All right, zip it guys. This is one fasten-ating tale. A true story with lots of teeth, definitely two sides, and one of the most recognizable sounds in the world. That's right, it's the story of the zipper! But just how did that magical metal strip end up on everything from luggage to leather jackets? Well, if we zip back to 1914, a guy named Gideon Sundback worked for the Universal Fastener Company in Pennsylvania. Ol’ Gideon was hard at work, trying to improve those terrible fasteners of yesteryear: sharp hooks that jammed and pulled apart and nobody wanted. But then he introduced the “Hookless #2.” It featured interlocking teeth on opposite sides of a single ribbon of fabric, making it both practical and reliable. Yep, that design is the lovable zipper we all love today!

This one's running a little short guys. Hang on a second- let's try grabbing this little doohickey here- okay!

Now if we unzip the rest of the story, we see that it took a while for Gideon's metallic marvel to catch on, despite its superior design. The fastener continued to be marketed (or not) with clunky, uninspiring names. (I mean, come on. The Hookless #2?) But zipping right along, a new name changed everything in 1923. The BF Goodrich company started using the fancy fastener on their new rubber boots after one of the employees said it sounded like “zipper up” or “zipper.” It stuck. Like a stuck zipper. By World War II, zippers were everywhere!

Illuminating Moments in American History
From the accidental invention of the microwave to the love story of rubber gloves, these 68 animated video shorts (shadow puppet style!) chronicle the history of unexpected American innovation.

Produced, written, and directed by Nathan Marsh. Art and Animation by Joel West and Isaac Windham. Sound by Scott Sprague. Narration by Carol Munse.