Henry David Thoreau Helped Create the No. 2 Pencil

This bright-yellow tool might never have existed if not for a stroke of luck. According to legend, its creation stems from a discovery made in England in 1564. During a storm, a large deposit of graphite (the “lead” now inside pencils) was unearthed clinging to the roots of a fallen tree, and locals realized that the material could make dark-gray sketch marks on paper.

Bread Was Used as an Eraser Before Rubber

What was the classroom like before the modern eraser? Prior to the 1770s, balled-up wads of moist bread were used to correct written mistakes. Fortunately for those who would rather eat bread than use it as a tool, that method was rendered obsolete long before modern schooling began. In 1770, scientist Joseph Priestly (the same man who discovered oxygen) noticed the erasing properties of a substance he initially called “India gum,” but which he later called “rubber” due to the rubbing action required by the user.

Glue Sticks Were Inspired by Lipstick Applicators

Kindergarten teachers around the world are no strangers to messy, glue-covered hands, but thanks to the German company Henkel, craft time became a whole lot cleaner with the advent of the glue stick. Henkel’s invention of the Pritt brand glue stick in 1969 featured a design inspired by twist-up lipstick applicators. Adhesives researcher Dr. Wolfgang Dierichs first proposed the design in 1967 after witnessing a woman applying lipstick during a flight. Dierichs was amazed at how careful the lipstick application process was and determined the method could also be applied to glue. Though the company struggled to thicken the glue at first, the solution proved to be a mixture of soap gel and water-soluble adhesive.