Days Until World Smile Day

About World Smile Day

Observed the first Friday of October, World Smile Day was founded by commercial artist Harvey Ball, creator of the iconic yellow smiley face design in 1963, who later became concerned about the symbol's commercialization and proposed a day devoted to good will and genuine smiles.

First observed in 1999, the year of Ball's death, the day has since been informally continued by his foundation and is marked with small acts of kindness rather than any official government or UN designation.

Harvey Ball reportedly never trademarked or profited significantly from his smiley face design, having been paid a flat $45 for the original 1963 commission — a detail often cited alongside the origin of the good-will-focused day he later founded.

Harvey Ball's smiley face design was originally commissioned for an insurance company's employee morale campaign, only later becoming globally recognized as it was widely reproduced without attribution or royalty payments to Ball.