Eureka? 5 Famous Fluke Inventions

Many inventions come after years of research and experimentation. Here are five that happened purely by chance.

Sticky Notes

In 1968, 3M chemist Spencer Silver was trying to develop a strong adhesive for aircraft construction, but he accidentally developed a weak adhesive that was nevertheless indestructible and could be used over and over. First dismissed as a failure, the adhesive was later applied to paper and marketed as Post-It Notes.^TM

Chocolate Chip Cookies

One day in 1938, Ruth Wakefield was experimenting with a new chocolate-flavored cookie recipe at her Toll House Inn in Massachusetts. Out of baker's chocolate, she cut a semi-sweet chocolate bar into tiny bits and sprinkled it in the dough. To her surprise, the chocolate bits did not melt but held their shape, and the diners loved the new cookies.

Matches

English pharmacist John Walker was scraping dried chemicals off a stick one day in 1826 when it suddenly burst into flames. In an era when starting a fire was slow and difficult, Walker saw the potential of his discovery and soon began selling these "Friction Lights" in his pharmacy.

Popsicles

In 1905, 11-year-old Frank Epperson used a stick to mix a sweet, powdery drink in a glass. He left it outside without drinking it and it froze overnight. The next day, he devoured his new treat and began selling it around his neighborhood. Epperson patented his "frozen confectionery" in 1924.

Super Glue

In 1951, Eastman Kodak researcher Harry Coover was working with cyanoacrylates for heat-resistant jet airplane canopies, but the chemical kept sticking to everything. Suddenly, he realized the potential of an adhesive that could stick to almost anything and required no heat or pressure to bond.