One doodle, 50 million buttons, and a day of kindness
In 1963 an illustrator named Harvey Ball was asked to design “a little smile” to lift morale at a Massachusetts insurance company. It took him ten minutes and earned him $45. He never trademarked it. Today his smiley is one of the most recognised marks on Earth — and the day he founded to stop it being turned into pure commerce is still going.
😊 10 minutes
How long it took Harvey Ball to draw the iconic yellow smiley in 1963.
🪙 $45
His fee for the design — roughly $470 in today's money. He did not trademark it.
💛 First Friday
World Smile Day falls on the first Friday of October — 2 October in 2026.
A smile through time
Kindness generator
Harvey Ball's instruction for the day was simple: “Do an act of kindness — help one person smile.” Press the button for one idea, then actually do it. Press again if it does not fit your day.