First fully synthetic plastic

In 1907, chemist Leo Baekeland (Belgium) was experimenting in his laboratory in Yonkers, New York, USA, with the chemicals phenol and formaldehyde, subjecting them to heat and pressure within an autoclave (dubbed the "Bakelizer"). The amber-coloured resin he produced, which he would name Bakelite, was not only the first plastic to be created with no natural substances but also among the first manmade materials of all time. He announced his discovery to the New York chapter of the American Chemical Society in February 1909.

Baekeland filed for a patent for Bakelite in July 1907 and it was granted on 7 December 1909.

The hard mouldable plastic, which was an excellent insulator, was an immediate hit, particularly within automobile, radio and telephone manufacture. Later, as brighter colour variants were developed, it also became a popular material in the fields of homeware, toys and even jewellery. Indeed, Bakelite's versatility was one of its main selling points, and it was advertised with the slogan "The material of 1,000 uses".