Super glue, or cyanoacrylate adhesive, was discovered by accident in 1942 by Dr. Harry Coover, a chemist working for Eastman Kodak. At the time, Coover was attempting to develop a clear plastic suitable for use in precision gunsights for the Allied forces during World War II. 

During his experiments, he and his team synthesized a chemical compound called cyanoacrylate, which was incredibly sticky. However, because it stuck to everything it came into contact with, Coover and his team initially considered the substance a failure for their intended purpose and moved on to other projects. 

It wasn't until 1951, when Coover was working with a colleague named Fred Joyner on a project involving heat-resistant polymers for jet canopies, that they revisited cyanoacrylate. Joyner recognized its potential as an adhesive. After testing it further, they realized that it could bond nearly anything instantly and permanently without the need for heat or pressure. 

This discovery led to the commercialization of super glue in 1958 by Eastman Kodak under the brand name "Eastman 910." Super glue quickly became popular for its incredible bonding properties and has since been used in various applications, from household repairs to medical uses.