Educational • By SearchUPCData Editorial Team • Updated December 11, 2024
The History of Barcodes
From a beach in Miami to checkout counters worldwide—the fascinating story of how a simple idea revolutionized global commerce.
The Spark of an Idea (1948-1952)
While sitting on Miami Beach, Norman Joseph Woodland had a eureka moment—drawing lines in the sand, he realized he could extend Morse code into a visual pattern.
The First Scan (June 26, 1974)
At 8:01 AM, a checkout clerk at Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio scanned the first retail product: a 10-pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum. That pack is now at the Smithsonian.
Barcodes Today
Over 6 billion barcode scans happen daily worldwide. 1+ billion unique products have barcodes. 116 countries have GS1 organizations.