Google has a very interesting Doodle today – a giant zipper lets you “unzip” the logo and see the search results for Gideon Sundback, the inventor of the zipper.

Sundback was born on April 24, 1880 in Småland, Sweden; after he had finished his studies he moved to Germany, and in 1905 he emigrated to the U.S. Working as an engineer for the Universal Fastener Company in Hoboken New Jersey, Sundback perfected the old idea of a fastener based on interlocking teeth.

His “Hookless No. 2″ invention was essentially the modern metal zipper, with each tooth having a dimple on the bottom and a nib on the top, which made the zipper strong enough for everyday use. Sundback patented his invention in 1917.