50 năm mã vạch: Dòng thời gian các cột mốc quan trọng
A visual timeline of barcode history from 1948 to 2024 — inventions, standards, scandals, and the technology milestones that shaped modern commerce.
50 Years of Barcodes: A Complete Timeline
From a patent sketch in 1952 to over 10 billion daily scans worldwide, the barcode's journey spans half a century of innovation, standardization, and global adoption. This timeline captures the key moments that shaped barcode technology.
The Invention Era (1948-1973)
1948: Bernard Silver overhears a grocery executive requesting automated checkout research at Drexel Institute of Technology.
1949: Norman Joseph Woodland draws the first barcode concept in beach sand in Miami, extending Morse code into bars.
1952: Woodland and Silver receive US Patent 2,612,994 for a circular bull's-eye barcode and optical reader.
1960s: David Collins develops KarTrak, colored reflective stripes on railroad cars. Installed across the US rail network by 1970.
1966: The National Association of Food Chains (NAFC) begins studying automated checkout.
1969: The US Supermarket Ad Hoc Committee on a Universal Product Code is formed.
1971-73: Seven companies submit barcode symbol proposals to the selection committee.
1973: IBM's UPC-A symbol, designed by George Laurer, is selected on April 3, 1973.
The Launch Era (1974-1985)
1974: First commercial UPC scan at Marsh Supermarket, Troy, Ohio, on June 26. A pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum.
1977: The European Article Number (EAN) Association is founded, creating the 13-digit EAN-13 format.
1978: KarTrak railroad system abandoned due to poor read rates.
1981: The US Department of Defense adopts Code 39 under LOGMARS program.
1984: 33% of US grocery stores have barcode scanning systems installed.
The Expansion Era (1986-1999)
1987: Code 128 gains widespread adoption for logistics and internal tracking.
1988: Code 49, the first stacked 2D barcode, is introduced by Intermec.
1991: Symbol Technologies develops PDF417, the first widely adopted 2D barcode.
1992: UPS develops MaxiCode for high-speed parcel sorting.
1994: Data Matrix ECC 200 standard published. QR Code invented by Denso Wave for Toyota automotive parts tracking.
1995: Aztec Code developed by Welch Allyn.
1997: UCC announces "UPC-A and EAN-13." data-category="History & Innovation">Sunrise 2005" requiring US retailers to accept 13-digit EAN barcodes.
1999: QR Code becomes JIS standard in Japan. Japanese mobile phones begin including QR readers.
The Digital Era (2000-2015)
2000: QR Code published as ISO/IEC 18004.
2002: Japanese feature phones with built-in QR readers drive mass adoption in Japan.
2004: FDA mandates barcode labels on prescription drugs in the US.
2005: UCC and EAN merge to form GS1. All US retailers accept 13-digit EAN barcodes.
2007: ISBN transitions from 10-digit to 13-digit format (ISBN-13), encoded as EAN-13.
2008: FDA proposes the UDI system for medical devices, specifying Data Matrix as a primary format.
2012: WeChat adds QR Code scanning, driving mass adoption in China.
2013: USPS replaces POSTNET with Intelligent Mail barcode. DSCSA enacted requiring pharmaceutical serialization.
2014: GS1 DataBar required at all retail POS scanners.
The Connected Era (2016-Present)
2016: GS1 Digital Link specification development begins.
2017: Apple adds native QR Code scanning to iOS Camera (iOS 11). Global consumer QR adoption begins.
2018: GS1 Digital Link 1.0 standard published.
2020: COVID-19 pandemic drives explosive growth in QR Code usage (contactless menus, vaccine certificates, digital payments).
2021: GS1 announces Sunrise 2027 initiative for 2D barcodes at retail POS.
2023: FDA UDI mandate fully in effect for all medical device classes.
2024: DSCSA enhanced drug distribution security requirements take effect. EU MDR/IVDR UDI requirements enforced.
2025: Major retailers begin piloting GS1 Digital Link 2D barcodes at checkout.
2027 (target): Sunrise 2027 enables 2D barcodes at retail POS globally. The era of the 1D-only product barcode begins to close.
By the Numbers (2026)
- 10+ billion: Estimated barcode scans per day worldwide
- 150+: Countries using GS1 standards
- 2 million+: Companies with GS1 Company Prefixes
- 1 billion+: Unique GTINs assigned
- 50+ years: Since the first commercial scan