A popular birthday is accepted zippers celebrate April 29. The invention of the accessory belongs to the emigrant from Sweden Gideon Sandbeck, who patented the zipper or zip fastener in 1913 in the USA. At that time, the “zipper” consisted of two strips of textile, on which metal links were fixed in a checkerboard pattern. With the help of a slider, the tapes were connected and disconnected.

Although the holiday has been celebrated on April 29 since 1913, the first place in the creation of an interesting invention does not entirely belong to Gideon Sandbeck. Even earlier, Elias Howe, Jr., received a patent in 1851 for the “Automatic Continuous Garment Fastener.” This inventor was also the first to patent a sewing machine, but suddenly ceased to operate for reasons that are not clear.

In addition, in 1893 in the city of Chicago, Whitcomb Judson received a patent for what he called a “closet with a fastener.” The invention debuted at the World’s Fair, and a year later, Judson and Colonel Lewis Walker founded the Universal Fastener Company to mass-produce the new fastener for clothing. The “closet with a fastener” turned out to be unreliable and expensive. The company hired Gideon Sandbeck, who worked on improving the invention. Sandbeck updated the design and invented a removable fastener, which he patented on April 29, 1913.

Interesting Facts

• The popularity of the accessory was brought by the fact that the Americans used the lock for sailors’ money belts on the eve of the First World War. The name “lightning bolt” appeared in 1923. It was the idea of ​​the BF Goodrich company, which decided to put the Sundback fastener on rubber boots. The lightning in the name of the accessory means speed, because thanks to the new fastener, putting on the shoes has become much easier.
• In the 1930s, a successful advertising campaign brought the invention even greater popularity, fasteners began to be used when sewing children’s clothes. And a little later, in 1937, French fashion designers drew attention to the accessory. They started putting “zippers” on outerwear and things that opened on both sides.
• The miracle fastener is now used everywhere – on clothes, shoes, bed linen, bags, backpacks, school bags, pencil cases, stationery. That is why the day is called the birthday of the zipper, so that people do not forget about an interesting invention.