What is Route 66? Map, how long is USA road trip that has inspired songs - and why Google is celebrating it

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The latest Google Doodle celebrates America’s iconic Route 66,

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one of the most famous driving roads in the world and a bucket-list journey for road trip fans globally.

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Today (30 April 2022) marks 96 years since the name "U.S. 66" was first proposed for the cross-country route.

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Route 66 was one of the first roadways in the United States Highway System, and served as a major route for people migrating west,

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Built in 1926, at the dawn of widespread car ownership in the US, Highway 66 made cross-country travel affordable for the first time.

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The road also aided the economics of the communities it passed through, and people doing business along the route prospered as the highway grew in popularity.

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Those same people eventually campaigned to keep the highway alive in the face of the new Interstate Highway System's threat of bypassing it.

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Memphis Grizzlies finish Minnesota Timberwolves in 6 for first serie

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