1907-1990

Swiss engineer who made "fastener history" when he developed Velcro—after a walk in the woods, during which he noticed how burrs caught on his clothing could be removed without damaging the fabric. He used this discovery to design a "locking tape" based on the microscopic hooks and loops of the thistle specimens he had collected during his nature walk. De Mestral named his invention, which he patented in 1955, for the French words velour (meaning "velvet") and crochet ("hook").