One world. Many stories.
Recently, Google Earth reached a new milestone: one billion downloads of the Google Earth desktop client, mobile apps and plug-in since initial launch. To celebrate, we’ve put together a new site showcasing some of the great Google Earth stories from the last six years. Visit www.OneWorldManyStories.com to take a walk down memory lane and discover unique ways that people have used Google Earth to expand their view of the world, whether that be on dry land, under the sea, or much further afield.

Street View hits the stunning Swiss Alps railways
From the Amazon rainforest to the ancient ruins of Pompeii, Street View technology has put imagery of some of the world’s most interesting and significant sites online for everyone to enjoy. Now, for the first time in Google Maps, we’re hitting the train tracks to capture the majesty of the famous railway lines of the Swiss Alps and the surrounding scenery. In cooperation with Rhaetian Railway, our Street View team has collected images (that will be published soon) from one of the world’s most scenic railway routes in Switzerland.

Follow Your World, now in 43 more languages
Ever since we launched the English version of Follow Your World earlier this year, users around the globe have been able to receive email notifications whenever imagery of locations they care about are updated in Google Maps and Google Earth. Now, we’re happy to announce the expansion of this tool. We’ve localized the software into 43 additional languages so that the application can easily be accessed by millions more people around the world.

Explore the history of Mexico with Google Earth
Nothing compares to the sensation of visiting a place where history was made. Exploring castles, pyramids and other historical landmarks in a country provokes a deeper understanding and respect for unique cultures and creates a sense of belonging. Mexico´s archaeological sites and historical landmarks are more accessible than ever with the introduction of an interactive atlas from the National Institute of Anthropology in Google Earth.

Step inside the map with Google MapsGL
You’re now one step closer to experiencing and interacting with a 3D mirror of the real world within your browser with Google MapsGL. Using WebGL technology, Google MapsGL is an experimental project which enables a richer maps experience with immersive 3D buildings, smoother transitions between imagery, fluid transitions into Street View and more, directly in your browser and all without a plug-in. Learn more about WebGL experiments on the Google LatLong Blog.

New and Updated Imagery
This month, our imagery team added hundreds of new images to Google Earth and Google Maps, including high-resolution aerial updates for the US and high-resolution satellite updates for Antarctica, Hungary, India, Namibia, Russia and more. Explore updated imagery from Graceland in Memphis, TN or join kayakers in Thorne Bay, New Zealand by opening this KML file directly in Google Earth. Don't forget you can use the View > Historical Imagery feature to scroll through past imagery through a time slider.