Inventor's name: Whitecomb L. Judson

Date of birth: unknown

Date of death: 1909

Invention: the zipper

American engineer from Chicago. He called it his "clasp locker". He never succeeded in selling his product. He died before his invention became famous. The first use of his invention was for soldiers clothing during WWI.

Source: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/indexz.shtml