The Original Smiley Face Button

This is where it all started. The first smiley face button. The earliest known version of the smiley face was created by commercial artist Harvey Ball for an insurance company that was trying to raise employee morale.

It took Ball 10 minutes to create the design in 1963. He was paid the handsome sum of $45 for his work and never sought any intellectual property protection. By 1971 over 50 million smiley face buttons had been sold by imitators and those looking to make a quick buck. It is now considered an international icon.