Johan Vaaler was a Norwegian inventor born on March 15, 1866. He is best known for creating a design for a paper clip in 1899, which is often mistakenly credited as the original paper clip. His design was patented in Germany, and it featured a simple, yet effective, way to hold sheets of paper together. Although Vaaler's paper clip was not widely produced during his lifetime, it gained popularity later on. Today, the paper clip is a common office supply used worldwide, symbolizing organization and efficiency in handling documents. Vaaler's contribution is recognized in the history of office supplies.