10 Everyday Inventions Created By Accident!

Did you know that some of the most useful and widely used inventions were actually created by accident? These inventions have changed the way we live our lives, making them more convenient and efficient. Here are 10 everyday inventions that were created by accident.

Corn Flakes

In 1894, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his brother Will Keith Kellogg were experimenting with wheat dough at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Michigan. They accidentally left a batch of boiled wheat on the stove for too long, resulting in it becoming stale and hard. Instead of throwing it away, they decided to roll it out and bake it. When they did so, they noticed that the flakes became flaky and crispy. They marketed these flakes as “Granose” but later changed the name to Corn Flakes.

Potato Chips

In 1853, a customer complained that his fried potatoes were too thick and sent them back to chef George Crum at Moon’s Lake House in New York. Annoyed by the customer’s complaint, George decided to teach him a lesson by slicing the potatoes as thin as possible and frying them until they were impossible to eat with a fork. However, to everyone’s surprise, the customer loved these crispy potato chips, and they soon became a popular snack.

Post-it Notes

In 1968, a scientist at 3M named Spencer Silver was trying to create a super-strong adhesive but ended up making a weak, pressure-sensitive adhesive instead. The company didn’t know what to do with this “failed” product until Art Fry, another scientist at 3M, used it to create small notes that could be easily attached and removed from surfaces. These Post-it Notes became a massive success and are now used by people all over the world.

Microwave

Percy Spencer was an engineer working for Raytheon, a company that produced radar technology during World War II. While testing a new vacuum tube called a magnetron, he noticed that the candy bar in his pocket had melted. Curious, he decided to try popping popcorn with the magnetron and later developed the first microwave oven.

Velcro

In 1941, Swiss inventor George de Mestral went for a walk with his dog and came back with burrs stuck to his clothes. Intrigued by how they easily attached to fabric, he examined them under a microscope and saw the tiny hooks that allowed them to cling onto anything with a loop-like surface. Using this concept, he created Velcro – a fastening system that is now used in various industries.

Penicillin

Scottish biologist, Alexander Fleming, left a petri dish containing staphylococcus bacteria open on his desk while he went on vacation. Upon returning, he noticed that mold had grown on the culture and killed off the bacteria surrounding it. This discovery led to the development of penicillin – one of the most widely used antibiotics in the world.

X-rays

Wilhelm Röntgen was experimenting with cathode rays when he noticed a mysterious glow from a nearby chemically coated screen. He realized that the rays were able to pass through certain objects and used this discovery to take the first x-ray image – of his wife’s hand wearing her wedding ring. Today, x-rays are an important tool in medical imaging.

Popsicles

One winter night in 1905, 11-year-old Frank Epperson accidentally left a glass of soda powder and water outside on his porch. The next day, he found that the mixture had frozen solid with the wooden stirrer still inside. He called it the “Epsicle” and later changed the name to Popsicle – a popular frozen treat enjoyed by people of all ages.