Inventor of Post-it Note adhesive made something people didn t know they needed, says wife
Spencer Silver, the inventor of the adhesive used on one of 3M s best-known products, the Post-it Note, died May 8. He was 80.
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Posted: May 14, 2021 4:37 PM ET | Last Updated: May 14
Spencer Silver, the inventor of the adhesive used on one of 3M s best-known products, the Post-it Note, died at his home in Minnesota on Tuesday, May 8.(3M via AP)
As It Happens6:32Inventor of Post-it Note adhesive made something people didn t know they needed, says wife
When Linda Silver and her husband Spencer first started seeing Post-it Notes on television, they d give each other a little nudge. But as time went on, the couple got used to seeing them everywhere.
Spencer Silver, who helped invent the Post-it Note, dies at age 80
The corporate scientist discovered the unique adhesive that allowed notes to be easily attached to surfaces and removed
Spencer Silver was the inventor of the adhesive used on one of 3M’s best-known products, the Post-it Note. Photograph: AP
Spencer Silver was the inventor of the adhesive used on one of 3M’s best-known products, the Post-it Note. Photograph: AP
AssociatedPress
Thu 13 May 2021 19.54 EDT
Last modified on Thu 13 May 2021 20.40 EDT
The inventor of the adhesive used on the Post-it Note has died, according to the company 3M, which produces the product, and his published obituary.
Spencer Silver was 80 and died May 8 at his home, the family’s obituary said.
Silver was working in a company lab in 1968 when he discovered a unique adhesive formula, according to 3M. The adhesive allowed notes to be easily attached to surfaces, removed and even re-posted elsewhere without leaving residue like other glues.
Silver looked for several years for a practical use for the adhesive, calling it a âsolution waiting for a problem to solve.â In 1974, his colleague Art Fry came up with the idea of using the adhesive to prevent paper bookmarks from falling out of his hymnal when he sang in church.