George de Mestral (June 19, 1907 - February 8, 1990) was an electrical engineer who invented Velcro. June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... 1907 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... February 8 is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An engineers degree is an academic degree which is intermediate in rank between a masters degree and a doctorate; it is occasionally to be encountered in the United States in technical fields. ... Velcro is a brand name of fabric hook-and-loop fasteners used for connecting objects. ...

Born near Lausanne, Switzerland, de Mestral designed a toy airplane at age twelve and patented it. He attended the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne. After graduation he worked at a machine shop of an engineering company. In his spare time he was an amateur mountaineer, while enjoying the outdoors burrs often get stuck to his wool hunting pants and his dog's fur. Microscopic inspection of the burr's provided inspiration for the invention of a new fastner. People laughed at his idea, but that did not stop him. He later began his own company and in 1951 he successfully patented Velcro. He sold 60 million yards a year. It was a multi-million dollar company. Lausanne (46° 31′ 10″ N 6° 37′ 56″ E) is a city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva (French: Lac Léman), and facing Évian-les-Bains (France). ... The Monster Clothespin from Outer Space, and entrance of the EPFL The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne in Switzerland. ... A burr is a seed or type of fruiting body, borne by certain plants, in which the seeds bear hooks or teeth which attach themselves to fur or clothing of passing animals or people. ... Velcro is a brand name of fabric hook-and-loop fasteners used for connecting objects. ...