Learn more about the very first World Smile Day® held in Worcester, MA on Oct 1, 1999 when the USPS revealed the Smiley Face Stamp and Harvey Ball delivered a WSD message.

WSD 1999

Pleased with the worldwide recognition that he got for his smiley face creation but concerned with its over-commercialization Harvey Ball declared early in 1999 that the first Friday of each October would henceforth be World Smile Day®. The annual theme for the day would be Do an act of kindness. Help one person smile.

Sure enough, on October 1st 1999, folks from Worcester gathered downtown and celebrated with speeches, songs and the official unveiling of the US Postal Service smiley face stamp. Simultaneously thousands of smile cards created by Worcester schoolchildren were delivered throughout the city to hospitals, nursing homes, businesses and other places. There were indeed many smiles and kind acts that day.