Who Invented the Smiley Face?
![Who Invented the Smiley Face?](https://d7hftxdivxxvm.cloudfront.net/?quality=80&resize_to=width&src=https%3A%2F%2Fd32dm0rphc51dk.cloudfront.net%2FwrBqiy_EfL8it1IGIZJvbQ%2Fnormalized.jpg&width=910)
The smiley face was a corporate morale booster and a countercultural icon, and it was given a second life as an emoji. Will it ever lose its meaning?
![](https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/y9E8OUrH4DWxNRuSToPuuiEZDbM=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/man-holding-a-really-happy-emoticon-face-in-front-of-his-face-508476337-57bdf93d3df78cc16e3c6b50.jpg)
History of Emoticons and Emoji
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1f/Watchmen-smiley.svg/220px-Watchmen-smiley.svg.png)
Smiley - Wikipedia
![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/0e9f547a8f180ae6acf7ec9acf04c77c/tumblr_p9gujdiMwM1ree4l2o1_640.jpg)
C H R I S · M A G G I O on Tumblr: RIP Harvey Ball, inventor of
![](https://hope1032.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/hbstamp400.jpg)
How The Yellow Smiley Face Was Born - Hope 103.2
![](https://i5.walmartimages.com/seo/Smiley-Face-with-Shades-Circle-Button-with-Magnetic-Badge-Back_c6813f72-524d-4764-8892-fa47ea6f9af3.13a8c80addc94708262ef9e7c7d6a62e.jpeg?odnHeight=768&odnWidth=768&odnBg=FFFFFF)
Smiley Face with Shades Circle Button with Magnetic Badge Back
![](https://www.telegram.com/gcdn/presto/2021/06/17/NTEG/368f39b3-6377-4e22-8d87-ec45d843718b-0619_Liam_Monahan_in_front_of_SMILEY_-_cropped.jpg?width=660&height=956&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Bespectacled smiley face wins Historical Museum's Harvey Ball contest
![](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vidthumb/55beeb03-396a-4fc8-b313-f938a3316b19/55beeb03-396a-4fc8-b313-f938a3316b19_image.jpg?crop=1xw%3A1.0xh%3Bcenter%2Ctop&resize=810%3A*&quality=70)
Classic Chronicle: How the 'smiley face' was created
![](https://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/B3-EC440_CTM02__750RV_20190528110311.jpg)
The Shockingly Large Business Behind the Iconic Smiley Face - WSJ
![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:2000/1*UmtGKnn7ZHJaloyPAoPyTQ.jpeg)
The Real Story of Who Invented Emoji (Hint: They're Ancient)