Bill wrote:

I've heard plenty about teflon being invented for the space program, I
think the story is that it was invented as wiring insulation for the
Mercury capsule, but with the recent press stuff about it, I've seen
reports that it was actually invented in the '30s. Which is it?

The latter. Also, teflon-coated cookware went on the market in the
mid 1950s, and wasn't even a US invention.

Paul