The barcode didn’t get used until 28 years AFTER it was invented!

16 Apr 2026 · 1 min

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In this narrated segment, Dan Novaes recounts the history of the barcode, beginning with its 1948 invention by Norman Joseph Woodland and a colleague, who, inspired by Morse code, sketched a series of lines on a beach that formed the first barcode concept. Although they patented the idea, the technology of the era—bulky computers, costly scanners, and underdeveloped retail systems—prevented practical implementation, leaving the invention dormant for over two decades. The breakthrough arrived in 1974 when a pack of chewing gum in an Ohio supermarket became the first product ever scanned at a checkout counter, marking the start of widespread barcode use. Novaes highlights that Woodland did not achieve immediate fame; his invention simply waited for the world’s infrastructure to catch up, illustrating a broader lesson that successful innovation often depends more on future readiness than perfect timing.

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Norman Joseph Woodland invented the barcode decades before stores were ready to use it. In 1948, Woodland and a colleague were searching for a way to automatically track products in grocery stores. Inspired by Morse code, he drew a series of lines in the sand at the beach and imagined a machine that could read them. Those lines became the first barcode concept. The idea was patented, but technology wasn't ready. Computers were too large, scanners were too expensive, retail systems couldn't support it. For more than 20 years, the invention sat mostly unused. Then in 1974, a pack of chewing gum in an Ohio supermarket became the first product ever scanned at a checkout counter. Today, billions of barcodes are scanned every day across the world. Woodland did not become famous immediately. His idea simply waited for the rest of the world to catch up. Sometimes innovation is not about timing your invention perfectly. It is about creating something so practical that eventually the future finds it.