On June 17, 1837, he obtained his first rubber-processing patent. Most people who get a patent go on to make a fortune off industrial applications, but that was not the case for Charles Goodyear. It turns out 1837 was not an excellent financial year for Charles Goodyear, which stopped him from making any money from the patent.

This minor setback did not deter Goodyear. He was soon back at it, looking for new ways to make rubber compatible with extreme heat and cold. By a fluke of luck, Goodyear accidentally spilled a rubber and sulfur mixture onto a hot stove and discovered vulcanization. He soon received a patent for this discovery on June 15, 1844.

Fun facts about Charles Goodyear

• On December 29, 1800, Charles Goodyear was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He was born to Amasa Goodyear and Cynthia Bateman Goodyear.
• Charles married Clarissa Beecher, and together they had six children.
• Thanks to his contributions to modern rubber production, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company is named after him.
• The self-made manufacturing engineer would later pass on in New York on July 1, 1860.
• Charles was among six others inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1976.