Smile! It's World Smile Day!

The World Smile Day is celebrated every year on the first Friday of October. In 2011, the day is celebrated on October 7. The idea for the holiday was coined and introduced by US artist Harvey Ball. Ball is known to have created the Smiley Face in 1963.  For the first time, the World Smile Day was held in 1999.

Harvey Ball's art was nothing special. Critics showed no interest in him, whereas his work was not going to become immortal. However, in 1963, he received an order from State Mutual Life Assurance Company of America. The company asked the artist to think of a catchy logo, which everyone would recognize.

Ball quickly offered his work to the customers and received the check worth $50. The logo design, which the artist created, is now widely known in the world as the smiley face.

The company made badges with the new logo and distributed them among the personnel. The success was enormous. Several months later, smiley faces could be seen on pins, T-shirts, postage stamps, baseball caps, etc.

"Never in the history of mankind or art has any single piece of art gotten such widespread favor, pleasure, enjoyment, and nothing has ever been so simply done and so easily understood in art," Ball said.

Numerous flashmobs and other public actions will be held today across the globe to make people smile.