Peter Florjančič facts for kids

Peter Florjančič (born March 5, 1919 – died November 14, 2020) was a clever inventor from Slovenia. He was also an Olympic athlete! He created many useful things. Two of his most famous inventions were the perfume atomiser and the plastic frame for photographic slides.

A Young Olympic Athlete

Peter Florjančič was born in a beautiful mountain town called Bled. This town is in Slovenia, which was then part of a country called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

When he was just 16 years old, Peter was already an amazing athlete. He was the youngest person on the Yugoslav ski-jumping team. He even competed in the 1936 Olympic Games!

Escaping During Wartime

During World War II, in 1943, Germany took over parts of Slovenia. Peter knew he might have to join the German Army. He didn't want to fight on the Eastern Front.

So, Peter came up with a clever plan. He pretended to go on a skiing trip with a friend to Kitzbühel, Austria. While there, he faked his own death on a mountain called Hahnenkamm. This allowed him to escape across the border into neutral Switzerland.

In Zürich, Switzerland, he met his future wife, Verena. She was a model and actress from Switzerland. They were happily married for more than 65 years!

Peter's Amazing Inventions

While Peter was a refugee in a special camp in Switzerland, he didn't stop inventing. He created a special loom that could be used by soldiers who had been injured.

Life in Monte Carlo

In 1950, Peter moved to Monte Carlo. He lived there for 13 years. During this time, he invented the perfume atomiser. This device sprays perfume in a fine mist. He even appeared in a movie called The Monte Carlo Story while living there.

Peter lived in many different countries throughout his life. These included Monaco, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany.

Other Clever Ideas

Peter Florjančič had many other successful inventions. He invented a special bed for working out and plastic ice skates.

He also invented the plastic zipper in 1948. And in 1957, he invented the airbag for cars. However, these inventions weren't very successful at first. The materials available back then weren't good enough. Later, other inventors improved these ideas using better materials.

A Life Full of Adventures

In 2007, Peter Florjančič wrote a book about his life. It was called Skok v Smetano, which means "Jump into the Cream." He once described his adventurous life by saying: "I’ve had five citizenships, 43 cars and the longest passport." He also said that being an inventor meant he spent a lot of time traveling. He spent 25 years in hotels, four years in cars, three years on trains, a year and a half on airplanes, and a year on ships!

Even when he was 92 years old and almost blind, Peter was still working. He kept sketching new inventions. He became rich and lost his money several times during his long career.

Documentary About Peter

In 2002, a Slovenian film director named Karpo Godina made a documentary movie about Peter Florjančič's incredible life story.

See also

In Spanish: Peter Florjančič para niños