In 1891 Mr. W.L. Judson invented a small metalic object that most people make use of, men a bit more than women. What was it?

In 1891, the American inventor Whitcomb L. Judson patented a "Clasp Locker" intended to save people from the tedious task of fastening high-button shoes. This early version was a complex system of hooks and eyes that was unfortunately prone to popping open. Judson debuted his invention at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair but met with very little commercial success. Though Judson is credited with the original idea, his device was far from the reliable fastener we know today.

It took another two decades for the invention to become truly practical. An engineer at Judson's company, Gideon Sundback, redesigned the fastener with small, interlocking teeth, patenting his "Separable Fastener" in 1917. The popular name for the device came in 1923 when the B.F. Goodrich company used it on their rubber boots, or galoshes. They called the new boots "Zippers" because of the sound the slider made, and the name stuck to the fastener itself.

The notion that men use zippers more than women may stem from a long-standing clothing tradition. On men's garments, the zipper slider is typically placed on the right-hand side, making it easier for the wearer to zip up themselves. Conversely, women's garments often feature the zipper on the left. This convention is believed to be a holdover from an era when wealthy women were dressed by servants, making a left-side placement easier for a right-handed helper to fasten.