The real history of bubble wrap: Appreciate the "Pop!" of this glorious holiday

Today may appear to be an ordinary muggy Monday, but it's also the 11th annual Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day. With that in mind, we encourage our readers to reserve a moment of meditation to take stock on their genuine gratitude for the package liner.

You may know that the wrapping is more than just a shipping supplement — it's a source of entertainment and has stress-relieving capabilities on par with a Koosh ball or Purple Drank. What you probably didn't know is that the material was originally intended as wallpaper. That's right: Bubble wrap was conceived in the golden age of plastic innovation, during which a textured, disposable wallpaper seemed like a logical form of décor.

When the plan petered out, inventor Marc Chavannes realized the material's packaging potential while on an airplane over Newark Airport. The light bulb went off as he noticed how the billowy clouds appeared to be cushioning the plane.

Fifty-one years later, bubble wrap has become about American as apple pie and antidepressants.

"We get excited every year for the day," Ken Aurichio, director of corporate communications for Sealed Air of Elmwood Park, told NorthJersey.com. (Sealed Air holds the trademark on "bubble-covered cushioning.") "It's the best day of the year!"

How will you celebrate this glorious holiday?