Neon green background with black text and a simple black illustrated sideways smiley face

The classic yellow smiley face is comprised of a yellow circle, two black dots for eyes, and a black arc ending in serifs for a mouth. It was designed in 1963 by commercial artist, Harvey Ross Ball. Ball was commissioned by The State Mutual Life Insurance Company to create a happy face to raise the morale of their employees. His version was created in 10 minutes. The design was printed onto more than 50 million buttons. Neither Ball nor the company copyrighted this smiley, so it was continually used by other businesses in their promotions.

The design and concept is quite simple and was definitely used before Ball’s 1963 version. However, his has become the most iconic. Variations have been used for advertising campaigns and in popular culture ever since.

In the 1980s the sideways smiley face was popularized by early internet users to mark jokes using :) or :-) (a combination of the keyboard's colon, dash and right parenthetical marks).

Off-white background with blue text, a blue ring around the outside, and a blue illustration of a can in the center

Or can you? The US Prohibition era lasted from the ratification of the 18th Amendment, which banned the consumption of alcohol in the United States starting in 1920, to the ratification of the 21st Amendment, which repealed this law in 1933.

Black and white photograph of two men kissing with black text on a white background below.

ACT UP was a grassroots advocacy movement that happened in the late-1980s in response to the AIDS pandemic. As this button shows, LGBTQ activists tackled anti-queer sentiment and social stigma that exacerbated the crisis, including through public displays of affection. The demonstrations of ACT UP were foundational to curbing the AIDS crisis and improving medical care for people worldwide.

Black background with a khaki-colored abstract design ring around the outside and white, khaki, and black text

In Chicago, Illinois on July 10, 2010, jazz musicians Jason Steele Quartet, Matt Ulery’s Loom, and Gunnelpumpers all performed in the small bar and music venue, Martyrs’. 

Jason Steele is an acclaimed jazz musician and composer. Matt Ulery’s Loom consists of Thad Franklin on trumpet, Tim Haldeman on tenor saxophone, Jon Deitemyer on drums, Rob Clearfield on accordian and piano, Zach Brock on violin, and Matt Ulery on double bass and compositions. The Gunnelpumpers band was founded in Chicago in 2002 by bassist and composer Douglas Johnson and percussionist Randy Farr. The main group consists of Johnson, Farr, rock guitarist John Meyer, Chicago Symphony bassist Michael Hovnanian, and session musicians Tom Mendel on bass guitar and Bob Garrett on drums. However, they have had 50 musicians perform alongside them. 

Black and white kaleidoscope-like pattern on the top and bottom with black stylized text on the left-center and red text on the right-center

Beginning with the first annual event in 2010, Chicago Design Week is a professional conference for designers hosted yearly by AIGA Chicago, a local chapter of the AIGA professional association for design. The sponsorship branding on the button is from the global architecture, planning and design business Gensler.

Illustrated red heart with a white cross in the center and black block-letter text on a white background

This is a variation of the I heart NY logo that was created in 1977 by Milton Glaser for an ad campaign created by advertising agency Wells Rich Greene. The marketing campaign was sought by then-Deputy Commissioner William S. Doyle to increase tourism in the state of New York. The campaign was a wild success. The original sketch of the logo is permanently on display at the MOMA.
 

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Red cursive text on a light blue background

Jennifer Gentle is an Italian psychedelic rock group formed in 2000. They take particular inspiration from the 1960s band Pink Floyd, but incorporate a wide variety of styles and instruments. The band received international attention after the release of their second album in 2002, and have since gone on tour in the US, UK, EU, and China. In 2004, they became the first Italian band to be signed to the record label Sub Pop.

Red background with purple, yellow, and pink text. A blue cartoon character with a square head, black hair, and two bandages on its forehead is on the left-hand side next to a thought bubble with a cartoon cheeseburger inside. The character wears a red jumper adorned with a skull.

So So Happy is an accessories and apparel brand that is a trademark of So So Happy Studios. The studio provides backstory for the monster characters that feature in So So Happy’s trademark designs. The blue werewolf character pictured on this button is named Ozzie and likes bubblegum.

Lime green "Z" on a black background with a lime green rim. Two thin lime green lines emerge from either pointed side of the letter.

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Yellow starburst background with black letters

Eckantar is a religion started and centered in the United States and practiced worldwide. HU: A Love Song to God is a recording of stories, exercises and ECK religious wisdom compiled by Sri Harold Klemp. Sri Klemp has been the leader of the religion since 1981.