With three simple keystrokes, Scott Fahlman brought a smile to the internet.
In a 1982 message board post, Fahlman, a computer scientist at Carnegie-Mellon University, proposed using typographical smiley faces to mark jokes and clear up confusion about writers' intentions. With his simple proposal, the emoticon was born.

Fahlman's smiling shorthand (and its frown-face equivalent) started a wave of internet expression that's spilled over into the real world. The emoticon has been upgraded and animated, loved and hated. Emoticons have graced gadgets, T-shirts and more.
Witness the emoticon's lasting impact, and smile if you can.

Photo:
Father of the emoticon Scott Fahlman shows off his happy handiwork. His proposal to use smiley and frowney faces is credited with launching the emoticon in the internet age. Now, Carnegie-Mellon hands out an annual Smiley Award for "innovation in technology assisted person-to-person communication."