In 1941, Swiss engineer George de Mestral noticed burrs stuck to his dog’s fur after a walk. Instead of brushing them off, he looked at one under a microscope and saw tiny hooks clinging to loops in fabric and fur.

This sparked the idea for Velcro—a reusable hook-and-loop fastener. It took a decade to perfect, but when NASA used it in space, people started paying attention.

By the 1970s, Velcro was everywhere: shoes, jackets, bags, even medical gear. A simple idea from nature became a fastening staple across the world.