Surprising Stories of Accidental Inventions

Beloved for its ease of use, the indispensable appliance was invented utterly by accident. Never underestimate the power of snacks and serendipity.

Serendipity is credited with some of our most important discoveries, from penicillin to super glue. But what is it?

How a hunting trip led George de Mestral to invent the velcro fastener—a middle ground between buttons, zippers, and simply sewing stuff together.

The much-loved children’s toy was a desperate spinoff of a putty used to clean soot off of wallpaper.

No one was initially more skeptical of the existence of X-rays than Wilhelm Roentgen—the man who discovered them.

Three different artificial sweeteners have been the result of scientists with poor hand hygiene.

The discovery of penicillin, one of the first antibiotics, marks a true turning point. Many school children can recite the basics. But there is much more to the historic sequence of events.

When he started fiddling with chemicals in his home in March 1856, William Henry Perkin had no idea what was about to happen.

Quick-bonding adhesive was a happy accident of wartime research. Its story begins just before World War II.