TALES OF THE ORDINARY

The Extraordinary Stories Behind These 10 Everyday Inventions

Image: Museums Victoria

Sometimes it’s easy to forget how behind every commonplace object there is an interesting story. Each of these invention stories stems from the need to solve a problem or make our lives a little easier.

Delve with us into the fascinating history of these 10 commonplace items that, in one way or another, have shaped our modern world.

Image: Antoine Dautry

Where would we be without ballpoint pens? Still leaking ink everywhere, I assume. In 1938, Hungarian journalist Laszlo Biro patented the first successful ballpoint pen, inspired by the quick-drying ink used in newspaper printing. This revolutionary writing instrument provided a smoother, more reliable alternative to fountain pens, making on-the-go writing easier and more accessible.

Image: Nina Cuk

Zippers are one of those inventions that are absolutely everywhere, and our lives would certainly be more complicated without them. Imagine buttoning up a camping tent!

Initially patented in 1851 by Elias Howe, the zipper struggled to gain traction until Swedish-American electrical engineer Gideon Sundbäck improved upon the design in the early 20th century. Once intended as a fastening device for shoes, the zipper's versatility soon led to its widespread use in clothing, luggage, and beyond.

Image: Diana Polekhina

Who knew there was a love story behind the ubiquitous Band-Aid? In 1920, a Johnson & Johnson employee called Earle Dickson invented the Band-Aid as a solution to his wife's frequent kitchen injuries.

Combining adhesive tape with sterile gauze, Dickson created a convenient and effective way to dress small wounds. During World War II, millions were shipped overseas, popularizing the product everywhere and becoming the household staple we know today.

Image: Jacek Halicki, CC BY-SA 4.0

Safety pins are a straightforward invention - a clothespin that protects its user from the sharp point. Yet, this commonplace fabric fastener did not exist before 1849, when it was patented by American mechanic Walter Hunt. Hunt didn’t think much of his invention and sold the patent to W. R. Grace and Company for only 400 dollars, which made millions off his design.

Image: Tyler Nix

German entrepreneur Melitta Bentz revolutionized the coffee industry in 1908 with her patented invention: the disposable paper coffee filter.

Tired of finding grounds in her coffee as well as of the bitter taste that most brewing methods of her time produced due to over-brewing, Bentz began experimenting with conical blotting paper filters. This led to her creating the simple yet effective filtration method that remains a staple of coffee preparation today.

Image: Andres Siimon

Originally crafted from natural rubber, the first rubber bands emerged in the mid-19th century as a solution for securing bundles of papers and banknotes. Although many others had previously worked on the idea, British businessman Stephen Perry is often recognized as the true inventor of rubber bands. The first commercially successful version of the product was made simply by slicing hollow tubes of vulcanized rubber, almost the same process that is still used today.

Image: Alex Padurariu

Before toothbrushes, people used just about anything they could find to maintain their oral hygiene. Twigs, feathers, animal hair, and even porcupine quills have been used in the quest for a shining smile.

But it wasn’t until the 1930s that the first practical nylon toothbrushes were invented, by American giant DuPont. Surprisingly, the first electric toothbrush was invented only twenty years later, by a Swiss company in 1954.

Image: Mitchell Luo

After watching auto-engineers try different methods to achieve smooth painting on two-color cars, 3M engineer Richard Drew designed the first masking tape in 1925, later developing the product into the clear adhesive tape we know today.

With its transparent and moisture-resistant design, the Scotch tape revolutionized the world of adhesive products, finding applications in every field, from house repairs to industrial uses.

Image: Rob Wicks

While their exact origin is debated, the widespread use of self-igniting matches dates back to the early 19th century. However, the first designs utilized highly dangerous white phosphorus, causing dangerous intoxications in both factory workers and users.

After a series of worker strikes and international bans, the industry switched to red phosphorus, a much safer alternative to produce and manipulate.

Image: Carlos Lindner

While the concept of cooling indoor air dates back to ancient civilizations - and even Benjamin Franklin experimented with various cooling methods - modern air conditioning as we know it was pioneered by Willis Carrier in 1902.

Originally designed to control humidity in a Brooklyn printing plant, Carrier's invention revolutionized not only industrial processes but also comfort in homes, businesses, and even hospitals.

Folklore from around the world

Dragons, vampires and beyond: the surprising origin of 12 ancient beasts

Image: Friedrich-Johann-Justin-Bertuch, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Throughout history, dozens of mythological creatures from cultures around the world have played a leading role in tales and legends that have terrified even the bravest. Many of these beasts are well known, but have you ever wondered where their names came from? Read on to discover the origins of 12 legendary monsters!

Image: qgadrian

Ogres are popular characters in Western folk tales. The word ogre comes from French, and some scholars trace it to Orcus, a Roman god of the underworld who fed on human flesh.

Ogres are typically depicted with large heads, wild hair, and scruffy beards. In fairy tales, they are often portrayed as brutal giants who eat humans and are almost always extremely strong and ferocious. This legendary monster became popular thanks to the works of French author Charles Perrault in the 17th century.

Image: Tim Alex

Yes, the most famous vampire is Count Dracula, but blood-sucking undead creatures existed in European folklore long before Bram Stoker published his novel in 1897. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word vampire likely comes from the French vampire, borrowed from German and ultimately from South Slavic languages such as Serbian vampir.

