Velcro

George de Mestral, Switzerland, patent 2,717,437 of 1955. Burdock burrs under a microscope became hook-and-loop.

Overview

De Mestral, walking his dog through Alpine burrs in 1941, wondered why they clung, then spent a decade replicating hooks and loops in fabric. Patent 2,717,437 granted 1955; nylon loops under heated hooks finally worked. NASA adopted it for spacesuits and the public followed. The name blends velvet and crochet. De Mestral's company sold tens of millions of meters yearly before expiry. The 1955 patent is biomimicry's founding folk tale.