National Tape Measure Day is a fun holiday celebrated annually on July 14. It commemorates the day in 1868 when Alvin J. Fellows was granted a patent for a spring-click tape measure. A tape measure, also known as measuring tape, is a flexible ruler that can be made of cloth, plastic, fiber glass or metal.

It’s a great day to bust out the tape measure, buy a new one for your toolkit, or give one as a gift! We know there’s a tape measure nestled in your toolkit or crammed in the back of a junk drawer. Everyone has one because they’re universally useful! Whether you need a tape measure for your job as a seamstress or construction worker, or you just need to know if your couch will fit in your living room, you’ll need a tape measure.  For more information on the history and a timeline on tape measures click here.