The Invention of Logo

History has witnessed a world of famous logos. Some of the logos are so famous that they will be always remembered. This process of highlighting business image is not new. It has been practiced for ages.

The word logo means a name, symbol or trademark, which is designed for easy recognition. It all started with a cipher consisting of a single letter, and later a design or mark consisting of two or more letter intertwined.

Greece is a country of symbols. It is famous for its mythical symbols that war used to describe the history and lives of pharaohs and his decuples. Archeological survey shows that many early Greek and roman coins bear the monograms or logos of rulers. The most famous imprint on the coin is the sacred monogram, which is formed by the conjunction of the first two Greek letters of XR, S, T, O and S, (Christ). Even the hub ages were enormously productive in inventing cipher for religious, creative, and marketable use.

It was in the thirteenth century traders started using designs, which evolve from plain cipher to trademark for trader and merchants. Some of the premature exemplar of logo design are goldsmith’s marks, masons marks, watermarks. Logos were created according to the jobs.

(image source: ipmb.vub.ac.be)
(content source : webguru-india.com)


I've done researches on some of the most popular logos (for me) and their history.

McDonald's
Who would not know this very popular logo? This is one favorite amongst a list of known restaurants.

The McDonald's Golden Arches logo was introduced in 1962. It was created by Jim Schindler to resemble new arch shaped signs on the sides of the restaurants. He merged the two golden arches together to form the famous 'M' now recognized throughout the world. Schindler's work was a development of the stylized 'v' logo sketched by Fred Turner, which was conceived as a more stylish corporate symbol than the Speedee chef character that had previously been used. The McDonald's name was added to the logo in 1968. [source]


Nike
Simple, Fluid and Fast. These are the words used to describe the “Swoosh” in the Nike logo that has become one of the most recognized symbols in the world. The first Nike logo was designed by Carolyn Davidson in 1971 for just $35. Phil Knight, founder of Blue Ribbon Sports, Inc., hired Davidson to design a logo for a shoe stripe. Though the design did not enthrall Knight due to time constraints, the Nike ‘Swoosh’ logo was selected.

The Nike SWOOSH logo represents the wing in the famous statue of the Greek Goddess of victory, Nike, who was the source of inspiration for many great and courageous warriors. According to legends, a Greek would say, "When we go to battle and win, we say it is Nike."

Originally, the mark was referred to as ‘the strip’ but was later changed to ‘Swoosh’ to describe the fibers used in Nike shoes. In the spring of 1972, the first shoe with the Nike SWOOSH Logo was introduced. Later, the Nike logo got registered as a trademark in 1995 and has become the corporate identity of Nike Inc. Apart from that, the Nike logo has been a sole contributor in the overall success of the brand. [source]


Adidas
History of the Adidas logo started in 1972.

New logo was represented in 1994. [source]

Adidas was founded in 1924 in Germany by two bothers Adi and Rudolf Dassler. The company was first named Dassler shoes and later became Adidas. By the Dassler shoes being seen in the Olympics this really helped the company get it’s name known. However, in 1948 Rudolf Dassler leaves to start his own company which is now known as Puma. Once Rudolf left his brother came up with the famous three stripes logo and changed the name to Adidas.The 3 stripes were created to keep the foot stable, but ended up being the logo. Throughout the years Adidas was seen in the Olympics, and it was the leading brand making their shoes highly sought after by Olympic athletes. In 1978, Adi Dassler passed at age 78 and his wife Kathe ran the company. Six years later Kathe passed and the company was left for their son Horst Dassler to run, and three years later Horst passed at age 51. After Horst’s death Adidas ran into some major financial problems, and later Bernard Tapie comes to make an attempt to save the company. [source]


Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is a coffeehouse chain based in the United States. Named after a character in the novel Moby Dick, it is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 7521 self-operated and 5647 licensed stores in 39 countries. The current company logo, modeled after a 15th century Norse woodcut, is a mixoparthenos, or "twin-tailed mermaid, or siren as she's known in Greek mythology. The company and the logo have an interesting history.



