Technology · 2
Who invented the barcode?
Answer
Norman Woodland and Bernard Silver
Norman Woodland and Bernard Silver invented the barcode in 1948, patenting a technology using parallel lines of varying widths to encode numerical data. Their innovation emerged from the need to automate retail checkout and inventory tracking. The barcode system revolutionized supply chain management, retail operations, and logistics, eventually becoming universal across retail, libraries, healthcare, and shipping industries.
💡 Did you know?
The first grocery item scanned with a barcode was a pack of Wrigley's gum on June 26, 1974, at a Marsh supermarket in Ohio.
Other options people guess
- George Laurer
- Jock Cunningham
- David Collins
Topics
- invention
- retail
- history
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