Vampiric entities have been recorded in many cultures, although they were especially popular in Southeastern and Eastern Europe during the 18th century. Unlike the pale, fanged aristocrats of modern fiction, early vampires were often described as bloated, dark-skinned corpses that rose from the grave to feed on the living.

Image: Daisy Anderson

A mummy is, of course, the preserved body of a dead human or animal. In ancient civilizations such as Egypt, mummification was a vital part of religious and burial practices, believed to prepare the deceased for the afterlife.

Yet, popular culture took it upon itself to depict mummies as supernatural monsters. This portrayal likely stems from tales of "mummy curses" that emerged in the early 20th century, particularly after the discovery of Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb.

Ancient Egyptian mummies are named after the substance in which the dead person's body was embalmed. Mummy, in this sense, goes back to Arabic mūmiyā, meaning "bitumen" and therefore "embalmed corpse."

Image: Ri_Ya

Another popular monster from European folklore is the werewolf. The word that describes the mythical transformation of a person into a wolf comes from the late Old English werewulf, combining wer, meaning "man," and **wulf, meaning "wolf"**—literally, "man-wolf."

Werewolves are often described as being placed under a curse, and the association between werewolves and the full moon became widespread during the Middle Ages, though stories of human-to-wolf transformations go back even further—one of the earliest literary examples appears in the Satyricon by the Roman writer Petronius.

Image: vasina_r

Goblins are small, mischievous creatures that appear in European folklore, particularly in tales from the Middle Ages. They are often portrayed as evil, disfigured humanoids with magical powers and a love for causing trouble.

The word goblin has several proposed origins. The most widely accepted theory is that it comes from the Old French gobelin, which itself derives from _Gobelinus_—a malevolent spirit said to have haunted the town of Évreux in northern France during the 12th century.

Image: ELG21

The banshee is usually depicted as a ghostly woman clad in pale, flowing garments, though in some accounts, she is described as a fairy who sings with a mournful, otherworldly voice. The word banshee comes from the Old Irish ben síde (or modern bean sídhe), meaning "woman of the fairies."

In Celtic folklore, the banshee is a supernatural being—often believed to be the spirit of a deceased ancestor—who wails a warning of an imminent death in a house. So, when this female spirit appears, watch out!

Image: Antonio Canova, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Gorgons are legendary monsters from ancient Greek mythology—three terrifying sisters with glaring eyes and serpents writhing in place of hair. The name comes from the Greek Gorgones, meaning "the grim ones," derived from gorgos, meaning "fierce" or "terrible."

According to myth, anyone who looked directly at a Gorgon would be turned to stone. The most famous of the trio is Medusa, the only mortal Gorgon. Although she was slain by the hero Perseus, her severed head retained its petrifying power and was used as a weapon long after her death.

Image: Daniel Jensen

A zombie is a contradicting monster: it’s a human who’s both living and dead. The idea of reanimated corpses originates in Afro-Caribbean folklore, particularly Haitian Vodou, where zombies are said to be dead bodies brought back to life and controlled by a sorcerer.

In modern times, zombies have become iconic figures in horror films and fiction, often portrayed as mindless, flesh-eating hordes. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the term zombie has a Central African origin and can be traced back to words like zumbi ("fetish") and djumbi ("ghost").

Image: the blowup

Ghouls are monsters from Arabian mythology that are usually found haunting the places humans tend to avoid, like graveyards and abandoned areas. According to legend, a ghoul would lure unsuspecting travelers into the wilderness with the intent of devouring them.

The word ghoul comes from the Arabic term ġūl, a desert-dwelling demon that feeds on the dead, often by robbing graves. Ġūl in turn derives from ghala, meaning "to seize." In some traditions, ghouls are considered a type of jinn—supernatural beings that can be either good or evil—from which the English word genie is derived.

Image: Dieterich01

The Kraken is a legendary sea monster from Scandinavian mythology. This creature, resembling a giant squid or octopus, dwells in the deep sea, stalking sailors who dare to enter its waters. According to legend, it is capable of swallowing men, ships, and even whales.

The term kraken derives from the Norwegian word krake, meaning "pole," "stake," or "post," as well as "crooked tree" or "stunted animal or person."

Image: Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Oni are fearsome creatures in Japanese folklore. According to a 10th-century Japanese dictionary, the word—represented by the kanji 鬼—may derive from on or onu, meaning "to hide." Oni are typically hidden beings, dwelling in caves or remote mountains, making them difficult to spot.

When they do appear, they often take a red or blue humanoid form. They carry iron clubs, have horns and massive teeth, and are sometimes depicted with extra eyes, fingers, or toes. Despite their fearsome reputation for devouring humans in one mouthful, oni are also sometimes linked to bringing good fortune and wealth.

Image: Vlad Zaytsev

The dragon, one of the most well-known mythological beings, appears in various forms in several cultures around the world. In China, dragons are considered symbols of good fortune, while in medieval Europe, they were often depicted as evil creatures. These creatures, often shown with reptilian and avian features, were known both as guardians of sacred places and as fearsome predators who devoured princesses.

Whether spewing fire from their mouths or seen as earthly representatives of the Devil, dragons were creatures to be feared. The word dragon entered the English language in the early 13th century from the Old French dragon, which in turn derives from the Greek drákōn, meaning "serpent" or "giant seafish."