Starbucks was founded in Seattle, Washington, in 1971 as a local coffee bean roaster and retailer called Starbucks Coffee, Tea and Spices. Howard Schultz joined the company in 1982 and was inspired on a trip to Italy to develop a similar espresso bar and coffeehouse culture in the United States. To advance the concept, he founded the company Il Giornale three years later. In 1987, Schultz purchased Starbucks, merged it with Il Giornale, and renamed the company Starbucks Corporation. The logo on the left is that of the Il Giornale company. As you can see, the Il Giornale logo is somewhat similar to Starbucks logo i.e being circular and having a band.


The original logo, as seen on the left, the Starbucks siren was topless and had a fully-visible double fish tail. The original logo has raised some controvery because of the bare chest, but the logo continues to appear on some of the products like the Starbucks Anniversary Blend 1 lb coffee bags. Both the original logos seem to be perfect on wooden crates.


In the second version, her chest was covered by her flowing hair, but her navel was still visible, and the fish tail was cropped slightly. The logo also inherited the stars from the Il Giornale logo.



In the current version, her navel and chest are not visible at all, and only vestiges remain of the fish tails.

[source]

Inventions in Small Packages

Here are some of my small questions to some of the most necessary inventions of our time, and they all came in 'Small Packages'!


1. Can Opener

Did you know that: The can opener was invented 48 years after cans were introduced.

The first manual can opener was patented in 1858 by Ezra J. Warner. The design did not change for much of the next 50 years, when the first serrated wheel can opener was invented in 1925 by the Star Can Company.

Just a few years later the first electric model debuted and the technology has continued to evolve in the years since. Modern day can openers include the original manual models as the least expensive, with higher end electric and battery operated models featuring a hands-free option, requiring little to no effort. - mahalo.com


2. False Teeth

Did you know that: George Washington's false teeth were made of whale bone!

If you grew up in America, you've probably heard that George Washington had wooden teeth, and that they made him miserable. If that story is true [we'll look into it later], it seems as if the future First President of the United States may have suffered from a poor choice of dentists, as well as poor dental hygiene.


There was really no excuse for Washington's dentures to be poorly made; false teeth are known to have existed as early as 700 BC. We can thank the Etruscans for the innovation of artificial choppers. They used ivory and bone replicas, which were then attached to the patient's mouth with gold bridgework.

By Washington's time, dentures were hand-carved, and held in place by silk threads, a gentler and less-expensive means of support than gold. The downside of this method, however, was that those unfortunates who had both upper and lower plates had to remove them before eating [Talk about gumming your food!].

The next big "innovation" was the use of silver springs to hold dentures in place. If the fake teeth were not fitted correctly, they had an unfortunate tendency to pop out of the mouth! It's believed that Washington's dentures were made with the unwanted "ejector" feature. They probably weren't made of wood; popular materials in those days included ivory, silver, and mother-of-pearl. As you can probably guess, proper fitting of these early devices was vital; sadly, the needed technology hadn't yet been invented. Plaster modeling of the mouth wasn't even invented until about 1745. Porcelain teeth were first crafted around 1820; they fit better, and looked more natural than other artificial teeth. But they were incredibly heavy!

As more modern materials entered the picture, dentures became lighter, more durable, and more life-like. With the perfection of fitting techniques, they became more comfortable. With the introduction of adhesives like Poly-Grip, they stopped falling out of people's mouths. If the Father of the America were alive today, he would be wearing dentures more comfortable, more life-like, and more secure than he could have ever imagined. He would also be notable for his incredible age, but that's another story.


3. Buttons for Clothes





Did you know that: Have you ever asked yourself why there are buttons on the ends of jacket sleeves?According to information passed down through the ages, none other than Napoleon Bonaparte dictated that buttons be attached to jacket sleeves to stop the annoying habit soldiers had of wiping their runny noses on their jacket sleeves.

Buttons have been made of many different materials. As might be expected, bone was one of the earliest substances used. Button-shaped objects were made as early as the Stone Age. In 3,000 BC Phoenician men wore button-shaped pendants made of bone. Objects, which may have been buttons, have been found in Egyptian tombs dating from the 6th Dynasty, circa 2,800 BC. Antler and horn buttons have been made since the 1600s, usually out of scraps left over from making combs and other household objects.

