George Laurer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Laurer
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George Joseph Laurer III
September 23, 1925 Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
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| Died | December 5, 2019 (aged 94) Wendell, North Carolina, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Maryland |
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Notable work
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Universal Product Code |
George Joseph Laurer III (born September 23, 1925 – died December 5, 2019) was a clever American engineer. He worked for a big company called IBM in North Carolina. George Laurer is famous for creating the Universal Product Code (UPC) in the early 1970s. This is the barcode you see on almost everything you buy! He designed the special pattern and code for the UPC. His work was based on an earlier idea for barcodes by Joe Woodland.
Contents
Early Life and Education
George Laurer was born in New York City on September 23, 1925. His family later moved to Baltimore, Maryland. This was because his father, who was also an electrical engineer, worked for the United States Navy.
When George was a teenager, he got polio, a serious illness. He recovered from it. While he was in 11th grade, he joined the U.S. Army during World War II. After leaving the military, he went to a technical school. There, he learned how to fix radios and televisions.
After his first year, his teacher told him he should go to college instead. George Laurer listened to this advice. He graduated from the University of Maryland in 1951. He always loved radio and kept his amateur radio license.
Creating the UPC Barcode
George Laurer worked for IBM for 36 years. He started in 1951 as a junior engineer. By 1969, he became a senior engineer and moved to Research Triangle Park in North Carolina. He retired from IBM in June 1987.
At IBM, George Laurer was given an important job. He needed to create barcodes that could be used in grocery stores. At first, IBM thought about using a round, bullseye-shaped barcode. This idea came from Joe Woodland in the 1940s.
However, Laurer realized that a round barcode would not work well. It could easily smudge when printed. So, he came up with a new idea: a vertical pattern of stripes. He showed this design to his boss around 1971 or 1972. IBM liked his new design.
Laurer then worked with Joe Woodland and a mathematician named David Savir. Together, they made the barcode even better. They added a special check digit. This digit helps to find and fix any mistakes when the barcode is scanned. In 1973, many grocery store companies chose IBM's barcode design. This design became the Universal Product Code.
The "666" Urban Legend
The Universal Product Code has special patterns at the start, middle, and end. These are called "guard bars." Some people thought these guard bars looked like the number 666. This number is sometimes called the "number of the Beast" in the Book of Revelation from the Bible.
When George Laurer first designed the code, he noticed the number 6 appeared a few times. His daughter was studying the Book of Revelation at the time. When barcodes started appearing in stores, some people protested. An urban legend grew that the barcodes were evil.
George Laurer explained on his website that it was just a coincidence. He said:
- Yes, the guard bars do look like the code for a six.
- There is nothing scary or evil about it.
- It has nothing to do with the Bible's "mark of the beast."
- It's just a coincidence, like how his first, middle, and last names all have six letters.
Legacy and Impact
George Laurer was a very creative engineer. He held 25 patents for his inventions. He also wrote 27 technical papers. In 1976, he won the Raleigh Inventor of the Year Award. IBM also gave him a special award in 1980 for his technical achievements.
The Universal Product Code he created became incredibly important. By 2019, UPC barcodes were being scanned more than 6 billion times every single day! This shows how much his invention changed the way we shop.
Personal Life
George Laurer lived in Wendell, North Carolina, until he passed away in December 2019. His wife, Marilyn Slocum Laurer, died in 2013. They had four children together.
See also
In Spanish: George Laurer para niños
