National Earmuff Day
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Overview
National Earmuff Day is an annual, lighthearted observance celebrated on March 13 to honor the invention of earmuffs. It marks the day in 1877 when a Maine teenager patented the simple, cold-weather accessory that has kept ears warm for nearly 150 years.
Origin and story
Chester Greenwood of Farmington, Maine, received U.S. Patent No. 188,292 for his "Ear Mufflers" on March 13, 1877, when he was reportedly just 18 or 19 years old.
He supposedly got the idea after his ears froze while ice skating; he bent wire into loops and had his grandmother sew fur onto them for warmth.
Quick facts
- DateMarch 13
- TypeInvention / History
- Great forHistory buffs, Inventors, Cold-weather fans
Also on this date
Ways to celebrate
Earmuffs exist because a teenager's ears kept freezing on the ice, and rather than just suffering through it, he built a fix and turned it into a business that outlived him by a century.
A cold day on the pond that became a patent
Chester Greenwood of Farmington, Maine, was reportedly just 18 or 19 when he grew tired of his ears freezing while ice skating in the winter of 1873. He bent wire into two loops, and had his grandmother sew fur onto them for warmth, creating a simple, workable prototype. He kept refining the design, adding a steel band to connect the loops and covering the inside with black velvet for comfort, and on March 13, 1877, he was awarded U.S. Patent No. 188,292 for his "Ear Mufflers."
From a teenager's fix to a factory town
Greenwood didn't stop at the patent. He opened a factory in Farmington to mass-produce "Greenwood's Champion Ear Protectors," and by 1883 it was turning out 30,000 pairs a year. At its peak in 1936, the factory produced more than 400,000 pairs annually and kept the small town employed for decades. Farmington still calls itself the "Earmuff Capital of the World" and holds an annual Chester Greenwood Day parade in his honor. Greenwood himself went on to patent more than 100 other inventions in his lifetime, including a steel-toothed rake and a whistling teakettle.
Ways to mark the day
- Wear earmuffs, even if it's not especially cold where you are.
- Look up Farmington, Maine's Chester Greenwood Day parade traditions.
- Think of a small, personal annoyance you could actually build a fix for, the way Greenwood did.
Helpful resources: Smithsonian Magazine, "The Teenager Who Patented Earmuffs Kept His Town Employed for 60 Years".
Did you know?
Chester Greenwood was a prolific inventor who accumulated over 100 patents in his lifetime, for items ranging from a steel-toothed rake to a whistling teakettle.
Fun facts
- The date March 13 commemorates the day in 1877 when Chester Greenwood of Farmington, Maine, received U.S. Patent No. 188,292 for his "Ear Mufflers," reportedly at just 18 or 19 years old.
- Greenwood supposedly got the idea as a teenager whose ears froze while ice skating; he bent wire into loops and had his grandmother sew fur onto them for warmth.
- Farmington, Maine, proudly calls itself the "Earmuff Capital of the World" and holds an annual Chester Greenwood Day celebration in his honor.
- At its peak in 1936, Greenwood's factory produced over 400,000 pairs of earmuffs in a single year and kept his hometown employed for decades.
- Chester Greenwood was a prolific inventor who accumulated over 100 patents in his lifetime, for items ranging from a steel-toothed rake to a whistling teakettle.
Sources and attribution
Primary source: Smithsonian Magazine, "The Teenager Who Patented Earmuffs Kept His Town Employed for 60 Years".
External links may lead to third-party websites.
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FAQ
- When is National Earmuff Day?
- It is observed on March 13 each year.
- What is National Earmuff Day?
- National Earmuff Day, observed every March 13, celebrates the humble ear-warming invention and honors Chester Greenwood, the Maine teenager who patented earmuffs on this date in 1877. It's a lighthearted day to bundle up, appreciate a clever cold-weather innovation, and learn the surprisingly rich history behind a simple accessory that has kept ears toasty for nearly 150 years.
- How do people celebrate National Earmuff Day?
- People wear earmuffs, learn about Chester Greenwood's 1877 patent, and read about how his factory in Farmington, Maine kept the town employed for decades.
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