Union

According to Wikipedia, Elias Howe (the inventor of the sewing machine) received a patent for an "Automatic Continuous Clothing Closure" in 1851. But it wasn't until 1913 that the modern zipper was designed by one Gideon Sundback.

"The popular North American term zipper, (UK zip, or occasionally zip-fastener), came from the B. F. Goodrich Company in 1923. The company opted to use Gideon Sundback's fastener on a new type of rubber boots (or galoshes) and referred to it as the zipper, and the name stuck. The two chief uses of the zipper in its early years were for closing boots and tobacco pouches. It was almost twenty years before the fashion industry began seriously promoting the novel closure on garments."

The zipper shown here is quite ingenious. It is extremely long, and zips together to form a tote bag. When the bag is not needed, it can be unzipped and folded into a compact, packable size. Very handy when traveling!