Spencer was an engineer, philosopher and psychologist, who in his day was as famous as Darwin. He first coined the phrase ‘survival of the fittest’. Darwin paid him the compliment of using it himself. Herbert was the eldest of nine children, all the rest of whom died in infancy. Trained as a civil engineer, he became a philosopher, psychologist, sociologist, economist and inventor. He sold more than a million books in his lifetime and was the first to apply evolutionary theory to psychology, philosophy and the study of society.

He also invented the paperclip. The device was called Spencer’s Binding Pin and was produced on a modified hook-and-eye machine. It did well in its first year, but demand dried up. During the Second World War, paperclips were an emotive symbol of Norwegian resistance to the German occupation. A giant paperclip was later erected in Oslo.