This day in history: The first Universal Product Code was used on this day in 1974. The 12-digit UPC code consists of three groups of numbers with different purposes. In a product UPC, the first 6 numbers indicate the manufacturer, the next 5 digits are the item number, and the final number is the check digit.
There was skepticism from conspiracy theorists, who considered barcodes to be an intrusive surveillance technology, and from some Christians, pioneered by a 1982 book The New Money System 666 by Mary Stewart Relfe, who thought the codes hid the number 666, representing the "Number of the Beast". Old Believers, a separation of the Russian Orthodox Church, believe barcodes are the stamp of the Antichrist. Television host Phil Donahue described barcodes as a "corporate plot against consumers".
See also The History & Mystery of Money & Economics-250 Books to Download
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