Ever wonder who invented that handy little fly swatter you arm yourself with on a hot summer day?

You may not know that the first fly swatter was invented almost 120 years ago. According to patent history, Robert R. Montgomery filed a patent for the “fly killer” in October of 1899 in Decatur, Illinois. As the patent explained, the first design consisted of an oblong piece of wire netting fixed onto a long rectangular wooden handle using screws. While many different versions of fly swatters existed before the “fly killer,” this model was the first to receive a legal patent in the United States. So the next time you swat one of those pesky insects in your house with your fly swatter, don’t forget to thank Robert R. Montgomery.

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View the original patented design