Duct Tape

First Mention: 1940s

Use: Take on thing and stick it to anything you can think of.

So many uses.

Duct Tape? Don’t you mean Duck Tape? Well no, the actual name of this all-purpose adhesive/lifesavor is actually Duct Tape and was first manufactured by Johnson and Johnson in the 1940s for military use in WWII. The tape was originally colored dark green and given the name “Duck Tape” since it probably reminded the troops of ducks with green heads. What separated this tape from the rest, was its strong durability and water resistance, assets needed to keep ammunition cases, guns, and other military tools intact. Soldiers would use the tape in almost any situation and circumstance where something needed an adhesive.

Once the war ended, duct tape found its way into the consumer market, and became popular and widely used due to its remarkable multi-purpose utility. The tape started being manufactured in a variety of colors, but the lively communist housing block grey color seemed to become the standard. Duct tape was even used on Apollo 13  to rig lithium hydroxide canisters, which were then used to clear excess CO2 from the lunar module.

So from the soft baby bottoms of Johnson and Johnson to the rough war terrain and even out in space, duct tape has been extended far beyond its original use.