Before emojis came on the scene all we had to work with was the letters and symbols on our keyboards, and to be honest, we ended up with some pretty dodgy signs for laughing faces – remember putting a whole load of ':L' or ':P' at the end of a text?!

So that's why we need to be really thankful to Shigetaka Kurita, who created the emojis we love and use today.

While speaking to The Guardian recently, Shigetaka said that he never thought emojis would become as popular as they are today (he created his first batch of them way back in 1999, FYI).

''I’m surprised at how widespread they have become. Then again, they are universal, so they are useful communication tools that transcend language.''

And even though he must have made thousands of emoijs in his time, his favourite isn't anything flashy or cool; it's actually the sweetest one there is.

''I still have a soft spot for the ones that communicate positive emotions.'

''I would say the heart is my all-time favourite.''

Brilliant! What's your favourite one? We love the sassy girl.