Paper Bag Day commemorates anniversary of 1859 invention

July 12 (UPI) -- Paper Bag Day, celebrated annually on July 12, commemorates the anniversary of inventor William Goodale patenting a paper bag machine in 1859.

The holiday commemorates June 12, 1859, the day Goodale obtained a patent for his machine, designed to assemble paper bags.

Francis Wolle, patented the first paper bag machine in 1852, but Goodale's machine also cut the paper to prepare it to be folded into the shape of the bag.

Further improvements to the process were made by Margaret E. Knight, who designed a machine that gave paper bags their recognizable flat-bottoms in 1870. Her contributions led to her being known as "the mother of the grocery bag."

Other holidays and observances for July 12, 2022, include Cow Appreciation Day, Different Colored Eyes Day, Etch a Sketch Day, National Eat Your Jello Day, National Pecan Pie Day, New Conversations Day, Night of Nights, Orangemen's Day and Simplicity Day.