I often use some of these ones in my posts on SquidU.

The very earliest known examples of the graphic are attributed to Harvey Ball, who devised the face in 1963 for a Worcester, Massachusetts, USA-based insurance firm, State Mutual Life Assurance.

In 1963, State Mutual Life Assurance Company in Worcester faced a problem. The Worcester-based firm had purchased Guarantee Mutual Company of Ohio the previous year to work with Worcester Mutual Fire Insurance Company, a State Mutual subsidiary.

Low employee morale in the merged companies prompted State Mutual Vice President John Adam, Jr. to suggest a "friendship campaign." He asked Joy Young, Assistant Director of Sales and Marketing, to develop something.

Young turned to Worcester freelance artist Harvey Ball, requesting he create a little smile to be used on buttons, desk cards and posters. Ball drew a smile but, not satisfied with the result; he added two eyes, making a smiley face. The whole drawing, he recalled later, took ten minutes. He was paid $240 for the entire campaign, and never received any further profit from his smiley face design.

Ball never attempted to use, promote or trademark the image; it fell into the public domain in the United States before that could be accomplished. As a result, Ball never made any profit for the iconic image he allegedly created beyond his initial $45 fee.

Today, State Mutual is Allmerica Financial, and Worcester Mutual Fire Insurance is no longer a subsidiary of State Mutual. Now called Worcester Insurance Company, it still uses the smiley face on its promotional material.

The smiley face attained a life of its own well beyond the company's walls. Harvey Ball's design sparked a fad that swept the nation in the early 1970s. By 1971, smiley face was the hottest selling image in the country: an estimated fifty million smiley buttons alone had been sold, and the image appeared on countless other products as well.

Eventually, smiley's popularity began to wane, and by the mid-1970s the fad was over. The image never entirely disappeared though, and began to make a significant comeback in the late 1980s, with the resurgence of sixties-and seventies-inspired symbols, fashions, and music. Smiley's popularity continues today, its appeal both universal and enduring.

David Stern of David Stern Inc., a Seattle-based advertising agency also claimed to have invented the smiley. Stern reportedly developed his version in 1967 as part of an ad campaign for Washington Mutual, but says he did not think to trademark it.
Source

And this one is just so cute!

Harvey founded the World Smile Corporation, which licenses smiley's and organizes World Smile Day on the first Friday in October. Although Harvey died in 2001, World Smile Day continues to raise money for the Harvey Ball World Smile Foundation, a non-profit charitable trust which supports children's causes.

World Smile Day is held on the first Friday of October each year and is a day dedicated to "good cheer and good works." The catch phrase for the day is "Do an act of kindness-help one person smile."

This little guy is my favorite

What's more fun than a smiley? A group of smileys of course! LOL

Give a friend a hug, or why not a group hug?

And my smiley weatherman

....... especially for Ms. Noodles! LOL

I think we need a few more but which ones?

Ok, I have an idea...

Awwww, is that all?

As I see more Guestbook entries and ratings, I'm gonna add some more, so stay tuned.............