Profile of the Day: Charles Goodyear

On December 29, 1800, inventor Charles Goodyear was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He invented and developed a process to vulcanize rubber in 1839.

Image: Charles Goodyear / Library of Congress

The oldest of six children, Goodyear was a descendant of Stephen Goodyear, one of the founders of the colony of New Haven in 1638.

For years, Goodyear experimented with natural rubber, trying to make the material more reliable and stable for industrial use. Despite his crippling debt, Goodyear succeeded when he accidentally discovered the process of vulcanization. In 1844, he patented his discovery and showcased it at exhibitions. The amazing material could be used to manufacture shoes, life jackets, balls and would later become an important component in tires, roofs, floors and more.

In 1860, Goodyear died while traveling to see his dying daughter. In 1898, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company was founded and named in honor of the inventor.

Did you know Charles Goodyear was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1976?

View Charles Goodyear’s Geni Profile