🎉 Google Earth Turns 20 and Adds a Time-Travel Twist with Historical Street View
It’s hard to believe, but Google Earth has been helping us explore our planet for two decades. This week marks the platform’s 20th anniversary, and Google is celebrating the milestone with a fascinating new feature — Historical Street View.
This update doesn’t just let you see the latest 360-degree images of streets across the globe — it now lets you travel back in time to see how places have evolved over the years.
🕰️ A Look Back at Google Earth’s Evolution
Since its debut in 2005, Google Earth has become a go-to tool for professionals and curious minds alike — from meteorologists studying weather patterns to biologists tracking ecosystems and rescue teams planning post-disaster operations.
In 2008, the introduction of Street View changed how we see the world, offering immersive ground-level imagery. A year later, Google added its first historical imagery feature, allowing users to compare past and present satellite data.
Until now, though, these two features lived separately. Users could browse satellite images from the 1980s onwards, but not the street-level evolution of a neighbourhood. That’s changing with the launch of Historical Street View, which seamlessly connects past Street View captures directly inside Google Earth.
🏙️ From Empty Lots to Skyscrapers — See the World Change
The new feature allows users to view how buildings, roads, and landmarks have changed over time. You can virtually stand on the same street and toggle between years — watching a once-empty plot become a tower block, or seeing how your old school has transformed since you graduated.
While Google Earth’s classic satellite view is perfect for studying large-scale changes — such as the shrinking of Lake Mead in the US — the Historical Street View mode provides a more intimate, ground-level perspective of change.
📱 How to Try It
According to Google’s communications team, most users already have access to the new feature. If you’re using Google Earth on mobile, simply make sure your app is updated to the latest version.
Once updated, you’ll be able to jump into Street View mode and tap the clock icon to start browsing older imagery.
🌐 Why It Matters
The addition of Historical Street View isn’t just a fun time-travel gimmick — it’s another step in Google Earth’s mission to make the planet’s data more accessible. Whether you’re an urban planner analysing development, a student studying environmental change, or just curious about your hometown’s history, this update makes exploration more personal than ever.
Two decades on, Google Earth continues to remind us that the world is both constantly changing — and worth revisiting.
Source: YouTube