Before the Fosbury Flop most elite jumpers used the straddle (or belly roll) technique, Western Roll, Eastern cut-off, or scissors jump to clear the bar.
On the history/invention/evolution of the zipper from Wikipedia:
In 1851, Elias Howe received a patent for an “Improvement in Fastenings for Garments”. It was more like an elaborate drawstring than a true slide fastener.
in 1893, Whitcomb L. Judson patented a “Shoe-Fastening” and is sometimes given credit as the inventor of the zipper. He started the Universal Fastener Company.
In 1909, Gideon Sundback, a Swedish-American electrical engineer, worked on improving the fastener, and he registered a patent in Germany.
Wet.