10 Inventions That Were Created By Mistake

Behind every invention, there is a story. Most of us want to know how something was invented and what was the purpose behind its invention? We see a lot of everyday items which were created for a purpose. But you guys believe it or not, in these items, there are also some great life changing things which were invented accidentally. It is hard to believe but it's true that there was no intention behind their invention. Here are the 10 most common everyday items which were invented accidentally:

1. Corn Flakes

In 1894, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his brother Will Keith Kellogg were searching for wholesome foods to feed patients. They accidentally left some boiled wheat sitting out. After some time, this mixture turned moldy but was thick and dry. Rather they thrown it out, by doing some experiments on it, they created corn flakes.

2. Chocolate Chip Cookies

These were created in 1930 by Toll House co-owner, Ruth Graves Wakefield, when she was trying to create a chocolate dessert. When she discovered that she was running low on chocolate, she decided to use small chocolate chips but was disappointed when the chips did not melt along with the rest of the chocolate. It was for this very reason that chocolate chips became a hit later.

3. Chewing Gum

Almost every person love chewing gums. There is a story behind its invention. One day Thomas Adams was attempting to create a natural latex option to replace rubber. He randomly put the substance in his mouth and found that it was very fun to chew on. He added flavors to the substance and called it “chewing gum” in 1888.

4. Play Doh

Play-Doh was accidentally invented in 1955 by Joseph and Noah McVicker while trying to make a wallpaper cleaner. It was marketed a year later by toy manufacturer Rainbow Crafts. More than 700 million pounds of Play-Doh have sold since then, but the recipe remains a secret.

5. Microwave Oven

Microwave Oven is also an accidental invention. One Day, Percy Spencer was experimenting with a new vacuum tube called a magnetron while doing research for the Raytheon Corporation. He was intrigued when the candy bar in his pocket began to melt, so he tried another experiment with popcorn. When it began to pop, Spencer immediately saw the potential in this revolutionary process. In 1947, Raytheon built the first microwave oven, the Radarange, which weighed 750 pounds, was 51/2 feet tall, and cost about $5,000.

6. Potato Chips

The potato chip was created when a customer complained that his fried potatoes were too thick and soggy and enraged Chef George Crum. In his fit of anger, the chef went to the extreme opposite and sliced his potatoes super thin and fried them for too long, after which he covered them with salt and served them to the complaining customer. To his surprise the customer loved them and asked for more.

7. Slinky

In 1943, naval engineer Richard James was trying to develop a spring that would support and stabilize sensitive equipment on ships. When one of the springs accidentally fell off a shelf, it continued moving, and James got the idea for a toy. His wife Betty came up with the name, and when the Slinky made its debut in late 1945, James sold 400 of the bouncy toys in 90 minutes. Today, more than 250 million Slinkys have been sold worldwide.

8. Post It Notes

A Post-it note is a small piece of paper with a strip of low-tack adhesive on the back that allows it to be temporarily attached to documents, walls, computer monitors, and just about anything else. One day 3M was attempting to create a super adhesive 1968 but somehow, created the exact opposite: a product that did not stick very well, was easy to remove and did not leave any residue once removed. The product would have been a failure until one of the scientists, Art Fry, realized that they were perfect to use as bookmarks for his church songs and left no residue.

9. Penicillin

Alexander Fleming, a Scottish bacteriologist in London, discovered penicillin by mistake when he was trying to study Staphylococcus bacteria in 1928. He was running experiments with the bacteria in his laboratory at London's St. Mary's Hospital, and set a laboratory dish containing the bacteria near an open window. Upon returning to the experiment, he found that some mold blown in through the open window onto the dish, contaminating the bacteria.

Instead of throwing away his spoiled experiment, Fleming looked closely at it under his microscope. Surprisingly, he saw not only the mold growing on the bacteria, but a clear zone around the mold. That way, penicillin was invented.

10. Coca Cola

The world most popular cold drink, Coca Cola, was also created accidentally. It was hen pharmacist John Pemberton created the concoction, he meant for it to be used to cure his own headaches. The recipe that is guarded very closely to this day is the result of a pharmacist dumping together a mess of ingredients that happened to taste so good.