Zippers were invented in their modern form by Gideon Sundback, a Swedish- American engineer, who received a patent for a device called a "separable fastener" in 1917. This design is considered the true invention of the modern zipper. The name "zipper" was first used in 1923 when the B.F. Goodrich Company applied Sundback's design to boots and coined the term based on the sound the fastener made. Before Sundback's invention, there were earlier versions and concepts related to zipper-like devices, such as Elias Howe’s garment fastener patent in 1851 and Whitcomb Judson’s "clasp locker" in the 1890s, but these were not the true modern zipper designs. The modern zipper became more popular in clothing in the 1930s, particularly in children’s clothes and men's pants, and eventually expanded into broader fashion use. In summary:
- Early concepts: 1851 (Elias Howe) and 1890s (Whitcomb Judson)
- Modern zipper invented and patented: 1917 (Gideon Sundback)
- Name "zipper" coined and popularized: 1923 (B.F. Goodrich Company)
