The world lost an icon on September 4th, 2006.
We were devastated to learn about Steve Irwin's death, but the fact that we're still remembering this great man 13 years later really says a lot about his legacy.
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Google Doodle Just Honored Steve Irwin's Birthday And Everyone Is Crying
Steve Irwin was known worldwide as The Crocodile Hunter.
Getty Images | Justin Sullivan
He was also a husband, father of two, Australian zookeeper, conservationist, educator, and much more.
To celebrate what would have been Steve's 57th birthday, Google released the sweetest Google Doodle.
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It featured a slideshow of many iconic moments in Steve's life. Obviously, it started out with a crocodile.
The Doodle is a beautiful reminder of Steve's legacy.
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He dedicated such a large portion of his life to conservation and teaching others about wildlife.
Dr. Terri Irwin, Steve's wife, wrote an emotional letter along with the Doodles.
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"We are so proud that his legacy lives on, as that was his greatest wish. He once said, “I don’t care if I’m remembered, as long as my message is remembered," she wrote.
Terri wrote about their children, Bindi and Robert.
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"Our lives changed forever when Steve had an accident while filming in the Great Barrier Reef. Losing Steve was a real crossroads for us, but together we decided to continue his mission. Bindi, Robert and I have dedicated our lives to the wildlife conservation work that Steve began."
And that's exactly what they continue to do to this day.
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She explained that to this day, the Australian Zoo is growing, with more than 1,200 animals and 1,000 acres.
"We protect nearly half a million acres of habitat, and our non-profit organization supports conservation projects around the world."
There's also a wildlife hospital that has treated over 82,000 sick, injured or orphaned wildlife, before returning them back to the wild.
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"As Wildlife Warriors, we continue the battle to protect wilderness areas just like Steve did," she wrote.
She added that they've continued the longest running crocodile research program in the world.
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"We do this work every day to honor Steve's memory, and now today's Doodle honors him, too," she finished.
This is such a beautiful tribute to his legacy.
Happy birthday, Steve!
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