[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 90 (Friday, June 25, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1265-E1266]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE U.P.C. BAR CODE

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                          HON. JOHN A. BOEHNER

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 24, 2004

  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join with my constituents 
and friends in Troy, Ohio to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 
U.P.C. bar code. When a pack of Wrigley's chewing gum was scanned by a 
cashier at the Marsh Supermarket in Troy on June 26, 1974, few 
understood the impact this simple action would have. Thirty years 
later, we now know.

[[Page E1266]]

  It's amazing that the 59 black and white bars and 12 numbers of a 
U.P.C. bar code could have saved consumers, retailers, and 
manufacturers more than a trillion dollars over these three decades, 
but it's true. The U.P.C. bar code has revolutionized global commerce, 
and I am so proud to say it all started back in the state of Ohio.
  Mr. Speaker, the Uniform Code Council and Marsh Supermarkets will 
join together tomorrow to celebrate this 30th Anniversary. Troy's Mayor 
Michael Beamish will offer a proclamation making June 25, 2004 ``U.P.C. 
Bar Code Day,'' and since I will be unable to join them, let me use 
this moment to send my very best to everyone involved in the 
celebration. From the invention of flight to the use of the very first 
U.P.C. bar code, Ohio continues to prove itself a true center of 
innovation.

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