The safety pin was invented in a few hours by a man who needed to pay off a 15-dollar debt.
In 1849, New York mechanic Walter Hunt twisted a piece of brass wire into a pin with a spring and a clasp that covered the point. He sold the patent for 400 dollars, paid his debt and never saw another cent from it.
Why is this true?
Hunt was a prolific inventor who also built an early sewing machine, but he did not patent it because he feared it would put seamstresses out of work. Similar pins had existed in the Bronze Age, but his design is the one still used today.
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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.