Saran wrap is another product which can be added to the list of accidental inventions. Ralph Wiley was not even working as a scientist when he discovered the substance that would become Saran wrap.
In 1933, Wiley was working in a laboratory at Dow Chemical cleaning glassware when he found polyvinylidene chloride, the chemical that would [...]

To better compete within the soap industry, Proctor & Gamble sought to create a high quality, affordable, duel bath bar and laundry product. In 1878, the first successful formula was created and produced under the name of White Soap.
Rumor has it that the floating soap formula was invented accidentally by one of the Proctor & [...]

You can add Super Glue to your list of inventions that were discovered by accident. Dr. Harry Coover was not trying to invent a super-sticky substance when he came across Super Glue. In 1945, Dr. Coover was actually working on a way to create a clear plastic to use in precision gunsights for Eastman Kodak.
Cyanoacrylates [...]

Question from No Name:
When was the bulletproof vest invented? Or should I say Kevlar?
Kevlar was another accidental invention among many others throughout history that has saved thousands of lives. The fabric was originally intended to replace steel belting in the tires of vehicles. A member of DuPont’s Pioneering Research Laboratory, Stephanie Kwolek, first developed the [...]

You can add the microwave oven to the list of products invented by accident. Dr. Percy Spencer was not trying to invent a faster way to cook when he discovered the principal behind the microwave oven. Instead, Spencer was working for the Raytheon Corporation testing a new type of vacuum tube known as a magnetron. [...]

In 1856, a 17-year-old in his home laboratory discovered the first synthetic dye. William Henry Perkin’s mentor at the Royal Academy of Science, August W. Hofmann, had published an article about the possibility of creating synthetic quinine to lessen the cost of treating malaria. Perkin was excited about the idea and began experimenting with ways [...]

The first upright vacuum cleaner was invented by a janitor in Canton, Ohio. James Spangler was extremely prone to allergies and he was sure that his cough and asthma attacks were caused by the carpet sweeper he used at work. To alleviate this problem, he created a very basic suction sweeper. His device was just [...]

Have you ever wondered about the invention of your favorite toys? Every toy, every product, started as an idea somewhere. But whose idea was that Koosh Ball? Who designed that Rubik’s Cube that still has many of us stumped and frustrated?
The Koosh Ball
The Koosh Ball was developed in 1986 by Scott Stillinger. He was attempting [...]

The opening of the ski slopes is not completely in the hands of Mother Nature, and for that you can thank Dr. Ray Ringer. Ringer was not actually trying to invent a way to extend the ski season. His discovery of snowmaking is another happy accident.
Ray Ringer was working with other Canadian scientists to study [...]

This week in 1895, a monumental advancement in medical technology was made by accident in a German lab.
On November 8, 1895, German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays while experimenting with vacuum tubes. Röntgen was investigating cathode rays with a fluorescent screen painted with barium platinocyanide and a Crookes tube which he had wrapped in [...]