Designed in 1957 by Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffman at the Haas'sche Schriftgiesserei in Münchenstein, Switzerland.  Helvetica is perhaps still the most ubiquitous typeface in western Europe and the US, and one of the most elegant. 

A sans-serif typeface, Helvetica has gone hand in hand with modernist design since the 1960s, adorning public buildings, transport systems and packaging of all sorts with its authoritative but reassuring presence. While in one sense it is a remarkably ‘neutral’ type, helped no doubt by the fact that it is so commonplace, its roundedness, comforting proportions and attractive, elegant ‘softenings’ also embue it with an unexpected warmth. It is surprising to find such apparently contradictory characteristics in a seemingly simple typeface.  This combination has made it popular both with public authorities, wanting to convey clarity and authority; and has also generated a huge fanbase among graphic designers because of its remarkable versatility as part of more creative work.