Dec 29, 2016
Charles Macintosh’s 250th Birthday

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It’s a wonder how the weatherbeaten Brits coped before Scottish chemist Charles Macintosh invented his eponymous waterproof coat. His invention, patented in 1823, came about as he experimented with coal-tar naphtha and rubber and realised they could be fused together with fabric to create a waterproof surface. These days in the U.K., it’s common to call any type of raincoat a "Mac."


Today’s Doodle shows Macintosh enjoying a Scottish rain shower whilst testing his ingenious invention.