In what was surely one of the most  important leaps forward in human technological advancement, Thor Bjørklund of Norway invented the cheese slicer in 1925.

Bjørklund was apprenticed as a cabinet maker, and he was inspired to created the cheese slicer (known locally as the ostehøvel) by his work with a carpenter’s plane.

Thor Bjørklund & Sønner began manufacturing the slicer in 1927. Since then the company has produced over 50 million cheese slicers. Today, approximately 7,000 slicers can be produced in one hour.

Thor Bjørklund’s company’s official website