Johnson Cherian.
Google honoured the humble hole puncher, which turned 131 years on Tuesday, by creating a Doodle.
Created by Gerben Steenks, the doodle features an animated hole puncher creating a “delightful surprise of the colorful confetti byproduct – an accidental collection of colorful, circular leftovers,” as Google describes it in its blog post.
Although the credit for inventing the hole puncher has been a subject of dispute, the patent was awarded to German inventor Friedrich Soennecken on this day in 1886. Soennecken’s other innovations such as the calligraphy pen nib, ring binder, and round writing style were all linked to publishing.
The hole puncher, originally created to help organise large stacks of paper, was later used in industries and shops dealing with various materials such as leather, clothing, metal, and plastic.
From being a stress relief tool to acting as a paperweight, the hole puncher remains a part of the work place even as offices are moving towards a paperless workplace. As Google sums it up: “As modern workplaces trek further into the digital frontier, this centuries-old tool remains largely, wonderfully, the same.”
