Mondo Knows Facts
The first barcode scan took place at an Ohio supermarket in 1974
A pack of Wrigley's chewing gum was scanned using the Universal Product Code system
On 26 June 1974 at a Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio, cashier Sharon Buchanan scanned a ten-pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum using a laser scanner. Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver had patented the linear barcode concept in 1952. The Universal Product Code system revolutionized inventory management, supply chains, and retail checkout points globally.
Where this comes from
Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.
Go further
More facts like this
Apollo astronauts left retroreflector mirrors on the Moon surfaceLaser pulses fired from Earth measure lunar distance down to millimetresBarcode scanners read light reflected from white spacesOptical scanners detect reflected light between black lines rather than the black inkNesting shopping trolleys were designed with hinged rear flapsSliding nested trolleys compact store storage while providing child seatsReceipt printers use heat-sensitive paper coated with leuco dyeTargeted thermal pulses turn chemical paper coatings black to print receipt textSupermarket trolley locks require coins to encourage bay returnsInterlocking coin mechanisms incentivize shoppers to return trolleys to parking stacksBarcode numbers end with a mathematically calculated check digitModulo 10 algorithms check barcode scanner accuracy to flag unreadable scans
Tags: barcode, retail, laser
The first barcode scan took place at an Ohio supermarket in 1974: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- A pack of Wrigley's chewing gum was scanned using the Universal Product Code system. The figure is taken from Smithsonian Magazine, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
- Is this really a technology fact?
- Yes. It sits on the Technology shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
- What else can I read about it?
- The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.