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John Hetherington was an English haberdasher who invented the top hat.
He modified the riding hat of the day, widening the brim and lengthening it. Reportedly, the first time he wore it, in 1797, he caused a riot in the streets of London. People are said to have run in terror, dogs barking, women fainting. The crowd broke the arm of an errand boy as they ran past. Hetherington was charged in court with wearing "a tall structure having a shining luster calculated to frighten timid people", and was fined £50.
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