The Sticky Story Behind Post-it Notes

Post-it Notes were invented by accident. A scientist at 3M created a glue that wasn’t very strong, but stuck lightly to surfaces without leaving residue. Another colleague realized it would be perfect for bookmarks—and Post-it Notes became a thing.

It’s one of the happiest office accidents in history. Dr. Spencer Silver was trying to make a super-strong adhesive in 1968, but what he got was the opposite: a low-tack glue that barely held things together. Not exactly what the lab ordered.

Still, Silver thought it had potential—and he kept sharing his “failed” glue around the company.

Years later, a colleague named Art Fry had a problem of his own. He sang in his church choir and needed bookmarks that wouldn’t fall out of his hymnal. He remembered Silver’s sticky-but-not-too-sticky glue and had an idea.

By 1980, 3M launched Post-it Notes nationwide. They were an instant hit.

Today, over 50 billion Post-it Notes are made every year. They come in hundreds of colors, shapes, and sizes. And they’ve gone way beyond bookmarks—used in classrooms, brainstorm sessions, household reminders, and even stop-motion animation.

All because of a glue that wasn’t quite sticky enough.

Kid-friendly idea: Try inventing something using leftovers. What can you make out of scraps, extra parts, or things that didn’t work the first time?