The Link Between Frozen Pizza Dough and Kevlar Vests
Did you know that Kevlar vests were partially inspired by good old fashioned frozen pizza dough? It’s true, and it’s a story that dates back to 1969.
It was that year when Richard Davis, a former Marine, was out delivering homemade pizza one night in Detroit when was held up at gunpoint. He ended up fighting his two attackers off, and even injuring them, but was also shot twice himself. As the only self-protection apparel available at the time were large pieces of armor that were unsuitable for regular wear, he eventually came up with the idea for a bulletproof vest that he named Second Chance. He started selling it to police stations, showing them how it worked by actually allowing them to shoot him while he wore the vest.
The nylon Davis used as fabric was replaced with Kevlar, a synthetic fiber, in the mid-1970s, and that is the material still used today to save the lives of thousands of police officers across the country. So, the next time you send out your delivery people to get the best pizza crust out to your customers, consider their safety and be thankful that today, personal safety items have already been created.