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TULANCINGO, Mexico, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Google is celebrating what would have been the 99th birthday of Mexican wrestling legend Rodolfo Guzman Huerta, better known as El Santo, with a new Doodle. Released Friday, users who visit Google's homepage will be treated to a colorful slideshow that depicts El Santo's epic career as he became one of the most popular and heroic Mexican professional wrestlers of all time.
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"This legendary, silver-masked luchador wrestled for nearly five decades and is remembered as one of the greatest sports figures in Mexican history. Through his appearance in film and as the subject of many comic books, he became a cultural icon, representing justice and the fight against evil," wrote the internet giant about El Santo, which translates to The Saint in English.
As Google notes, the squared circle star became legendary, starring in multiple films, comic books and was the subject of urban legends including how he never took off his mask, even at home. However, El Santo did reveal his identity once on Mexican talk show, Contrapunto, but then died a week later.
"El Santo died on February 5, 1984. His funeral was one of the biggest in Mexican history, attended by family, friends, and his many fans. Shortly thereafter, a statue of El Santo was erected in his hometown of Tulancingo. Per his wishes, El Santo was buried wearing his iconic silver mask," Google said of his death.
According to Heavy, El Santo was married and had 10 kids, two of which followed in his footsteps by becoming wrestlers. The first one, El Hijo del Santo or the Son of the Saint, retired from competition in 2014 following a back injury. The second, El Santo Jr. has begun his career in Japan.
