Richard Drew of the 3M Company was working on another problem when he ended up inventing one of the world’s most practical items. He noted that workers painting two-tone cars were having trouble keeping the colors separated along a straight line, so he developed an easy-to-peel, glue-backed masking tape to ease the job. Then, Drew expanded the use of the tape by introducing a clear, cellophane backing. The result was Scotch Tape, first marketed on this date in 1928, and found today under many names in nearly every home and office across the country. Such items are among the many articles stocked in the nation’s nearly 10,000 office supply and stationery stores, which sell almost $20 billion worth of merchandise annually. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.