So, where did the smiley emoticon come from; who invented it? Who invented the smiley face, that cheery little face you see all over your computer and cell phone? Was it some sage whose name has been forgotten through the ages? Well let's examine the facts and discover the truth.
It has been long accepted that Mr. Harvey Ball created this symbol. He worked in advertising and came-up with it in a public relations campaign. Harvey R. Ball, whose simple drawing of a smiling face on a yellow background became a cultural icon, that still lives on after his death in 2001. His icon has been credited with bringing joy to millions of people, but I wonder is there another person that should be considered for this honor? Ball, first drew this design in 1963, so...we need to find out if it appears somewhere prior to this date? Well let's examine the facts.
Ball, who co-owned an advertising and public relations firm in Worcester, designed the Smiley Face in 1963 to boost the morale of workers in two recently merged insurance companies. Well I'm all out of facts and besides I don't want to overwhelm you with statistics, so here is my reveal.
King Solomon, a man credited with great wisdom, many proverbs, and poems, may also add this to his list of accomplishments. In 1 Kings 8:41-43, Solomon is discussing the house(temple) he built for God and says, “Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake; (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house; Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.” I submit to you that Solomon clearly smiles as he discusses the strong and all powerful hand of God! He truly was a wise man...
Well, here's one for you Solomon :)
