Harvey Ball With His Smileys

Why would you smile for someone who's name you've never even heard? Because Harvey Ball was the commercial artist who created the smiley face back in 1963! And that little yellow ray of sunshine is now the most recognizable symbol of good cheer on the planet.

Mr. Ball was proud of his symbol because it brought so much happiness to people, but over the years, he worried that the smiley was being over-commercialized. That's when he got the idea for World Smile Day when everyone should "Do an act of kindness. Help one person smile."

Since the smiley face knows no geography, no politics and no religion, Harvey thought that on one day out of the year, neither should we. He hoped that on World Smile Day all of us would break barriers and boundaries and devote ourselves to creating smiles and spreading acts of kindness all over the globe. Held on the first Friday of October every year, the unofficial holiday has indeed spread around the world.

So, in celebration of World Smile Day, remember that smiles are contagious. Often the only thing you have to do to make someone smile is to smile at them!

Your "Happy Smiley Day" Gift Guru,
Linda