Experts believe that these early examples were not used to fasten clothing but as decoration.
Some believe that buttons were first used for fastening garments in 12th century France.
French bead makers began making buttons for this purpose out of bone.

4. Ballpoint Pen

Did you know that: Ballpoint pen and rollerball pen refills work in much the same way as a roll-on deodorant works. The ball is in a socket that helps keep the ink from flowing out or air from getting in. As the ball rolls gravity forces the ink from the reservoir onto the ball which dispenses the ink onto the paper.

The Ballpoint Pen, or Biro, is the most popular everyday writing instrument in the world. Chances are there is one sitting on your desk, in your pocket, or in your car as you read this. They are easy to use, easy to transport, and more likely the reason one may have so many: they are cheap and disposable.


However it is quite often asked when were ballpoint pens invented, and to answer that, one has to learn a bit about the history of pens themselves.

Prior to the ballpoint pen, the most common pen was the fountain pen. This device uses a reservoir of liquid ink located in the based of the pen, which through gravity is fed to the tip, or nib. While examples have been found as early as the 10th century, it wasn't until the mid-nineteenth century that fountain pens came into true prominence as a superior to the traditional quill pen. Unfortunately, in many cases it was still very difficult to refill the pen with ink. Various techniques and types were invented and patented, but people still craved a more simplistic pen.



5. Wedding Rings!


Did you know that: Preferably gold and platinum should be the right choice of a custom wedding ring. Because your wedding ring needs to be durable enough so that it lasts for the rest of your life. - custom-weddingrings.com










The ancients believed that the third finger, left hand, had a special vein, vena amoris, the vein of "love" running from this finger directly to the heart. While having no basis in scientific anatomy, the romantic custom still stands. King Edward VI of England designated the third finger, left hand, as the ring finger and in 1549 the Book of Common Prayer designated the left hand as the marriage hand. In all ancient cultures the circle was considered to be the symbol of perfection; it is perfect unity, without beginning or end. It is the symbol of the sun, earth and universe, and represents holiness, perfection and peace. The caveman bound himself to his mate with a cord of woven rushes to symbolize their spirits as one.


The ancient Northerns believed that a lovers knot symbolized love, faith, and friendship. The
hair of the beloved was woven into such a knot, and was worn as a ring. Among the Anglo-Saxons a part of the "wed" was a ring worn on her right hand. Out of such diverse beginnings have evolved our engagement and wedding rings. The word "betrothed" derives from the Anglo-Saxon "troweth", meaning truth. Thus betrothed means giving a truth or pledge. The engagement ring indicates to all that she has pledged her love to one man. The Greek "adamant" means steadfast or invincible, and it is from this word that the diamond gets its name. Diamonds were believed to be invincible, chosen to symbolize purity and light, and as protection against the dark forces of evil. It was believed that its sparkle arose from the lovers' fires, and that it possessed great harmonizing powers. The icy fire of the true white diamond is still the symbol of love.

Maximillian of Austria really wanted to marry Mary of Burgundy, but was afraid she would not accept his proposal. He was advised to buy her a diamond. He did, she accepted, and they were married on August 17, 1477. This is the first reported diamond engagement ring.

The wedding ring is the concrete sealing of the marriage pact. In every ancient culture can be found rings with inscriptions and designs denoting them as marriage rings. In the 12th century Pope Innocent the Third ordained that marriages must be celebrated in the church, and that the ceremony must include a marriage ring.

Consequently, the wedding ring has a religious significance that is lacking in the engagement ring. The wedding ring is placed on the ring finger first to be closest to the heart.

Look how my ring encompasseth thy finger,
Even so thy breast encloseth my poor heart;
Wear both of them, for both of them are thine.
Richard the Second: William Shakespeare, 1593

- stellarjewelry.com

Top 10 Most Popular Inventions

Here is the Top 10 Most Popular Inventions (as compiled by inventors.about.com)

1. Telephone
The telephone is an instrument that converts voice and sound signals into electrical impulses for transmission by wire to a different location, where another telephone receives the electrical impulses and turns them back into recognizable sounds. In 1875, Alexander Graham Bell built the first telephone that transmitted electrically the human voice. For more information, click here

2. History of Computers
There are many major milestones in the history of computers, starting with 1936, when Konrad Zuse built the first freely programmable computer.

