Bakelite

Leo Baekeland, USA, patent 942,699 of 1909. The first fully synthetic plastic.

Overview

Belgian-American chemist Baekeland patented phenol-formaldehyde resin, the first plastic not derived from plants or animals. Bakelite molded into telephones, radios, jewelry, and electrical insulators, the material of the machine age. He famously kept his patent, manufacturing himself and growing rich, the inventor's dream fulfilled. Thermoset plastics founded the modern materials industry. The patent date 1907 filing, 1909 grant marks the plastic century's start.