Today we celebrate a special plastic wrapper that was ingeniously invented to protect fragile items for storage or shipping, the Bubble Wrap. This day is observed annually on January 27th.
Bubble wrap is a fascinating and special kind of plastic wrapper invention because of its unique feature, the bubbles. Bubble wraps also bring every user some enjoyment from popping the bubbles.
Bubble wrap is a pliable transparent plastic material commonly used for packing or storing items. The bubbles are regularly spaced, protruding air-filled hemispheres or the bubbles, which provide cushioning for fragile items.
Bubble wrap is a generic trademark owned by Sealed Air Corporation. In 1957 two inventors named Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes attempted to create a three-dimension plastic wallpaper. The idea was a failure, but they found out that the invention could be used as packing material instead.
The bubbles can be as small as 6 millimeters in diameter, to as large as 26 millimeters or more, to provide added levels of shock absorption during package transit. One of the first widespread uses of bubble wrap came in 1960, with the shipping of the new IBM 1401 computers to customers, most of whom had never seen this pacing material before.
Bubble wraps make a satisfying popping sound when compressed and ruptured, it is often used as a source of amusement, especially to people who are bored. So, today, celebrate this day by recognizing this ingenious invention and using them to wrap something or just playing and popping those bubbles for fun. Share on social media how you used Bubble wraps using #BubbleWrapDay.
1970 John Lennon writes and records “Instant Karma” in a single day
“I wrote it for breakfast, recorded it for lunch and we’re putting it out for dinner.” That’s the way John Lennon told the story of “Instant Karma,” one of his most memorable songs as a solo artist and the third Lennon single to appear before the official breakup of the Beatles. The only exaggeration in John’s description was the part about dinner: “Instant Karma” wasn’t actually released to the public until 13 days after it was written and recorded over the course of a single Tuesday, on January 27, 1970. By any measure, it was one of the fastest pop songs ever to come to market.
“Instant Karma” came during a tumultuous time for John Lennon personally and for the band, he was in the midst of leaving behind. The Beatles had spent the better part of 1969 trying to decide whether or not they were still a band, abandoning recording sessions that had just begun and canceled plans for their first live performances in more than three years. The material for both of the band’s last two albums—Abbey Road and Let it Be—was recorded that year, but Let it Be sat unreleased and without an agreed-upon producer. Lennon, meanwhile, was moving in a new direction. “Give Peace a Chance,” recorded during the famous June 1969 “bed-in,” had already come out under the name “The Plastic Ono Band,” as had “Cold Turkey,” his wrenching account of kicking heroin that same year. By January 1970, John had walked away from the Beatles, and the Plastic Ono Band was the only musical entity he considered himself part of.
(excerpted from https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-lennon-writes-and-records-instant-karma-in-a-single-day)
