The iconic yellow smiley face was created in 1963 by American graphic artist Harvey Ross Ball. Hired by the State Mutual Life Assurance Company of Worcester, Massachusetts, Ball was asked to design an image to boost employee morale after a series of company mergers. In just ten minutes, he drew a simple yellow circle with two black dots for eyes and an upturned arc for a mouth. The company paid him $45, and he never trademarked the design. He did not profit from its later success.
In the early 1970s, brothers Bernard and Murray Spain popularized the smiley face commercially, pairing it with the phrase “Have a Nice Day” and selling millions of buttons, T-shirts, and other merchandise. Although variations of the smiley existed earlier, such as in comic art, Ball’s version is considered the original modern smiley.
The smiley face is now a worldwide symbol of happiness and kindness. It also led to the creation of emoticons and emojis.
