Velcro: how space race helped Swiss invention catch on

Swiss engineer George de Mestral patented the Velcro fastener in the 1950s. However, the principle was initially met with scepticism and rejection. It was only when it was used on the Apollo moon missions and in sport that the product became wildly popular. It is practical, but inelegant. Nevertheless, we deal with it almost every day. Can you imagine everyday life without Velcro? According to an international jury, this Swiss idea is one of the 50 most important inventions of the 20th century. Like several other Swiss inventions, it changed the world. The principle is simple: a fluffy band on one side and tiny hooks on the other. If you press them together, they stay connected and can only be pulled apart with force. However, the hook-and-loop fastener had a long way to go before it became established as a principle for attaching and closing objects. Modelled on nature It was 1941 when George de Mestral, a 34-year-old electrical engineer from canton Vaud in western Switzerland ...