In the 1930s, schools across the United States used buses that looked very different from one another. Some were blue, others were green, red, or even plain wooden vehicles. There was no standard colour, which often made them less noticeable on busy roads.

In 1939, education expert Dr. Frank W. Cyr organized a conference to create national standards for school transportation. Among the many decisions made, one stood out: every school bus should be painted the same bright yellow shade.

That colour eventually became known as “National School Bus Glossy Yellow.”