April 29, 2022
It’s National Zipper Day today!! Who knew?
I’m no zip expert, but I do know we need zips in our lives!
So apparently on this day in 1813 a patent was registered for what we know as the modern day zipper.
Apparently a dude called Elias Howe, who only invented the sewing machine! Hats off Mr Howe! He also invented the first zipper and got a patent for what he called the “Automatic, Continuous Clothing Closure” in the 1800s (glad that name didn’t stick) However, he didn’t market his product, so didn’t get any recognition - a lesson for us all right there.
Another dude called Gideon Sundback, a Swedish-American electrical engineer from a company called Universal Fastener is credited with designing what we now know as the modern zipper calling it the “Hookless Fastener” (indeed it is) later developed into the “Separable Fastener” (another catchy name)
A decade after receiving its first patent, it became known as the ‘zipper’ by B.F. Goodrich in 1923 because of the sound it made. I love a bit of onomatopoeia.
So there we go. Let’s hear if for the ZIP!!!
