WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Every year, the first Friday of October is celebrated as World Smile Day.
This day was conceived by Harvey Ball, a graphic artist from Worcester, Massachusetts, who created the first smiley face in 1963.
The State Mutual Life Assurance Company, when it was going through a difficult patch in 1963, assigned Ball to create a graphic artwork to raise the morale of its employees. The original version of today's most-liked smiley face thus took birth, and needless to say, it was a hit.
Over the years, the symbol was gaining more popularity and Ball was concerned about its over-commercialization. He wished to devote a day to smiles and acts of kindness among people, by keeping aside all the differences like nationality, religion, or politics. He declared that every first Friday of October will be observed as World Smile Day from 1999.
A noble thought by Ball has afforded us a day to celebrate it with our family and friends by wearing a smile on our face, and being kind. Let's smile at times before we forget this great art.
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