In 1851, Elias Howe Patented The “Automatic, Continuous Clothing Closure.” Howe Never Marketed It.

National Zipper Day commemorates April 29, 1913, when the patent for the modern zipper was issued. The day celebrates something that we often do not think about and may automatically take for granted.

• 1851 – The first attempt at creating the zipper came from the inventor of the sewing machine. In 1851, Elias Howe received a patent for the “Automatic, Continuous Clothing Closure.”  Howe never marketed his invention and missed the recognition he may have received.
• 1893 – Forty-two years later, Whitcomb Judson began selling the “Clasp Locker.” Very similar to Elias Howe’s patent, this device served as a more complicated hook-and-eye shoe fastener.
• 1893 – Judson started the Universal Fastener Company, where he manufactured his new device and debuted it at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. There, he met with very little success. Because Judson put his invention before the public for sale, he earned credit as its creator.
• 1906 – The Universal Fastener Company also hired Gideon Sundback, a Swedish-American electrical engineer. He was highly skilled and known for his devotion to the company.
• 1913 – On April 29, Gideon Sundback, a Swedish-American electrical engineer, was granted a patent for the modern zipper, known then as the “Separable Fastener.”
• 1917 – Sundback submitted modifications to his invention in 1917. Today, we wear designs quite similar to the ones Sundback created in his patent. While he may have called them a separable fastener, we know them as zippers.
• 1918 – During World War I, the U.S. military adopted zippers for flight suits and money belts. This innovation allowed pilots and soldiers to gear up swiftly, enhancing efficiency in critical situations.
• 1923 – B.F. Goodrich coined the word  ‘zipper’ for their rubber boots, inspired by the zipping sound made when fastening them.
• 1930s – A sales campaign began for children’s clothing featuring zippers. The campaign advocated zippers as a way to promote self-reliance in young children, as the devices made it possible for them to dress in self-help clothing.
• 1937 – A landmark moment happened in 1937 when the zipper beat the button in the “Battle of the Fly.” French fashion designers raved over the use of zippers in men’s trousers and Esquire magazine declared the zipper the “Newest Tailoring Idea for Men.” Among the zippered fly’s many virtues was that it would exclude “The possibility of unintentional and embarrassing disarray.”
• 1954 – Levi’s first used the zipper on a pair of overalls, the 501Z. It wouldn’t be until the 1970s that they would begin to use zippers on more of their jeans. Before that, the button-fly reigned supreme.
• 1970s – Jeans were first made with button flys. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the Levi’s brand of jeans began employing a large number of zippers for their world famous jeans.
• There are 4.5 billion zippers of all kinds consumed in the U.S. per year. That’s 14 zippers for every American per year.
• YKK has the industry all zipped up: The company, Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha,’ accounts for almost 50% of the world’s zippers.
• Every year, YKK produces enough zippers to wrap around the world 50 times. That’s 1.2 million miles of zippers!
• Counterfeit zippers are big business: YKK says it gets a call a day from U.S. Customs about potential fakes.
• At first, zippers were mostly used for shoes and tobacco pouches. They didn’t come into popularity for clothing until a decade or two after their creation.
• That tiny hole in the tab on the end of your zipper pull has more than just an aesthetic function. If you have a stuck zipper, that’s where the hole in your zipper comes in. If you need a bit more force, you can thread a string or a thin piece of fabric through the hole.
• The Quiaotou region of China makes the most zippers in the world.
• NASA incorporates zippers into spacesuits and gear, but with modifications. These specialized zippers allow astronauts to adjust equipment or compartments without compromising safety. Spacesuit zippers must endure extreme conditions, such as freezing temperatures and high radiation levels.

Sources

National Day Calendar

Thought Co

Ten Random Facts

Market Place

National Today

Days of the Year