Page 33 - Encyclopedia of Chemical Compounds 3 Vols

Timeline of the Development of Chemical Compounds

1937 • German forensic scientist Walter Specht discovers that
blood can act as the catalyst needed to produce chemilu-
minescence with luminol, a compound discovered in the
late 1800s.
1937 • Plexiglas Ò (made from polymethylmethacrylate) is
exhibited at the World’s Trade Fair in Paris.
1937 • The basic process for making polyurethanes is first
developed by German chemist Otto Bayer.
1937 • The cyclamate family of compounds is discovered by
Michael Sveda, a graduate student at the University of
Illinois.
1938 • Polytetrafluoroethylene is invented by Roy J. Plunkett
by accident at DuPont’s Jackson Laboratory.
1939 • Swiss chemist Paul Hermann Mu ¨ ller finds that DDT is
very effective as an insecticide, which makes it useful in
preventing infectious diseases such as malaria.

1939–1945 • During World War II, the U.S. military finds a
number of uses for nylon, polyurethanes, polystyrene,
percholorates, and silica gel.

Early 1940s • Penicillin is first produced for human use and
is valuable in saving the lives of soldiers wounded in
World War II.

1941 1942 1945
First regular Irving Berlin U.S. drops 1946
1939 television writes song two atomic First
World War II broadcasts ‘‘White bombs ‘‘baby boomers’’
begins. begin. Christmas.’’ on Japan. are born.
. . . . .

1935 1940 1945

xxxii CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS