George de Mestral was born in a small village near Lausanne, Switzerland in 1908 .
Around 1920, Whticomb L. Judson invented the zipper.
Safety pins were made in various metals from bronze to steel to brass and in many lengths from kilt size down to ½". This smallest size was popular on children's and doll garments in the early 1900s to 1930s
While on a hunting trip with his dog in the Alps, George de Mestral noticed that small grass burrs stuck to his wool pants and socks. Looking at these cling-ons under a microscope, he made an interesting observation: tiny hooks on the end of each burr ca