Today Google has replaced their usual logo with a series of bars in honor of the barcode, which was patented on Oct. 7, 1952. However, the patent was applied for by Norman J. Woodland and Bernard Silver on Oct. 20, 1949, which means the idea for "article classification through the medium of identifying patterns" will be 60 years old later this month.
Although the first grocery item with a UPC barcode was scanned on June 26, 1974, (Juicy Fruit gum, now residing in the Smithsonian), it wasn't until the early '80s that the technology was universally adopted. These days nearly every item we purchase, from groceries to electronics, sports a barcode. Membership cards, airline and event tickets, and shipping boxes all contain barcodes to track information. Researchers have even barcoded bees to track their mating habits.
In the early mid and late '80s, I worked as a typesetter for several different printing companies. We had a special font to set barcodes, and I had to learn to read them, including the USPS barcodes for mail, so I could proof my work. I've long ago forgotten how to interpret the series of lines, so I can't even tell you what the Google barcode signifies. I just remember the days when we had to wait in line while the girl at Kmart called, "Price check on Aisle 5!"
Happy birthday, Barcode! You don't look a day over 29.
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