Thomas Midgley Jr.
American chemist and engineer (1889–1944)
- Fame56.1
- Momentum0.0
- Scientists rank#232
Source-basedStable
- Fame56.1
- Momentum0.0
- Scientists rank#232
- Wikipedia25.9K
Lived 1889–1944, aged 55United States
United StatesSummary
Updated 2026-06-09
He solved two of the twentieth century's most vexing engineering problems — engine knock and refrigerant toxicity — with chemicals that would go on to poison millions and tear a hole in the ozone layer.
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Thomas Midgley Jr. was born May 18, 1889, an American mechanical and chemical engineer who earned more than 100 patents over his career. He developed tetraethyl lead for gasoline and the first chlorofluorocarbons, branded as Freon, both hailed as breakthroughs in their time. Midgley knew tetraethyl lead was acutely toxic during its development but publicly insisted leaded gasoline posed no health hazard to users. Both products were eventually banned for their devastating effects on human health and the environment, though the damage from CFCs wasn't understood until decades after his death. In…
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Stable56.1
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