For more information, click here


3. Television
In 1884, Paul Nipkow sent images over wires using a rotating metal disk technology with 18 lines of resolution. Television then evolved along two paths, mechanical based on Nipkow's rotating disks, and electronic based on the cathode ray tube. American Charles Jenkins and Scotsman John Baird followed the mechanical model while Philo Farnsworth, working independently in San Francisco, and Russian émigré Vladimir Zworkin, working for Westinghouse and later RCA, advanced the electronic model.

For more information, click here


4. The Automobile
In 1769, the very first self-propelled road vehicle was invented by French mechanic, Nicolas Joseph Cugnot. However, it was a steam-powered model. In 1885, Karl Benz designed and built the world's first practical automobile to be powered by an internal-combustion engine. In 1885, Gottlieb Daimler took the internal combustion engine a step further and patented what is generally recognized as the prototype of the modern gas engine and later built the world's first four-wheeled motor vehicle.

For more information, click here

5. The Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin on March 14, 1794. The cotton gin is a machine that separates seeds, hulls and other unwanted materials from cotton after it has been picked.

For more information, click click here


6. The Camera
In 1814, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce created the first photographic image with a camera obscura, however, the image required eight hours of light exposure and later faded. Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre is considered the inventor of the first practical process of photography in 1837.

For more information, click here


7. The Steam Engine
Thomas Savery was an English military engineer and inventor who in 1698, patented the first crude steam engine. Thomas Newcomen invented the atmospheric steam engine in 1712. James Watt improved Newcomen's design and invented what is considered the first modern steam engine in 1765.

For more information, click here


8. The Sewing Machine
The first functional sewing machine was invented by the French tailor, Barthelemy Thimonnier, in 1830. In 1834, Walter Hunt built America's first (somewhat) successful sewing machine. Elias Howe patented the first lockstitch sewing machine in 1846. Isaac Singer invented the up-and-down motion mechanism. In 1857, James Gibbs patented the first chain-stitch single-thread sewing machine. Helen Augusta Blanchard patented the first zig-zag stitch machine in 1873.

For more information, click here


9. The Light Bulb
Contrary to popular belief, Thomas Alva Edison didn't "invent" the light bulb, but rather he improved upon a 50-year-old idea. In 1809, Humphry Davy, an English chemist, invented the first electric light. In 1878, Sir Joseph Wilson Swan, an English physicist, was the first person to invent a practical and longer-lasting electic lightbulb (13.5 hours) with a carbon fiber filament. In 1879, Thomas Alva Edison invented a carbon filament that burned for forty hours.

For more info, click here


10. Penicillin
Penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928. Andrew Moyer patented the first method of industrial production of penicillin in 1948.

For more information, click here

What this blog is all about?

Hello everyone! Welcome to my first ever blog. Let me introduce you to the evolution of the 'World's Greatest Inventions'.

I happened to be a loyal fan of Science and Technology, and ever since my elementary and high school grade, I dream of being a scientist. So when I was already in college, I took Bachelor of Science in Computer Science... it has a lot of sciences right?! And so I just thought... So I did some researching just when I got tired of looking for test tubes and anemometers...

What is Computer Science? Computer science is a discipline that spans theory and practice. It requires thinking both in abstract terms and in concrete terms. But computer science can be seen on a higher level, as a science of problem solving (so that's it! ...and this is not my favorite Science subject that I was after, hahaha!).

Fortunately, a friend recommended me to this site, and so now that I still have this restless passion for Science and Technology, I will be making my own curiculum using this blog! You will be able to read and see inventions from it's simplest forms to the most extreme discoveries that man was able to unearth.

I hope you'll like it and if you have any other interesting inventions or studies that you'd like to share, simply send an email to pinayshaman@gmail.com.


Have fun!