National Zipper Day is celebrated every year on April 29 to honour the invention of the zipper, a simple yet revolutionary fastening device.
The modern zipper was designed by Swedish-American engineer, Gideon Sundback, who patented it on April 29, 1913. Although earlier versions existed, Sundback’s design made the zipper reliable and practical, changing clothing, luggage, and fashion forever.
The name "zipper" was later popularized by the B.F. Goodrich Company because of the fun "zip" sound it made.
Before Sundback came up with his tool, there were many versions of this wondrous device, without which, being fashionable today may have just been a bit harder.
One of the first recorded
versions of the zipper came in 1851 from Elias Howe - an American inventor who
is often credited as a developer of the technology for sewing machines. In the
late 19th century, Whitcomb Judson invented a clasp locker which made its debut
at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. This invention did not catch on as well as
Judson had hoped for but it did earn him the title of the Inventor of the
Zipper.
