George G. Blaisdell: Inventor & Founder

It is only right to start this Zippo blog with a little tribute to it's founder, George G. Blaisdell. Blaisdell formed the Zippo Manufacturing Company in Bradford Pennsylvania in 1932. The first Zippo lighter was produced in 1933. Blaisdell was born in Bradford in 1895 and when it came to his formal education, he didn't make it past 5th grade. He then spent 2 years in a military academy, and after that went to work in his fathers machinery shop. He eventually toke over the business and sold it in 1920. After spending time in the oil industry and having it go sour when the depression hit Blaisdell got desperate. The Zippo lighter was inspired by an Austrian cigarette lighter that was similar. Blaisdell's Zippo lighter hit it big with the military during World War 2, and has been big ever since. Here's to George G. Blaisdell, the inventor of the Zippo lighter.