Google Celebrates Gideon Sundback’s 132nd Birthday

Gideon Sundback, a Swedish-American businessman is most popularly known to the world as the developer of zipper. Gideon Sundback was born on April 24, 1880 in Småland, Sweden to a wealthy farmer. Gideon Sundback’s big bet would be to radically improve an already made zipper.

From the time humans began to dress in animal skins and later fabric, it has been a need to open and close the clothing. From a different velcro closures and clasps grew the idea of ​​a front zipper. Zippers are a kind of locking device for clothes, etc., which can be opened and closed by a slider which is drawn between the two rows of clasps.

Gideon Sundback went abroad for electrical engineering course and graduated in Germany. Two years later he traveled to America and settled there. There he worked for several advances in the development of the zipper. He worked for a businessman named Lewis Walker, who produced zip.

A zipper design was presented in 1893 by Whitcomb Judson, but these were mainly designed for shoes. Even earlier, already in 1851 an American sewing machine designer, Elias Howe, received a patent for a design of “Locking Slider.”

Gideon Sundback’s idea was to punch out the hooks and clamp them in two fabric tape, which could then be sewn by machine. Finally, the best version of the zip was released and patented on August 24, 1914 as ‘Seperable Fastner‘.

In 1931 in Swedan the usage of metal zippers has been increased. The business expanded and Gideon Sundback became rich. He died in 1954 after he left a fortune of USD $ 13 million.

Google Celebrates Gideon Sundback’s 132nd Birthday on its homepage. Unzip the creative Google Doodle!

Gideon Sundback and Zip Facts:
April 24, 1880
Died: June 21, 1954
Occupation: Businessman
Spouse: Elvira Aronson

The original inventor of the ‘zip’ was Elias Howe.

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