Google Doodle Pays Tribute to Gideon Sundback, The Man Who Invented the Zipper

There is a very little chance of me searching for Gideon Sundback. Maybe I should search for him because he has invented the zipper — an invention, which many of us have taken for granted. Perhaps it’s the invention we use more than anything (or maybe the mobile phone now beats it). Google’s tribute is as exemplary as the invention itself. Open Google’s home page and this is what you see :

Unzip the zipper at the middle of the screen and it will lead you to a search on Gideon Sundback. The Wikipedia page is pushed to the second spot as I write this but that’s where you would know more about Sundback.

Gideon Sudback was responsible for introducing the inter-locking teeth on zippers as we know today. And that didn’t come easy. It took 20 years and had to be built upon work already done by several other inventors. What would we be doing without the zipper?

Google, which also does doodles for India, has not geo-located me or done anything stupid. That in fact is great news. Because April 24 is also the birthday of Sachin Tendulkar who has just completed a century of centuries. A doodle on Tendulkar – that’s the last thing we want.

Go take a look at the home page and unzip.