Inventor's name: Charles Goodyear

Date of birth: December 29,1800

Date of death: July 1,1860

Invention: He invented improvements in India-Rubber Fabrics. Rubber products melted in hot weather, froze and cracked in cold. Charles Goodyear accidentally dropped some rubber mixed with sulfur on a hot stove. His discovery of what came to be known as vulcanization strengthened rubber so it could be applied to a vast array of industrial uses including automobile tires.

 Source: http://www.invent.org/book-text/47.html  December 18, 2001.

5 interesting facts: Goodyear was born in New Haven, Connecticut. Charles entered the hardware with his father in 1830 but this was not successful. His discovery happened accidentally when he dropped some rubber mixed with sulfur on a hot stove discovering a process to improve the rubber which he called vulcanization. The vulcanization process was patented in 1844 to revolutionized the rubber industry. Goodyear was unable to profit from his discoveries because his patents were always infringed and Charles Goodyear died a poor man.