George de Mestral, a Swiss inventor and outdoorsman, was annoyed, too, but more importantly, he had the idea of mimicking the burr's method of attaching itself to create a new type of fastener.  In 1951 he applied for a patent for the invention, and a year later formed a company, Velcro S.A., to manufacture and sell it.  (The "vel" comes from velvet or velour and the "cro" from "crochet," which is French for "hook.")  Originally conceived as a replacement for the zipper, Velcro^® has turned out to be an extremely versatile product.  Although its success in replacing zippers has been limited, it has been used in the space program and on earth for everything from closures on camera bags and shoes to hangers for posters and signs to ties for computer cables.

Perhaps the most unique use of Velcro, however, came from a class of third graders in upstate New York who won a contest sponsored by a local radio station by using the irritating noise Velcro makes when the two sides are pulled apart to play "Yankee Doodle Dandy" with their shoes. 

Links:
= highly recommended

Origins of velcro:
       "The Invention of Velcro," from About.com.
       "Zippers and Velcro," on Useless Information.
       "The Story of Hook & Loop," on Velcro.com's KidZone.

Velcro.com--Velcro Industries B.V., the official source.  Maker of a wide range of VELCRO^® products.

Velcro products and applications:
       Military Velcro in olive drab and khaki, from Flighthelmet.com.
       Velcro for cable wraps, cable hangers, and more, from Rip-Tie.
       Hanging a quilt with Velcro (from the Regional Alliance for Preservation).
       For the fisherman (and woman), velcro gravel guards to protect your waders.
       Velcro for hanging signs, from Sam Schwartz, Inc.
       Velcro shoes for extreme sports climbing (also for elderly and disabled persons).
       For connecting the parts of a armored storm trooper costume.
       Straps (with your name & logo), framing pictures, and more (Textol Systems, Inc.).
       Children's wallets (recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission).

Nano-Velcro (Velcro made from carbon nano-tubes -- not yet a reality):
       Described in a news release from Michigan State University (March 6, 2000).
       Simulation of nano-Velcro (2 short MPEG movies from Michigan State)

"Botanical 'velcro' entraps hummingbirds," by Janet Raloff, Science News (October 17, 1998).

Velcro nostalgia:
       "The Joys and Hazards of Velcro," by Mark Hutchenreuther.
       " Velcro:  Yesterland Memories."
       "Velcro:  The Future that Never Was," by Cory Pike.

Musical groups with "Velcro" in their names:
       Velcro Mary.
       Velcro.
       Velcro One.
       Mr Velcro Fastener.
       The Velcro Pygmies.

Velcro -- the Font (available for free download), designed for a nightclub in Glasgow.

Velcro humor:
       Seth (loops) and Lilly (hooks) dressed up as Velcro for Halloween.
      "California's Velcro Crop Under Challenge (1993)" by Ken Umbach.