Celebrating World Emoji Day: The Rise of a Global Phenomenon
World Emoji Day, celebrated on July 17, is one of those “Who Knew?” holidays that has gained significant traction in the digital age. This unofficial holiday, deemed a “global celebration of emoji,” has been observed annually since 2014 and is primarily celebrated online. In 2015, NBC reported that World Emoji Day was Twitter’s top trending item on July 17.
Before the advent of emojis, there were emoticons. Emoticons (a blend of “emotion” and “icon”) were developed to convey emotions in otherwise emotionless text. Emoji, a Japanese term roughly translating to “picture word,” were created in the 1990s by Shigetaka Kurita. While working for NTT Docomo, a Japanese telecom company, Kurita designed these pictorial symbols to make pagers more appealing to teens.
When Apple released the first iPhone in 2007, it included an emoji keyboard to attract the Japanese market. Although initially not intended for U.S. users, they quickly discovered and embraced it.
Each year, new emojis are developed and added to our digital lexicon. Emojipedia.org tracks all emoji updates across platforms and operating systems. With over 1,800 emojis, they cover a vast range of topics beyond emotions, including transportation, food, animals, social platforms, weather, and even bodily functions. Emojis have become a universal language, transcending barriers and adding a visual element to our online communication.
So, on July 17, join the global celebration of these tiny yet powerful symbols that have transformed how we express ourselves in the digital world. Happy World Emoji Day! 🎉😊📱
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