Wonder why Google’s homepage doodle featured a barcode today?  October 7 is the anniversary of the first patent for a barcode, awarded to Drexel alumni Bernard Silver ‘47 and Norman Joseph Woodland ‘47.

See their patent for a Classifying Apparatus And Method on Google patents.

For more information about N.J Woodland, see this article from the May 8, 2000 Hagerty Library newsletter (pdf).

Thanks to John Wiggins for the tip.

Related posts:

1. Happy Birthday MacIntosh! Today is the 25th birthday of the Apple MacIntosh. Drexel...
2. Happy April Fools’ Day! If you like your humor historical and your pranks in...
3. Antiques & Collecting Magazine article about our Mini Book Exhibit This months issue of Antiques & Collecting Magazine features our...
4. Feast of St. Katharine Drexel March 3 is the Feast of St. Katharine Drexel, niece...
5. Newman Center: first question of the spring quarter A student seeking an elevation of the Newman Center was...