Bubble wrap was originally invented as textured wallpaper.
In 1957, engineers Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes sealed two shower curtains together, trapping air bubbles, and tried to sell the result as wall covering. Nobody wanted it. They then tried greenhouse insulation, which also failed.
Why is this true?
Its breakthrough came in 1960 when IBM used it to protect computers in shipping. Bubble wrap is now so associated with popping that there is an unofficial Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day each January.
More facts in this category
More about inventions
Most inventions arrive by accident, in the wrong order, or decades before anyone finds a use for them. Microwaves, sticky notes, safety glass and vulcanised rubber all started as mistakes or side effects. The facts here trace how the thing actually came about, note who noticed the accident and why it mattered, and point at a source so you can follow the full story if it hooks you.