Post-it Note

Hello there. I’m a little square of paper, but I have a special secret. I am a Post-it Note. You might have seen me on your refrigerator, in your books, or on your family's computer. I wasn't exactly planned, you see. I was a happy accident. Two very clever scientists named Dr. Spencer Silver and Art Fry helped bring me to life. They didn't know it at first, but they were about to create something that would help people all over the world remember important things. My special power is that I can stick to almost anything, but when you peel me off, I don't leave any sticky, gooey messes behind. I can stick, unstick, and stick again.

My story really begins with my glue. It's not like other glues that hold things together forever. My glue is special. It all started back in 1968. A scientist named Dr. Spencer Silver was working at a big company. He was trying to make a super-duper strong glue, maybe for building airplanes or big machines. But he made a mistake. His glue wasn't super strong at all. In fact, it was pretty weak. It was sticky enough to hold a piece of paper, but gentle enough that you could peel it right off. Dr. Silver thought, "Hmm, what can I do with this funny glue?". For many years, his not-so-super glue didn't have a job to do. It just waited patiently for its big moment.

Years went by, and my special glue was still waiting. Then, in 1974, another scientist named Art Fry had a problem. Mr. Fry loved to sing in his church choir. To keep his spot in the big songbook, he would put little slips of paper between the pages. But every time he stood up to sing, his little paper bookmarks would flutter to the floor. It was so frustrating. "There has to be a better way," he thought. Suddenly, he remembered Dr. Silver’s silly, weak glue. An amazing idea popped into his head. He thought, “What if I put a little bit of that not-so-strong glue on the back of my bookmarks? Then they would stay in place but wouldn't rip the page.” It was the perfect idea.

Art Fry rushed to the lab and made his first sticky bookmarks. They worked perfectly. They stayed put and peeled off without leaving a mark. He started using them at his desk to write little notes for himself. Soon, everyone at his office, a company called 3M, saw his clever invention and wanted some too. "I need one of those," his friends would say. The company decided to make me in a bright, canary yellow color so that my notes would be easy to see and would never get lost. Finally, on April 6th, 1980, I was introduced to everyone in the whole country. From that day on, I was known as the Post-it Note. I help people remember birthdays, leave sweet messages, and even make colorful art. I'm proof that sometimes, the very best ideas are wonderful, happy accidents.