Google Celebrates Chemist Charles Macintosh's 250th Birthday With A Doodle

Google Celebrates Chemist Charles Macintosh's 250th Birthday With A Doodle NEW DELHI:  Goggle celebrated chemist Charles Macintosh's 250th birthday today by dedicating a doodle in his honour. He is the inventor of waterproof material. The doodle shows an illustration of Charles Macintosh standing in a raincoat and rain droplets bouncing off him.  The world remembers him for his

most popular invention 'Macintosh raincoat'. Mr Macintosh while growing up in Glasgow devoted much of his spare time to chemistry. His habit of experimenting with various chemicals, made him realize that naphtha - a by product of tar - could easily be dissolved in India rubber. This mixture resulted in formation of a paste which had the ability to repel water. By inserting the coating between two pieces of cloth, Mr Macintosh was able to create a fabric that, while the outside could get wet, would protect the wearer from water.In 1823, Charles was granted a patent on the waterproof fabric.This invention was a boon to many as Scotland is known for its sudden downpours and continuous rainfall. At the time in which this invention was made, people in Scotland oiled their fabrics to make them waterproof. This process was both difficult, as it made the clothing heavy and foul smelling. Charles Macintosh's combination of natural rubber with naphtha gave a much more convenient option which has been redesigned into various products today.

Charles Macintosh passed away in 1843 at Dunchattan, Scotland and was buried in the churchyard of Glasgow Cathedral. His name is added to the impressive 17th century monument which stands against the eastern boundary wall.