honored in more than 50 countries this year including in England and the United States today. Voice of America reported that Prince Charles is leading ceremonies in England at the site of Dickens' grave at Westminster Abbey's Poets' Corner. Actor Ralph Fiennes is expected to give a reading.

The celebration continues on in New York City, where The Bronx Museum of the Arts and the British Council are partnering to launch an art and writing contest inspired by Dickens' short stories.

The New York Daily News reported the contest's inspiration comes from how Dickens walked the streets of London early in the morning and wrote about everyday people and places.