Smiley

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SmileyFace

SmileyFaceEmoticonExample

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Sabritas smiley face

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Authentic Worcester-made smiley face, Harvey Ball

Codepage-437 (cropped)

Smiley
In Unicode	U+263A ☺, U+263B ☻

A smiley is a stylized representation of a smiling humanoid face, commonly depicted as a yellow circle with two black dots representing eyes and a black arc representing the mouth. The smiley has become a part of popular culture and is used in various forms of communication, including text messaging, email, and social media.

History

The smiley face was first created in 1963 by Harvey Ball, an American graphic artist. Ball was commissioned to create a symbol to boost the morale of employees at an insurance company. The design was simple, consisting of a yellow circle with two black dots for eyes and a curved line for a mouth. This design quickly gained popularity and became a symbol of happiness and good will.

Variants

Over time, the smiley face has evolved into various forms, including:

• Emoticons: Text-based representations of facial expressions, such as :-) or :D.
• Emoji: Graphical representations used in digital communication, which include a wide range of facial expressions and other symbols.
• Animated smileys: Used in instant messaging and social media platforms to convey emotions more dynamically.

Cultural Impact

The smiley face has had a significant impact on popular culture. It has been used in various media, including film, television, and advertising. The smiley has also been adopted by various subcultures and movements, such as the rave scene and acid house music.

Legal Issues

The smiley face has been the subject of various legal disputes over trademark rights. In the 1970s, French journalist Franklin Loufrani trademarked the smiley face in several countries, leading to legal battles over its use and ownership.

Related Pages

• Emoticon
• Emoji
• Harvey Ball
• Text messaging
• Social media
• Instant messaging
• Rave
• Acid house

This symbol related article is a stub.